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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Faith Formation for Youth
Sunday mornings
​9:15-10:00am
All ages thru high school.
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Faith Formation for Adults
9:15am Sundays,
Fellowship Hall
Adult Forum in March: On Doubt:  We continue our conversation on Faith and Doubt with topics that have been raising questions for Christians for centuries:  March 17: Is Hell Real? How has the understanding of hell changed over time in Judaism and Christianity? Who has influenced our understanding—and how much of our contemporary picture of hell is actually biblical? And what does it say about a God who is both Righteous and Loving.  There are no stupid questions—bring yours and join us!
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Choir!!!
​Practice: Wednesdays, 
​7-8:15pm, Upstairs
​choir room
 and Sundays, 9:30am.
Sing at 10:15am 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!!!

Monday Evening Bible Class 
Monday evenings at 7:00pm in Fellowship Hall  
Starting on January 21, we will return to a Kerygma study of Second Isaiah.  We have already studied Isaiah 1-39.  Chapters 40-55 are believed by scholars to have been written in Babylon during the exile of the key elements of the Jewish people.  There is an explanation of the gloom and doom that have come on many nations, including those chosen by God.  These chapters also contain words of comfort, including the Suffering Servant poems which Christians believe to predict key elements of the life of Jesus, and which we hear in readings in church late in Lent, leading into Easter.  As with all Kerygma studies, we will attempt to understand the meaning of Second Isaiah's words in their original context as well as their importance to us today.
We are a friendly, cohesive group, but we always have room for more and would love to have you.  Come as we share decaf coffee and a sweet treat and look at the sources behind our faith.  Please let Fred Warnke or Vince Hardt know if you are interested in the Isaiah study so we can order a course guide for you. ​​
There is no course guide to buy.  The study guide is available on-line at:  http://www.usefulbible.com/ecclesiastes/ecclesiastes-12-week-study-guide.htm​
with a detailed outline here:  http://www.usefulbible.com/ecclesiastes/index.htm​
Printouts will be available for those who lack computer access.​
Please let Fred Warnke or Vince Hardt know if you are interested in joining this group.

​Worship

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Worship Schedule
Worship services will be at 8:00am & 10:15am. 
​Faith Formation for all ages
​is at 9:15.

Easter Morning Reception  Join Grace members for an Easter morning reception as we celebrate our Risen Lord Sunday Easter morning from 9:00-10:00 in the Fellowship Room.  A light breakfast and refreshments will be served.

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.)


 

​Fellowship

All-Ireland Fiddle Champion Lexia Kennedy will be the featured guest musician
Grace Lutheran Church Glen Ellyn on St. Patrick’s Day
Sunday, March 17, 10:15am
A member of the Murphy Roche Irish Music Club in Burr Ridge, IL, Lexia received first place in the category of Fiddle Solo Ages 12-15 at the 2018 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (Music Festival of Ireland). This international Irish music and dance competition has been held annually in Ireland since 1951. Lexia medalled several times in the competition before receiving the top title in her age group last August.
Lexia will play at the 10:15 liturgy, providing special music grounded in the Irish tradition throughout the service.
There will be a “Green” Potluck following the service that day; attendees are invited to bring their own place settings (non-disposable) and a dish to share. Beverages and dessert will be provided.

March Faith & Friendship
Lunch
Wednesday, March 20, 11:15am
Lunch & fellowship, all are welcome!

Fundraiser for Peoples Resource Center
Dine Away Hunger on Wednesday, March 20 and 10% of your bill at Culver’s of Carol Stream on Schmale Road and Culver’s of Downers Grove on Ogden Avenue will be donated directly to PRC’s food pantry.  With their local partnerships and a $1 donation, PRC can purchase up to $4 worth of food for hungry neighbors.  Invite family and friends!

Women of Grace
Thurs, March 21
7-9:00pm, Reserve 22
Village Links of Glen Ellyn
Come gather with women from Grace Lutheran Church for snacks and refreshments. Friends are always welcome!

Request from Sharon Rokosh
George will be celebrating his 70th birthday on March 24. To help his celebrate on this special day, I would like surprise him with 70 cards from family and friends. Would you help make this possible by sending him a card for his birthday? Our address: George Rokosh, 89 West Creek Drive, Crossville, TN 38572

All Ages Barn Dance
Sunday, March 24
2-3:30pm
Come dance or just sit and listen to the beautiful music in the Grace Gym! Friends are always welcome!

Lenten Meals 
will again take place on Wednesdays in Lent from 6:00-6:45 in the narthex. Worship will occur in the sanctuary this year. This year we are offering congregation members a chance to cook a soup or stew for 10 people to bring and share.  With four different cooks each week it should be a fun sharing of the Lenten meal. See sign-up in narthex to bring a dish.

Help us hit 50 for
50 years of CROP!  
This year we’re excited to announce that Grace is the host site for the 50th Annual Glen Ellyn/Wheaton CROP Walk on Sunday, May 5. Let’s make it a banner year by getting at least 50 folks from Grace to walk or volunteer!  Check out the poster board in the narthex.  Contact Mike Pertle with any questions.

Grace Yoga with Becky! 
 Do you need to unwind from the hectic pace of life? Looking for a way to stretch and build muscular strength? Searching for a yoga class that offers a biblical view? Grace Yoga with Becky happens on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:15-7:15pm in the Great Room. The next 5-week session will begin on March 5th (Tuesdays) and 7th (Thursdays). Cost of the 5-session package is $40; walk-ins are welcome at $10 per class. Please reach out to Becky Ficarella with questions and more details.
bficarella@graceglenellyn.org

Flower Chart for 2019
Please consider signing up for a Sunday or two! Bouquets are still $15 each. Please indicate on the chart how you would like your flowers acknowledged in the bulletin - in honor of, in memory of, etc.

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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Join us for “Loaves and Fishes” Lent.  During Lent, please bring a non-perishable item to worship for the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry.  Jesus will bless what we have and use it to feed thousands!  Especially welcome:  olive oil (medium bottle), cooking oil (medium bottle), tea and ground coffee (1-lb. can or instant), mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, flour, diapers and wipes, boxed pasta and sauce, canned fruit, white and boxed rice, pancake mix and syrup, toilet paper and paper towels.

Wanted:  small, travel size toiletries for PADS
to use in their outreach to the homeless in our community.  As you partake of your spring and summer travels, please bring back any unused soaps, shampoos, etc. from your hotel room and put them in the basket under the table in the Narthex. 
 
Grace Council Notes
The Grace Council would like to propose three possible ministry outreach programs for the congregation's consideration.  Any new program will need involvement and support from the congregation to be successful. Here are the three ministries options proposed:

• Community quilting group for Lutheran World Relief
• 'Adulting' Classes, for young adults to learn basic skills in cooking, sewing, repairs, etc.
• Computer Basic Skills Classes for seniors and/or the immigrant community

Please respond to Susan Jacobson at susan.lb.jacobson@gmail.com or Barbara Sudds in the church office if you are interested in any of these ministries or have a passion for something else that you think we should try. We will gather additional information on how we can best start the new ministry once we understand where the congregation's interests are.

Staff Opening at ESSE Adult Day Center in Wheaton
We are seeking an individual to fill our (part-time) Business Manager position. Effective and efficient implementation of the financial goals and objectives of ESSE, Inc., in the areas of administration, budgeting, and billing. Interested individuals please contact Cathy Davit, Executive Director, at 630-260-3773.

Mark Your Calendars: 
a blood drive with Heartland will be Sunday June 2, in the gym from
​9am -1pm.

PADS Volunteer Service
Thank you all for your support of PADS - we do have about seven open slots for food so if you would like to participate, or know of a family that would (they do not have to be a member of Grace), please let me know. The next PADS date is Thursday, March 7  Donna Jacobo   donnahjacobo@yahoo.com

Glen Ellyn Food Pantry
The Glen Ellyn Food Pantry is in need of volunteers. Their greatest need right now is volunteers willing to pick up food donations from local retailers. Please contact Terri Venzon, Supervisor of Food Pantry Operations, if you can volunteer.  630.469.6988 GEFPServices@
​GlenEllynFoodPantry.org  
www.GlenEllynFood​Pantry.org

Drivers Needed for ESSE 
Personable and reliable drivers are needed part-time to transport seniors to the Adult Day Care Center at Faith Lutheran, Glen Ellyn.  Center is open Mon-Fri 7am-5pm.  Flexible hours, $14 an hour with mileage reimbursement.  Please contact Cathy at ESSE, 630-260-3773.

The Wooly Knitters are thankful for the yarn Grace members have been donating for their cause.  Any amount and any color are always welcome and can be left in the church office.  The Wolly Knitters are a charity knitting group that meets every Tuesday from 1-3pm at Grace.  They have made and donated over 3,000 hats, scarves, mittens and afghans to local veterans and to community groups, including Hines VA Hospital, Operation Support Our Troops Illinois, PADS, Glen Ellyn Food Pantry, Serenity House, Children's Home and Aid, Family Resource Center/Wheaton, and others. They try to provide free yarn to their knitters in return for their time and beautiful work and the group can always use yarn or monetary donations to keep them going. In addition to the contributions to our community, we have shared information and friendship which has enriched the lives of our members, and we would always welcome new knitters (or crocheters) to join us each week.  Please feel free to call 630/624-6002 for more information.

Need help for PADS
​this year!  
We would like you to be a part of the PADS community to help the homeless. This only requires a couple hours of volunteering the evening of the first Thursday or morning of the first Friday of the months between September and May at First Presbyterian on Main street in Glen Ellyn. We have four types of shift that you can volunteer for. This volunteer time is especially useful for kids or for adults needing community service hours.
You can volunteer for our Dinner shift to set-up, serve, and clean up between 6pm to 10pm. If you are a night owl we have a 10pm to 2am shift or 2am to 5am shift. These generally quiet shifts consist of being there to provide any assistance or making sandwiches for the guests that they will receive in the morning when they leave.
If you are an early bird the 5am to 7am shift includes setting-up and making breakfast, serving breakfast, and cleaning up. This is a difficult shift to find volunteers for and we would really appreciate you spreading the word.
If you do not have time to volunteer for any of these shifts you can always cook or buy drinks and foods. We assign a type of food that may be for dinner, breakfast, or lunch and you can request if you want to cook or just buy something.
Any little bit of time can help our church sustain our contribution to this program.
For questions or sign up please contact the appropriate person below:
About shifts please contact Joe Jacobo by phone, 630-740-4527, or email at jl1jacobo@yahoo.com.  About food please contact Donna Jacobo by phone, 630-740-4542 or 630-790-1612, or email at 
donnahjacobo@yahoo.com.

Mission Quilts for
Lutheran World Relief​
In 2017, LWR distributed over 305,000 quilts to people arriving in refugee camps! It's their bed, coat, shade, protection against mosquitos and shelter from the rain - their everything! Quilts come from congregations like ours, you don't have to know how to run a sewing machine; if you can cut fabric or tie a knot, you can be a part of providing comfort to a child who has fled home.
If you're interested in starting a LWR quilt group here at Grace, please contact Pastor Melody. What a great way to make new friends, build fellowship and be a part of something wonderful!
https://lwr.org/
get-involved/quilts

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.

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.