Restore

Earlier this week I gave my testimony at the Elder meeting.

I don’t consider my testimony to be the most exciting thing. I can’t put a finger on a date when I became a Christian. As far back as I can remember, I remember knowing that Jesus was my Savior and that He died for me. I’ve been a Christian for as long as I can remember, and God has graciously spared me from a lot of hurt.

I don’t have some amazing story of being saved from a life of drugs, alcohol, or promiscuity, but when I share my story, I’ve come to love sharing the low point in my past when I was addicted to pornography. It reminds me of how great God’s love and grace are. It has also allowed me to receive confessions from brothers who are entangled in porn, and to walk with them in steps to recovery.

After sharing that part of my story at the Elder meeting, one of the Elders asked me how I found freedom from that battle.

For me, it was a number of things.

Memorizing Scripture was a huge part of my road to recovery. Prayer was vital! Accountability from my brothers in Christ was essential. And the road to freedom felt like it started with my confession to my brothers in Christ. For about a year it was a secret sin. No one knew that I was struggling with it. I hid it, and I was ashamed.

My experience has shown me that there are men and women all around me with hidden struggles with things like pornography, alcoholism, or depression.

Maybe that’s someone you know.

Maybe that’s you.

Shame and guilt are heavy, and the sin remains hidden. You feel alone in your struggles, and you feel hopeless and stuck.

Like me, without a community of believers holding you accountable, encouraging you, pointing you to truth, and praying for you, you will probably remain stuck. 

If this is you or someone you know, I want to share some encouragement with you.

We are starting a new small group called Restore that is focused on recovery. We’ve got a good team forming, we’ve got great curriculum lined up, we are praying hard, and we are planning to kick off on Friday night, February 5th in the Fireside Room at 6:30pm.

If you know someone that could use this group, please let them know. If this is you, I beg you to come and participate in this group. There is freedom in Christ. There are others that are struggling, and there is strength in walking together through these struggles.

If God has brought you through a struggle like this, or you have a passion for working with a recovery ministry, we’d love to have you join the Restore team.

Our prayer is that this would grow from a small group for our own church family into a ministry that opens up to our community, but we still need more volunteers before we reach that point.

I’m so excited for how this will reach and serve our community. Thank you for prayerfully considering being involved with this group!

I love you church, and I’m looking forward to Sunday!
–Pastor Kyle

Only Jesus

And I, I don't want to leave a legacy
I don't care if they remember me
Only Jesus

And I, I've only got one life to live
I'll let every second point to Him
Only Jesus

The words to this song by Casting Crowns make me stop and think every time I hear them.

Our world says, "make a name for yourself". Even in Christian circles you hear, "leave a legacy".

I agree, leaving a godly legacy is a good thing. But this song made me think. Is my godly legacy something I should really be focusing on? Or should I be more concerned about Jesus’ legacy? The answer seems obvious.

I heard this song again yesterday, and it felt especially meaningful. Both Ryan and I have just lost our last grandparent within a month of each other. There's something hard to swallow about the finality of a whole generation in our families that's now missing.

We were both tremendously blessed with two sets of godly grandparents who had strong influence in our lives and our faith journeys. None of them set out to make their mark on the world. They simply lived lives of faithfulness to God.

While we'll treasure our memories of them, and special heirlooms that are passed down to us, what we can really treasure is the lingering imprint of Jesus they all have left behind—how Jesus' influence in their lives has spread to ours. Each of them, in their own way, despite struggles and failings, left Jesus' legacy.

Years from now, when I'm no longer on the earth, what do I want my daughter and grandchildren to remember about me? What's really important? Not my money, my things, my successes, or even my ministry work. Not me at all, really. Only Jesus.

My prayer is that, by God's grace, my greatest accomplishment will be that I was able to "step aside", get out of his way in a sense, and allow God to work through me to accomplish what I could not on my own so that my life points to Jesus.

And I, I don't want to leave a legacy
I don't care if they remember me
Only Jesus…

We look forward to seeing you Sunday, in person and online! Join us as we kick off our Habit of Grace series.

Juli Dirks

Connecting with God through His Word

“I will give you $100.”

The room froze. Samuel and Russell stared at me, eyebrows raised and shocked at the offer.

Courtney quickly turned her neck and gazed at me with a smirk.

Today was the day. I had thought about it for a while, going back and forth in my mind, unsure of whether this was the best solution (or honestly, even a good idea).

Courtney and I have been reading through our Bibles for years, and we’ve encouraged our kids to do the same. But it hasn’t been an easy habit to start.

They go to Awana on Wednesday night, memorizing Scripture and thinking through Bible stories. They enjoy Sunday School and learn from the experience and knowledge of their teachers.

But nothing is a substitute for personal Bible reading. Each of us, no matter how young or old, need to hear from God. We need to connect with Him through His Word.

We all need His voice in our lives on a regular basis. So I threw down the parental ace of spades.

I offered $100 to my oldest boys if they read through the Bible each day this year.

So far, the monetary reward has sparked a new motivation. They have been far more diligent to read than ever before. They haven’t missed a day so far!

But I know this is only a temporary strategy to get them started. Most of their rewards in life will be personal accomplishment, contentment, and growth.

This year, our Habit of Grace is Connecting with God through His Word. Our original plan was to begin this upcoming Sunday, January 10th, but Courtney and I both tested positive for COVID-19 this week and will be spending some time quarantining at home. So far, we are both doing okay, and the kids have had a couple of runny noses. We appreciate your prayers and look forward to reuniting with you all soon.

I love you, Grace.
Pastor Jack

Renewed Wonder

Strings of colorful lights. Little green Christmas tree cookies. A Christmas movie marathon with my cousins. Monkey bread for breakfast. Being so excited about opening presents that I can’t sleep.

These are some of the traditions that made Christmas a magical time for me as a kid.

Coordinating family schedules. Coming up with enough gift ideas to satisfy grandmothers. The perceived pressure to reciprocate a gift, even though gift-giving is not my love language.

And these are some of the traditions that have taken the magic out of Christmas for me as an adult.

But this year feels different. This year, some of the magic is coming back.

At times, this year has seemed like Narnia under the reign of the White Witch: always winter, but never Christmas.

So why this year to rediscover a sense of wonder about Christmas?

(And, before you ask—no, it’s not because we have been watching extra magical bad cheesy Christmas movies this year… even though we have.)

Really, I think the answer lies in the same reality that prompts the question: God has used the challenging circumstances of this year to open my eyes to the depths of meaning in the Advent season.

The weeks of Advent are an annual time of expectation, of waiting in anticipation. But it is not the same anticipation that kept me up late on Christmas Eve…

Advent is a time to remember the brokenness in our lives and the world around us; we wait expectantly during Advent because we are reminded of our dire need for a savior.

But we take heart because that savior has come: Jesus, the eternal second person of the Trinity, took on flesh and was born of a virgin. Being fully God, there was no sin dwelling in him; he was not condemned from birth the way every other human being since Adam and Eve has been. And yet, being fully human, Jesus—the second Adam—was qualified to die an atoning death as a representative for all of sinful humanity.

Because of his victorious resurrection and triumphant ascension, we trust his promise to come again and redeem all things. And that is why we wait with hope, why we wait with expectation, for that glorious day.

In The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, there is excitement when the ice begins to break because it means Aslan is on the move—the Savior is coming.

We may not have reasonable hope or expectation that the brokenness of this world will improve, but we do have hope that it will not endure forever.

Advent is meaningful because it is not forever; Advent is meaningful because it is followed by Christmas. The struggles of this year may will last beyond 11:59pm on December 31, but they won’t last forever. The struggles of this year are meaningful because they are not forever. The ice will break and a new Christmas—the second advent of our Savior—will come.

When I look at it that way, it’s no wonder that this was the year when God renewed my sense of wonder!

More than before, I identify with the spirit of yearning that characterizes Advent. And more than before, I am so grateful for Christmas, for Jesus’ first coming, and the hope it gives me for his second coming.

And that’s why I have a sense of wonder about Christmas again this year.

This new outlook on Advent has breathed new life into many Christmas hymns and vaulted them to the top of my favorite songs list:

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
–O Come O Come Emmanuel

Come, thou long expected Jesus
Born to set thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in thee
–Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
–O Holy Night

I mean… come on!

As we are just a week away from Christmas, I pray that God uses these final days of expectant waiting to renew your wonder at the fact that our Savior humbled himself in order to save you from the sin within you and around you.

I love you, Church!

Merry Christmas,
Nathan Ehresman

This Is Jesus

Rejoice He is with us!  Rejoice Hope is here!

These are lyrics from a new Christmas song called “This Is Jesus” that we introduced this past Sunday. It’s sung to the tune of “Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing,” but with Christmas lyrics.  

This is Jesus King of Glory, come to rescue from the fall.
Son of God who comes to save us, Prince of Peace and Lord of All.

Jesus left His holy throne for us. He humbled Himself and took on flesh. He came to rescue us, that we might be called His own. He brought light to our darkness and hope when we were hopeless!

What a beautiful mystery, that the God of creation would become man to save sinners like us. Who could fathom it?  

This Christmas season we rejoice because God is with us! We rejoice because Hope came to humanity some 2000 years ago!

Even in the Christmas season, our hearts are prone to wander and get caught up in the things of this world. But God is here, and His love continues to pursue us!

I pray this song will encourage you this Christmas season with its truth. May our hearts be filled with wander at the birth of our Savior! May our worship through song be pleasing to Jesus, our King of Glory!

I’m looking forward to singing with you this Sunday, and excited to continue in our “Dressed for the Season” sermon series.

For His Glory,
Pastor Kyle

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My RightNow Media pick is an Advent series from J.D. Greear:

Now and Later

Now and Laters.

Does anyone remember these chewy, jaw-breaking taffy squares? It's been awhile since I've eaten one (I think the watermelon flavor was my favorite), but they came to mind as I was reading through I and II Thessalonians this week.

I know. Weird, right?

In these two letters Paul is writing to a church that is facing much persecution for their faith. He reaches out to them to encourage them to endure and stay faithful, and to address their concerns and confusion about Christ's return.

It felt timely to me that my read-through-the-Bible schedule landed me in these books right as Advent season is starting and our current sermon series will focus on patience this Sunday.

But then, when is God's Word not timely?

What I've been struck with is the balance a follower of Christ must aim for—the balance of Now and Later.

The Christian life is so much about balancing the Now (relationships, work, service, growing in Christ, struggles) with the Later (Christ's return, our heavenly destination). It's like trying to keep one foot firmly on the ground in two different worlds.

Paul calls us to be committed to our life here, making the most of our time waiting for Christ's return to work hard, love others, and intentionally grow in Christlikeness. At the same time, we keep our hearts anchored in the hope of Heaven. Be present in the Now and in the Later.

This is easier said than done.

I can find myself swinging too far one way or the other—getting caught up in the worries and tasks of Now, or longing so hard for Later that I withdraw because Now seems too long and too hard.

I loved the reminder to keep my heart balanced between the two. As I pondered how that looks for me, here are some things that came to mind:

• Live with anticipation, not anxiety.

• Live with confidence, not confusion.

• Live with faithfulness, not idleness.

• Live with hope, not despair.

I hope that this 2020 Advent season will remind you to patiently endure and actively serve the Lord right Now, while relishing in the hope of our Later with Christ.

Steady on, my friends!
Juli Dirks

Puzzling Seasons

There are 43 quintillion possible configurations of the Rubik’s Cube. That’s 43 with eighteen zeros attached to it. That means you can have the same cube look different in 43 quintillion ways, and yet it is still the same cube.

However, did you know that the fastest “cubers” can solve a randomized cube in under 10 seconds? A couple of people have even solved it in 5 seconds... FIVE!

Sound impossible? Well get this, any cube can be solved with just 20 moves! You can look it up. It only took mathematicians about 30 years to figure it out.

So, this year we got one of our sons, Samuel, a Rubik’s Cube for his birthday. None of us had ever solved one, so it didn’t take long before we bought two more—one for me (Jack) and another for Russell. We thought it would be fun to learn how to solve it together. 

At first I was intrigued, learning about how Erno Rubik created the game “on accident” when trying to create a new puzzle back in 1974. Then I was determined.

We successfully searched the World Wide Web for some insights and lessons and spent one of my “off” days watching YouTube videos. We learned a few classic strategies, memorized about 5 algorithms, and eventually solved our first Cube. What an accomplishment! I don’t remember what it felt like when I first learned how to ride a bike, but I bet it’s similar. 

Samuel’s gotten pretty good at it. He can solve his in just over 2 minutes now. That’s not too bad for beginners like us! Still, we would have to learn a hundred more algorithms before we could solve one in under 30 seconds. Not a current goal of mine.

But what would be worth the time it takes to become great?

Many accomplishments take hundreds and even thousands of hours to achieve. When it came to the Cube, my ultimate aim was doing something fun together, which often feels like a more difficult puzzle to solve. 

I am in a season of parenting young children right now, and different seasons require extra effort and intentionality. Some seasons may feel like a giant puzzle that you’re trying to solve. 

Maybe you feel like you are just turning a bunch of pieces and not seeing any results. And if you’ve ever played with a Rubik’s Cube, you know what I mean. But persevering in whatever calling God has given you is worth the intentionality and effort. It may have 43 quintillion different variations, and sometimes it seems impossible to “solve,” but we can trust Him to guide us and turn the pieces of our lives.

Galatians 6:9,
Pastor Jack

Introducing Jenni DeMarce as Office Administrator!

We are so thankful to God for (quickly!) providing Jenni DeMarce to serve our staff and our church as office administrator. Jenni has already started working in the office part-time, and will begin full-time on Monday, November 23. Here’s a quick interview to help you get to know the newest member of our team:

Tell us briefly about yourself and your family.

I was born in Pennsylvania. I met my husband, Jason, in 1990 at New Tribes Bible Institute, Jackson, MI, where we later served on staff from 2002-2015.

We have two wonderful children, Tabetha and Ethen, a beautiful daughter-in-law, Emily, a two year granddaughter, Clara, and two chihuahuas, Daisy and Diesel. We bought our first house in Elbing and absolutely love our little town.

Tabetha lives here in Newton and works at the hospital. Ethen and Emily are in training with Ethnos360 with plans to be in full-time missions within the next couple of years.

A little fun fact: Emily is Chuck and Sharon Voth's daughter.

How long have you and Jason been at Grace? How have you been involved since you got been here?

Jason and I have been attending Grace since October 2019. In early 2020 we attended a Starting Point and shortly after that Pastor Kyle asked us to join the tech team. We have since enjoyed serving once a month back in the sound booth. We have also plugged into a wonderful small group.

Why did you pursue this office administrator position at Grace?

I have been working remotely from home for the past 2 years and though I enjoy the flexibility, I miss working and interacting with people. When I heard about the position I wrestled with whether or not I could leave my current job. After a couple weeks of prayer and some different people encouraging me to seriously consider the position, I submitted my application, excited about the possibility of being back in ministry as an office administrator again.

What excites you about serving the church in this way?

I am looking forward to getting to know more of the Grace family and being able to serve the staff and church with the adminstrative gifts God has given me.

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Jenni has proven to be a quick learner already and we are so excited to have her joining the team and serving in the office.

Please join us in praising God for providing for our needs from among the gifted people who make up our church family! And, as you call or stop in the office and meet Jenni, take some time to introduce yourself and give her a warm welcome to the staff team!

Update from Pastor Kyle

I Speak Jesus

Our nation needs Jesus.

I’m sure all of you can agree. There is so much brokenness, hatred, addiction, and darkness in the world, but in the name of Jesus there is wholeness, love, freedom, and light.

It’s not politically correct anymore to speak about Jesus. So we need boldness, and we need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak His name.

In several passages in Acts, we see Christ-followers being told not to speak about Jesus. We seem them being mistreated and beaten, but continuing to speak the name of Jesus! By the name of Jesus they healed, they declared salvation, and they pushed back against the spiritual forces of evil. Their commitment to preach Jesus is inspiring and challenging to read.

Our newest song, “I Speak Jesus”, is all about speaking the name of Jesus. We want to speak the powerful name of Jesus over darkness, over strongholds, over fear and anxiety, and over depression. We want to speak the name of Jesus declaring peace, declaring hope, declaring healing, and declaring freedom.

There’s power in the name of Jesus to break strongholds and to shine through the shadows.

As we unite and sing the name of Jesus, I pray that fear would be replaced with peace and hope, that depression would be replaced with joy, that addictions would be broken, and that the spiritual forces of evil would be restrained. 

The bridge of this song says,

Shout Jesus from the mountains
Jesus from the streets
Jesus in the darkness over every enemy
Jesus for my family
I speak the holy Name
Jesus!

I pray that we wouldn’t just speak the name of Jesus when we are together, but that we truly would speak the name of Jesus in our neighborhoods, in our schools, in our homes, and in our places of work.

Like the early Christians in Acts, I pray we would be unashamed to speak the name of Jesus, even in the face of increasing persecution. 

As always, I can’t wait for Sunday! We’ll declare the name of Jesus together through song, we’ll spend some time praying for our country, and Jack will share about the armor we have against the spiritual forces of evil. I can’t wait to gather with you!

For His Glory,
Pastor Kyle

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My RightNow Media pick is Redeem the Screen. It’s all about our idolatry with our screens. It’s a timely challenge and biblical reminder of our dependency on screens.

Elder Connection: A Letter from Our Elders (October 2020)

[Editor’s Note: This is a special-edition Staff Journal written by Audrun Siebert, one of our Governing Elders. This letter from Audrun is part of an effort from the elders to create an open line of communication from the hearts and minds of the elders to you, the church.]

Greetings Grace,

Here we are, eight months deep into the COVID pandemic. Who would have thought this would have gone on for this long with no end in sight? It is wearing thin! It seems even as believers we are all responding in very different ways to this cultural moment. The political divisions in our country have begun to seep into the church. As the body of Christ, called to be one in unity, can we be gracious enough to respect each other’s opinions and their resulting actions? As elders, we are praying that God will give us wisdom as we seek to bring unity to this body of believers in a difficult time.

The elders are working on creating a vision for the future of Grace Community Church. Where is God leading us as we minister in this world and in this community? In light of the Great Commission, what should this Church look like and how should we minister as God’s feet and hands? 

We, as individuals and as a body, are the “church.” And, as we repeat each Sunday: “Now, go be the church.” But what does that look like for us as individuals and for us as a body? As elders we are trying to flesh that out for our church body. And as we search for new pastors to replace Loren and Steve, this is an opportune time.

Being down to two pastors is hard for everyone, especially Pastors Jack and Kyle. Please pray for them as their workload has become heavy. As difficult as this is, it is also a time of opportunity to set the direction for the future as we search for the right men that God has prepared for these positions. Please pray that God will guide us to the right men and that we will be patient as we wait on God’s leading.

As a long-time farmer (and still a farmer at heart), I believe this is “planting time” for Grace Community Church. The seeds we are sowing today will provide the harvest in the coming years. Let us sow carefully and with all due diligence as we search for new pastors.

Please pray for us as elders and staff that God will guide us to the right individuals to fill these positions and that the men to whom God leads us will be open and willing to serve. And please pray that we, as individuals, will be willing to carry our share of the load as we offer our talents and abilities as leaders in Sunday School, Awana, and on our boards and counsels. Remember, God doesn’t always call the qualified but qualifies the willing!

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as an elder for the past five years. It has not always been easy, but it is a privilege and opportunity. Please continue to pray for me as well as all the elders and staff, that God will continue to grant wisdom, unity, and peace. May God continue to open our spiritual eyes to what it means to “be the church” in this time and in this community. 

In Christ,

Audrun Siebert

Suffering, Comfort, and Hope

I'll be honest, writing these staff journals is hard!

I don't always feel like I have something amazing to share. I mean, I'm no pastor. What if people think what I have to say is silly? What if I don't communicate my heart effectively?

This time, again, I had a hard time landing on just what to share.

At a staff friend's suggestion, I went back to my prayer notebook searching for some inspiration and asked the Spirit to guide me. I landed on a page where I've been collecting Bible verses that have jumped out at me and spoken deeply to me during prayer time over the last few weeks. I had been revisiting these verses and praying through them. 

What I noticed this time was a progression I hadn't seen before—God leading me through his Word. So cool! I wonder if you'll notice it too.

2 Corinthians 1:8b-9

For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.  

Hebrews 6:19a

We have this HOPE as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. 

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

Galatians 6:9-10

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we DO NOT GIVE UP.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. 

Acts 9:31

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

Did you see it? 

This year, and especially these last few months, have brought many times of feeling utterly burdened beyond my strength. I've had no choice but to rely on God. But while I felt at times I was sharing abundantly in Christ's suffering, God also comforted me abundantly and led me to hope.

Hope reminded me who I was working for and led me to gratitude. Hope implored me to keep going and not give up, especially for the sake of God's people. And hope provided a picture of what God wants to do at Grace and in the Church worldwide.

This was, and continues to be, such an inspiration to me! I literally get chills each time I read through these verses. I hope it will encourage you too. 

Please join me in praying that God will bring peace to our church and among believers, and that he will strengthen and build us up. Pray that we will live reverently before the Lord, comforted by his Spirit. Pray that we would grow and multiply as we love God, love people and lead others to do the same.

See you Sunday, Church! Pastor Jack will be talking about getting dirty and smelly. 😊

-Juli Dirks

Unexpected Friendship

I texted one of my neighbors at 6am: “It’s Monday...does that mean I’m headed to the gym alone?” He shot back, “Not today.”

At first, I took that as, “I’m not going today.” But before I backed out of my driveway, he opened my passenger door and jumped in the seat. I was startled, but glad.

We have been hitting the gym 3–4 times each week in the mornings, and it has been good for my health. I can tell that I have more energy and feel better throughout the day.

But that’s surprisingly not the best part. I find myself most looking forward to spending time with my neighbor.

What’s shocking is, he doesn’t go to church. Anywhere. 

He’s just a regular guy with kids and a job… and a pastor as a neighbor. 

Now, my family and I have been praying for years that God would help us be good neighbors and witnesses. We have faithfully prayed for our neighbors by name. We have welcomed them into our home, enjoyed food together, and we’ve invited them to church services and Awana.

But I would never have guessed that God would open the door for a mutual friendship.

To my shock and surprise, my don’t-go-to-church buddy has encouraged me in my walk as a pastor. He has passionately challenged me about my “path” as a Christian man, husband, and father. And he has motivated me to continue exercising. 

Clearly, God has been speaking to his own heart. Gratefully, God has brought me to his neighborhood.

What began as a simple prayer and church sending, has turned into an unexpected friendship and opportunity for an everlasting relationship.

Would you pray for me, that God would overcome my weaknesses and inabilities and open the door for the Word? Would you pray that I would grow in my walk as a friend and neighbor?

This has been a great blessing in my life, and I believe there is more to come.

This Sunday we'll think about the disaster that occurred when Jesus tried to convert His hometown. Why did His attempt “fail”? What made them so angry?

Guess you’ll have to gather with us to find out... see you then!

Galatians 6:9,
Pastor Jack

Be the Church in the Everyday

I love interacting with a new Christian.

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

Those are my favorite people to talk to.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Take a friend on a walk and listen to them

• Linger in your driveway and get to know your neighbor

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

• Send a note of encouragement to someone who is struggling

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

See you this Sunday!

Casey Teater

Let's Be Real

My junior year of college was off to a great start. I had a schedule of classes I was excited about with professors I really enjoyed. I had the opportunity to serve the guys in my dorm as a member of the student life team alongside a group of friends who were quickly becoming “my people.”

Then, one day my dad called and said, “The books you ordered for class were shipped here to the house instead of to campus.” Whoops. “I’ll drive up this evening and bring them to you.” Oh wow! I wasn’t expecting that.

But then when my dad got to my dorm, I realized bringing the books wasn’t the only reason he came. That evening, sitting next to me on the bed in my dorm room, my dad told me that my granddad (my mom’s dad) had died earlier that day.

My heart dropped and a wave of memories filled my thoughts as I quietly mourned the loss of my beloved Granddad.

All of a sudden, I wasn’t worried about the books or how I was going to get my assignments done. Instead, I started writing an email to my professors and packing a bag. Only telling my professors and my boss, I quietly slipped off campus and spent a couple days with family.

Upon returning to campus I was confronted by one of my teammates (who, to this day, I consider to be like a brother):

“Don’t you ever do that again. We are a team. We love you. But how are we supposed to support you if we don’t know what’s going on in your life?”

Whoa.

It was difficult for me to talk about the pain of the loss, so it felt easier to keep it to myself. But Sened helped me see that I was robbing my friends of the opportunity to help me bear that burden.

I can pinpoint that moment as a turning point in my life, when I began to understand the value of pursuing authentic community.

Fast forward to this past Sunday when I, along with many of you, listened to Pastor Kyle teach on this very value in our church.

Pursuing authentic community is telling the people around you when you are going through something hard so they can sit with you in the pain and pray for you.

Pursuing authentic community is being real and open when someone asks, “How are you doing?”

Pursuing authentic community is celebrating the ways God is blessing those around you.

Pursuing authentic community is sacrificing and giving of your own home/time/money/stuff to make sure people know they are important to you.

Pursuing authentic community is embracing humility and asking for help.

Pursuing authentic community is (kindly and gently-yet-firmly) not taking ‘no’ for an answer when you offer to help someone in need.

Pursuing authentic community is eating and laughing together.

Pursuing authentic community takes as many forms as life does, because that’s what pursuing authentic community is all about: gladly sharing your life with others, no matter what life looks like.

Thanks to my gracious-yet-stern friend, I learned the benefit that comes from being real with the people around you. By opening up my life to others, I found a band of brothers with whom to walk through life’s highs and lows.

And now, thanks to my my-life-is-an-open-book wife, I am growing in my desire and ability to be open and real with others. And we are so thankful for the way God has blessed us with authentic community here at Grace.

We have had friends cry with us through the pain of a miscarriage and celebrate with us the birth of two healthy babies. And, in God’s wisdom and by his grace, we have been able to be on the other side—being the shoulders to cry on and the ones to bring ice cream to celebrate.

I’m not saying I have done it all right, or even that I’m good at being real with people. But, what I hope you hear me saying is that I have seen firsthand the blessing that comes from pursuing authentic community. And that is why I believe it is such an important value for our church.

So, Grace, let’s be real with one another. Share your life with others, even when it’s hard. And let’s watch God work as he builds belonging within our church family.

I love you, Grace!

Nathan Ehresman

Theology Before Feeling

This past Sunday, Pastor Jack talked about our first and foremost core value as a church: Upholding Biblical Integrity.

This value flavors all of our ministries, including our worship ministry. One of the ways it flavors our worship ministry is through a value that we state this way: theology before feeling.

I have seen two extremes in worship.

I’ve witnessed worship that had very little content lyrically, but the music was full of slow and steady crescendos and decrescendos that got people excited and emotional. After 15 minutes of worship we had sung a total of 4 sentences and people’s emotions were off the charts!

I’ve also witnessed worship where people were so keenly aware of possibly having their emotions manipulated by music that they resisted any inkling of emotion while they were singing! 

I’ve heard people say, “I love the way worship makes me feel.” Conversely, I served at a church for some time where we loved God with all our minds really well, but we weren’t so great at loving God with our heart, soul, and strength.

Our value of Theology Before Feeling means we don’t choose songs just because of a feeling. We scrutinize our song repertoire with diligence. We make sure that we are worshipping in Spirit and Truth as John 4:23-24 says.

We make sure our songs uphold Biblical integrity.

There are some new songs we don’t sing because they are simply too vague, there are lyrics we have changed because they were misleading, and there are some verses of old hymns we have taken out because they are not true. Many of our newer songs are also very rich in theology or taken directly out of Scripture.

Thank you to the many of you who have taken notice of our commitment to singing truth and expressed your appreciation for it!

We also recognize that truth set to beautiful music can deeply affect our emotions.

You’ve probably all witnessed me struggle to sing or pray because I’m so overwhelmed by the truth of the gospel. Our feelings are not evil; they can deceive us, but when worship through song moves us because of truth, let’s allow the affections of our hearts to be stirred!

It’s not theology as opposed to feeling, it’s theology before feeling.

This coming Sunday we’ll be diving into our second core value: Pursuing Authentic Community. Whether in person or virtually, I look forward to being with you!

- Pastor Kyle

[Editor’s note] PS: We will be celebrating communion together as we study pursuing authentic community this Sunday. So, if you are planning to join us from home, make sure to have some bread and juice handy when you sit down to watch the service!

Perfection. Comfort. Ease. Cheese!

Perfection. Comfort. Ease. Cheese!

I bet you're wondering where I'm going with this, ha! Bear with me a bit here.

Over the past year or so, the church staff & elders have been praying over, revising, and re-articulating our church values (you will be hearing a lot more about them in the coming weeks). Our values are what color everything we do, setting our intention and direction.

All that talk of values led me contemplate, "What are my values?"

If values are the things that are important to me—the characteristics and behaviors that motivate me and guide my decisions—then what would my personal values be, exactly?

I've never put them down on paper and hung them on my wall. But if I did, what would it look like?

When I first began rolling this around in my mind and heart, things like Jesus, God's will, family, excellence, simplicity, and a few more were first to come. It would have been easy to leave it there and pat myself on the back for valuing the right things.

But the Holy Spirit prodded me to dig deeper.

The question became, "Does my life actually reflect what I think or say I value? What do my choices and actions reveal about what I value?"

These questions were a little more uncomfortable to answer.

Yes, in some ways I could see that those good values were truly driving many of my decisions, behaviors, and responses. But more reflection led me to see that I also really value some not so good things. Enter those words from above: perfection, comfort, ease, cheese. Yes, cheese!

Though I may not have intentionally chosen these values or made some pretty word art with them and framed them on my wall, God showed me how these things are more important to me than I'd like to admit. 

I've struggled with perfectionism since I was very young. My pursuit (or resistance) of perfection can take up a lot of time and emotional energy, as well affect my relationships negatively.

How I spend my time and approach daily responsibilities frequently reflects a desire for comfort and ease, trying to avoid difficulty or situations that feel uncomfortable.

And cheese… I turn to food (especially cheese in its many delicious forms) far too often for "self-care". Food can occupy way too much of my thinking space!

This wouldn't be the first time God has pointed out these weeds in the garden. It was hard to admit to myself (and now to you) that these things are still influencing my life. But it's a welcome opportunity to recalibrate my heart to what God values.

Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

My daily prayer must continue to be "more Him, less me" so that I can "lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and . . . run with endurance the race that is set before [me]." (Hebrew 12:1) 

When was the last time you thought about your personal values? Do you have them written down? What do your actions and decisions say you value? Are they the same?

Join us over the next few Sundays as we explore Grace's values. We're also really excited for fall ministry to be starting back up after a long break! So join us this Sunday morning for the start of Sunday School (kids through adults). See you then!

Juli Dirks
Executive Director of Ministries

A Half-Mowed Lawn and Jesus' Steadfast Presence

Samuel walked up to me while we were mowing and trimming the yard (he mows, I trim) and tells me that the lawnmower was broken.

“Mmhmm…”

Of course, I just thought that he was missing some step and casually walked over to the mower and turned it on. I have an EGO electric mower, which I love. You pull the lever, press the button, and you’ve got the quietest mower in the world, and it cuts the grass just fine. 

But not this time. 

This time it shook like a spring door stop, turned off, and then the red LED on the display began to blink. Now, my friends wouldn’t exactly call me a “mechanic,” but I was pretty sure that something was wrong. Red never seems too good. 

I turned it over and checked the blade. It apparently was pulling up grass from the roots. “Maybe it wasn’t sharp enough?” I had no clue what was wrong, so I dragged it into the garage and took the blade off to examine it.

I’m also not a “blade-ologist,” so I did what anybody my age would do: I googled it. 

There wasn’t a replacement blade within a 40-minute drive, and only half of my yard was cut. HALF. It was also after dinner time. We all know you should look at the glass half full, not half empty, but I doubt my neighbors would keep that perspective if I left my yard half-complete. 

I started thinking of alternative solutions, and I really didn’t want to borrow a neighbor’s mower if I didn’t have to. Then it occurred to me, I have a Power+ String Trimmer (weed eater)! It’s not really meant to cut a yard, but it could be a temporary resolve until I get a new blade in.

So I spent the next few moments trimming my yard down as evenly as possible (emphasis on “as possible”). It reminded me of the first time my mom let my aunt cut my hair as a kid. My hair was technically shorter, but I wouldn’t exactly call it a “win.”

Nevertheless, the front yard was cut and I bought myself a week to figure it out.

This year has brought a lot of new challenges for me. I’m having to pivot quickly and try new ways of doing things. Some are different but just as easy, and others have left me waiting for a more permanent solution.

The good news is, Jesus’ presence and promises haven’t changed. My faith in Him isn’t based on a predictable and comfortable life. 

I like the way Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. put it, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

I haven’t seen the staircase in about 7 months, but Jesus hasn’t left.

See you guys this Sunday as we look at Jesus’ second sign in John’s Gospel.

Will He get upset and leave them? Can He still work among a people who need to see before they believe? You’ll have to come and hear the story to find out!

I love you, Grace. 
— Pastor Jack

Operation: Children's Ministry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Important information for children’s ministry this fall: 

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

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

See you this Sunday!

Casey Teater

Holding Up One Another('s Arms)

When I was working on finishing our basement, I remember holding a piece of drywall in place while my cousin attached it to the ceiling with his drill.

Oh, how I wanted him to work quickly and get the drywall secured. My arms got tired SO quickly!

It would have been great to have another person helping hold up the drywall… or even holding up my arms! 

Where am I going with this? Hang in there, you’ll see.

One of our Community Life Group Leaders reminded me this past week of a beautiful story in the Old Testament about supporting each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

In Exodus 17, we see the nation of Israel after being freed from slavery in Egypt. While in the desert, Amalek comes to fight with Israel. During the battle, Moses stands at the top of a hill and stretches his hands toward the heavens. While Moses holds up his hands the Israelites prevail over Amalek, but when Moses lowers his hands Amalek prevails over Israel.

As you can imagine, Moses gets tired of holding his hands up. Aaron and Hur enter the scene as heroes to help Moses keep his hands up. Aaron helps support one arm, and Hur helps support the other arm. In this way, Israel gains victory over Amalek. 

Our Community Life Groups are a bit like this.

We help one another out in our spiritual battles. We support one another when we are weak and come to each other’s aide. We were not meant to carry our burdens on our own.

Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ”. 

Many of you who are in Community Life Groups are experiencing this! Some of you still need to connect with a group, or some other form of fellowship to experience this joy of caring for one another and encouraging one another!

This Sunday, after the 10:45am worship service, we are having Grouplink, which is the best way to connect with a Community Life Group. (We’ll feed you and take care of your kids. All you have to do is show up!)

We also have a virtual option! If you are interested in joining a group but unable or uncomfortable attending in-person, go ahead and sign up and we will be in touch about the virtual option.

We’ll share a little bit about why we do Community Life Groups and you’ll get a chance to meet the leaders of groups who are looking to add people or start a new group!

What better way is there to love people than to connect with others through a Community Life Group?

I love you church, and I’ll see you Sunday!
-Pastor Kyle