June 2, 2021
AA MEETING HAS RESUMED IN PERSON
The AA meeting held at Grace is active and will resume meeting in the Peace Chapel at 12:15 on Wednesdays. Email gopheraaonharvardst@gmail.com to request more info.
RACIAL EQUITY FORUM
Sunday, June 20th @ 11:30 am
The Racial Equity Team invites Grace members and friends to a Zoom forum to review and discuss our denomination’s
“Declaration of the ELCA to the People of African Descent.”
At its Churchwide Assembly in 2019, the ELCA issued this declaration, also referred to as an apology. In it, ELCA leaders confess the “Institutional racism [that] currently exists in the ELCA through discriminatory treatment with the call process; inequitable compensation of clergy of color; racial segregation; divestment from black communities and congregations; systemic policies and organizational practices; and failure to fully include the gifts of leadership and worship styles of people of African descent.”
The Declaration calls for “confession, repentance, and repudiation for the times that this church has been silent in the face of racial injustice.” It also urges ELCA congregations to share this declaration broadly among its members and foster engagement in anti-racism, racial justice work, and the consideration of reparations.
Please join us for this important event. You will be best prepared for the conversation if you’ve taken the time to read the document and its supporting materials and by considering this question:
“What do these statements direct and inspire us to do as a community of faith?”
The link to join via Zoom that day will be sent in future communications.
To read the Declaration and Response prior to the forum:
Declaration of the ELCA to the People of African Descent
Response to the Declaration of the ELCA to People of African Descent
YOU’RE INVITED
The Grace community is invited to an open house celebrating Charlie Abenth’s graduation. It will be held on Saturday, June 26 from 4-6 pm at the Highland Picnic Shelter (1227 Montreal Ave, St. Paul 55116).
PHOTO DIRECTORY
We will publish an updated directory of Grace members and friends this summer. Last year we were able to easily make this a photo directory, and we’ll do the same again this year.
Email us a photo of you/your family… We may already have a photo on file, but if you’d like to have that photo updated, or you missed the deadline last year, please send a new photo! We want to see your faces well and it would be great if it were a current photo (less than a year old,
perhaps). We have room for one photo per household.
If you have moved, or changed phone numbers or email addresses in the past year and haven’t let us know, please contact Jill at
info@graceattheu.org or at the church phone 612-331-8125 (leave a message) to inform us of the change.
If you aren’t officially a member of Grace but you consider this your church home, we’d love to include you—just reach out to Jill.
We plan to distribute the directory as a pdf file, but if you prefer it as a printed booklet, please let us know and we’ll mail a copy to you.
Photo submission deadline: July 15
ADDRESSING HUNGER DURING THE PANDEMIC
CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH
Calvary Lutheran Church (3901 Chicago Ave, Mpls) has an emergency food shelf on Saturdays – (http://clchurch.org) see “Emergency Food Shelf” on the home page, which includes information for those seeking food and a link to volunteer.
COMMUNITY EMERGENCY SERVICE (CES)
CES provides high-quality direct service to people in need through direct aid relief, advocacy, referral, guidance and prayer support, if desired. CES seeks to strengthen families and individuals with the goal of moving them beyond crisis to financial stability, as well as emotional health, personal growth and spiritual depth. The Grace community has been a strong supporter of this ministry for many years. To learn more: https://cesmn.org
You may send your check to Grace with “CES” in the memo line, and funds will be forwarded.
RACIAL JUSTICE NETWORK
The Racial Justice Network (RJN) Education Committee is partnering with the We Win Institute, which helps kids of color overcome the effects of systemic racism. Families identified as experiencing food insecurity are being provided groceries through the RJN Education Committee. They bring enough food to last 2-3 weeks, at a cost of $250.
The Racial Equity Team at Grace is inviting Grace members to help. Send a check to Grace with “Good Samaritan Fund (RJN)” on the memo line. You are encouraged to give what you are able, whether or not you can provide the full amount for a family’s groceries. If you have questions, please contact Linnea at linneaswensontellekson@gmail.com.
