Announcements
Souper Bowl Sunday!
Souper Bowl Sunday is February 2nd Grace Youth will be collecting non-perishables to be donated to the Lancaster Food Hub.
Following late service, please join our hosts, the Grace Choir for a Sunday Funday Fellowship lunch. We ask that each family bring a dessert to share.
Book Club
During the months of February and March, Grace Book Group meets on the second Monday of the month in the Stafford Room at 1:30 PM. Parking validation is available for the N. Queen Street Garage.
Feb.10-Carol Main-Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman-contemporary fiction
Mar. 9-Nancy Yoder-Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson-nonfiction
During the rest of the year through October, GBG meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM in the Parlor.
Apr. 14-Lorraine Long-Heads You Win by Jeffrey Archer-thriller
May 12-Susan Hurlburt-Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher
June 9-Janet Neumar-Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland-historical fiction
July 14-Joyce Loiseau-The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See-historical fiction
Aug. 11-Barbara Andersen-We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter-historical fiction
Sept. 8-Mary Genzler-The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas- Young Adult fiction
Oct. 13-Donna Linton and Brenda Hayasaka-Varina by Charles Frazier-historical fiction
Nov. 10-Dinner at Carol Main’s to select the next year’s books
Greeters Needed
Would you like to be a welcoming presence in the Narthex? All it really entails is a warm smile and friendly hand shake. If the answer is yes – this is the job for you!
The Worship Team is looking for folks to serve as greeters on Sunday mornings at the 10:30 a.m. service. This is a great opportunity to greet old friends and to make new ones. If you are interested in joining the team – email Mindi Graver at jmcegraver@aol.com.
Christian Education
Lenten Small Groups
This year for Lent we will be diving into Matthew, specifically the questions related to heaven on earth.
· Pastor Verkouw will be hosting a small group in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday mornings beginning March 1st.
· Kathryn Verkouw will be hosting a small group in the Parlor on Tuesday evenings beginning March 3rd.
· Barb Steinmetz will be hosting a small group Thursday mornings at 10am in the Stafford Room beginning March 5th.
· Angie Smith will be hosting a small group Wednesday afternoons at 2pm in the Stafford Room beginning Ash Wednesday.
If you would like to participate in a small group and would like the student guide ($9) please let Angie know no later than February 2nd, 2019. It will take approximately 3 weeks for the curriculum to arrive from Augsburg Fortress. A student guide is not necessary to participate in a small group, but is recommended. If you would like to host a Small Group please let Angie know by February 2nd. Please note that this is a six week class.
Why We Welcome
Join us on Saturday, March 21st from 10 am-3 pm for our third annual Lenten Retreat. This year we will be exploring the role that Lutherans have had in immigration in the United States since WWII.
We will have a guest speaker from Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Services and have partnered with Carry the Future to make bears for children in refugee camps. Space is limited to 40 participants, please sign up asap. The cost will be approximately $20 per person—lunch included.
Questions – Call or email Angie Smith at 717-397-2748 / gaceelcaapd@gmail.com
From Pastor Verkouw
Dear Members of Grace, dear friends,
2 Corinthians 1:3-4: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
Thank you all so much for your expressions of encouragement and love during these two weeks since Mom died, and for your understanding and compassion as we cared for her over these past two years that Mom and Dad have lived near us at Willow Valley. No matter how prepared we are for death, it discomforts us, sometimes drastically or as in our case, more quietly and surprisingly. The comfort of your friendship, your understanding and your shared experiences with dementia and the death of close family members has been a great gift to our family. Thanks to David and those in our choir who could give of their time and energy to come to Baltimore and bless us with the comfort of beautiful music, and lead us into the comfort of the liturgy and hymns! Thanks to those who traveled all that way simply to be with us and to greet us with hugs and support! Thanks for your prayers along the way, and now, especially, for your prayers for my Dad, Peter, as he struggles with grief in the midst of his worsening symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Thank you for being the church, and living out the faith that we share in these ways. It is a great blessing to be called here as your pastor. Thank you for the comfort and consolation of your friendship and partnership in this ministry. We have a lot to do this year, so that we can better serve our neighbors with the love of Christ. Thank you for the strength that comes from working together, and comforting one another in hard times. God bless and keep you!
Pastor Verkouw
gracelutheranchurch.com 