| Weekly Schedule | |
|---|---|
| Sunday School | 9:00 AM |
| Sunday Bible Class | 9:00 AM |
| Sunday Divine Service | 10:00 AM |
| Fri Bible Study | 10:30 AM |
Our Primary Activity: Worship
Lutherans have always recognized the true church where the word of God is taught in its purity and where the sacraments are rightly administered. These criteria are objective. They are based on what anyone can read in the Bible. That means that there is a biblical explanation for each element of our worship, because our service is constructed around the teachings of the Bible! Our services are filled with objective events that bring us to the cross of Christ and give us the forgiveness that He won once, for all.
The divine service is the one place where all the different aspects of the Church come together. Here is where the Church does its greatest service to the community, by witnessing accurately and boldly to God's truth. Here is where non-members will discover the greatest treasures of all time. Here is where Christians come to receive the eternal gifts of God: forgiveness of sins, and a new birth through Jesus Christ into a life that will never end.
Our worship services are chiefly services of God to us, where He comes to create and sustain faith in our hearts through the means He has instituted for that purpose. Our worship also contains many parts where we return thanksgiving, praise, and prayer in response to God's grace. Finally, some parts do double duty, both teaching us the Word of God and providing an organized response. Here are some general divisions of our service and what it's all about:
Our services are planned out, more or less, for some time in advance. Plans for future services may be found on our calendar, in the description for each service. The readings for each service are taken from the Historic Lectionary as found in the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary. We also keep a list of "Grace's Favorite Hymns" on a bulletin board at church. As services are planned, this list is handy for choosing at least one hymn for each service that will be well-received. The list of "Grace's Favorites" may be added to at any time, by any member at Grace.
Other Opportunities for Spiritual Growth
While our primary activity, and the one most recommended for spiritual growth is our worship, Grace also offers other activities to promote the spiritual growth of our members. Many involve Christian education, but should consider everything we do as a part of our spiritual development. This includes activities that range from teaching Sunday School to singing in the choir to representing our church at the synod convention to maintenance of our church property. Even our day-to-day experiences are part of the classroom of the Holy Spirit, as we learn how to trust in God for all good gifts and to turn to His Word for all truth. We recognize the truth of St. Paul's exhortation in 1 Corinthians 10:31, ``whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.''
The Service of Our Men and Women
Here are some of the things the men and women of Grace are all welcome and encouraged to participate in.
- Teaching Sunday School
- Teaching or helping with Vacation Bible School
- Library maintenance
- Fundraising events such as our Trash and Treasure sale and bake sales.
- Church choir, which sings periodically throughout the year in our services.
- Providing instrumental music for our services.
- Church cleanup and maintenance scheduled by our Board of Trustees each year.
- Organizing and running summer camp and other youth activities.
- Visiting fellow members, and visiting prospects.
- Praying for one another and the work of our Church.
- Evangelism work such as distribution of leaflets, mailing postcards, etc.
Other Activities of Our Fellowship
Here are some of the other activities we participate in. Some are geared toward families with young children; others are geared toward children or older adults.
- Annual hayride on Harvest Festival Sunday, in the Fall. (Perfect for everyone.)
- Annual Church picnic on the Sunday after Vacation Bible School. The exact date varies. (A great time to visit!)
- Church council, consisting of three trustees, three deacons, a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and financial secretary. (Male members 18 and over, voting members of the voters' assembly.) The Council takes care of the run-of-the-mill monthly business at Grace.
- Here are some photos from the 2003 ELS Synod Convention:
- The entire delgation from Grace: Phil Yagla, Pastor Jacobsen, and Bruce Gee.
- Pastor Aaron Hamilton, who was sitting at the same table.
- Pastor Jacobsen speaking to Pastor Matt Crick during a break. Pastor Crick was there from his church in San Antonio, Texas.
- President Moldstad at the front table.
- Pastor Sean Stafford sitting at his table. Pastor Stafford was there from Our Savior's Lutheran in Bagley, Minnesota.
- Pastor Jay Webber, teaching at the Marvin Schwan Retreat and Conference Center the week after synod convention. Pastor Webber is a member of the ELS serving as Rector of Saint Sophia Seminary in Ukraine.
Pastor Gullixson