7:30 am Pancake Breakfast / Hope Hall

10:00 am Traditional (Sanctuary, Facebook Live, and YouTube)

Facebook Live Stream Worship: While all are welcome to attend worship in the sanctuary at 10:00 am, we live stream worship every Sunday at 10:00 am from our Facebook page (Grace In The City).

Revised Common Lectionary Bible Readings: Along with many Christians throughout the world, we follow the Revised Common Lectionary which is a 3-year cycle of Bible readings.

First time visitor? Please read our welcome letter from the Pastor.

We also offer additional services during the church year for special events and festivals.

Accessibility: Both the Sanctuary and Hope Hall are accessible to those who use wheelchairs and walkers. Fully-accessible restrooms are available in Hope Hall before and after service.

Becoming a Member of Grace Lutheran Church

We welcome new members of Grace with open arms and are grateful for your partnership in ministry! Here at Grace, ALL are welcome. If you would like to make Grace your church home, please contact the Pastor at info@graceinthecity.com or 602-258-3787. We periodically offer new member classes. Membership is not a requirement for participation in any aspect of Grace’s ministry with the exception of serving on the congregational council.

Connections: An evening of music, message, & munchies is a lay-lead program intended to serve those seeking a spiritual connectedness and/or a faith community in the Phoenix downtown area. The evening is focused on those looking for spiritual connectedness through an alternative to traditional worship for those uncomfortable or not interested  in, conventional Lutheran worship services.

Connections welcomes and encourages all to worship and connect including: 

●  Young professionals and young families living in the downtown area.

● ASU Downtown campus undergraduate and graduate students living on-campus, ASU staff, and associate facility members working on the Downtown campus.

● Anyone looking for a place to belong.

Special Worship Services

Throughout the year, notably Christmas, Lent, and Holy Week, we observe special worship services.  

Preparing for your Funeral or Memorial Worship

We are honored when members and friends of Grace decide to hold funeral or memorial worship services at Grace. This is one way we can be community for each other—at a very difficult time. Preparing for your funeral or memorial worship ahead of time can be helpful for your family and church family so that we can honor your wishes. If you would like to indicate your preferences for your funeral or memorial worship, you may download the form here or request a copy from the church office (officemanager@graceinthecity.com).

 Holy Week April 13 - 20

April 13: Palm Sunday 10:00 AM

April 17: Maundy Thursday 6:30 PM

April 18: Good Friday 6:30 PM

April 20: Easter Egg Hunt 9:00 AM

April 20: Easter Sunday 10:00 AM

HOLY WEEK

What is Holy Week?

“Holy Week” in the Christian Church is traditionally recognized as the week leading up to Easter morning. During this week, we remember the events of the last week of Jesus’ life.

What is Palm Sunday?

This year, on the Sunday before Easter, we remember Jesus’ triumphant march into Jerusalem by Luke 19:29-44. The disciples and crowds cut branches from the trees and threw their cloaks and coats onto the road, showing they believed Jesus fulfilled God’s promise to restore a Jewish king to the throne.

Our Palm Sunday service is on Sunday, April 13, at 10:00 a.m.

What is Maundy Thursday?

On the Thursday before Easter, we remember Jesus’ last supper with the disciples as written in Luke 22:1-27. The word “maundy” likely comes from the Latin “mandatum,” meaning “commandment,” which Jesus gave in John 13:34: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”

Our Maundy Thursday service is Thursday, April 17, at 6:30 p.m.

What is Good Friday?

On the Friday before Easter Sunday, we remember Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death. We will follow a service of Tenebrae, meaning “darkness” or “shadows,” which has been practiced by the church since medieval times. Once a service for the monastic community, Tenebrae later became an important part of the worship of the common folk during Holy Week.

We join Christians of many generations throughout the world in using the liturgy of Tenebrae. Tenebrae is a prolonged meditation on Christ’s suffering. Readings trace the story of Christ’s passion, the music portrays his suffering, and the power of silence and darkness suggests the drama of this momentous day. As lights are extinguished, we ponder the depth of Christ’s suffering and death.

Our Good Friday service is Friday, April 18, at 6:30 p.m.

What is Easter Sunday?

Easter Sunday is the culmination of the season of Lent and the joyous proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Easter services are buoyant and celebratory.

Our Easter Sunday service is Sunday, April 20, at 10:00 a.m. (in the sanctuary).

Why does Easter move around so much in the calendar?

Christians take the date of Easter based on Jewish calculations for Passover (since the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples was on Passover). The Western and Eastern churches use different calculations, so our Orthodox friends often celebrate a week or two after us. In the Western church, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox so that Easter can fall anywhere from March 22nd to April 25.

 Sunday Service - Fifth Sunday of Lent April 6, 2025

Luke 18:31-19:10

This Sunday's Scripture reading offers a powerful narrative of Jesus's journey toward Jerusalem, highlighting the contrast between physical and spiritual sight. Jesus's repeated predictions of his suffering and the disciples' incomprehension emphasize their spiritual blindness, while the healing of the blind beggar near Jericho illustrates the transformative power of faith and Jesus's ability to restore sight. The encounter with Zacchaeus, a tax collector, further underscores Jesus's mission of salvation, showcasing his radical grace and the transformative power of repentance. This section serves as a critical prelude to Jesus's arrival in Jerusalem, where the themes of sight, salvation, and the nature of God's kingdom will reach their climax.

Music This Sunday

GUEST ORGANIST

This Sunday, we are pleased to welcome Eddie McCoven as our guest organist. Eddie McCoven is a lifelong church musician who has played for various congregations in California, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona. His specialty is American hymnody and gospel music. In the popular music world, Eddie has been a session pianist, keyboardist, and backup vocalist for several independent and minor label artists.

A native of Southern California, Eddie holds degrees from San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College, and Pacific Lutheran University. He is currently a graduate student at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Eddie's full-time career outside of the church is in journalism and multimedia production. 

Please welcome Mr. McCoven this upcoming Sunday!