2022 Annual Meeting Reports

2022 Annual Meeting Booklet

Pastor and Ministry Board Reports

Our mission at Grace is to teach the inspired and inerrant Word of God, to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the crucied and risen Savior of the world and to nurture believers for lives of Christian service.

A Guide to the Annual Mee ng

at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

December 11, 2022

This Informa on Packet

Thank you for reading this packet of informa on! We are publishing it especially because it helps prepare for the upcoming Annual Mee ng of our congrega on, but it is also useful for anyone who wishes to stay informed about the ac vi es of our church and the plans that are being made. We certainly hope that the voters of the congrega on will read through the informa on and help us make informed decisions at the mee ng.

Annual Mee ng

In 2020, our congrega on began opera ng under our new Cons tu on and Bylaws. These governing documents call for one Annual Mee ng of the congrega on during the last three months of the year. Our Annual Mee ng has been scheduled for Sunday, December 11, at Grace Vail. Lunch will be provided beginning at 11:30 AM, and the mee ng will start as close to noon as possible. Vo ng members of the congrega on are men who have been confirmed and are eighteen years old and older. This guide to the mee ng should be helpful even to first- me voters, but you are also welcome to ask ques ons of the pastors or members of the Ministry Board about the conduct of mee ngs.

Ques ons or Comments

Anyone with ques ons or comments about these reports or the ministry of our congrega on, whether a vo ng member or not, is encouraged to speak to one of the pastors or Ministry Board members prior to the Annual Mee ng. Some ques ons and comments may be heard at the mee ng, but asking in advance helps everyone be even more prepared for the mee ng itself and may streamline the process.

The Agenda

The Annual Mee ng Agenda describes the order of the Annual Mee ng. It is available on page ? of this packet. The President of the congrega on will preside over the mee ng. The parts of the agenda will be briefly explained here for your convenience.

1. Opening Devo on

One of the pastors will lead us in a devo on. We focus our thoughts on God’s Word and pray for his guidance and blessing as we make decisions concerning the congrega on. As with all ac vi es of the congrega on, our ul mate goal is to grow in faith by God’s grace and to reach out to others with the good news of the Savior.

2. Pastors’ Reports

Pastor Koehler, Pastor Kassulke, Pastor Heiman, Pastor Patoka, and Pastor Scheuerlein will in turn present their reports to those in a endance at the mee ng. Their reports are included in this packet, though some addi onal informa on may be included at the mee ng that was not available at the me that this packet was published. The pastors will strive to keep the presenta ons of the reports brief to reduce the length of the mee ng. You are strongly encouraged to read through them in advance. Following each report will be an opportunity to ask ques ons about the report. Each pastor will report specifically on the areas of ministry for which he is directly responsible.

3. Ministry Board Commi ee Reports

Each of the Ministry Board members in turn will present their reports concerning the specific areas they oversee. You may find out more specific informa on regarding the Ministry Board posi ons from their Posi on Descrip ons. Many of the Ministry Board members have included a wri en report in this packet.

Ques ons may be asked of the Ministry Board members in the mee ng following their reports, or at any me outside of the mee ng.

Jeff Kosanke will present a report as Chairman of the Perpetual Memorial (PM) Fund Commi ee. The PM Fund is made up of bequests and dona ons, and only the earnings on these funds are used to fund ministry efforts at Grace as the voters direct.

Steve Hiles, CLC Board Chairman, will also present a report.

4. Unfinished Business

This agenda item allows the Voters an opportunity to con nue considering business from a previous mee ng. There are currently no unfinished items of business.

5. New Business

Here is where the Voters will consider and vote on items of business that have not been dealt with in previous mee ngs. Several items are listed on the agenda, and addi onal items may be added as necessary.

Calling of Teachers for the Child Learning Center

Both Mrs. Jennifer Rannow and Mrs. Alison Moeri have declined the divine calls extended to them through Grace Lutheran Church to serve as lead teachers in our Child Learning Center. In addi on to these two vacancies, Mrs. Taylor Guenther is resigning her call effec ve December 31. In keeping with the Child Learning Center Board’s recommenda on, the voters will be asked to extend three divine calls for lead teachers at our CLC. A list will be provided from our synod’s Commission on Lutheran Schools.

Planning for Second Mission Pastor to Sahuarita

At the Voters’ Mee ng on Sunday, October 23, there was a panel discussion regarding the possibility of calling an addi onal pastor to our Sahuarita site with support from WELS Home Missions. Some details about this discussion may be found on pages 5 7 of this packet. The Ministry Board has forwarded a mo on to the voters to approve con nuing the work of preparing a proposal and funding request. Such a request would be finalized with the AZ CA District Mission Board before being sent to WELS Home Missions for a decision.

2023 Ministry Spending Plan

The Ministry Board has proposed a Ministry Spending Plan (MSP) for the upcoming calendar year. That plan may be found on pages 29 31 of this packet. This plan supports the work that we intend to carry out as a congrega on and an cipates congrega onal offerings to assist in accomplishing that work. As the MSP is discussed in the mee ng, mo ons to amend the recommenda on may be considered as the vo ng members determine.

2023 Ministry Board Elec on

An important feature of the Annual Mee ng is the elec on of leadership posi ons for the following calendar year. This includes the members of the Ministry Board and the Chairman of the Child Learning Center (CLC) Board. As specified in the bylaws, a Nomina ng Commi ee met and nominated men to serve in each of these posi ons. Those men were asked to have their names on the ballot for elec ons at this mee ng. 24 members were nominated for the 9 posi ons on the Ministry Board and the CLC Chairman. 11 agreed to stand for elec on.

Rules of Order

To allow for the mee ng to be conducted in an orderly and produc ve manner, rules of order are followed. The Voters’ Mee ngs are conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order except in areas where the Church Cons tu on calls for changes to those rules. While voters are welcome to study Roberts’ Rules of Order for themselves, a brief descrip on of these rules will probably be sufficient for par cipa ng in the mee ng.

Recognized Speakers

All speakers should be recognized by the President in order to speak during the mee ng. This prevents mul ple speakers struggling to make their points at the same me. All members in a endance at the mee ng are asked to give their full a en on to the recognized speaker and not to carry on addi onal conversa ons which may distract others. All speakers are asked to be polite and respec ul. Even strong opinions may be shared in a polite and respec ul (Christ like) way. Simply raise your hand to indicate to the President that you would like to be recognized.

Mo ons

All business that comes before the voters comes in the form of a mo on. A mo on is a carefully worded statement of the decision that the voters are being asked to approve. Mo ons from the Ministry Board come directly to the voters. Any other mo ons must be brought forward by a voter and supported (“seconded”) by an addi onal voter before the en re body considers the mo on. To indicate your support of a proposed mo on, you may say “second.”

Discussion

When a mo on is “on the floor,” or under considera on, the voters are encouraged to discuss it in order to reach an informed decision. Such discussion may include speaking in favor of or against the mo on with the intent of swaying others to your opinion. All discussion should be limited to recognized speakers.

Amendments

While ideas for changes to a mo on may be men oned during the discussion, no changes are officially considered un l an addi onal mo on is made. This mo on would be to amend the original mo on. Any recognized voter may make a mo on to amend, and this mo on also requires the support (“second”) of an addi onal voter. When an amendment is on the floor, only the amendment is discussed. If an amendment is voted on and approved, the revised mo on remains under considera on. If an amendment is voted on and not approved, discussion con nues on the original mo on.

Vote

The final decision on any mo on is made by an official vote. Most business of the voters is decided on by a spoken vote. The President instructs all voters who would like to approve the mo on to say “aye” (pronounced like “eye” or I). Then he instructs all opposed voters to say “no.” If further clarifica on is needed, the President will give the necessary instruc ons. All voters are asked to recognize that voted decisions are final. In Chris an love and unity they are encouraged to support the decisions that have been made, even if their original opinion was different than the final decision.

7. Adjournment with the Lord’s Prayer

When all the business of the Voters’ Mee ng is concluded, we commend our decisions to God’s blessing by joining in the prayer our Lord taught us.

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Annual Voters’ Mee ng Agenda

December 11, 2022

OurÊmissionÊatÊGraceÊisÊtoÊteachÊtheÊinspiredÊandÊinerrantÊWordÊofÊGod,ÊtoÊproclaimÊthatÊJesusÊChristÊisÊtheÊcrucifiedÊandÊrisenSaviorÊ ofÊtheÊworld,ÊandÊtoÊnurtureÊbelieversÊforÊlivesÊofÊChris anÊservice.

1. Opening Devo on and Prayer

2. Previous Mee ng’s Minutes (10/23/22)

3. Pastors:

Pastor Koehler

Pastor Kassulke

Pastor Heiman

Pastor Patoka

Pastor Scheuerlein

4. Ministry Board/Commi ee Reports:

Grace Benson Site Elder (Bill Warskow)

Grace Sahuarita Site Elder (Robert Breiler)

Grace Tucson Site Elder (Jus n Harris)

Grace Vail Site Elder (Ron Silver)

Finance (Jay Wiechmann)

President (Eric Hanson)

Vice President (Jeff Weinstein)

Perpetual Memorial Fund (Jeff Kosanke) Child Learning Center (Steve Hiles)

5. Unfinished Business

· None

6. New Business

a) Calling of Teachers for the Child Learning Center

b) Planning for Second Mission Pastor to Sahuarita Mo on: to proceed with crea ng a plan to present to the WELS mission board to request subsidy to call a second mission pastor at Grace Sahuarita.

c) Ministry Spending Plan for 2023

d) Elec ons for 2023 Ministry Board

7. Adjournment with the Lord’s Prayer

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Special Voters’ Mee ng Minutes

October 23, 2022

Link to background informa on: h ps://bit.ly/svm10232022

The mee ng was called to order at 12:13 PM by Grace Vice President Jeff Weinstein.

An opening prayer was led by Pastor Heiman.

1. Call Mee ng - Childhood Learning Center (CLC) Lead Teacher Divine Calls

Pastor Heiman led the call mee ng por on of the mee ng.

· A call list with five names for two posi ons was presented. A mo on to accept the list was made, seconded, and approved.

· The five names on the list were reviewed, and details of the call process for teachers was summarized.

· It was noted that training for early childhood ministry workers includes outreach skills. Outreach is an important aspect of the posi on, as teachers frequently interact with parents and families that may be unchurched.

· A vote was taken by wri en ballot, and votes were tallied. The two clear candidates with the most votes were Alison Moeri and Jennifer Rannow.

Mo on: to call Alison Moeri and Jennifer Rannow to serve as lead teachers at the Grace Lutheran Childhood Learning Center in Sahuarita. Approved.

2. Mo on on Leadership Conference (from Ministry Board)

Vice president Jeff Weinstein read the mo on

Mo on: To approve spending from the Perpetual Memorial Fund’s undesignated income to pay the remaining costs for up to five members of Grace to a end the WELS Conference on Lutheran Leadership, January 16 18, 2023.

The vice president called for discussion to the mo on:

· It was noted that past a endance by members of Grace at this workshop has proven very worthwhile.

· No further discussion being heard, the vice president called for a vote on the mo on.

Mo on approved by unanimous voice vote.

3. Sahuarita Ministry Staffing Member Feedback

Pastor Heiman reviewed aspects of the ra onale for including a feedback session for this topic on the mee ng agenda:

· Previously, Grace was approached by synod to par cipate in the Vicar in Mission Se ng program.

· However, due to the significant growth poten al in the Sahuarita area, the Arizona-California District Mission Board has since approached Grace with a revised recommenda on to call a second

missionary pastor in Sahuarita instead of reques ng a vicar.

· If a er considera on of discussion at today’s mee ng, and further delibera on by the Grace Ministry Board and voters, the Grace congrega on decides that it wishes to move forward with implemen ng this recommenda on, the Mission Board has indicated it would likely fully fund the missionary pastor posi on ini ally for at least five years.

Pastor Heiman, Pastor Koehler, and Jeff Weinstein led a panel discussion and ques on and answer session.

Discussion included the following points and ques ons/answers:

· Ques on: How would du es be divided between Pastor Heiman and a poten al new pastor? Answer: Pastor Heiman would focus more specifically on developing and cul va ng rela onships with the CLC families. The poten al new pastor would focus more on community outreach. Both would share preaching du es and Bible study class responsibili es.

· Ques on: Since we already have five pastors, could we restructure the exis ng Pastors’ roles to fill this need instead of calling a sixth pastor? Answer: Each of our five pastors already have defined roles that fit in our mul site structure. This new posi on would be someone complementary to Pastor Heiman.

· Ques on: How long could we expect funding from the board to last? Answer: We an cipate looking at about five years of full support for this new posi on, which would approximately equal $500,000. A er the five years are up we could poten ally approach the synod for addi onal funding.

· Ques on: What can we do to lessen Pastor Heiman’s me spent on managing the construc on related aspects of the CLC? Answer: Construc on related and launch related projects should be winding down as we approach the end of this year. Also, the CLC board is looking at hiring a handyman type posi on to help with ongoing maintenance.

· It was reiterated that this proposal for a new pastor isn’t related to the exis ng workload. The synod sees the poten al for outreach that exists that can be be er leveraged with an addi onal missionary pastor at Sahuarita.

· Ques on: Why not call a vicar instead? Answer: A vicar would involve more work for Pastor Heiman which would detract from missionary efforts.

· Ques on: Could this new mission pastor help out at Vail on an as needed basis? Answer: This pastor would focus on Sahuarita to capitalize on the rapidly growing mission field in this area. We have an exis ng pastor in Vail to focus on the mission efforts there. If the circumstances in Vail change, the need for addi onal staff at that site can be revisited.

· Ques on: Do we need to be though ul of the synod wide shortage of pastors as we consider this proposal? Answer: We have a unique situa on at Grace that is different from most other areas currently served by WELS. The ongoing ministry here is driving the number of pastors. Grace is a mul site congrega on with four different loca ons spread over a wide area, two of which are mission sites, and which also includes a Childhood Learning Center.

· Ques on: How close to capacity is the CLC? Answer: We have 250 currently enrolled, with the poten al for 400 students. Every year we graduate 40 preschoolers, so there is a degree of periodic turnover.

· It was reiterated that having an addi onal pastor at Sahuarita would allow Pastor Heiman to spend more me on outreach to the families of CLC, which is an important aspect of our harvest strategy.

· It is unusual for the mission board to extend an offer to cover 100% of expenses for a new pastor. We should be thinking about how taking advantage of this unique and generous offer can help reach more people with the gospel. This is about souls. The mission board sees a par cularly a rac ve opportunity to use synod resources to reach out to the people of Sahuarita to tell them about Jesus.

· Apprecia on was expressed for the clear explana ons given regarding why this proposal is under

discussion and why the District Mission Board is asking us to consider it.

· A member noted that an ini al skep cism about adding another pastor was alleviated by the discussion.

· The Ministry Board will take the comments from this mee ng into considera on at upcoming board mee ngs. Future Voters’ Mee ngs may include further decision making about moving forward. The WELS Board for Home Missions would have to issue a final approval before the Call process could begin, and there is no guarantee we would receive a pastor quickly once one is called.

· The Ministry Board welcomes addi onal input from members.

A mo on to adjourn was made, seconded, and approved at 1:29 PM. The mee ng closed with a prayer led by Pastor Heiman.

Voters Present: David Neujahr, Jeremy Snavely, Joe Groner, Bill Warskow, DJ Miller, Jeff Weinstein, David Farley, Mark Colton, Gary Warner, Ryan Heiman, Ferdie Kramm, Danny Koehler, Ron Koehler, Ron Silver, Jeff Smith, Jay Wiechmann, Paul Kassulke, Nathan Kassulke, Chad Rickling, Lucas Guenther, Gary Spessard, Gary Patzer, Steve Hiles, Ken Potucek, Stanley Mead, Seth Scheuerlein, Tim Patoka.

Sign in sheet: h ps://drive.google.com/file/d/1iOeoZSGsAYoKMMUM7lAtnIMNGQhLols1/view?usp=sharing

ADMINISTRATION

2019ÊYearÊEnd: Members:Ê432 Communicants:Ê367 Children:Ê65ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ

2020ÊYearÊEnd: Members:Ê449 Communicants:Ê374 Children:Ê75 2021ÊYearÊEnd: Members:Ê440 Communicants:Ê373 Children:Ê66 Non-CommÊAdult:Ê1

Membership Losses

Called Home to Heaven: Bernice Marsala

Official Acts

Child Bap sms: Savannah Dugan

November 10, 2022 GT

November 8, 2022 GS Peyton Probst November 13, 2022 GS Private,Ênon member Juniper Godino November 26, 2022 GS Private,Ênon member

Adult Bap sm: Sarah Dugan September 25, 2022 GS Wedding: Seth Scheuerlein & Nicole Weinstein November 25, 2022 GT

Memorial Service: Bernice Marsala

Proposed Membership Ac ons

Scheduled for January 7, 2023 GT

Receive by Transfer: Elton & Phyllis Zuehlke from St. John, Lomira, WI GS

Pastors’ Study & Mee ng: We recently finished the book TheÊ21ÊIrrefutableÊLawsÊofÊLeadership by John Maxwell. Our study led to healthy discussions about ways we can develop our leadership skills.

2023 WELS Na onal Conference on Leadership: Jenn Miller, Ron Silver, Holly Vaden, and I are registered for the conference to be held in Chicago from January 16 18, 2023.

Thrivent Ac on Teams: Approved for events through December: 70 Teams: GT 49, GS 17, GV 4 $17,250 (2021: $11500; 2019 (pre COVID $14,750) Ac on Teams are groups (even very small groups) put together to serve others. $250 awards are available for supplies, promo on, etc. through Thrivent. Anyone involved in ministry planning for 2023 is encouraged to consider how teams might be assembled and these funds used. Be crea ve and ask any of the pastors if you’re wondering if something might qualify. IF YOU ARE A THRIVENT MEMBER and are willing to use your Ac on Teams to serve others through Grace’s ministry, please let the pastors know or contact Grace’s Central Office.

Grace Counseling Cinda Drescher: JAN FEB

Other WELS 5 5 5 3 4 7 4 7 8 4

Others 0 2 1 2 2 0 0 0 3 5

Total 7 14 13 11 11 10 10 11 14 13

Cinda’s recent counseling has involved many concerns and difficul es, as usual, but blessings have been evident through her faithful biblical counseling. Some have begun reading Scripture on their own for the first me, and others who have not been worshiping have returned. We are grateful for her dedica on to serving others with her professional exper se and with God’s Word.

ADULT SPIRITUAL GROWTH—Studies from the quarter

· GB Sunday 8:30 AM 1ÊCorinthians (Warskow)

· GS Sunday 9:00 AM 10ÊLiesÊAboutÊGod (Heiman)

· GT Sunday 9:00 AM (alsoÊonline) 10ÊLiesÊAboutÊGod (Kassulke)

· GT Sunday 9:00 AM GodÊandÊtheÊGovernment (Koehler)

· GV Sunday 9:00 AM MaleÊandÊFemaleÊHeÊCreatedÊThemÊ(Scheuerlein)

· GB Wednesday 10 AM LargeÊCatechism (Scheuerlein)

· GS Wednesday 10 AM TheÊBibleÊProjectÊ(Heiman)

· GS Wednesday 5 PM GrowÊinÊGrace (Heiman)

· GT Wednesday 10 AM & 7 PM HistoryÊofÊtheÊChris anÊChurchÊ(Kassulke)

· GT Thursday Women’s 9:00 AM PreparedÊtoÊAnswer (Koehler)

· GV Thursday 6:00 PM GrowÊinÊGraceÊCourseÊ(Scheuerlein)

We are glad that so many take me for Bible study! If you have not yet been involved in a Bible class, please consider which one best fits your schedule now and in the New Year.

OUTREACH

Personal Prospect List: I would like to encourage you to develop a Personal Prospect List. Include people who do not know Jesus as their Savior and people with no church home or pastor to serve them. Each month since the beginning of the summer, I have shared with the Ministry Board updates on my outreach efforts with those on my list and encouraged them to create a list of their own. I con nue to work on my list, building rela onships and having some conversa ons about God and faith. I go into conversa ons with new people thinking about how I can invite them to one of our Grace loca ons and can o en find ways to steer things in that direc on. I hope that you can think of a person or two to include on your own list. Not only do we have worship and Bible studies to invite people to, we have events like Carols in the Courtyard, Carols in the Park, Youth Group ou ngs, CLC events, the Benson Chili Cook off, etc. I would love to hear about your list, and I would be happy to share with you how I’m doing with mine!

Everyone Outreach: Many members par cipated in this outreach workshop back in September. I would like to encourage all members, but especially those who enjoyed that weekend, to be ac ve in personal evangelism and to help with congrega onal outreach efforts and programs. This is our calling as Christ’s disciples and our joy!

VISITATION

Homebound Visits: It is a privilege to be able to share God’s Word and the Lord’s Supper with homebound members on a regular basis. Other important visits for our members at home are done by other members. These are so appreciated, as are the cards, le ers, and phone calls they receive. If you have an interest visi ng or calling some homebound members, let your pastors know. Members who are not able to come to church for worship and events enjoy keeping up with the church’s ministry. One member recently shared with me how impressed he is with Grace’s leaders and the way the ministry is explained in a very organized way in reports such as this Annual Mee ng Report booklet. If you know someone who is homebound, consider reaching out to them with a phone call, card, or visit.

Circuit Reforma

on Fellowship: Debbie and I had the privilege of once again hos ng the pastors and wives of our circuit for dinner and the evening at our house a er the Area Reforma on Service. The children had a party of their own at the Kassulke house. This is an annual opportunity for these families to relax and enjoy these friendships that are so important to them and to the shared ministry of the WELS in the Tucson and surrounding areas.

2022 Annual Mee ng Report—Pastor Kassulke

Church History Bible Study

· The class meets on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM and repeats the same material at 7:00 PM. We follow this schedule outside of Advent and Lent, when worship services are held at those mes.

· The last class for this calendar year was held on Wednesday, November 16. Since then, we have been taking a break for Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas. The plan is to resume Church History classes on January 11.

· The last topic we covered was the Prussian Union (about 1815 1840). We enjoyed seeing once again how events in history have impacted the religious landscape today and par cularly here in the United States.

· A endance for the year has averaged 18 in the morning and 15 in the evening.

Worship

· Our “Hard Truth” worship series ran August 14 through September 25. We heard teachings of Jesus that challenged his disciples and con nue to challenge his followers today.

· A four week series called “Lord, Increase Our Faith” covered the first four Sundays in October. The final Sunday in October (30) was our Reforma on celebra on. Our morning Reforma on services incorporated parts of Luther’s German Mass.

· Grace hosted the Area Reforma on Service on Sunday a ernoon, October 30. Our guest preacher was our District President, Pastor Jon Buchholz from Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Tempe. I was very pleased that we saw a endance of about 250, which matches our 2019 a endance. (2020’s Area Reforma on Service was canceled, and 2021 saw about 150 in a endance.) Thank you to Beth Kassulke who coordinated musicians from all around Tucson, and to all who assisted with the service and fellowship.

· On November 6, we observed All Saints Day. This was new for us based on the new Chris an Worship Lec onary.

· A two week series called “The Last Day” started on Sunday, November 13 and concluded on the last Sunday of the church year, November 20.

· November 20 was also an ALA Sunday at Grace Tucson. Arizona Lutheran Academy’s A Cappella Choir sang in both of our worship services that morning, and Pastor Brad Bode, a teacher at ALA, preached. Principal Kurt Rosenbaum accompanied several parts of the service and presented about ALA in our Adult Bible Study. One hiccup for that day was an illness that affected the director of the choir, Mr. Joshua Severeid. Thankfully, Beth Kassulke was able to direct the choir for our services. The choir was well prepared to have someone step in to lead them in that way.

· Thanksgiving Eve worship services took place Wednesday, November 23 at both Sahuarita (6:00) and Tucson (7:00).

· Sunday, November 27 was the start of Advent and the start of a new church year.

· Our Sunday morning worship series during Advent is “Come, Lord Jesus!” Our midweek Advent services follow the theme, “O Lord, How Shall I Meet You?” Midweek services take place on Wednesdays at

Benson (10:00 AM), Sahuarita (10:00 AM and 6:00 PM), and Tucson (10:00 AM and 7:00 PM). There are three of these services, November 30 and December 7 and 14.

· Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday this year. When Christmas Eve falls on a weekday, many people s ll have work responsibili es. We pray that the Saturday schedule makes it easier for members to worship with us. Christmas Eve Services will be held at Sahuarita (4:00 and 7:00), Tucson (4:00 and 7:00), and Vail (4:00). The children of our Child Learning Center (CLC) will be par cipa ng in the 4:00 service at Sahuarita, and the 7:00 service there will be different. The two services at Tucson will be the same.

· Christmas Day then falls on a Sunday. We will have a single Christmas Day worship service at each site. Service mes are 7:30 AM (Benson) and 10:00 AM (Sahuarita, Tucson, and Vail). No Sunday School, Adult Bible Study, or addi onal services will be held.

· We will have an All Site New Year’s Eve service at Grace Tucson on Saturday, December 31 at 7:00 PM. An extended fellowship opportunity will take place a er the service. We hope many will stay a er and enjoy snacks and games.

· On Sunday, January 1, we will follow the same schedule as Christmas Day, a single worship service at each site. We plan to resume our regular Sunday morning schedule the following week.

· Upcoming Worship series:

o “A Savior Is Born” (Christmas through Epiphany)

o “Jesus Appears” (First Three Sundays a er Epiphany)

o “The Savior’s Sermon” (Fourth through Sixth Sundays a er Epiphany)

· Transfigura on (Last Sunday a er Epiphany) is February 19, 2023.

· Thank you to the Worship Choir and Handbells at Grace Tucson for rehearsing regularly and leading music in our worship services. These groups would always welcome new par cipants. Thank you to the choir in Sahuarita for also preparing and providing music in worship.

· Some Hymnals and Psalters remain available for purchase through the Grace Central Office.

Fellowship

· The Ladies’ Fellowship Group con nues to meet on a monthly basis. They generally meet on the third Thursday of each month. They combined their November and December events into a single one on December 1.

· Spanferkelfest at Grace Tucson was Saturday, October 22. We had several guests a end, though not as many as last year.

· We hosted fellowship following the Area Reforma on Service on Sunday, October 30 at Grace Tucson.

· Our Pie Social/Dessert Fellowship took place a er Thanksgiving services at Sahuarita and Tucson on Wednesday, November 23.

· Carols in the Courtyard takes place December 9 at Tucson. That event is designed for both outreach and fellowship.

· Lunch is being provided for those a ending the Annual Mee ng held at Esmond Sta on School in Vail on December 11. Those who are able to arrive early may enjoy some fellowship. Some will likely be ea ng as the mee ng begins.

· We will also be hos ng fellowship a er the All Site New Year’s Eve Service at Tucson on Saturday, December 31.

· Thank you to all who contribute to our fellowship me a er worship. This provides a valuable opportunity to meet and greet and welcome our worship guests! It is also valuable for members to have this me for interac on and mutual encouragement.

Visita on

· I am extremely thankful for the work of our volunteers who visit the homebound in addi on to our pastoral visits.

· Please reach out if you would like to schedule a visit from a pastor.

WOGs/LWMS

· Women of Grace has not been mee ng as an organiza on. Looking ahead, we may work at doing some reorganizing.

· We are very grateful for a number of women who help provide support to our congrega on by assis ng with meals for funerals and memorial services, making gree ng cards available, and much more.

· Some Grace members a ended the LWMS Joint Circuit Retreat October 7 9.

· College student Hailey Brandt is coordina ng an Advent by Candlelight event for women on Sunday a ernoon, December 4. This is a first for our congrega on, though some have a ended a similar event at Holy Cross Lutheran Church on the east side of Tucson.

Tucson Site

· Thank you to Jus n Harris, our Tucson Site Elder, for his service in this area.

· Thank you to the coordinators who make up our Site Ministry Team: Jenn Miller (Member Ministry), Holly Vaden (Outreach), Jacob Kassulke (Spiritual Needs), and Bryan Guenther (Facili es). If you have any ques ons about these areas of ministry or would like to volunteer, please speak to the appropriate coordinator.

· I am thankful to have a group of members assis ng with following up on people we have not seen in worship in some me. This group has been mee ng monthly.

· At the me of wri ng, we believe we are just days away from a func oning furnace in the Tucson sanctuary. We are disappointed that we hit cold weather before it was completed, but are extremely thankful that it should be ready for the bulk of our winter.

· A commi ee has been formed that is looking into a number of recommenda ons and sugges ons regarding the Tucson sanctuary (worship space). Ligh ng, sea ng, hymn number boards, screens, and many more topics are being discussed. The commi ee will share recommenda ons. We understand that there may be strong opinions about the space and would like to plan things that will best serve the needs of our congrega on and our guests.

· We are also looking at a few addi onal updates for the space near the columbarium. Plans include providing some sea ng and placing a statue.

2022 Annual Mee ng Report—Pastor Heiman

Worship and Study: We con nue to be blessed with new faces in worship. The Sahuarita Children’s Choir sang for the first me on November 13, and we had over 120 in worship. The Sunday morning and Wednesday morning Bible studies are newer topics, 10 Lies about God and The Bible Project. The Wednesday study will be taking a break un l January 4.

Mission Work: My new Grow in Grace classes have been slower in star ng than an cipated, but I s ll have mul ple families expressing interest in membership, it has just been a small hurdle to get them started. Parent orienta ons con nue to serve as one of our best tools for reaching new families enrolling in the CLC. They learn what we teach and are invited to join us in worship. There have been a number of families interested in bap sms for their young children. I had 3 bap sms (2 different non member families worship regularly online) these last couple months and an cipate one more before year’s end.

Outreach: We will be par cipa ng in the Sahuarita Winter Fes val & Light Parade like we have in the past with a float, singers, and a Christmas handout. We are also looking into some signage ideas around the entrances to our site.

CLC Chapel and Party with a Purpose: The Harvest Strategy has been a guiding document for outreach at the CLC. It has proved to be blessed by God. Two areas which have not been able to be implemented up to this point were weekly chapel and Party with a Purpose fellowship events. I met with the teachers in November and we were able to plan Wednesday morning chapel star ng in January and Party with a Purpose fellowship events, which started November 21 with our first CLC/Church Thanksgiving Dinner at 6:00 PM. We had 240 people dine with us and give thanks for our many blessings. Our Christmas Walk to Meet Jesus on December 16 is our second event. It will also include a cookie sale.

CLC Art/Nature Garden: I had a mee ng with the Town of Sahuarita to begin the permi ng process for the art/nature garden. It went be er than expected, and we hope to submit our ini al dra to the town before year’s end.

CLC Teacher Calls and Future Missionary Pastor in Sahuarita: The Voters met October 23 in Sahuarita to call 2 teachers: Alison Moeri and Jennifer Rannow. As of the wri ng of this report, Alison Moeri returned our call and Jennifer Rannow is s ll delibera ng. We also were informed that Taylor Guenther would like to pursue other opportuni es in her personal life, so she is resigning from her call at the end of 2022. We thank her for her faithful service to the Lord and to the children. We will also need to fill this posi on through a divine call. The AZ CA District Mission Board is s ll very excited and suppor ve of adding a 2nd mission pastor in Sahuarita. In order to get it approved by WELS Home Missions, they have suggested a modified financial plan which would include some tapered funding.

Outreach and Building Project Consultant: I was asked to present the mission outreach strategies we used in Sahuarita to discover our community needs and then how to address them. The presenta on was rescheduled due to some scheduling conflicts in San Diego, CA. The new plan is to do a “mission fest” weekend in CA Feb/Mar 2023. I’ve also met with/helped congrega ons with their building projects in Gilbert, AZ, Las Cruses, NM, and Fond du Lac, WI. While I do this in an unofficial capacity, I am happy to share insights from our project to help their congrega ons navigate construc ng new church buildings.

2022 Annual Mee ng Report

December 2022

Benson Worship: We con nue to worship in the double digits, as our members faithfully a end. Con nued thanks to Hailey Brandt and Deb Bakken for their piano accompaniment in worship. A er discussion with the members, we decided we will not have a Christmas Eve service, but will have our Christmas Day service at our normal Sunday me. In previous years, we have done a Christmas Eve service and no Christmas Day service. Our midweek Advent services are going to be held at 10 AM. We made this move from an evening service for our midweek services this past Lenten season, and it helped boost our a endance.

Bible Study: A endance for our midweek study has been between 4 and 8. We have been thoroughly discussing The 10 Commandments using Luther’sÊLargeÊCatechism. The discussions have been wonderful.

On Sundays, our site elder Bill Warskow has con nued taking the members through a study of 1 Corinthians.

Chili Cookoff: Our Benson members would like to invite all our Grace family to Benson for a Chili Cookoff on Saturday, January 28. More details are to come.

—Pastor Scheuerlein

Worship: A endance at Vail con nues to fluctuate between 20 and 30 people, with more than 40 unique souls a ending. Our new piano is working very well. It has helped improve the music in our worship, but we’re s ll working out a few details with the new instrument. Con nued thanks to Hailey Brandt and Deb Bakken for enhancing our worship by playing for us.

Bible Study: Our midweek Bible Study in Civano has been going through our Grow in Grace Class. It’s been a great review and discussion. A endance has been down a li le bit, but s ll averaging around 10. There is hope that this will lead to invi ng others to take our Grow in Grace class with us.

On Sunday morning we con nue to study MaleÊandÊFemaleÊHeÊCreatedÊThem

Outreach: Since the Everyone Outreach workshop, a group of us have been ge ng together to talk about our “I will” statements and preparing and planning outreach events. In prepara on for Vailfest, our group got together mul ples mes. Vailfest went really well. The Photobooth that Laura Hodgson put together was a hit. Over 140 pictures taken, over 87 texts with those pictures and a Bible passage sent, over 50 raffle entries filled out, over 30 surveys done, and many meaningful discussions had as we try to build bridges in our community.

Our next event is Caroling in the Park. We will be having our event at Purple Heart Park in Rita Ranch on Saturday, December 17. We are s ll finalizing some details and will be mee ng again to make the needed prepara ons.

We are planning to have Glenn Erdmann do his Fused Glass Crosses with us this January. We will let everyone know when we finalize that date.

2022 Annual Mee ng Report—Pastor Patoka

October 1 November 26

Li le Lambs

Descrip on: Li le Lambs is a ministry for Grace Tucson’s (GT) members aged 0 2 and their parents. Li le Lambs is intended to encourage these young families to connect with each other and develop good habits around God’s Word between the Sunday worship services.

Update:ÊLi le Lambs did not meet due to having no teacher. GT’s 5 in town Li le Lambs are instead being served as they and their parents a end Sunday worship services.

Children’s Bible Hour

Descrip on:ÊChildren’s Bible Hour (CBH) is GT’s ministry for children in preschool and grade school. During the summer, CBH does a special summer program. During the school year, CBH begins by singing songs, celebra ng birthdays and bap sms, and hearing an opening devo on. Children then separate into their age graded classrooms for small group Bible study.

Update:ÊChildren in preschool through grade 5 con nued their yearlong overview of Bible history with lessons in chronological order from Moses to Rehoboam and Jeroboam. Children in grades 6 through 8 con nued their two year overview of Luther’s Catechism with lessons on our triune God, God the Father, and God the Son. Weekly a endance averaged 15 out of 25 in town GT members.

Thanks to Beth Kassulke for leading CBH’s opening segment and coordina ng and to Amy Rudd, Missy Wiechmann, Nicole Weinstein, and Emma Rautenberg for teaching.

Christmas For Kids

Descrip on:Ê Christmas For Kids (C4K) is an outreach event for children in preschool through grade 5. It is designed to share the true meaning of Christmas with the unchurched, young families in GT’s community and supplement the Chris an educa on GT’s members already receive. This event features songs, Christmas lesson, cra s, games, a Jesus birthday party, and an invita on for par cipa ng children to sing in one of GT’s Sunday worship services.

Update:ÊC4K is planned to be at GT on Saturday, December 10 from 10am 12:30pm.

Thanks to Lori Cole, Ka e Patoka, Sally Li au, Jenn Miller, and Jim and Deb Bakken for volunteering to serve, to Gary Kojo at Insty Prints for designing and prin ng C4K’s handouts, and to Jay Wiechmann for Thrivent Ac on Team support. More people will be thanked as volunteers are added.

Lifeliners

Descrip on:ÊLifeliners is a ministry for Grace’s members in grades 9 through 12. They discuss biblical truths in a small group Bible study at GT on Sunday morning, strengthen their friendships, and par cipate in special events. These ac vi es are intended to help them mature in their faith as they become young adults.

Update:ÊGT Lifeliners Bible Study con nued their unit on DoÊIÊHaveÊtoÊMakeÊAÊChoice?ÊIt explores how to make God pleasing decisions in a variety of topics. Weekly a endance averaged 5 out of 6 GT members. Thanks to Ka e Patoka for Thrivent Ac on Team support and to David and Shannon Farley for teaching this Bible study. Lifeliners and all Tucson area WELS high school youth groups were invited to Tucson’s first WELS Youth Night on October 1. GT hosted the event that featured games, worship, presenta on and discussion of “How to Use the Power of God,” and fellowship. Grace contributed 5 Lifeliners to the total a endance of 13 teenagers. Thanks to Paul Kassulke for Thrivent Ac on Team support and to Vicar and Chris na O o, Hailey Brandt, Emma Rautenberg, August Weinstein, and Ka e Patoka for helping to put on Youth Night.

All 9 of Grace’s Lifeliners were invited to monthly fellowship ou ngs. October’s ou ng was a Selfie Scavenger Hunt around the University of Arizona on October 30 with 4 Lifeliners in a endance. November’s ou ng was mini golf at Golf N’ Stuff on November 20 with 4 Lifeliners in a endance. Thanks to Paul Kassulke and Ka e Patoka for Thrivent Ac on Team support.

The annual Lifeliners Calendar Fundraiser began on October 23 and already raised $490. Thanks to Connor Farley, Logan Farley, Emily Rudd, Emma Miller, and Naomi Kassulke for selling calendars at GT and to Deb Sloyan for Thrivent Ac on Team support.

WELS Tucson Campus Ministry

Descrip on:ÊWELS Tucson Campus Ministry (TCM) is a ministry at GT that seeks to create and strengthen the connec on that those aged 18 24 have with their Savior and peers. While the majority of TCM’s par cipants are full me students at the University of Arizona (UA), TCM remains open to all college aged adults regardless of student status or church home background.

Update:ÊTCM had two weekly Bible studies. One was on Sunday evenings in the TCM Student Center studying the book of James and topics like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Weekly average a endance was 6 college aged adults. The other was on Wednesday evenings in the UA Student Union that read through and discussed por ons of “Connec ng Sinai to Calvary.” Weekly average a endance was 5 college aged adults.

In keeping with TCM’s mission to help college aged adults connect with each other, TCM had three fun vi es: Pumpkin Pain ng, Ax Throwing, and Homeless Care Bag Assembling (this doubled as a Grace service project). An average of 6 college aged adults a ended these fun vi es.

TCM is one of GT’s long standing outreach ministries. Of the 67 college aged adults on the weekly email list, 36 did not come from a WELS church home. Of the 32 registrants for the fall semester, 9 did not have any church home and 15 had a different Chris an church home (a significant minority of these young adults do not ac vely a end a Tucson area church and could therefore be considered “unchurched” during the school year). I con nue to build rela onships with these prospects as they allow.

Thanks to WELS Campus Ministry Commi ee that pays for TCM’s social media adver sing and Student Assistant payroll; to Emma Rautenberg and Hailey Brandt for their lead by example work as TCM’s Student Assistants; to Emma Rautenberg, Hailey Brandt, and Maren Steffen for serving as TCM’s club officers; to Professor Ma Gilbert (member at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Oro Valley) for being TCM’s club Faculty Advisor; and to Greg Grorud and Bryan Wright for Thrivent Ac on Team support.

Grace Members at Lutheran Schools

Grace was blessed to have 19 members a end a Lutheran school: 13 at our grade school Redeemer Lutheran School in Marana, AZ, 4 at our area high school Arizona Lutheran Academy (ALA) in grades 9 12 in Laveen, AZ, and 2 at our college for training future called workers Mar n Luther College (MLC) in New Ulm, MN. Consider helping fund our 17 members a ending a school in Arizona with a no cost to you tax dona on through Arizona Chris an School Tui on Organiza on (ACSTO). Go to www.ACSTO.org and select “Grace Lutheran Southern AZ Church Members” in the school line to equitably fund all who apply for ACSTO financial aid.

Below is an update on each school that has a Grace member.

· Redeemer: The 1st Quarter ended on October 14 with new programs like Chris an Leadership Award, Student Council, Fall Fes val, Veterans’ Day, and others. The Rams finished flag football with an undefeated season and volleyball with a respectable season. Divine Calls have been extended to fill 3 expected vacancies in the 2023 2024 school year for Kindergarten, Grades 3 4 and Athle cs, and Grades 7 8 and Technology.

· ALA: Homecoming happened on the weekend of October 15 16 and saw lots of fun celebra ons and compe ons including a freshly painted football field. The gym bleachers that were funded by the 2022 Gala were installed. ALA had its “Music From Around the World” Fall Concert on October 5. The A Capella Choir began ALA Sundays in federa on churches (like at GT on November 20) and went to the East Regional Choral Fes val at Wisconsin Lutheran High School on November 4 and 6. Coyotes football finished with a 5 5 record, boys’ cross country was 10th overall in the state, and volleyball ended in the first round of the state tournament with a 10 7 record. ALA con nues to issue a handful of Divine Calls for various posi ons.

· MLC: MLC had 629 undergraduate students with 466 of them in teacher and staff minister track and 163 in the pastor track (approximately 40 men in each class). The Be y Kohn Fieldhouse, dedicated on October 8, gives 36,000 square feet of turf, ba ng cages, golf simulator, track and field equipment, and flexible interior walls. This new fieldhouse will help high school students seriously consider MLC and provide a space for MLC students to maintain good physical health during the long winters. Knights football finished the season with a 2-8 record, cross country finished their seasons with men taking 27th overall and women taking 23rd overall in the NCAA Division 3 North Regional Contest, and though men’s soccer finished their season with a 3 14 2 record, Grace member Xander Heiman was named to the UMAC 2nd Team All Conference. A strategic plan was in place called “Pursuing Excellence Under the Cross” that has 4 key ini a ves:

1. Embrace MLC’s family iden ty as a Lutheran college dedicated to preparing gospel ministers for the WELS and its mission fields.

2. Empower MLC’s family forma on to help everyone grow spiritually and academically while s ll suppor ng emo onal and physical health.

3. Expand MLC’s family reach to reflect the mul cultural reality of the Church.

4. Endow MLC’s family home to make MLC more affordable while providing an excellent experience.

GT Parking Lot

Descrip on:ÊGT has been blessed with a large parking lot in a loca on of Tucson where parking is a premium. GT’s parking lot also offers an opportunity to create outreach contacts through TCM’s parking privileges, serve the community with convenient parking, and raise addi onal funds for Grace’s ministry. However, there is also a need to monitor the parking lot to ensure Grace’s members and guests have a spot to park. Grace has used a third party to monitor the parking lot since 2019 and designated the TCM Campus Pastor as the primary liaison.

Update:ÊOctober was the first full month with Parking Management Company (PMC) monitoring our parking lot. There have been some growing pains and frustra ons with PMC largely to blame. Thankfully PMC’s local representa ve has been quick to respond and able to quell most concerns. Grace’s members, friends, and guests have largely been spared from most problems.

Thanks to Administra ve Assistant Debbie Koehler for her a en on to detail and quick communica on with PMC as things came up.

WELS Campus Ministry

Descrip on:ÊWELS Campus Ministry is part of WELS Board of Home Missions with a specific focus on serving WELS college students who are away from their church homes. I serve on the WELS Campus Ministry Commi ee (CMC) that seeks to equip and encourage campus ministries throughout the synod. (TCM is one of 40+ ac ve campus ministries in the WELS.)

Update:ÊI went to ALA to preach for their chapel and give a campus ministry presenta on to the sophomores on November 9. I a ended the CMC’s mee ng at our campus ministry in East Lansing, MI on November 11 12 and followed it up with a Campus Ministry Sunday and presenta on at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor, MI (where we have another campus ministry). All of these were accomplished at no cost to Grace. I con nue to work my CMC tasks in a volunteer capacity.

English Classes

Descrip on:ÊEnglish Classes is an outreach ministry at GT that offers mul ple levels of English classes and an English friendly Bible study with snacks. Everything is free to the community. English Classes meets on Tuesdays in the school year from 6:30 8:30 PM.

Update:ÊEnglish Classes saw a marked increase in students since October 25 with 17 new registrants and a weekly average of 8 students. Students learned about our English Classes in a number of ways: parking lot banner, Facebook adver sing, library flyer, word of mouth, and a endance in pre Covid years. All our students were originally from somewhere in La n America.

Thanks to Joyce Long for coordina ng and teaching; to Beth Johnson, Doug Lemke, Ron and Kathy Silver, and Gary Spessard for teaching; to Sally Li au for preparing snacks; and to Dorothy Lietha for Thrivent Ac on Team support.

Personal Visita on

In addi on to a pastor’s normal visita on with his sheep who need direc on or correc on, I had the privilege to begin a private Grow In Grace class with a senior at Tucson High School. We have met as our schedules allow.

Mission to the Children

Descrip on:ÊMission to the Children (M C) is a lay-lead, parasynodical ministry that conducts humanitarian and gospel ministry in poor, Hispanic communi es with a specific focus on children of grade school age. M C’s efforts have historically been in a handful of rural villages in northern Sonora, Mexico. I serve as M C’s Spiritual Advisor.

Update: M C began collec ng dona ons for Christmas gi boxes that will be delivered to impoverished families in northern Sonora.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Eric Hanson, president@gracelutheransaz.org, 520 664 6626

It is hard to believe that 2022 is about to end as we rejoice in the many blessings that we have received over the closing months of the year. Spanferkelfest was once again a rousing success, and many thanks go out to everyone involved in that great outreach opportunity. Having the opportunity to see many of the pictures from our recent VailFest brings home just how richly blessed we are to have a presence in that ever growing harvest field. We have many more outreach efforts taking place in December which will include many of the Grace sites. I share the hope that all of you share in that through these events we may be the tool God uses to bring our neighbors to a saving knowledge of our Savior. I encourage as many members of Grace as possible to a end and support these events. As we all know, when there is a crowd, folks flock to see what is going on. This gives us a great opportunity to interact with, and start building rela onships with those around us.

I pray that the furnace situa on at Grace Tucson is fully corrected prior to my report being published. I want to ensure everyone that many members of Grace and the Ministry Board have been working relessly on this project, but there are circumstances that we have no control over. We have expressed our desire to have this project complete as quickly as possible, and our contractor is fully onboard with our desires. On a posi ve note, we have had the opportunity to share the beauty of our sanctuary with our vendor team during the install.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the great blessing of being able to be witness the marriage of Pastor Scheuerlein and Nicole Weinstein. To me it served as a reminder of the great love that we share as a family, but also that God’s love for us and his Church is far superior.

I ask that you con nue to pray for your Ministry Board as we prepare to celebrate the first coming and eagerly await the second coming of our Lord.

VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Jeff Weinstein, vicepresident@gracelutheransaz.org, 520 909 7649

Financial Review Commi ee: They have met and have the first half of 2022 complete.

Care Commi ee for Called Workers: We are s ll wai ng for two of our called workers to agree to meet.

Nomina ng Commi ee: 24 members were nominated for the CLC Chairman and the 8 posi ons on the Ministry Board. 11 agreed to stand for elec on.

President: Eric Hanson

Vice President: Jeff Weinstein, Paul Kassulke

Secretary: Jeremy Snavely

Financial Manager: Jay Wiechmann

Benson Site Elder: Bill Warskow

Sahuarita Site Elder: Bob Breiler

Tucson Site Elder: Jus n Harris, DJ Miller

Vail Site Elder: Ron Silver

CLC Chairman: Dave Neujahr

Jus n Harris has agreed to stand for nomina on again as Grace’s Tucson Site Elder. He would also like to share with the voters that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer and is beginning treatment. He is willing to serve but acknowledges that his treatment may keep him from carrying out some responsibili es, especially early in 2023.

TUCSON SITE ELDER’S REPORT

Jus n Harris, tucson@gracelutheransaz.org, 520 977 1333

Member Ministry Ac vity

· Jenn Miller is on the Inac ve Member Commi ee and they held another mee ng in November.

· Prepped, served and had fun at Spanferkelfest as well as sent out thank you cards to all the volunteers.

· Hosted a post service Fellowship.

· Assisted Monday and Tuesday at the Pastor's conference held at Grace-Tucson in October.

· Greeted on a Sunday and also for the Reforma on service.

· Met with Pastor Koehler and Holly Vaden to discuss Carol's in the Courtyard.

o Thank you to Nancy Miles, Jeremy Snavely, and Paul Kassulke for volunteering to help!

· Cookie Sunday fellowship hos ng slots have been filled to the beginning of next year and 2 out of the 3 Advent suppers have been signed up for.

· If you would like to help out with any of the above events or upcoming ones, please contact Jenn Miller!

Spiritual Needs Ac vity

· Altar Prep currently has 4 teams that serve 3 months of the year and currently has 11 members

o Team for October was Audrey Nessinger and Jeane e O’Donald

o Team for November was Erika Hanson and Kay Kassulke

o Team for December will be Sally Li au, Cynthia Breitkreitz, and Terry Kosanke

o Jake Kassulke has stated the need to recruit more individuals to assist with this

· Greeters Sundays for the rest of the year are covered, will start scheduling for special services and into the new year.

· Thank you to DJ and Jenn Miller for gree ng for the Tucson Area Reforma on service.

· Thank you to Vic Thornton, Rusty King, Ferdie Kramm, Rick Street, and Jon Dongoske for all their Ushering assistance.

· Thank you to Bre Deitering, Jacob Miller, Dylan Guenther, Ferdie Kramm, Connor Farley, and Stanley Mead for ushering the Tucson Area Reforma on service.

· Christmas decora ng took place on Saturday, November 26.

· If you would like to help out with any of the above events or areas of service, please contact Jake Kassulke!

Facili es Ac vity

· Bryan Guenther fixed West gate again… and again

· Gary Warner fixed and added receptacles in courtyard

· Finished drip irriga on repair

· Made frames for banners

· Furnace installa on began and should be completed soon

· Installing ven la on grates in basement

Outreach Ac vity

· Holly Vaden a ended the WUNA (Grace’s HOA) mee ng on 10/6 and was able to promote Spanferkelfest.

· Spent 2 hours pu ng out 35 flyers in the neighborhood on 10/10 and took them down on 10/21.

· We had 38 people who signed up to help out with Spanferkelfest but at the end of the night we had many others who stepped forward to help with cleanup.

o We served 100 meals.

o We had 11 guests; a couple of people from the neighborhood and the rest from member invites.

o We had 8 raffle prizes to give out.

o Sandy Weir volunteered to write thank you cards to our guests for a ending the event.

· It was men oned by members at the Everyone Outreach workshop that we should bring back the Welcome Table for the courtyard.

o Several people said they would be willing to staff the table.

o Pastor Kassulke felt that this should involve Member Ministry and Spiritual Needs as well and Holly has emailed them to get ideas on how to proceed with this idea.

o A sign up sheet was sent around on 11/06.

· Holly gave a presenta on on 11/13 on her experience with Truth in Love Ministry this past June and was hoping that this might generate interest for a group of members to go June 2023.

· On 10/23, Pastor Kassulke made an announcement regarding forming an Outreach Commi ee in order to follow up with prospects and new members as well as for Outreach planning.

o Holly was approached by Kathy Parra about pu ng together a small booklet that could be used for Outreach and could be placed in care bags, given out during events, etc.

o The booklet would be tled something like “Where is Jesus When I Am Struggling?” and would have Bible verses to support what is said.

o Would need a couple of volunteers to assist.

· Holly formed a Tucson Fes val of Books Commi ee and Pastor Patoka, Paul Kassulke, Sandy Weir and Lois Thornton have signed up; first mee ng is on 12/15.

· Holly currently has 13 people signed up for staffing the Welcome Table in the courtyard.

· On 11/17, Holly met with Jenn Miller and Pastor Koehler to discuss Carols in the Courtyard.

o Thank you to DJ and Jenn Miller for pu ng up more ligh ng.

o Paul Kassulke is laying out all of the music to be provided.

· Care Bags for the Homeless were assembled on 11/19 with the help of six Grace members and six TCM students.

o Did not receive as many dona ons as in 2020 but did receive some cash which was added to le over from 2020 bringing the total to $245.

o Thank you to Debbie Koehler for helping sort items.

o Holly purchased remaining items for 50 bags.

o Holly prepared boxes for distribu ng items.

o Next me for prep and assembly it would be good to have an RSVP placed in the announcement so team can an cipate amount of help.

o Box prepara on took approximately 3 1/2 hours.

o Hailey Brandt (TCMer) helped move boxes into Fellowship Hall and wrote instruc ons for bag assembly.

o Lunch was provided for by Ka e Patoka. It was ready as assembly was completed, and everyone enjoyed the delicious meal and Common prayer was said beforehand.

· If you would like to assist with any of the above Outreach ac vi es or upcoming ones, please contact Holly Vaden!

VAIL ELDER’S REPORT

Ron Silver, vail@gracelutheransaz.org, 520 255 2708

The Vail Site Ministry Team has been mee ng every few weeks to find other ways to implement the Everyone Outreach approach.

Grace Vail had a double booth at VailFest which was held on November 12. Laura Hodgson, Spiritual Needs Coordinator, set up a photo booth where people could have their photo taken against an autumn background. This proved very popular and provided us contact informa on from all those who were photographed. We also had help from Grace members at the other sites which we deeply appreciate.

We also conducted an informal survey to find out what area residents thought that a church could do to serve the community. This informa on will be used along with past surveys and a planned survey some me this spring to help us with our outreach efforts.

Our immediate goal at Vail is to establish contacts and build bridges with the community.

Vail is hos ng the annual voters mee ng on December 11. A Thrivent grant is being used to purchase food.

Laura Hodgson has arranged a Christmas caroling event at Purple Heart Park in Rita Ranch on Rita Road. The date is December 17 at 5:00 PM. Everyone is invited, and if you like singing Christmas carols this is the place to be.

BENSON ELDER’S REPORT

Bill Warskow, benson@gracelutheransaz.org, 480 363 4859

Benson church a endance has been up despite many members being absent due to recurring health problems. We have only twelve members, but visitors on a number of Sundays have boosted a endance to 16. It’s great to have a fuller sanctuary with more singing voices.

Live music has boosted the quality of many of our worship services thanks to Hailey Brandt and Deb Bakken coming to Benson so early on Sunday mornings to play for us. We appreciate their efforts very much. The a er service Bible class finished their study of Gala ans and is now working through 1st Corinthians. A endance varies from 3 to 5 with 5 being present on most Sundays depending on travel schedules. Those present come well prepared and are ac vely involved in the class.

Equally exci ng has been the Wednesday morning Bible class which is working through the Ten Commandments from Luther's Large Catechism. A endance usually runs six. Those in a endance are also ac vely engaged in the class.

Our old ar ficial Christmas tree has served us well for many a Christmas but was showing its age and has been re red thanks to Vicky Kramm and her sister Marilyn buying its replacement.

GRACE LUTHERAN CHILD LEARNING CENTER UPDATE

Steve Hiles, hurc22.sh@gmail.com, 612 991 7662 & Laura Heiman Director, director@gracelutheransaz.org, 520 278 8793

We con nue to be blessed with growth at the CLC with over 250 students registered and an average of 149 students a day. Amazing to think that we had 21 children when we opened.

As part of the Harvest Strategy, we had our first Party with a Purpose event on 11/21 where we invited Sahuarita church members and CLC families to a Thanksgiving dinner. It was a huge success with 240 adults and children in a endance for fun and fellowship. We provided the turkey, and guests brought sides and desserts to share.

Upcoming CLC events include:

· Fundraiser at Panda Express December 5th 20% of sales will be donated to the CLC. This money will be used for classroom supplies and for growing our scholarship fund

· Children’s Christmas Walk December 16 – We are hos ng a Children’s Christmas Walk to Meet Jesus from 6-9 PM. We will be staying open a couple of extra hours to give parents me for a date night or to finish up Christmas Shopping. The kids will be doing fun Christmas ac vi es, and we will be decora ng the hallways. There will also be Christmas cookies for sale as a fundraiser for new classroom toys and furniture.

· We are par cipa ng in Sahuarita’s Winter Fes val & Lights Parade on December 17. The parade begins at 5:30 PM. Singers are invited to join us as we share the message of Jesus from our float through song.

DES contacted Laura regarding their CCSG grant. They awarded us an addi onal $5,000/month for a grant total of $30,000/month through June 2023. God has truly blessed us with these gi s. Laura has applied for the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the An och grant. We con nue to look for other grant opportuni es.

The final phase of the infant room renova on has been completed. Infants and toddlers are now in their originally designated loca ons.

We have hired Jennifer Rickling as our new Office Manager. She is working part me through the end of the year, expanding her hours in the new year.

As you are aware, we called 2 teachers to fill the infant and toddler lead teacher roles. Mrs. Alison Moeri has declined our call. Mrs. Jennifer Rannow is s ll delibera ng. Please keep her in your prayers as she decides where her gi s are best used. We have been blessed with assistant teachers that are doing a great job un l we can fill those rolls.

We are saddened that Taylor Guenther has submi ed her resigna on effec ve December 31. We thank her for all of her contribu ons to the center and wish her and Dylan the best going forward in fulfilling God’s plan for their future.

WORSHIP COORDINATOR REPORT

Beth Kassulke, music@gracelutheransaz.org, 520 623 6633

This quarter of the year brings some special opportunities for worship. In addition to our regular Sunday services, we enjoyed the Area Reformation Service on Oct. 30, Thanksgiving services on Nov. 23, and Midweek Advent Worship on Wednesdays during Advent. We look forward to special services for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve at the end of December.

The choirs at Grace remain busy during this time of the year. The Worship Choir and Handbell Choir at Grace Tucson and the Adult Choir at Grace Sahuarita have been rehearsing regularly throughout October, November, and December and have been active in participating in worship. We thank the members of these groups as well as their directors and accompanists for their extra efforts during this season.

In addition to the adult choirs, we have 2 children’s choirs that are active. The Children’s Bible Hour students at Grace Tucson participated in the Area Reformation service and led the singing of a new hymn in worship on Nov. 6. A new Children’s Choir was formed at Sahuarita this fall and participated in worship for the first time on Nov. 13. They will sing again on Dec. 24. The CLC children will also hold a special Children’s Christmas Service on Dec. 24.

On October 6, both pianos in the sanctuary at Tucson were tuned and serviced. The balcony piano required a

small repair to eliminate a clicking key. I worked with Hachenberg Pianos to find a new piano tuner as our previous tuner has retired. We were pleased with the work Victor Romano did for us. I passed his information on to Pastor Heiman so he could schedule him to tune the piano in the Sahuarita sanctuary as well.

We began using the new Yahama P 515 electronic piano at Vail on Oct. 23. There were a couple minor hiccups initially as we learned how to best run it through our sound board, but it has now been functioning well for us. Thanks to Jason Pigeon for his expertise in making this instrument work well in our space at Esmond Station.

The A Capella Choir from Arizona Lutheran Academy participated in the worship services at Tucson on Nov. 20. We thank them for enhancing our worship through song on that day! Unfortunately, their director, Mr. Joshua Severeid was unable to attend because of illness. I appreciate that Mr. Severeid allowed me to direct in his place rather than rescheduling on such short notice. The choir was a joy to work with and Mr. Severeid had prepared them incredibly well so well that they could still sing even in his absence.

Grace Tucson musicians are excited to participate in Carols in the Courtyard on Dec. 9. This year will include performances by the Handbell Choir, Worship Choir, and special piano pieces. The children will also lead a couple of songs, and a brass quartet is preparing to play along on a few carols as well.

FINANCE MANAGER’S REPORT

Jason Wiechmann, finance@gracelutheransaz.org, 520-429-6842

Ministry Spending Plan (MSP) YTD Results

Congrega onal offerings in October were lower than the MSP and they con nue to be lower than the MSP year to date. The Ministry Board and Church Staff are being mindful of expenses, where possible, as Grace closes out the financial year. Offerings through October are on par with the offerings received at the same me last year and if offerings con nue along the same track, congrega onal net income for this year will result in a small deficit.

The offerings plan for this year accounted for growth at all four sites, and Grace has welcomed new members throughout the year. We can also recognize that it’s been a challenging year in many ways, and offerings have not developed in the way they were planned.

Thank you for your offerings and as you are willing and able, bring them generously. May the birth of our Savior move us to respond with gra tude at God’s mercy. The CLC began the year with a planned deficit of ($17,939) in January and an unplanned deficit of ($19,835) in February due to Covid closures. From March through September the CLC has met expenses, but income is inclusive of the $10,000 per month DES grant which will conclude in June 2023. To bridge this we ask God to send students and families to the CLC. Keep the Sahuarita ministry in your prayers and ask for the con nued blessing of growth, and support the CLC ministry with your offerings. Enrollment at the CLC is about 250 students with room to enroll 400, and average a endance is about 150 students per day.

Expenses in October increased by $8,714 due to stoppage of a meal program that was shared with the CLC by the Sahuarita Unified School District. The CLC has submi ed its applica on to access federally funded nutri on and reimbursement programs to offset these costs going forward.

The called teacher vacancies do not necessarily result in lower costs because addi onal teacher assistants are needed to provide the required adult to student coverage. Thank you for your con nued support of Grace’s ministries and mission.

Contribu ons and Income

Contribu ons and Income

YTD Oct

Regular Offerings 555,274

Child Learning Center 30,541 Building Fund 32,415 Chris an Educa on 3,121 Outreach Fund 7,084 Other Giving 38,258

Total Contribu ons 666,692

Parking Lot 26,366 CLC Income 1,174,466 Other Earnings 188,422 Total Income/Earnings 2,055,946

Our giving shows the honor, love, and gra tude we have for what Christ has done for us. Generous giving is one of the ways that faith filled hearts respond to the riches of Christ.

In addi on to regular offerings and gi s suppor ng the CLC Ministry, gi s were given to the Building Fund, Chris an Educa on Fund, CLC Scholarship Fund, and Outreach Fund. Other special gi s were given to the Automa c Door Fund, Columbarium, ESL, Flowers, G Tech, Lifeliners, Music, TCM, WELS Missions, and WELS Relief.

Our parking lot partnership with Air Garage concluded in September; Grace’s parking lot is being managed by Parking Management Company (PMC) going forward. The monies from Air Garage and now PMC are directed to the Parking Lot Fund which provides funding for parking lot maintenance and repairs at the Tucson, Sahuarita, and Benson sites.

“Other Earnings” include Amazon Smiles receipts, Thrivent Choice dollars, investment proceeds, and recogni on of the 2nd Paycheck Protec on Program Loan of $174,724 which was fully forgiven in January.

CEF Building Loan

The CEF loan balance stands at $4,892,421 through October. The principal balance has been reduced by $127,706.

Sahuarita Building Project Final Se lement

In his 2nd Quarter report Pastor Heiman described the contractual disagreement with the Grace Building Commi ee and the general contractor over the Sahuarita Building Project. The disagreement was se led in media on and the conclusion was for Grace to pay $54,918 to close out the construc on contract. Grace also incurred $19,493 in legal fees. While it doesn’t seem right or fair based on Grace’s strong posi on according to the contract, the court process had even higher cost poten al.

The CLC has received addi onal grant monies star ng in Q3 and con nuing through the end of the year which will be used to offset the cost of the se lement.

2023 Ministry Spending Plan

Our mission at Grace is to teach the inspired Word of God, to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the risen Savior to the world, and to nurture believers for lives of Chris an service. In our Ministry Spending Plan for 2023 we preach and teach the gospel message at four sites in Southern Arizona and support synod outreach throughout the world with mission offerings.

This Spending Plan has two parts: a plan for the worship sites and a plan for the CLC. Together they make up the full MSP for 2023. The plan for the worship sites includes congrega onal expenses and regular offerings. The plan for the CLC includes opera onal expenses and income based on enrollment.

Worship Sites 2023 Plan

Regular offerings are set at $727,000. This considers increased giving by exis ng members and member growth at all four sites.

According to this proposal, congrega onal expenses are changing from 2022 in the following areas:

· Worship increasing by $5,279 for music and copyright cost increases, adding more opportuni es for in person service accompanists at the Vail and Benson sites (recorded or computer accompaniment has been used in the past), and adding an accompanist allowance for pianists who accompany the choir. Honoraria for guest preachers and musicians has been reduced.

· No net change in Missions and Outreach. An increase in Grace’s Congrega onal Mission Offering (suppor ng the work of the WELS as a synod) in propor on to the planned increase in regular offerings. A decrease in Vail Outreach is included in the proposed MSP with the inten on for Vail outreach ac vi es to be addi onally supported by the Outreach Fund.

· Administra on and Maintenance increases in payroll processing and transac onal costs. Decreases in U li es based on actual usage. Increase in conference travel due to the District Pastors Conference held in California. Cost savings and priori za on of spending in the other areas.

· The most significant change is in the area of Ministry Staff, increasing by $25,630. The WELS recommends increasing called worker salaries by 2.2% to account for higher infla on. Church Staff pay has also been raised by the same 2.2%. The recommended housing allowance has increased, again due to infla on. Health insurance has sharply increased over 2022 due to a 9% rate increase and a cost increase for Pastor Scheuerlein’s plan. Helping to offset some of the increased called worker costs is an $11,378 increase in Synod support for the Vail mission.

In the world, compensa on may be simply a calcula on of the market rate, or even a tool to mo vate and retain workers. Not so in the church. Compensa on for those who are called to serve in the gospel ministry is also a way for God’s people to show them honor and a way for them to adequately provide for their family.

CLC 2023 Plan

By God’s grace, the CLC con nues to grow and connect community families to our church. The CLC plan for 2023 an cipates addi onal growth throughout the year. The proposed MSP includes notable changes from 2022:

· Increasing called teacher salaries and housing allowance to synod recommended levels. The vacancies are projected to be filled by June, at the earliest.

· Increasing desk hours for the Administra ve Assistant.

· Increased support from assistant teachers due to enrollment growth and to help support the classrooms during the called teacher vacancies.

· Adding custodial/maintenance help.

· Adding funding for adver sing.

· Increased fees and transac onal costs.

· Increased insurance costs for Workers Compensa on, due to the increased number of people employed at the CLC.

· Decrease in U li es based on actual usage. I look forward to seeing everyone at the December 11 Voters Mee ng in Vail to review and approve our ministry plan for 2023.