Prayers for our community

Our kids have officially started school for the first time. What a season! Other than the familiar struggles associated with “starting school,” I have been pleasantly surprised. The boys are doing well, and we know this is the right decision for this school year. 

I’ve also discovered new Christian families in our community. I’ve met so many great people, serving in other churches, all devoted to the truth revealed in God’s Word. Kansas is such a blessed state! This has inspired me to pray for the other churches in our communities with a greater hope and desire for their wellbeing.

In case you haven’t heard, Pastor Dave Reimer is preaching at Grace on Sunday. God has gifted him as a great teacher and writer. What’s most noteworthy, he practices what he preaches. He’s a great example for the What’s True? What’s Real? What’s Next? model of living.

I’ll be visiting Grace Community Fellowship in Hillsboro, one of our church plants. I’m really looking forward to seeing what God is doing in their church family. They have a new building and a new lead pastor. We’ve got to keep praying for them! Our enemy is going to be working more during this season to damage their outreach. May God bless them and keep them.

If you would, please pray for my growth. God is teaching me a lot about resting in Him and silence. I have a personal goal to talk less… lol. Other than exercise, I am working toward hearing God throughout the day in new ways. This journey has so many trails! Just when I think I’ve become acquainted with one “mountain,” I discover a whole new side.

Thank you for your prayers and fellowship in the Gospel. I love you all and pray for you often

Galatians 6:9-10,
Pastor Jack

A prayer for our schools

This week has brought a new season for the Kurtz household. We now have a kindergartner! Yikes. Wow! Whoa. Yipee! Hmm. Maybe you can relate.

If I had to use one word to describe this week it would be unsettled.

We know this won’t always be the case as we make adjustments and learn to roll with the ebbs and flows of a school schedule and a youngster who is trying to attune to a whole new way of going about his week. I’ve been saying to myself over and over, “Not easy, but good.”

This time of year I usually spend a little more time thinking and praying for our schools, the students that fill them, and those who are teaching.

Would you join me?

Often when I’m overwhelmed I don’t always have the words to pray, so I’ve written out a prayer. I’ve utilized a couple of prayer books in forming these words:

Heavenly Father, we ask that you would bless our schools as they begin a new school year. In blessing them, may they be lively centers for sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom. Grant that those who teach and those who learn may find you to be the source of all truth.

We lift up all our students. Be with them as they learn to navigate and grow up in an unsteady and confusing world. We pray you will show them your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing selfish goals. Help them to take failure not as a measure of their worth but as a chance for a new start and humble learning. Give them strength to hold their faith in you and to keep alive their joy in knowing you. In Jesus name. Amen.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Loren

Random thoughts from Janelle

This week I have lots of random thoughts going through my head and heart!

First, this Sunday, 8/12, marks 15 years that I have worked for GCC. I can hardly believe it! A lot has happened in those 15 years; staff has changed, facility has changed, I have changed, but one thing hasn't changed: God. I'm so thankful that in the midst of changes we can trust in the immutability of God.

Second, last week six of the staff (Jack, Steve, Loren, Nathan, Juli, and myself; Kyle had a family commitment) attended the FEC Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was a great week of hearing from pastors within the FEC, meeting others who minister in FEC, and bonding in the van! There were 4 FEC pastors that each spoke on a part of FEC's mission: Establishing Reproducing Churches Worldwide. I think my favorite was Nirup Alphonse (Lead Pastor LifeGate Church, Denver, CO), who spoke on Worldwide. He asked us "Who has eaten at your table that doesn't look like you, vote like you, or think like you?" Ouch, I don't know about you, but that is convicting to me. 

Lastly, we are busy here in the office getting ready for the start of Sunday school and other fall activities. I know that there are other ministries gearing up for the fall as well, such as Weekday Bible School, Norm's, International Students Inc. If you are interested in volunteering in any of these ministries either here at GCC or in the community, reply back to this email. You can find more information here.

Have a great week!

Janelle Paden
Office Manager

Living Hope

As a worship team we always walk through the lyrics of new songs, pondering them, talking about them, and recalling the Scriptures that inspired them.

Our newest song, “Living Hope,” finds its origin in 1 Peter 1:3-5:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again into a living hope through the resurrection from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  

The first verse of this song reminds us of the truth that our separation from God, because of sin, was nothing that we could fix! The chasm was too great, the mountain too high for us to get to God. Our sin, no matter how small or big in the world’s eyes, caused a separation between our Maker and us. 

“In desperation, I turned to heaven and spoke Your name into the night” - This next line feels like so many of the Psalms where the Psalmist calls on the name of the Lord for salvation, and also reminds me of Acts 2:21 which says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Thank God that he even gave us the ability to call upon him! 

The verse continues describing how the loving kindness of Jesus, shown through the finished work on the cross, tore through the darkness of our souls and saved us!

The second verse reminds us of how unbelievable the good news is! “Who could imagine so great a mercy, what heart could fathom such boundless grace?” Our eternal God left his glorious position in heaven to come down to earth and take our sin upon him! That is ridiculous and doesn’t make any sense to me, but I believe it! Not only did He forgive us through the cross, but also He calls us His own, and nothing can change that forever!

Then the third verse describes Easter morning when Jesus arose and claimed victory over death, proving that he was God and could in fact provide atonement for our sins!

I want to quickly point back to the scripture in 1 Peter chapter 1. Look what Peter writes right after describing this living hope and our glorious inheritance in heaven: “In this you rejoice!”

You see, this living hope we have in Jesus is cause to rejoice! It’s cause to sing “Hallelujah”!

Appropriately, the chorus rings out triumphantly, “Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free! Hallelujah death has lost its grip on me! You have broken every chain! There’s salvation in Your name! Jesus Christ, my living hope!”

I pray that this song will fill the church facility on Sunday mornings as well as our homes throughout the week to remind us of the incredible hope we have in Jesus!

Looking forward to rejoicing with you on Sunday!

Pastor Kyle

PS, My RightNow Media pick of the month is a great study on Judges from JD Greear!

 
 

The Ultimate Cleansing Agent

Clean windows were a big deal in my house growing up… and I’m still feeling the effects! The good news is that I still like windows. The bad news is that I really detest the smell of vinegar! Yes, I had a great childhood, but for some reason, a simple pungent whiff of vinegar still brings back the less-than-pleasant memories of my most dreaded chore—washing windows with a vinegar water solution in a house that had hundreds of small panes! 

I’ve come to realize that “clean” is not a bad thing, even if it means work, and I do occasionally get around to washing the windows of our house—though I use cleansing agents not called vinegar!

Most of us like the feeling of clean, whether it’s clean windows, clean clothes, clean sheets, a clean car, or clean teeth. Showering after a blistering day’s work in the yard or taking a hot bath before bed are on my list of pleasurable activities. 

I think God likes clean, too. Especially when it comes to the heart. Jesus once chided the religiously scrupulous but proud Jewish leaders, “You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence!” (Matthew 23:25 NLT)

Wow! Talk about X-ray vision! He sees us to the core and understands where our true issues lie.

When I hear Jesus referring to our sin as an awful internal pollutant, I realize that just “cleaning up my act” or “putting on a good front” doesn’t cut it with God.

Then how does one get a “clean heart”? 

When King David of Israel—who really loved God—fell into the sins of adultery and murder and was exposed by God’s messenger Nathan after covering up and living a lie for an entire year, David realized he needed cleansing big time and so poured out his desperation to God in Psalm 51:2: “Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin,” he pleaded.

David understood what many of us have come to experience—only God can really clean up the mess of our sins.

The best “clean feeling” is when we know that God has forgiven us for all our sins, and we experience his love and grace. He can do that because Jesus died for our sins and paid the price of our offenses, then rose to give us new life, which is something we receive the moment we place our trust in him.

“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross.” (Colossians 2:13, 14 NLT)

“There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you.” (1 Corinthians 6:11 NLT) 

I Googled “cleaning products” the other day and read through a whole list of things from Ajax and Brillo Pads to Comet, Febreze, and Sani Flush! But nowhere did I see the ultimate cleansing agent listed—Jesus Christ.

“But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin.” (1 John 1:7 NLT)

We get a “bath” when we trust Jesus as our Savior and are considered completely clean before God forever! When we malfunction and sin as God’s children we get a “spot cleansing” whenever we acknowledge our sins to Him.

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” (1 John 1:9) 

A clean heart that comes from God is the good news were celebrating this Sunday at our Baptism Celebration at Newton Pool, where at 5:30 pm, twenty-two of our church family are giving testimony of their faith in Christ and identifying publicly with Him. That’s why we’re calling the event “Washed.” 

I hope to see you there.

Bring your family and friends, some food to share, and a chair to sit on, and we’ll celebrate getting “clean” before we enjoy getting wet!

Pastor Steve

Power in the face of opposition

Do you ever find yourself in unfamiliar territory or faced with daunting tasks or situations? Is your desire to continue on with the work God has given you at home, at work or in the church waning in the face of formidable challenge or spiritual opposition? I'd imagine that most of us would answer yes at some point in our lives. It seems God is in the business of stretching and growing our faith often through difficult or impossible circumstances. And our enemy is busy trying to distract, discourage and derail us at every turn.

Two verses have been especially encouraging to me lately when I've doubted my ability to handle where God has put me in this particular place and time to do all these hard things - wife-ing, parenting, leading ministries, combating the enemy, etc. I don't always feel up to the challenge.

Ephesians 6:10 says "Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might."

Philippians 2:13 says "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

The truth about my life is not "I can't" but "God can"! God is the strength in my effort and fight. He is working behind the scenes to help me even want to do the work he's given me, and he is enabling and empowering me to do it. Priscilla Shirer (in her Armor of God Bible study) paints the picture of her growing sons who love to wrestle her, pinning her to the couch and rendering her helpless. She gives up her struggle until their bigger, brawny father steps in the room. He swoops in for the rescue, effortlessly dispersing her captors, and scoops her up into his strong arms granting her victory. She points out through this illustration: "I am not particularly strong, but I'm in relationship with someone who is . . . I'm connected to more spiritual brawn than is coming against me."

Let me encourage you: if you're in relationship with the God of the Universe, then you are connected to "more spiritual brawn" than any challenge or foe you might be facing. Be strong in HIS strength. Arm yourself with HIS power, for he is working to help you want to and do his will.

One looming challenge for the GraceKids leadership team right now is completing our volunteer team for the coming school year. We are actively praying and searching for several volunteers to serve in various nursery, Sunday school and Awana positions. Would you prayerfully consider joining our team as we partner with parents to develop kids who love God, love people and lead others to do the same? We'd love to serve alongside you! We're ready to train, equip, support and encourage our team. Will you join us? If you're willing, please contact me for more information. Pray that God will supply ALL our volunteer needs before we begin Sunday school on August 12 and Awana on September 5th.

In His power,
Juli Dirks
GraceKids Director
julidirksgcc@gmail.com

God's perfect love that casts out fear

Each summer we take a crew of middle school students to LifeChange Camp in Clinton, Missouri. It is always a great time for our students to be refreshed and challenged in their faith. This year I would say they were also profoundly encouraged. Our speaker spent some time sharing how our fears can be significant challenges to our faith, even preventing us from living out our faith in God.

During one of our morning sessions he asked everyone to be honest and write down every fear they have been struggling with recently. I didn’t know how this was going to go. Would the students open up and be vulnerable (a fear for many people)? How would they respond? I was anticipating all kinds of silly answers - which are also legit fears - things like heights, spiders, snakes, etc.

Then that evening our speaker took the whole session and one by one read every fear out loud and asked everyone to stand when he said their fear. The fears he started to read were not silly-answer-fears but fears that can truly overwhelm and cause a person to live according to the fear and not faith. They were also unique to what life is like as a middle school student. Looking back this was a gutsy thing to do and so many of the students were brave enough to stand when their fear was called out.

But he didn’t stop there, because he then used God’s word to speak truth, hope, and love into each fear that was mentioned.

I was once again reminded of how fear plays a big role not only in the lives of students but in everyone’s life. Something I appreciated was seeing how the truth of God’s word can expose the lies associated with each fear. The biggest truth that can begin to expose any fear is the truth of God’s love, his perfect love that casts out fear (1 John 4:18). I pray we may know Him and that we may live by faith in Him because of his great love for us.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Loren

Expanding Your Comfort Zone

“Nathan, I'll tell you more than I know!”

In typical Grandpa fashion, my Papa is never short on stories to tell. Amidst the tales of hitchhiking across the state of Illinois to college and wooing & marrying the secretary on his army base in France, one nugget of wisdom stands out:

“Don’t think of something new and different as being outside your comfort zone; think of it as expanding your comfort zone.”

That is perhaps the most helpful piece of advice I have ever received.

I’m very much a stay-inside-my-comfort-zone kind of person, and I often lament the fact that my microscopic comfort zone keeps me from using the gifts God has given me. I need to be reminded that something new does not need to be scary and overwhelming, but it can expand my comfort zone if I have the right attitude.

I am writing this to myself because I need to be reminded of it consistently. But I also want to share it with you in case you experience the same tension I do between wanting to answer God’s call and not feeling equipped or comfortable.

Six months ago, this introvert did not expect occasionally speaking from the stage to be part of his ministry at Grace. And, yet, that is where I have found myself several times in recent weeks. Each time, in the moments before climbing those stairs, I nervously think 'Why did I agree to this...?' And then, as soon as it is over, I am able to thank God for giving me the strength to step out in faith and praise Him for speaking despite my weakness.

As I look back on these last six months, I can see how God was using a series of experiences and a truth-speaking support group to prepare me for this new development in my ministry. By nudging me outside my comfort zone  and using people to encourage me along the way, God is expanding my comfort zone and building in me confidence. From now on, it is my prayer that in future ministry opportunities I remember how God's strength carries me through rather than letting my comfort-zone-seeking self shrink away.

So now I encourage you to do the same – to look back on the last six months and pray about how God might be using experiences and people to equip you with unique gifts and call you to serve according to unique passions. And as opportunities arise, don't get stuck in comfort zone paralysis, but step out in faith that God will give you strength.

Last Sunday, Pastor Jack gave us a simple, practical spiritual gifts test: however you love to meet the needs that you see, that is probably your spiritual gift.

So, what needs do you see? What makes you excited as you think about meeting those needs? How is God calling you to expand your comfort zone in order to use your gifts to serve His family and to serve your community?

If you are feeling God's prompting to expand your comfort zone and serve but don't know where to begin, this list of ways to serve at Grace or with the community-minded ministries we support is a great place to start: gcc-online.org/engaging-grace.

 
 

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This Sunday, Pastor Kyle will be preaching to us out of 2 Corinthians 2 and exploring ways we can Engage Grace by serving your community. I hope you will come be equipped, be encouraged, and worship with us!

What do you put your hope in?

Hope: to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence (dictionary.com).

Have you ever truly stopped to think about what you put your hope in? To what you look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence?

Over the past few weeks I've been thinking about what I put my hope in. I've realized that I have put my hope in hiring an XP. I know for most of you having an XP means nothing to you. For us in the office, it will greatly enhance our systems and development. If you read the first part of today's This Week at Grace email you saw that our latest candidate has declined the offer of being GCC's XP.

So now what? With it being summer time and staff taking vacations, the search team is going to take a break and talk about next steps in July. We don't know what the next steps are at this point. Please be praying for the search team and the Elders.

In the meantime, I will cling to Lamentations 3:19-23

"Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Italics mine)

I will choose to put my hope in God and not in a man or any other person.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Ministering together,
Janelle Paden
Office Manager

Executive Pastor Update

 
Executive Pastor update.jpg
 

Our most recent candidate for Executive Pastor has declined the position offer. Good news: his three reasons had nothing to do with our church family, and he made it a point to emphasize that his only regret was not being able to work with our church staff. We took this as great encouragement. We will regroup later in the summer and keep you all informed. We pray, "Give us wisdom and clarity. And no matter what, may Your will be done." Thanks for your prayers church family.

Pastor Jack

Using Summer Quest to reach our neighbors

We have now lived in the Springlake neighborhood in Newton for 4 years. Over those years we’ve had some new people move into the neighborhood and we’ve gotten to know some of our neighbors fairly well! Our kids like to play outside on bikes, scooters, and dirt piles, and they love to play with the neighborhood kids! That has provided some great opportunities for us, as we love to join our kids and play outside with them!

It kind of saddens me that many of the parents don’t play with their kids outside, but about a year ago a really neat family who loves Jesus moved into our neighborhood, and they play outside with their kids, and love the rest of the neighborhood kids very well! It’s great having the Powells on our cul-de-sac, and part of our church family now as well!

It has been neat to watch the relationships with our neighbors strengthen over the years. It just made sense that we would host a Summer Quest in our neighborhood and use that to minister to the kids and deepen our relationships with them!

Honestly, there was a bit of fear and anxiety in hosting Summer Quest. Would the kids come to our backyard? Would the unchurched parents who know we are part of Grace and know that I work for the church allow their kids to join us four nights in a row in our backyard to “brainwash” them? 

And we are the “strict” parents on our cul-de-sac who don’t let our kids go into the neighbor’s homes. The neighborhood kids know that our kids can’t come over for sleepovers, and that they aren’t even allowed in the neighbor’s homes, so why would they come to ours? These types of questions lingered, but we decided to host Summer Quest anyway! 

We did a prayer walk with the Powell family in our neighborhood the week before Summer Quest, praying for everyone whose names we knew, asking that the invitation to Summer Quest would be received well, and I believe God answered those prayers! Summer Quest went really well! We had some unchurched kids join us, and even come back each night! They had fun, and even the parents thanked us for doing it!

So the next step was to invite them to worship services on a Sunday morning! Leading the music at Summer Quest made for a great opportunity!  “Hey kids, if you come to Grace on Sunday morning, I’m going to invite you up to the stage to sing some of these songs with me!” 

One of the girls in our neighborhood taught me the floss dance during Summer Quest, so I even agreed to do it if she showed up on at our worship service! Sure enough, Alyssa and her parents showed up, and she MADE SURE that I knew she was there! So being a man of my word, I did the floss for a few seconds. It was embarrassing, but totally worth seeing the family in our worship service!

Maybe you wrestled with hosting a Summer Quest in your neighborhood, and decided not to. I don’t blame you, it’s kind of scary, but I ask that you strongly consider hosting next year! It will be worth it! God has “sent” all of us to our neighborhoods to point people to Jesus!

If that feels intimidating to you, start with prayer. Learn the people’s names in your neighborhood and begin praying for them regularly! When you take a walk, pray for your neighbors as you pass their homes! Then look for opportunities to get to know them. Don’t even bring up spiritual matters in your first conversations; just show a genuine interest in them! Church, let’s grow together in our love for the people around us!

Our family is excited to do this study from Philippians, my RightNow Media pick of the month:

 
 

This Sunday Pastor Jack will be sharing a Father’s Day message and Tom Unruh will be leading worship through song, as Mary and I celebrate 15 years of marriage on a beach in Mexico!

I love you church, and I’ll see you on Sunday June 24th!

For His Glory,
Pastor Kyle

Eruptions of Grace

There’s something fascinating and horrifying at the same time about the destructive power of volcanic eruptions!

I was a missionary kid on summer vacation in the mountains of Karuizawa, Japan when I experienced my first seismic explosion. Ten miles away, well-known and active volcano, Mount Asama, rumbled into action one afternoon, emitting a cloud of gas and ash that shook our town. I remember windows vibrating and rain coming down black. Other than the shock and noise, however, in the mercy of God, we experienced no ill effects.

Maybe you’re someone who’s been to Hawaii for a vacation. Having had the privilege of visiting years ago, my heart goes out to the residents of Hawaii’s Big Island. In contrast to my fleeting and non-traumatic childhood experience, these folks have been living in daily anxiety and overwhelm for over four weeks, as Kilauea and its environs continue to disgorge rivers of lava and smoke. According to news reports, thousands of residents have been evacuated and nearly a hundred homes have been consumed by rivers of red molten destruction. Paradise it is no longer!

One Big Island native, a lady who witnessed the unexpected and overwhelming sight of her house burning up in minutes, lamented, “It feels really hard to know you have nowhere to go and nothing to your name.”

Life on this earth is full of the unexpected and overwhelming. Whether it’s a financial, relational, or physical drastic turn of events, many of us know what it’s like to live with emotionally painful disruptions of our worlds.

Back in March, I wrote about Bobbie’s older sister, Beth Sandoval’s, battle with reoccurring leukemia in Mexico, where she and her husband Chalo have been church planting missionaries for over 40 years. Chemo treatments have failed to eradicate her cancer, so Beth needed a transfusion of blood-producing stem cells from a donor’s bone marrow to have any hope of surviving. 

As you may recall Bobbie was a perfect match. Many of you prayed for us as Bobbie and I set out on a ten day “bone marrow donation trip” to Puebla, Mexico back in April, and we thank you so much for your love and support! Doctors were able to harvest her stem cells, taking double what Beth needed just in case. Those stem cells were immediately frozen, waiting in the ensuing weeks for Beth to undergo her final round of chemo and other medical preparations in order to finally be ready to receive them.  

That transfer hasn’t happened yet, but we’re hoping and praying that somewhere around June 18, Beth will begin benefitting from the overflow of life that came from deep within Bobbie’s bones!

Jesus said in Luke 6:45 “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Overflows can be destructive or beneficial, depending on what’s in our hearts and how connected to God we are.

My prayer for my own heart and for ours as God’s people is that this summer we will experience life-giving “eruptions of grace” from deep within our souls, produced by the overflow of living in sync with Jesus!

I love that Summer Quest “life flow” has drawn lots of kids closer to Jesus this week in an amazingly blessed four days. Thanks to all of you who’ve sacrificially been sharing God’s heart of love with our neighbors.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday, when we gather to celebrate God’s abundant grace, and Pastor Jack unpacks the “Tower of Pride” story from Genesis 11.

Pastor Steve

Stop, Rest, Delight, and Contemplate

Why is it so hard to rest? How is it possible I could be falling asleep in the middle of something I find valuable, yet not be able to sleep at bedtime? When it's something important, my eyelids grow heavy, I blink extra long… maybe I'm describing your experience as you listen to me preach, lol. 

On the other hand, when I intend to quiet my mind and heart, immediately I develop attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Just recently I changed my weekly schedule. I realize that I have gone through a lot of transitions this past year and some of them put a strain on me emotionally and spiritually. It was hard for me to disconnect from work and connect with God. It was hard for me to be around my family, and even though I love them so very much and enjoy spending time with them, I couldn't feel at rest at home. I realized something was wrong. Not with them, but with me. So after the sermon from Genesis 2 on how the Sabbath Day is about stopping and focusing on God, I realized this was a missing element in my life.

God sent me another sign (I sometimes learn slowly…) through the ministry of Peter Scazzero (emotionallyhealthy.org). He identifies a Sabbath rest as taking a 24-hour period each week to stop, rest, delight, and contemplate God. It is not a day off, but a day given to God. I realized that I had not been resting well. So my new Sabbath rest is from Sunday evening to Monday evening.

This past Monday was my first try at this new schedule. I slept-in until close to 8 AM, thanks to my wonderful wife. I left the house around 9 AM… and if it were not so comical it would be embarrassing. I sat in the driver's seat of my car and didn't know what to do next. I looked around and laughed out loud because I couldn't believe where I was sitting. I genuinely didn't know where to go. I had made all these plans to go to a number of places to get some rest and delight and within four minutes of leaving my house, I felt lost in the church parking lot.

Nathan pulled into the parking lot. Walking over with a slightly confused expression, he greeted me through the passenger side window of my car and said, "So, this is your super secret spot to enjoy your Sabbath rest?" We both laughed. 

I'm a beginner all over again!

I left the parking lot and decided to head toward Wichita. I wasn't sure where I was going to end up, but I knew I needed to get away. Thankfully, God led me to a wonderful spot where I was able to enjoy rest and silence in the midst of His beautiful creation. One of the sweetest days I've had in a long time.

There was no wi-Fi, but the connection was amazing.

So, how is your Sabbath rest going each week? Are you enjoying the restoration of silence? Are you ceasing from your work to hear from God? I sincerely hope that you are. I know it can be difficult, but I don't know how we can manage through such a busy environment without setting time aside to quiet our souls and meditate/contemplate on God.

Galatians 6:9-10,
Jack

Pressing into God during transition

Around our house we really like the transition toward more sunshine. We have recently been enjoying evening bike rides, eating dinner outside, watching eggs hatch in a sparrow’s nest, and all kinds of other outside activities. Our youngest is by far the happiest when he is outside. When he is inside he can be a restless mess, but outside he turns into an excited explorer. He loves to wander around the yard doing his best to keep up with his siblings all the while grunting and yelling for us to join him in his adventure.

Transitions are a big part of life. There isn’t any way of avoiding transitions; nature itself has transition built into it. Have you ever noticed how a transition can affect so many levels of your life?

What I’ve found in myself when going through transitions is that I always seem to have to work through my own weaknesses in character and personality before I get to the strengths that God graciously gives, reveals, or reminds me of. Each transition has its own effect on me and depending on how “big” the transition feels this process either takes more or less time. I’ve also found transitions still take me by surprise in some sense.

There is a C.S. Lewis quote that I keep in my head: “Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is.”

Some of the “evidences” aren’t always what I would hope to see in myself, but at every transition, by God’s grace, I’ve gotten through and I’ve been able to see his hand and good heart. Whenever I’ve pressed into him, I’ve experienced a growth in character and virtue. I’ve learned that every transition takes effort, which sometimes I’m open and excited about and other times I’m not. But I do think transitions can be God’s way of continuing his transforming work in our lives.

Speaking of transition, May is graduation season and many young lives are in transition. This Sunday we will be celebrating with our graduates, because this transition should be celebrated! I’m looking forward to it. I hope to see you there.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Loren.

What's in a name?

Did you know that in many cultures last names were assigned based on a person’s occupation?

If your last name is Smith, then someone in your ancestry was probably a blacksmith. If your last name is Miller, then someone in your ancestry probably operated a flour mill. If your last name is Napier, someone in your ancestry probably made table linens (napier… napkin…).

The significance of those names is largely lost to history, but what is not lost is the fact that the names we use go a long way toward shaping the way we see- and think about the world.

Addie and I chose to name our son Caleb Timothy largely because of the meaning (Caleb = faithful, bold; Timothy = honors God). Knowing the meaning of his name shapes the way we pray for him: it is our prayer that he would grow to be faithful and bold in honoring God.

Similarly, the names we use for God shape the way we think about who He is. Two people can both be talking about “God” but by no means be talking about the same god. Exploring the Bible for the way God’s people have talked about Him can be extremely helpful in filling out our understanding of who He is.

You can find a detailed list of Old Testament names of God here. These are a few of my favorites:

  • Jehovah Nissi - The Lord My Banner: God is the banner we march behind; He is our signifier and the reason for our hope (Exodus 17:15)

  • Jehovah Jireh - The Lord Will Provide: Just as God provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice in Isaac’s place, so too does He provide for our every need (Genesis 22:14)

  • Jehovah Rapha - The Lord That Heals: as the giver and sustainer of life, God is the one who heals His people (Exodus 15:26)

Many of the names of God found in the Old Testament are proclaimed in direct response to something God has done. When God interacts with His people (by providing, by healing…), He reveals part of His identity (Provider, Healer…).

These names can also be a helpful tool for shaping the way we pray.

  • I pledge my allegiance to you, Jehovah Nissi, and I will follow wherever you go...

  • Jehovah Jireh, thank you for providing food for us today, as you do each and every day..

  • Please heal my body in the way that only you can, Jehovah Rapha...

I have found that knowing and proclaiming these names of God has helped me to be more in tune with the wide-ranging attributes of God, and having new language for talking to Him has been life-giving in my prayers. I encourage you to explore that list and find a new name to call our great God!

I love you, Church!

-Nathan Ehresman

PS, if your last name has an interesting origin story, I would love to hear it!

Don't just talk about it... do it!

As our Bolivia church plant and the executive pastor search have on my heart, I have found myself praying for them, a LOT!!

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the book Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. I listen to a podcast - Renovare - by Richard’s son, Nathan Foster, where he has been highlighting a different discipline each month to mark the anniversary. The month of April was focused on prayer. Nathan had on different guests to talk about prayer, but the last episode was a Q&A he did with his father.

I love this quote by Richard Foster on that episode: “....in dealing with the subject of prayer, one of the biggest dangers is to talk about it and not do it.”

I remember memorizing Ephesians 6, and verse 18 stood out to me: “praying at all times, in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (ESV). That seemed to be contradictory, “with all prayer and supplication”... isn’t that the same thing?

So I asked God to show me what was meant by that. God, in His gracious way, did! He showed me that sometimes my prayers are prayers of thankfulness, praise, gut wrenching honesty cries out to Him, lifting up a loved one that has a need, lifting up a loved one when He puts them on my heart, or not knowing what to pray so allowing the Spirit himself to intercede for me with groanings too deep for words (Rom 8:26).

Suffice to say, there are a LOT of ways to pray.

I used to try and emulate how someone else would pray or to use their method of praying. Now I realize that God, in His creativity, has lots of ways for us to communicate to Him in prayer and graciously allows me to use all of them.

Let’s take the words of Richard Foster and pray, not just talk about it. But not just today, every day, all day long.

Updates

I gave you updates on the Bolivia church plant and the executive pastor (XP) search in the last staff journal I wrote. Here’s another quick update on both, plus some office news.

Bolivia church plant: I am elated to tell you that GCC sponsored 109 children from our Bolivia church plant, and over 200 total together with all four Grace network churches! My heart swells up when I think of so many lives being affected by our helping to build the church and sponsor children.

Executive pastor search: And… we had our top XP candidate and his wife visit GCC last weekend! We are all very excited about the possibility of this couple coming to be on staff here. I can’t share details at this time, but we are continuing to talk with them and will keep you updated. Please keep praying with us for both them and the search team.

Office news: In an effort to be good stewards of money and staff, the office will now be closed on Fridays. The new office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8am-12pm and 1-5pm.

Ministering together,
Janelle Paden
Office Manager

God is our help in times of need

It was like adding a surprise family member. After looking through the packets of children and praying, we made a final decision. We have now added David Llaveta Chambi to our lives and prayers! This little 5-year-old boy in Bolivia is loved by God, and now we get to be a part of that love. Maybe, just maybe, we will meet him in the near future. That would be something.

Sometimes it's intimidating to make a 12+ year commitment. But, after 5 children, I ain't scared, lol. God is the One who truly cares for me and my family. If you've ever experienced God's help in your time of need, you know what I mean.

I wanted to share a few pictures with you, all worth more than a thousand words (click on a photo to enlarge). God has really blessed my family with comfort and provision these past couple of months. Even when everything around is shifting and changing, He never does. His care never ends.

This Sunday we’re going to sing "Come Thou Fount." It is such a sweet song for the heart that knows God’s help in time of need. In one of the lines we sing, “Here I raise my Ebenezer.” What is an Ebenezer if not a Scrooge, right?

Well, Ebenezer means “stone of help.” It comes from 1 Samuel 7, where God gave victory to Israel over the Philistines. He even restored cities back to Israel that were previously taken captive. That stone commemorated God’s help. Every time they walked by it, every time a little boy asked why this huge stone was placed between Mizpah and Shen, they could tell the story of when God came to the rescue after His people prayed and humbled themselves.

We all need those “stones of remembrance” in our own lives to remind us of God’s faithfulness to help us in times of need. Maybe it’s an actual physical object, looking back on pictures, or reading an encouraging card from a difficult season in your life. Whatever it may be, we do well to remember His faithfulness in order to gain strength for today and the days ahead.

I love you, church family.

Pastor Jack