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Greetings!
Tears and Perch - That's a full description of our last three-plus weeks. Bruce & I left Texas August 29th looking forward to Bruce's 35th High School reunion in Minnesota followed by a couple days relaxing in Taylor's Falls, Minnesota. All I can say, is that God's plans are perfect even if they are not what I expect. You see, shortly after arriving in Taylor's Falls we learned that my dear, dear Aunt Polly had fallen and was hospitalized in Ohio.
Many women at Grace are well acquainted with my Aunt Polly, her quirky ways & as one dear friend described, her "uncanny ability to chastise and encourage all in the same breath." I have been blessed with not one, but three women who deliberately and heavily invested their lives in mine - Aunt Polly was one of them.
Arriving in Ohio, we found my once formidable Aunt lying in Neuro ICU still investing in people as her energy allowed. As hospital staff painted a bleak picture of her 86 year old bones consumed with cancer I was asked to make difficult decisions which pitted mind & heart against one another.
While being bathed in the outpouring of your support and prayer, Aunt Polly's body ultimately served her for another two weeks - precious weeks in which we assured one another how very much the other was loved, talked about the many, many fun times we shared & most importantly I got to tell her what an important influence she was in my life as I grew from a babe, to a child and into a woman. We lived 3000 miles from one another, but she deliberately invested in me and lived out the Titus 2 model of a Godly older woman to this younger woman. The most amazing part? I heard the same testimony from dozens of other women coming to her bedside and following her death...and isn't that what real ministry is all about? Impacting lives for Christ? The October Grace Connection will reveal the "rubber meets the road" ministry at Grace and how its impacting lives.
So why Tears and Perch? The tears represent grief in losing the godly woman with an indomitable spirit, dedicated to Christ and living in faith. The perch? The perch represents her beloved Lake Erie and state of Ohio, the place I call "home."
I can never fully express how very much your support and prayer meant to me during those difficult times.
Blessings,
Sheila Hoekstra
Communications
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Ministry at Grace
It's a fact of life that as you get older the number of times you find yourself walking down the hallway wondering "what was I going to do?" increases. We take off with great enthusiasm and focus, and then, through distraction or neglect, we forget what it was that we set out to do.
The same thing can happen with a church. We can begin with great enthusiasm for reaching people and sharing the love of Christ in a number of ways, but if we are not careful to keep our focus, we sometimes forget the mission that God has given us. Hopefully, not too far into the journey, we stop the madness long enough to ask; "What was it that God asked me to do?"
God has given us a mission to reach people for Christ and to help those who believe in Christ to become more like Him. We can do this in many different ways, both on a personal level and through our corporate ministry. The most important thing to remember is that we as a church do not exist for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others. We exist in order to accomplish God's purpose: To bring as many people as possible into an eternal relationship with Him.
I have made it a theme of our building project that we are not just constructing a church building, but are striving to "be a church" to the community in which we exist. To truly "be a church" our ministries should have a vision to reach outside of themselves to impact others around them. In the end, it's not what I get out of it, but what I put into it that matters.
In this issue of the Grace Connection we are highlighting a few of our ministries and how they make a difference in our community. Let's discover together how we can be the church that God has called us to be.
Serving Him,
Joel Walters
Senior Pastor
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What is Your Pursuit?
Byron Porter is a member of Grace and recently served on the Dominican Republic missions team. Byron is married to Laurel and has a newborn son.
What is Your Pursuit?
by Byron Porter
In short term missions, we honor Jesus and glorify God by reaching out to the lost. God is grieved by the deaths of those who do not know Him and delights in their salvation. God is glorified (and rightly so) when a sinner is regenerated and heralds the mercy received through the gospel of Jesus Christ. ...more. |
| Ministry Opportunity
Do you make friends wherever you go? Do you like helping people? The CARE Team has an opportunity for you if you're looking for a place to serve and love God's people. If this is you, contact Sue Harmon at srharmon@hotmail.com.
Ready to show that we really care about our community? City of Lucas Founder's Day celebration will take place on October 25, 2008. If you'd like to serve our community by handing out giveaways, working in the Grace concession stand or BBQ'ing burgers, please contact Sheila at sheila@grace-efc.org or by calling 972.727.4512 ext 102.
Prayer
Following Ephesians 6:18 which says, "and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Please pray for:
City of Lucas Founder's Day - Grace is celebrating with the City of Lucas on October 25, 2008. Please pray that we will be a light for Christ.
Phase Three Building
1. Quick completion of parking lot
2. Praise for continued progress on funds received from For Such A Time As This capital campaign
3. Wisdom as we encounter "unexpected opportunities" during the construction process.
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Men's Ministries
 "It's not about developing another program. It's about connecting men with similar interests who can then use their talents and skills together to build up His kingdom." I think that pretty much sums up the throught behind our great adventuring gathering on Saturday, September 20th. By not limiting God to only work through men within the walls of Grace we allow ...more
by Laura Hall
I'm thrilled to be able to share something new in Women's Ministry with you! In the past few months, God has been revealing ...more |
www.grace-efc.org
2005 Estates Parkway
Allen, Texas 75002
972.727.4512
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