Grace Lutheran Church

The Gleanings newsletter will no longer be mailed out. Please pick up your copy of the January Gleanings in the chapel.

On January 27, 2:30-4:40 p.m. Grace will host the Circuit Forum for the congregations of the Niagara area. This forum will be an opportunity for the people of this area to work together to make a difference in the name of Jesus Christ. You are welcome to come share your ideas and hear from others what is working in their congregations. We are expecting approximately 75 guests and are looking for donations of goodies for the coffee break and volunteers for welcome and hospitality.

The Eastern District is sponsoring a workshop entitled “Front Line Impact” –Connecting people to God by serving God and Guest. This workshop will be held Saturday, February 9, 9-11:00 a.m. at St. Matthew Lutheran in North Tonawanda.  David Hurlbutt, Director of Outreach at Hope will be leading, as we get a clearer picture of those we are trying to reach in our church and making the people that God brings to the church feel more welcome. RSVP to Diane Will at 634-5111. Walk-in registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Youth in grades 7 through 12 are invited to attend our January youth event, Monday, January 21. Either meet at church at 6:30 p.m. to carpool or head straight to First Trinity Lutheran Church (across from Barnes and Noble on the Boulevard) at 7:00 p.m. This event is a preview of the 30 Hour Famine. It will be a lot of fun and may help you decide if you want to participate in the Famine February 8-9. We are done at First Trinity at 8:30 p.m. and will return to Grace around 9:00 p.m. Call or e-mail Christi Gaertner with any questions. Sorry, sixth graders, you’ll have to wait until next year to participate in the Famine.

The 2008 Flower Chart is up in the narthex. Prices are $33.00 for a centerpiece and $45.00 for two vases.

A Great 2008: An opportunity for Christian Moms-Join the coaching group offered by Happy Hearts Happy Homes, Ltd. to take a close look at your values and passions, and then make your goals from there. This group will be starting the first week of February. You may join a free informational call or simply go to www.happyheartshappyhomes.com for more information.

Through you contributions to the mission fund at Grace, we reach out and support different missions locally, nationally, and international. Samaritan Pastoral Counseling Center is special mission for the month of January.

What We Learned in Sunday School Today… Jesus’ Baptism, Matthew 3:13–17, is the Bible story taught in Sunday School today. At Jesus’ Baptism, God the Father announced that Jesus was His son. The presence of the Holy Spirit also confirmed Jesus’ divinity. At our Baptism, God makes us His children through the work of the Holy Spirit. Let your children tell you the dramatic events of this story, and share with them that because of God’s wrath and anger over sin, the people were looking for a Savior. We, too, need a Savior, for God is angry with our sin. But thanks be to God, who in His mercy makes clear at Jesus’ Baptism that we need look no more, for the Savior is here!