Just some of the great stuff happening at Grace....

Whether you're looking for study, friendship, an opportunity to give back, or a place to worship, we have a place for you to plug in. Feel free to check out any of the opportunities below--or ask about starting something yourself!
(Check out the calendar page for more details on each event.)

Faith Formation/
Study

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​​New Member Classes
Tuesday May 15
7-8:30pm
New members will be received at worship on June 10, at 9am.  If you are interested in joining our congregation at Grace, please contact Pastor Melody.

Faith Formation for Youth
Sunday mornings beginning again in September,
​9:15-10:15, all ages thru high school.

Faith Formation for Adults
Sundays, 9:15-10:15am, various topics of discussion.

Choir!!!
Practice: Wednesdays, 
​7-8:15pm
 and Sundays, 10-10:20am.
Sing at 10:30am service
Like to sing? All welcome, older kids too. Quality leadership with Bradford Thompson. Handbell choir opportunities for holidays. Fun, fellowship and worship enhancement, join us!!!

Foundations
Wednesday, May 16, 7:30pm
A monthly Wednesday evening gathering where we'll revisit Luther's Small Catechism--but with adult questions and adult beverages! (Bring a libation of your choice, a dessert to share if you like, and a willingness to go ahead and ask the question you thought you shouldn't.) ​Covering Chapter 3, The Apostles' Creed.

Monday Evening
Bible Study on Isaiah:  Starting on Monday, April 30, at 7:00pm, and continuing through June 18 (with no class on Memorial Day), the Monday Night Bible Study Group will read and discuss Isaiah, Chapters 1-39.  These are a unique section of the Book of Isaiah, written during the turbulent years before the Exile and often referred to as the Book of Isaiah of Jerusalem.  Isaiah was a key religious adviser to good King Hezekiah of Judah, who managed to withstand the siege of Jerusalem by Assyria, which had already defeated and relocated the important people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
 
This is the most recent Kerygma study to be published, and additional studies on the rest of Isaiah may be ready by the time we resume our studies in September.  Whether or not we have that opportunity, this portion of Isaiah stands alone in terms of setting and meaning.  The slides which accompany each of the seven sessions are reported to be the most intense developed so far.
 
The Monday night group is friendly and cohesive, but always able to welcome more participants.  If you have not been a regular participant, please contact Fred Warnke or Vince Hardt so that a course guide can be ordered for you.
vvince2001@hotmail.com
flw6273@sbcglobal.net

Learn More about Martin Luther with "Luther and the West," a Free Massive Open Online Course 
Many people found that last year’s 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation was only a starting point for learning more about Martin Luther. To help with ongoing learning, Northwestern University Professor Christine Helmer, PhD, offers a free massive open online course, “Luther and the West,” about the impact that Martin Luther had on major ideas in the history of the west. It explores ideas such as freedom and slavery, biblical interpretation and anti-Judaism, and politics and economics. Participants can connect with other learners in discussing the course material. Learn more at 
​https://vimeo.com/183541655
which features a video of Professor Helmer discussing the course as well as registration information.


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​Worship

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Sunday Morning
Worship services
at 8 and 10:30am,
  Faith Formation at 9:15am.

Summer Worship Schedule
Summer worship begins Sunday, May 27.
Once service will be offered at 9am. Faith Formation does not meet during the summer. Please note, there will not be a mid-week service offered this year.

Updated Hearing Assistance
​We have upgraded our Hearing Assistance system. We now have three receivers which will pick up the signal from the mics. You may use one of the earbuds we provide, or bring your own earbuds from home. If you have a hearing aid or cochlear implants, you can use one of the neck loops; simply plug the loop into the receiver and place the loop around your neck. (Note, your hearing aid must have a T-coil and be set to the “T” or “M/T” setting.)

There are still many open spots for “Serving God
in Worship Today” in the coming weeks. Please go to our website at 
www.GraceGlenEllyn.org 
and sign-up under “Worship Assistants.” Worship can't happen without the contributions of people like you. Thanks for helping make worship at Grace a great experience!
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​Fellowship

Faith Milestone 
Faith and Friendship Lunch
THis is our last gathering before the summer break. Come join in the fellowship on Wednesday, May 16, 11:15am. Weather permitting we hope to have a cookout.

Confirmation Sunday Reception 
Join the family of Grace as we celebrate our confirmands on Sunday, May 20 at a reception between services.

Vacation Bible School
June 18-21, 9am-Noon
Fruits of the Spirit, Mon-Thurs, Grace will be teaming up with First Congregational Church for VBS this year. First Congregational is located 1 block north of Grace on Forest Avenue. This program is offered to children ages 4 through 5th grade (entering 5th this fall), friends welcome. Registration can be found on Grace's website. There is no fee for this event, but we are accepting donations toward the program if you are so inclined. Any volunteers will also register on the same site. Child care is available to any parents that have younger children but would still like to volunteer. Contact Becky Ficarella with questions:
630.469.1555 x17
bficarella@graceglenellyn.org

Grace Morning Playgroup
Playgroup will be meeting each Friday at Grace in the Narthex from 8:30-10:30am. Fellowship, coffee, fun!!!

The Social Committee is involved in many different events throughout the year, and always in need of extra hands. If you are interested in helping out at any of our events, please indicate so by signing up on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. We hope to develop a list of volunteers we can go to when we need extra help. Thank-you!

Like Us on Facebook! 
Grace Lutheran Church of Glen Ellyn has a Facebook page and we would like you to like us! Stay in touch with events, ministries, ELCA news and check out the pictures!
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Sunday Morning
Coffee Hour,  from 8:00 until after the late service. Coffee, bagels/cream cheese and other treats will be served.  This is a great time for a little fellowship before moving on to your education hour activity!

Service
Opportunities​

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Glen Ellyn Food Pantry
Housed within our own building, there are plenty of volunteer opps available:
Board of Directors; Food Recovery (sorting and packing of incoming food for clients); Client Relations; Inventory Control; NIFB Delivery (assisting in unloading weekly Northern IL Food Bank delivery); School Liaison (work with Pantry staff to help produce effective fundraising efforts in schools.)
For more information, please call the Volunteer Hotline: 
630.469.6988

Circle of Care Ministry
Would you be willing to lend a helping hand during a difficult time by providing meals for those in need and their families? As a need arises, Pr. Melody would like to have a list of volunteers that she could call upon.  Please contact Barbara in the Grace office to have your name and contact information included on the Circle of Care list.  Thank you. 

The Pill Bottle Ministry
In an effort to get the thousands of pill bottles we have out of our church and into the hands that truly need them, we have scheduled several evening sessions for everyone to come out and help prepare pill bottles for shipping.  Pill bottles need to be sorted, labels removed, washed, and then packaged for shipping to remote areas around the globe. These bottles provide patients the opportunity to safely transport and store their medications. Please join us every Tuesday evening from 6-7:30pm in the gym foyer and gym kitchen.

​Purchases from the Feed My Starving Children MarketPlace provide fair wages to hard-working artisans and life-saving FMSC MannaPack™ meals for starving children around the world. Check out their merchandise for sale at fmscmarketplace.org.

Ministry on the Margins,
The Autism Ministry
We are looking to meet with families impacted by Autism, having conversations about what a positive worship experience would look like for their family. All families impacted are welcome. Contact Sue Pagnoni at e2sue@hotmail.com or 630.878.4780. Also let us know if you are interested in this ministry.

SMILE.AMAZON.COM
Amazon has a large variety of gifts that are perfect for Valentine's Day including electronics, jewelry, clothing, and more.  Please support Grace Lutheran Church when you shop online.
smile.amazon.com/ch/36-2496438 and Amazon donates to Grace Lutheran Church.

Grace's Altar Guild is looking for more members. If you are looking for a way to help out at church, altar guild is a great place. The commitment is flexible and the task is interesting and meaningful. If you think you may be interested, talk to Cathy Milleville or Pastor Melody.