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Ways to Worship The following are the updated procedures/guidelines for Worship Safety. If you have any questions please feel free to speak with anyone from council or Pastor Eric. In Person Worship Guidelines and Information Effective January 19, 2023 1. If you are sick, have symptoms, or may have been exposed to someone who is positive for covid, please stay home. 2. Frequent use of hand sanitizer is encouraged 3. Masks are optional but encouraged throughout the church. Please be considerate of others Council will revisit and/or reinstate various safety measures at church if risk level for the county and/or Ely rises back to the high level, according to CDC and MDH metrics. Social Livestream Tech Volunteers needed, Pastor Eric and the Worship and Music Committee are seeking interested individuals who might like to help with running the livestream for worship. Volunteers would be trained on how to run the livestream and given opportunities to learn with those who have already run livestream. Please contact Pastor Eric if you are interested or have questions. The New Digital Directory-A Work in Progress Hopefully, by now most of you have been contacted by a member of the Outreach Committee regarding your preferences and correct information for the directory. If we have missed you and you would like to be included, contact the church office or Bj Kobierski. We have started the process of typing this information into the Instant Church Directory website. We hope to be able to allow person’s listed in the directory access by September 1, 2023. There is no cost to you for this digital directory. You will be able to enter a password using your computer or mobile phone app. Adding photos to the directory will be the second phase of this project. We think this will be easy. It is your choice whether you want your photo in the directory. Only digital photos will be accepted, but you have two choices. Submit your own digital photo or have your photo taken at church. Tom Kobieriski has volunteered to be the photographer using his I-phone. Photos will be taken at church. Could be inside or outside. If you have a special request, talk to Tom. This will be a point and shoot, quick and easy process. Photo Dates-Pick One There will be no appointments or scheduling. Tuesday- August 29 3:00-6:00 After church-September 17, 2023 Wednesday-September 20, 2023 Phase 3 is offering a printed directory from a local printer. This would be for those of you who want both digital and print form and for those who do not have a computer or mobile phone. Individuals would have to pay for the cost of the printed version. ~ BJ Kobierski Members can log into the Online Member Directory at https://members.instantchurchdirectory.com/ Links to Member Apps Apple App Store: Get the iPhone / iPad app here Google Play Store: Get the Android app here WHAT’S HAPPENING AT GRACE…..
Communion at Grace Lutheran: Our congregation practices open communion where everyone, regardless of religious background or tradition, is welcome to come forward to receive communion. Children are also welcome. Please open your hands to receive the bread. Then pick up a cup and proceed to the first Assisting Minister to receive wine or to the second Assisting Minister to receive grape juice. To receive only a blessing fold your arms against your chest. Gluten free wafers are also available. Today is the Kick-Off of the new Children’s Music Ministry on Sundays. This initiative will replace traditional Sunday school. Children will be invited to participate after worshipping with their family and hearing the Gospel and Children’s sermon. They will return to the sanctuary for communion and then sit with their family for the remaining of the service. Dick Flesvig will lead most Children’s Music Ministries, but others are invited to lead or participate. If you are interested, talk to Dick. Celebrate this Christian Education initiative on September 24. Ice cream will be served for everyone during fellowship after the service. Grace Congregation, the Outreach Committee is ready to help you get online, register, log in and start to use our new Grace Lutheran digital online directory. We have completed phase 1, which is the contact information for members wishing to be in the directory. First, we want to get you online to the site, and then we want you to be sure that the information we typed in is correct. If you see any errors, please contact Brian in the church office, BJ Kobierski, or Dave Nichols. It is also possible for you to edit your own information. Follow the directions below in blue to get started. If you have difficulties, the committee will make itself available for help at the photo shoots. Phase 2, Photos, will be next. We encourage you to upload or submit your own digital photo…casual or dressy, inside or outside, traditional or creative. members.instantchurchdirectory.com You must use the email that we have listed for you in the directory. Create your own unique password (and remember it). It must be at least 8 characters and contain at least 2 numbers, capital letters, or symbols. If you want the directory on your cell phone, get the Instant Church Directory App from your App Store. Same instructions. WELCA Laurentian Fall Conference - October 7, 2023 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Babbitt. Grace Lutheran is in charge of the morning coffee so donations of muffins or breakfast breads would be appreciated [brought to the church by Friday the 6th by noon for me to pick up]. We are hoping for some of the Grace women to attend this function as it is for all women of the ELC. I am also looking for a few helpers with the coffee during registration. Please call Candace Bischoff 612-723-5627 if you are willing to help me out. I can take 3 -4 ladies with me on Saturday. This Conference is very enlightening, and you get to meet many unique women from other churches in our conference. Please consider attending. The Ministry Minute; Each Sunday we will be presenting the weekly offering to the altar as was done in prior years before the pandemic. Following the presentation, either the pastor or a member on one of our ministry committees will give a 60 to 90 second reflection on a ministry of the church (the Ministry Minute). The topics for these highlights would alternate between ministry that happens at Grace or in Ely, throughout the NE MN Synod, around the ELCA, and the global church, as 10% of our offerings go beyond our congregation and community. These brief “minutes” describe the ministries that are supported by our time, talent and resources. In August, Ministry Minutes were:
In September, the Ministry Minutes will cover ministries in the Global Church, the NE MN Synod, Grace and the ELCA:
Commemorative Brick Program. The program will run through the end of the year, with new bricks being blessed and installed in late spring next year. Sample bricks, information brochures and order forms are available on the table outside the outer office window. We have arranged for a new brick design to go along with our theme this year, “Surround Grace with Love”. A sample of the design is also on display. Call or see Sue Flesvig (365-2253) if you have any questions. Communion bread bakers needed– Grace is in need of people to bake communion bread for each Sunday’s worship. We have enough bread through August. There is a sign-up sheet on the outer office window. |
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Phone:(218)365-5605
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Grace Lutheran Church Closing Policy
Weekdays:
Weekdays:
- Grace Lutheran will follow the Ely School system when deciding to close during the school year due to inclement weather
- All church related activities will be canceled when the Ely Schools are closed or let out early
- You are encouraged to use caution when traveling, use your best judgment when road and weather conditions are more severe