Grace Notes Grace Notes T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F G R A C E L U T H E R A N C H U R C H

January 2014

Dear Members and Friends,

I know that 2013 was a great year for some of you. I also know that 2013 was a ter-

rible year for some others. Whatever the year brought to us, it is over.

Now we begin a new year. 2014 is a blank page waiting to be written upon. Some

of what goes onto the page is what we ourselves put there. It will be the record of what

our hopes and dreams have accomplished.

Other items will be put there against our wishes. These will be things like illnesses,

awkward moments, financial difficulties and family troubles.

Whatever the year will bring, we are the people of God. When 2014 is over, God

will also be part of the story of what our year was like.

Learn to include God daily and benefit from the blessings of God ‘s love for you.

Look to God for direction when putting hopes and dreams into practice. Give God

thanks and praise for blessings as they are received. Learn to rely upon God’s comforting

presence in times of difficulty.

Whatever 2014 brings, it brings God as well. Look for God. With God we can ex-

pect the encouragement and support that will make all the difference in all we do.

Blessings In the Coming Year,

Pastor David Almleaf

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Grace Notes

Altar Flowers January & February Jan 5 - Ernie & Peg Niforos

Jan 12 - Nancy Blanchard

Jan 19 - Linda Bumpus

Jan 26 - Maryland Warner

Feb 2 - Carol Hennessey

Feb 9 - Nikki Hathaway

Feb 16 - OPEN

Feb 23 - Marlene & George Slingerland

Altar flowers are $33.00 unless you share a Sunday then they would be $16.50 each vase. If you wish to place a “special ar-rangement” in the Sanctuary the cost would be whatever you would like to spend. Nancy Blanchard (762-4234) and Linda

Bumpus (725-1927) are the Altar Flower coordinators.

Counters for January & February 1/5 - Nancy Demarest, Ron & Jackie Hollenbeck

1/12 - Nancy Demarest, Ron & Jackie Hollenbeck

1/19 - Nancy Blanchard, Greta Davis, Bonnie

1/26 - Nancy Blanchard, Greta Davis, Bonnie

2/2 - Darleen Gaugler, Charlotte Petersen, Bonnie

2/9 - Darleen Gaugler, Charlotte Petersen, Bonnie

2/16 - Nancy Demarest, Ron & Jackie Hollenbeck

2/23 - Nancy Demarest, Ron & Jackie Hollenbeck

Prayer Chain Ministry

If you know of anyone in need of daily prayers for the healing of body, mind or soul, please call Bobbi Nigro (725-6781) or Nancy Demarest (725-8704). If requesting in person, please submit the name(s) in writing and add your name at the bottom. To further assist, please reconnect with that member of the Prayer Chain within 2 weeks to verify the condition of the person(s) receiving prayer. All requests are held in confidence unless otherwise designated. Thank you.

Bread Bakers January & February Jan 5 - Cindy Walsh Jan 26 - Helen Schreivogl Feb 2 - Audrey Rulison Feb 23 - Peggy Niforos Please find someone to replace you if you cannot bake bread the Sunday you are scheduled and whenever possible, tell the church secretary so the bulletin can reflect the change.

Thank you, Peggy Niforos

(I) - Intinction Sunday (R) - Rail Sunday Jan 5 (R) - Don Phelps Jan 12 (I) - Nancy Demarest Jan 19 (I) - Joan Longfritz Jan 26 (R) - Peggy Niforos Feb 2 (R) - Kathy VanValkenburgh Feb 9 (I) - Bonnie Olendorf Feb 16 (I) - Darleen Gaugler Feb 23 (R) - Joan Longfritz

Please find someone to replace you if you cannot make the Sun-day you are scheduled and whenever possible, tell Bonnie so that

the bulletin can reflect the change. Peg Niforos, Altar Guild Coordinator

Prayers of the Church

Please notify the church office when your prayers have been answered so your prayer concern can be removed from the list that Pastor raises up to God on Sunday morning. Thank you

Thank you.... My family and I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all of you, my family here at Grace, for your prayers, cards, visits, food and concerns during Gordie’s illness and when he was called home to rest in the arms of our loving God. Thank you also to the bereavement committee and helpers for the meal you served. In Christ’s Love, Nancy Demarest

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Grace Notes

Congratulations to our Sunday School and Youth Group members on a wonderful Christmas Program this year. We chose an extremely challenging piece because we knew you could handle it; and we were not disappointed. You all did an excellent job and the music was phenomenal. We are blessed to have each of you as active members of our church family. Thank you again for sharing your time and talents; all given to make this year's pageant a huge success.

A huge thank you goes to our director Darlene Pollak who began working with our children in late fall. Thank you also to our Chancel Choir for their musical support during this year’s pageant and rehearsal. Lastly, Thank you to the parents for getting your kids to rehearsals, rehearsing songs, helping with cos-tumes and props, and donating cookies for our Christmas Pageant coffee hour.

Many, many thanks go out to the Outreach

Committee and all of our participants for

bringing the birth of our Savior to life with the

Living Nativity. Even the bitter cold could not

take away the awesomeness of night. Thank

you to Beth Claes and the Horse Lovers Un-

limited group for bringing the hay, animals, and

participating in the nativity.

Two of our members lost loved ones during the month of December.

Ron Bell’s mom, Pauline E. Bell was called

home to be with our Lord on December 5,

2013. She was 94 years old. We pray Ron

finds comfort in knowing that she has joined her

husband and together they are worshiping with all

the angels in heaven at the alter of God.

Harry A. “Sonny” Hing, father of James

Hing and Jennifer Hing Wainwright was

called to his heavenly home on December

14, 2013. We pray for both of them that they will

find comfort in knowing Sonny now rests in the

arms of our loving God.

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Grace Notes

Council Meeting Highlights for December 12, 2013

Election of officers will be held at the beginning of January 9th council meeting January Congregational Meeting will be on Sunday the 26th following worship.

Committee reports are due January 5th or sooner. Council accepted Pastor’s proposed dates for vacation and study leave for 2014

Finance Committee Pledges to date are $66,680.00. They have exceeded last years to date. Treasurer’s and financial secretary’s reports were reviewed. Property Committee Will be receiving proposals for additional insulation for attic from fellowship to the sanctuary. Currently have

R-19 which over time has become sporadic in places. Worship & Music Usher training was held. Procedures were written up by Vic Pellegrino and placed in the Grace Procedure

book as a reference. The book is kept in the office. A new hymn used during the lighting of the Advent candles was discussed. The bells choir would accompany

the choir and congregation while sing this hymn. The baby grand piano has been tuned. Inreach Letters have been sent in a Christmas card to our servicemen and women. Christmas baskets will be delivered

to our shut-ins. Hat and mittens were delivered to Kingsborough Elementary school in Gloversville. Christian Ed/Youth January will have a 30 hour fast starting Friday the 17th at noon, meeting at church at 6:00 pm Outreach Getting ready for the living nativity

Tune into WENT 1340 A. M. For church closings (including Grace) in case of inclement weather January Committee night will be Tuesday January 7th 5:30 - 8:00

January Council Meeting will be held on Thursday January 9th at 6 pm

Respectfully submitted, Kathy VanValkenburgh

Council President

THANK YOU….. Special people make special schools!! Thank you

so much for the hats and gloves for our students.

We appreciate it!

Kingsborough Elementary School

Peace on Earth

Ring out the message of peace and goodwill.

Merry Christmas!

Thank you very much for the lovely Christmas

basket. So appreciated and much enjoyed!

Blessed Christmas and Happy, Healthy 2014

Helene and Stacey Keach

The confirmation class/Youth Group will be par-ticipating in the 30 hour fast again! They will start fasting at noon on

Friday, January 17, 2014 and end at 6:00 pm on Satur-day, January 18, 2014. They will “break the fast” with communion and then have a meal (finally!). We try to do this fast at least once a year so that the youth can have something to complain about and so that the adults (namely, Barb) can remind them how lucky they are to have cupboards and a refrigerator full of food (and how easy it is to go to the cupboard or refrigerator to get something to eat). This year they will be raising funds to benefit our local food pantries. During the fast, they will do some fun activities, a couple of service projects and some (ok-maybe a lot of) sleeping. If you would like to sponsor any of the youth, please see the sponsor sheets that will be in the narthex and fellowship hall. Sponsor-ship funds will be due by Friday, January 17th so that the youth can finish the service project on Saturday, Jan-uary 18th. If you have any questions, please see Barb Frederick. Thanks for your support of the youth.

DO YOU HAVE RE-TURNABLE BOTTLES AND CANS that are clogging up space in your home? Do you hate the thought of taking them to the store to return? If so,

just bring them to church and leave them in the box next to the side entrance. Someone from the Youth Group will return them to help de-fray the cost of their trip to Detroit in July 2015. Thanks for supporting them!

As a further note, the Youth Group is continuing to

collect old and used cell phones. There is a box in the

narthex where you can leave them.

On Saturday, January 25,

2014, from 5 - 7 pm, the

Youth Group will be host-

ing a roast beef dinner to

help defray the cost to

attend the ELCA Youth

Gathering in Detroit in 2015.

The cost will be $8.50 for adults and $6.00 for

children 6 - 12. The menu will include roast beef

(yum), mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetable and

dessert and will be cooked by Barb’s very own

personal “meatmeister”, Jim McGrattan.

Take-outs will be available. There will be a sign

up sheet in the narthex and fellowship hall.

Please join us for some good food and fellowship

At Home:

Eleanor Achzet

Eileen Spawn

Florence Sandner

Ruth Seiler

Helene Keach

Nathan Littauer

Nursing Home: Donna Mae Batty

Ruth Brownell

Pineview Commons:

Shirley Snyder

Wells House:

Geraldine Moldt

Willing Helpers:

Lorraine Muller

Dona Frey

Prayer Concerns

Scott Bumpus

Brandon Caldwell

Tony Clemente

Brad Coody

John Ferrara

Kevin Funk

Zachary Goot

Jordan Keeling

Denise & Jacob Lockwood

Thomas Szumowski

And for our enemies

Remember Our Shut-Ins

Marianne Jones

Sue McGrattan

Rick Hennessey

Anna Butez

Ron Butez

Grandstaff Family

The Marshall Family

Phyllis Lane

The Gleeman Family

Sean Armstrong

David Fisher

Hunter Lindsay

Ron Bell

Ella Congdon

Kyle Fonda

Marion Pellegrino

Robert Porter

Esther Bienick

Eleanor Fallis

Ginny Cameron

Morgan Sandmeier

Tanner Sammo

Vicky James

All those who have served and for all those

who are now serving in the armed forces, especially:

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Grace Notes

Please pray for NOAH, Friday’s Table, the food pantries of Johnstown

& Gloversville and for those in need of them.

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Grace Notes

To Dear Friends in Grace,

December 2013-We hope your Holidays have blessed you and yours with God’s peace and love and we wish you all the best for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year from us Gleemans in South-Central Kentucky! Although we truly miss family and friends up north, we are enjoying the fruits of our labor here. We’ve been sharing loaves made from win-ter squash we grew, local honey, cranberries, walnuts, and raisins, applesauce from apples from 2 trees in our back yard and local berry jams. Through the church, we have met prayerful people in Christ to share our celebrations and burdens with. Brother Hershel is a wonderful, inspirational preacher. We’ve grown to love our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, southern gospel music and Susan enjoys planning the music and accompanying on the piano at church. Studying the old and new testaments bring us to our Bible daily with hunger and thirst for the Lord’s Word of help, guidance, and in-struction. The kids are doing pretty well even with their challenges of cystic fibrosis (CF). William, age 15 is now a 10 th grade soph-omore and Leah, age 12, is a 5-6th grader. They attend school as regularly as possible and enjoy their friendships there. The school is 10 miles away and Susan drives them each morning. If she has a substitute teaching job, all 3 go to school. They belong to a “homebound” program in which there is flexibility in their school attendance with a tutor sent to the home twice a week to help them catch up on work if they’ve missed when they are sick or in the hospital. We like our local family doctor, but we must make trips to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital 3 hours away about every 6 weeks to see the specialists there and sometimes William and/or Leah have been admitted for IV antibiotic cleanouts; specific to com-plications of CF about every 5 months for a week or 2 (most recent-11/13-11/23). They’ve learned that daily breathing treatments, vitamins and oral medications, extra nutrition and insulin therapies are a necessary part of their life and get-

ting those out of the way leaves plenty of time to socialize with friends, play, enjoy some family fun, rest and relaxation.

Steven is working for Mr. Tarter, a landowner, cattle rancher, and gate manufacturer, fixing fences along his thousands of acres. He enjoys seeing the beautiful countryside and the work is pretty consistent along with a few handyman or plumbing jobs and things to do around here. He keeps his flock of sheep healthy and we should have lambs before spring. Our pigs will be harvested soon. Steven hasn’t had much time for hunting but there are deer in our woods. Steve has cut at least 200 bales of hay and grew a crop of corn on our fields this past year. He has learned a lot from our neighbor and friend, Reese, now 82 years old, who is a cattle farmer and also grows corn, wheat, and soybeans. Steve

and him help each other and have a strong bond.

We feel very blessed and love visitors. We have a spacious, warm and comfortable home with, as the song goes, “. . . . land, lots of land under starry skies above”, and plenty to eat. So far, our vehicles are getting us where we need to go but we are steadily wearing them out so we’re not traveling this year. We are thankful for each new day, praise God and lift our prayers up to Him who helps and guides us with His loving hands. We wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. Feel free to contact us at home at 606-787-6045, Susan’s cell is still 518-332-7474, 1825 Riffe Creek

Road, Dunnville, KY 42528, gleeman@windstream.net

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Grace Notes

1 - NEW YEAR’S DAY

Peter Mitchell

Greg Parillo

2 - Shane Ippolito

Matthew Starin

5 - Karsyn Pianelli

6 - Epiphany

7 - Colton Bobowski

9 - John Haberacker

Linus Vosburgh

13 - Victor Ralbovsky

14 - Donovan Smith

15 - Irmgard Getzlaff

Caitlin Lawton

Kay Leggett

16 - Caitlin Lawton

Gary Fiorillo

18 - Heidi Ropeter

Olivia Ramsey

20 - Martin Luther King Jr Day

Brian Albrecht

James Hynd III

Sarah Slingerland

21 - Cassandra Hynd

23 - Lynn Shea

24 - Amy Daniels

25 – Douglas Achzet

Thaddeus Coody

28 - Ruth Welle

29 - Rosalind Acquilla

Adrian Rubilotta

Rodger Smith, Jr.

Shirley Smith

Shirley Snyder

31 - Katie Hohler

January Birthdays

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Grace Notes

February Birthdays 1 - Jacob Cerasuolo

Emily Blood

Ethan Blood

2 - Anna Ronquillo

Elle Wandel

Todd Mraz

3 - Todd Unislawski

Megan Elizabeth Frasier

4 - Louanne Van Nostrand

Doris Sarr

Susan Gleeman

5 - Thomas D’Onofrio

Christopher Darling

Amy Cole

6 - Ruth Brownell

Nancy Fraker

Nicole Grandstaff

7 - Logan Calhoun

10 - Jacqueline Hollenbeck

Victor Pellegrino

Marilyn Warner

Kate Cromer

Katie Szumowski

Collin Shea

12 - Diana Elmendorf

Catherine Daniels

13 - Frieda Luibrand

14 - Elizah Cole

Kaylee Fiorillo

15 - Charles Humphrey

Nancy Demarest

Mitchell Jackson Flanger

16 - Dorothy Blake

Nathan Van Slyke

Justin Hulbert

17 - President’s Day

Dave Seward

Timothy Hohler

18 - Frederick Stortecky III

19 - Leland Achzet

Karen Smith

Christopher Lamonica

Darleen Gaugler

20 - Nicole DiMaio

Diane Wright

Jimmy Dorsey

21 - Bonnie Hollenbeck

Shannon Walsh

Betty Antis

Amanda Lee Mrazz

22 - Aaron Dorfman

Katricia Morley

22 - Kelly Geraghy

Paul Leach Jr.

24 - Hope Cerasuolo

Alicia Sweet

David Lamonica

Emma Rose Di Pasquale

26 - Mrs. Edward Robbins

27 - Barbara Insognia

Matthew Albrecht

28 - Shannon Warner Kohn

Howard Paxton

Deborah Hopkins