Gift of Grace Lutheran Fellowship

The cross of Jesus at the crossroads of Fernley.

 

Grace Notes


November/December  2009

Paul Theiss, Pastor Developer    775-575-5400

Marcie Vallejo, Newsletter Editor

gift-of-grace.org office@gift-of-grace.org, 775-575-6332



Our Mission: Reaching out and welcoming everyone to share in the good News of God’s love and grace. Our Vision: We are a fellowship committed to growing God’s family through holistic small groups and Sunday worship.




Pastor’s Letter: The Fruit of Unexpected Blessings

Enjoying a long Indian summer in Fernley, Nancy and I just picked the last of our tomatoes.  We’ll send some over to the Food Pantry and enjoy the rest as they ripen from pink to red. 

 

Remember that cold snap back in September?  Temperatures plunged to the mid-twenties, and we thought the warm weather was over.   But you can’t predict Nevada weather.

 

Neither can we predict the movements of God’s grace.  Surely, God’s will is loving, and God’s purpose is sure.  But God doesn’t always let us in on the next act of His plan!  We wonder sometimes.    God has a way of keeping us guessing.  But always for our good. 

 

In our Fellowship there’s an air of expectation as we anticipate what God will be doing next.   Our Council has set November 22 as our annual pledge Sunday (see article below).  Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming.  We’re reaching out to our community, letting people know we’re here, helping the hurting, and welcoming newcomers into God’s grace.  Exactly how that will happen, we don’t know.  That’s the adventure of living in faith. 

 

I’m enjoying the tomatoes, little gifts of God to enjoy even in November.   God’s goodness keeps on surprising us.  I look forward to sharing those surprises with you.

 

Blessings in Christ,

 

Pastor Developer Paul Theiss

 

“THANKS AND GIVING” CONSECRATION SUNDAY NOVEMBER 22

All members and friends are invited to consider in prayer their giving to our fellowship.  On Sunday, November 22 worshipers who choose will offer their pledges for coming support along with their regular offering.  After worship we’ll enjoy each other’s company at a potluck Thanksgiving feast.  While we eat the pledges will be counted, and then the total for the day will be announced!  Come and enjoy the day, and see faith in action among God’s people.

We invite everyone to reflect on their giving in the light of these three Scriptural principles:

1.  Proportionate Giving:  Setting aside a percentage of my total income as a gift to the Lord, acknowledging that God has given me everything I have.

      I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others.  For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.  And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something— now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.  For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have.    II Corinthians 8: 8-12

 

2.   First Fruits Giving:  Setting aside my planned gift first, and living on the rest.

      On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn…   I Corinthians 16: 2

3. Growth Giving:  Evaluating my giving yearly, and if I am sufficiently blessed, increasing my giving by 1% of my total income. 

     The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.  As it is written,

          ‘He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever.’

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.  – II Corinthians 9: 6-10

Small Group News

 

The Women’s Daytime Fellowship Group meet on Fridays.  Contact Alice Person at 835-0943.

 

The Joyful Noise/ Family Fellowship Group meet on Thursday evenings at 7pm.  They are welcoming new members.  Contact Nancy Satterford at 835-3104 or Marcie Vallejo at 575-6332.

 

The Men’s Fellowship group meets Thursday mornings at 7am at the Wigwam.  Contact Jim Stewart at 575-4035.

 

The Monday evening group meets on Monday at 6:30pm.  Contact Mike Patterson at 359-4675 or June Dawson at 835-8502 for further information

 



Vendor Fair Update

Thank you to everyone who made the vendor fair a huge success.  We made over $600.00.  We will donate half of the proceeds to the Food Bank and the other half to the needs of the community. 

Birthdays                                                   Anniversaries

November 14th-Matha Judson                                     November 28th-Jon and Pat Latuska

November 16th-Mike Hogan

December 3rd-Marilyn Velarde

December 6th-Kaylee Bolen

December 6th-Linda VanPelt

December 9th- Doug Jergesen

 

Worship Invitations for November-December

“God’s Future, Our Hope”, November 15.  Mark 13:1-8, 32-37; Daniel 12:1-3.

 

Consecration Sunday, Special Guest Speaker Pastor Ron Arnold of Sparks.  Pledges offered during worship.  Potluck follows: Pledge Numbers Announced.

 

“God’s Gift, Our Opportunity”, the First Sunday in Advent, November 29.  Luke 1: 3-25, Jeremiah 33: 14-16.

 

“ God’s Future, Our Hope”   the Second Sunday in Advent, December 6. Luke 1: 26-45, Malachi 3: 1-4. 

 

“God’s Future, Our Goal”, the Third Sunday in Advent, December 13. Luke 1: 46-56, Zephaniah 3: 14-20. 

 

Thanksgiving Volunteer Opportunities

1.  Living Faith Church hosts a Thanksgiving Dinner at the Community Center.  Volunteers are needed to bring cooked turkeys and/or help serve.  TJ's Pizza will be cooking turkeys.  Show up at 10 am at the Community Center.

2.  Journey Church (980-9315) and Calvary Chapel (575-2834) are both preparing Thanksgiving food boxes. 

 

Christmas Concert and Talent Show

Our 5th Annual Christmas Concert and Talent Show will be on December 12, 2009 starting at 7pm.  We are anticipating entertainment from the FHS and FIS along with our church choir, the “Joyful Noise” and the “Eclectric Electrics plus Bob (a guitar group).  For more information or about performing at the Concert and Talent Show please contact Linda VanPelt at 575-4903.

 

New Items to Wear and Use with Our Church’s Name

The best advertisements for our fellowship are our members!  This is doubly true for us since we don’t have a church building of our own.  We’ve received a special gift to buy some items with our church’s name so we can get the word out in our community.  For the last few Sundays we’ve asked worshipers what they might like to use.  Here are some of the top vote getters so far: Tee Shirts, Coffee Mugs, Hoodies, and Pens or Pencils.  We’ll order some items soon and get them out for the holidays. 

 

 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

 

 




TJ’s Pizza and

The Mucky Duck Pub

790 East Main Street

Fernley, NV 89408

(775) 575-5656


Cardin Realty Pro’s LLC

705 E. Main Street

Fernley, NV 89408

Joyce (Jo) LaChance

Broker/Sales Associates

Over 25years experience

775-575-9999 (office)

775-835-9298 (Cell)

joyce_lachance@att.net


AGELESS REPERTORY THEATRE - 2009

Lx - Laxalt Auditorium, Nelson Bldg. 401 W. Second St. Reno

SL - Sparks Library, 1125 12th St., (off 12th & Oddie Blvd)

Performances are at 1:00 pm

Free Admission

Best Laid Plans by Ted Griffin

Tues. Nov. 24 (Lx) &

Tues. Dec. 1 at (SL) (note: a Tuesday performance at Sparks Library, no Friday performance for this play)

Annoyance by Sam Bobrick

Fri. Dec. 11 (SL) & Tues. Dec. 15 (Lx)

Website: www.  webpages.charter.net/agelessrep

Donations are welcome




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