Summer Quest is the Best

First of all the disclaimer: I am about to mention negative feelings I have about a place that many of you love. This is not a commentary on that place, your choice to live there, or anything like that! Keep in mind too, my criticism is very specific and I hope the way you live proves me wrong!

I have built quite a few homes, not as a builder but as a carpenter. I have built most of those homes in subdivisions or housing developments whatever you choose to call them. Though I loved the inside of many of the homes we built I couldn’t stand the outside… Not because I thought they were ugly but because I thought the outside of every one of them portayed a lie… I would wager that not many of us like lies, being lied to, or any kind of falsehood in general. God doesn’t talk about lying in favorable terms in the Bible, my parents hated it and the times I have tried to slip a half truth or incomplete truth past my wife have not ended well for me. But I contend that almost ever house in every housing development lies each and every day and the lie is permanent. You ask how can a building lie? Well this is how. Every house I see in every subdivision has a front porch on it… to me that says that by design there is enough value placed on using that porch to justify the extra cost and loss of square footage in the home. 

Now I know practically the porch serves a lot of purposes in a mechanical way to protect the door opening from leakage from wind or air. But most often that door rarely if ever even gets used. Everyone uses their garage door and a garage really protects that entry door much better. 

My beef was always, “why have a front porch, beautiful or not, if you are never going to sit on it!” It feels like a lie to me every minute of every day… Building concrete steps, cedar posts and beams, expensive outdoor furniture that needs replaced from sun damage and not use, and outdoor decor for every season. I know Home Depot and Hobby Lobby both love those front porches but I do not. 

If the porches get used all of my frustration goes away. Really a house can’t lie, it is the cultural value that we put on a front porch that we never use, it’s us, the people that lie. And really this criticism is not pointed at any of you individually. If you have an HOA or a contractor worth his salt they are all going to require or recommend a nice front porch on your house. It’s not an individual problem its a cultural one. Now that we have airconditioning the necessity of sitting outside in the shade to catch the breeze is no longer advantageous. If I were really consistent with my line of thinking I would maybe critisize airconditioning and you will never catch me doing that. The two things any house I live in needs are a coffee pot and air conditioning, everything else is optional.

It is this cultural loss of the front porch culture that grieves me. In many parts of the world or even in more urban parts of our own country this is not completely lost. In our Central Plains western culture though it is on life support if its not completely dead. At the end of the day though I can be ok with it. It is what it is. Rather than try to fight the battle of the physical porch I want to highlight two things that I think we lose and that we do have to fight for. The porch provided both regular interactions and random interactions with our neighbors or those travelling through our neighborhood. Sitting out in the best parts of the day on your porch would facilitate interacting with neighbors. Try and have 6 or 8 kids living on the same block stay on the porch with their parents who are trying to relax or cool down in the breeze… It’s not happening. They will be in the street playing or all collected around an event in one yard or another. The adults too couldn’t avoid interacting completely, hello the playgroupnd of the extrovert! To the dismay of every introvert they would be at the mercy of their talkative neighbor unless they were so committed to isolation that they would rather drip sweat than sit outside. We also lose those random people walking or driving by that might stop and chat because they see us out on the porch. For a person like me who love community and connection I feel like the richness we lose is immeasurable by not having more of these regular and random interactions with other people.

How is this all about Summer Quest? I promised that in the title… and so far have been a liar myself. I think Summer Quest is the spiritual and literal front porch of our church. It puts us outside, unignorable to the neighborhood and passers by. We get a chance to be together on mission with our regular people, fellow church memebers and our actual neighbors where we live, and it sets us up for random people that we either invited or who see us and come to check it out. Sure we are outside and in my case always a little sweaty but we are giving that chance that a relationship will spark. My kids have friends with other families at church simply because we all walked together to pass out invites for Summer Quest together. Now that I bought a house and am no longer renting I know that kids in my immediate vicinity and see lots of others that are totally near enough to be invited. I know they will be bored this summer because every kid is and that like any kid if they get an invite to come off their porch to something fun and engaging it will get their serious consideration. Summer Quest to me embodies the true spirit of the front porch. Though Plumbrook Park, which is my site for this summer, looks nothing like a front porch I hope our site is as inviting as I imagine the best porch was in days of old. I can’t guarantee that any meaningful relationships will happen but the opportunity is there and I am praying God moves to do His work in creating them. Summer Quest is a great tool in His hands for this to happen. 

Please consider your role in Summer Quest this year. We still need Site Coordinators and since God has identified the sites that means He has also prepared some of you to fill those roles. Reach out to Amy, our Children’s Director, to get your assignment and enjoy the beauty of our front porch. amy@gccnewton.com

Blessings,

Will

Our Sensational Creator

Why are we sometimes set in our ways? Why does it take a miracle for some of us to believe that God exists?

God shows Himself in so many ways. I am constantly amazed at God’s creation.  God can do anything. There is so much around us even in small town Kansas that blows my mind. Right now in spring, the intricacy of flowers and how things grow is astonishing!  If you open up your sights further to the whole world God made…WOW!  He is amazing!  There is so much beyond our earth as well that points to the hand of our creator.

There are things in creation that even go beyond the ordinary. Did you know that there is a type of fish in Florida that can crawl on the ground?  They are called walking catfish.  Have you ever seen it rain fish?  In various parts of the world there are waterspouts over large bodies of water, like tornadoes on land, that suck up fish into the sky and cause them to fall up to 100 feet inland.

I wonder if God makes remarkable awe-inspiring things to constantly show us that He is real and close and loves us?   I don’t think He needs to prove that He is mighty, but some people seem blind or hard-hearted.  Do you guys ever wonder why the Israelites kept falling away from God when they were wandering in the wilderness?  How could they do that when they had seen so many things that physically showed God?  I also wonder how I would have reacted if I had been around when Jesus walked the earth.  It bothers me that it took many miracles and healings for some people to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. But then I look around today and wonder the same thing.  

I am glad to know you, my church family.  I am glad that we humbly believe that our God is all powerful, sovereign, omnipresent, stunning, and loving.

I am looking forward to our next “Proof” class with the kids this summer.  Last year we looked at archaeological finds that prove God and His Word.  This year we are going to be searching for tangible things in creation that prove God and show His majesty. For today, let me share with you some unusual animals that will just put you in awe of our Maker. (These blow my mind!)

(Blobfish, Venezuelan poodle moth, Dumbo Octopus, Glass Frog, Sea pig, Narwhal, Goblin Shark, Yeti crab)

It is sometimes hard to believe that a God who makes such amazing things came to earth to save us and wants to have a personal relationship with us.  That blows me away more than creation itself!  Looking around me at the world, I am always encouraged to thank God for keeping us amazed and for showing us His love.

Have a great week enjoying His creation!

Amy Thompson

Tomorrow?

Why do today what you can do tomorrow?  This is a phrase we used to quote a lot in college and high school.  Let me tell you, I am the king of procrastination.  I love to work under pressure.  In college I would wait until the night before a paper was due and then I would go to the library and get the books and then write all night and have the paper for class the next day.  I would turn in the paper and usually would get a “B” and sometimes an “A”.  Now on the other hand if I tried to write the paper ahead of time, which I did a couple of times, believe it or not, it seemed like I would always get a “C”.   So, my creed or motto sort of became, why do it today when I can do it tomorrow.   This has gotten me in trouble sometimes and boy that's no fun at all.

There are all kinds of things you can put off until tomorrow like yard work, homework, housework, sending birthday and anniversary gifts.  Talking to your kids, parents or bosses about critical issues are other things people put off, sometimes almost too long.  

There are all kinds of projects and decisions that I have procrastinated on in my life but there is one decision that I am so glad that I didn’t procrastinate with, and that is the decision to ask Jesus to come into my heart and to follow Him.  I made that decision when I was 14 years old. You know, if I had put it off until I was 38, I might have waited too long.  I thought about this when I got sick in December of 2007 and just about didn’t have a tomorrow.  

In Matthew 24:36 we are told,” "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. “  This verse is talking about when the Lord is going to come back to claim all that are His.  Not only do we not know when The Lord will return, we don't know how much time we have on Earth. You might have 10 years or 10 minutes from the time you read this before you leave this world.  When and if you make the decision as to whether you will reject or accept the gift of life that Jesus offers could determine if you spend your eternity in peace and fulfillment in the presence of God or an eternity in pain and suffering being separated from God.  That’s right, I am talking about Heaven vs. Hell. 

What is your decision?  Have you made it?  Will you choose to follow Christ?  He died so you could have the opportunity to make this decision.  He died to save you from sin and eternal condemnation.  

He was given the choice to be the payment for your sins and He chose to die for you.  He did not procrastinate! 

Jesus loves you and desires to be a part of your life and is calling you to come into a relationship with Him. He says, "Trust Me", "Love Me and be loved by Me!' and "Come follow Me!" 

What is your answer?  Are you going to trust in Him, love Him and follow Him?

What are you waiting on? Time is ticking. How much time do you have?

Pastor Sean

Relational Evangelism

Years ago, I thought evangelism equated to inviting people to church. In the past 15 years I have become increasingly convinced that evangelism is meant to be relationally driven. This is what I see in Scripture, this is what I see as affective in our culture, and this has been my experience. This is why our services are not “seeker driven”.  We are not trying to create the most entertaining experience to draw people in, instead we want to equip the church to evangelize and share Jesus with our neighbors, coworkers, etc.  We believe the best way to bring people to Christ is not getting people in the doors of our church, but getting our people to look for opportunities to live intentionally outside our doors.

We had new neighbors move in next door to us about 3 weeks ago. And we have been praying for them by name, and asking God for favor and opportunities. On Easter Sunday we had an opportunity when their dog had messed with their outside faucet and it was creating a pool of water against their foundation.  They were making one last trip to their old house in Western Kansas to pick up some things.  I went and shut off their water, and called them, and they trusted me enough to ask me to go into their home and check to see if their basement was flooding. Praise God for an opportunity to serve my neighbors, and praise God that there was no flooding!  (BTW, I’m not encouraging you to pray for your neighbor’s things to breakdown. LOL)  Since the weather has been so nice, we’ve been able to have many conversations outside and I’m excited to continue getting to know them with the ultimate goal of sharing the gospel with them!

We say, “We are the church, now let’s go be the church” most Sundays.  I’m grateful to be on this mission with you all, and I’m thankful that our lead pastor is leading by example.  (Jack wouldn’t want me to brag on him, but I’m so encouraged by his example of practicing what he preaches.) Relational evangelism allows people around us to see the hope that we have and provides an opportunity to “give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).  It takes time, it takes patience, it takes sacrifice, and it takes a deep love for the lost, but I’m praying that we would be the church and own the mission to “love God, love people, and lead others to do the same”.

See you Sunday at 9am! - Pastor Kyle

Jeff Quandt: Elder candidate

This weeks staff journal is highlighted by Jeff Quandt’s Bio. Jeff has been Suggested as a potential Elder candidate and we will hold a vote on April 30th as a church, to decide whether or not to place him as an elder. This bio will be followed by a meet and greet on the 23rd of April after both services, where you will have the opportunity to meet Jeff in person.

Jeff Quandt Bio

I’m a Midwest native by birth, born in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, but didn’t establish roots there because my father was an Air Force officer. Moving from place to place was our way of life until I was twelve years old, and we settled down in Sacramento, California in 1961. Between my hometown and Cow Town (a derisive nickname born in the NBA thanks to Sacramento Kings’ fans’ favorite noise maker - cow bells) we lived in Alaska, Louisiana, Italy, and New York.

Two years after college I had a dramatic encounter with Jesus that set the course of my life in the direction of leadership. God’s plan of making me a leader didn’t necessarily include defined leadership positions such as church or Christian organization rolls, but He repeatedly gave me favor among believers as trustworthy person of influence. As a young Christian I learned the necessity of daily surrender to God and avoiding any ambition that would conflict with a holy lifestyle. I said I learned “the necessity,” but as everyone whose heart desires deep intimacy with God knows, daily surrender requires daily crucifixion of every impulse to grasp for the passing pleasures of sin. So, while the necessity is present, I’m far from a Masters Degree from Selfless Love University.

I have served three congregations as youth pastor, and one congregation as administrator and staff pastor. Somewhere in that mix is a brief venture in church planting. Suffice it to say that I had much to learn about the demands of singlehandedly starting a congregation from scratch while working full time as a framing carpenter. Here, however, I have seen how church planting is supposed to be done: “Not by might, not by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord.”

I’m delighted to say that Cheryl’s and my experience at Grace Community is pure joy as we live in community with people who share a living faith in Jesus and recognize the primacy of the Holy Spirt in every dimension of life. We had no idea when we moved to Kansas in 2020 that God was guiding us to a community that would immediately feel like home.

 If you aren’t interested in personal details, you can stop here. Otherwise, you’ll find out that Cheryl and I just celebrated our 46th anniversary April second. We have two children, three grandchildren, three granddogs, two grandcats, one granddonkey, and several grandchickens. Our son, Chris, and his family live in California, and our daughter lives here in Newton with her husband Aaron and five-year-old daughter, Sophia. We also just welcomed Emily, our Compassion child, into our family.

 My activities at GCC include a leadership role in Celebrate Recovery, volunteering at New Hope Shelter, participation in Denver and Sarah Sweazy’s wonderful Community Life group, and teaching kindergarten Sunday School. Outside of GCC I lead a Christian seminary program called The Urban Ministry Institute at Hutchison Correctional Facility. Prior to moving to Kansas, I taught the program for seven years in Folsom Prison in California.

 Thank you, Grace Community Church, for warmly welcoming us into your home.

- Jeff Quandt

What is the Big Serve and why does it matter?

The Big Serve is simply a Sunday that we take to serve our community and its local residents. We take the morning to have different rhythms, we meet as a gathered body for a short time, but then we head out in teams to work… But, this event is so much more than just a service day. 

The work matters, getting a project done that makes a difference for a person or organization fills real tangible needs. When we take time to live out in concrete ways all our rhetoric about “loving people” we actively do love people. God smiles when things move from conviction to action among His people. People can feel the love Jesus has for them when Jesus’ followers take the time to show it.

The work really does matter but what matters just as much is the posture that this event puts us in. We can only give to others what we have received from God. Serving others is not primarily the strong helping the weak. It is actually or should actually be those who are plugged into Jesus following His leading to do good works. The need that some might have does not dictate our actions, though needs should never be ignored, rather Jesus' love should direct our action and meeting felt needs is a great way to do that. So we, those who look to serve, must be connected with Jesus so that we have something to offer. All the best skills under the sun are meaningless much like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13; if we don’t have love it don’t matter (Will Paraphrase Version). Serving people can show them love but it’s not a guarantee. Only being connected to Jesus’ love and then following Him in how He wants you to show it provides the surety that you are showing love.

Events like the Big Serve matter so much because we do them together. Working together with each other builds relationships in a different way than Sunday mornings. It’s not better or worse but when we build relationships with each other in different ways it strengthens our bonds. It also builds relationships outside of our fellowship when we serve other organizations. When we connect the love of Jesus to each other, to those we serve, and to organizations not like us we will see Jesus’ kingdom advance in our town. I hope you will all register for the Big Serve but I also hope you will each be prayerful, asking Jesus to fill you with His love and giving you opportunity to share it with others. That’s what life is about, and that's why we do the Big Serve.

-Will Regier

Service that Transforms

Lately I have been thinking a lot about helping children learn to serve others.  I want to present enough opportunities for them to help their neighbors so they will not only do what is right, but to grow in their desire to serve more.  I love that they are learning about God’s Word in classes and Bible studies. In Awana on Wednesday nights, they are memorizing hundreds of scriptures.  It is important for them to know what they believe, hide God’s Word in their heart, and to be able to give an account for their faith.  I want to take this a step further and allow them to put action to that faith.

We talked about active faith in our recent Route 56 meal.  I asked questions about faith, and as they gave an answer I would reward them with a can of pop.  The last person to answer a question came up to receive their can of pop.  I made a good show of shaking up their can before trying to open it for them.  This kiddo made a run for it.  Why?  Because she had an active faith that the pop was going to explode out of the can and into her sweet face.  If we put that much active faith in a momentary insignificant event, surely we can put action to our faith in the loving God of the universe.

I love that our church family is seeking to serve our community in our new annual “Big Serve”!  This is a chance for our kids to work alongside you and put action to their faith.  What a great way for all of us to mentor these children and show them how to ”love our neighbor as yourself.” ( Matthew 22:39)  As you serve on April 16, please take note of the children who may be serving in your group.  Show them your love for others.  Talk to them about what this service may mean to whoever we may be serving.  As we are working hard for our neighbor, we grow in our love for serving God and those He puts in our paths.  I pray that this event will do the same for our children.  

Thank you not only for caring for the needs of our community, but also for being a great example for our “littles”!  I want to share some scripture with you that I have been pondering about serving others.  

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:2)

“but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)

“If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.” (Isaiah 58:10)

“But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”  (1 John 3:17-18)

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:14-17)

May God’s Word bless you,

Amy

TAKING A CHANCE OR A SURE THING?

A while back a friend and I were talking about a dice game called “Farkle”.  It is kind of like “Yatzee” but moves a little faster and you can lose all your points if you are not careful.  I pulled out a Farkle game and was rolling the dice in my office and started thinking.  Every time I roll these dice I take a chance of either getting more points or losing everything that I had accumulated up to that point, yet something makes me want to keep rolling for more. Life is a lot like that, there are things all over that people take chances on. Some are good and some are bad.  Some people take chances by playing the lottery, black jack or the slots, yet others take chances like jumping out of a plane with a parachute (I have done that and it was awesome) others take chances by doing drugs, drinking and  partying.  We all take chances everyday by driving, going on a plane or train, ridding a roller coaster or even walking down the street.  It seems that we are all willing to take a chance on a lot of things, a lot of things that is except maybe Christ and His cause. 

You are saying, ”Wait a minute, I love the Lord and have given my life to Him, So, what are you talking about?”  Well let me put it this way.  Asking Jesus into your heart and life to be your Lord and Savior is not a chance or a gamble, it is a Sure Thing.  So then, what am I talking about?

I’m talking about being Sold Out for Christ in everything you do.  Does Jesus invade every part of your life?  Is He the reason for everything you do?  If He isn’t then you are taking a huge chance. What do I mean by having him as your reason for everything?  I mean do you weigh the cost and make every decision on the standards that Christ laid out and stands for. When you go to work do you just go to work or do you ask yourself, “How can I make a difference for Christ at work today?”  How about when you are hanging out with friends do you ask, “How can we have fun and glorify Christ at the same time?”  

Even at church we need to ask some critical questions.  Like, "How can I serve my church in a way that will bring glory to God and lead others to a relationship with Christ?"  Maybe we should ask ourselves, "Is our church serving in such a way that it brings glory to Christ.?" Depending on the answers to those questions we then may have to ask, "What can I / we do to bring new Christians into a deeper relationship with Christ?”, or maybe even, "How do I bring myself into an even deeper relationship with Christ? "That is what discipleship is.  When a church makes disciples and has faith then all other things fall into place.  But when a church or individuals places emphasis on other things, then, it is taking a chance on itself and not taking hold of the sure thing in Christ.  The Bible tells us to seek first the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness of Christ and then all this will be added unto us.  If we are trying to problem solve rather than seeking then we are taking a chance.

We also need to ask, “Am I/are we doing enough or all that I/we can to further the cause of Christ?”  Is there “No I’ve done enough” or “it’s someone else’s turn” when it comes to the kingdom of God. So stop taking chances and just serve God and seek Christ.  I would like to close with a little blurb from the poem “I Am A Disciple”.  (Not the denomination creed but the creed of a true disciple of the Lord of Lords.)

I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He’ll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear!”

If you are going to take a chance why not make it a sure thing!?! Go all in!!!

Pastor Sean

This is Our God

We recently introduced a new song to our repertoire.  “This is our God” is a declaration that we proclaim together about our God. He loves us and He saves us through the death and resurrection of Jesus our King!  Jesus paid for our sin, He rescued us, and He deserves the glory and praise!

I think this song captures what 1 John 4:9-10 says, “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

In this song we remember that death and the grave used to be our enemies, but Jesus destroyed them.  Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, fear and the other giants and prisons we face have lost their power.

I look forward to singing this song together and giving Jesus the glory and praise that only He deserves!

Here’s a link for you to learn the song and praise the Lord in your homes.  This is our God

For His glory,

Kyle Schanbacher

Only one thing missing…

I am writing this article in a Best Western in Buda, TX. There are 13 of us who are now (02/26) on our way to the Children’s Haven International home in Reynosa, Mexico, where we are participating in GCC’s 23rd Annual Amigo Trip in support of the ministry.

The following are some reflections about why I keep going on this trip and to an extent, why YOU should consider participating soon as well.

1. We are aiding a very productive, Christ-centered ministry that is (by God’s grace) rescuing many Mexican children from horrible living conditions, and teaching them to be productive citizens of Mexico. This is accomplished by providing a safe living environment, educational opportunities, and more importantly, leading many of them to faith in Jesus and modeling what a Christian home looks like.

2. This trip becomes a wonderful opportunity to spend time with old friends, become better friends, and make new friends with other like minded believers from Grace Community Church and our sister Churches in Kansas.

3. This is a very family friendly trip and for many of us has become an effective way of introducing our kids to missions in another culture. We have traveled with children as young as six months old and are known here as “the church that brings their kids.” A common quote from our children who return from their first trip is, “I never knew I had it so good.”

4. Yes, we do accomplish many needed tasks ranging from construction to sorting clothes. But the longer I do this (and the older I get) I believe more and more that what is more important are the relationships we develop and the encouragement we bring, not only to the children, but also to the leaders and staff members who are constantly in challenging situations. Sometimes people are hesitant to go because they aren’t sure how much they would be able to contribute to the “projects,” and I tell them that this is not even the most important part of the trip, and you CAN build relationships.

5. There are obviously many other reasons why Grace keeps organizing this trip, but my last thought is one that we all know, but often forget—when we give of ourselves to bless others, the one who receives the most blessing is usually us.

When I get home people will ask me, “How was your trip?” And I will tell them, “This was the best trip ever, and the only thing missing was you.”

- Paul Friesen (2/26/23)

Honest Friends

Proverbs 28:23 (NLT) 23 In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery.

I’m not sure if this verse reflects our community (see Proverbs 28:5), but it does reflect the culture of our church staff.

One of our staff values is Gracious Candor. We define it as providing honest feedback in a gracious way. We are committed to sharing our ideas and opinions, even if it turns out to be a “tough conversation.”

We also cite multiple Bible verses that serve as the foundation for each value. Reading through these never gets old! (We actually review one of our values each week)

One of my favorites is: Proverbs 27:5–6 (ESV) 5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

For months I, Jack, interpreted “profuse” as disgusting…which gave a good laugh for our team when I finally realized that profuse just meant plentiful. It was an embarrassing moment that provided an opportunity to reflect a different staff value, Humble Growth.

In the end, I am grateful for our staff team. I get to work with exceptional people whose strengths and perspectives make up for my weaknesses and blindspots. They make me a better pastor and teammate, and I love them very much.

I don’t know who God uses in your life to provide gracious and honest feedback, but I hope you don’t forget to appreciate them. They are truly your friends.

- Jack Napier

Mothers

I know it is not Mother’s Day, but this topic is heavy on my heart today, and for those who know why, I hope this will be a balm for you. Mothers and Fathers are both equal parts of God’s plan for the family. For those of you whose parents did not stay together, either through tragedy or divorce, this is not to say that you got a raw deal from God. The world is broken and it was not your fault. God is in the business of healing any hurt that any of us let him heal. I say all of this for qualification because I will be writing this from the framework of a loving mother in the context of a biblical family.  I don’t want any of you who did not have this experience to think I am leaving you out. Quite the contrary and I hope that for the sake of this short essay, you can simply picture the godly mother you wish you had or are striving to be yourself. I too am writing this from a guy’s perspective, so I am sure I will miss so many nuances mothers or daughters would not. This is not exhaustive but hopefully edifying.

I grew up in the ’90s, a little in the ’80s, but my memory begins in the year 1989… Before that, I remember very little. So I, and rightfully so I think, consider myself a child of the ’90s. That decade has many things I love about it; the Chicago Bulls, pump shoes, and objectively the best music of any decade. Sorry for any of you that think I am biased… it’s not biased if I am right… One thing that is true, past any sarcasm I just wrote, is that in the 90s loving our mothers was the norm. TV commercials about soup with famous people and their moms, pop songs about men who loved their mothers, and even “your mom” jokes, which were negative but telling about our thought processes, all pointed to the fact that our culture was mom-centric. In the 90’s we loved our moms. It was socially acceptable to hate your dad or make fun of him but “don’t you be talkin’ ‘bout my momma” was used as no vain threat in schoolyards everywhere. 

For many of us raised in loving Christian homes, we never did the dad bashing and those same dads would have never allowed us to disrespect our moms in any way. I remember distinctly the day in 5th or 6th grade when I looked over at my mom, eye to eye, and cracked a joke because I was now taller than her (she is a towering 5’3”)... With zero hesitation I heard my dad, using his deep “dad” voice, say “you may be bigger than her but I still enforce everything she says…” My dad is not 5’3”, in fact at that time he would have been 6’4” and about 250lbs of farm muscle and facial hair. My dad was kind and loving. So loving that when he set a boundary, a real one, I knew it was set in concrete, inside of bedrock, on a tectonic plate that all the other tectonic plates got out of the way of… 

All that to say that I never remember disrespecting my mother. We had weaknesses though in the culture I grew up in and in the ‘90s too. As perfect as both of those things were, a weakness I had was being able to talk about my feelings with my dad or men in general. My dad was better than most, at drawing it out of me and not squirming too much when my emotions came out of me involuntarily, but it was a weakness I grew up with. That weakness isn’t worse or better than any other, it was just weakness. That means that my mother was an island of comfort, a safe haven of sweetness, and a refuge when my hormonally charged emotions raged. 

I set this all up as color for this simple but stark truth. Mothers are like nobody else in our lives. They are specially designed by God to give us life itself. They are the first people to disciple us, before we are even conscious, in the womb. They love us and share their very life with us in that womb. We know their name (Mommy) before we ever know the name they have been called their whole lives (Debbie in my mom’s case). There is the imagery of God being like a mother to us in the Bible that does not contradict in the least a biblical, complementarian worldview that I hope we all share. For further reading check out Isaiah 49:15 and 66:13. My favorite, because chickens are also one of my favorite animals to raise, is Matthew 23:37. God is compared to a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wing. There are many reasons chicks go under their mother’s wings; to escape danger or perceived danger, to get shade from the sun or warmth from the cold, to hide from predators who are too small to attack the hen, and last but not least to simply snuggle with momma and build that familial flock bond. Our own mothers are no different and God’s design for them was the same. To be all of that and more for us. So show some love to your mom today (if that is appropriate and safe for you) but more importantly thank God for her (even if she is far away, even so far as heaven). This is for you, adult son of a wonderful mother: You are not just a son anymore but a godly man and by that a default leader in the world… Be the godly son that your momma needs, be a son and let her love you but also be a man… Love her well and lead her at times if she needs a helping hand... How you love your wife someday will be reflected by how you have loved your mother well in the here and now… Don’t shirk the hard stuff and don’t run from the sweet/mushy stuff… As much as God made her to be your mother, He called you to be her son. 

- Will Regier

I want to be a sheep

This is short, sweet, and to the point.  I want to be a sheep.  

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” John 10:11

I am HIS sheep.  The Lord is my shepherd.  Not because I wander mindless in a herd. But because He, the good shepherd, knows my needs and takes care of me.  When He calls out to me, I hear His voice and I follow. Without Him, I am lost like a sheep, but lost to sin. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10  He laid down His life here on earth, so that we could have life everlasting.  It is a beautiful metaphor for our relationship with Christ.   The Shepherd knows what we need. 

I choose God. I need Him as my shepherd.  Daily I need Christ to restore my soul.  I want to always humbly follow, serve, and praise my God. 

God is amazing.  All glory to God.

This is an inspiring video, I hope it is uplifting to you. (https://youtu.be/STAda5RFrxM)

Many blessings,

Amy

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE

One time my oldest daughter (she was probably 5 or 6 at the time) and I were out pillaging large rocks by the side of the road to build a small wall in the front yard. We came across this one rock that was just the perfect size, or so I thought, until I went to put it in the trailer. It turned out to be thick enough that it was a little heavier than I had anticipated. I told Synclair that it was too big and I couldn’t put it in the trailer. She said, “ God will help you Daddy.”

Well, I couldn’t let my daughter down, not with faith like that in me.  So, here goes about a 250+ pound very flat and awkward rock, UUUUPPPP and OOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEERRRRRRR the side of the trailer. “Whew!”  Big smile from my daughter and a proud smirk from me, then back into the truck and off we go. Synclair blurts out, ”I Knew you could do it with God’s help.”  Then there was another smile from Synclair and an even bigger smile from me and a silent “Thank you God, she really understands who you are.”  She didn’t know the verse in Isaiah 40:29-31 yet, but she knew the promise that God gives us strength and endurance to do what needs to be done. I know that that verse probably isn’t  talking about putting rocks into a trailer but for her to have recognized that God is the source of our strength was huge. 

One of our families favorite shows is “Facing the Giants”, if you haven’t seen it then you need to.  The main theme of the movie is “Nothing is Impossible with God” Which comes from Matthew 19:26 and Mark 10:27.  So, we were  big on saying, “What is impossible with God?”  Then one of us would answer, “NOTHING.” my girls loved to shout that part out. (We still say it but the answer is not as boisterous these days.)

You know there are times in our life when a task or request seems too big for us to handle or to complete and we often quit or don’t even attempt it.  These are the times when we forget how big and strong and never tiring our GOD is.

This doesn't only apply to tasks we are given by others, it also applies to a task that God has given us, the biggest task we could ever be given, "Go and make disciples."(Matthew 28.19-20). Sometimes that seems daunting, especially when we look around at the world today and all the opposition people have to endure when they stand up and share their faith. But, remember that the last part of that passage says "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Not only Can we do all things through Christ but He is with us all the way through what we are called to do.

So, the next time you come across a task or request that seems too big, remember these three promises from God's word.

   Matthew 19:26

                  Jesus looked at them and said, “ With man this is 

impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

            Isaiah 40:28-31

                  Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the 

everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will

not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can 

fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the

power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and

even young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in 

The Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like

eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not

faint.

        Matthew 28:20

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them 

in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all that I have  commanded you and

behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Plant these promises in your heart and mind so that you will never forget that our GOD IS GREATER than this world and he will never fail or leave us alone.

What is impossible with God?

NOTHING!!!

Pastor Sean

Send Us Out

Some of you may recognize this title and some of you may not.  On Sunday December 25th I introduced the song I wrote for our church to sing.  I wrote most of it while on sabbatical this past summer.  I’ve had a desire to write a song that is basically a corporate prayer that God would send us out to the world around us to be His witnesses and we could be a part of his plan to reconcile people to Himself.  It has a similar feel to our “sending” that we say together sometimes at the end of our worship services.  I will have a recording available eventually so you can learn it and sing it in your homes.  Until then, here’s the lyrics and the scripture references where they came from.  Much of the song comes from my reading and deep studying of 2 Corinthians 2:14 through 2 Corinthians 6:12 over and over.  I’m excited to sing it with you in the months to come.

Send Us Out

Verse 1

Go before us, open doors (2 Cor 2:14, Col 4:3)

Soften hearts remove the veil (John 12:40, 2 Cor 3:13-18)

Holy Spirit, we need your power (2 Cor 3:4-6, 1 Cor 2:1-5)

Without you our efforts fail (2 Cor 2:4-6)

Turn Your eyes, and hear our prayer

Let our lives and words declare (Col 4:5-6)

Your gospel clear may truth prevail (Col 4:5-6)

Prechorus 1

Because we believe, so we will speak (2 Cor 4:13)

Because of your love, the lost we will seek (2 Cor 5:14)

Chorus

Send us out to the world we will go (Isaiah 6:8, Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)

We’ll proclaim everywhere so they know (1 Cor 1:23, 2 Cor 4:5)

Jesus died that we could be

Reconciled to the Lord, set free (2 Cor 5:20, 2 Cor 3:17)

Send us out

Verse 2

God please lead us to be the fragrance

of Jesus Christ among the lost (2 Cor 2:14)

In affliction, and persecution (2 Cor 4:8-9, 2 Cor 6:4-5)

we’ll press on no matter the cost

Our only aim to run this race

and testify of Your grace (Acts 20:24)

Unashamed, we’ll carry the cross. (Romans 1:16, Matthew 16:24)

Prechorus 2

Because of our hope, we will be bold (2 Cor 3:12)

Because of your mercy our hearts won’t grow cold (2 Cor 4:1)

Pastor Kyle

Having Dominion and Gentleness

Ever since I was a little kid I loved dogs. The whole world could be against you, your siblings could not be speaking to you, and your parents could be upset with you. But your dog would still be wagging its tail, jumping up and down just waiting for you to walk through the door.

Beasts of burden help us in our labor, and smaller pets bring a unique joy and dare I say “friendship” to our lives.

But the gaiety of animal affection is more than just a Hallmark sentiment. God intends for us to have a sense of respect and responsibility for animals that He created: Proverbs 12:10 (CSB) 10 The righteous cares about his animal’s health, but even the merciful acts of the wicked are cruel.

You can tell a lot about a person who shows no mercy or tenderness, even when it comes to animals.

Of course this doesn’t mean that we elevate animals to the same status or value as mankind. Genesis 1–2 clears up that distinction for us. God has given us permission to enjoy feasting on juicy, tender meat (see Peter’s animal quilt, Acts 10:9–16).

However, it is part of God’s design and desire that we demonstrate “care” for animals. They are one of His gifts to us.

So, be an omnivore and keep rodents out of your home. You have dominion. But don’t be wicked or cruel. God set humans over the earth to oversee and care for His creation, not abuse or neglect it.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack

P.S. I am not in the market to get a dog...I already have a “handful” of God’s creation to take care of, and that’s all I can manage at the moment. ;-)

Church Planting is Still Awesome!

I first came to Grace in 2014. My wife and I had moved to Newton and I had heard about this guy named Dave Reimer. We decided to check his preaching out one Sunday as we were tired of driving to the church we had been going to in Wichita. The church we were driving to is now closed so I guess that means we made the right call!

We were welcomed by people right away, I won’t name names but they know who they are, and we later saw Pastor Kyle at Applebees. He and Mary were on a date night and I could tell he was cool (and he didn’t even bribe me to say this). I am a Moody Bible Institute grad though, so it’s tough to impress me with a church. Friendly people, pastors who are good husbands, and even good preaching would not have been enough to make me decide that Grace would be our church home. Don’t get me wrong all of those things were present at Grace and they all tipped the scales toward our decision to go here, but one of the biggest factors was that church planting was part of Grace’s history (recent history at that point) and it was still part of the DNA here. That’s something that will get a Moody Bible guy fired up! 

At Moody, I learned to deeply and forever love the local church. It is without a doubt God’s most chosen vessel to use in the lives of His children throughout the world. Regardless of language, income, race, education level, or any other factor you can name God is at work in those people and in that place through His local church. Even in places with no Gospel presence, there are local churches in other parts of the world praying and working to get the Gospel there. While at Moody I did not know if I wanted to be a pastor or a missionary but either way I knew I wanted to be part of the local church or sent by the church to make churches where there weren’t any.

So when we came to Grace in 2014 and I heard about the church plants in Hillsboro (Grace Fellowship) and Moundridge (Grace Crossing) that were a few years old by then and the brand new one (New Anthem) that was just launched by a basketball player I knew from the area who graduated from high school the same year I did… To say the least I was elated! I knew that God was at work at Grace Newton if He was mobilizing this place to be a sending church for new church plants. We had found our church home, done deal!

Fast forward and long story short my wife and I felt called back to Grace after years of Christian camp ministry in Michigan. We are so glad to be back! One of the sweetest full-circle moments we have experienced is getting to attend the 10 yr anniversaries of both the Moundridge and Hillsboro churches this past year. We were here when those church plants were new in the 2012-2014 years. God brought us back in 2021 and then in 2022, their 10 yr anniversaries started! What a gift to see the good work still going! Most church plants don’t last long, I don’t know the exact stats but it's probably 1-2 yrs… To have two that have lasted 10 yrs and a third (in Park City) that will hit that milestone next January is an obvious affirmation of God’s direction and provision. God will grow, God will reproduce, and God will protect His local church! 

Another fun connection for me was when the Admin Director from the camp I worked at in Michigan started dating this guy from Ohio. Boy meets girl, they get married, he is a pastor… and they were the planters of our most recent church in Lyons KS (Kings Cross) in 2020. Her husband had spoken at camp many times while I was there too so both of us couples, one in 2020 and the other in 2021 left the mild summers and snowy winters of Kalamazoo to come to these great plains to work at churches. 

In between those first three plants and this most recent one Grace also helped plant a church in Bolivia and in the near future, and for the first time in my pastoral ministry, I will get to see us help plant a church in our neighboring burb of Eldorado. This is so much more goodness than I deserve to even be witness to… let alone get to be a part of in our Synergy Kansas church planting meetings. 

This is a long story and you have been patient to read it but I would ask that you ditch patience… get impatient! Get impatient to see more churches planted! If all the people even in our small town came to know Jesus we would not have enough seats in all the churches combined to give them a place to sit on a Sunday morning! That doesn’t factor in that Newton is probably going to grow and if we don’t surrounding towns will. With 8 billion people in the world, we are plenty of seats short and the gap is broadened if we are hoping for people to have a healthy, Gospel-centered, Bible-preaching church to attend. We have to get busy planting because God is already busy drawing people to Himself. Jesus’ kingdom is what we are supposed to seek first (Matt. 6:33) and if we convince other people to follow Jesus we have to be planting churches so that they can grow themselves and do the same for others. God loves His local church and He will plant more of them whether we join Him or not but I am definitely hitched up and ready for the ride! I hope you are too!

Will Regier

Zelma & Gertrude

Prepare yourselves for something very judgy.  When I was growing up, I always felt so bad for my grandmas.  Why?  Because their names were Zelma and Gertrude.  I’m sure they were considered  nice names, but I thought they were quite unusual.  My Grandma Gertrude even kept her name long, not using anything easier like Trudy.  And let’s face it, my Grandma Zelma was probably always the child at the end of the line.  

I have been thinking of this because I read Revelation 2:17 recently where it says, “To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.”  This is a letter written to the church in Pergamum, but many have seen it to be symbolic of different churches or the church at different eras. New names are mentioned again in Revelation 3:12, “ I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.”  MY NEW NAME… EVEN BETTER!   I know that this is also a letter to a church, but I can’t help but be hopeful that my grandmas have been gifted with a new Heavenly name.  

Honestly, I’ve always thought my name here was rather plain.  I thought it would be great to have an exciting different name.  “Amy” means “beloved” and I am thankful to my parents for probably taking the time to think through that, but I still can’t wait to get to Heaven to possibly get a new name from “Him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands”.  I’m not certain if these verses about a new name mean we all get an actual new and different name, or if maybe it means we get a new character that links us to Jesus for eternity? Whatever it may be, It is exciting.  

What do you suppose Jesus will call us when we go home?   I’m glad we will be called His!  We are already known as “Christ”ians here on earth, but can you imagine hearing Christ calling us His?  My Grandma Zelma and my Grandma Gertrude are already victorious.  After thinking this through, I will not feel sorry for them at all anymore.  

Glory to God!

Amy Thompson

Longing For Their Return

Well Christmas has come and gone this year once again but this year it has created a whole new view and meaning in my heart and mind.  This year, waiting for Christmas brought a new expectation for me.  This year I became a grandfather. Our (Susan and I) first granddaughter (Elisabeth Amelia, I call her “Ame”) was born in October and we got to see Ame when she was a week old. Since then it has only been in pictures of short video calls that we have been able to see her.  Those pics and video calls are a sweet taste or reminder of Ame.  They made me long for her to come at Christmas.  The day she got to our house with her parents was a sweet and longed for day.  I have held her quite a bit since she has gotten here.  Every time I hold her I find my thoughts drifting to how much I love this little girl and how sweet a gift she is from God.  My thoughts don’t stop there however.  My mind drifts to thoughts of my daughters. I begin to reflect on how sheet a gifts from God they are as well.  

Not only was this the first year that I waited for Christmas to see Ame but it was also the first Christmas that I waited for two of my three daughters to come home for Christmas.  As I look at and hold Ame, I realize how much I long for that connection and time with her and each of my three daughters.  Whenever I am separated from them there is a longing, a pain, a void and an anticipation that never goes away until they are back in my presence.  This is true whether they are gone for a short time a short distance away or a long distance for a long time.  I long and wait for that sweet reunion. 

This last week that realization of what I have been given and what I miss during the separation has made my mind wander to a deeper, stronger void and longing that I don’t think I have ever been able to comprehend until I have experienced just a taste of it.  That void is the one that is between God and His fallen creation.  I cannot ever fathom how great the longing or desire is for Him as He patiently waits for the day that each and every one of His creations return and be called children of God.  That’s right He longs for each and every one of His creations to return to be with Him. 

(1 Timothy 2.4; 2 Peter 3.9)

The separation from those who are dearest to us creates something that nothing can fill except the reunion with those loved ones.  The reconnection is so precious and the time no matter how short is sweet and life giving.

I don’t think I can even begin to imagine the pain and longing that God experiences while waiting for the return of His creation or the sweetness that is there when they return to Him. Whether it is a return from the separation created by sin or just from those times when those who have been reunited just don’t make time for Him in their lives.  Any separation from His creation creates a longing in His heart because His love is so great for each and every one. That Longing was so Great that he Sent the one dearest to Him to become the sacrifice, the bridge that would bring His creation back to Him.  

Can you imagine loving and missing someone so great that you would give what was most precious to you that you had with you just to make a way for that which you were missing to be able to return to you.  I can’t, but am so thankful that God did.  My heart now breaks as I think about God and the longing He experiences as he awaits our return and our time spent with Him.

As we enter the new year let’s not give God reason to long for His time with us and let’s work to share His longing with those who are still separated from Him. We are God’s children, we are His church, let's go be His children, His church!

Pastor Sean

GREAT

I know that not everyone is a sports person, but there are a few events that come around every once in a while that I feel like are completely unmissable because of their importance on the World Stage. One of those is the Olympics of course but the other is the World Cup. Now if you’re telling me that you haven’t heard of the World Cup and you didn’t know it just ended recently…. Then no offense but I might have to attach a “Do you live under a rock” quiz below. If you seriously don’t know what the World Cup is let me fill you in a little and say it’s basically just the Olympics but for soccer. And yes it did just come to a conclusion with Argentina -who was lead by one of the greatest soccer players of all time Lionel Messi- beating France in a thrilling world final.

Lionel Messi is known world wide as a magician when it comes to soccer. He has racked up multiple championships at the highest level of soccer, scoring more goals than anyone else over multiple seasons, and has been awarded the Ballon d’Or (best soccer player in the world) more than anyone else in history. (A record seven times!) His Skills are unmatched, his fame is immeasurable, and he is adored by millions across the globe. This can be shown by his recent instagram post -about the world cup win- receiving more likes than any other social media post on any platform.. ever… with over 70 Million likes!! The man is an absolute legend, and the Argentinian President just named a national holiday after him. But, despite all of the accolades, fame, and holidays made in his name he will never be as great as the one that came to save us from our sins.

This Christmas season has been different for me. Growing up I never really had many Christmas traditions and it always seemed to fall short of the expectation that I had for it. So Christmas was one of those days that just came and passed for me. I’ve grown up a christian all my life and celebrating Jesus’ birth was a regular thing. But for some reason, this year, it’s more special to me. This could partially be because of the recent life change of getting engaged and life in general being a little more exciting. Or it could be that I’ve been reading through the Old Testament the last month or so and have been refreshed on all of the prophecies that foretold Jesus’ coming. But in reality I think it is because I’ve spent way more time this year meditating on the reality that God came to humanity in the form of a baby with the intentions of being a servant and a sacrifice. I think I am just in awe of how great our Jesus is. He died for me, He rose for me, and He wants a relationship with me. There is no greater reason to celebrate or have a holiday than that and you can’t change my mind.

Lionel Messi is great. Christmas cookies are great. Spending time with family is great. But nothing is greater than our Savior being born, so that He could save us. Remember His Glory this Christmas season. Meditate on what he has done for you and let that flow out of you.

Merry Christmas Grace Family We love you, eat some good food for me! Bryant Hart