Beyond Summer Quest

This past Sunday night our Summer Quest team got together for food, fellowship, and for prayer to seek God together in how we should continue ministering at Lincoln Park.  Summer Quest was a great event, but all of us knew we needed to continue to minister in that area.  God gave us a lot of favor and brought a lot of kids and parents out to Summer Quest, and we saw several of them at Summer Fest!  God appears to be opening up a door for us to minister there more consistently.  Our hearts break for some of the kids there.  They are all so hungry for interaction and love. 

Through our time of prayer and fellowship we decided to have each family take a week to pray in the area.  Mary and I have taken this week.  We went up Monday evening and prayed and spent some time playing with one of the kids who came to SQ.  We went back up on Wednesday night with some of our team and did a little more praying and playing with some kids.  We also decided as a team that we would commit to having someone at the park every Wednesday night and we’ve communicated with the kids that they can expect us at the park on Wednesday evenings.  Some of our team members feel called to go door to door in the area and pray with people and help them with projects.  A couple of our team members are committing to discipling people in the neighborhood. 

Our desire is to be the Church in the Lincoln Park area.  We are praying that the gospel would take hold and transform lives, transform families, and spread revival through our city.  We are dreaming big and trying to be obedient.  It will take a lot of sacrifice, but our hearts are drawn towards the neighborhood and motivated by Christ’s love. 

Would you join us in praying for the Lincoln Park neighborhood?  And if you were a part of a SQ, would you ask God how he might be calling you to continue to minister in the neighborhood?  Grace, let’s be the church!  Let’s love sacrificially and pray big prays together for Newton and the surrounding communities! 

Here’s my Rightnow Media pick of the month.  This is a great video series addressing our changing culture and showing us how we can trust God’s word and engage our culture with His truth!

https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/485872 

See you Sunday,

Pastor Kyle

The Good Kind of Tired

I'll be honest. I'm tired. Like this kind of tired:

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . .

I'm sure I'm not the only one. After a very successful week of Summer Quest, punctuated by Summer Fest, I'm sure many of you are also feeling tired too. Hopefully you've had some time to rest.

But this is "the good kind of tired". The tired that comes on the heels of expending yourself for the sake of the gospel. Thank you, Summer Quest team members, for making time in your already busy schedules to spread God's love and good news to our community! Nearly 250 young minds and hearts were touched by your efforts.

Thanks also for jumping in on Sunday and helping create a fun, inviting, celebratory experience for over 500 people! We welcomed many new faces, and heard from families who visited that they loved their experience over the week, were blessed by Sunday morning, and want to return. Yay!

So let any fatigue that may be lingering be a reminder of the good work God has done (and will continue to do) through your sacrifice of time and effort. You offered yourselves unreservedly for God's use, and it was SO worth it!

I think you epitomized Romans 12:1:

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."

May God bless you richly and renew your strength and energy so that you may continue to be about his work.

See you Sunday!
Juli Dirks

Backyard Mission Field

So far this week, we have reached more than 100 kids that don’t attend Grace or possibly any other church. How exciting is that?!?! We have given out Bibles, shared the Gospel, taught kids the Truth, and formed new relationships with our neighbors.

The numbers are still coming in, but we have about 240 kids attending our 10 Summer Quest sites. And this is all because 125+ volunteers decided to give up their week to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their own backyards.

We are hearing from volunteers how these young people are hungry for connection and care. I keep hearing moving stories of unchurched kids not wanting this week to end.

Well, it doesn’t have to. 

We have a great mission field right here in our community of children and students that do not know God’s love personally.

Why can’t we find creative ways to continue reaching our neighbors for Christ? Why can’t we continue praying for a particular neighborhood, getting our own kids in the battle, and making the effort to share God’s love with them?

This week has been a joyful reflection of 2 Corinthians 5:20 (CSB) 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 

Grace, thank you for “being the Church.” I look forward to Summer Fest this Sunday afternoon. May it be a time of rejoicing and fellowship for our church family.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack

Going for Gold!

I am Going for Gold by..HAVING COURAGE!

I am Going for Gold by..CHOOSING HOPE!

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

I am Going for Gold by..BEING COACHABLE! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you this Sunday!

Casey

The Art of Neighboring

“In whatever neighborhood God has placed you, love people sacrificially.”  You’ve heard this many times.  It’s easy to say, but it’s hard to do.  It takes intentionality and sacrifice.   

At Grace, we believe that God has given each of us unique circles of influence where we can be the hands and feet of Jesus!  We believe that God has us in our neighborhoods for a reason.  People all around us need to hear the gospel and see it lived out in us through the way we love and serve them. 

My youngest daughter, Adelyn, and I were taking a walk in our neighborhood about a month ago when we met some new neighbors that had just moved into a house on our cul-de-sac.  We had a lovely conversation with them for about half an hour.  I was able to ask her when she was due.  Yes, she was pregnant enough that it was safe to ask that question!  Later that evening at bedtime Adelyn asked if she could pray for our neighbors and their baby.  Most evenings since then, Adelyn and I have prayed for our new neighbors.  We were able to take over some baby gifts last weekend to love on them!  Adelyn whispered to me “tell them we are praying for them”.  I was able to talk to her later and let her know that we need to develop a friendship with them before we tell them we are praying for them or before we invite them to church.  (I’m quite sure they don’t have a church home and probably are not looking for one.)  So, we’ve been praying that God would give us favor with them and help us to develop a friendship.   

Last night while I was at worship team rehearsal, they came over to our house to visit.  I was excited to hear that when I came home.  This feels like God answering our prayer, especially since they know I’m a Pastor!  I’m hoping to be able to invite them over for BBQ sometime in the next month or so.  This couple and their new baby boy moved into our neighborhood.  They are not a project.  They are people to love sacrificially, to share our lives with, and share Jesus with! 

I hope and pray that all of you will see your neighborhood as a mission field.  It starts with relationships.  God wants to grow His Kingdom, and He wants to use you in your neighborhood.  Won’t you join my family and others who are praying for our neighbors and looking for ways to develop friendships with them, and ultimately lead them to Jesus? 

My Rightnow Media pick of the month is “The Art of Neighboring”.  This should be a great resource to help you think about loving people sacrificially in the neighborhood God has placed you.

https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/392825 

I can’t wait for Sunday!  I love you Church!

-       Pastor Kyle

A Rewarding Night

Last night was so refreshing!

We had bouncy houses, popcorn, cotton-candy, and other fun games. A special thank you is due the AWANA leaders for making this year and last night’s AWANA Awards Night uplifting and fun!

I am grateful for the encouragement and challenge given to our younger generation.

 My older three children received awards for memorizing Scripture and completing AWANA lessons. Amelia walked across the stage bashful, her head tilted downward with a shy grin on her face. On the other hand you have my son, Russell, who walked across the stage smiling at the audience and waving like a politician who just won office. (Maybe he gets that from his mother...) Samuel was his usual jovial self.

 I pray the fruit from their labors will last a life-time. Maybe that’s captured in the picture I took...

...maybe, lol.

And I was so proud of Courtney for the 8-month long commitment she kept in directing Sparks. She is truly a special lady!

Last night was full of joy and fellowship. What a refreshing break from the hardship and complexity of life.

I hope you can take the time to enjoy the relationships that God has given you this week.

 I love our church family, and I appreciate the ways that you minister to me and my family. I won’t be preaching this Sunday, but I am eager to hear the message that God has laid on Kyle’s heart.

 Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack

Extending our "Reach"

Do you remember Heart of Grace, when we told you we were doing something new with our missions efforts? Well, we wanted to keep you updated, because it has a few changes that affect you, too! 

And since YOU ARE THE CHURCH (and my favorite church family!), we need you to stay in the game. So here’s the game plan:

New Teams

We have officially established two councils, Reach Local and Reach Global (both were formerly under Extend). Reach Local focuses on ministry opportunities in Newton and the surrounding areas. Reach Global covers our national and international efforts. These teams are off and running and we hope you’ll be hearing from them soon. Go, teams, go!

New Strategy

We have restructured our priorities to include getting our people (THAT’S YOU!) more personally engaged with those we support. We believe we haven’t been connected enough. Many of our people don’t know who our missionaries are, and some don’t even know why we believe in sending and supporting missionaries in the first place (3 John 5–8). So, we are shifting our focus from just sending a check, to building a relationship. 

This shift in focus must take place, but it comes with change.

In order to do this most effectively, we are changing how and who we support through our church budget starting next year. We’ll be focusing on a smaller number of missionaries & organizations, and shifting our support to include an annual review and renewal process. 

We pray this new approach will allow for better communication, you all having a deeper knowledge of those we support, higher church engagement (personal giving and communication), and increased opportunities for involvement (trips and projects).

New Missions Expo

Every year we’ll invite our missionary friends (even some we don’t support through our church budget) to share what God is doing through their work. We pray this will build stronger relationships between missionaries and supporting church members. We’ll have more information on that later.

We are excited for our new teams and our new focus, and we hope you are too! We look forward to our continued partnership with you in the Lord’s work.

Grace and peace to you,

Juli Dirks, Executive Director of Ministries

Seasons Change

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you Sunday!

Casey Teater

GraceKids Director

A Letter From Our Elders

Greetings Grace Family,

Apart from one or two strange winter-like days this week, spring feels like it has finally arrived. Temperatures are warming up; the grass and trees are green again, and things seem to be slowly moving back to a “normal” feel. I’m not a cold weather person so I really appreciate the changes that spring has to offer. Every season change makes me appreciate God’s design for us.

Things are changing around Grace Community Church as well….and they are exciting changes. It has been a busy season as the elders and staff have worked to fill the Pastor of Care and Connection position after Pastor Steve’s retirement. Thank you, Pastor Steve, for your years of faithful service!

After interviewing several candidates, the search committee did not find the ideal fit for our church body. Then COVID 19 arrived and the elders decided to freeze the search process. In late 2020, the search resumed and several candidates emerged. Each candidate possessed gifts and qualifications that made it extremely difficult (maybe even impossible!) to come to a unanimous decision. The search committee and elders prayed specifically for God’s guidance and God answered in a big way. After what seems like YEARS, we are proud to announce Will Regier is joining the GCC team as the Pastor of Care and Connection (PCC)! The search committee and elder board are convinced that Will is the ideal fit for our church body. We are excited to see how God will use Will to serve Grace Community Church. When Will, Stephanie, and family arrive in late June. Please say hello and make them feel welcome!

The search for our next youth pastor is still churning along. The search committee has sifted through many resumes, made screening calls, and performed Zoom interviews. At this point, they have not found the next youth pastor yet. Please pray for the search committee as the process continues. A slow process can be frustrating at times, but good things are worth waiting for and we really want to hire the right person.

In the near future, the elders and staff would like to focus on building stronger connections between our members and with new guests that visit. It is so hard to step out of our comfort zone, but this is such a vital step and there are so many ways to do it.

Would you look around you on Sundays morning and find someone you don’t know and say hello...or invite them to lunch…or to your community life group? Speaking of community life groups, we plan to make a push to grow and develop our community life group program. Will Regier will be spearheading this initiative when he comes onboard in late June, but he will need the help of community life group leaders and community life group members. The real results come from individuals who step out of their comfort zone to welcome and include others.

God has provided for each and every one of us over the last year and He will continue to do so! Thank you for faithfully attending, serving, and giving to the Lord at Grace Community Church. We are so excited to see what God has for our church body this year!

Sincerely,
Kelsey Veer, Elder

Getting in the Game

When he wouldn’t get up, I felt embarrassed and knew something had to happen. He’s our stronger willed child, and I wasn’t sure the coach had the proverbial chips to convince him to stand up and get off the field. Here’s an actual picture of the incident:

There’s Russell, sitting on the ground, refusing to get up and play with his teammates. Granted, he was pretty young (4 years old), but we thought the opportunity to play on a team would be fun and provide much needed exercise. Well, it didn’t go like we hoped. He did win a participation award, but let’s just say nobody else thought he would be the next David Beckham. 

Fast-forward to this year, he surprises us with a request to join a team. We were a little skeptical, remembering his early days of not running or participating or wanting to go on the field (pretty essential in soccer). I wanted to remind him of how his favorite part was the snacks at the end of the game, but he was serious. 

So we signed him up for soccer and have taken him to every practice. And wouldn’t you know it, he was actually running around and participating. He was doing the drills and putting the work in. He even listens to his coach. L.I.S.T.E.N.S.

During his last game, Russell scored two goals! We couldn’t have been prouder (or shocked). And it reminded us of an important lesson.

Soccer was not better today than it was 4 years ago. The difference was not in the game. It wasn’t his coach (both are great). It wasn’t his teammates. 

It was his attitude and participation. 

It’s amazing how much your outlook and commitment to own your part will change not just your own experience, but the experiences of others around you as well.

As a member of our church, I am so glad I get to labor alongside all of you. God is doing some great work here. People are getting saved. Families are maturing. The Kingdom is growing. 

And two key factors are your attitude and participation. Thank you for your love, thank you for praying, thank you for serving, and thank you for not giving up on Jesus’ call to each one of us.

Thank you for getting into the game.

See you guys on Sunday morning, where we will study a complicated but timely lesson from Jesus. (And if you see Russell, give him a high-five for participating!)

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack

A Challenge to Get Behind

It’s not uncommon to see my kids trying to outdo each other in something.  Whether it’s who can jump higher, who can run faster, or who can get a longer streak on Bop It, much of the competition simply ends up with someone getting upset.  I know some of this competition can be good for our kids to grow, but so often it seems like the challenge to outdo one another causes more unhealthy competition than anything else.  Mary and I still find ourselves trying to comfort one of our kids or getting upset at another kid for always having to outdo their sibling at something. 

I’ve been working to memorize new verses this year, and one of my most recent verses includes a great challenge to outdo one another.  Romans 12:10 says, “Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor.”  Now this is a challenge I can get behind!  

What would it look like if we were always trying to outdo one another in showing honor?  I know that our home would look different.  There would be more building up with our words.  There would be more joy, and less fighting.

What would it look like for us as a church to outdo one another in showing honor?  What would it look like in your Community Life Group, in your Bible Study, or at youth group?  I see a church that puts people before preferences. I see a church that is selfless and always looking to the needs of others.  I see a church that opens wide its arms to people that are different, to people that are spiritually seeking, to the people that society rejects, and to the people who are struggling to make ends meet.  I see a church that loves people sacrificially.  Let’s seek to outdo one another in showing honor!

My Rightnow Media pick of the month is for younger kids.  Think Mr. Rogers meets Rend Collective.  

See you Sunday!

For His Glory,

Pastor Kyle

"Love like I love"

Today is Maundy Thursday. But what is Maundy Thursday, anyway?

I'll be honest… having grown up in church, it's probably something I should have known and understood. But, somehow, I just haven't really thought much about it until now.

I'm reading through a lent devotional plan on my PrayerMate app called “Love to the Uttermost” by John Piper. As I read this morning's devotional I was challenged by what I read about Maundy Thursday.

“Maundy” comes from the Latin word meaning "commandment". Maundy Thursday commemorates the command Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper, just before he was crucified:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34)

Jesus commanded his disciples to love others the way he loved them. He soon demonstrated for them just what that love was to look like—service and self-sacrifice. He washed their feet in an act of servant leadership and later suffered and died on a cross in the ultimate act of love.

I really loved what Piper shared next. He connected this command with what Jesus identified as the second greatest commandment after loving God: "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39).

What does that really look like—loving others like Jesus did and loving others like yourself?

Piper points out that when Jesus commands his disciples to "love like I love," it's like he's saying:

"Here is what I mean by ‘as yourself.’ Watch me. I mean: Just as you would want someone to set you free from certain death, so you should set them free from certain death. That is how I am now loving you. My suffering and death is what I mean by ‘as yourself.’ You want life. Live to give others life. At any cost."

What challenged me wasn't a new idea, but a reiteration that my life, as a follower of Christ, should be marked by this kind of love. Jesus commanded me to own this mission personally, and to desire and work toward helping others find life in him.

What does that look like for me right now?

How can I live to give others life?

It means sacrificing as needed to share and live out the gospel in my family. It means seeing others (neighbors, acquaintances) through glasses of grace, showing them love, and moving past my fears and insecurities to share life-saving truth with them.

I'm grateful for this reminder (more like a strong poke!) from God.

Love God. Love people. Lead others to do the same.

Join us Friday night as we observe Good Friday together (6:30pm), and Sunday morning as we celebrate Jesus' resurrection and amazing gift of eternal life!

Juli Dirks

Graves Into Gardens

I absolutely love being able to record video testimonies for our baptisms. I love hearing how God is changing lives, and this Easter there will be some powerful videos sharing how God is moving in our midst!

Some people find Jesus while growing up in a Christ-centered family environment. Some people come to Jesus after chasing the pleasures of the world. Sometimes people don’t hear about Jesus until they are in the deepest valley, which is often brought about by their own sin.

Regardless of the story of coming to know and trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, God truly turns graves into gardens. He turns the shame of our sin into the glory of boasting in Jesus.

While we were all once spiritually dead, He has made us alive in Christ!

Our newest song—“Graves Into Gardens”—is a declaration that nothing is better than God.

No one can turn seas into highways (Exodus 14) but God.

No one can turn bones into armies (Ezekiel 37) but our God.

Our God turns mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11), gives beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3), and can satisfy our every desire (Psalm 34:10).

May we be a people that find our worth, our satisfaction, and our joy in Him! May the fading treasures of this world lose their appeal. May we never be afraid to confess our weaknesses, failures, and flaws to Jesus.

And may He continue to change our hearts for His glory!

I'm excited for some 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to share some special music this Sunday! I’m also anticipating our Good Friday Service. And I can hardly wait to celebrate our risen Savior with you on April 4!

See you Sunday!

For His Glory,

Pastor Kyle

 https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/396209

Steps of Faith

‘What step of faith is Jesus asking me to take this week? More like what in my life doesn’t feel like a step of faith right now?’

That was my initial reaction at the end of Pastor Jack’s sermon on Sunday morning.

According to his sovereignty and in his good timing, God is calling my family to move to Hillsboro where we will join the family at Grace Community Fellowship and I will serve as associate pastor.

New church family, new community, new job, new home… that’s a lot of steps of faith for someone who really doesn’t deal with change all that well!

And yet, through the whole process that led up to making the decision to follow this call, Addie and I were met with a surprising amount of confidence and peace.

When, in Luke 5:4, Jesus told Peter to “put out into the deep and let down the nets for a catch,” I can’t imagine his initial feeling was one of confidence and peace. And yet, once Peter and the others saw the impossible catch Jesus provided, “they left everything and followed him,” (v 11).

What moved Peter from confusion—”Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!”—to action—”But at your word I will let down the nets”—to giving it all for him?

It was trust in Jesus—the one they had just seen provide in amazing ways.

It was the same thing that gave my Addie and me confidence to take this step of faith: we have already seen God provide in amazing ways.

In fact, we were in a similar situation not that long ago: taking a new job and moving to a new home in a new community and joining a new church family. And now, less than six years later, everything that was once new and scary is what we love and makes leaving so difficult.

God has proven himself faithful time and time again, and that gives us confident hope that he will provide again and again in the future. We don’t have all the answers and we know it won’t be easy, but knowing we are seeking to walk in obedience gives us the hope to take this next step of faith.

So now, I want to join Pastor Jack in asking you: what step of faith is Jesus asking you to take this week?

Once you have identified an action step and you are inevitably stopped in your tracks by fear and doubt, think back on how you have seen God move in your life. What impossible catch have you witnessed? How did he provide unexpectedly for an incredible need? How did he call you out of darkness and into his marvelous light?

Let those truths fill you with trust in our God whose steadfast love endures forever, and let that trust move you to action.

You are the church. Now go be the church.

I love you, Grace!
Nathan Ehresman

Join a Prayer Movement

Some of you may remember a staff journal I wrote in 2020. My car radio was randomly not working and eventually quit altogether. I believed that God was prompting me to pray more.

Well, I’m stubborn and eventually my radio started working again. I started praying less and listening to music and Bott Radio again. 

Apparently, God still wanted me to pray more, and I simply didn’t get the hint the first time.

While my car radio started working again, it started randomly turning on and off, even without the key in the ignition. This was causing my battery to drain overnight and I had to jump start my car several times. Eventually, I decided to remove the fuse for my radio.

Now I don’t have any radio or clock, but my battery doesn’t drain overnight… and I’m back to praying more in my car!

To add to that, in my current seminary class—Spiritual Formation—I recently read a chapter on prayer. In that chapter, there was a very specific challenge to turn off the radio in your car and pray more.

Okay God, I get it!

So, if you pull up next to me at a stop light and I’m the only one in the car, but I’m talking… no, I don’t have a fancy car where I can use my phone through the radio, I’m simply praying out loud.

God is deepening my habit of prayer, and I’m excited about many prayer movements that God is stirring in our church body. In fact, I’d love to invite you to join us in some of these prayer movements.

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve added a couple people to our Sunday morning prayer teams. We have a wonderful prayer room in our church facility and I’d love to have more and more people praying during either our 9am or 1045am service on Sunday mornings!

I’m part of a group of guys that gets together most Saturday mornings for about an hour to drive around Newton and pray over our city. We would love to eventually have 5 or 6 vehicles headed out on Saturday mornings to battle for our community in prayer!

On Thursday mornings the Elders have been praying in the fireside room at 6:45, and while we’d like to keep that just an Elder thing, I’ve been showing up at 6am to pray with a friend until about 6:40 or so. I would love to have others join me at 6am in the fireside room on Thursday mornings!

Becky Wheeler is heading up the “Keep Watch” Prayer movement for our schools. She leads a team of prayer warriors in prayer walks around Chisholm, Santa Fe, and the high school once a week. Eventually, they hope to be in these schools before or after school hours to pray. We would love to have more people join this prayer movement!

I’d personally love to connect you with any one of these prayer movements! Just let me know that you are interested and we’ll get you connected!

I believe God is stirring and preparing our church, our city, and other churches in our city for something incredible! Let’s continue developing this habit of prayer in our lives!

For His Glory,
Pastor Kyle

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In Case You Missed It

Here’s a quick recap of our The Heart of Grace “state of the church” conversation with the elders from last Sunday:

• Extend is now Reach. Our missions council has been restructured toward a goal of more focused support with higher church engagement with the missionaries and ministries we support. The Reach Local team focuses on ministries and initiatives in Newton and the immediately surrounding community. The Reach Global team focuses on missionaries, ministries, and initiatives anywhere outside our immediate community.

• Touchpoint Initiative. The elders and staff are launching an effort to personally reach out and make contact with the members of our church family.

• New Young Marrieds class. We are creating a space for young married couples to connect with one another and plug into the life and ministry of our church.

• Pastor of Connection & Care. We have a couple exciting candidates to fill this role of connecting people with God, one another, and the church.

• Student Ministry Pastor. It has been a challenge to find experienced candidates, but we are hopeful that God will provide the right candidate in his good timing.

• Financial Update. By God’s grace—and your generosity!—we are beginning 2021 in a strong financial position.

• Question & Response. Do we have any plans for a singles and young adult ministry? What is our plan for discipling high school-aged youth? Could we update our church sign to a digital one? Will the Pastor of Connection & Care help with funeral arrangements? Are there any plans to update the church directory?

We encourage you to take some time to watch the video below for all the details.

Thank you for owning the mission and joining us as we love God, love people, and lead others to do the same!

Divine Delays

We walked into the terminal around 8am at the Wichita airport and we were the only passengers in sight. We went through security, just Courtney and I, and walked toward Chick-fil-A (because, of course). 

We were supposed to fly out of Wichita that morning, but we had no idea how interrupted our schedule would become. Our flight was delayed, so we had to wait for the afternoon. 

We knew we would miss our connecting flight, but maybe we would get to the FEC retreat just a few hours late. Since we had no place to go, we sat and read. Then the moment came to board our plane. We sit in our “be-thankful-for-what-you-get” seats, and wait. And we wait some more. Then we wait just a little while longer.

We sat on our plane for two hours before we disembarked due to our airline’s complete shutdown (which ended up lasting for five days). None of it was going to plan… or, at least, our plan.

Toward the end of Monday, we knew our flight was canceled and we had no hope of making it to our retreat in time. We would miss a whole day and a half.

Do you ever get discouraged when expectations and plans get altered and delayed? Of course you do. It’s disappointing.

Yet, we had resolve and hope. God was aware of what this trip would be like, so we trusted Him.

The next day, we head back to the airport, only to sit slouched in our chair because of further delays. I began to wonder if God really wanted us to go. Lunchtime came around, and I began to pray for God’s purpose in the waiting.

“Is there ANYBODY You want me to talk with? Let me join You in some encounter... please.”

I knew God always had a plan for our waiting, no matter what the reason.

As I passed by the gate counter, I saw Mike. We saw him the day before, so I knew he was in our same predicament. But Mike wasn’t flying for business or pleasure. Mike was on his way to donate his kidney to his son’s war buddy. He looked tired. He looked defeated. He looked worried.

So I decided to take my own detour. I walked up to Mike and asked if I could pray for him.

“I don’t know if you’re a person of faith, but would you mind if I prayed for you?”

He obliged, I put my hand on his shoulder, and I prayed for God to step into the situation and help. I don’t remember my words, but as soon as I said “Amen,” God opened Mike’s heart to share with me.

Here’s Mike on the right:

Turns out, Mike comes by Newton every once in a while to visit a friend (what a weird “coincidence,” huh?). We even talked about meeting at Norm’s and having coffee.

I never wanted to spend an extra day in the airport, and I really didn’t want to miss a whole day of our retreat. But if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have connected with Mike, and maybe that was a more important connection than the one we were trying to make at the Dallas airport.

See you guys on Sunday morning, and I hope you come to The Heart of Grace at 4pm in the Worship Center. 

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Jack

Spiritual Vertigo

Have you ever experienced vertigo? That feeling of being off balance; how with a sudden movement you find yourself on a virtual roller coaster ride? It's no thrill! 

It's amazing to me how the tiniest parts of your ear can affect the equilibrium of your whole body.

There are not a lot of good remedies for an issue like this. But being still and taking a few deep breaths are immediate needs when things get spinning. Every movement must become slow and focused to avoid falling or injury. 

Our spiritual equilibrium is much the same.

An unexpected trial can set your world spinning—a thoughtless comment can unintentionally spark hurt, a winter storm can ruin plans, job loss can leave you scrambling. Life brings regular opportunities for imbalance in our thoughts, emotions, and relationships.

So when circumstances tip and turn you one way or another, what do you do?

I was reminded this week that my response to spiritual or emotional vertigo should be similar to a physical dizzy spell.

Be still. Breathe. Focus. Take careful next steps.

When worry, anger, hurt, or doubt creep in, I need to stop and breathe—take time to be still in God's presence, shut out distractions, reach out to him to steady me, breathe out my prayers for help and steadiness, stay and rest awhile with him.

Next, I must focus—focus on who God is, on truth from his Word, on praise and gratitude in the midst of everything.

Once I'm centered with the Lord, I can prayerfully take next steps considering how my reactions to this trying situation could affect myself and others around me. I must push on through whatever difficulties I'm facing, making choices that lead to personal and relational health. I can move forward, steadied by God's guidance and wisdom.

Are you experiencing some spiritual vertigo? Is life leaving you spinning? 

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult… Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:1-3, 10a

Juli Dirks

Uncovering Treasures

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you this Sunday!

Casey Teater

Spiritual Hearing Aids

“99% of babies who fail the first test go on to pass on the second one.”

That’s what a well-intentioned nurse told us after our baby Claire failed her newborn hearing screening. And we took it to heart and didn’t worry… until she failed the second test too.

How much can she hear? Can she hear at all? Will she ever hear?

Those were our initial worries, and we have been on quite the journey over the past nine months to get answers to those questions.

Ultimately, we found that she can hear some, but there are significant gaps in her hearing. And the answer to fill in those gaps was one I had no idea was even a possibility for a baby: hearing aids.

So yesterday—after nine months of wondering how much of our voices was getting through to Claire and praying fervently for God to make a way for her to hear—we went to get her hearing aids!

Our hearts burst with joy (and my eyes burst with tears) as we saw her respond with a smile to our voices. She was so alert and interested in taking in her surroundings, and she seemed so happy—happy to finally fill in the gap in her experience of the world.

Sometimes, it can feel like there is a gap in our experience when we read the Bible.

I know this is God’s Word, but how can he be speaking for me through this collection of anthologies and poems and stories and letters written to people who lived thousands of years ago in an entirely different culture in a different part of the world?

Just like I am incredibly thankful for Claire’s hearing aids that fill in the gaps in her hearing, I am thankful for our spiritual hearing aid—God’s Holy Spirit—who opens our eyes and ears and allows us to truly hear what God is saying through His Word.

God’s Word is living and active (Heb 4:12), because the same Spirit who inspired the writers of the words back then is illuminating them—bringing them to life—for their readers today.

The hearing aids help Claire hear, but they don’t work unless we put them in her ears. The Holy Spirit does the work of speaking to us through the Bible, but we have to put ourselves in a place to hear from him by reading the Bible.

Are you putting in your spiritual hearing aids? Are you taking up the challenge to create a pattern of consistently connecting with God through His word so that you can hear the Spirit speak directly from God’s heart to yours through the words of the Bible?

I have been thankful for our Habits of Grace series, which has outlined the reasons why we listen to God’s Word and given us tools and patterns to do so well. And I’m excited for this Sunday, when we will wrap up the series with a look at passing on God’s Word.

I love you, Grace!

-Nathan Ehresman

Elder Connection: A Letter from Our Elders (January 2021)

[Editor’s Note: This is a special-edition Staff Journal written by Doug Stucky, one of our Governing Elders. This letter from Doug 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 Family,

I pray that this note finds each of you well. In this time of such uncertainty in our world it is such a blessing to know that we serve an amazing God who loves us, cares for us, and wants to have a personal relationship with us. We need to remember that He is in our yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He covers us with His grace, love, and forgiveness each and every day. 

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as an elder! It is an honor and privilege to serve with an incredible group of men that have a heart for the Lord and a desire to selflessly serve our church body. I am also thankful for our wonderful pastors, church staff, and volunteers. This is not an easy time for the church, and it is such a blessing to have the opportunity and options to meet in person or remotely to reach our church body and community with the good news of the gospel of Christ.

We are blessed to have pastors that are so devoted to fervent prayer and fasting. We are in prayer each week for the Grace family, our town, our country, and our world. As we meet each Thursday morning before work for a time of prayer, please join us in praying for the Lord’s direction and leading for our church.

I am very excited by what is happening in our church! The Lord continues to bless us in so many ways and I believe we are on the cusp of a revival. I know that many of you are interested to know the status of our pastoral searches. Certainly, our goal was to have these positions filled this past year. Who would have known that we would be dealing with a global pandemic! However, this time has allowed us to wait on the Lord for His timing to bring the individuals who will help lead our church body and youth program.

I want to encourage each of you to make plans to come to the Heart of Grace church meeting on the 28th of February. It will be a wonderful time of sharing by the Grace elders and staff concerning our pastoral searches, new vision for missions, new elective ministries, and a financial update. We will also have panel Q&A to answer questions from the church body. We are excited to share this time with you!

In difficult times or when faced with tough situations, my grandmother used to say, “This too shall pass.” What a blessing to know that there is no tragedy we’ll face, no adversity we’ll encounter, and no hardship we’ll endure, where the Lord is not with us, holding us up with His mighty hand. I am truly excited to see where the Lord is going to take us, and I do believe the best is yet to come! 

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

Thank you again for the opportunity to serve!

Doug Stucky