October 2020

PASTOR’S PAGE

be joined to such a community once again.

That’s the case in the passage from

Colossians, above, where Paul writes to the

church at Colossae that, although he is

absent in body, he is with them in spirit,

“rejoicing to see your good order and the

firmness of your faith in Christ.” Even through

the trials and separation they have endured,

Paul notes that this church has remained

faithful and steadfast through Jesus Christ,

who strengthens them.

These days, I find that Paul’s words

about longing for his church families ring with

new poignancy as we, too, long to be together

once again. But we have many advantages

that Paul did not have: Paul was in prison and

only had letters, sent for months over land

and sea to reach their destination, to

communicate with his loved ones. We enjoy

mobility, internet, telephones, and a speedy

postal system. Still, it’s not the same as

gathering together for fellowship.

And so, as these long months of our

“new normal” wear on, we will continue to try

out new ways to come together and remain

steadfast in our shared faith. While we are not

yet gathering for in-person worship, small

groups such as the Men’s Bible Study, Miriam

Circle, and aGAPe, are able to once again

meet in our building (with basic pandemic

safety measures, such as physical distance

and masks, in place). This month will also

include two more opportunities for

Continued on next page

For I want you to know how greatly I strive for

you, and for those at La-odice′a, and for all who

have not seen my face, that their hearts may

be encouraged as they are knit together in

love, to have all the riches of assured

understanding and the knowledge of God’s

mystery, of Christ, in whom are hid all the

treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this

in order that no one may delude you with

beguiling speech. For though I am absent in

body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see

your good order and the firmness of your faith

in Christ. —Colossians 2:1-7

Our friend the Apostle Paul was

someone who knew what it means to miss

church. In several of his letters to the young

churches he helped build throughout the

Mediterranean world, Paul writes about how

much he longs to see the communities who will

be reading his letters. Paul was imprisoned

several times for his work for the Gospel, and

some of his most profound writings come from

these periods of isolation. As he corresponded

with people far away, Paul offered not only

advice for the collective health of these

communities, but he thought about the

individuals in each place whom he knew

personally, whom he cared for and had walked

alongside in their shared faith journeys. There

is a special kind of intimacy to a spiritual

community, where many people from all walks

of life are brought together through the unlikely

vessels of word and sacrament, song and

sharing. From his prison cells, Paul longed to

drive-through communion at church in

addition to at-home communion offered in

our digital worship service. Of course, many

people are not able to gather in person for

plenty of good reasons, and so this month a

new ministry will take their first steps:

Friends 4 Friends, a network of simple phone

calls to help check in with one another for

fellowship even from a distance. More about

this new opportunities can be found in the

pages that follow.

We long for the day when we are all

able to gather safely and freely together

once again, to share hugs and handshakes

and coffee hour treats—but until then, God

continues to knit our hearts together in love

even from afar. May your October be

blessed, my friends.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Mary

October Is Pastor Appreciation Month!

During the month of October please show your appreciation and love (even

more than you already do) to our beloved Pastor Mary Beenken. Cards, well

wishes, and prayers are in order. Let’s make it a great month of letting her

know how much she is appreciated and loved.

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work

hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold

them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with

each other. 1Thessaloniands 5:12-13

COVID Safety in our Building

As we slowly and carefully begin to return to small in-person gatherings at

church, it is important that we keep each other safe in our shared space. If

you attend a meeting or gathering at church, please wear a mask, practice

physical distancing, and help us keep our surfaces sanitized.

However, if any of the following situations apply to you, we ask that

you not come to the Grace and Peace building until after you have either

received a negative COVID-19 test or have completed the state-recommended

10-day quarantine:

• You have any symptoms of illness: cough, fever, loss of smell or taste,

sniffles, nausea, body aches, etc.

• You have travelled out of state or to a "COVID hotspot" within Illinois

• You have been exposed to someone within the last 14 days who has

tested positive for COVID-19

• You have tested positive for COVID-19

Community Action Hello again from Community Action.

I just wanted to send all members a quick reminder. As summer slowly comes

to an end and we start cleaning out our closets or cabinets, keep in mind next

spring/summer we will be putting on another rummage sale here at Grace

and Peace. Since our last one was such a great success we thought we

would repeat it. Our profit will be to aide in our building fund.

Thank You! Diane Page and the gals

Friends 4 Friends This is the name of a small group of Grace and Peace members helping to

contact our members at home. I think it is fair to say not many of us

expected Covid to last so long with no end in sight. We want to make sure we

touch base with each of you who might need some type of support. Isn’t it

nice from time to time to have someone call you just to say hi? How are

you? Our fine caring group will consist of Dave Dietrich, Pam Kovach, Mary

Whitledge, Carol Martino and myself. Always feel free to call Pastor anytime

also. Always remember we care. Be safe Diane Page

What is God’s calling for your life? For many people of faith, that question is alternately a source of mystery,

frustration, confusion, and hope. Does God have a fine tuned plan for each

of us, or is God’s call more general, with the details left up to us? Something

to think about right?

Not to far down the road several of you will get a call asking if you would

consider stepping up to a Council position at Grace and Peace. The

commitment will be mostly one time a month. I realize many have already

been on the council. We are always looking for fresh faces with new ideas. All

I am asking is give it some thought. Our meetings are by Zoom or in person,

your choice. Any questions at all please call me.

Thank you! Diane Page Council President.

aGAPe Our aGAPe group was already behind due to Covid-19. We are hoping to

assemble and tie about 60 quilts in September and early October. We had

Pam Kovach, Pastor Mary and Deb Meyer added to our unit. As of now,

we will be meeting at noon on Wednesday, September 30th, October 7th

and 14th. Roberta Dietrich

The Church Mouse Have you been to The Church Mouse lately? 600 W Main St, Peoria near the

campus of Bradley University. A sanitizing business was recently hired to

perform a thorough cleaning. It’s ready for you to come in and browse. Stop

by on Thurs or Fri between 10-4 or on Sat between 10-3pm. A variety of

merchandise at low prices!

Drive Through Communion

Challenging times call for adaptation as we continue to minister and to

protect. Our first Drive Through Communion effort was on Sunday, September

20 and Wednesday, September 23. Communion has been offered during our

digital worship services throughout our suspension of in-person activities, but

this provides an opportunity for an added personal touch using pre-packaged

communion wafers and grape juice.

Undaunted Volunteers Minister On In the face of COVID-19 challenges the dedicated, missional volunteers at Grace

and Peace remain committed to supporting ministry needs worldwide.

School supplies, personal care kits, quilts, and layettes are coming together for

shipment to Lutheran World Relief. The global reach of Lutheran World Relief

and our own ministry through LWF was underlined in the recent Beirut explosion.

LWF and those served by this wonderful organization, were blessed as many of

the supplies stored in an LWF warehouse at Beirut escaped catastrophic

damage. Some of our numbers will be down this year and some will be up. But,

mission commitment continues amidst challenges.

Pastor Mary Out of the Office

Pastor Mary will be on vacation from September 25 through October 3. In the

event of an emergency, please contact Pastor Becky Swanson at Advent Lutheran

Church in Morton, IL. Pastor Swanson has agreed to be on call for emergencies at

Grace and Peace and will know how to get a message to Pastor Mary. You can

reach her by phone at 612-327-5087, or email her at prbeckys@gmail.com.

WELCA C/SIS Virtual Fall Gathering

SAVE THE DATE— October 3, 2020

We miss you! Come join us virtually on YouTube with the theme Women’s

Ordination Anniversaries! It will be about 1 hour long with links to other

resources. Celebrate with us by sending greetings in a short video of 1-2 minutes

like in the Today show. Send us pictures of your church, your WELCA members,

projects you are working on such as LWR or masks, and tell us if you are meeting

on Zoom, calling or writing each other. Take the video in landscape (hold phone

horizontally) leave 5 seconds at the beginning and end, then email to

rrheidorn@gmail.com. More information to come. Like a regular gathering, we will

have a drawing for some Women of the ELCA items. They include: 2 Daily Grace

aprons, 3 WELCA pashima shawls, 2 WELCA ornaments, 2 travel mugs, 1 water

tumbler with straw and 1 ELCA set of notecards. Send your name, church,

address, email or phone for the drawing to j.d.scherer2@gmail.com or call

217-725-0301. See the picture for the items! You can specify what you would

prefer and we will try to match it.

2020 Endowment Grant Application process has begun

Virtual 17th Annual Pray For The Cure

A special prayer service dedicated to breast cancer survivors is on Thursday,

October 1st at 6:30pm. Join us for this virtual ecumenical prayer service

enhancing the breast cancer survivor’s spiritual well-being in healing and recovery

through special music, reflections and prayers from survivors and encouragement

for survivors. Invite your family and friends to join you in worshiping together

during this special virtual prayer service. You can join in through @KomenPeoria

on Facebook or at www.salemofpeoria.com

For more information, please contact Linda Butler (Promotional Chairperson) at

309-688-7912 or Helene Peterson (Committee Member) at 309-453-7022 or

HMPeterson@comcast.net

Peoria Dining Tour Coupon Books

127 local restaurants are included in the 2021 book. For $30, you will receive

a coupon towards whatever you are hungry for! Only twenty of the one hundred

and twenty-seven establishments are considered “dine in only”, so you can visit

today! Coupons are valid through Oct 31, 2021. Purchase your book in your

church office. Please make your check payable to the Lutheran Women of

Greater Peoria. Thank you for your continued support!

Volunteers Needed

Do you have desire to volunteer or work park time at The Church Mouse?

Volunteer clerks and a warehouse person are needed at this time in order to

keep the store open and keep it running efficiently. Please call the current

assistant manager, Joan Resler, at (309) 673-2363 for more information.

Prayer Partners "He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our

hope that he will rescue us again, as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many

will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many."

2 Corinthians 1:10-11

Prayer connects us to each other and to God, and there is special power is

praying with one another to ask for help in times of trial and to give thanks in

times of joy. Our team of prayer partners has graciously agreed to try out their

ministry in a new way: over the phone! If you would like to pray with one of our

prayer partners, you are invited to use the contact list below to call upon a

prayer partner at any time.

Linda Ericsson 309-231-5990 Carol Gard 309-678-0189

Terry Goff 309-357-3149 Sue Hughes 309-657-7465

Ann Joyce 309-253-1150 Andrew Loebach 815-343-3497

Deb Meyer 309-657-9841 Mary Whitledge 309-681-1176

Announcements & Dwelling in the word – Pr. Beenken & Terry Goff

Present: Pastor Beenken, Diane Page, Terry Goff, Nan Goff, Cheriz Kunkel, Andrew Loebach, Craig Lorentz, Deb

Meyer, Pam Bebber, Roberta Dietrich

Minutes approved: Terry Goff motioned to approve minutes, second by Pam Bebber

Old Business / Ministry Reports

• Currently updating the Constitution

• Council check-ins on mission/ministry/ by-laws. Each ministry could get drafts sent within a couple weeks,

so a council draft can be put together by October meeting.

New Business

• Social: Friends for Friends Group & Monthly Dinner Meeting

• Poll concerns: cleaning, social distancing (using tape as markers), weather issues

• Nominating Committee process starting.

• Finance/ Budget/Salary updates (Salary by 10/5/20)

• Property Updates: Roof updates: insurance & South Sanctuary Roof Fund to keep funds for future repairs

Sign Update: We had permit issue, its been resolved. Currently verifying installation process, and

moving forward.

• Restoring Illinois Plan updates: A survey will be sent out. Council will vote Oct 15th for possible Oct 25th

opening. Drive-thru communion starting Sun Sept 20th & Wednesday 23rd. Possible Drive-In communion an

option if needed. (TBA).

• Pastor Vacation coming up. Information is in cornerstone. Becky Swanson will be on-call for emergencies

• Education Committee: Working on future opportunities for educational meetings with other churches.

• Stewardship Campaign letter being sent out tomorrow. Thoughts on second letter with pledge cards.

Sending reminders and updates afterwards.

Communication & Thank you’s to congregation, etc.

Treasurer Report – Roberta

Correspondence and Pastor’s Time- Pastor Beenken

Grace and Peace Lutheran Church

Church Council

September 17, 2020

President’s Time- Diane Page

Adjourned with Lord’s Prayer

Council Reminders

Next Executive Meeting – October 8th 5:00PM

Next Council Meeting – October 15th 6:30 PM

Dwelling in the Word: Cheriz Kunkel & Andrew Loebach

Ministry reports should be written every month and distributed in advance of the council meeting to the church office manager.

Pastor Beenken

Pam Bebber (2020-2021) 1st Stewardship

Darlene Etter (2020-2022)1st Evangelism

Nan Goff (2019-2021) 2nd

Terry Goff (2020-2022)1st Vice President/ Finance

Cheriz Kunkel (2020-2022) 1st Secretary

Andrew Loebach (2019-2021)2nd Christian Ed/ Youth

Craig Lorentz (2019-2021) 2nd Property

Deb Meyer (2020- 2022)1st Worship & Music

Diane Page (2019-2021)2nd President / Nurture

OCTOBER 2020

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Pastor Mary on

Vacation

2

Pastor Mary on

Vacation

3

Pastor Mary on

Vacation

4

Holy Communion

included in the

digital worship

5 6 7

7:30am Men’s

Bible Study

12:00pm aGAPe

8

5:00pm

Executive

Council Meeting

9 10

11 12

6:30pm

Endowment

Meeting

13

7:00pm Miriam

Circle

14

7:30am Men’s

Bible Study

10:00-11:00am

Drive-through

Communion

12:00pm aGAPe

15

6:30pm Church

Council Meeting

16 17

18

5:00-6:00pm

Drive-through

Communion

19 20 21

7:30am Men’s

Bible Study

22 23 24

25

Reformation

Sunday

Lutheran World

Relief Quilt

Blessing

26 27 28

7:30am Men’s

Bible Study

29 30 31

Pastor Appreciation Month

Grace and Peace Lutheran Church 7611 N Knoxville Ave Peoria, IL 61614-2023