Passing the Baton

Change is often bittersweet. These past few weeks I have lived in a funny place bouncing between excitement and sadness. With each passing day, I am more convicted in God’s call to homeschool in this season of life. Yet, it is hard to leave this role and the staff team that has been a huge part of my life for the past 2 years.  

I am so thankful for the many amazing experiences that have come with working in children’s ministry and it was God’s good plan that my last big task would be Summer Quest. What a great way to end my time here! 

Thank you to all of you who have prayed for this ministry, me, and my family. I have been truly blessed to serve along with you all. Don’t worry, this is not a good-bye! My family and I plan to continue attending and serving this church that we love.

Now, on to the fun part! I am beyond excited to share with all of you that Amy Thompson has been chosen as the next children’s ministry director! She has faithfully served in children’s ministry for the past 2 years and has a big heart for kids learning about Jesus. I can’t wait to see what work God will use her for! Be sure to congratulate her when you see her.

Church, join me in praying for Amy, her family, and the children’s ministry team as she begins her role on July 6th. 

With gratitude, 

Casey Teater 

Outgoing Children’s Ministry Director

Going for Gold!

I am Going for Gold by..HAVING COURAGE!

I am Going for Gold by..CHOOSING HOPE!

I am Going for Gold by..NEVER GIVING UP!

I am Going for Gold by..BEING COACHABLE! 

These are the “taglines” for each day of Summer Quest. Now, these Bible lessons are geared towards our kids, but there is something valuable in these lessons that speak to me as an adult.

The lesson objective for day 1 teaches that we have courage to do the hard things, because we have a mighty savior who goes before us! He is with us when things are overwhelming, difficult, and when we feel inadequate to handle situations. 

Joshua learns this as he is chosen to continue the important job of moving the Israelites into the promised land. I am comforted to know that God did not leave or forsake Joshua in his big task, and he will not leave me in what I face each day.

Day 2 teaches us that there is always hope because Jesus already made the way for us! Jehosophat understands what it feels like to be hopeless when facing what he felt was sure defeat. When he prays to God and trusts in His provision for victory, God prevents Jehosophat and his army from even having to fight! I love knowing that when we call on Him, He will fight our battles for us. 

We learn on day 3 that we never give up, because our strength doesn’t come from us, it comes from Christ! Paul knows what it is like to persevere as he endured MANY hardships, trials, and persecution for his faith. Instead of giving up, Paul leans into God’s power. What an example Paul is in how to boast in his weakness made strong through Christ!

Day 4 teaches that being coachable means we are willing to grow and learn, and that is why God placed us here on earth! Timothy is a great example of how to be willing to listen, learn from your mistakes, and to not give up. 

When we have courage, choose hope, persevere, and are willing to be coachable in our faith walk, we can commit to the theme verse, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14 

Church, what an exciting week we have ahead of us for Summer Quest! We have over 120 people of all ages serving 10 sites! Join us in praying for the final preparations, good weather, prepared hearts of the children and their families, the building of community, and God’s glory to shine through everything we do.

See you this Sunday!

Casey

Seasons Change

Spring is here in all its glory!! I love spring with plants and trees coming to life, flowers blooming, and birds chirping. What a gift God gives us to look forward to each year!

The season also brings about changes for many families as we experience many of life’s major milestones with graduations from high school or college. Time sure flies, it really was just yesterday that my kids were small.

This year we have yet another daughter getting ready to step into a new adventure. Ava, our middle daughter, has always lived with an excitement for the next big thing. She couldn’t wait to be a teenager...to drive...to have her own room...to go to prom...to graduate...to go to college. It has become a little joke among our family because she almost always says, “I can’t wait to…”

I pray earnestly that she (and all of my children) will live with trust in and expectation of the Lord and His plans for them, not just the next exciting thing to come.These milestones are wonderful, but following what God wants will lead to so much more. 

As each of my children leave the nest, I am committing to praying this scripture for them: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 

It is my hope that they will seek Him with all their hearts and that they trust in His plans for them, even when those plans don’t turn out as expected. It is so hard to let them go, but I can do this knowing that I can trust God and His plans for them too. 

See you Sunday!

Casey Teater

GraceKids Director

Uncovering Treasures

A couple of months ago I was digging through a box of my old childhood treasures and came across a journal that I had written in. I was maybe 12 years old and you can imagine what types of things were recorded.

There were some friendship woes and general happenings that only a pre-teen would find worthy of writing down in a journal. One sentence caught my eye, “I want to be an archaeologist when I grow up so that I can prove the Bible is true.” That sweet girl really knew nothing about the Bible at that time.  

As I have shared before, I did not grow up in a Bible-believing home. What little I did know came from a conversation that I had with my Grandaddy one evening. He shared about Jesus and what heaven looks like, and that He is coming back again. Grandaddy never talked with me about Jesus again; he passed away not long after. Those words are etched in my memory to this day. 

I often heard the dialogue from those around me that disputed the Bible’s authenticity. Imagine the confusion that comes from hearing such conflicting messages! I wanted so badly for what my Grandaddy told me to be real because it sounded so wonderful.

During Habits of Grace, we have been focusing on connecting with God through His Word. The sermons have challenged me to really dig deep and connect with God in a more intimate way. I have been a part of many Bible studies over the years, but I haven’t read the Bible all the way through. 

My goal for this year is to complete a chronological reading plan and it is exciting to know that there are many people in our church family doing the same! 

I am so thankful that I don’t have to be an archaeologist to prove the Bible is true—although visiting Israel would be really awesome!

What that little girl didn’t know was that reading God’s Word is like being an archaeologist, there are so many treasures to uncover and the relationship with the Lord that comes from it is priceless.   

See you this Sunday!

Casey Teater

Be the Church in the Everyday

I love interacting with a new Christian.

You know, the ones that are just pumped up and on fire for God? The ones that you walk away from and can’t help but be just as excited as they are about God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus. 

Those are my favorite people to talk to.

The full-on, sold-out for Jesus excitement is so contagious and they don’t even realize that they are sharing the Gospel! How amazing would it be if we could all share that kind of enthusiasm when sharing our faith with others? 

Now, I realize that there are many ways to live on mission and you don’t need to be loud to accomplish sharing the Gospel. I also think sharing your faith through the ordinary is just as powerful. 

Years ago, I participated in a Bible study with a wonderful group of women. It was a multi-generational group, but most of us were raising young children at that time. I will never forget a discussion we had about mission-focused motherhood and how doing the most mundane tasks were really a way to teach our children about Jesus.

Yes, washing the dishes or folding yet another load of laundry can show your children what it looks like to serve others with love. One of the moms also made it a point to pray for her family while she folded their clothes. What a sweet way to change a chore into a blessing!

Regardless of how I share my faith, it is an assignment that I need to take to heart—to share the reason for the hope I have.

I, like all of us, have been placed by God in certain places and with certain people for Kingdom work and it is critical that we not waste the opportunities before us. My prayer is that God will open my eyes to how I can share my faith in each of these situations.

This past week, I have heard of multiple ways that people are leaving the church building on Sunday and “being the Church” during the week. None of these ideas are complicated, but they inspire me. I wanted to share some of them:

• Text someone in your contacts and ask how you can pray for them

• Take a friend on a walk and listen to them

• Linger in your driveway and get to know your neighbor

• Make a meal and take it to someone—regardless of whether they need it or not

• Send a note of encouragement to someone who is struggling

I truly hope that this small list is an encouragement to reflect on the unique sphere of influence each of us have been placed in and make a step to be the Church in our every day.

See you this Sunday!

Casey Teater

Operation: Children's Ministry

This is our mission should we choose to accept it: reach the next generations. 

“He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers to teach their children,
that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments” –Psalm 78:5-7

We are blessed to have a large children’s ministry here at Grace. It is such a joy to walk the halls and hear the character of God being taught to our kids, hear our kids worshiping through music, and see babies being held and prayed over.

This mission to pass on our faith is a critical one. Now more than ever, we need to equip our children with a solid foundation of Truth. The world will bear down on them harder than the generations before. 

It takes many dedicated volunteers to teach our children here at Grace. Many of them pour hours of praying, planning, and preparing into accomplishing this mission. They are one of the most important pieces of children’s ministry; without them we couldn’t reach as many children as we do!

Church, if you have children or grandchildren that attend Awana, the nursery, or Sunday School, would you stop in and let their teachers and leaders know that you appreciate them? I know that this will bless each of them.

Will you also join us in praying for the upcoming year?

While this year looks different, we won’t stop working to accomplish our mission regardless of what the world throws at us. I am looking forward to seeing what mighty works God will do through our church this year.

Important information for children’s ministry this fall: 

Sunday school begins September 13 during the 9:00am service only. Nursery will be available during both the 9:00 and 10:45am services.

Awana begins September 9. (Parents, please plan to join us for an awards ceremony at the beginning of the evening.)

See you this Sunday!

Casey Teater

Joys in the Midst of Trials

These are interesting times, aren’t they?

One minute we can buy toilet paper and Lysol wipes when we need them and the next… pandemonium ensues! For a little while I was concerned that my large family really would run out of toilet paper. 

We started spring break with the normal rhythms of life and by the end of the week, nothing was the same. My kids were suddenly adapting to schooling at home and I was learning how to work from home and navigate keeping my kids on task. 

Thankfully, my kids transitioned to online learning fairly well, so that piece went smoothly.

Disclaimer here: we did have our bad days. But school is out in just a few days, so it is safe to say that we made it! 

Sure, there has been bickering and tears (sometimes from the kids too). But the simple, slowed pace that we have been living at these past 6 weeks has been so good for my family.  

We have worshipped together, spent more time in God’s Word, learned new things, planted a garden, taken lots of walks, made lots of yummy treats, learned chess… the list goes on — all great things that we missed out on before because of our busy life.

This pandemic has been hard on all of us for different reasons, but it has been a joy to see God’s hand at work in the midst of the trials.

What are some ways that God has provided in your own lives during this time? 

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I am looking forward to the day that we can meet as a church family face-to-face again. We have missed our church family! Until then, “see you” at virtual church this Sunday.

Casey Teater

Radiate Joy

Growing up, Easter was a holiday that my family celebrated every year.

My extended family would gather and have a meal, maybe an egg hunt. There was an Easter basket and lots of candy delivered by the Easter bunny. We did not attend church, but a prayer was said to bless our meal. Outside of the prayer, there wasn’t much talk of Jesus—the whole reason to celebrate.

I remember going to church one time on an Easter Sunday as a young child. I don’t remember much about that morning except that there was an excitement to the atmosphere; it felt like a special day. Everyone was dressed in their best dresses and suits and they radiated joy.

Even though I was quite young, I remember feeling like it was not just because of the Easter baskets and bunnies.

I am so thankful that I now know that Jesus is the reason for that joy.

I know that Jesus dying on the cross is a precious gift to me, despite the fact that I don’t deserve it.

His resurrection gives me hope now and forever.

These truths bring me to my knees when I stop and truly ponder this rescue story. This is truly a reason to radiate joy every day!

This year, Easter looks different for all of us. While not physically gathering with our church family saddens me, I can’t help but feel like this is an opportunity to get back to basics. In a rare occurrence, our Easter celebrations will be done intimately with only the people in our homes. I pray that this is a time that we hear the truth with greater clarity and power than ever before.

Yet, though we are physically gathering only in our own homes, we will be connected with the whole body virtually.

Church, I am looking forward to celebrating virtually with you three more times this week!

• Good Friday service and communion (remember to look around your house for your own communion elements!) at 6:30pm

• Easter morning sunrise service at 7:00am

• Easter Sunday celebration service at 10:30am

You can join these services live on both our Facebook and YouTube pages. I’ll see you then!

Casey Teater
Children’s Ministry Director

I Was Somebody's "One"

Our Habits of Grace sermon series this past month had me reaching into my childhood memories. I was somebody’s “one.”

Reflecting back on my years growing up, I can clearly see the people that God provided to impact me on my journey to becoming part of God’s family.

I did not grow up in a Christian home. There was mention of God and the Bible at times, but there was no church attendance, prayer, or relationship. For my family, the church had caused a lot of hurt and distrust, and that led to their ultimate removal from it.

My first real exposure to church was through a Vacation Bible School that was held at a rural church in west Wichita. Bill and Jackie were friends of the family and had invited my sister (5) and me (8) to attend. I remember making crafts, learning about Jesus, and some of the sweet people that invested in the event. Those planted seeds are with me today. I even have some of those sweet crafts currently packed away in a memory box. We only attended for 2 years and then moved out of Wichita.

Fast forward through several years of middle and high school, I am a freshman at college. At this point, I have made up my mind that following God just “won’t be my thing.” I get a job working on-campus in the student center. One of my co-workers, Janelle, was a Christian that boldly shared her faith daily. She recognized that I was walking down a path of bad choices and invited me several times to go to some of the Christian events that were held on campus. I never went.

To this day, I think about Janelle often and pray that she is still walking with the Lord. Despite my lack of interest during that time in my life, she also planted seeds. It wasn’t until a few years later that I came to faith in Christ.

God was working on me all those years and Bill, Jackie, and Janelle had a small, but significant part in that.

Don’t underestimate the impact of small, seemingly insignificant conversations as you seek your one. I am so thankful that God relentlessly pursued me and used them for His glory.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. -Galatians 6:9

Casey Teater
Children’s Ministry Director

A GraceKids Update

“The God of angel armies is always by my side…”

What a joy it was to hear our GraceKids singing with their whole heart during the Christmas program this past week. This program is such an important piece of our advent season, providing a sweet testament to the work God is doing in our youngest churchgoers.

This Sunday caps off a successful fall for GraceKids in Sunday school and this Wednesday, December 18, is the last night for our Awana clubs. It takes many dedicated volunteers to help things run smoothly. Our volunteers spend hours preparing, teaching, and leading our children and I am so grateful for the time each one invests in this important Kingdom work.

If you are the parent or grandparent of a GraceKid, would you let their teachers know how much you appreciate them?

Our goal in GraceKids is to raise up children to love God, love people, and lead others to do the same. I want to share with you some of the other ways that we are working towards that goal.

Kid’s worship team – This team consists of 4th- 6th graders that lead our younger children during Sunday school in music and motion that is engaging and meaningful. The kids on the worship team commit extra time to learning and practicing music and learning how to lead worship.

Kid’s worship with the congregation – Each month we have kids from 3 years old through 6th grade join us in the worship center to participate in corporate worship through song. We are joyfully committed to intergenerational worship that spans the ages and hope that you are blessed by the kids on these mornings.

Route 56 – Kids in Route 56 have the opportunity to gain leadership skills and put faith into action by exploring service opportunities throughout the church. They work under the direction of a variety of servant leaders in our church. You may see them in their Route 56 t-shirts each Sunday serving coffee, ushering, greeting, or running tech equipment.

Coming soon, there will be an opportunity for our 7th and 8th graders to join in a leadership program like Route 56 called I-78. Would you join us in praying that God will raise up volunteers to help these leaders grow?

5/6 Fellowship – New this year, this is intentional time to help our 5th and 6th graders develop Godly friendships through devotionals and fun, team-building activities.

It has been exciting to see our youngest kids stepping into leadership roles and discovering their God-given gifts.

Please join us in praying that all of our GraceKids will learn who they are in Christ as they grow and then boldly share their faith throughout their lives.

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Join us this next Sunday for the 3rd week of Advent as Pastor Steve helps us explore the mystery of the Incarnation.

-Casey Teater

Seeing the Full Picture

I came home after a busy day with dinner preparations on my mind. Instead, I walked into my kitchen in a state of upheaval.

We had purchased a new faucet to replace a leaky one that was past its prime. In the busyness of our days there just hadn’t been time to get it installed. My husband, Troy, had decided that he would make time to get it done. He had gotten about halfway done and had to leave for soccer practice. 

I love predictability and when my schedule changes, I have a hard time adjusting. This is definitely an area of much needed growth for me. 

Needless to say that when I saw my kitchen in a mess, I did not react well. With a terrible attitude I went to work making a meal, the trips to my bathroom faucet to fill a pan with water and wash my hands only made it worse! 

After Troy returned home, he quickly ate his meal and went back to work on the faucet. He did not finish until 11:00 pm that night. What I didn’t know was that he had come home earlier that afternoon hoping to install this faucet and had planned to surprise me when I had gotten home. 

Obviously things hadn’t gone as planned. 

What a humbling experience to have my heart called into question! 

During the situation I could only see how this was affecting me and it clouded my ability to see the full picture. God is good at lovingly convicting me just when I need it. 

This verse has been running through my mind from Colossians 3:12-14:

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” 

I am so thankful for God’s grace in the times I fail to react with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. I desperately need it every day. If you take a step back, can you see a situation where God is offering His grace by opening your eyes to your own short-sightedness?

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Join us this Sunday as we continue on in the FAQ sermon series; we will be taking another look at prophecy—this time at how prophecy looked in the time of the apostles.

Casey Teater
Children’s Ministry Director

Change is Hard; God Will Never Change

We recently moved our second oldest daughter, Hannah, to college. I managed to hold it together until the moment that my husband and I began to pray over her. 

Change is hard even if you are expecting it. 

She is only 35 minutes from us but the hardest part is knowing that life as we know it will never be the same again. They grow up in the blink of an eye and then they are off to bigger adventures.  

Our family dynamic has changed over the past few years as we have gone from a close, young family to one where we are all going different directions and are rarely all in one place at the same time. In order to preserve our precious family time, we have had to change how we spend time together. Daily family meals have been replaced with a treasured, weekly family meal. Although I am thankful for the time we get, I struggle with the changes.

It is comforting to know that when life is uncertain, God will never change. 

Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” We can depend on Him regardless of what happens in life. He knows what the future looks like. 

Often I reminisce about when my children were smaller and how I wish that I could go back, but then I realize that the best part is yet to come. I look forward to seeing how each of my children uses the gifts that God has given them as they move into the next chapter of their stories.  

Lately I have had the lyrics running through my mind from the song “God of All My Days” by Casting Crowns: 

Each step I take
You make a way
And I will give You all my praise
My seasons change, You stay the same 
You’re the God of all my days 

I will rest in God’s constant presence and trust the journeys that lie ahead.    

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See you Sunday as we start the FAQ sermon series. I am looking forward to hearing what the Bible says about women in the church.

-Casey Teater
Children’s Ministry Director