Learn more about what we do

Loaves of Grace - a ministry of Harbor of Grace Grace Lutheran Church

Loaves of Grace Food Pantry is a Ministry of Harbor of Grace Lutheran Church. We provide groceries for those who need emergency food. We are open every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. A bag of groceries containing enough food to make 2-3 meals will be provided in a drive through line and we also have a walk-up window.

For those wishing to donate food to Loaves of Grace, we welcome canned and dry goods with current sell by dates. If you wish to donate, please send an email to [email protected] or call the Harbor of Grace Church office at 616-268-8182. Please leave a message 

Baby Pantry - a ministry of Harbor of Grace Grace Lutheran Church

The Baby Pantry Pantry is a Ministry of Harbor of Grace Lutheran Church. We are able to provide children's clothing (newborn to 5T), diapers and formula (when available) for those who need of child supplies.

We are open the second Saturday of each month from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. No appointment is necessary.  A volunteer will assist clients in selecting items which are needed.

If you wish to donate, please send an email to [email protected] or call the Harbor of Grace Church office at 231-722-7308. Please leave a message if the answering machine answers.

For those wishing to donate clothing, formula, diapers, wipes and other baby/child items to The Baby Pantry, please call the church office.  If you are donating formula or baby food, please make sure packages are unopened and within the expiration date.


Music at Harbor of Grace Lutheran Church

Music at Harbor of Grace is of utmost importance for our worship services. Our rich ELCA hymnody and many liturgical settings form the foundation of our musical worship. We supplement this foundation with sung psalm responses, music from other denominational and ethnic sources, and spirit songs borrowed from contemporary sacred repertoire.

Sanctuary Choir
The church has three music groups, all of whom are programmed to contribute to worship services from September through early June. The Sanctuary Choir is a group of adult singers who sing for worship 2-3 times per month. The choir rehearses on Wednesdays from 10:30-11:30 am, and at 9:00 am on the Sundays that they are scheduled to sing for worship.

Bell Choir
The Bell Choir is currently a group of 9 to 10 adult ringers who are programmed into the worship service about once a month, including on major festival Sundays. Rehearsals are held from 6:30-7:30 pm on Tuesdays. A basic ability to read music is suggested. Training for ringing techniques is available.

Instrumental Group
The instrumental group is a multi-generational ensemble that performs about once a month, and includes a variety of instruments. Rehearsals are held on Thursdays from 6:30-7:30 pm. An ability to read music and proficiency on one’s instrument of choice is required.

Participation in any of these groups does not require an audition, and anyone can join at any time, whether it be for the entire year or for just one Sunday. We also accommodate our students and our snow birds! Special Events Our Harbor of Grace community holds hymn sings a few times a year. We also try new special events and activities, such as Orffestra, a music workshop featuring Orff and percussion instruments, and hand chimes. These events are open to all.

Questions may be directed to Denise Newell, Director of Music.

Following Worship Sunday, June 25, 2023, we  dedicated the Peace Pole located at the corner of W. Southern Ave. and Barclay St.. 

A Peace Pole is an internationally-recognized symbol of the hopes and dreams of the entire human family, standing vigil in silent prayer for peace on earth. This idea began with Mr. Masahisa Goi after World War II and the dropping of the atomic bombs. Mr. Goi came to understand that words, thoughts, and intentions carry energy strong enough to influence the destiny of all living beings, and by speaking, acting, and living in the spirit of the prayer, May Peace Prevail on Earth, the energy field of love and harmony would radiate forth to all of creation.

Each Peace Pole bears the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in different languages on each side. More than 200,000 Peace Poles in over 180 countries are dedicated as monuments to peace.

Our pole has nine unique components, seven of which declare Peace in languages chosen by each of our youth: English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Arabic, Norwegian, and Somali. Our pole bears the rainbow flag, boldly displaying our message of welcome. And the one spot stands empty, that we may highlight an area of particular need, or that someone meditating upon it may find their own language of peace.

Today we dedicate our pole, beginning with words of scripture:
The Prophet Isaiah says: For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

Saint Luke recounts the song of the heavenly host, praising God at the birth of Christ, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth!” (Luke 1:14)

Hear the words of the Risen Lord Jesus on that first Easter evening: “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:19-22)

Finally, with an acknowledgment of Peace for our Muskegon heritage, a reading of the Apostle Paul from his letter to the Philippians as recorded in the First Nations Version: My sacred family members, how I long to be with you. You are like feathers in my headdress, making my heart dance. I have shown you how to stand firm on the solid ground of the Chosen One. So now, my much-loved ones, stand firm!

Always dance with joy before our Honored Chief! I will say it again: dance with joy! Let everyone see how kind and thoughtful you are. Our Honored Chief is close at hand. Do not let your hearts be weighed down with anything. Instead, with every step you take, send your voice to the Great Spirit, asking him for the things you need. And in all your prayers remember to give him thanks. Then the peace and harmony of the Great Spirit, which goes far beyond our small and weak ways of thinking, will watch over your hearts and minds through the Chosen One, Creator Sets Free (Jesus).

Let us pray Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles, “Peace I give to you; my own peace I leave with you:” Bless this Peace Pole, that it may be a sign of your love; Grant that the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth” be written on the hearts of all who see it; and Give to us the peace and unity of that heavenly City, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, now and forever.
Amen.

Let us declare our desire for peace in all the world as we turn and face the East:
I am the East
I am the veiled woman
I am the Vietnamese fishing family
I am the polluted air of Beijing
I am the Tibetan Buddhist nun
I am the trees and streams of Appalachia, devastated by Mountain-top removal coal mining
I am the forgotten one on the streets of Calcutta
I am the refugees from Syria
I am the small farmer in India
I am your sister
I am your brother
May Peace Prevail on Earth
May Peace Prevail on Earth

Now please turn to the South

I am the South
I am the factory worker in Mexico
I am the singers and dancers in Haiti
I am the Amazon rainforest
I am the weaver of cloth in South America
I am the sickened dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico
I am the surviving Bush people of the Kalahari Desert
I am the mothers of the disappeared in Central America
I am the African elephants poached for our ivory
I am the aboriginal children in Australia
I am the Small Island States disappearing as the oceans rise
I am your sister
I am your brother
May Peace Prevail on Earth
May Peace Prevail on Earth

Now we turn to the West.

I am the West
I am the forest ranger in the Rockies
I am the wolves - trapped and shot and poisoned I am the Native Americans
I am the child in a high-rise apartment
I am the whales deafened by Navy sonar
I am the shepherd in the Alps
I am the winemaker in the Mediterranean
I am the housewife in Poland
I am the widow in Bosnia
I am your sister
I am your brother
May Peace Prevail on Earth
May Peace Prevail on Earth

And finally we turn to the North

I am the North
I am the children of the Ojibwa people
I am the great boreal forest, home to migratory birds
I am the fisherman in glacial waters
I am the Inuit losing my traditional way of life
I am the polar bears starving and drowning as our home melts
I am the grandmother in Nova Scotia
I am the farmer on the Canadian prairie
I am the ecosystem in Alberta devastated by drilling for tar sands oil
I am the European immigrant
I am your sister
I am your brother
May Peace Prevail on Earth
May Peace Prevail on Earth

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always.
Amen.


As we depart: May Peace Prevail on Earth
May Peace Prevail on Earth