Ministries to the Community
Alpha
Alpha is an opportunity for folks with questions about the Christian faith to explore and consider it and, if you are a Christian, to deepen your faith and help you become more comfortable with saying “Come and see” to friends or others who might be seeking more meaning in life.
Blanket Workshop – Entering Our 52nd Year of Ministry November 2023!
The Blanket Workshop is a sewing group providing blankets and layettes for distribution to Lutheran World Relief, the Ecumenical Storehouse, YWCA, and nursing homes.
Have you ever wondered about Grace’s ministry through our Blanket Workshop? What difference does this work make in other people’s lives? How can I be a part of this ministry?
Here’s some facts you should know about Blanket Ministry:
• October 1971 – founded by two concerned women at Grace, Mary Hoglund and
Sigrid Ludemann, in response to a call for blankets and quilts from Lutheran World Relief.
• 12 ordinary women originally worked on supplying our first knitted blanket strips.
• As of October 2016 – over 100 different volunteers have been involved over the past 44 years;
contributing more than 66,000 volunteer hours in a variety of tasks!
• Over 2,200 blankets/quilts have been constructed; 1,000 Baby Care Kits(layettes); 400 Personal and School
Care Kits; 550 lbs. of motel soap and hundreds of pounds of Pop Tabs for Ronald McDonald House in Knoxville!
What difference does a blanket make in recipients’ lives? ‘ It is warmth; a wall, or shade; a carrier and travel companion; shelter and safety. Blanket, you are our lifeline: To the Lord and the people whose love you send.’ Sherry L. Byrnes, New England Region
How can I become involved? Come on the 1st, 3rd or 5th Thursday of each month in the Fellowship Hall from 10 am to 2 pm. We need people who can cut fabric; sort colors; assemble quilts; tie simple knots; use a sewing machine; knit; cut t-shirts to make cloth diapers; and anyone who loves God and all His people! Thanks be to God!
CONTACT
CONTACT Care Line provides critical support services, such as a listening ear, responding to suicide hotline (988) calls, a suicide chat line, referrals to community resources, and reassurance calls for those who are homebound. Grace Lutheran was one of the founding churches for this telephone helpline in 1973.
Ecumenical Storehouse
Grace is a founding member and one of the churches helping to run the Ecumenical Storehouse during specified months of the year. We also help pick up donations on the first Saturday of each month.
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Free English language classes are offered at Grace three mornings and two evenings a week.These classes are part of our Ministry to the International Community. It’s a wonderful international experience! Learners in our ESOL program have included people from Argentina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela. Contact the church office for details or to volunteer.
Current ESOL class schedule:
Tuesday, 9 AM – 11 AM (intermediate), 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM (beginners), 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (beginners)
Wednesday, 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM(beginners), 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (intermediate)
Thursday, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (intermediate), 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM (beginners)
Flower Festival
Grace will hold its popular flower festival on Saturday, April 15, 2023. There will be favorite and new exhibits, children’s activities, a music program, Writers of Grace awards luncheon, and the popular plant exchange. Please watch for more information about this event.
Food Pantry
The Food Pantry is open every Friday to serve those in need and is staffed by volunteers with the aid of shoppers and stockers who work each Wednesday. We also purchase food for the Holiday Basket program at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. This ministry aids about 2800 families (about 7000 people) a year. Come join us in this ministry! For more information on food pantries in our area, please see Anderson County Food Pantry Information. To get detail on Grace’s food pantry, please see the Grace Food Pantry rack card.
Grace Photography Group
Anyone interested in learning about photography, whether a traditional camera or cellphone enthusiast, is invited to attend. Meetings are monthly on the third Saturday, subject to change if necessary. Since photography is developed through repetition, we try to have photo shoots weather permitting. We will discuss our photos with the goal of becoming better photographers. Part of the time will be dedicated to “how to” questions about cameras, terminology, composition, and how to process digital images after you take them. We may also view videos by professionals from time to time. For further information, please call or email the Grace office and leave your email address or phone number. Non-members are welcome and it’s free.
Holiday Food Baskets and Angel Trees
Grace provides holiday food baskets for those in need at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The Angel Tree ministry provides a gift of clothing and one of a toy to each child/youth of the families receiving Christmas food baskets.
Knox Area Rescue Ministries
Grace works with Knox Area Rescue Ministries to assist those in need in our community.
Love Offering
A Love Offering is received monthly for local, national and international ministries.
Other Languages for Speakers of English (OLSE)
OLSE: What is this? Other Languages for Speakers of English, an outgrowth of our ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes, part of our Ministry to the International Community. Currently we are blessed to offer two classes, taught by native speakers. It’s a chance to learn something about another culture in addition to the language, and make international friends. All classes are free and are open to anyone, Grace member or not.
Russian: currently being taught Thursday mornings, 8:30 AM ONLINE
Spanish: meets Thursday evenings at 6 PM
French: on hiatus
Spanish Class
Pet Fest
Grace hosts an annual Pet Fest and Blessing event for the community on the first weekend of October. 2023 PET FEST We are reconfiguring Pet Fest XXII this year. Please watch for details.
For complete details, please visit the Pet Fest and Blessing website.
Pet Fest and Blessing 2020 Video
This video celebrates the history of the Pet Fest and Blessing held annually at Grace Lutheran Church, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The video shows a number of images of the past, including many portraits of pets and/or their owners, as well as other candid photos. Please choose full screen and be sure to adjust your computer’s volume and the volume on the video.
Many thanks to Stan Long and the Grace Photography Group for preparing this video.
Watch the Pet Fest segment on WBIR’s “Live at Five at Four” from September 26, 2018.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
The Prayer Shawl Ministry provides a knitted, crocheted, quilted, or woven prayer shawl to persons hospitalized, entering assisted living or nursing home care, or experiencing other life crises as a tangible sign of the congregation’s love and prayers embracing the recipient. This ministry extends beyond members of the congregation to the wider community. Yarn and dimensions, optional patterns, and general instructions are available at the Prayer Shawl display in the narthex.
Congregational Support Ministries
Altar Guild
The Altar Guild is responsible for the altar linens and for the preparation of communion.
Bread of Life
The Bread of Life Ministry provides communion to shut-ins.
Drama Team
The Drama Team provides occasional skits or short dramas for Sunday worship services, Lenten services, and Vacation Bible School.
Flower Guild
The Flower Guild provides floral arrangements for the altar each week for both the sanctuary and for the 9:30 worship service in the Fellowship Hall. They also provide arrangements for the front and back vestibules. Instruction in flower arranging is provided, and occasional field trips to venues where skills and ideas were obtained have been made.
Photography Team
This group provides free pet portraits and candid photos at the annual Pet Fest and Blessing and does photography at many other events in the life of the congregation.
Prayer Chain
The prayer chain is activated either by staff or members who can request prayer for specific persons or needs of family or friends.
Prayer Time
Members of this group (by invitation) pray wherever they are on Friday afternoons at 5 PM. Prayer concerns are sent by text to Paul Gurecki. This program grew out of the Tuesday night prayer meetings that had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. For more information, please contact the church office or Paul Gurecki.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
The Prayer Shawl Ministry provides a knitted, crocheted, quilted, or woven prayer shawl to persons hospitalized, entering assisted living or nursing home care, or experiencing other life crises as a tangible sign of the congregation’s love and prayers embracing the recipient. This ministry extends beyond members of the congregation to the wider community. Yarn and dimensions, optional patterns, and general instructions are available at the Prayer Shawl display in the narthex.
Stephen Ministers are lay volunteers who are specially trained to offer care to persons who are grieving, suffering a health crisis, or dealing with some other life-changing event. Please contact the Pastor or Stephen Leader if you feel you need a Stephen Minister.
Visual Arts Team
This group dresses the altar for the 9:30 contemporary worship service, hangs banners appropriate to the season, and provides audio visual support. A computer team prepares worship programs from guides provided by the Worshipping Commission, and a projectionist team operates the computer and overhead projector at each service.
Website Team
This group is responsible for the design and maintenance of Grace’s website.
Writers of Grace
Writers of Grace is a group dedicated to promoting the gifts of the writers in our congregation and providing education and resources. Writers (or would-be writers) of all levels are welcome. The group meets monthly, and they work both on personal writing projects and on assignments to develop their writing skills. They also have done a project to help members of Grace get better acquainted by profiling two members a month in the church newsletter (Grace’s Faces).
The Writers of Grace anthology, “In God’s Hand,” is now available! For more information, please visit the Anthology 2017 page on the Writers of Grace website.