UPDATE FROM PASTOR EDDIE - Friday, December 6th, 2013
Published: Fri, 12/06/13
Grace House Update from Pastor Eddie
Upcoming Holiday Service Schedule
Wednesday, Dec. 11th - The Wonder of Christmas
Sunday, Dec. 15th - The Children will share during part of the worship service.
Wednesday, Dec. 18th - Down Home Christmas Fellowship - Bring appetizers and treats.
Wednesday, Dec. 25 - No mid-week service
Wednesday, Jan. 1 - No mid-week service
Baby & Child Dedication Service - Sunday, Dec. 8th
Please let Mikki know if you have a baby or child you would like to dedicate to the Lord during a special time of prayer in our worship service on Sunday morning, Dec. 8th. You can email Mikki at mikki@gracehouse.info and let her know you want to participate and give her the full name of your child(children) and their ages so we can prepare your a certificate to remember the event.
There will be a time in the service when we invite all the parent(s) and children to the front and we (Pastors and Elders) will present you with a certificate and pray over the parents and children. It will be a very special time of saying and praying that our children will be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord to love Him and serve Him.
UPDATE: The Ark's New Facility
The ARK has secured their new facility and are working on getting it ready to occupy. We celebrate with them in God's goodness and provision. We will miss them but look forward to continuing to connect in the days ahead. We are family. This past Wednesday night was their final Wednesday night with us. They will be here a couple of more Sunday mornings. Pastor Phillip will drop in at the end of our service on the 15th and express his heart to Grace House concerning their time with us the last 18 months.
They will let us know when their first Sunday in their new building will be. Please be in prayer for them as they transition because it is always such a busy process. Grace House will continue to meet on Wednesday. Below you will see about the next two Wednesday nights and we are making plans concerning what Wednesdays will look like after the first of the year.
This Coming Wednesday Night - The Wonder of Christmas!
Please plan to come this Wednesday night and bring your family. You will be blessed as you are reminded of the wonder of Christmas through video, a devotional, some info about the real Christmas story you may not know, and the true wonder of Christmas. I am excited about sharing this with you all. The service will begin at 6:30 p.m. and conclude around 7:30 p.m. Nursery will be provided.
Down Home Christmas at Grace House
Weds., Dec. 18th @ 6:30 p.m.
Please plan to attend this special fellowship on Wednesday night the 18th. We will all meet in the Commons area to meet and eat. No classes will meet on this night. We ask that you bring an appetizer or Christmas treat. This will give us all an opportunity to just hang out and connect.
Let's have a good ole down home Christmas time together.
Special Christmas Missions Project - Ukraine Orphanges
Helping Children in the Ukraine
We are excited about giving to help orphans during this Christmas season. This year our focus will be on helping children in the Ukraine. We are partnering with Bibles for Russia leader, Jean McCrosky, She will be overseeing a team that will be ministering to these orphaned children. We are told that over 1700 children will be touched through this trip. Here is what we all can to do be a part of this:
We will be receiving small stuffed animals and a special coin offering at Grace House
-The small stuffed animals can be brought the first two Sundays in December. Then we will have them vacuumed packed and shipped to the Ukraine. These stuffed animals need to be the small ones no more than 6 to 8 inches in size. Sandra Harper has checked in many of the stores in the area and says that the two Dollar Tree locations have them as well as Family Dollar. There will be a collection bin placed in the commons area at Grace House for you.
We will be receiving a COINS FOR CHILDREN offering the first 3 Sundays in December
-A container will be placed in the altar area of our worship center and you can bring your coins and give them before, during, or after any of our services. Of course, paper money and checks will also be gladly received. Make them out to Grace House and we will make sure all of it makes it way to the Ukraine to help the children there.
Please feel free to share this with your family and friends and for those of you with children, please include them in the process and explain to them what we are doing. I believe this pleases Jesus, helps children, helps Bibles for Russia in their ministry, and involves us in missions and an important matter on God's heart -- children who have no parents.
Please plan to participate. Thanks so much.
Share Your Story with Us!
We invite you to share with us any testimonies or stories of how God is working in your life. These will be used in different ways such as posting them here in my weekly update or sharing them in a Sunday service, Please state as briefly as you can but with enough information to help people understand just what the Lord has done for you. Send your story or testimony to Mikki and me at a new email address we have created just for these testimonies which is connect@gracehouse.info . We will be blessed and others will too! Be sure to include your name.
Remember to Find A Life Group and Jump on Board!
We are so grateful for the togetherness that our life groups are enjoying.
Our Life Groups Ministry is touching lives. I rejoice to hear about how our groups are praying for one another, ministering the Word to one another, going places together, building deep relationships. This is an important part of the family life of belonging to a local congregation.
If you have questions about being in a group or leading a group, just get with Hillard and Charlotte Matthews who lead our Life Groups ministry.
You are now able to view all the options on our new Life Groups website at LIFEGROUPS.INFO
Please check it out!
Life Group Study on Marriage Oneness
Bryan and Melissa Gregg who lead our Couples In Christ Life Group are leading a new series each Weds. night at 6:30 pm. This is a very practical series called MARRIAGE ONENESS and is for all couples or those about to be a couple. Our Couples in Christ class have a lot of fun together but also go deeper together by equipping couples in dealing with real life "stuff" by applying God's Word. This class is conversational and interactive and will be a blessing to you. Come and dive in with this incredible group of couples. Here is more info about the group.
Our Next Grace House Mission Trip -- Looks like late January.
Please be praying for the development of our next mission trip. This team will purposely be a very small team due to the travel schedule and arrangements and assignment.
About nine years ago the Lord really touched me deeply concerning the island nations. Since that time, I have had the opportunity to see the Lord do some amazing things in the Caribbean. We had an awesome time in Trinidad last year and this past April we saw God do a mighty work in Carriacou and Petite Martinque. It looks as if our next trip will be to Barbados with the possibility of island jumping to revisit Trinidad and Carriacou.
There is no doubt that developing a missions heart is one of the greatest things a congregation can do.
After my three-year old put his shoes on by himself, I noticed that the left shoe was on the right foot.
I said, "Son, your shoes are on the wrong feet."
He looked up at me with dismay, and a raised brow. "Don't kid me, Mom. These are the only feet I got!"
CHECK OUT OUR LIFE GROUPS AND MINISTRIES TO BUILD CONNECTION WITH GOD AND OTHERS
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