False Disputes

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

10 December 2015

The last time you bought a cup of coffee at Starbuck’s (if you did), did you give your name as “Jesus”?  In case you have missed the recent kerfuffle, a number of Christians have protested in a social media campaign that Starbuck’s “holiday season” (red) cups do not say “Merry Christmas”.  Those protesting have, therefore, urged Starbuck’s customers to give their name as Jesus, since it is the custom of Starbuck’s to write the name of the customer on the cup.

This is an example of a false dispute, a stupid fight.  To begin with, Starbuck’s is a business.  They have no responsibility to promote any faith.  If you don’t like their trade dress, don’t patronize them.  (The you won’t even have to worry about whether their logotype incorporates an image of a pagan goddess!)  False disputes, stupid fights, do not promote the faith.  They are damaging to the Church, making it easier for those of no faith to look upon believers as little more than scolds.

What does promote the faith is its proclamation. We proclaim the faith not just in words but in who we are.  The world must look upon believers and see that believers are different from the world.  It is only when a difference is observed that someone might want to know the reason for the difference.  (That’s when words become important.)

This begs the question:  What looks different during the “holiday season”?  What looks different is many things, but it certainly includes:  making worship central to your identity; inviting others to worship; praying at a family meal and gathering; giving thanks to God, when all of the presents have been opened and you have thanked each other; saying “I love you” more often; focusing on giving, not getting.  The list could go on and on, and there is no one way to so reorient ourselves that we both experience joy (in all circumstances), but that this is witnessed by others.  A good place to start, however, is to focus on a rule of life, as has been proposed by Bp. Gunter.  Starting now to practice the simple day-in, day-out life of faith will so change you that others will notice.

To review:  The Rule of Life encouraged in the Diocese of Fond du Lac involves:

1. Worship in Community
2. Prayer
3. Fasting
4. Sabbath
5. Examination

Details can be found on hand-outs available in the parish, or at http://www.diofdl.org/documents/publications/fdlrol.htm  Start now!

Grace abounds:  Please thank:

• Bob and Anne Hanlon, and Leslie Kohler for the Sunday coffee hours.
• John Davis for repair work performed at the rectory.
• All who helped in preparation, set-up, serving and cleanup for the Advent Lessons & Carols reception, including:  Nicci Beeck, Leslie Kohler, Barb MacEwen, Bernie Markevitch, and Bryan Stenz.
• Ben Dobey and the choir for the lessons & carols!

Call for Contributions:  If you have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshippers toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by Wednesday in the week of publication.

Music this Week: The Third Sunday of Advent, Year C (Gaudete Sunday)

Prelude                   Chorale Prelude on Savior of the Nations, Come         J. S. Bach

Entrance Hymn 59 “Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding”                               Merton

Trisagion S-102                                                                            A. Archangelsky

Canticle 9:             Ecce Deus - Isaiah 12:1-7

Alleluia Verse:        The Spirit of the Lord is upon me;

                            He has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor.

Offertory Hymn 75 “There’s a voice in the wilderness crying”                   Ascension

Sanctus S-114                                                                                        H. Willan

Agnus Dei S-158                                                                                     H. Willan

Communion Motet           Rejoice, O Jerusalem                                         H. Willan

          The night is far spent, the day is at hand.

Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness,

     and let us put on the armor of light.        

          Behold, the Lord shall come and all his saints with Him:

      and in that day the light shall be great.

          Rejoice, O Jerusalem, behold, thy King cometh.  Alleluia.

Comm. Hymn 613 “Thy kingdom come, O God”                                      St. Cecilia

Closing Hymn 65   “Prepare the way, O Zion”                                     Bereden vag

Postlude                Prepare the way, O Zion                                            Dale Wood

Parish Notices

• Adult Formation: At 9:00 am Sunday we will conclude our class on Anglican Identity, with a Q & A session.  This is an opportunity to ask questions you may have about Anglican belief, the Church, our history, or the “why’s” of what we do.
• Youth and Children’s Choir: Youth and Children’s choir rehearsals for the Christmas Eve service continue at 5:30-6:00pm on December 16^th these will be just before the Pageant rehearsals.  The final rehearsal will be Sunday, December 20th at 9:00am. The choir is open to 2^nd graders through high school, and will sing for the 4pm service on Christmas Eve. See the sign-up sheet in the Narthex.
• Christmas Pageant Rehearsals: will continue on December 16^th starting at 6:00p.m. The rehearsals will begin in the church and then go downstairs for costumes. Participation is open to youth of all ages. The Pageant will take place during the 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. Please sign up on the sheet in the Narthex. If your child would like to participate but cannot make rehearsals, please note that on the sign-up sheet located in the Narthex or call the office. If anyone is interested in directing this event, please call the office.
• Christmas (Castle) Sort and Shop: Wednesday, December 16^th, make Christmas merry for hundreds of children by sorting through toys and shopping for families. Six people are needed throughout the day. 3 from 9:00am-1:00pm; 3 from 1:00pm-5:00pm. This will be at 710 Pennsylvania Ave, Sheboygan. Please sign-up on the sheet on the table in the Narthex. If you have any questions please contact Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
• Christmas Gifts Distribution Volunteers! On Thursday, December 17^th all during the day, you can assist local families pick presents from the Toy Shop. This gives those in need an opportunity to “shop” for Christmas presents for their families. We are in need of at least 6 people to help, 2 in each time slot, from 8:30am- noon; 11:30am-3:00pm and 2:30pm-6:00pm. This will be at 710 Pennsylvania Ave, Sheboygan. Please sign-up on the sheet on the table in the Narthex. If you have any questions please contact Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
• Christmas Joy: is scheduled to meet on Monday, December 21st at 11:00 a.m., in the church kitchen. At that time, we will assemble winter greens and flowers and bag cookies, and then make deliveries (there is a sign-up sheet in the narthex.) We need helping hands. Can you bake, make a delivery or help arrange? Please join us for this fulfilling and fun ministry to our elderly and shut-ins. They will appreciate it. If you have any questions, please call Barb MacEwen at 467-6909.
• End of Year Pledge Reminder: Please make every effort to pay the remainder of your pledge before the end of the year. If you need to know your balance, please call the office at 452-9659. If you want tax credit for your pledge paid in 2015, you must have the payment in the office by Wednesday, December 30^th. A check dated the 30^th, but arriving later cannot be counted as paid in 2015. All payments received after the 30^th will be credited in 2016. Thank you so much.
• Christmas Flowers/Music: If you would like to contribute to the Christmas flowers/music in memorial or in thanksgiving, please complete the form inserted in this mass booklet.
• Something Extra for Grace: Envelopes are available in the pews if you are moved to give an extra gift, beyond your pledge or regular plate donation, toward the life of the church.  Gifts are tax deductible if you write your name on the envelope.
•         Bible Challenge: Grace Abounds will launch The Bible Challenge on the First Monday of 2016, January 4^th. If you take this challenge, you will find that in one year you will read all of the Bible! This will require less than an hour of your time, six days a week. A schedule of readings will be provided on the parish website, along with weekly study summaries and a weekly video summery of the readings. If you need a good study bible for the challenge, contact the parish office. When we immerse ourselves in Scripture, the mantle of the Lord does fall upon us. We are equipped to discern God’s will and to lead others to know and love and serve the Lord.

Christmas Schedule:
Eve of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ
    Thursday, December 24, 2015

4:00 p.m. Children’s Christ’s Mass
10:30 p.m. Prelude of Christmas Music
11:00 p.m. Solemn Christ’s Mass

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
    Friday, December 25, 2015

9:00 a.m. Mass with Carols

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Light Shines in the Darkness (Through Us!)

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin 

Grace Notes

3 December 2015 

Today is the feast of St. Francis Xavier, the 16^th century Jesuit missionary to Japan.  In the liturgy appointed for the celebration of Holy Eucharist this day, the collect is for “the common of a missionary,” in which we pray, in part, that God will “Shine … in our hearts, that we also … may show forth your praise, who called us out of darkness into your marvelous light …”  This language is striking when compared to the recurrent theme of light shining in the darkness, found in the lessons included in the Advent meditations prepared in our parish.  In Advent we look to the light; we prepare ourselves anew for the coming of Christ.

It is, of course, literally darker this time of year.  The days are shorter, and the weather can be gloomy.  But year round it is tempting to look about us and see the darkness in the world—the evil, the hurting, the self-focus, the violence.  This darkness is real, but only to the extent that light is absent.  When we see darkness we must focus on light, indeed on the light of the world, Jesus (Jn. 8.12), the light that shines in the darkness (Jn. 1.5).  But we must not only focus on this light but on how we are called to embody this light.  As Jesus tells us at Mtt. 5.14, “You are the light of the world,” and we must let this light shine (Mtt. 5.16).

When Jesus tells us that we are the light which must shine He tells us that we are literally to incarnate Him, to be His Body which gives light to the world.  In Advent we speak of preparation, of looking for and to the light.  The world around us is focused on “the holiday season,” which is mostly about getting, not giving, and getting as a form of self-fulfillment.  The world does not want to prepare, but to get what they think they seek now.  And so, as those who incarnate Jesus that His light might shine in the darkness, we must be seen to be different, and in being so seen serve as those who shed light, who point to the light.

Lots of lights are visible in “the holiday season”.  They are of different colors, some blink, some even move.  When people see these decorations they receive a message, but when we who are of different colors, and who blink and move—when we embody the message which is that Jesus’ light overcomes all darkness, then perhaps we can serve like Francis Xavier.  Perhaps we, too, can call all others to praise God. 

Grace abounds:  Please thank:

• Kevan and Traci Revis, and Mary Snyder for the Sunday coffee hours.
• John Davis for repair work performed at the rectory.
• Salvation Army Bell Ringing: Thank you to all who participated in the Salvation Army Bell Ringing: Jessica Ambelang, Sutton Cecil, John Davis and grandson Dillon, Bev Evans, Debra Fergoson, Scott and Martha Gedemer, Brian Heck, Laura Krause Koerber, Scott Lubbers, Mary Massey, Jennifer Pawlus, Elizabeth Schaffenburg and daughter Lila Caves, Pat Ford Smith, Grace Zangara and Nancy Yurk.
• Thank you! To all who donated both items and money for the Samaritan’s Purse Shoe Boxes. This a tangible way for us to see gifts given to children around the world and to celebrate a Merry Christ’s Mass through mission.

Advent Matters:  Advent Matters: because it’s our way of keeping our eyes and our hearts and our arms all wide open. 

By Sarah Bessey 

Advent has begun. Many of us are already preparing our homes and families to observe this season of the Church calendar.  But how could we possibly celebrate Advent if we are paying attention to this world?

(continue reading here  …) http://shelovesmagazine.com/2015/advent-matters/  

Call for Contributions:  If you have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshippers toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by Wednesday in the week of publication.

Christmas/Spring Cheer:  In the announcements you will find details of how to participate in Christmas Cheer.  Here is a little history. 

I began this ministry in the spring of 2006.  That year May Day (May 1^st) fell on a “convenient” date for me to do this.  Both my father and father in law had died just five months prior and I was relieved that neither one of them had to enter a nursing home.  I saw a need to bring some cheer to others and thus, along with help from Niki Kohler I began this project, starting at 9:00 AM and finishing my last delivery at 6:00 PM that day!  Over the years lots of people have helped and it has transformed into an established ministry for Grace Church, delivering not only to our parish shut-ins but to those elderly who would enjoy some joy and cheer and a short visit from a parishioner.  Thank you to everyone for making this happen. (Barb MacEwen) 

Music this Week: The Second Sunday of Advent, Year C 

Prelude                  Partita on ‘Comfort, comfort ye my people’             J. Pachelbel

Entrance H.76       “On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry”                  Winchester New

Trisagion S-102                                                                            A. Archangelsky

Psalm Refrain:       “Thou shalt go before the Lord to prepare his ways” 

Canticle 4 (The Song of Zechariah): 1-2, RF, 3-4, RF, 9, 12, RF 

Alleluia and Verse                                                                                    Plainsong

Verse:                   Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight;

                             and all flesh shall see the salvation of our God. 

Offertory H. 444    “Blessed be the God of Israel”                                    Thornbury

Sanctus   S-114                                                                                       H. Willan

Agnus Dei S-158                                                                                      H. Willan

Communion Motet O Lord, how shall I meet you                             Johann Crueger 

          O Lord, how shall I meet you, how welcome you aright?

          Your people long to greet you, my hope, my heart’s delight.

          O kindle, Lord most holy, your lamp within my breast

          To do in spirit lowly all that may please you best. 

          Love caused your incarnation; love brought you down to me.

          Your thirst for my salvation procured my liberty.

          Oh, love beyond all telling that led you to embrace

          In love, all love excelling, our lost and fallen race.

                                                          …Paul Gerhardt(1606-1676) 

Communion H. 67  “Comfort, comfort ye my people”                                 Psalm 42

Closing Hymn 73   “The King shall come when morning dawns”             St. Stephen

Postlude                Toccata on ‘Winchester New’                                Bruce Neswick 

Parish Notices

• Adult Formation: At 9:00 am Sunday we will continue with the class on Anglican Identity.
• Advent Lessons and Carols: Sunday a festival of Advent Lessons and Carols will be offered at Grace Episcopal Church, beginning at 4:00 p.m. This festival prepares us for the coming of the Messiah by following the scriptural record through nine lessons, each followed by a seasonal carol offered by choir and congregation. The choir will also offer seasonal anthems, and music will include Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey on organ. The service is followed immediately by a High Tea reception.
• No Bible Study: Fr. Karl will be away on Thursday, December 10th. There will be no Bible Study that day.
• Adopt a Family Gift tags: Please return all gifts unwrapped, with value attached, to Grace Church by Tuesday, December 8th. If you have any questions, please call Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
• Youth and Children’s Choir: Youth and Children’s choir rehearsals for the Christmas Eve service continue at 5:30-6:00pm on December 9th and 16th these will be just before the Pageant rehearsals.  The final rehearsal will be Sunday, December 20th at 9:00am. The choir is open to 2nd graders through high school, and will sing for the 4pm service on Christmas Eve. See the sign-up sheet in the Narthex.
• Christmas Pageant Rehearsals: will continue on December 9th and 16th starting at 6:00p.m. The rehearsals will begin in the church and then go downstairs for costumes. Participation is open to youth of all ages. The Pageant will take place during the 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. Please sign up on the sheet in the Narthex. If your child would like to participate but cannot make rehearsals, please note that on the sign-up sheet located in the Narthex or call the office. If anyone is interested in directing this event, please call the office.
• Christmas (Castle) Sort and Shop: Wednesday, December 16th, make Christmas merry for hundreds of children by sorting through toys and shopping for families. Six people are needed throughout the day. 3 from 9:00am-1:00pm; 3 from 1:00pm-5:00pm. This will be at 710 Pennsylvania Ave, Sheboygan. Please sign-up on the sheet on the table in the Narthex. If you have any questions please contact Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
• Christmas Gifts Distribution Volunteers! On Thursday, December 17th all during the day, you can assist local families pick presents from the Toy Shop. This gives those in need an opportunity to “shop” for Christmas presents for their families. We are in need of at least 6 people to help, 2 in each time slot, from 8:30am- noon; 11:30am-3:00pm and 2:30pm-6:00pm. This will be at 710 Pennsylvania Ave, Sheboygan. Please sign-up on the sheet on the table in the Narthex. If you have any questions please contact Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
• Christmas Joy: is scheduled to meet on Monday, December 21st at 11:00 a.m., in the church kitchen. At that time, we will assemble winter greens and flowers and bag cookies, and then make deliveries (there is a sign-up sheet in the narthex.) We need helping hands. Can you bake, make a delivery or help arrange? Please join us for this fulfilling and fun ministry to our elderly and shut-ins. They will appreciate it. If you have any questions, please call Barb MacEwen at 467-6909. 
• Refugee Crisis in Croatia: Missionaries Aaron and Winnie Horvat are trying to help the Syrian refugee families flooding into Croatia. The stories of hardship, horror and desperation are hard to imagine. Most have had to leave everything behind, coming with only the clothes on their backs. Many have makeshift shoes. Aaron and Winnie’s main focus has been mothers with small children. Items needed: baby blankets, children’s socks & underwear, sweaters, hoodies, warm jackets, toothbrushes & small size toothpaste, individually wrapped sanitary napkins, children’s shoes, women’s underwear & socks. Please deposit donations in plastic bin in Narthex. Deacon Mike will box and ship the items. Donations towards shipping are also welcome. There is no deadline. For more information, please refer to bulletin board in the Narthex.
• Something Extra for Grace: Envelopes are available in the pews if you are moved to give an extra gift, beyond your pledge or regular plate donation, toward the life of the church.  Gifts are tax deductible if you write your name on the envelope.
• Like Grace Church on Facebook
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Giving Thanks

Grace Episcopal Church

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Grace Notes

26 November 2015

Happy Thanksgiving!  It’s common at this time of year to hear people refer to “an attitude of gratitude,” and there’s nothing wrong with this.  It’s a little less common to encounter references to faith as “a posture of the heart,” but this phrase, too, has currency.  What happens when we compare the two?  Attitude and posture are both references to how we position ourselves in relationship to something or someone else.  Whatever or whomsoever I may be thankful for or to, this thanksgiving is based on my relationship to the thing or person.  How I live a life of faith is based on both who I have faith in (who I trust in) and what I choose to agree with.

I’ll go out on a limb and opine that one cannot be truly thankful without faith.  I can certainly say “thank you” (and at many levels mean this) to a person or for a thing, but absent faith my thanksgiving is difficult to distinguish from the pleasure I experience that I have received some material boon or that someone has pleased me by affirming my will.  But when I have faith in God, when I have a relationship with Him and agree that certain revealed truths about Him are true, then I know that whatever blessing I receive is not just because of mutuality in relationship (I can’t scratch God’s back)—I know blessing by experiencing it.  When I have faith in God I can experience that the many blessings in life—whether these be material or personal or spiritual—are not blessings because my will is being affirmed but because God’s will is being done.

When I have faith, thanksgiving becomes real because I have Someone to thank!  Even in secular culture, when we pause to call to mind what we can be thankful for, we often refer to “the blessings of this life”.  But life is blessed only because there is Someone who blesses it!

On this day of Thanksgiving, as you pause to call to mind what you have to be thankful for, remember first who is the source and summation of all blessings—God.  Thank God, and then give thanks to those whom He has given you to share thanksgiving and blessings with.

Grace abounds:  Please thank:

• Wayne and Pat Sather, and Elizabeth Schaffenburg (cleanup by the Crouse family) for the Sunday coffee hours.
• Mary Clabots for memorial decorations for the graves of military veterans in the columbarium, in commemoration of Veterans Day.
• All who have donated to the relief of Syrian refugees, and for the ongoing work of Dcn. Mike Burg, Pat Ford Smith, Barb MacEwen, and Mary Massey to pack and ship the donations.
• All those who showed up in the snow and raked leaves this past Saturday!:

Randie Barrows, John Davis, Ty Massey, Jennifer Pawlus, Elizabeth Schaffenburg, Tom Wright.

Call for Contributions:  If you have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshippers toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by Wednesday in the week of publication.

Christmas/Spring Cheer:  In the announcements you will find details of how to participate in Christmas Cheer.  Here is a little history.

I began this ministry in the spring of 2006.  That year May Day (May 1^st) fell on a “convenient” date for me to do this.  Both my father and father in law had died just five months prior and I was relieved that neither one of them had to enter a nursing home.  I saw a need to bring some cheer to others and thus, along with help from Niki Kohler I began this project, starting at 9:00 AM and finishing my last delivery at 6:00 PM that day!  Over the years lots of people have helped and it has transformed into an established ministry for Grace Church, delivering not only to our parish shut-ins but to those elderly who would enjoy some joy and cheer and a short visit from a parishioner.  Thank you to everyone for making this happen. (Barb MacEwen)

Music this Week:         

Music for Thanksgiving Day

Entrance Hymn 290      “Come, ye thankful people, come”

Offertory Hymn 405     “All things bright and beautiful”

Communion Hymn 416 “For the beauty of the earth”

Closing Hymn 719        “O beautiful for spacious skies”

Music for Sunday, November 29, 2015

Advent I C

Prelude              Chorale Preludes on Savior of the Nations, Come       Reger

Entrance Hymn 58       “Lo, he comes with clouds descending”

Trisagion S-102                                                                Archangelsky

Offertory Hymn 61       “Sleepers, wake! A voice astounds us”

Sanctus & Agnus Dei    Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena                   Willan

Communion Motet       Come, thou Redeemer of the earth       arr. Willcocks

Communion Hymn 615 “’Thy kingdom come’ on bended knee”

Closing Hymn 66         “Come, thou long-expected Jesus”

Postlude                     Sleepers, wake!                                     J. S. Bach

Parish Notices

• Adult Formation: At 9:00 am on Sunday, we will continue with the class on Anglican Identity.
• Holiday Parade: Sunday, November 29^th Grace Church will be selling hot coffee and cocoa, hot dogs, apple crisp, brownies, and popcorn, before and during the Holiday Parade. The money raised goes to outreach projects both near and far. Please come by the front of the church and enjoy a warm treat as you enjoy the parade and be sure to bring your friends!
• No Mass or Bible Study: Fr. Karl will be away on Diocesan business Thursday, December 3^rd. There will be no Mass or Bible Study that day.
• Salvation Army Bell Ringing: We still need volunteers for three slots of bell ringing on November 28^th at Pick & Save Southside –  9:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. Sign-up sheets can be found in the Narthex. For any questions please call Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
• Advent Meditations: Will be available on the table in the Narthex on Sunday as well as on line.
• Youth and Children’s Choir: Youth and Children’s choir rehearsals for the Christmas Eve service are at 5:30-6:00pm beginning Wednesday December 2^nd, downstairs in the choir room. Additional rehearsals will be on December 9^th and 16^th these will be just before the Pageant rehearsals.  The final rehearsal will be Sunday, December 20th at 9:00am. The choir is open to 2^nd graders through high school, and will sing for the 4pm service on Christmas Eve. See the sign-up sheet in the Narthex.
• Christmas Pageant Rehearsals: will be on Wednesday December 2^nd, December 9^th and 16^th starting at 6:00p.m. The rehearsals will begin in the church and then go downstairs for costumes. Participation is open to youth of all ages. The Pageant will take place during the 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. Please sign up on the sheet in the Narthex. If your child would like to participate but cannot make rehearsals, please note that on the sign-up sheet located in the Narthex or call the office. If anyone is interested in directing this event, please call the office.
• Advent Lessons and Carols: On Sunday, December 6th, a festival of Advent Lessons and Carols will be offered at Grace Episcopal Church, beginning at 4:00 p.m. The festival prepares us for the coming of the Messiah by following the scriptural record through nine lessons, each followed by a seasonal carol offered by choir and congregation. The choir will also offer seasonal anthems, and music will include Dr. R. Benjamin Dobey on organ. The service is followed immediately by a High Tea reception. Volunteers for food and clean-up, please see sign-up sheet in Narthex.
• St Nicholas’ Visitation: St. Nicholas will visit Grace Church on December 6^th at the 10:15 service. Please come and receive a treat.
• Christmas Castle Volunteers: On Wednesday, December 16^th Grace Church will participate in the Salvation Army Christmas Castle.  This gives those in need an opportunity to “shop” for Christmas gifts for their families.  We are in need of at least 6 people to help.  The location this year is the Salvation Army at 710 Pennsylvania Ave and there are two time slots:  9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sign-up sheet can be found in the Narthex.  If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Yurk at 453-9948.
• Refugee Crisis in Croatia: Missionaries Aaron and Winnie Horvat are trying to help the Syrian refugee families flooding into Croatia. The stories of hardship, horror and desperation are hard to imagine. Most have had to leave everything behind, coming with only the clothes on their backs. Many have makeshift shoes. Aaron and Winnie’s main focus has been mothers with small children. Items needed: baby blankets, children’s socks & underwear, sweaters, hoodies, warm jackets, toothbrushes & small size toothpaste, individually wrapped sanitary napkins, children’s shoes, women’s underwear & socks. Please deposit donations in plastic bin in Narthex. Deacon Mike will box and ship the items. Donations towards shipping are also welcome. There is no deadline. For more information, please refer to bulletin board in the Narthex.
• Something Extra for Grace: Envelopes are available in the pews if you are moved to give an extra gift, beyond your pledge or regular plate donation, toward the life of the church.  Gifts are tax deductible if you write your name on the envelope.
• Help Needed! Books are piling up in the parish library:  What can you do to help? (1) You can volunteer to shelve books and reconcile the card catalogue. (2) We cannot accept any donations until further notice. If you want to become familiar with the organization of the library and card catalogue, please visit the office and we will walk you through what needs to be organized.

• Like Grace Church on Facebook
• Follow Grace Church on Twitter: @GEC_Sheboygan
• We Are on Itunes! Check out the new podcast!!!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/grace-church-sheboygan/id982836791