GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH
4690 Tittabawassee Road
Saginaw, Michigan 48604
(989) 792-7051
 (view map)
Pastor David Birnbaum
grace@graceelc.org

CHANGES AT GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH

[1977-Present]

Over the 36 years Grace has been on Tittabawassee we have had many changes. Following is a list of some of these changes and when they took place.

1974 - Grace opens her doors at 4690 Tittabawassee
1975 - 18 year old members are given the right to vote and serve on the council
1977 - Pastor Kettner retires after 15 years of service with Grace
  Pastor John Harder becomes new Pastor of Grace
  New woman's group forms - Mary Maratha
1978 - Athletic Committee group is formed
1980 - Interim (Vicar) program was restarted till 1984
  Preschool was established in the present nursery room - it ended in 1986
1981 - $500,000. Mortgage was burned
1984 - Storage garage was built
1985 - Good Shepherd Window was lighted
  Altar area is remolded (back wall is moved back about 4 foot)
  New roof
  Split of the congregation
1988 - Bazaar started to help pay for the roof and it ended in 2001
  We no longer had Elders, Trustees and Deacons on the Council
  New sign out front
1990 - Fans installed in the church Fellowship Hall
1992 - Pastor Harder leaves Grace
  Sold the Parsonage
  City water in put through to the church
  Vacation Bible School moved to evenings
  First Communion class started
1993 - Pastor John Boldt comes to Grace
1994 - Nursery room remolded and installed in Nursery school area
1995 - New Banners and some new Altar cloths are purchased
1997 - New Allen Organ purchased and placed in the balcony
  Oil candles purchased for altar area
  Grace Mission Endowment Fund Established
1998 - Pastor John Boldt leaves Grace
  Remolding of the bathrooms
1999 - Good Shepherd Window light removed and place to shine on the outdoor cross
  Pastor Clarence Gall and Diaconal Minster Sharon Gall come to Grace
  New computer system placed in office
2000 - Web page place on Internet for our Church
2001 - The Galls leave Grace
  Combination of 7 churches catechism and youth group
  Baptismal Font made movable
2003 - Dave Birnbaum becomes minister at Grace
  Playground Built
2004 - New replacement sign and landscaping in front
2005 - Purchased new blue hymnals
2007 - Air conditioning in church
  New speaker system
  New Narthex entrance and hallway flooring
  New stain glass window with 3 separate angels installed in Narthex
  New additional lighting in church
  Moved choir room to the west side of building
  Playground fenced in
  Block pavers laid under porch entrance
2008 - Trinity Fountain installed near entrance
  Moved mail box into driveway
2009 - Started up baseball team again
  Replaced all conference tables with new lighter molded tables
2010 - Hung Pastoral wall pictures with painted pictures of the 3 stages of our church
  Placed church pew from the 1910 and 1927 churches in hallway
  Mounted limestone church sign from old church on entrance wall and built
support under sign with stone from 3rd and Johnson church
  Built stone bench from stone from original church in entrance porch
  Reinstalled 2 stain glass windows from office and money counting room in Narthex and
framed the windows in with wood from old church pews
  Refurbished choir room
     
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