11/16 Church| An Imperfect Family | Bruce Reyes-Chow: Bruce Reyes-Chow knows he’s not inventing the metaphor of the church as family. So he suggests we take our changing notions about what it means to be a family and let them seep into our understanding of the church. For Bruce, it’s the messiness, the dysfunction, and the joy that comes from complex relationships that make church worth hanging on to. So how do we stay connected to this sometimes-broken family system? What does it mean to commit ourselves to the church family, for better or for worse? Watch a preview with Bruce here!

On Sunday, November 16, we will celebrate as Logan Maffin, son of Mitch and Kari Maffin, makes public affirmation of his faith and the promises made on his behalf at baptism. There will be a cake reception during fellowship. Logan's confirmation verse is Jeremiah 29:11 - "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope."

Confirmation in the Lutheran tradition describes the faith formation, learning, and experiences that prepare students for the Affirmation of Baptism service and the life of discipleship that follows. Often, people also use the word “confirmation” to mean the worship service where students affirm those baptismal promises and become voting members of the congregation. At Grace, we explore the Bible (story of God and God’s people), God’s promises in Jesus (covenant), a Lutheran understanding of faith and beliefs, our own faith, and the baptismal promises as gifts of discipleship for our daily lives throughout our whole life.

Do you love to read? Are you interested in discovering new books and genres? This is a lively group where each month's discussion stands alone, so you can participate for just one month or for many!

If you would like to join, please email Margo Swanson at swansonmes@aol.com to be added to our notification list.

For more information and a complete list of books for 2025, please visit https://www.gracelutheranadel.org/read-with-grace.

Book of the Month: “The Book Woman's Daughter”, by Kim Michele Richardson

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83711405764?pwd=a0RvVnI0bktyeWJZSDhEb2luVG9Bdz09

Meeting ID: 837 1140 5764
Passcode: 372643

11/9 Salvation | Abundant Life Now | Shane Hipps: The cross of Christ stands as a symbol of God’s saving work. But what, exactly, does it mean to be saved? From what? For what? Is salvation a reward we claim at death or something meant to change our lives right now? For Shane Hipps, these are the questions we need to answer if we are to truly receive the release that comes with salvation in the here and now. Watch a preview with Shane here!

11/2 Cross | Where God Is | Nadia Bolz-Weber: The cross sits at the center of our faith, and yet our understanding of what exactly happened on that cross remains conflicted and confusing. Was Jesus our proxy? The payment? The only way to appease an angry God? Nadia Bolz-Weber reminds us that our theories about the cross tell us as much about ourselves and our view of God as they do about Jesus and salvation. Watch a preview with Nadia here!

The annual Vendor and Craft Fair hosted by Grace is coming up Nov. 1. Look for more details in the coming weeks. We will also host a Bake Sale once again in support of the Good Samaritan Food Pantry. Please consider donating some homemade goodies! Contact Susan Hannam for more information.

10/26 Jesus | The Revolution Of Love | Mark Scandrette: What does it mean to walk in the way of Jesus? To explore this question, Mark Scandrette looks to the ancient Japanese concept of the Dojo. What if our churches became places where we practiced being like Jesus? What if we were serious about joining in with Jesus’ Revolution of Love? What if we took the kind of social and economic risks Jesus took and reshaped what it means to be a Christian? As Mark invites us into the Dojo, we find ourselves looking at a Master who might be asking us to walk down a path we never imagined. Watch a preview with Mark here!

10/19 Bible | A Book Like No Other| Lauren Winner: Why read the Bible? This is Lauren Winner’s central question. For Lauren, an avid reader, there remains something odd about the way Christians read the Bible. Why do we keep turning to the same stories in search of some new revelation? What is it about the Bible that makes it worth repeated reading? What gets in our way as we read the Bible and try to make sense of it? These are issues the church has wrestled with for centuries and yet we keep at it. We keep coming back to this book and its strange narrative full of plagues and miracles and destruction and rebirth. So why do we do it? Watch a preview with Lauren here!

Do you love to read? Are you interested in discovering new books and genres? This is a lively group where each month's discussion stands alone, so you can participate for just one month or for many!

If you would like to join, please email Margo Swanson at swansonmes@aol.com to be added to our notification list.

For more information and a complete list of books for 2025, please visit https://www.gracelutheranadel.org/read-with-grace.

Book of the Month: “Demon of Unrest”, by Erik Larson

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83711405764?pwd=a0RvVnI0bktyeWJZSDhEb2luVG9Bdz09

Meeting ID: 837 1140 5764
Passcode: 372643

10/12 Religion | Spirituality Is Not Enough | Lillian Daniel: What does it mean to be spiritual? Is it the same as being religious? Lillian Daniel pushes back at this question that has been stirring up the cultural conversation for a while now. She asks us to consider how the seeds of faith to take root and thrive. What role does organized religion play in helping—or hindering—growth? If religion is the problem, why has it held fast for thousands of years? In this age of religious pluralism, is it possible or even desirable to stick with our age-old traditions? Watch a preview with Lillian here!

10/5 God | Faith is a Quest | Brian McLaren: “If you ask me, ‘Is God real?’ I first have to ask, ‘Which God are we talking about?’” With these words, Brian McLaren gives voice to a common struggle among people of faith—who exactly is this God we worship? Is God a mighty fortress, solid and unchanging? Is God a mystical, unknowable force that floats around us like a vapor? How can we speak of faith if we can’t even speak of God with any certainty? How can we chart a course through the often-murky waters of Christian tradition and find our way to God? Watch a preview with Brian here!

On September 18, the ADM community will be celebrating Homecoming with Tiger Fest. It is an opportunity for organizations in the community to set up a booth and share in the fun with people of all ages- but mainly children. Grace would like to have a booth this year. We have a ring toss game and hand out stickers. To make this successful, we could use a few volunteers to cover the time from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. We also need a tent/canopy/shade for the booth. Please let Lisa Crawford, Todd Nordquist or the Church office know if you want to help participate in this outreach initiative in our community.

Do you love to read? Are you interested in discovering new books and genres? This is a lively group where each month's discussion stands alone, so you can participate for just one month or for many!

If you would like to join, please email Margo Swanson at swansonmes@aol.com to be added to our notification list.

For more information and a complete list of books for 2025, please visit https://www.gracelutheranadel.org/read-with-grace.

Book of the Month: “Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering...Putin's Wrath”, by Bill Browder
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83711405764?pwd=a0RvVnI0bktyeWJZSDhEb2luVG9Bdz09

Meeting ID: 837 1140 5764
Passcode: 372643

On August 20 and 27,worship on Wednesdays at 6:35 pm will move back into the Sanctuary. As we ease back into regular routines for the school year, join us for a casual, come-as-you-are service with music, storytelling, and holy communion.

Calling all teachers and students in any grade! On Sunday, August 24, in worship, we will bless teachers and students for the upcoming school year and hand out backpack tags. There will be an additional blessing on Wednesday, September 3, during worship at the Christian Education Family Night.

Dine with Grace will be going to Fiesta (715 Main St, Adel, IA 50003) in Adel on Tuesday, August 12. Meet there at 6 PM. RSVP to Lori Tabbert. Call or text 515-710-2439 or email tabrph@yahoo.com

Do you love to read? Are you interested in discovering new books and genres? This is a lively group where each month's discussion stands alone, so you can participate for just one month or for many!

If you would like to join, please email Margo Swanson at swansonmes@aol.com to be added to our notification list.

For more information and a complete list of books for 2025, please visit https://www.gracelutheranadel.org/read-with-grace.

Book of the Month: “Wilmington's Lie”, by David Zucchino

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83711405764?pwd=a0RvVnI0bktyeWJZSDhEb2luVG9Bdz09

Meeting ID: 837 1140 5764
Passcode: 372643

Do you love to read? Are you interested in discovering new books and genres? This is a lively group where each month's discussion stands alone, so you can participate for just one month or for many!

If you would like to join, please email Margo Swanson at swansonmes@aol.com to be added to our notification list.

For more information and a complete list of books for 2025, please visit https://www.gracelutheranadel.org/read-with-grace.

Book of the Month: “Becoming Madam Secretary”, by Stephanie Dray

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83711405764?pwd=a0RvVnI0bktyeWJZSDhEb2luVG9Bdz09

Meeting ID: 837 1140 5764
Passcode: 372643

Dine with Grace will be at Ambro’s Roadhouse in De Soto on Tuesday the 8th at 6pm.  RSVP to Lori Tabbert at tabrph@yahoo.com or call/text 515-710-2439.