So... why Lyons?

Church planting is in our DNA here at Grace.

We started as a church plant.

We have planted three churches in our area (Grace Community Fellowship in Hillsboro, Grace Crossing in Moundridge, and New Anthem Community Church in Park City) and one outside Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

And now, we are partnering with Synergy Kansas (the combined church planting effort between the four FEC churches here in our area) to support Caleb Barrows and Paul & Ashley Brandes as they plant a new church in Lyons, KS.

In case you missed that announcement last Sunday, you get get to know Caleb & Paul and their vision for planting a church in this video:

Because Addie and I had the opportunity to serve on the Target Analysis Process (TAP) Team, I want to pull the curtain back and give you an inside look at how—and why—the TAP team sensed that God was leading us to plant a church in Lyons.

If you have the time, this video is an awesome opportunity to hear about the process and our takeaways directly from each member of the TAP team. It was an amazingly encouraging night as God’s guidance on the whole process was affirmed:

In the meantime, let me outline the highlights for you here:

The Target analysis process

The Target Analysis Process consists of four phases: consideration, research, exploration, and confirmation.

Consideration

During the consideration phase, the simple goal is to construct a list of potential target communities. At our consideration meeting, everyone on the team brought a handful of potential communities that intrigued them and we compared notes. (Our only criteria was being within a 2-hour drive of Sterling, where Paul—one of the church planters—and his family live.)

How we saw God working through the Consideration phase: There were 16 different communities proposed, but six of them were on nearly every list: Great Bend, Hutchinson, Lindsborg, Lyons, McPherson, and Sterling. It was easy, then, to sense God’s leading as we narrowed our focus down to these six.

Research

The goal of the research phase is to get to know each of the target communities. Each community was assigned to a member of the team and we took our community and did some detailed research: what does the community look like geographically? demographically? culturally? spiritually?

Each team member presented their research and then we prayerfully evaluated the six communities through four lenses: proximity (how feasible is it for Paul & Ashley to drive from Sterling where they own a home?), compatibility (would the community be a good fit for the church planters?), saturation (are there already new churches vying for the attention of people?), and receptivity (are people in the community open to the idea of a new church coming to town?).

Based on the research and these criteria, we narrowed our list to three: Lyons, McPherson, and Sterling.

How we saw God working through the Research phase: The biggest takeaway from the research phase was that in Rice County (where both Sterling and Lyons are), as many as 85–90% of people are not attending church anywhere. That makes Rice County—a rural county which seems pretty “Christian” at face value—one of the most unchurch counties in the whole state. God’s point was obvious: Rice County needs to hear the Gospel.

Exploration

The exploration phase is where the rubber meets the road. On consecutive Saturdays in November, we traveled to McPherson and then to Lyons & Sterling to pray for the community, to talk with people on the street, and to meet with strategic contacts in the community.

During our visit to McPherson we found out that people were open to the idea of a church plant because there are only a few good churches that people seem to cycle through. We also made a critical discovery that informed our decision: there are already two church plants in the process of launching in McPherson.

During our visit to Lyons we had an amazing opportunity to chat with people on the street as they waited for a parade to start. People in Lyons see a lot of church buildings, but they admitted that there are many people who do not go to church. We also got to meet with a couple local business owners who offered unique insights into the community’s needs as well as the efforts to bring revitalization to downtown and renewed pride in the community.

In Sterling, we were able to talk to a number of community members, college students, and a local business owner. While there are a handful of churches in this small town, they are all plateaued or declining and college students were not finding a good fit.

How we saw God working through the Exploration phrase: Most obviously, the two church plants happening already in McPherson could not have been a more clear “not right now” answer. As for Lyons and Sterling, the exploration visits only confirmed what we found in the research face: Rice County needs a gospel-preaching church. In some ways, even though we did not come away from exploring Lyons and Sterling with a clear answer right away, we felt free—no matter which we chose, it was going to be a good decision.

Confirmation

Then it all came down to the confirmation phase, in which we discerned where the Holy Spirit was directing.

In anticipation of our meeting, everyone spent time prayerfully evaluating the research and the visits, and then we fasted together leading up to our final meeting. At that meeting, we went around the circle and everyone shared their initial leaning. And that is where the cool part happened.

In the spirit of transparency, in some ways it felt like a foregone conclusion that the church plant was going to be in Sterling all along. That’s where Paul & Ashley live and where they already have history and an in with the community. It’s a college town, where we can tap into the passion of the college students to build a leadership people to develop more church planters. That’s the safe and comfortable option. But the Spirit doesn’t often lead the safe and comfortable way, does he?

How we saw God working through the Confirmation phase: As we went around the circle, everyone said “I’m leaning toward Lyons. But I came here thinking I was going to be the only one leaning toward Lyons.” But then every single person felt God’s leading toward Lyons. How much more clear could the confirmation have been? We had our answer: the Spirit was leading us to plant a church in Lyons, KS.

Why I’m excited about Lyons

Two things stood out to me from our time in Lyons: there is a lot of social need for the gospel, and the town seems to have some positive momentum building.

First, the social need: although people seemed to love their community, they were also surprisingly open about the community’s struggles with drugs and depression (several people mentioned a number of recent suicides that have rocked the community). Every time I heard that, all I could think about was how much this community could use the hope of the Gospel.

Second, the positive momentum: people are pouring a great deal of effort into reviving downtown and drawing more young families into the community. Additionally, there is a “kindness revolution” spreading throughout the town as local businesses partner together to spread kindness and pride throughout the community. Again, this feels like the perfect opportunity for a church to join in with what God is already doing and be part of the solution.

Ultimately, that’s what it comes down to: I am excited about the church plant in Lyons because I have already seen how God worked to lead us to that conclusion, and how he is already working in the community, preparing the ground for the work of a gospel-preaching church.

How you can be involved

If you are interested in hearing more or learning how you can be involved, email Caleb at caleb.barrows@gmail.com. And then make plans to attend an interest meeting on March 1 at noon in the Fireside Room.

In the meantime, please be praying for Caleb and for Paul, for the community of Lyons, and that God would be preparing the ground for many to bear the fruit of faith as a result of this church plant.

I love you, church!
Nathan Ehresman

PS, you can watch Caleb’s sermon from last Sunday in the video below, starting at around 34:00.

Grace to Weather Transitions and Tests

With my retirement from Grace now only a little over six months away, I’m facing this transition with sober excitement and a fair amount of grateful sadness! These twenty-two wonderful years on the staff team here have been the longest I have ever lived and served anywhere in my life, and I am so thankful to the Lord for his goodness to me through you, my church family!

As I think about it, I’m also realizing that transition has been part of my life since my earliest years.

Allow me to share a few stories from my formative years.

Three days after I was born in Hillsboro, Kansas on September 10, 1950, my dad entrusted my mom, my two-year-old sister, Marilyn, and newly-born me into the care of his in-laws and rushed off to Berkeley, California to begin a semester of Japanese language studies. The rest of us followed by train six weeks later, and we survived several apartment moves until, after finishing the semester, my parents spent the year-end living with relatives and preparing for their departure to Japan as missionaries. They were slated to leave from San Francisco for Yokohama in early March of 1951 on board the freighter, Andrea Luckenbach.

Around a week before they were due to depart, my parents received notification from the shipping company that their reservations on the Andrea Luckenbach had been canceled for some unexplained reason, and that they were being assigned to a sister ship, the William Luckenbach, which was setting sail in a matter of days. Rushing to finish stuffing countless barrels of supplies for a six year term in a new country, my family sailed from San Francisco on what was to be a testy and stormy voyage.

A week or so into the Pacific crossing, our ship received an SOS from the Andrea Luckenbach which had left San Francisco after us. Following an unexpected stop in Honolulu to get emergency medical treatment for her illness-stricken captain, the Andrea had struck a reef off of Kauai and had its hull ripped open from stem to stern. Thankfully, no lives were lost and my parents praised God for his protection and mercy in sparing them this trauma. Though the Lord’s hand was on them, there would be other tests, as life in post-war Japan was no cake-walk.

As they began settling into a home in Osaka and adjusting to the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and experiences of their new lives, in May my mother became pregnant with their third child. Two months later we received news of her father’s death, something which unsettled my mother’s heart and complicated her pregnancy.

My younger brother, Billy, named after my mother’s diseased father, William Brenner, was born prematurely on December 16. His birth was a traumatic one due to a complication which resulted in a massive amount of blood loss for my mother. Sadly, my brother died two hours after being born. Fighting for her life, and hospitalized for several difficult weeks over our first Christmas in Japan, my mother eventually received God’s gracious healing, but she never saw her son, who is buried in the Ikeda city cemetery near where I grew up. I lost a grandpa whom I never knew and a brother whom I never saw.

Transition, trauma, change, and loss have been family “friends” and part of my story since my earliest years. I am so thankful for my parents’ tested and refined faith in Jesus that helped them weather the trials of their lives and gave them grace to serve for forty-two years on the mission field. I’m grateful that they passed along the gospel through words and deeds to me, and that the Lord gave me a heart of faith to receive Jesus Christ as my Savior at the early age of seven.

There’s much more to tell, but my testimony is this: Jesus Christ shepherded my heart to him and gave me a secure attachment that would help me weather all of the other transitions and tests which would be part of his story in my life.

I know that Jesus will care for his own to the very end and to that most magnificent day when we transition into his presence.

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24)

See you Sunday!
Pastor Steve

And Then God Stepped In

What would it look like if we all shared our faith with one person?

That was a big question I took away from last Sunday.

I can tell you one thing: I’m here today (following Christ and working in a church) because someone from the church shared their faith with me.

Growing up, I was taught to help people and I was taught to have good manners. I think I was a “good kid.” It was all goodness for goodness’ sake—I was taught to be good ‘because that’s the way we treat people.’ It had nothing to do with Jesus. In fact, I never heard about God in my home growing up.

And then, God used some other family members to step in.

At the birthday wish of my Mimi, my aunt and uncle started picking me up and faithfully took me to church every Sunday for years.

Those first years had a few highs and mostly lows as I withdrew rather than leaning into learning the Bible and getting to know God.

And then, God used Ben to step in.

After years of muddling my way through church—not knowing the Bible and being overwhelmed at the task of learning it, going through the motions but not really understanding what was going on—Ben took me under his wing. He showed me how to read and study the Bible. He showed me how live in obedience to Christ. He showed me how to let my love for God overflow into a love for people, in accordance with what I was learning in the Bible.

The spiritual leadership that I did not have in the home came to me in the form of faithful members of the church.

And that’s why I am here today. I feel indebted (in the best way) to the church for the way she brought me into the fold, and I want to be part of that for others.

Remember that story Pastor Kyle shared on Sunday? Of how God passed a lineage of faith from a faithful, no-name Sunday school teacher down through the generations to Billy Graham (who, I might add, directly impacted the faith of a number of members in our own body)?

That is the potential power of sharing your faith with someone who might not otherwise hear an accurate representation of God and his steadfast love.

So, I hope that God has directed you to your ‘one’ this week, and I pray for confidence and boldness as you pray for opportunities to share your faith with that person.

During week 1 the aim was to create a habit of sharing your faith by being prepared to share your faith. Last week, the aim was to create a habit of sharing your faith by identifying someone with whom God is directing you to share your faith. And now, I invite you to join us this Sunday as we aim to create a habit of sharing your faith by recognizing the people God has put closest to you and how you can share your faith with them.

(I also want to remind you to stop by the big piece of blue paper in the foyer and write the name/initials of your ‘one’ when you get here on Sunday! It has been a joy for me to pray over those names every time I have walked by this week.)

May God do a mighty work in our community as we all create a habit of sharing our faith!

I love you, church!
Nathan Ehresman

Tell the Coming Generation

“So, I know bits and pieces of your story, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard your actual testimony.”

Over Christmas break one of the highlights was having my parents share their testimonies with Anne and me. It was so significant to hear how their stories were more about HIS story. We interacted over their testimonies for close to two hours as they shared how God, in his grace and mercy, has been at work in their lives. 

It was revealing. My parents’ testimonies have themes of God bringing them through tragedy and trauma, yet the love and care of Christ their Savior is what kept them going, as well as so many people of faith who helped them through times of trouble and trial. Both my parents were saved young, but God has been taking them back to earlier days and helping them to process and heal from wounds they have carried for a long time.

It was truly a gift. Our time together added a depth of understanding to my own story, and will influence how I share my own testimony in the future. The Church played such a key role in our family’s life. There were times growing up when I loved going, and times I didn’t. The times I didn’t like going were when I didn’t understand the importance of belonging to a body where the life of Christ was taught and experienced. Jesus and the Church played such a comforting, strengthening, and burden-carrying role in my parents’ lives and they wanted that for our family. 

It is something I want to do. It would be wonderful if parents and grandparents got in the habit of sharing their testimonies with their kids and grandkids. It is easy for kids who grow up in the church to not really understand why their parents are so attached to the church or to the Bible or to Jesus. Faith can become religion fairly quickly as church becomes a routine, another thing to do, something to endure, or even something to skip. Ever since my parents shared, Anne and I have been discussing how we can do something similar with each of our kids. (And, if you happen to be an Igniter Parent, you are about to get an opportunity to put that testimony challenge to use! Igniter is hosting a Parent Night on Saturday, January 18 from 6:30-8 p.m. All Igniter parents and students are invited and encouraged to attend. The main focus will be having parents share their testimonies with their students. [There will also be games and food :)]

Our hope is that you can come to the meeting but even if you can’t, I hope you will take the challenge to write out your testimony without using churchy words and share it with your kids. It is such a wonderful opportunity.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Loren

P.S. If you have a minute or two go read Psalm 78. It is a psalm highlighting the importance of one generation telling the next generation about who God is and what he has done. It sheds light on the importance of parents and grandparents sharing their faith with their children and grandchildren. You’ll never know how God will use your testimony to impact the life of another, even generations later.

Introducing Habits of Grace

“Are you playing a joke on me?”

That was the text I got from my sweet wife after, for the fourth day in a row, I left the house without grabbing the goodies she had asked me to deliver.

The best excuse I can come up with?

I’m a creature of habit.

When it’s time to leave for work, I grab my bag, my water bottle, and my keys, then head out the door. It didn’t matter how many times we talked about “Okay, we have those goodies to deliver today!” It didn’t matter that the goodies were physically in my path out the door… when I got into my ‘it’s time to leave’ rhythm, I forgot. Four days in a row.

I know, I know… it’s a bad excuse. But hang with me…

Here’s the point: if it’s not part of a habit in my life, it probably won’t happen.

If I don’t have a habit of exercising, it probably won’t happen.

If I don’t have a habit of brushing my teeth, it probably won’t happen.

If I don’t have a habit of setting aside time to be still to read the Bible and pray, it probably won’t happen.

Anyone else?

That is why we have created this rhythm in our church calendar where, every January, we will devote attention to equipping ourselves to create habits which continually orient our hearts to receive God’s grace in our lives.

We are calling this annual season Habits of Grace.

This year, we will spend the month of January focused on evangelism & discipleship. Our big goal is to create a habit of sharing your faith.

So, what exactly does it mean that we are “doing a month-long emphasis on the habit of evangelism & discipleship?”

What to Expect

• A sermon each week exploring this topic in Scripture

• A take-home challenge each week, all designed to help you take your next step in creating this habit of sharing your faith

• Curated resources we pray will aid you and your family in establishing this habit of sharing your faith

• A focus on this topic across the scope of ministries at Grace (from GraceKids to Community Life Groups and beyond)

If I don’t have a habit of going out of my way to tell the people around me who God is and what he has done in my life… it probably won’t happen.

Real talk: forming habits takes work. But forming a habit of sharing your faith with the people around you is worth every bit of work and then some.

Remember: you’re not in this alone. We are all walking through this challenge together, climbing the mountain of forming a new habit together. And the potential impact on the kingdom of God is immense!

That is why I am excited for Habits of Grace.

Please join me in praying that God would do a mighty work, establishing deep within each of us a habit of sharing our faith with the people around us. May we be a church marked by our love for God, love for people, and fervor for leading others to do the same!

I can’t wait to get started with you this Sunday!

I love you, church!
Nathan Ehresman

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.

____

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

-Casey Teater

Uncomfortable Christmas

I bombed my intro!

Being a new missionary still in language school and trying to be culturally relevant with my first Christmas talk in Japanese at a church Christmas outreach event, I began with a comment about the month of December being an unusually busy one.

I had done some research for my talk and gleaned an expression from my Japanese dictionary that said December was a “Teachers Run” month. Picture an oriental sage, normally composed and dignified, picking up his robes and scurrying about due to the increased social obligations of the season.

Without consulting anyone beforehand, I attempted to use the expression in the introduction of my talk and only got blank stares. Puzzled, I didn’t understand until afterwards, when someone graciously clued me in. I learned that I had botched the pronunciation of “Teachers Run,” and that no one had known what I was referring to!

This humbling moment only added to my stress and reinforced the realization that I was out of my comfort zone!

As I remembered this incident and the emotions of shame that went along with it, it occurs to me now that Christmas and discomfort are actually pretty good friends!

My missionary parents arrived in Japan with my older sister and me in March of 1951. Our family’s first Christmas in our new country that year came with the huge crisis of my younger brother’s death two hours after birth on December 16, followed by a subsequent raging infection that almost cost my mother her life and kept her in the hospital over Christmas.

Fast-forwarding to the present, my father-in-law will be spending his first Christmas away from his familiar and comfortable surroundings, ensconced in his nursing home room, unable to walk and struggling under the humbling process of recovery from an accidental fall.

Christmas can be a hard season for us, depending on what challenges we find swirling around us.

Perhaps you are being pushed outside of your comfort zone this Christmas. Whether it’s financial, physical, relational, or emotional distress, the season seems to specialize in highlighting our inadequacies and humbling us into realizing how desperately we need Jesus!

I am so grateful that He understands the duress of our journey.

For Jesus, Christmas meant an unbelievably lowly entry into our world as a helpless infant, born miles from home to a woman under stress and laid in a feeding trough, surrounded by the smells and sounds of nearby animals. I love that Jesus took on our humanity so that he could bear our sins and griefs and lead us to true life with God our Father.

Willingly stepping way outside his comfort zone, Jesus came to draw us into the comforting embrace of a secure and loving attachment with the God who made us to know and experience his love in the middle of our pain!

Whatever the source of our discomfort this season, Christmas means that Jesus loves and holds us, shares his heart, and makes his home in the messes of our distresses. He’ll do so until the day he calls us home to the true and eternal comfort zone of the universe—his very own house!

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)

“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday when Dave Reimer will be pinch-hitting for Pastor Jack (on a tour to Israel), and our Sunday School and nursery children will be blessing us with some special Christmas music.

Pastor Steve

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

O God of gods and Lord of lords,

Thank you for who you are:

for your perfect love which casts out fear;
for your goodness which gives me confidence;
for your never-changing character which gives me peace;
for your justice which gives me hope;
for your holiness which stirs my heart to praise;
for your omnipresence which gives me comfort;
for your unending grace which humbles me.

Thank you for what you have done:

for crafting creation to sing the beauty of your glory;
for opening my eyes to the truth of my need for you;
for making a way for my sinful soul to be reconciled to you;
for giving me victory over the sting of death;
for humbling yourself to dwell with me;
for giving me the local church where I can be motivated, encouraged, united, and equipped;
for sending me out into the world to be salt & light and to make disciples.

May thanksgiving and praise be ever in my heart and on my lips:

when I sit in my house and when I walk by the way;
when I lie down and when I rise;
when I feel near to your heart and when I feel distant;
when peace comes naturally and when peace is a struggle;
when I am walking on the mountaintop and when I am walking in the valley of the shadow of death;
when I am standing on the rock and when I am in the miry bog;
when your love for me is obvious and when I am caught in despair.

You are good and your steadfast love endures forever.

To you be the glory and honor forever and ever,

Amen.

Choosing Gratitude

Thanksgiving is next week! Or maybe it’s more like, Thanksgiving is next week. Either way, the holiday season is upon us.

Can I ask where you are at in your excitement and readiness to celebrate?

Anne and I have felt the waves of stress and the waves of excitement sweep over us as we prepare to enter into times with family, eating delicious food, and giving thanks. 

Our desire has been to be more intentional with the holidays. We have had discussion after discussion on what is really important during this time and how we can slow down and not let the holidays go by in a blur of busyness and chaos.

Historically this time of year has revealed that we often seem like we are just surviving, and when I feel like I’m just trying to survive, I whine. Yet, I know the truth is that these holidays offer a unique opportunity to worship. 

So Thanksgiving is next week, and I’ve been working on choosing gratitude.

Giving thanks doesn’t seem to be encouraged by the pace and cultural focus of the holiday season. I mean, the department stores move straight from Halloween to Christmas. But cultivating gratitude could arguably be one of the most important activities to engage in, not only for physical and emotional health but especially in our walk with God.

Check out what 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says:

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

As you may have guessed, God’s will is a big deal, and for the Scriptures to tie His will to our gratitude is insightful and inspiring.

It seems like every year when November hits and Thanksgiving celebrations are near I’m reminded that I have much to be thankful for and I also realize I can be one big whiner. While there is much to give thanks for I can get wrapped up in complaining. The grumbling and ungratefulness doesn’t always voice itself audibly but it is very loud in my heart.

All too often giving thanks is short circuited; I don’t spend the time needed in order to really let gratitude refresh my own soul. 

This Thanksgiving I’m choosing to focus on the “in Christ Jesus for you” part of that verse.

What do I have “in Christ Jesus?”

In short, undeserved grace in the face of undeniable guilt.

I’m soaking in that undeserved grace, and then add in the many good gifts which God has given, and I find smiling comes a little quicker, and that my soul is being refreshed. 

So as you celebrate next week may you “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (1 Chronicles 16:34)

Grace and peace,
Pastor Loren

PS. As I’ve been making my own preparations to be grateful this holiday season I’ve ran across some helpful resources.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s book “Choosing Gratitude” has given me a greater appreciation for pursuing the choice of giving thanks, and the significance that true gratitude is wrapped up in the heart of God. She does a great job of highlighting the spiritual significance of giving thanks.

I also ran across some online scientific articles that have helped me connect the dots on gratitude and the design of our physical bodies and emotional health. Our ability to cultivate and grow in gratitude plays a key role in our mental health which influences much of our lives.

Here are some links for your own study into the science of gratitude. 

(Disclaimer: Please keep in mind these online posts are written from a scientific perspective; they are not written from a solely biblical perspective. As Christians who hold a high view of Scripture we understand that gratitude has its roots in the heart of God, so the science of gratitude will only take you so far. But it is wonderful to see that God’s heart and design can be seen, studied, and celebrated from a scientific perspective. Ultimate and true gratitude is experienced as we find our deepest expressions of thankfulness directed toward who God is and what Christ has done.)

And could this be the happiest woman on the planet? 

What are we doing with our influence?

I’ve been reading through John’s Gospel the last couple weeks, and I wanted to share something that I absolutely love.

John the Baptist was somewhat of a celebrity. News about him spread, and people traveled to see him. He gained followers and the scripture tells us that he had disciples. But when it came down to it, John used His influence to point people to Jesus.

In John 1:35-37 we get a quick glimpse of what it’s like to use our influence to help people follow Jesus:

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

I wonder how John felt when his disciples immediately left him to follow Jesus?

If I put myself in his shoes I can feel my flesh react. “Don’t leave me! Don’t you want to follow me?!”

I wonder how long John’s disciples were with him? Did John wrestle with his emotions at how quickly his disciples left him to follow Jesus? Was there any feeling of betrayal or loss or jealousy? These are things my flesh thinks about.

However, when I read these verses my soul rejoices!

I’m inspired at John’s example of humility and His understanding of his own role! He didn’t hold onto his followers, but as soon as he had the chance he pointed his disciples to the one worth following!

I see the role of worship leader in a similar light. I don’t want people to follow me. I don’t want people to praise the worship team. I want people to behold the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, our glorious Savior Jesus Christ! I rejoice when I see the church beholding Jesus as we worship through song, it’s one of the greatest experiences in life!

All of us have our circles of influence where we can lead others to follow Jesus. So what are we doing with that influence?

Am I trying to get people to follow Kyle, or am I leading others to follow Jesus? Are you trying to get your own followers, or are you leading people to follow Jesus?

Don’t underestimate your influence and how God can use you to lead others to follow Jesus!

---

My RightNow Media pick of the month is a sermon series from Matt Chandler that can supplement what we’ve been learning on Sunday mornings about the gifts of the Spirit.

Looking forward to Sunday!

- Pastor Kyle

"All-In"

"All-In"

Have you been noticing those words popping up at church more? We sure hope so!

As a staff we've been working hard toward advanced planning, as well as creating a rhythm of ministry from year to year—a pattern of larger ministry efforts that the church can count on, look forward to, and plan to participate in.

We affectionately call all-ins our "big rocks".

All-ins are designed to be intentional church-wide initiatives that align with our mission to love God, love people and lead others to do the same.

Here’s a look at the rhythm for all-ins as it stands now:

• January: a focus on spiritual disciplines called “Habits of Grace”

• Summer: a focus on reaching our neighbors with the Gospel through Summer Quest

• Fall: a Fall Family Focus, alternating between a marriage emphasis one year and a parenting emphasis the next

As we grow and develop a rhythm that works well we'll also include other events like the Community Thanksgiving, First Responders Appreciation, or church-wide service days.

"All-in" really describes both how we approach these events and how we want you, the church body, to think of them.

Our desire is that these events will help to unify our body as we learn and serve together. We are one body and we need each other to grow well and minister effectively! We hope you will begin to look forward to all-in events with anticipation and a heart to join us in what God is doing here at Grace.

So when you hear "all-in" the next time, perk up your ears! Think about how you can join in, whether that be by attending, participating, or volunteering in some way. Let's look forward to seeking and serving the Lord together.

Our next all-in is coming January 2019! For this year’s Habits of Grace, we'll place a month-long emphasis on evangelism and discipleship. This includes not only a sermon series throughout the month, but also meaningful testimonies, weekly suggested activities to help you grow in your ability to make disciples in the home and beyond, access to valuable resources for all ages, and more.

Be looking for ways you can be a part of this important all-in event, and please be praying that God will equip our church to "be the church" in our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools.

Juli Dirks
Executive Director of Ministries

Father, Lord, and Friend

About 5 or 6 times I wanted to close my tablet and walk off the stage. I felt as if I were just reading words off a page, emotionally discouraged and wanting to quit.

“God, how can this be real? I know you’ve called me to preach...”

This isn’t a recollection from years ago... I’ve just described what happened a couple of months ago.

The first service went really well, and I was able to preach with an open and clear heart. We had “amens” from the congregation and people walked up to me to share that God had spoken through the passage. What a blessing from God.

But the next service was the opposite. I bounced around in my notes and had a hard time knowing what I was supposed to say next. I lost my place and skipped a page. My countenance had “fallen,” and I was ready to just go home. A lady even came up to me after the second service to say she was worried, and that I seemed off.

I’m not sharing this for pity, or to scare you, or to turn preaching into a man-centered task for attention. I’m sharing this to be open and honest. I love you all and want to share my life with you... not just a fake presentation of what I wish were true.

Preaching is my heart’s desire, my calling, and my vocation. I know you have callings and vocations that are important to you, and that’s our connection.

Have you ever been discouraged from how life was going, upset at your failure or bad performance?

That is a weakness in my flesh. I find myself tempted to find value in what I do and how good or bad I do it. And, even though I don’t want to voice it, my greatest insecurities surround my abilities to preach and make disciples. (Could a lead pastor have a more inconvenient weakness?!) 

Yet, God is so close to me in those moments. After I went home that afternoon and went to Him in prayer, He graciously reminded me of the truth: “It’s not about you; it’s not about you; it’s not about you. Your identity is not found in your performance or perception.”

He used my recent reading in Colossians to affirm these truths. My identity is in Christ... not my abilities or failures. What I do matters; but it doesn’t determine my relationship with Him.

He’s the Father I always needed. The Lord I could never deserve. The Friend who comforts and empowers me to believe and pursue the truth.

He speaks to me through His Word, and He speaks to my heart without words (Romans 8:26). He’s even humorous sometimes... I think it’s because He knows how much I enjoy laughter. 

This Sunday we will continue our study in 1 Corinthians 12. God designed us to work together, and I pray that He fills our hearts with joy as we receive His Word.

I love you, Grace.
Pastor Jack

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?

---

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

Elder Connection: A Letter From Our Elders (October 2019)

[Editor’s Note: This is a special-edition Staff Journal written by David Landis, one of our Governing Elders. This letter from David is the third in a series of quarterly updates from the elders as a way to create an open line of communication from the hearts and minds of the elders to you, the church.]

Greetings Grace Community!

On behalf of the elders, I am excited to write and update you concerning the happenings at Grace Community Church. It is rewarding to be a part of an elder board that is comprised of men who love the gospel, God’s truth, and our church!

I’d like to share a few highlights of what has recently happened or is upcoming at Grace:

• Our annual baptism celebration was held July 21 at the Newton Pool. Praise the Lord that nineteen people were baptized that night!

• The annual FEC Conference took place July 25–27 in Peoria, Illinois. Dave and Marilyn Reimer, Gene and Miriam Pankratz, Pastor Jack and family, Pastor Kyle and family, and Pastor Steve and Bobbie Friesen were able to attend. 

• The Marriage Conference with Bruce and Julie Boyd will be held Saturday, October 19 from 8:15am to 12:30pm in the Worship Center. Please make plans to attend if you can!

• Our Amigo 21 team is taking shape and will be in Reynosa, Mexico from Feb. 29– Mar. 7, 2020. Please see Pastor Steve if you are interested.

As someone who has spent his career in education, I am happy that our pastors are “lifelong learners” and are taking steps to continue their education in ways that will bless our church. Many of you may not know that Pastor Kyle is pursuing a certificate of theology, a 27-hour program recognized by the FEC. Kyle has completed three classes and is currently enrolled in his fourth, Apologetics and Ethics, through Denver Seminary. 

In addition, the elders are excited that Pastor Jack and Courtney will be able to travel to Israel on a Holy Lands tour with a group called Imagine Tours. They will be traveling with a group of pastors and their spouses from around the country from December 3–13, 2019. Please pray for Jack and Courtney that this will be a faith-building experience that bears fruit in their lives and in their ministry to Grace.

As our congregation knows, Pastor Steve Friesen will be retiring in about a year (August 2020). Pastor Steve has faithfully served Grace Community Church for 22 years and, in many ways, cannot be replaced. His unique giftings of communication, teaching, creativity, counseling, and passion for missions will be missed by all of us. The church is currently putting together a job description for a new Pastor of Counseling and Care that will post soon. The hope is that the new pastor will start July 2020, giving a chance for him to work and communicate with Steve for a month before Steve officially retires.

Finally, I wanted to remind you that Grace is part of a group of churches that support church planting called Synergy Kansas. Synergy Kansas has been meeting with a church planting candidate named Caleb Barrows who currently resides in Sterling. I have met Caleb and heard him preach and he is “the real deal” as a believer and brother in Christ. Please pray for God’s direction for Caleb and whatever part Grace Community Church will play in supporting this new church plant. 

David Landis

Transition----!!

Do you remember the song?

“Tradition----!!”

Just hearing the word awakens in me the musical memory of the 1971 movie version of the Broadway hit, “Fiddler on the Roof,” where Jewish dairyman and father of five eligible daughters, Tevye, belts out his one word answer to the question, “How do you hang on to your balance in a shaky world?” Tevye backs up his answer with the observation, “Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof!”

I’ve been thinking (and singing) that theme song word a lot these days, but making my own edit to reflect where I am in my journey. The word I’m singing and substituting for “Tradition!” is “Transition----!!” and I’m singing it to myself like Tevye did in the movie.

We’re wired to want stability and anchors in our lives because, as Tevye puts it, traditions help us know who we are and what God expects us to do. For him and his family that included things like how to sleep, how to eat, how to work, what to wear, who to marry, and how to worship.

I have enjoyed the incredible blessing of being part of this church family as a member of the pastoral team for the past 22 years, and I have been blessed by Jesus with the privilege of loving, learning, growing, serving and processing life and life-giving “traditions” together with you all. But, as I announced on Sunday, September 22, my heart has been stirred by God to release my responsibilities and retire from my present capacity as Pastor of Counseling and Discipleship by the end of August next year.

What happens next?

We have recently started the process of looking for another pastor whom, God-willing, we will hire to replace me and call Pastor of Counseling and Care. Our target start date for him is currently July 1, 2020. During the next ten months of transition, I am looking forward to seeing how the Lord directs in our search process. Thank you so much for yours prayers for this!

The most frequently asked question I get is “What do you plan to do after you retire?”

My simple answer is, “Keep following Jesus!”

I honestly don’t know any specifics. We don’t intend to move, though I understand the wisdom of a few months of overlap with the new pastor (July and August), and then a period of giving him space to connect and build his ministry.

When I was praying about what to focus on next, five words came to mind that form the acronym “WAGES.” Whatever else the Lord has for me, I’m sensing a deep desire to spend some extended time with my WIFE, our AGING PARENTS (we are the sole care-givers for Bobbie’s father, Al Platt, 92; my mother, Millie Friesen, is 94), GRANDKIDS (we have six, and half of them live far away), EXTENDED FAMILY, and SIBLINGS.

In the meantime, I am very excited to see how the Lord is working among us as a church family with so many ministry opportunities locally, domestically, and globally.

Our Amigo 21 Adult and Family Mexico Mission Trip (Feb 29-Mar 7, 2020) team is forming as we speak (with a registration deadline of October 27), and I’m looking forward to leading this trip to serve at Children’s Haven International’s children’s home in Reynosa. This adventure has been such a strong “Tradition!” at Grace, but it will be my last trip to lead. “Transition!”

I am so thankful that as Hebrews 13:8 tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Always there in the transitions of our lives, calling our names and shepherding us closer to his heart.

I’m resting in the comfort that the Good Shepherd knows where to lead his sheep, and I’m content that he knows what’s ahead for us and for me.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday when we get to celebrate communion together and continue our study on the “Gifts of Grace.”

Pastor Steve

Grace Resources

Here at Grace we exist to love God, love people, and lead others to do the same. (Maybe you have heard us say that?)

A big part of what we do happens on Sunday mornings—that is the special time set apart for us to come together as a church family, as one body, to worship God together and to be motivated, united, encouraged, and equipped.

But it doesn’t stop there.

We believe that the church isn’t this building where we gather. The church is a people; you are the church.

And that is why another big part of what we do is offer resources to help you to grow in your love for God, love for people, and ability to lead others to do the same during the week.

We want to equip you to go be the church.

So, now, I present to you a list of the resources we currently have available:

Sermon Outline and ‘What’s Real?’ Questions

So, let’s say you had to take a quick bathroom break during the sermon and you missed one of the blanks.

Good news: we post each sermon’s outline (with the blanks filled in) on our website!

Then, let’s say your Community Life Group is discussing the previous sermon but you could really use a discussion guide.

Good news: each sermon outline is accompanied by What’s Real? questions that help you and your group explore if what is true in the Bible is also true in your life.

[PS, let’s say you are loving this FAQ sermon series but wish you had someone you could talk to about it. We would love to get you connected to one of our Community Life Groups! Fill out the Connect With Us form and say you’re interested in joining a Community Life Group.]

Next Step: Download the sermon outline and What’s Real? questions on the Sermons page of our website.

Sermon Audio and Video Recordings

Whether you are home with a sick kiddo or traveling or whatever the reason you may miss a Sunday morning service, we have you covered!

If you are not here but within reach of a smartphone or computer, you can join us on Facebook Live for the 10:30am service.

If you miss Sunday all together, you can find both audio and video recordings of each service on the Sermons page of our website. Or, if you a podcast junkie (like me), you can find our podcast feed in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify by searching for “GCC Newton”.

Next Step: Tune into video or audio recordings of our sermons on our website or through your podcast provider.

‘Is there HOPE for the Truth?’ Apologetics Class Recordings

This fall, we are excited to be offering an apologetics Sunday school class aimed at equipping you to “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).

We also know that so many of you serve during one of the two service times and attend the service during the other, and are thus unable to attend the class.

Well, more good news: we have both audio and video recordings of each session of this class available!

Next Step: You can find both on the Resources page of our website, or a podcast feed of the audio on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (we hope to have Google Podcasts live soon) by searching “Grace Resources”.

Worship Playlists

Listening to worship music rich in biblical theology is a great way to stay grounded in truth while connecting with God’s heart. Our worship council puts a great deal of prayer into choosing the songs that we sing, making sure they point us toward God and keep His Word on our lips and in our hearts.

As a resource to you, we have compiled a playlist of all the songs in our Sunday morning worship repertoire on Spotify and YouTube!

Next Step:

---

It is our joy to serve and equip you as you seek to love God, love people, and lead others to do the same in your daily life. It is our prayer that these resources would be a small help toward that end.

Now, after all of this talk of how you can stay connected to what God is doing here at Grace throughout the week, I have to say that I can’t wait to worship with you as we gather together this Sunday!

I love you, Church!
Nathan Ehresman

Jesus Shouting Match

It was past bedtime, but our evening had been full of activity and hanging out with family. So bedtime wasn’t going as I had hoped.

My hope was to get home, take baths, flush and brush, and go to bed. Our kiddos had too much energy remaining. I don’t know how, but they did.

Their plan was to run around, mostly naked, make all kinds of noise and get upset with one another. And then a profound realization came to Max, our oldest: he had left his bike at his cousin’s house. Now he was really upset. 

What is a tired parent to do in this situation? Make a deal, of course. (I say that tongue-in-cheek.)

But we came to an agreement: we’ll go get the bike, but only after a bath and after he brushes his teeth.

Ok, that settled him down, but our youngest Will overheard our conversation and now he wanted to go too! The look in his eyes made me know he was very committed to joining us. Ok, Will can come too, why not. 

Secretly, I was thinking and praying they would fall asleep during the truck ride. 

We go get the bike, but my prayer wasn’t being answered. The boys’ energy levels were not becoming sluggish and sleepy. How can I help them calm down?

Then the brilliant idea of listening to hymns came to mind. Yes! I had recently been listening to a great hymns album. So I said, “Boys, no more talking, you need to calm down! We are going to listen to some music…” I proceeded to play the Hymns (Live) album by Shane & Shane. 

The first hymn on the album is actually a newer one that Andrew Peterson wrote but has been picked up by Shane & Shane and other worship artists. It is so good. The title is Is He Worthy?

As the song played the boys quieted. I thought, “It’s working; they’ll be asleep in no time.” But then I would have never anticipated what happened next. 

The next song came on which was Tis So Sweet.

The song opens up with Shane & Shane just belting out the name of Jesus over and over.

Then to my surprise, I hear little Will join them at the top of his lungs in the back of the truck. He began singing and shouting Jesus’s name in a remarkably loud yet also slightly slurred baby voice. Max, at this point, is filled with delight, begins laughing almost uncontrollably, and joins him.

I hope you can picture the scene. The boys are in the back just giggling, singing and shouting Jesus’s name back and forth to one another.

A breakthrough happened for me: rather than scold, which I wanted to do for a split second, I smiled. God was answering a different prayer.

We pray fairly often that our kiddos will love and delight in Jesus. God has used this episode several times since to encourage my heart to be eager to respond to and lift up the name of Jesus in my own life.

We’ve recently studied through the first part of John 4 with the middle school and high school students and Jesus says in John 4:24,

"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

I was reminded of the joyful Jesus shouting match my sons had. We can worship anywhere, and our worship is true when Jesus is lifted up and made much of. 

Grace and peace,

Pastor Loren

Walking in the Spirit

This week I’ve been praying for all the believers at Grace Community Church.

I’ve been praying that each one would be using their spiritual gift to build up the church.

I’ve led plenty of discussions about spiritual gifts over the years and I know that many people struggle to identify how God is gifting them. You are not alone.

In the weeks to come, through the preaching of God’s word, I believe we will all have more understanding of the variety of gifts. I’m praying that God would reveal to each and every one of us how He is manifesting Himself through us for building up the Church.

I think one of the reasons some of us aren’t experiencing manifestations of God’s Spirit through us is that we first need to allow the Spirit’s work in our own lives.

If we are grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30) can we really expect manifestations of the Holy Spirit through us?

Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to convict us (John 16:8) and lead us to repentance?

Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us (2 Corinthians 3:18)?

Are we being filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)?

Are we walking in the Spirit as Paul describes in Galatians 5:16-26 or are we walking in the flesh?

We must live in the power of the Holy Spirit and respond to His nudging in our hearts. If the Spirit isn’t free to work in our own hearts, I don’t think we can expect Him to work through us to build up the church around us.

Maybe before we pursue understanding our giftedness and serving supernaturally in the Spirit’s power, we need to step back and ask if we have grieved the Holy Spirit, if we are allowing the Spirit’s work in our own hearts, and if we are walking in the Spirit.

To help supplement your study of the Spiritual gifts I offer up this, my RightNow Media pick of the month!

Looking forward to Sunday!

- Pastor Kyle

Pursuing Peace

What has God been laying on your heart?

Lately, as I've spent time with the Lord, I've felt him encouraging me to be a peacemaker.

I was struck several times over the course of last week that the enemy has been busy causing strife in relationships all around me - strife in marriages, families, friendships, ministry teams, and church relationships.

People who love and care about each other are struggling to be at peace with each other. This strife is disrupting the good work God wants to do in and through these marriages, families, friendships and our church.

The more I looked the more I saw this to be true.

And what is to be my part in it? God showed me that I needed to be a messenger of peace - to pray for peace and to seek ways to gently and kindly speak truth, directing others toward peace so that the Gospel of Peace won't be tarnished, distorted, or silenced.

Do you want to take a wild guess at what I've struggled the most with personally and spiritually this week?

You guessed it . . . peace.

I have been tested greatly, and failed often, with peace in my body and spirit, in my home, at work, and really everywhere else. Ugh!

I want to be frustrated by my own failings in this area, but I must confess them and then choose to let the struggle confirm that peacemaking for the sake of God's kingdom is such important work. I must let the struggle spur me on to keep trying.

Romans 14:19 says, "So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another."

Ephesians 4:3-6 says, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

So, I'm praying for God's strength to continue my efforts to lead with a peaceful, kind attitude at home, to encourage others to extend grace and understanding to those they are frustrated with or hurt by, and to point myself and others towards our common goal of sharing the Gospel by our words and the way we treat each other.

Where do you see the enemy working to create strife in the relationships around you? What can you do to pursue peace in your sphere of influence?

---

Join us this Sunday as we turn our attention in this Frequently Asked Questions series to 1 Corinthians 12–14 and a discussion of the Spirit and spiritual gifts!

Juli Dirks
Executive Director of Ministries

Life in the Woods

I was on vacation last month in low humidity and high altitude Colorado, savoring the pristine beauty of the Sangre de Christos south of Westcliffe!

Trees around me, towering mountain peaks in front of me, soft earth, flowers and lichen-covered rocks at my feet, I was sitting quietly in the woods for a couple of hours on a deep blue sky day. Wow! It felt good not just to get away, but to get into God’s creation and let it channel my Savior’s glory and peace deep into my heart!

As I rested there, juggling binoculars, Bible and journal, I thanked God for the gift of seeing and hearing, and I began noticing sounds and sights around me in a way that I don’t usually appreciate them.

I savored the whistle of the wind in the tree tops, the distant ripple of the Colony Creeks, and the chirping, chattering and calling of Stellar Jays, Clark’s Nutcrackers, and Mountain Chickadees. All of this graced by the curious and incessant buzzing of flies and bees around me.

The realization hit me that I wasn’t hearing any human sounds except for the occasional dull drone of a transcontinental jet leaving its vapor trail high above me. I noticed that long after the plane was gone, the white trail morphed into a long cloud that slowly slid over a faint crescent moon, still visible in the morning sky. I smiled.

I looked around and studied the trees whose scent I love—ponderosa pines, blue spruces and firs—and I noticed the hub and refuge they create for things that fly and even for a nearby squirrel that spent five minutes “yelling” at me from his perch.

I saw trees in all stages of life, some just “newborns” a couple of feet tall, others in their growth spurt, pushing ten and twenty—and many in their maturity—thirty, even forty feet tall. Some were beautifully formed with all their branches and needles in order and loaded with pine cones. They were obviously brimming with life.

As I continued to ponder, I spotted others—“senior citizens” of the forest—trees which had seen a few storms and taken some hits. One conifer nearby was missing the top third of its trunk and half of its branches were dead. Hmmm! At this stage of my life, I’m identifying more with these weathered warriors of the woods. But as I pondered what I was seeing and feeling, I sensed a beauty in those older trees which exhibit signs of wear and tear. Yes, they have dead branches galore, but they also have plenty of living ones and they’re still producing cones and seeds!

‘That’s the way I want to be,’ I tell Jesus! And I thanked Him for his faithfulness to me over these almost 69 years of my “life in the woods” and for this very special day of vacation.

There’s nothing like getting away for a body, soul, and perspective refresher!

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.” (Is 46:3-4)

I love knowing, loving, and serving this God with all of you!

See you Sunday!

Pastor Steve