CANDI KOHNER

       When Steve and I were  in Mexico, we attended mass at the resort where we were
staying. The setting was beautiful. Where we were seated, we had a full view of a
reflection pool complete with colorful flowers. Behind it was the ocean and along side of us
was palm trees and more view of the ocean. The background sound of the ocean was also an
added touch. Birds were also a part of our service. Since my husband and his family are
Catholic, I am somewhat familiar with the various elements of mass. The scripture was
read in Spanish and also in English. Everything else was in Spanish, including the homily (sermon).
During the homily, I understood the words "Christ", "excellent" and "difficult". (Not necessarily in
that order.)
     Although I speak very little Spanish, I felt I gained something from that service and I feel God talked to me
through the beauty that surrounded me, the music during mass and the faith I shared with
other Christians from different countries. We don't always having a direct message from God but I
do believe the signs and messages are here in our midst..    we just need to be open to them.
God speaks to us  in many ways and sometimes we do not listen as well as we should.
     As we enter into Holy Week, let us listen as God speak to us.
Yours in Christ,
Candi
 

Doug Rosendahl

The central belief in. Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus. Not Christmas, but Easter is the
important thing- not how he was born, but that he is still alive. In regards to the life of Jesus, the
virgin birth receives scant coverage in the New Testament but the resurrection breathes through the
pores of every page. It was important   to Paul, Luke, John, and the rest for the same reason it is still
important today. Christ has been raised, we can know him in a way that is different from every other
figure of the past. He is still alive! "On the day when I can no longer believe in the Resurrection,
I shall no longer be able to follow Christ. It's not that I require a reward after death; it's just that I
refuse to have a dead guy running my life." (Garret Keizer) The resurrection of Christ is still a
crucial part of the Christian creed, the foundation of all that goes before and after. This is no
abstraction, because a risen Christ is by definition still alive- in the stories about him that we continue
to remember, tell, and reinterpret for one another, in the leading of his Spirit, personally and communally,
in the bread and wine that is his body and blood, in the faces of those around us, believers and unbelievers
alike - if only we have the eyes to see him!
       To paraphrase Paul: If Christ has not been raised, we may as well bag it and go home. But in fact
Christ has been raised from the dead, and I've got the stories, the communities, and the sacraments to prove it.
I'll grant you that's not the proof of a mathematical equation or a scientific hypothesis, but standing before the
mystery of the universe, how much proof do you need?
See vow in church!

AL KLEINSASSER

Dear Grace Church Family,
I'm continuing this month to give you a little additional information about myself/family
that you in turn might get to know me better. First of all, I want to
say how much I have enjoyed getting better acquainted with the
Grace Church membership and having the opportunity to serve
you as a part-time pastor. I had the privilege to grow-up in a Christian family -
both of my parents wanting to serve as missionaries in Africa.
Because it was at the beginning of WWII when they were prepared to leave, their mission
board made the decision that they would have to wait until the conclusion of the war.
In light of that, my dad decided to enter the pastorate; consequently they never
made it to a foreign field; but in stead served the Lord for forty plus years here in the States. My
dad just turned 93 on March 13 and resides in Mason City, IA.
My mother passed away five years ago from cancer.  They were great parents and introduced
me to Christ when I was just a boy. I have an older brother, Keith, who is a retired secondary
history teacher and lives in Cottage Grove, MN.  I have a younger sister, Bonnie, who is a
hospital social worker and lives in Mason City. They both are married and have grown children in college
and beyond.
    Being a PK (preacher's kid) wasn't all that bad! It afforded me the chance to get some first-hand
insight into what a minister's life was like. Some of my earliest memories are of going on pastoral
visits with my dad, for some reason son he liked to take me along. During my teen years, I became very
involved with our local church youth ministry and also a Youth For Christ outreach at my HS. I chose
to attend a church-related Christian college where I majored in history and minored in English and
secondary education. I taught in the public schools for two years prior to being called into military service.
We'll save that for the next installment.
         As we approach this Easter Season and the celebration of the resurrection, may what Christ
accomplished on the cross for our behalf again fill us with His love and compassion.
Life is worth the living because He lives!
A l Kleinsasser
 

Holy Week Worship Opportunities

Palm Sunday Worship - 10:45 a.m.

Maundy Thursday Meal 6:00 and Worship 6:45 p.m.
(At Grace Presbyterian Church with
First Baptist Church and First Congregational Church)

Good Friday Service of Tenebrae - 7:00 p.m.
(At First Baptist Church with
First Congregational Church and GPC)

Easter Sunrise Service - 7:00 a.m.
(At Dan and Mickey Barr's with First Baptist Church)

Easter Breakfast 8:15 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
(At GPC with First Baptist Church)

Resurrection Celebration - 10:45 a.m.

This year the GPC Choir and First Baptist Church Choir will
form a combined choir and will sing at both the First Baptist
Church at 9:30 am and GPC Worship Services at 10:45 am
on Easier morning.
 

Christian Education
ST. PAT'S POOL PARTY
March 14 marked the 4th Annual Youth Swim Party and we had a splashing good time!!
The Holiday Inn's pool provided a unique jungle-like atmosphere where all ages could
relax and have fun. Snacks were available
after swimming. Fifteen youth and twelve adults attended the event. A
special thank to Mike Rivers for the generous donation of the pool party to
the youth of our church!

WHAT IS LAVA LAVA ISLAND?
"Lava-Lava Island Where Jesus' Love Flows" is the title of this year's
VBS to be held June 13-17 (Sunday - Thursday evenings) at Grace Presbyterian
Church from 6-8 p.m. Children ages 3-grade 6 are invited to participate.
Ages 3-4 will meet alone part of the time with a separate lesson. Ages
K-grade 6 will meet together for multiage activities, Bible stories, singing,
crafts, games, drama and snacks.
First Baptist Church will be teaming with us in planning and teaching the
event at our church. If you are interested in helping with VBS, please
contact Kathy Rosendahl at 687-4601 or any member of the C.E. Committee.
Children are encouraged to invite friends. Please mark your calendar
now! I! More details will follow next month in the May newsletter and
church bulletins.

PARENTS!! YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!!!
The Parenting Class is starting a new video/discussion series called "How
to Make Your Children Mind Without Loosing Yours!" This class is for
parents of children from infants through the teenage years. The six sessions
will begin on Sunday, April 18 at 9:15 a.m. at Grace Presbyterian Church.
No registration is required, just come and learn in a class filled with humor,
wisdom and insight into parenting.
More information on the class can be found on the bulletin board in the
fellowship hall. If you have questions, please contact Nancy Domfeld at
452-4041.

EASTER FLOWERS
You may purchase Easter flowers for the sanctuary and bring them to the church by noon on Saturday,
April 10th. If you wish them to be recognized as memorials or in honor of someone, please get those
names to Elayne no later than April 6th so they will be included in the bulletin on Easter Sunday.
 

Corporation
The committee installed the new handicap accessible water
cooler which is located near the janitor's closet in the hall. The
cool water is a great improvement.
The floors in the Fellow ship Hall will be waxed by Ron
Diet rich and Dick Graham the end of March

Fellowship & Evangelism
The committee continued to work on updating the New Members/Visitors Folders. We
will be asking the various committees to approve what we have written.
An ad will be placed in the Winona Daily News advertising our Easter events.
We may be assisting the First Baptist Church with the Manndv Thursday meal
 

Joys
Jon Lica was named to the Big Nine Basketball All
Conference First Team and is listed in Who's
Who Among American High School Students
2002-2003  Congratulations Jon
 

One great hour of sharing

Immediately following World War II. U.S. Protestant churches made appeals for relief and reconstruction in
areas devastated by the war. In 1949 leaders of several denominations formed a committee to organize an appeal
for support from their churches. A program called One Great Hour was broadcast on Saturday. March 26, 1949
over major networks and independent stations. The broadcast closed with a request that listeners attend their
local church the following morning and make a sacrificial contribution. Exact receipts are not known but over
75,000 churches participated.
            The next year "One Great Hour of Sharing" was formed as an ecumenical effort. Currently, nine Chris-
  denominations take part to minister to disaster relief, refugee assistance and development aid. A significant
portion of those ministries are in cooperation with Church World Service. Over 100 countries, including
the U.S. and Canada, are served.
          Presbyterians saw the need to respond with local people in partnership in cases of disaster or war. And
they learned that staying with the people as they rebuild their lives is an important witness to God's faithfulness.
The Hunger Fund and Self Development of People were both created in the early 1970s to work in partnership
with people in need.
Grace Church in the last 2 years has given about $725 each year. We challenge our church family to
increase the giving this year and aim for S900. Surprise us and make that SIOOO.
And - have you studied the calendar included in the last newsletter? It takes time but it helps us to realize
how lucky we are - how blessed we are. Check it out.
 

HOME DELIVERED MEALS
Anyone who would like to deliver meals in April please contact Dorothy Gilbertson immediately. We can
use people every day all month or as substitutes. It is a great service.

The P.W, "Hand On Missions" items have been collected and shipped out to Rescue Mission - Dubuque. IA. Port St.
Vincent - Madison, Wl and Overseas Hospital - probably Africa. thanks to all who helped gather all of the items. It
is not as easy as sending a check, but it is a needed mission. We are happy to he of help in these areas.

PRESBYTERIANS TODAY
Those who wish to renew their subscription- or those who wish to start receiving the Presbyterian Church
(USA) magazine, please turn in your payment of $11.25 soon.
Make the check out to GPC and note Presbyterians Today.
 

BETHANY HOUSE
Bethany House is a home for the homeless and a gathering place for many. They have a drop-in hospital-
  time from 4-7 pm every Mon-Fri with a free meal served at 6 pm. Twenty people usually attend.
Their needs have been listed as follows:
Volunteers at Dan Coreoran House to play with kids and help with projects/chores.
Cooks are needed - especially during the summer when college students are not around.
Prayers: for our guests, for our community, for peace. Money: for operating expenses,
               new roof for Bethany House,
Groceries: ground beef, laundry detergent, juices, diapers (levels 3-5), Kleenex, milk, canned soup (not
                  tomato), cereal, sugar, toilet bowl cleaner, wood floor cleaner.
Children's Items: medicine (infant/children/adult Tyienol, Sudafed, lbuprofen), baby gates, outlet covers,
                            children's outdoor toys, bikes (kids/adults) Misc. wood for building projects, plumber's helper.
                              energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs.

                           Bethany   House   is   at   832   W.   Broadway.

              HUNGER   FUND   BANKS
     $220.22 was collected for the Presbyterian I hunger
      Fund   Thank you

All of the women at Grace Church are invited to come to the Ladies Get together
Luncheon Saturday, May 8 at 12 noon. We would love to fill the fellowship hall.
Bring a friend if you like! There will be a signup on the bulletin board

Clerk's Corner
Man' Lower)', Clerk of Session
What are you doing for Lent? I tried giving up chocolate once and it didn't work. After I made the b
announcement to myself that I was going to do this, I ate the first chocolate marshmallow bunny that I laid e)
on. Obviously, "giving up something" wasn't going to work. Then I thought maybe "concentrating on some
thing good happening" would be the right path to take. The only thing that I could think of in this area was tl
reduced price of the fish sandwich at McDonalds. That didn't work. So I went to see "The Passion of the
Christ" and that certainly wasn't something good happening or didn't make me feel good, anyway. Now, I've
just given up on "giving up something" or "concentrating on something." I'm just going to be myself and try
to be the best person I can be (during the lenten season).

Come to the Easter breakfast! This delicious even is sponsored by your session and involves cooking
by our famous chef, "Gregory," and sous chefs R.I & J.L. The breakfast is from 8:15 a.m. to 10:00
a.m. in the fellowship hall of GPC. Tickets are just $3.00 for adults and $2 for children, and can be
purchased from any session member after church. You can also buy tickets at the breakfast. Please
come! He is Risen!

Fundraising Committee
The Salad Luncheon will be held on Saturday, April 17. 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sign-up sheets
are on the hall bulletin board for salad donations and the working schedule.
The Chow Mein Dinner was held on March 13. Thank you to all of you who donated groceries,
worked or attended. Proceeds will be over $ IOOO.
Proceeds from these two events will be used to purchase a new water cooler for the church and a
new refrigerator at the manse.

THANK YOU
thank you for the cards, prayers and concern shown over the last 3 months after May 2
surgeries. Things are coming along slowly; but surely. I appreciate your support.
Walt Gilbertson

Concerns
Rita Bell and her mother Ardell Czierzen were seriously injured in an accident in
early March. Rita was in critical condition and is still in a Rochester hospital. Ardel
is in Winona at C & R. Rita is the mother-in- law of Carol Rennells Bell

Deacons
Thank you to Rena Dontfeld for the colorful and creative art work on the lovely get well cards
she made for the Deacons to send to members of the church and the 12 dish towels she designed
and decorated for the church kitchen. The origins pictures of individuals at work and the happy
messages make the towels very special. Her gifts to the church were the result of a project she did
at Central School.  Thank you, Rena, for your thoughtfulness and creativity.

/
Circle I     I will help Mary celebrate her birthday at the Lowery home. April 15 at 7 pm

Circle II     will meet at 12:30 PM on APR; 14 at the Prime Steak & Cake. Visitors are always
                  Welcome and anyone who needs a ride call Elayne or Dorothy.
 Circle III    Will meet at the church on April 13 at 7 PM No formal Lesson
                  We will discuss plans for the future. Snack and coffee will be served  See you there

2004 Spring Gathering

       It is time again to attend the Spring Gathering. The Gathering, "Who is My Neighbor," will be
held at the First Presbyterian Church, La Crosse. The cost of the lunch for the Gathering is $5.00.
Please make your reservations to Nancy Hanson, 608-783-3234, by April 15. There will be coffee and
rolls at 9 am with the meeting starting at 9:30.
    Featured speakers this spring are Elizabeth Swee and another anti-racism facilitator from the synod.
They will lead us in some very interesting self-evaluation exercises. We will take a personal inventory
of our thoughts and feelings toward others. Some of you may have done this at the Churchwide Gathering.
These women have taken special training to make this fun and enlightening.
         We will dedicate the Birthday Offering, so make sure you bring it with you. Load up the car and
go on a PW road trip!
     Please contact Ellie if interested - 452-9225

Synod Gathering ~ "Listen. Hear. Renew. Serve"

The Synod Gathering will be on the St. Thomas University Campus in St. Paul, MN from Aug.
11-14. Dale Lindsay Morgan will be the speaker for the day and will have a workshop. She was the
"Trunk" lady who led the Bible Study on "You Are My Beloved" at one of the Ames Gatherings and
pulled interesting things out of the trunk to get the study going. Sally Cuersma, a Native American, will
also speak, and there will be a renewing of our Baptismal vows before we leave.
The offering will go to the AIDS kits. We are hoping to have a Great Room and a much better
bookstore than last time.
Registration, $210.00, will begin on March 1. After July, registration increases to $235.00. JKPW
has money set aside for ten $ 100 scholarships. We are issuing only one per church. The scholarships will be
issued first come first serve, based on need. If there is a woman in your church who you think would enjoy
going to the Gathering, but could use some extra finances, please send her registration and registration
check to Carol Siekmeier PWP treasurer. Carol will send the $100 scholarship check to the registrant and
forward the synod registration.
If interested, call Elayne at 452-4608.

Reminders
By Candi   Kohner

If you are planning to borrow church property (coffee pot, roaster, table, etc.) please complete the information
in the red folder which is on Candi's desk. It will be helpful for us to know where the property is. Please
return everything as soon as possible.
There is also blue calendar on Candi's desk for church building reservation/use for outside groups and special
occasions. This can serve as a great information tool. Please feel free to use it.

An Easter Cryptarithm
A cryptarithm is a math problem where each digit is replaced by a letter

For example, a very famous cryptarithm was allegedly sent by a college student to her parents
SEND + MORE = MONEY (Solution: S=9,E=5, N=6, D=7, M=l, 0=0, R=8, Y=2, giving
the arithmetic problem 9567+1085=l 0652.)

Can you determine what addition problem gives the Easter Cryptarithm below? (None
of the numbers starts with the digit )  JESUS + RISES =EASTER
Submitted by Paul Weiner
 

YOU "CAN" MAKE A DIFFERENCE
    The St. Mary's University and Winona State University campus chapters of Habitat for Humanity
are teaming up to raise money to build new Habitat homes in Winona County. Their goal is to
collect at least 5,000 pounds of aluminum cans in 2004. If they reach their goal they will be eligible to
receive a grant that is awarded by the Aluminum Association. The grant money, combined with the
money received from recycling the cans, will go toward building the next four Habitat homes in
Winona County. We can help them by taking our cans to Matejka Recycling, 818 W. 3rd street. Tell
them you are donating to Habitat for Humanity. Together, we "can" build new homes.
    A barrel will also be available at the church. It's more convenient to bring your cans to church,
we'll take care of them for you.

AIDS AND POVERTY WE ARE CALLED TO DO MORE
The Gap between the rich and poor of this world is widening each year. While wealthy nation
enjoy unprecedented prosperity, 1.2 billion people attempt to survive on less than a dollar a day. We
are called to make a difference in the lives of people Struggling in vicious cycle of poverty and
disease. We can play an important role in alleviating the suffering of those who are coping with the
devastation of AIDS. Please check the list on the AIDS box to see what you can add to it.
The generosity of Grace Presbyterian has been felt by villages around the world.
The gift that we are giving truly will make a difference to a community.

ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL

Experts say that organizations go through life cycles.
Where would you put GPC on this life-cycle curve?

The adult class has really been enjoying the curriculum on the history of the church by noted scholar Martin
Marty. But after about 12 weeks on the 6 session series, we've decided to take a little break from it. (We're
certainly not done with it!) We want to explore some issues that were raised by the church history series -
issues of church growth, of vision, and of life cycles. We want to hear the voices of as many members as
possible, so we urge you to attend Sunday School, March 28 through April 25, and share your thoughts about
GPC, where it is and where you would like it to be going. Also, look for questionnaires in the weekly bulletin-
tins and fill them out, to help our discussions be representative of the whole congregation.
Tentative schedule: March 28 - The Once and Future Church (Video with Loren Meade)
April 4 - What are GPC's core values?
April 11 - Easter; no Sunday School
April 18 - What are GPC's bedrock beliefs? (flashback to Luther's 95 theses)
April 25 - Where does GPC fit on the life-cycle curve? What is your vision for Grace?