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• THOMASVILLE, NC • 336-476-4114 • [email protected]
GRACE
LUTHERAN
CHURCH
MAY 2015 ISSUE 5
JONATHAN CONRAD,
PASTOR
In Our Community
Saturday, May 2
Spring Daze at the Depot
Be sure to visit the Thomasville
Woman’s Club booth near
Monkeez Brew where Scout
Troop 57 from Grace will be
assisting in a fundraiser to
benefit Meals on Wheels of
Thomasville.
In Our North Carolina Synod
Saturday, May 16
The 2015 NC Synod Assembly will take place in Greensboro May 28-30.
After faithfully serving for over 18 years, the Rev. Dr. Leonard H. Bolick,
bishop of the NC Synod-ELCA, is retiring. An election for the new bishop will
be held at the Assembly. Each synod congregation plays an important role
in this transition as it contemplates the future of the synod and the gifts
needed. Representing Grace in this important vote is Pastor Jonathan as a
rostered leader and Mike and Jane Hill, our Grace delegates.
Our bishop is “the synod’s pastor,” whose functions include preaching,
teaching, and administering the sacraments; providing leadership in the
mission of the church to strengthen the unity of the church; and overseeing
and administering the work of the synod.
Who will be our next bishop? All ELCA rostered pastors are eligible for
nomination. After the first nominating ballot, the election committee will
verify that all nominees are on the ELCA roster. Most probably the election
will take multiple ballots spanning several days.
Current Assistants to the Bishop and the Director of Evangelical Mission
have co-terminus calls, so they would resign their positions. The new bishop
would be free to choose his or her staff. The new bishop will take office on
August 1.
As you can see, this is a decision not to be taken lightly. If you have
concerns or ideas about the future of our synod and its leadership, please
express them to the Hills. They are our voices and votes.
Prior to the gathering, it is important that the entire synod engage in prayer
and discernment. For the week leading up to Assembly, the synod’s
website, www.nclutheran.org, will post scripture and prayer suggestions in
the hope that in this way we will be united as a synod in Word and Prayer.
And this is the boldness we have in Christ Jesus, that if we ask according to
his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we
know that we have obtained the requests made of him. (1 John 5:14-15)
Lutherans on the Links
The golf tournament to benefit
Smart Start of Davidson
County / School Readiness
Program will be held at
Lexington Golf Club. The
shotgun start will begin after
lunch. If you have not already
registered, contact info is on
the bulletin board in the
education building.
From the Pastor’s Desk
This month our look at the Lutheran Liturgy focuses on
the public reading of the Word. One of the reasons we
have public readings of the Word is to connect with our
Christian ancestors, who would gather and have letters
from the Apostles read to them.
Why do we stand for the Gospel? Simply put:
Reverence. We stand to show the prominence in our
midst of this testimony to the living Word, Jesus Christ.
By standing we are being active in listening and
responding to God’s Word.
Another reason, and probably the most important, is
that we gather around Sacrament and Word.
In our busy world, more and more Christians do not
read their Bible on a daily basis. That is why it is
important that our worship services provide as much
scripture as possible so our people can quench their
thirst for God and His Word. To that point, our worship
contains up to four readings from the Bible: The First
Lesson, Psalm, The Second Lesson, and The Holy
Gospel.
So where do the lessons come from?
When it comes to what lessons are used and heard,
our congregation and Protestant congregations around
the world use The Lectionary, which is a three-year
cycle of readings. Each year focuses on a Gospel:
Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The Fourth Gospel, John, is
sprinkled in each year.
Why do we use a three-year reading cycle? So that
congregations can become familiar with one Gospel for
an entire year. In three years, our congregation would
have heard a majority of the Bible. So in a way, we are
participating in a giant Bible reading class.
Game Night with PJ
The next youth game night will be
Friday, May 8th, from 6-8 pm.
Food, Fun, Fellowship with Friends!
Adult helpers would be welcomed!
The First Lesson comes from the Old Testament except
during the Easter Season when they are drawn from
the Book of Acts. The Second Lesson can come from
one of the New Testament Letters, Acts, or Revelation.
The Psalms are wonderful public and private devotional
tools. After a hard and difficult week, sometimes the
words of the Psalms hit closer to home than any other
readings. They feature so many different aspects of the
human condition. Martin Luther called The Psalms “a
little Bible.”
The Word plays a vital and important role in our liturgy.
Every one of our worship services IS scripturally based
and scripturally centered.
The next time you are in worship, take the time to read
and find the connections between the readings and the
prayers and the sermon. The connections are there.
I invite you to let the lessons be your daily/weekly
connection with our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
Celebrate Pentecost May 24
Pentecost is the fiftieth day of Easter, the
conclusion to the Easter season, and we keep the
resurrection of Christ by celebrating the Spirit of
the risen Christ in our midst. Jesus Christ has not
gone away but is here with us, and we stand to
greet him and hear his words in the gospel
reading. On Pentecost we celebrate that God's
Spirit comes to everyone on earth and speaks
forgiveness and joy in every language.
Our Pentecost festival this year will be held
outdoors (weather permitting), with images of fire
and wind in the red we wear on this day, the
flowing red and orange ribbon banners, and the red
balloons swaying in the breezes. Join us at our 10
am worship service — bring a lawn chair if you
wish. We will have folding chairs available, too.
Grace Women of the ELCA
WELCA will meet on May 14th
for their regular monthly
meeting at 6:30 p.m. However,
we will be meeting at The
Classic in Denton, not at Grace.
The Classic is a buffet-style
restaurant located at 42 West
Newsom Avenue. Members
interested in carpooling or following behind will meet in
the Thomasville K-Mart parking lot at 6 p.m. For more
information, please contact Leah Pendergrass.
We congratulate Mary Catherine Jasperse
as she graduates from Queens University of
Charlotte with a bachelor of arts degree in
English literature on May 9th. She is the
granddaughter of Hazel Kay.
Lutheran Men in Mission
L-Men will meet Monday, May 18th, at 6:30 p.m. for
dinner and Bible Study. All men of the church and
friends are invited to join us!
Ella Bunting Open Arms
Thank you to everyone who helped
make the BBQ chicken fundraiser
a success! Thanks to the kitchen
gang, the cooks and bakers, food
donors, ticket takers, set up and
clean up crew, ticket sellers, and
all who supported the project by
coming out in spite of the dreary
weather! Food was delicious!
In Memory of Ron Bryant
Given by Dorothy and Lee Beck
For Fellowship Hall Bathroom Renovations
As graduation season approaches, we want
to recognize our graduates and their
accomplishments. If you or a member of your
family will be graduating from high school or
college, please send an announcement to
the church office.
If you signed up for flowers this summer or
if you wish to provide altar flowers, please
call Dot in the church office to confirm your
date. The entire month of June is available
for flower donations. Blooming plants,
garden flowers, or farmer’s market
bouquets are all welcome reminders of the
beauty of God’s creation in our worship.
Council Meeting Minutes Summary — April 16
Members in attendance: David Armfield, Eugene Berry, Linda Edgerton, Jane
Hill, Cindy Hunnicutt, Marty Musselman, Leah Pendergrass, Teresa Price, Larry
Sink, Loretta Wise, Pastor Jonathan
Members excused: Brandon Rorie, Bill Venable
Bible Study: Pastor Jonathan continued study of the liturgy focused on the
public reading of the Word.
Devotions: Marty Musselman: “Don’t sit in my pew!”
Minutes from previous meetings:
Approved, MMSC
2015 Council Members
David Armfield
474-0421
Eugene Berry
476-0757
Pastor Jonathan Conrad 476-4114
Linda Edgerton
474-7588
Jane Hill
476-6965
Cindy Hunnicutt
475-1767
Marty Musselman
476-7509
Leah Pendergrass
472-7115
Teresa Price
475-3931
Brandon
RoriePlanning Retreat
472-9556
Annual
Larry Sink
July 19 882-1300
Bill Venable
431-4435
Loretta Wise
475-0364
Unfinished Business:
Fellowship Hall Bathrooms Update – Larry Sink to speak to congregation on
4/19 to overview plans and cost of renovating bathrooms across from
Fellowship Hall. This project requires the members to vote.
Sidewalk – McGee Brothers to begin this project on 4/20 or 4/21, weather permitting, and can be done in two days.
Team Ministry Recap – We have collected the names of members participating on the following Team Ministries: Finance,
Kitchen, Worship, Christian Ed, Property and Community. We still need Discipleship, Stewardship and Mutual Ministry.
New Business:
Synod Assembly Attendance – Jane and Mike Hill will attend this gathering on May 28 thru May 30th. Election of a new
Bishop will take place.
Committee Reports – Leah asked if Team Reports can be printed and set out for members who wish to look them over. Five
copies will be made available and if they go we will provide additional copies ongoing.
Larry’s Question – Needs a way for the Discipleship Team to determine who regularly attends so that visitation can be
targeted to members who are not regular. Pastor will assist with this request.
Bishop’s Retirement – Retirement Planning Committee sent a letter requesting funds be donated for a love offering for the
bishop. A motion was made to have a special offering collected during an upcoming service so any members who want to
donate may do so. MMSC
Pastor's Report: Received as information and attached in hard copy. Pastor also indicated he usually spends the mornings
in the office and makes 2 to 3 visits in the afternoons. He asked us to consider that we have a choice to be part of a dying
church or restoring our church and urged us to find ways to restore. Finance Report: The Finance Committee will publish the amount needed each week to sustain our budgeted items so that
members can see the shortfall we deal with quite often. The amount needed is $3837 weekly.
Committee Wrap-Up:
Fellowship Committee to plan Choir Appreciation day on May 31st by having a covered dish and some other surprises. Leah
and Linda to coordinate this event.
Fellowship recommended we not have a breakfast for Easter next year as the attendance the past couple of years has been
poor. Recommendation was made to offer coffee, juice and donuts. Council agreed.
Fellowship looking for volunteers to help set up, serve and clean-up for the Open Arms chicken barbecue dinner on April
25th. Cindy Hunnicutt offered to help and Pastor will announce this request on Sunday.
Meeting adjourned with the Lord’s Prayer.
Next regular meeting will be May 21 at 6:30. Devotions for April– Linda Edgerton
Copies of the team ministry reports are available in the education building
on the table below the members’ mailboxes.
Year-end
Repairs and
Financial
Renovations
Information
to Grace Property
The vote at our congregational meeting approved overwhelmingly our fellowship hall bathroom remodeling project. That
will get under way soon. The contractor has been chosen, and the project has been financed through your donor gifts.
We recently had concrete work done around our facility. The ramp leading into the narthex was widened to make it more
accessible for those who find climbing stairs difficult and for wheelchairs. The sidewalk to the administrative/
handicapped parking lot was widened. We made a new sidewalk from the exit door at the front of the sanctuary to the
parking lot. This should make it more convenient for those who may be carrying flowers, plants and supplies to the altar
area and sacristy. Finally, the rear parking lot hole near the basketball goal was repaired.
Thank you to our volunteers overseeing the project who made these improvements happen.
May Sandwich Ministry Collection
This month we will collect travel size hairbrushes
and combs.
Next month’s newsletter will be a summer edition
which will encompass June, July, and August. The
deadline for articles to be submitted is May 20th. Be
sure to alert the church office of any summer dates to
add to the calendar.
A collection box is located in the narthex.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
26
9:00 AM SS
10:00 AM Worship
27
7:00 PM
Boy Scouts
28
6:30 PM
Girl Scouts
29
30
6:45 PM
Adult Choir
1
2
3
9:00 AM SS
10:00 AM Worship
4
10:00 AM
Ella Bunting
Open Arms
7:00 PM
Boy Scouts
5
6:30 PM
Girl Scouts
6
7
6:45 PM
6:30 PM
Adult Choir Property
Committee
8
6:00 PM Game
Night with PJ
9
10
9:00 AM SS
10:00 AM Worship
11
7:00 PM
Boy Scouts
12
6:00 PM
Finance
Committee
6:30 PM
Girl Scouts
13
14
6:00 PM WELCA
6:45 PM
Adult Choir Carpooling
at KMart
6:30 PM WELCA
15
16
Boy Scouts Pack
Graduation/Cookout
Lutherans on the Links
Golf Tournament
17
9:00 AM SS
10:00 AM Worship
18
19
5:45 PM Worship 6:30 PM
Committee
Girl Scouts
6:30 PM
L-Men Dinner and
Bible Study
7:00 PM
Boy Scouts
20
21
6:45 PM
6:30 PM
Adult Choir Congregational
Council
6:30 PM
Stamp-It-Up
22
23
24
Pentecost
9:00 AM SS
10:00 AM
Outdoor Worship
25
7:00 PM
Boy Scouts
26
6:30 PM
Girl Scouts
27
28
NC Synod
6:45 PM
Adult Choir Assembly
29
NC Synod
Assembly
30
NC Synod
Assembly
31
9:00 AM SS
10:00 AM Worship
11:15 AM
Fifth Sunday Potluck
Choir Appreciation
1
10:00 AM
Ella Bunting
Open Arms
7:00 PM
Boy Scouts
2
6:30 PM
Girl Scouts
3
5
6
4
6:30 PM
Property
Committee
4
6
8
9
10
16
18
19
Doug Edgerton
Nicholas Edinger
Jil Palmer
Jamie Charles
Rachel Sink
Brandon Seamon
Ethan Moore
Linda Edgerton
Lauren Edinger
Linda Bryant
Andrew Vaughan
20 Jean Ridenhour
L.W. Conrad
Walt Miller
23 Mike Seamon
25 Matthew Moore
26 Michelle Seamon
28 Angela Beck
Michael Edinger
29 Tom Muschlitz
30 PaulaSue Okken
31 Dave Herrmann
3
7
12
19
David and Michelle Seamon
Richard and Judy Edinger
Kenton and Martha Musselman
Jerry and Patti Lovell
If you are unable to serve on your assigned date, please secure a replacement and advise the church office. MAY 2015 WORSHIP PARTICIPANTS
Assistant Lector Acolyte Communion Presenter Nursery Altar Flowers Bulletins May 3 May 10 May 17 May 24 May 31 Eugene Berry Robert Black Nicholas Edinger Larry Sink Martha, Rebekah Conrad Vacant J. Bunting Pat Wood Mark Hunnicutt Ethan Moore Rachel Herman Teresa Price, L. Pendergrass Vacant J. Bunting Robert Black Charlotte Yandell Lauren Seamon Charlotte Yandell Kristen Conrad, Ruth Browne Burchetts Vacant Mike Hill Linda Edgerton Sharon Sink Michael, Sherry Edinger Vacant Vacant Doug Edgerton Kenton Musselman Nicholas Edinger Robert Black David, Michelle Seamon Vacant C., P. Okken Altar Guild Serving in May: Ushers Serving in May: Paul and Cindy Myers, Cindy Hunnicutt Bill Armentrout, L. W. Conrad, Randy Dalton, Bill Miller JUNE 2015 WORSHIP PARTICIPANTS
Assistant Lector Acolyte Communion Presenter Nursery Altar Flowers Bulletins June 7 June 14 June 21 June 28 Margie Venable Cindy Hunnicutt Ethan Moore Linda Edgerton L. Pendergrass, Jil Palmer Vacant Vacant Eugene Berry Mark Okken Lauren Seamon Larry Sink Kim, Abby Moore Vacant Vacant Pat Wood Doug Edgerton Rachel Herman Thom, Melissa Woller Vacant J. Putnam Robert Black Jerry Lovell Nicholas Edinger Charlotte Yandell Martha, Rebekah Conrad Vacant Betty Cox Altar Guild Serving in June: Ushers Serving in June: Teresa Price, Lynn Fitzgerald Robert Black, Ruth Browne, Bob Herman, Mark Hunnicutt GRACE
Lutheran
Church
115 Unity Street Thomasville, NC 27360
www.GraceTville.org
WWW.GRACETVILLE.ORG
• THOMASVILLE, NC • 336-476-4114 • [email protected]
MAY 2015 ISSUE 5
Cooperative Community Ministry
Here’s a cool fact.
We were one of 2,000 Lutheran
congregations across the U.S. to wave
a combined total of a half-million EcoPalms on Palm Sunday. The palms
purchased through Lutheran World
Relief help palm harvesters and their
communities move out of lives of
poverty and into futures of promise.
CCM has an ongoing need for hygiene products and
any non-perishable canned and packaged foods. You
may put donations in the boxes by the mailboxes in
the education building. Thank you for your continued
generosity.