Announcements
Sunday, December 24 – Fourth Sunday of Advent
8:00 and 10:30 a.m. services as usual.
Sunday, December 24 – Christmas Eve
4:00 p.m. – Prayerful Eucharist
Our increasingly popular early service. All the Christmas basics – Scripture, Carols & Pastor’s Christmas Sermon – with some musical gems as well.
7:00 p.m. – Holy Communion Family Service
Music and drama with the children bringing the Christmas message.
10:00 p.m. – Holy Communion Festival Worship
(Prelude begins at 9:30 pm)
One of Lancaster’s finest volunteer choirs leads our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for the incarnation of our Lord. A musical feast in the great tradition of Christmas praise from ancient to modern works by the Grace Choir, Gloria Bell Choir, Chamber Orchestra, and Brass Quintet.
The service concludes with choir and congregation singing Handel’s “Hallelujah” chorus.
Christmas Play Dress Rehearsal
We have been hard work rehearsing our Christmas play, “Get the Story Straight.” Please join us in the nave on Sunday, December 24th during the Christian Formation hour for our final dress rehearsal. We will be
performing our play at the 7 p.m. Christmas Eve service.
Save the Date-January 14, 2024
Let’s ring in the new year with a social gathering at Grace Lutheran in January! Yes, a time to talk with friends old and new and a time to eat good food!
Date: Sunday, January 14, 2024
Time: 12:00
Place: Nolt Auditorium or Fellowship Hall, to be determined according to number attending
What: Please bring a dessert or salad or main entre to share
Sign up list is located in our narthex
A Note From the Secretary
The office will be closed the week of Christmas to give our staff a much needed break. Pastor and I will be checking the voicemail and email. There will be no Grace News December 26. -Angie
A Note From Our Financial Secretaries
Financial contributions must be made on or before December 27 to be counted as part of 2023
giving. Offerings mailed in or made after that (such as at worship on Sunday Dec. 31) will be counted as 2024 giving. Thanks for all your gifts no matter what year you make them!!
January Schedule
January worship volunteers, birthdays, and anniversaries
Grace Book Group
The Grace Book Group met this past Tuesday to discuss short stories.
We read and discussed:
An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good by Helene Tursten
The Lady with the Pet Dog by Anton Chekhov
The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Mundo
Angels and Other Strangers: Family Christmas Stories by Katherine Patterson
Carousel Dreams: Four Historical Stories by Susanne Dietze, et al
Thomas Mann: New Selected Stories Chaotic World and Childhood Sorrow
Deadly Short Stories by Carl S. Plumer
Shine by Jodi Picoult
Flying Lessons edited by Ellen Oh
The Rise by Ian Rankin
For our January meeting on 1/9 bring your favorite book of 2023 and/or a book you received as a Christmas present! If you would like to join our book group please contact Brenda Hayasaka at
bkhayasaka@gmail.com
Outreach
Grocery Cards
Grocery cards are available at both services on Sunday mornings. You may order cards by calling Duane and Kitty Weiss. Remember all purchases of cards realizes 5% in cash back to Grace. These funds are used to support our many ministries.
Your purchase of shooping cards has provide for $500 to be transferred to the 2024 New Orleans Youth Gathering Fund and $500 to be transferred to Grace’s seminarian fund. Thank you!
ELCA Good Gifts
Keep on bringing in the Global barnyard banks.
We are counting up the money to see how many chicks we can buy!!!! Return them to Sunday School or bring them to church.
Final deadline date: January 7, 2024
Thank you!
—Mrs. Verkouw
Our Grace Family
Our Sympathy
We give thanks for the life and witness of the Reverend C. Roger Burkins. Pastor Burkins was the father and father-in-law of Grace members Lois and Kurt Strause. Please keep their family in your prayers.
gracelutheranchurch.com 