WORDS of GRACE Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

1809 S. Main St. Fairgrove, MI 48733

Church office: (989) 693-6322

Rev. Joshua T. Haller

cell phone: (248) 794-3703

JUNE & JULY 2017

A Letter from the Pastor

REMEMBER YOUR BAPTISM

Ah, summer is upon us! It’s about time, right? After the beginning of spring flirted with us between warm

and cold weather, we’ve finally made it. One day it could be seventy degrees and sunny, and the next, there

could’ve been snow on the ground. Well, that’s Michigan! Now, we can relax knowing that the very cold

weather is behind us, and summer is knocking at the door.

With the warm summer months in front us, we can look forward to enjoying some time outside, and soon

enough, we’ll be complaining about how hot it is. And when it gets so hot, we’ll run to the one thing that’s

always able to refresh us: water. It’s gulping down an ice-cold glass of water after working hard outside or

enjoying a nice swim in the pool. It could be your kids running through the sprinklers or sitting on the sandy

beach with your toes in the water. It’s enjoying a much-needed rain shower for your garden or taking the

boat out on the lake. Or maybe, it’s simply looking down and around you as you cross “The Big Mac” into

the Upper Peninsula.

Water is your friend in the summer, and even more than that, water is your reminder that you are baptized.

Whenever you see water, remember your Baptism. When you’re washing your hands in the kitchen sink,

taking a shower in the morning, or hosing down your car, remember your Baptism. When you’re driving

down the coast of Lake Michigan or Superior, grabbing your lost golf ball out of the pond, or watching the

neighbor-kids caught up in a water balloon fight, remember your Baptism. The water around us is a daily

reminder of the water that was poured over us in the font, the water connected to God’s command and

combined with his Word. It reminds us that God has drowned our sin in those waters, like a helpless man lost

at sea, all the while he has raised up in those waters, like a newborn babe taking his first breath.

Water is everywhere, and therefore, a remembrance of your Baptism is everywhere.

.

And, we need this reminder to be everywhere. We need to daily remember our Baptism, daily drown our sins

and confess them, daily repent and fight off temptation. To forget our Baptism or treat it simply as a past event

with no real purpose for my life today would be a great tragedy. You weren’t baptized just to save you on that

particular day. You were baptized to save you all the days of your life. Baptism didn’t just save you back then.

Baptism saves you right now.

We need that daily reminder of our Baptism, because the devil will daily remind us of our sin. The old, evil foe

will accuse you of all the many honest mistakes you’ve made along with your intentional acts of violence. He’ll

point his nasty finger in your face and tell you you’re no good, certainly not good enough for God. He’ll shove

you in the chest with all of your past sins and tell you that your future doesn’t look so great. He’ll charge you

and attack you, blame you and damn you. He’ll do all he can to remind you of your sin.

Your defense against such attacks is to remember your Baptism. As that great Baptismal hymn reminds us:

Satan, hear this proclamation:

I am baptized into Christ!

Drop your ugly accusation,

I am not so soon enticed.

Now that to the font I’ve traveled,

All your might has come unraveled,

And, against your tyranny,

God, my Lord, unites with me! (LSB 594:3)

The devil thinks he’s all that and a bag of chips, and against you, he is. He’s smarter, faster, craftier, and

stronger than you. As your opponent, the devil will squash you. But as the opponent of Jesus, he is powerless.

He’s a serpent whose head’s been crushed, a roaring lion whose mouth has been shut. The devil can accuse us

of our sin, but Jesus accounts us righteous. The devil can show us all we’ve done wrong, but Jesus shows us the

mark in his hands and side. The devil can drown us in guilt and shame, but we’ve already drowned it all in the

waters of Baptism.

“Baptism now saves you,” St. Peter writes (1 Peter 3:21). Baptism is your sure defense against Satan. It’s your

confidence living in this fallen world, your strength while dwelling in fallen flesh. Baptism is like a mountain. It

can’t be moved or shaken. No one can pick it up and take it away from you. It is what it is, and that will never

change. And what it is is your salvation. It’s where the Father claimed you as his child. It’s where Jesus joined

you to his victorious death and empty tomb. It’s where your sin was forgiven and salvation was received. It is

where your life began and where your life will end. Baptism is everything.

This summer, remember your Baptism. In fact, go ahead and remember it in the fall, winter, and spring.

Remember it every day during the good times and the bad. Remember it when you face your sin, when you face

illness and death, when you face doubt and despair. Remember it when you wake up and when you fall asleep.

Remember it always, for it’s always there. Every drop of water you see is God’s daily reminder for you.

Remember your Baptism.

In Christ,

Pastor Haller

SUMMER SUNDAY SCHOOL

Sunday School will not end! In order to give as much of God’s Word to our children, we’ve decided to continue Sunday School through the summer and not follow the regular school year calendar. We should never take a break from hearing God’s Word, especially if that conforms us to the ways and times of this world. Students from the 5th to 8th grade will join Pastor Haller in the Adult Bible class, while the rest of the children will be taught by different volunteers throughout the Summer months.

June Divine Services (services with Holy Communion)

Sunday, June 4, 2017 Pentecost

Divine Service Setting 3 John 7:37-39

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Holy Trinity Divine Service Setting 1

Matthew 28:16-20

Sunday, June 18, 2017 Second Sunday after Pentecost

Divine Service Setting 3 Matthew 9:35-10:20

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Third Sunday after Pentecost Divine Service Setting 3 Matthew 10:5a, 21-35

July Divine Services (services with Holy Communion)

Sunday, July 2, 2017 Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Divine Service Setting 3 Matthew 10:34-42

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Divine Service Setting 1

Matthew 11:25-30

Sunday, July 16, 2017 Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Divine Service Setting 3 Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost Divine Service Setting 3

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sunday, July 30, 2017 Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Divine Service Setting 1 Matthew 13:44-52

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL July 10 - 14, 2017

9 am to 12 pm

singing, games, crafts, and snacks

Bring your children and

grandchildren. Invite your friends

and neighbors. Come, learn about

Jesus—your Mighty Fortress.

VOLUNTEERS FOR BINGO

The Wellspring Lutheran Home in Frankenmuth has a month

Bingo party for the residents. We at Grace are responsible for the

Bingo Party on Wednesday, July 12th at 2:00 pm. Here is what

we need:

Ten or more people to help that day

Five angel food cakes

Bingo prizes

postage stamps

holiday/room decorations (small)

men’s socks

small stuffed animals

food items

snack size chips

snack size cookies

miniature candy bars

apples

snack size crackers

Please, do not bring anything that is sharp or pointed, no aerosol

or glass containers. If you can help in any way, please contact

Diane Spencer (693-6311).

—donations—

THUMB AREA CRISIS CENTER donations can be placed in box under fellowship hall window

JUNE disposable diapers (any size)

JULY baby wipes, baby powder

LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF donations can be placed in box by the coat rack

BABY CARE KITS

Lightweight cotton t-shirts

Long or short-sleeved gowns or sleepers (without feet)

Jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts

Bath-size bars of gentle soap

HIGENE KITS

Bath-size towels

Bath-size bars of soap

Sturdy combs

SCHOOL KITS

70-sheet notebooks of wide or college-ruled paper

Ruler (centimeter and inch)

Pencil sharpener

Blunt scissors

Unsharpened #2 pencils

Ballpoint pens (no gel ink)

Box of 24 crayons

2.5” pink pencil eraser

CLOTHING GIVEAWAY Clothing for this year’s Giveaway can be collected here at the church. Any questions, please speak with Tracey Reinbold: (989) 670-5005

KNOWN JUNE BIRTHDAYS

3 Madison Hodgkinson

7 Buddy Campbell

Braelyn Sigmund

13 Irene Stange

Shelby Bean

21 John Aulbert

22 Charles Mossner

Lisa Hodgkinson

23 Jimmy Tetil

Elijah Chaney-Ruiz

24 Bryan Hadeway

25 Sandra Goodrich

Shirley Mayberry

29 Holly Winter

30 Lindsey Swoffer

KNOWN JUNE ANNIVERSARIES

11 Louis & Cheryl Trisch

17 Dave & Kristi Weber

23 Jason & Sarah Hall

29 Buddy & Linda Campbell

June 18, 2017

Join us for a piece of pie after

service in the fellowship hall.

THE RITE OF FIRST COMMUNION

SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2017

during the Divine Service

Refreshments provided afterwards by

The Fellowship Committee

KNOWN JULY BIRTHDAYS

2 Tristan Pierce

Elise Hadaway

3 Lenora Steinley

4 Dave Hills

6 Linda Campbell

10 Susan Pfund

12 Cheryl Trisch

13 Ty Farver

14 Claira Swoffer

17 Noah Hadaway

Ryan Palm

19 Pam Spyker

25 Rachel Farver

26 Sue Voss

Nolan McGilton

27 Andrew Seeley

KNOWN JULY ANNIVERSARIES

1 Bill & Nancy Keyes

11 Tom & Sarah Reid

20 Brian & Lenora Steinley

22 Dan & Tracey Reinbold

PRIVATE CONFESSION

Private Confession and Absolution is available by appointment. You can call Pastor Haller at the church office

or on his cell phone: (248) 794-3703.

Ladies Aid News

Ladies Aid will be selling pasties! There will be an order form on the bulletin board in the Fellowship

Hall. You can request them to be baked or unbaked, and we’ll be selling them for $16 each. They will

be ready for pickup on Sunday, September 10, 2017 at the church. The last day to order will be

August 27, 2017. Any questions, please call Diane Spencer (693-6311).

Ladies Aid will not meet in June, July, or August. Enjoy your summer!

BABY BOTTLE BOOMERANG

Bottles are available on the back table in the narthex. Take one home, fill it up with loose change, cash,

or a check and bring it back to church on Sunday, June 25th. All proceeds go to Positive Alternatives, an

organization which supports pregnant women and their children in our community.

THE IMPACT

In 2016, 58 individual women/families in Caro and 23 individual women/families in Bad Axe were served.

NEWS

THANK YOU!

From all the people with developmental disabilities across the country who are served by Bethesda’s ministry, thank you to the members of Grace Lutheran Church for your recent gift of $352, made to Bethesda Lutheran Communities. Your continued prayers and gifts of support are essential to our success and are greatly appreciated. For more information about how we are working together to make a difference in the lives of the people with developmental disabilities, visit us at: www.BethesdaLutheranCommunities.org.

Serving our Lord in the Month of June

Elders for June Harold Burnison & Steven Reinbold Ladies Aid for June Joanne Bigham & Jean Trisch Sunday, June 4, 2017 Greeters: Larry & Diane Spencer Ushers: Lee Voss, Jason Hall, Dave Weber, Steven Reinbold (secondary elder) Refreshments: Kristi Weber, Holly Winter, Joanne Bigham, Cindy Burnison Sunday, June 11, 2017 Greeters: Vic & Jean Trisch Ushers: David Hills, Joseph Bublitz, Gordon Bigham, Steven Reinbold (secondary elder) Refreshments: Carolyn Carpenter, Melissa Couture, Joyce Dickson, Lynn Dinsmoore Sunday, June 18, 2017 Greeters: Dave & Kristi Weber Ushers: Harold Burnison, Vic Trisch, Jim Burnison, Steven Reinbold (secondary elder) Refreshments: Ann Emery, Sharon Hadaway, Sarah Hall, Joanne Hills Sunday, June 25, 2017 Greeters: Daryl & Holly Winter Ushers: Ed McAlpine, Earl Voss, Hunter Reid, Steven Reinbold (secondary elder) Refreshments: Ruth Ann Kaijala, Mary Masker, Karen Mendyk, Susan Pfund **If you are unable to provide refreshments when scheduled, please switch with someone on the list. **If your name is not on the Greeter and/or Refreshment list and you would like to serve, please contact the church office.

New Usher Groups

Group 1 Lee Voss (989) 872-3982 Jason Hall (989) 672-7102 David Weber (989) 693-6563 Elder* Group 4 Ed McAlpine (989) 693-6279 Earl Voss (989) 550-3496 Hunter Reid (989) 693-6389 Elder*

Group 2 David Hills (989) 439-5464 Joseph Bublitz (989) 321-1755 Gordon Bigham (989) 673-7006 Elder* Group 5 Larry Spencer (989) 670-9922 Brian Steinley (989)693-6001 Daniel Bublitz (989) 392-7805 Elder*

Group 3 Harold Burnison (989)528-6867 Vic Trisch (989) 286-1300 Jim Burnison (989) 980-6646 Elder*

*the Secondary Elder assigned for that month will also serve as the fourth usher.

If you’re not able to serve on a particular Sunday, please call another usher to replace you.

Serving our Lord in the Month of July

Elders for July Thomas Reid & Daniel Reinbold Ladies Aid for July Joanne Bigham & Jean Trisch Sunday, July 2, 2017 Greeters: Harold & Cindy Burnison Ushers: Larry Spencer, Brian Steinley, Daniel Bublitz, Daniel Reinbold (secondary usher) Refreshments: Sarah Reid, Joanne Reinbold, Diane Spencer, Irene Stange Sunday, July 9, 2017 Greeters: Rich & Sharon Hadaway Ushers: Lee Voss, Jason Hall, Dave Weber, Daniel Reinbold (secondary usher) Refreshments: Pat Starkey, Beth Hoppe, Bev Voss, Helene Weber Sunday, July 16, 2017 Greeters: David & Joanne Hills Ushers: David Hills, Joseph Bublitz, Gordon Bigham, Daniel Reinbold (secondary usher) Refreshments: Kristi Weber, Holly Winter, Joanne Bigham, Cindy Burnison Sunday, July 23, 2017 Greeters: John & Ruth Ann Kaijala Ushers: Harold Burnison, James Burnison, Vic Trisch, Daniel Reinbold (secondary usher) Refreshments: Carolyn Carpenter, Melissa Couture, Joyce Dickson, Lynn Dinsmoore Sunday, July 30, 2017 Greeters: Larry & Diane Spencer Ushers: Ed McAlpine, Earl Voss, Hunter Reid, Daniel Reinbold (secondary usher) Refreshments: Ann Emery, Sharon Hadaway, Sarah Hall, Joanne Hills **If you are unable to provide refreshments when scheduled, please switch with someone on the list. **If your name is not on the Greeter and/or Refreshment list and you would like to serve, please contact the church office.

New Usher Groups

Group 1 Lee Voss (989) 872-3982 Jason Hall (989) 672-7102 David Weber (989) 693-6563 Elder* Group 4 Ed McAlpine (989) 693-6279 Earl Voss (989) 550-3496 Hunter Reid (989) 693-6389 Elder*

Group 2 David Hills (989) 439-5464 Joseph Bublitz (989) 321-1755 Gordon Bigham (989) 673-7006 Elder* Group 5 Larry Spencer (989) 670-9922 Brian Steinley (989)693-6001 Daniel Bublitz (989) 392-7805 Elder*

Group 3 Harold Burnison (989)528-6867 Vic Trisch (989) 286-1300 Jim Burnison (989) 980-6646 Elder*

*the Secondary Elder assigned for that month will also serve as the fourth usher.

If you’re not able to serve on a particular Sunday, please call another usher to replace you.