Newsletters
September 2026
A Publication of Grace Lutheran Church and Jesus’ Lambs of Grace Preschool
A Back-to-School Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
As a new school year begins, we pray for all the students, teachers, parents, staff, and school families in our Grace Lutheran Church community. Bless the backpacks that are packed,
the classrooms that are ready, and the students who may be excited, nervous, or a little bit of both! Give our students curious minds, kind hearts, patient teachers, and friends who encourage them.
When the homework feels overwhelming or the first day feels scary, remind us that You are always with us. Help us to learn, grow, serve others, and reflect Your love wherever we go. Genesis 28:15 - “For I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” Lord, guide us into this new school year with confidence, kindness, and faith. May we remember that every new beginning is an opportunity to see Your blessings at work.
In Jesus' saving name we pray. Amen.
From Our Pastor’s Desk
Pastor Ryan Henning
What I’ve been reading:
From the Bible: Judges, Psalms, Jeremiah, Mark, Acts: I hit a snag in my daily Bible reading. With all the travel and moving in August, I fell out of the routine. I’m hoping that my bump-in-the-road can be a learning moment for me and for all of you. Time spent in God’s Word doesn’t need to be a box you check. We don’t have to feel like it must be done at a specific time, in a specific way, or it’s impossible. Even if your plan veers, God still loves to have you in his Word, to talk to you and to help you grow. Thankfully, I’ve had other devotional materials to help while I’ve been out of my yearly reading plan. But even if I don’t finish the Bible in a year, every day spent in God’s Word is another chance for God’s grace to work in me.
For Fun: With a few longer drives, I was able to finish quite a few audio books. Little Fires Everywhere describes the tension between two families: a single mother and her teenage daughter who rent a place from a successful family with fourteens. How do their life stories fit together and ultimately lead up to a catastrophic event? I read another Mitch Albom book, a non-fiction account of Mitch’s growing understanding of faith through interacting with two spiritual leaders, a rabbi and a pastor. Then, I listened to a children’s chapter book, The Penderwicks, about four sisters who spend the summer in a guesthouse and get into many adventures with the boy who lives in the main mansion. Next came Divergent, a young adult dystopian novel where people are split into factions based on aptitude tests, yet the protagonist doesn’t fit neatly in just one faction. After that, I spent a lot of my airport time listening to The Starless Sea, a mystical tale about a young man who becomes intertwined with a world hidden behind painted doors and several overlapping books and characters that jump off the page into his real world. Finally, I read Girl in Pieces, a story of a teen girl’s journey through self-harm and establishing her own life once out of the hospital.
As a side note, sometimes I wonder about whether I should read content that could be viewed as sinful. I think that it’s valuable to understand perspectives other than my own, and reading such books is one way I do that. If it ever makes you uncomfortable or you question my reading choices, I’d love to have a conversation about it.
Continued Prayers and Thanks:
Another resounding thank you to everyone who has helped with our move! We’re glad to be getting settled in our new house. Also, I want to thank the family of Grace for supporting our many brothers and sisters who have suffered injuries, been hospitalized, had surgery, and more lately. One family member rejoiced with me at the power of prayer. Keep raising your voices to our good and gracious LORD, who loves to hear from you and most certainly will answer according to his great love.
Staff Clarification and Updates
Pastor Ryan Henning
Celebration and Installation:
On July 19, we celebrated Bob F years of ministry here at Grace. In that same service, we also issued Bob a call to continue serving Grace. I realize that caused some confusion. Bob’s public, paid call to serve Grace as a part-time Staff Minister came to an end with our calling of Alex as full-time Staff Minister.
However, Bob has a great desire to serve and was scheduled to represent Grace in a few ways at least to the end of the calendar year. In order that all things may be done in good order (1 Corinthians 14:40), Grace issued Bob an unpaid call as a layperson to serve in the following ways: conducting nursing home services where he is part of a rotation and where there isn’t a rotation, but Grace has members (Harborview), as well as teaching Bible Study occasionally to help Pastor.
Staff Minister Updates:
We’ve heard questions about what exactly Alex is doing for Grace. The integration of a Staff Minister to a church’s ministry isn’t quite like a pastor; he doesn’t have a sermon to write each week, and he’s not necessarily going to jump right into teaching.
Please know that Alex has continued making visits to get to know members, much like Pastor did when he came. If you haven’t had that opportunity yet, he’d love to meet you!
Here’s the link to schedule a visit with Alex: https://forms.gle/7VkDKzqMwQpgypqFA
Additionally, Alex has been helping plan and promote Welcome Back Sunday, and is assisting in Fall Fest preparation. Finally, he’s been making plenty of homebound and hospital visits.
As Pastor and Alex continue to work out their division of responsibilities, feel free to ask either of them about their ministry. Meanwhile, we ask for a smooth transition for his family as they get settled into their Manitowoc home this month.
Fall Education Kickoff
As Fall draws closer, many of our education opportunities to grow in God’s Word are starting at Grace. Come and check them out!
Sunday School for ages 5 through 13 resumes Sunday,
September 20th after worship, at 10:15 AM. We thank
Denise H, Erin K, and Kelsey P for teaching the next generation again this year! Each lesson includes a Bible story, activity sheets, crafts, and much more fun.
If you want to know more about how our Sunday School classes work, please reach out to one of the teachers or to Mr. Alex Enter, our Staff Minister.
Catechism and Bible History classes start on Wednesday, September 16th at 4:00 PM. Mr. Alex Enter, our new Staff Minister will teach Bible History as a prerequisite to Catechism. Pastor will teach the Catechism class.
Each of these courses are two-year studies, and they will happen simultaneously on Wednesday afternoons. The target age range is 5th and 6th grade for Bible History, and 7th and 8th grade for Catechism, but the Bible never puts age requirements on Bible learning.
If your family is interested in learning about this opportunity, please reach out to Pastor or Mr. Enter.
If you have questions about any of these educational chances, please contact the office or Pastor. We can’t wait to learn more about God with you!
Educational Opportunities
Jesus Cares Ministry resumes this September. Jesus Cares is designed to be welcoming, comfortable, and meaningful for individuals of all abilities.
They meet on the second Saturday of every month (September 12th this month). Bethany Lutheran Church hosts Worship at the Cross, a simplified service with songs, prayers, offering, and a Bible lesson.
Then, on the third Saturday of each month (September 19th), Grace hosts a deeper look at the Bible lesson, including uplifting music, an art project, snacks, and a supportive environment where everyone is valued and included.
Basic Bible Christianity courses with Pastor start on Thursday, September 17th at 6:00 PM. This is a beginner’s course into what we believe and teach here at Grace. Anyone is welcome to come and learn – whether you’re looking to study for the first time what Lutherans believe, you want to become a member of our church family, or you’re already a member but you’re looking for a refresher!
The course is broken down into 15 lessons (God-willing we’ll cover more than one lesson per session.), but you don’t need to attend for every session if you can’t make it. This year, we will meet for an hour and a half each time. The same course will be offered twice a year, a fall session and a winter session at the start of the new year. Last year, we were able to provide childcare during the class. We are glad to do so again to allow more to join us!
From the Desk of Jesus’ Lambs of Grace
Ms. Heiderich, Preschool Director
We are getting ready for the new school year!
Anticipated enrollment is 17- 4K, 15- 3K and 7- 2.5K as of August26th. Our extended care is very full daily this year as well. With the large extended care, we are looking for help on Tues, Thurs and Fridays from 11:00 am to 5:30 pm. See Ms. Heiderich for more information. Also, the kitchen refrigerator has switched sides to provide even wear and tear on the doors. Grace side is now the left side and Jesus’ Lambs is the right side.
Please continue to keep the staff, children and families of Jesus’ Lambs in your prayers.
For the Staff: pray for energy, patience, peace and joy in their work, as they model the love of Christ.
For the Children: pray for safety, comfort, and resilience as they work through goodbyes and learning new routines.
For the Families: pray that their partnership with us will be happy and healthy with an invested interest to learn more about what their children are learning here at Jesus’ Lambs.
Ms. Heiderich
Jesus’ Lambs of Grace Upcoming Dates:
September 14 – DOT Day
September24 – JLOG St. Jude Trike-a-thon
September 25 – JLOG St. Jude Trike-a-thon
September 30 – JLOG See You at the Pole
Please call the church or preschool office for more information.
Building Expansion Update
The Building Expansion Team met on Monday, August 31. A.C.E. has prepared a semi-final draft layout as a presentation for the congregation. Take a look at the sketches in the back of church. May God continue to bless this project!
Vacation Bible School -Thank You!
A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who participated in, donated to, volunteered for, and helped with Vacation Bible School. We are deeply grateful for every part you played in making this year’s VBS possible! Many people may not realize how much time, planning, energy, and love that goes into an event like this, but as a church family, we truly couldn’t do it without you.
This summer was incredibly busy for all of us, and there were many moments when I paused to thank God for blessing our church with such an amazing group of people. Whether you helped with planning, teaching, preparing, serving, donating, welcoming families, or simply praying, your support made a meaningful difference.
Thank you for sharing your time, gifts, and hearts with the children and families in our community. Your generosity helped make VBS a joyful and memorable experience, and we are so thankful for each and every one of you!
Olivia P
Vacation Bible School Coordinator
Christian Family Solutions
Christian Family Solutions (CFS): specializes in providing Christ-centered mental health care that points individuals to Jesus. The CFS Clinic starts in our Grace Building this month. Visit https://christianfamilysolutions.org/ for more information on the services CFS provides.
From the Desk of Church Coordinator
Marlee S
It is hard to believe how quickly 2026 is passing! This year has been filled with many blessings, and it has been a joy to watch our Grace Lutheran family continue to grow, not only in membership, but also in faith, service, and enthusiasm for sharing God’s love.
One of the greatest joys of serving as your Church Coordinator has been witnessing members step forward to serve, try new things, and support one another. Our recent Rainforest Falls Vacation Bible School was a wonderful example of this. It was truly a blessing to see our children learning about God’s Word, singing, dancing, and praising Him with such genuine joy. Watching those young seeds of faith being planted and nurtured was a beautiful reminder of the importance of sharing God’s Word with the next generation.
VBS also reminded me of something we can all carry with us in our daily lives. As adults, we can sometimes hesitate when faced with challenges, difficult conversations, or seasons of uncertainty. Yet through the example of our children, Pastor Henning, and our VBS leaders, we are reminded that God is with us through every circumstance. We can turn to Him, trust in His promises, and know that He will never leaveus. “And call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you and you will honor me.” - Psalm 50:15
I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to all of you for welcoming me into the Grace Family and giving me the opportunity to serve alongside you. Each day, I see examples of kindness, generosity, and fellowship that demonstrate what it means to be a church family.
Thank you for the many ways you volunteer, encourage one another, welcome others, and help make Grace Lutheran a place where people can grow in God’s Word. May we continue planting seeds of faith and sharing God’s love with everyone we encounter. We never know how God may use a simple act of kindness or a word of encouragement to touch someone’s life.
Coordinating Council
Your Grace Coordinating Council is seeking men of faith, leadership, and servant hearts to help guide our church family as we look to fill four important positions:
- Education Elder (Current: Tod Hauf)
- Outreach Elder (Vacant)
- Property Elder (Current: Mike Remiker)
- Worship Elder (Current: Tom Meineke)
These roles are more than titles. They are opportunities to serve, lead, share your voice, and help shape the future of our church. Your gifts, experience, and passion can make a lasting impact! Be strong in your faith. Step up. Get involved. Be the change and impact you want to see in our church!
Interested or know someone who would be a great fit? Reach out to Chairman Jeremy F, Pastor Henning, Staff Minister Alex E, or any member of the Coordinating Council to learn more. We also have Ministry Position Descriptions (MPDs) describing each role and available for you to consider.
“Be strong in the Lord.” — Ephesians 6:10 Could God be calling YOU to serve?
God’s blessings, Jeremy F
Roots United
The next Roots United gathering will be on Saturday, September 12th starting at 5:00 P.M. They will be meeting at Fleetwood Park for all kinds of outdoor, yard games. This group is for anyone ages eighteen to thirty-five year old's.
Invite your friends!
For more information follow the Roots_United_Manitowoc Instagram page.
Welcome Back Sunday
Welcome Back Sunday is just around the corner! If you’d like to help with setup, cleanup, the day’s activities, or bringing a dish to pass, please sign up in the back of the church or call the office at 920-682-7377.
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We’ll enjoy an outdoor worship service with live music, a delicious meal featuring a new addition—corn on the cob—along with bingo and a bags tournament. Come celebrate with the Grace family for a fun-filled day!
Coming Soon.......
October is Pastor Appreciation Month! Let’s show our appreciation by surrounding
Pastor Henning with prayer throughout the
month. Please visitthe back tableto choose a day to sign up and pray.
Blood Drive
Grace Lutheran Church is hosting a Blood Drive on Thursday, September 17th from 2:00pm to 6:00pm.
Every donation can help save lives and make a real difference in our community. Sign up online at redcrossblood.org OR call 1-800-RED CROSS.
Walk-ins are welcome too! Grab a friend, roll up your sleeve, and help give the gift of life!
LWMS Report
The Fall Shoreline Circuit Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society Rally is happening on September26, at First German Lutheran Church in Manitowoc, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, ending with a luncheon after the rally. See the poster in the Fellowship Hall for additional details.
Each year, the LWMS publishes a Prayer Calendar featuring missionaries who celebrate birthdays each month. Starting in September, Lylene will include their names in our newsletter so we can pray for them.
- Stephen K
- Amanda G
- Caleb K
- Luke B
Please pray for the above missionaries, by asking God to protect them and their families, especially those serving in dangerous places. Pray that God fills them with joy, strength, and lasting satisfaction as they share the gospel.
Repectfully,
Lylene S, LWMS Reporter for Grace
MLHS Updates
The MLHS main office has temporarily moved. Mrs. Lori Miller and reception are now located in the SCRIP office. In the meantime, they ask all guests to enter the building through the SCRIP doors.
MLHS is excited to welcomed two new faces to their faculty this year—and to show them their brand-new classrooms! At the MLHS Opening Service, Mr. David F (left) was installed as our Geography and Spanish 2 instructor, and Mr. Elijah H (right)was installed as our STEM instructor. Both bring unique gifts and energy to Manitowoc Lutheran.
Junior Lancer Cross Country registration is open: Does your 5th-8th grader love running and want to be a part of a team? Practices are Tuesdays and Thursdays at MLHS. September 3 – October 15 Check it out and sign up at www.mlhslancers.org/jrlancers.
Lancer Alumni: Looking for a way to support Manitowoc Lutheran athletics, connect with fellow Lancers, and serve the Lord? Join Friends of the Lancers (FOL)! FOL meets just once a month (except June, July and January) and plays a vital role in funding special projectsand wish-list items for our athletic teams. Your ideas, time, and support make a real difference for current and future Lancers. Contact Athletic Director Scott L at sloberger@mlhslancers.org, or fellow parents that are a part of FOL (Nicole W, Jennifer F, Becca S).
Homecoming Fun: at Manitowoc Lutheran High School on Wednesday, September 23.
The evening starts with food trucks at 5:30 p.m., followed by hallway judging from 6:00–6:45 p.m., then the Court March and Powder Puff Championship at 7:00 p.m., with s’mores and campfires afterward.
Night(s) with the Lancers: Football 9/25 (HOMECOMING) | Volleyball 9/29 Mini football, team picture, autographs.
Free entry for all grade school students!
175TH ANNIVERSARY: St. John's, Newtonburg is observing their 175th anniversary on Sunday, October 4th. Guest Pastor is Rev. Timothy E. There will be one service at 9:00am. Catered meal to follow. Please RSVP for meal here 175th Anniversary Meal RSVP. More information can be found at More information can be found at https://church.stjohnsnewtonburg.org/page/175th-church-celebration.
