Cards for the Military

This spring our Military Support Team invites you to send cards of encouragement to members of the military.  They have provided names and addresses of individuals connected to the Grace family for your convenience.  Copies of these can be found on the harvest table in the Grace narthex.

Clothing Needed by the Pregnancy Resource Center

The Pregnancy Resource Center currently has a great need for girl and boy winter baby clothes, in sizes 12 months - 24 months (2T).  If you or someone you know has excess of these sizes, or has a pile waiting to take to Goodwill, consider sharing your abundance with those who come to the PRC.

Clothing items may be dropped off at the Center (address below) any time between 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, or on Tuesday and Thursday evenings between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.  You may also bring your items to Grace Church on Sunday.  We will see that they are delivered to the PRC as well.

Remember, too, that the PRC is always in need of caring individuals who will serve as client advocates.  These volunteers are trained to meet directly with PRC clients - a great way to make a difference in the life of a mom-to-be and her unborn baby.  Other volunteers needed include someone to launder and mend donated clothing, individuals who will sort and match donated clothing, and people to help keep the center clean.

Here is the contact information for the PRC if you wish to deliver items in person or would like more information about how to volunteer:

Pregnancy Resource Center of Clark County
2612 Elmore Drive (just south of the old Community Hospital Building)
Springfield, OH 45505
(937) 525-3780

SOUP-er Sunday

Nationally, Sunday February 3 is "Super Bowl Sunday," but at Grace it will be "SOUP-er Sunday."  We are encouraging everyone who attends Grace on that day to bring along two (or more) cans of soup.  We will be donating all proceeds to St. John's Food Pantry.  Our goal is to gather 1,000 cans of soup on that day.

You will be hearing more about this on Sunday, but we wanted to get the word out early because soup is on sale this week at area grocery stores.  Both Kroger and Meijer are advertising special prices on Campbells and Progresso soups. Any kind of soup will be appreciated!

Let's "bowl" the Food Pantry over by making Feb. 3 a "souper" day!

Funeral Arrangements for Jerry Keppler

Jerry "Kep" Keppler, husband of Grace member Sandy Keppler, passed forward on Friday, January 4 after a short battle with cancer.  His funeral arrangements are as follows:

• Visitation:  Tuesday, January 8, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., Littleton Rue Funeral Home
• Service:  Wednesday, January 9, 2:00 p.m., Littleton Rue Funeral Home

Thank you for remembering Sandy and the rest of her family in your prayers during this time of grief.

Outreach Break: Springfield Christian Youth Ministries

You are encouraged to attend the Outreach Break on Sunday, January 6 at 9:15 a.m.  Our featured ministry for the first quarter of 2013 is Springfield Christian Youth Ministries (also known as SCYM).

SCYM's mission is to engage kids in their schools and neighborhoods, building relationships, influencing them for Christ and supporting them in becoming mature, responsible Christian adults.  They accomplish this through several key ministries:

• GirlPower works with middle school girls to develop a lifestyle of healthy habits
• Wise Guys meets the needs of middle school boys to facilitate a program aimed at preventing early fatherhood.
• STARS After School Programs provide safe, loving environments for kids to receive help with their homework, try creative art projects and learn about the Scriptures
• Camp Boost is a week-long Vacation Bible School style reading camp

Grace has a long history with this outreach ministry, and was in fact instrumental in starting it back in the late 1990s.  Currently two Grace members, Paul Buckles and Leslie Crew, serve on the Board of Directors.  Bill Hester and Clem Meyer are past Board members.

Outreach Breaks (formerly known as Breakfast Breaks) are a way for our congregation to become familiar with areas of outreach that are beyond our current Grace budget.  Adult Sunday School offerings through the end of March will be given to SCYM.

Funeral Arrangements for Sherry Button

Our sympathies are expressed to the family of Sherry Button who passed away early on New Year's Day.  Sherry's visitation and funeral service will be at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church on Friday, January 4.  Visitation will be from 1:00-2:00 p.m. with the service to follow at 2:00 p.m.