Grace Lutheran Church ~ Vero Beach, Florida

Grace Messenger

February 2019

From the Pastor

Is Your Climate Changing?

This past weekend people “up north” experienced temperatures well below zero. This is nothing unusual for them this time of year. Most of us who moved to Florida from that type of climate are very

happy we are not experiencing it. We are grateful we don’t have to worry about our cars not starting due to frigid temperatures, or driving on snow and ice packed roads. Those are reminders of how climate can influence our lives. No matter where one lives there are climate considerations.

Some people consider climate, particularly climate change, to be one of the most important issues

of our time. Recently one member of congress suggested that the world will come to an end in 12 years if we do not deal with climate issues immediately. That was not a prophecy concerning the end of the

world, but a reference to a UN report emphasizing the urgency of adopting guidelines that are friendly to the environment. This should be a concern of all people, especially Christians.

When God created Adam He told him, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.

Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the

ground” (Genesis 1:28). God gave man authority to use what He created for his benefit, but also re-

quired that he be a good steward of God’s creation. This still applies to us today. We are to use the wis-dom God has given us to take care of the earth so it can continue to produce the things that are necessary

to sustain life. The recent discussion does bring about a question as to whether climate change will bring about

the demise of the earth. The Bible makes it clear that the end of the world as we know it will not come about as a result of man-made activity. It is connected to one event; the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

No human being knows when the Lord will return (Mark 13:32). When He comes He will gather all who believe in Him as their Savior into His eternal kingdom. The Bible tells us natural disasters are signs of

the Lord’s return to remind us He is coming (Matthew 24, Luke 21).

When the Bible talks about our Lord’s return there is one message it gives us: be prepared. We

are prepared through repentance and faith. Repentance is a change of heart. God comes to us and melts our cold hearts of stone so we acknowledge that we are sinners before Him and deserve His punishment.

He comes with the comfort of the Gospel, which tells us Jesus came to fulfill God’s law for us and die on the cross to pay for our sins. God forgives our sins based on Christ’s work alone. The Holy Spirit creates

faith in our hearts so we believe in Jesus as our Savior. This faith assures us that when our Lord returns He will welcome us into His kingdom.

Climate change may have in impact on the number of natural disasters around the world, and their severity. We should make rational efforts to mitigate these disasters, but it is much more important

for our eternal security to read the signs of the times and prepare to meet Jesus by trusting in Him alone for salvation.

A Light that Guides to Heaven

The Oak Island lighthouse is the bright-

est lighthouse in the United States. Its

beam is rated at 14 million candlepow-

er. It can be seen for over 20 miles out

to sea. Sailors moving up and down the

coast by that lighthouse are warned of

danger, but they’re also shown some-

thing else.

Each lighthouse has a unique signal. The light stays on for a certain amount

of time and then goes off for a certain

amount of time so that sailors can know exactly what lighthouse they can see and

therefore where they are. We all need to

know where we are if we want to com-plete our journey safely.

Jesus is a bright light that has come into the world so that we can be warned of

danger and know exactly where we are.

In the Book of Isaiah, it says: The people

walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. –Isaiah 9:2

Jesus came into this world to be a great light for you. He warns of your danger

in this dark and sinful world through His

law. He guides you away from the rocks of sin and their resulting death. He

leads you safely to heaven with the good

news that He is the Saviour. By dying on the cross, He paid for your sins. By His

resurrection from the dead, the doors of

heaven were thrown open and sinners like you and me can safely enter into the

harbor of God’s presence.

It doesn’t matter where you are right

now. It doesn’t matter how great a mess

you have made of your life. It doesn’t matter what the storms of life may be

throwing at you. What matters is Jesus.

Follow His light and He will lead you safely home to heaven.

Join us this Sunday as we gather around

the light of God’s Word and learn of all

that Jesus has done so that we can make

it home to heaven.

Grace Lutheran Church

Voter’s Assembly Meeting January 13, 2019

The meeting was called to order at 10:41 by John Scott. Pastor Luttman opened with prayer. Attendance was 10 members.

Minutes of the September 9th meeting were read by Kim Dabe. Correction to the minutes was to change Andy Sobczak name in the minutes to Andy Pike. Finance report: presented by Pastor.

P&L for 2018 was presented by Pastor. Printed copies were distributed. Overall, revenue was in the red $1,514 over expenses for the year. Pretty good outcome.

Preschool budget report was also distributed. Once again we are in the red, however, Pastor pointed out that the preschool revenue is cyclic in that later in the year we catch up.

A motion to approve report, seconded, motion passed. Elders Report: presented by Pastor.

Pastor discussed briefly the average Sunday attendance which was distributed in a graphic chart. Attendance is down 25% since 2009.

On February 1st there will be a concert right here at Grace with a dinner to precede. Musician will be Chris Dreisbach.

March 6th will be Ash Wednesday. A motion to approve report, seconded and motion passed.

Pastors Report: Pastor informed voters that the Principal Adam Pavelchik in Kissimmee has accepted a call. Pastor Andrew Burmeister Lakeland has received a call. The List of ushers, Pastors assistants and finance staff for 2019 was included in voter’s assembly packet. A motion to approve report, seconded and motion passed.

Old Business: Church project list was distributed.

Apparently there continues to be confusion with FPL concerning the number of lights in parking area so the issue is back to FPL engineering for review.

The continuing saga of the roof was discussed…..once again the 2 year threshold for major work remains. It was suggested that a special fund raising effort be established with a potential 5 year program which would raise the approximate $125,000. A committee to identify the project was establisihed with Kim Dabe, Andy Sobczak and John Yencho. In addition, we will request members from the Lady’s Guild to participate in this committee.

Mention was made of the $3000 already approved for roof repairs. Tree removal project completed.

New Business: Selection of Board Officers for 2019. At the last meeting John Scott requested that current members let him

know if they do not wish to renew positions. All were silent so the slate of officers was included in the vot-er’s packets. Andy Pike was added as the Assistant Secretary. A motion to accept was seconded and passed.

The 2019 budget was briefly discussed. A motion to accept budget was seconded and passed. A discussion occurred concerning the role of the trustees when it comes to approving certain expenses and pro-

jects. This discussion was expanded to include the number of trustees and elders which are problematic based on the number of voters willing to participate in these functions. Eventually John Yencho suggested that these two groups be combined. This issue will be discussed further at the next voters meeting.

Spring cleaning date needed to be set. John Scott ll in attendance and elegible to be a member of Voter’s Assembly. A motion was made and seconded

to accept John Scott ll, motion passed. Andy Pike discussed investing some funds In checking and or money market to get a better return. A motion

was made and seconded to do so, motion passed. A motion to adjourn was seconded and passed at 11:35.

Pastor closed with prayer as well as the Lords Prayer. Respectfully submitted by Kim Dabe

Spring Mission Rally March 9, 2019 Theme: Let There Be Light @ New Life Lutheran Church Sebring, FL Everyone is invited to attend this informative and inspiring day! The guest speakers are Pastor Thomas Heyn, Foreign Missions, Adam Pavelchik, Kissimmee School prin-cipal & Pastor Chris Dale, PSL School. The registration fee is $5 per person which includes lunch. Carpools make the day even better! Sign-up sheets will be available in the narthex.

Minutes of the Grace Women’s Circle Meeting on January 13, 2019

The meeting was called to order with prayer by President, Ann Holmes. Jill Dabe’s devotion “Pray With Confidence” reminds us that we are God’s beloved children and He wants us to pray believing in the importance of our requests and not to doubt. The minutes for the November meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer's re-port showed a balance on hand of $110.06 after disbursement of the Seminary student gifts and contributions to Bethany Seminary and Faith Mission Society. The report was filed for audit. Committee Reports: Correspondence: Joleen read thank you letters from President Schmeling for our contr ibutions to Bethany Seminary and from several of our shut-ins for the Christmas remembrances from our Circle. Preschool: Noelle repor ted that the preschool children’s Christmas Pageant and Christmas Cookie Bake Sale went well and brought in $800.00. Twelve to thirteen children attended the 6-day camp over Christmas break. Registration for next year’s classes will begin in February for members and March for the public. The annual St. Jude trik-a-thon bike ride will be on February 1st. Pastor: Chr is Driesbach will perform a Chr istian concer t at our Church on February 1st at 6:30. A supper will be served at 5:30 for those attending the concert. Sign-ups will be available for members and for pre-school parents. The men approved a work day at the Church for Saturday, March 2, 2019. Ash Wednesday is March 6th this year. Easter is on April 21st with morning services at 7:00 and 9:30 a.m. Old Business: Ann thanked those who helped decorate and de-decorate the Church for Christmas, Pam for the Children’s Program and Sharon for the poinsettias. Nancy Dixon said that 500 pounds of food was collected and delivered to the local Food Pantry. A thank you letter was received from Seniors for Santa for the items donat-ed. New Business: Following discussion for the purchase of an ar tificial pre-lit tree for the sanctuary, sever-al ladies agreed to check into prices and quality of trees available. Also discussed was replacing the narthex bulletin board with the cross stitch Christmas Panel. An offering plate or box will be set out to collect for the education of female orphans in India, a project in which we are partnering with our other South Florida ELS Churches. A vote was taken and unanimously passed to give to the India project a $40.00 donation received by the Circle. The ELSWMS Spring Rally will be on March 9th in Sebring. Our ladies are on for registration. The business meeting was closed with prayer by Jill Dabe. Jill and Sharon Pike were the hostesses for a pot luck luncheon following the meeting. Respectfully submitted,

Dolly M. Thompson Recording Secretary

Elder’s Meeting Tuesday. February 5, 2019

at 6:30 p.m.

Voter’s Assembly will meet

on Sunday, February 10, 2019

At 10:45 a.m.

Grace Circle Meeting Please join us on Sunday, February 10th at 10:45 a.m. for our next meeting. We will be planning for the Spring Rally in Sebring & the Easter Breakfast. Sunday school will be held for the children.

Vocal and Bell Choir

Thursday, February 7th, &

21st.

Vocal 6:30 and Bells 7:30

p.m.

You are invited to a free

Christian concert featuring

Chris Driesbach at Grace

Lutheran on

Friday, Feb. 1 at 6:30pm. A

light supper will be served before the

concert at 5:30. A free will offering will

be taken at the concert. Check out more

info on Chris and sample his music at

www.chrisdriesbach.com.

Bible Study Schedule for the

month of February

Sunday, February 3rd,

17th, and 24th at

10:45 a.m.

Wednesday evening,

February 6th, and 13th

at 6:30 p.m.

India Student Scholarship Fund:

There is a collection box in the narthex to

support young girls who age out of our

Synod supported India orphanage at age

16. Just $650 will provide room, board &

one year of schooling so these girls can be-

come certified in nursing or teaching. This

will keep them off of the streets and able

to support themselves. Please help if you

are moved to do so! Contributions will be

accepted throughout February.

Gracie’s Preschool January was a fun month at Gracie’s Preschool! We had a snow day with our new

snow machine and made real snow balls! We had the 100th day of preschool, and held our annual St. Jude’s Trike-a-thon!

There are many events happening at Gracie’s Preschool in February!

First off, early registration for next school year (2019-2020) will be held from February 1-28 for all current-

ly or previously enrolled Gracie’s Preschool families. Registration forms will be available in the class-

rooms. Next year’s VPK students can get their certificates by going to the website floridaearlylearn-ing.com, and following the tabs for VPK. Registration opens to the public on Wednesday, March 1st at

7:30 AM. Our VPK classes usually fill up quickly, so get your enrollment in soon! J

Next, on Valentine’s Day (February 14th) we will start off by celebrating our dads with Donuts with Dad!

Dads and/or grandpas are encouraged to bring their child to school, visit their classroom and then stay for some breakfast refreshments. The children are working on a special gift for their dads to give them that

morning. Later that morning, the classrooms will each have their own Valentine’s Day parties! Please

have your child bring in 1 signed valentine for each of their classmates. The children will have decorated

special bags and pass out the valentines to their friends.

Our next Parents’ Night Out will be held on Friday, February 15th from 5:30-9:30 PM! Sign-up sheets

will be posted in each classroom soon! (Please note that when Parents’ Night Out is on a Saturday, the hours are 5

-9 PM, and when it is on a Friday evening, the hours are moved to 5:30-9:30 PM since the preschool closes at 5:30 PM.)

On Monday, February 18th, there will be NO SCHOOL for President’s Day. However, we will be offering

a camp that day for anyone who needs it! Sign-ups will be posted soon.

Finally on Friday, February 22nd @ 5:30 PM, we will be having our Italian Night & Silent Auction! We

need lots of volunteers and hungry tummies for this event! There will be a smorgasbord of Italian entrees, salads, garlic bread & dessert on which to feast! In addition to the scrumptious food, there will also be a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle. If you have a product or service to donate to our auction, your contribu-

tion would be greatly appreciated! As in the past, this dinner will be a “freewill offering”. This means an offering box is placed near the food table for your donation towards this fundraiser. We encourage you to

donate an amount equal to what you would pay for an equivalent restaurant meal. Feel free to be gener-ous!

The curriculum for the VPK students this month is What Happens When and Digging in the Dirt where the

children will explore what the ground is made of, jobs that you perform using dirt, and how people and an-

imals use dirt. They also will be focusing on the letters U, V, W, and X. The 2’s and 3’s themes for February are In the Mail and I Am Healthy. They will focus on the letters P, Q,

and R, the numbers 13 and 14, the color pink and the heart shape.

Our Word of God lessons this month will include several of Jesus’ miracles including Jesus calming a storm,

feeding more than 5,000 people, bringing a young girl back to life, and healing the 10 lepers!

Dates to Remember: February 1—Re-Enrollment for Gracie’s families

February 14—Donuts with Dad/Valentine’s Day Parties

February 15—Parents’ Night Out (5:30-9:30 PM)

February 18—NO SCHOOL (President’s Day/1-Day Camp)

February 22—Italian Night & Silent Auction @ 5:30 p.m.

March 1—Registration open to the public

March 18-22—Spring Break

Calendar of Events for February: 1st - Chris Driesbach concert at 6:30 p.m and dinner at 5:30 p.m. 3rd, 17th, & 24th - Bible Study and Sunday School 10:45 a.m. 5th - Elder’s Meeting 6th, & 13th - Wednesday Evening Bible Study 6:30 p.m. 7th, & 21st - Vocal 6:30 p.m. and Bells 7:30 p.m. 10th - Voter’s Assembly and Grace Circle at 10:45 a.m.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Chris

Driesbach con-

cert 6:30 p,m,

2 Groundhog Day

3

Sunday Worship

9:30 a.m. Bible

Study 10:45

4

5 Elder’s

Meeting 6:30

p.m.

6 Bible Study

6:30 p.m.

7 Vocal 6:30 p.m.

Bells 7:30 p.m.

8 9

10 Sunday Worship

9:30 a.m. Voter’s

Assembly and

Grace Circle

10:45 a.m.

11 12 Lincoln’s

Birthday

13 Bible Study

6:30 p.m.

14 Happy

Valentine’s Day

15 16

17 Sunday Worship

9:30 a.m. Bible

Study 10:45

18 Presidents

Day

19 20 21 Vocal 6:30 p.m.

Bells 7:30 p.m.

22 Washington’s

Birthday

23

24 Sunday Worship

9:30 a.m. Bible

Study 10:45

25

26 27 28

February 2019

Chairman - John Scott

Vice Chairman - Andy Sobczak

Secretary - Kim Dabe

Asst. Secretary - Andy Pike

Treasurer - Corey Lindstadt

Asst. Treasurer - Camron Futch

Elder’s

Camron Futch

Andy Pike John Scott Andy Sobczak

Don Weston

Trustee’s

Dale Bartuccio

Jim Davis Darrell Kellor John Yencho

1150 41st Avenue Vero Beach, Fl. 32960

772-562-2904

Don’t forget to visit us on our web-site: www.gracevb.org and or Facebook

email: gracelutheranvb@bellsouth.net

February Birthdays 7 Dashel Weston

8 Kristi Holmes

11 Matthew Berggren

11 Walt Hayden

12 Casey Futch

23 Roylynn Scott

26 Judith Hill

28 Abigail Kellor

Serving Grace in February Ushers: Hugh Langford and Corey Lindstadt Pastor Asst: Camron Futch Finance: Camron Futch Acolyte: Will Davis Altar: Linda Ball Bulletin Board: Maryann Scott Greeters: Bob & Sandy Yencho

February Anniversaries 14 Duane & Linda Ball

14 Todd & Heidi Thompson

February 2019