Grace Lutheran Church By-The-Sea
Sharing the love of Jesus Christ, because He first loved us
Grace Lutheran Church-By-The-Sea continuously offers opportunities to serve the community, experience spiritual growth, and enjoy fellowship. Grace Notes online newsletter carries all you need to know to become involved. Subscribe today; have it delivered to your email inbox.
Informative masterclass and a joyful, masterful evening performance. Thanks to all who participated and donated to the ICO.
Dylan Savage, DM, is Professor of Piano at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and is the North Carolina Music Teachers’ Association 2024 Music Teacher of the Year recipient. He is author of the book The Transposed Musician: Teaching Universal Skills to Improve Performance and Benefit Life and co-author of A Symposium for Pianists and Teachers: Strategies to Develop the Mind and Body for Optimal Performance.
Professor Savage created a system for non-music students to learn universal skills where he demonstrated them in performance at the piano keyboard. He then taught that system at UNC-Charlotte as an honors course called Learning Universal Skills through Music: Crucial Tools for Life and Work.
Dr. Savage has performed concerts and presented talks around the globe for over 40 years. During that time, he has also given workshops to businesses and Fortune 500 companies using the piano to demonstrate process in creativity, listening, collaboration, problem-solving, and continuous improvement. For the last 20 years, Savage has worked to help music professionals and the general public better understand that life/universal skills can be well-learned through the music lesson and then easily transferred to other disciplines.
Dr. Savage created the Un-Recital to help break down the formal, time-worn practice of the music recital and transform it into something more audience-friendly, informative, and fun.
3/30/25 4 pm, Strings in the Spring, benefits InterFaith Community Outreach.
6/29/25 4 pm, Summer Songfest, benefits WaterLife Pregnancy Care Center.
9/28/25 4 pm, A Musical Feast, benefits Beach Food Pantry.
12/21/25 4 pm, A Graceful Christmas, benefits OBX Room in the Inn.
Musician colleagues from around the Outer Banks, the “Grateful Friends,” present benefit concerts at Grace throughout the year. OBX music professionals and serious students, we are dedicated to raising funds and awareness for local organizations that serve the most basic needs of our neighbors: shelter, food, clothing, crisis assistance. Heads, hands and hearts together! Grace Lutheran Church is home to the series.
Dare County, NC – Grace Lutheran by the Sea Church is proud to present its annual concert series. We offer a unique blend of musical performances, community connection, and support for local crisis assistance organizations. With four concerts scheduled throughout the year, the series is designed to bring people together to enjoy live music in a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Grace Lutheran by the Sea Church’s concert series stands out by fostering a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. We do not pressure attendees to donate. Hosts invite guests to leave a gift in a basket at the entrance, if able. We focus on creating an enjoyable experience for all attendees.
Our concerts are known for their diverse musical repertoire and inclusion of both traditional and unique instruments. Performances have featured instruments like the hammered dulcimer and the lute. Attendees have a chance to see these instruments up close after the performance ends.
Performances last about an hour and offer a perfect opportunity to unwind and reset for the week ahead, while enjoying high-quality music and community engagement.
Grace Lutheran by the Sea Church is committed to spreading the word about this special series across Dare County and beyond. We hope to grow the audience and foster greater participation in our mission of music, community, and support for local service organizations
We are a welcoming church, dedicated to fostering a strong community through our programs and events. With a passion for music and a commitment to social good, our concert series reflects our core values of inclusivity, support, and outreach.
Media Contact: Cathy L. Pescevich Kreplin 252-955-0706 cathy@ncmusicteachers.com gracelutheranobx.org
We’re glad for the friends we make each summer. Looking forward to seeing you at VBS 2026!
For 23 years, Pastor Rick Engel of Jacksonville, FL, has traveled to various parts of Africa. He has spread the word of our Lord to the local natives and provided spiritual guidance and motivation to those who choose to become pastors and evangelists. Most recently, he has been a part of an updated medical ministry, completion of a new church and an educational ministry for the Maasai tribe on the Serengeti Plain in Tanzania.
TEAM TANZANIA 2023 completed the work of refurbishing a medical clinic in remote Piaya. The team of nine individuals was blessed with good health, plentiful assistance from local villagers and ample time to get to know them and share their faith with members of the local church. Some of the completed tasks were cleaning, repairing and repainting all interior and exterior surfaces of the clinic. They installed a 30 foot gutter with water directed to a huge above-ground fiberglass tank for drinking water and installed several countertops in rooms of the medical clinic. Previous funding had been used to replace the entire roof, including rafters and metal, replace rotted and termite-riddled wooden windows and doors with metal ones, and level the concrete floor. The original building had been constructed in 1990 and had received no improvements since the initial construction. Dr. Nsimba, the local doctor overseeing the clinic, was incredibly pleased with the outcome. In addition, Pastor Rick was privileged to bring a message of hope to a crowded Sunday morning worship service. Also, the team offered several afternoon learning opportunities for about 40 children. As usual, multiple copies of A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories were distributed to families with children and Luther’s Small Catechism to local evangelists and pastors (both in Swahili).
Since 2008, 30men have been trained, with two in training, as evangelists. Another nine have been trained, with two in training, to be pastors. The mission supports them through the evangelism school at Ol Donyo Sambu and onward through theological training at Mwika Theological School. While expenses for fees, tuition, transportation and family support have increased over the years, not once has funding faltered to support each man as promised. To God be the glory!
Presently, a year at Ol Donyo is $600 and a year at Mwika is $1,600. Currently, James and Jacobi are at Ol Donyo Sambu in their first of three years of study to become evangelists. Charles (in his second year) and Joseph (in his first year)are at Mwika Theological School in a four-year training to become pastors. In 2023, two more young men were identified to train as evangelists. They began their studies in the fall of 2023 in a three-year program. One evangelist will begin preparation to become a pastor (a four-year program).
Pastor Rick intends to return to Tanzania to continue this support and encouragement of the evangelists and pastors with whom he has partnered. Along with supporting Dr. Steve and his wife, Bethany, in their medical clinic, the mission also supports Dr. Nsimba at his Birthing Center and Clinic in Arash. What a blessing this is for this simple effort to encourage the spread of God’s Word among the Massai of northern Tanzania. Pastor Rick is so humbled to have been directed by God to initiate this work in 2000 and to have been granted His sufficient grace to sustain it through these years.
