Grace

The Scripture reading for Sunday, August 3, will be Ezekiel 36:37 – 37:10. Rob Reed will be preaching.

We help support our local food pantry in the summer with a school supplies drive. They can use things such as: loose leaf notebook paper, spiral notebooks, 2-pocket folders, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, etc. All cash donations will be used to purchase additional school supplies. This Sunday is the final Sunday that there will be a box for your donations just inside the front doors of the building.

Third graders on up will be included in the adult service this Sunday and every Holy Communion Sunday. This is so they can understand and participate more fully in the service.

Offering envelopes for the Watchcare Fund will be in the bulletin Sunday. They are for any gift you wish to give to help people in and around our church with emergency funds. If you want to designate your gift for a specific person and need, please note it on the envelope. Make your check out to: Grace Evangelical Covenant Church. Put Watchcare Fund on memo line. Thank you.

Wander down to Leona’s at 3877 N Elston after church this Sunday, August 3rd and mingle with others from Grace while you enjoy the food. Doors open at 12 noon. This will be an opportunity to meet the people who are currently just familiar faces (like the folks who sit on the other side of the aisle!) and to catch up with friends. If you are looking for a way to burn off some of your calories, it is an easy walk from the church.

Enjoy the silence. Sit with scripture. Listen to the Lord. Join us for a prayer retreat on Saturday, August 16 from 9 -11 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Guided helps will be available for those who need them.

Dominic Deng and Daruka Chuit are expecting their first child and we want to shower them with love and gifts for their baby! You are invited to join us at a baby shower on Monday, August 18, 6:30 p.m. at the Yutzy home—5436 N. Spaulding. A gift registry will be created at Target. You are also invited to contribute toward a group gift by giving a monetary contribution to Stephanie Goldvarg by August 10. Dominic and Daruka do not know the gender of their baby.

This fall, Grace is starting a revised Child Safety Policy for all children and youth volunteers. Everyone wanting to volunteer in these areas must go through one training session, even if they have already been through one under the old policy. The first two sessions will be Saturday, August 23 at 9:30am and Tuesday, August 26 at 7pm. Questions can be addressed to Pastor Ryan or Mark Washington.

The church is currently in the process of hiring an office manager. Until the position is filled, there will be no consistent office hours. Please call ahead if you need access to the Nina Larson Ministry House or the
Church. In the case that there is no one in the office, please leave a phone or e-mail message. One of the pastors will be checking e-mail and voicemail every day. Pastors Ryan and Mandy are off on Fridays.

The Scripture readings for Sunday, July 27, will be Hosea 11 and Luke 6:32-36. Rev. Amanda Olson will be preaching with a sermon titled ‘Nice is Not Enough’.