MESSAGE FROM PASTOR SUSANNE

Welcome to Grace on this First Sunday after Pentecost! “O Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Today we celebrate the holy Trinity. Paul writes that through Jesus we have peace with God, whose love pours into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, giving us lasting hope. We celebrate the gracious One-in-Three, eternal Three-in-One, as we worship in community; as we share water and word, bread and wine; and as we bring God’s love and hope to our neighbors.

 GRACE BIBLE STUDY MEETS ON-LINE WEDNESDAYS @ 7
PM.
Please join us for Bible study Wednesday evenings. We are starting a new study using the book Provoking Proverbs which looks at the Book of Proverbs from the perspective of the 10 commandments. 
Contact Pastor Susanne with any questions and to get the on-line link scblume@gmail.com or 202 422 4348.

WATCH OUT FOR SCAMS

Several members received scam emails purportedly from Pastor Susanne.  Here is some advice and things to be on the lookout for from AARP:  If a communication is unexpected, yields an emotional reaction and urges immediate action, be on the alert that it may be a scam. Scams have a common goal - to steal your money, personal information or both. Reporting fraud is essential to help prevent future scams.  If you suspect a scam, disengage immediately.  Here is a link to the AARP.org fraud webpage: aarp.org/fraud

CONSIDER BEING A COFFEE HOUR HOST

Please think about volunteering to host a coffee hour. They are held once a month and you can pick the date (maybe to celebrate an event). We generally have one for Easter and for the 4th Sunday of Advent. and then a few other things as they come up. The July 27th coffee hour will be hosted by the Boyd family as they celebrate their wedding anniversary and the coffee hour for August will be on August 22 which is the Sunday closest to the anniversary date of the founding of Grace.  There is no host for that yet. You will be supplying finger food and drinks and do not need to make coffee.  Please contact the office to reserve a date.  

Gifts of Hope Concludes After More Than 30 Years of Impactful Ministry

After more than 30 years of transformative ministry, the Gifts of Hope program will conclude at the end of its 2024 campaign. Since 1992, this alternative gift-giving initiative has raised nearly $4 million to support vital ministries, church camps, companion synods, and local service agencies—impacting countless lives in need. Due to a continuing pattern of decline in funds, the Synod Council has decided to retire the program while seeking new ways to support its beneficiaries.

We give thanks for the faithful leadership of Sue Clark, Carolyn Sowinski, and Natalie Cain, the dedication of all who have served, and the extraordinary generosity of donors over the years. A celebration of the program’s legacy will take place at the 2025 Synod Assembly.

GRACE ANNIVERSARY

We will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of Grace from August 2026 to August 2027. Planning for this major event in the life of the church needs to start soon. We invite anyone who might be interested in being part of the planning to let Marylou know that you would like to help.

WEBSITE

Be sure to check the Grace website at www.graceelcadc.org. You will see the weekly announcements and links to Grace’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. The council approved using Tithe.ly, the online giving service for those who would like to give electronically. Simply select Giving on the website and a form will appear to walk you through the process.

MESSAGE FROM OUR COUNCIL PRESIDENT

The combined service with OELC for Pentecost was a beautiful experience. It was fun to hear all of their music and share the worship experience as one family in one spirit. I hope we can do it again. A special thank you to everyone who participated in the day, especially to Sarah, Lucretia and Leila for serving the meal along with their counterparts from the OELC. It truly was a joint project.

The Council met Monday evening and reviewed the financial situation and also talked about the budget planning for the annual meeting coming up in November. We need to start planning early. We also talked about the developments at the Synod Assembly. You will be hearing more about that from our delegates. Then we discussed some ideas for our 150thanniversary beginning in 2026.  We had a lot to talk about – and a lot of planning to do.

The Crestwood Citizens Association is hosting their 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebrationon Thursday, June 19 at Triangle Park form 4:00 to 8:00 PM. There will be entertainment, music, crafts and food.  Please, if you are in the area, help support our neighbors. For those of you who may not know, Juneteenth celebrates the day in 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No 3 that informed the residents of Galveston that the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed and they were free. 

CALL COMMITTEE

The search for a Pastor is well on the way. The Mission Statement that tells the Synod our mission priorities has been submitted to the Bishop's office. The Synod will review the statement and provide a list of potential Roster candidates to the Call Committee. The Call committee will review the list and after consultation will make a recommendation to the Council. There will be a congregation meeting to finally call a pastor.

SPRING /FALL YARD SALE
We have unfortunately had to reschedule the Spring Yard Sale. The new date is Saturday, June 14, 2025 (9:00 AM – 4:00 PM)

The Fall date remains the same:
Fall Yard Sale Saturday: November 8, 2025 (9:00 AM – 4:00 PM)

For more information or to sign up to help, please contact: Ms. Laura
Boyd: 202-321-0393 or Ms. Darlene Campbell: 301-412-5594
To make both yard sales a success, the Outreach Committee is asking
for volunteers to help with setup and breakdown on both days. Thank
you for your support!

LOAVES AND FISHES

One of the Missions of Grace Lutheran Church supports is Loaves and

Fishes, every other month on the first Saturday we serve lunch at

Loaves and Fishes. The need for a free meal is more acute on

weekends, when most free meal programs in Washington are closed.

Since the Pandemic box lunches are handed out to the guests. We

invite you to volunteer when you are available to pack the lunches,

between 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM.

The yard sale supports this mission.