Mid-summer news:

Greetings all!  These are two items I would like the congregation to consider as we move into August and beyond.

First, please consider being a part of the new Adult Ed course "Christianity and Islam" that will be running on Wednesday evenings beginning 15 September through 22 December.  The class will begin at 6:00 p.m. and run for an hour.  Texts will be available on demand through the office in the following manner: an unbound copy (you provide your own folder/binding) for $5.00 and a copy bound in a labeled binder for $8.00.  Checks should be made payable to Grace Lutheran Church.

This will not be a 'how to convert them' series of lessons, nor will it be a 'we are all essentially the same'  viewpoint.  Given where our church community is located in the wider community, my hope is that this could be a first step toward greater understanding of a major world religion, as well as a more comfortable coexistence!

Second, please be on the watch for details on an important congregational meeting regarding the Grace House and Lutheran Social Services.  The meeting (date to be determined as we work out the details) will be to approve or disapprove financing for a construction project to take place in the Grace House that will turn an existing bathroom into an ADA accessible bathroom on the main floor AND to add an egress window on the lower level, allowing the use of that space as a client's bedroom.

We are presently assembling the details of the project for presentation to the council and then the congregation.  LSS needs an accessable bath to continue to serve their clients.  Without that ability, they would be reluctantly forced to terminate their lease.  In exchange for this work, LSS has been asked to agree to a three year lease.  These are the bare bones details - more details to follow.

As a pastor, I am excited that we have the opportunity to continue a fruitful partnership with an organization whose goals in ministry are so similar to our own.  When the details are ready things will move fast; and it is summer, so I wanted to be sure to give everyone a heads-up as to what is coming in the very near future.  For the eternally suspicious - please note: nothing will be done without council and congregation approval as stipulated in our constitution. This is just a heads-up and a courtesy invitation into this process as it unfolds.  I am excited to present and discuss this with the congregation!

Finally, thank you to everyone for your excellent work in preparing for Vacation Bible School - and Sunday School that follows just a few short weeks later!  Thank you also for the even-handed and gracious way you go about the Gospel work we share.  Watch the bulletin, newsletter, website and council minutes for details of more business to come in late summer/early fall!