Peace Lutheran Church Logo

Grace and Peace be with you all in the name of our Lord Jesus, Six months ago we never imagined we would still be in the midst of the battle of our lives.  This pandemic continues to destroy lives.  By the end of today over 20 million people around the world will have been infected (5 million in the USA) and over 750,000 lives will have been lost (nearly 165,000 in the USA).  Here in Maricopa County we have seen 125,000 confirmed cases and nearly 2500 deaths.  Yet thanks to the near universal adoption of wearing masks and maintaining social distance we are beginning to see a reduction of cases and hospitalizations.  This is good! It is for this reason that we continue to worship as a church online for the time being.  A church worship service, even when practicing all the CDC guidelines for gatherings of large groups (social distance, sanitizer stations, temperature checks, no singing or loud talking), is still consider to be at high risk for becoming a 'super-spreader' of this virus.  At Peace we wish to be a part of the solution.  At Peace we take your well-being seriously and would not willingly put your health at risk.  When we evaluate the risk vs the benefit (rememberer in-person worship would involve social distancing, masks, and no singing) we believe that our worship online is the far better choice for now. Not only is our online worship a better choice for now, but it just may be God's way of getting the church out of the building.  It just may be God's way of empowering each of us to embrace the baptismal promise of the Spirit's work in us.  It just may be God's way of truly getting the means of grace into the hands of the people.  Might this be a time of REFORMATION for the church? Yes we need each other to build one another up, to provide for mutual encouragement as well as correction.  We need teachers that might help us grow in knowledge as well as faith.  Yet each of us, individually, empowered by the Holy Spirit, can serve as an instrument of God's grace in the world.  So I encourage you to stay connected, to participate in our weekly worship and Pause for Prayer and to seek out some of the small groups that utilize Zoom. Together we strengthen each other so that we might indeed trust in God's work through us at our work, in our neighborhoods, and in our homes.  St Francis is attributed as saying, 'Preach Christ in all things, and use words if necessary.' UPCOMING: Dwight's Concert is LIVE on Facebook (Heart of Peace) at 6:00 pm SATURDAY.  Join us for the JOY OF THE LORD! Worship will be uploaded onto Facebook and YouTube (Pieces of Peace) tonight around 6:00 pm. Children and Youth Ministry.... follow on Facebook and Instagram (Kids of Peace, PeaceYmin). FOOD DRIVE ON MONDAY!!!!  Check out our webpage (peaceaz.org) for a list of items to bring.  You can drop off throughout the day but there will be curbside pick-up from 4-5 pm. Peace Preschool is looking for assistance with school supplies.  Check out their list at peaceaz.org. and help them out! Pause for Prayer every week night on FB.  Bible Studies, Centering Prayer, Men's and Women's Groups on Zoom.  Make sure your information on CCB is correct.  Our transition team will be sending out a survey in September and we want your input.  We need to have up to date information on you for that to happen.  Contact the office. Allow me simply to express thanks and gratitude to the staff and volunteers who are really stretching their imaginations as we continue through this pandemic.  We are truly blessed by all of them! Finally, THANK YOU for all who continue to contribute to this mission and ministry.  While we cannot meet in person, we nonetheless have considerable expenses as we work to fulfill our mission.  Summer is always a hard season for the church finances, and especially hard under these conditions.   You can go to our webpage to make a donation or send one in by postal service.  We are grateful to share in God's work with you.  As I close, I am reminded of the Apostle Paul's words to the Church in Philippi: Peace, Pal

(Please click on highlighted text below for Pastor's letter)   Peace Lutheran Church-Going Forward!   Pastor Al (pastoral@peaceaz.org) Lesley (lesley@peaceaz.org) Macon (macon@peaceaz.org) Michelle (michelle@peaceaz.org) Wendy (wendy@peaceaz.org) Shannon (shannon@peaceaz.org) Randy (randy@peaceaz.org) Debi (deborah@peaceaz.org) Michael (michael@peaceaz.org) Dwight (talatargent@gmail.com) Matt (matt@peaceaz.org)

 

Email scammers are preying on Americans now, more than any other time in recent years.  Protect yourself!

As Pastor Al has explained to the people of Peace, neither he nor anyone else associated with the church, will ever ask you for money by email. NEVER.

The YouTube video above explains all about Phishing and how NOT to become a victim. Just click on the Phishing graphic and the video will start.  Because it is You Tube...there are a few advertisements to skip...but the video is worth it.  Please feel free to contact the office if you have any further questions.

Blessings! 

 

 

Greetings from Peace Youth Ministry,

We pray you are all healthy! We want to thank you for your prayers and support of our ministry. This month in youth ministry we are discovering bible stories through Adventures in Odyssey Bible eyewitness stories. Also August blessing bags will be going out shortly with devotions, crafts, communion and other tools to practice faith in your home.

We ask that you pray for our youth as some started back to "online" school today and others will start on Wednesday. All of our youth will be online until after labor day maybe even longer depending on the Governors decision. Please pray that the best decision is made for the safety of our youth. We also request that you pray for the youth to stay focused and not get discouraged as we learn what this online school environment looks like and adapt our schedules accordingly. The youth feel much anxiety going into this school year as I'm sure the teachers do as well.

We are still keeping in touch with our pen pals and its great to hear about the relationships that have been built through this ministry. It makes my heart happy when the youth share how excited they are to meet their pen pal in person one day or even when they ask me for another name to write too because they are enjoying it so much. A big thank you to card makers who support this ministry.

I would like to end with by congratulating Kaidence, who is our highlighted youth this month!

As always prayers, donations and ideas are appreciated. Thank you for your support!

Peace and blessings,

Michelle

 

Women of Peace Re-Treat - a virtual place and time to

re-"treat" ourselves to God's love and spiritual/emotional/intellectual growth as we connect

with our sisters in Christ.--Kay Cassel

 

All women are welcome to join in our discussions.  Please watch the TED Talk prior to our meeting on Thursday.

 

Women of Peace Re-Treat - a virtual place and time to re-"treat" ourselves to God's love and spiritual/emotional/intellectual growth as we connect with our sisters in Christ.--Kay Cassel

All women are welcome to join in our discussions.  Please watch the TED Talk prior to our meeting on Thursday.

Women of Peace Re-"Treat" Thursday August 6th at 1 pm  a virtual place and time to re-”treat” ourselves to God’s love and spiritual/emotional/intellectual growth as we connect with our sisters in Christ.--Kay Cassel

All women are welcome to join in our discussions.  Please watch the TED talk prior to our meeting.

8/6/2020 - Discussion Leader:  Sue Behrens

Celeste Headlee -  “10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation” (Run Time:  11:44)

When your job hinges on how well you talk to people, you learn a lot about how to have conversations -- and that most of us don't converse very well. Celeste Headlee has worked as a radio host for decades, and she knows the ingredients of a great conversation: Honesty, brevity, clarity and a healthy amount of listening. In this insightful talk, she shares 10 useful rules for having better conversations. "Go out, talk to people, listen to people," she says. "And, most importantly, be prepared to be amazed."

https://www.ted.com/talks/celeste_headlee_10_ways_to_have_a_better_conversation?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Join Zoom Meeting:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82518973468?pwd=RjQ1OEZ5SjF6MnEva3JmQlluV0VlQT09

Meeting ID: 825 1897 3468 Passcode: 088653

Next week:

 8/13/2020 -  Discussion Leader:  Debbie Bare

Teresa Bejan·TED Salon: Brightline Initiative - “Is civility a sham?” (Run Time:  13:53)

What exactly is civility, and what does it require? In a talk packed with historical insights, political theorist Teresa Bejan explains how civility has been used as both the foundation of tolerant societies and as a way for political partisans to silence and dismiss opposing views. Bejan suggests that we should instead try for "mere civility": the virtue of being able to disagree fundamentally with others without destroying the possibility of a common life tomorrow. (This talk contains mature language.)

https://www.ted.com/talks/teresa_bejan_is_civility_a_sham?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Steven Petrie:  “3 ways to practice civility” (Run Time:  14:26)

 What does it mean to be civil?  Journalist Steven Petrow looks for answers in the original meaning of the word, showing why civility shouldn’t be dismissed as conversation-stifling political correctness or censorship.  Learn three ways we can each work to be more civil—and start talking about our differences with respect.

https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_petrow_3_ways_to_practice_civility?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Looking for Discussion leaders starting in September.  If you’ve got a TED Talk or topic you wish to discuss, now is the time!  Please email me the date(s) you want and your topic(s) and we will get it scheduled.

Questions?  Contact the church office.

Shalom,

Barb Peterson

 

 

 

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Peace Lutheran Church Sunday and Musical Video Services...

Can't make it to church to worship with us on Sunday?

Now you won't miss a thing! 

Simply click on the date below, for whichever service you want to view and instantly you will be viewing our most recent Sunday service or musical offering!  It's that easy. 

Please feel free to contact us at 623-972-6785 with any questions or suggestions.  

YouTube: Pieces of Peace

Password is 1826589

AZPeaceOnEarth@gmail.com

 

August 9, Tenth Sunday of Pentecost -Video

August 9, Tenth Sunday of Pentecost - Order of Worship

August 2, Ninth Sunday of Pentecost -Video

August 2, Ninth Sunday of Pentecost - Order of Worship

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July 26, Eight Sunday of Pentecost -Video

July 26, Eight Sunday of Pentecost - Order of Worship

July 19, Seventh Sunday of Pentecost -Video

July 19, Seventh Sunday of Pentecost - Order of Worship

July 12, Sixth Sunday of Pentecost -Video

July 12, Sixth Sunday of Pentecost - Order of Worship

July 5, Fifth Sunday of Pentecost -Video

July 5, Fifth Sunday of Pentecost - Order of Worship

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June 28, Fourth Sunday of Pentecost -Video

June 28, Fourth Sunday of Pentecost - Order of Worship

June 21, Third Sunday of Pentecost -Video

June 21, Third Sunday of Pentecost - Order of Worship

June 14, Second Sunday of Pentecost -Video

June 14, Second Sunday of Pentecost - Order of Worship

June 7, Trinity Sunday -Video

June 7, Trinity Sunday - Order of Worship

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May 31, Pentecost Sunday-Video

May 31, Pentecost Sunday-Order of Worship

May 24, Sixth Sunday in Easter-Video

May 24, Sixth Sunday in Easter-Order of Worship

May 17, Sixth Sunday in Easter-Video

May 17, Sixth Sunday in Easter-Order of Worship

May 10, Fifth Sunday in Easter-Video

May 3, Fourth Sunday in Easter-Video

May 3, Fourth Sunday in Easter-Order of Worship

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April 26, 2020 Third Sunday in Easter

April 19, 2020 Second Sunday in Easter

April 12, 2020-Easter Sunday

April 10, 2020-Good Friday

April 9, 2020-Maundy Thursday

April 5, 2020-Palm Sunday

March 28/29, 2020

March 21/22, 2020

Musical Offerings

Dwight Brewer ~ Inspirational Interlude Easter April 12, 2020

Dwight Brewer ~ Inspirational Interlude April 1, 2020

Dwight Brewer ~ Inspirational Interlude March 26, 2020

Michael English ~ Just Worshipping!  March 26, 2020

Midweek Lenten Services

April 1, 2020

March 25, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

PB&J August

 

 

 

Thank you all so much, for making PB&J sandwiches or donating water, snacks, or money to June and July’s Summer Respite effort!  

Grace Lutheran Church was overwhelmed by the fellowship and sense of community shown by all the volunteers.  Please let us know if you can help in August with PB&J sandwiches, water, and snacks, to be delivered to church by Monday, August 24th by 9:30 AM. If you want to bring your donations before August 24th, you may put them in the freezer located in the kitchen of Fellowship Hall.  Give us a call, so we know you are coming, and Randy will have the door unlocked.  This PB&J Donation Drive is the last of the Summer...let's make it HUGE!

Many blessings!            

Deborah Mitchell, PB&J Queen               

deborahkmitchel@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

Please click the ELCA's Anti-Racism Pledge above, to add your voice!

 

 
 

Free Centering Prayer Program - Zoom Video Conference

August 8, 2020 @ 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Free and open to all

(suggested donation of $20 USD)

 

Discover a way to:

 Be still and know that I am God

– Psalm 46:10

Centering Prayer is a method of consenting to God’s presence and action within. It prepares us to receive God’s gift of contemplative prayer, which is an opening of our hearts and minds to God beyond thoughts, words, and emotions. This prayer practice, rooted in the Christian contemplative heritage, helps us embrace the process of transformation in Christ.

The Centering Prayer Introductory Program is designed to share the method of Centering Prayer and offer support in making it a part of daily life. It has two components.

Our next program will be held on August 8th. from 11-12:30pm Pacific Time/2-3:30pm Eastern Time.

Lindsay Boyer, graciously provided the information to the Phoenix Contemplative Outreach team to share. She has her own website, information about herself and the program you can access in the link below. The link in the original email.   To register, contact mail@lindsayboyer.com and let her know you are interested in the Centering Prayer refresher.  Future events are also available at www.lindsayboyer.com/events.

Note, Lindsay has a Lectio Divina class too for a fee - don't forget the June e-bulletin has the link to the Contemplative Outreach sessions on August 7th & 8th (deadline to sign-up is 8/1) for a donation amount when you sign up.  check out - https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/event/lectio-divina-immersion-zoom-retreat/

Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions on Centering Prayer and our weekly meetings. 

All sessions include Centering Prayer, video, discussion, and Q & A to deepen the understanding of Centering Prayer and provide support in establishing a regular Centering Prayer practice.

Registration is limited to 80.

Hosted by Contemplative Outreach and the Centering Prayer Introductory Program Service Team.

Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions on Centering Prayer and our weekly meetings. 

Be Still My Friends,

Lisa

Questions? Please contact the church office

 

 

Please clink on the link below to sign up at the Contemplative Outreach website

    https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/event/centering-prayer-introductory-program-zoom-video-conference/

 

 

When will it end?  The heat, . . . masks, . . . staying home, . . . . no visitors at care centers and hospitals, . . . waiting for test results, . . . uncertainty about schools, . . . . uncertainty about jobs, . . .  ZOOM instead of face-to-face meetings, . . . . news reports that sound the same today as yesterday’s, . . . . and on and on and on.  Who could have ever predicted the unsettling things we’re living through?  Yes, we want it all to end NOW, but so much is out of our hands.  The one thing that’s clear through all of this is that we must lean on God, give it to God, and find hope in God.  The days are easier when we do that.

Now, on with some church news:

•             Another Church Council meeting was brought to us by ZOOM on July 21st. 

•             Everyone wonders about finances these days.  Thanks to the federal loan (forgiveable), we made it thus far, but now that money is basically used up.  We’re back to depending on regular donations.  So this is my personal plea for you to do what you can so staff can be paid and the doors remain open at Peace.  (Well . . . maybe not “open” as we used to know it but you get my gist.)

•             We do have a substantial Endowment Fund and are soliciting creative ways to put some of it to good use.  Our by-laws state that this fund is meant “to enhance the missional outreach of Peace”.  In other words, it is not for general operation expenses, but projects beyond our walls and that ideally call for new and creative ways of sharing God’s love.  If you have ideas, let me know.

•             Staff job descriptions are being looked at by our Human Resources team.  Some are being revised.  It’s all part of staying on top of things and ensuring that ministry can be carried out in the best ways possible.

•             While some groups would like to begin meeting on the campus, this was discussed at our meeting, and the majority felt that we must still wait for safer times.  This is a controversial subject, but the vote was to remain closed.  Many groups can use ZOOM for on-screen gatherings, and the office can always help you get that set up. 

•             Week-end worship services via Facebook, etc. keep getting better each week.  Words to songs are streamed for easier sing-along's, announcements are posted before and after the services just like you’d see in the sanctuary at worship times, and cameras and sound  are improving all the time.  A huge thank-you to Matt McNutt for his expertise with all this, as well as to Debi and Robin in the office. 

•             A town hall meeting will take place on Tuesday, August 4th.  Pastor Al will update everyone on all things happening at Peace.  And a major highlight will be Kathy Anderson presenting an update on the activities of the Pastoral Transition Team.  They’ve had several meetings, are busy moving forward, and you won’t want to miss what she has to say.  Watch for an email to direct you on how to access that meeting Tuesday evening.

•             Along those lines, the Pastoral Transition Team is putting together a survey and will be soliciting responses from ALL of you sometime in September.  This survey is very important as Peace moves forward in a significant time of change, so when you see the survey, please plan to respond.

•             Stay connected!  Be part of the Monday morning Bible study, the women’s retreat discussion on Thursday afternoons, or pub nights for men on the first Thursdays of each month.  And if you have kids they can be part of Sunday School and youth activities.  All these brought to you by ZOOM, Facebook, or more technology that I’m probably aware.  Call the church office for help.  623-972-6785. We don’t want to lose you!!

That’s all for now.  Wear those masks, maintain social distancing, and pray for a vaccine and an end to COVID.

May you have peace in your homes and in our world,

Kathy Neary, Council President