The Grace Presbyterian Nominating Team is at work! Do you know someone who would be a good elder, deacon, trustee, or Jacob’s Ladder board member? If so, place their name in the box in the narthex or email Elyse Scholl (Elyse.scholl@gmail.com) or Bill Vavra (VavraAvConsult@powwwer.net). We want to hear from you. Thank you!
Volunteers are needed to help with the refugee back-to-school backpack bash. The event is held indoors at First Presbyterian Church, July 30, 2022, from 10 am to 3 pm. For everyone’s safety, masks are required for all volunteers and participants.
Volunteers are needed:
Friday, July 29, from 10 am to noon, for set-up and decorating.
Saturday, July 30, from 10 am to 2:30 pm, helping at the registration table, hospitality, serving snacks, helping with kids’ activities and clean up. A few volunteers are needed to transport families to the event. (Drivers must be fully vaccinated and wear a mask. Car seats for children are required.)
If you are not available during the entire event on Saturday, that’s okay! Just let us know when you can be there. To volunteer, contact Stephanie Bird-Hutchinson at stevie.bird2@gmail.com or Patrice Cummings at pcumings066@gmail.com.
It is just the beginning of July, but already we are thinking of the upcoming school year and how Grace is going to help students be ready. This month’s yellow bag donations are helping refugee families with school supplies for their kids. Our church is collecting the following items:
And, if you prefer, you are welcome to give a cash donation for this cause. All items and cash donations need to be at the church no later than Sunday, July 17. You can also check the bulletin board by the coffee bar for more information and to sign up for items you are bringing.
“This is better than Christmas morning,” said Will Snook as they were packing their car for a week of family camp at Gull Lake Ministries last summer.
This summer, three families from Grace are attending family camp together. The experience is a spiritual vitamin that encourages them as they learn how to incorporate their faith into their daily family life.
Gull Lake Ministries, located in Hickory Corners, Michigan, cultivates Christian community in a unique and authentic way. Families go away from their time at Gull Lake understanding that family worship and truth training begin at home. They are encouraged by other families, and they have a lot of fun while they are there.
From their extravagant theme nights to their annual talent show, to zip lining and banana boating, bowling and pickle ball, there is something for everyone in the family to enjoy.
Weekly speakers encourage and teach the adults in the morning while kids learn Bible lessons from their counselors. Afternoons families have free time to enjoy all the amenities on the Gull Lake campus.
Evenings are packed with great food, entertainment, worship, and everyone’s favorite, En Gedi, a late night praise and worship time providing space for attendees to find a heart posture toward God. Please pray for the families who are attending this year that it is a time of refreshment and transformation.
We were able to offer this opportunity to church families thanks to a financial gift from congregation members. The gift, to be used for special purposes, is also supporting our youth on their mission trip to Puerto Rico.
On Friday, April 29, 2022, a tornado hit Andover, Kansas. The next Monday I reached out to the Presbytery of Southern Kansas to see how, or if, the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) might help. In the last decade our congregation has given physical supplies and financial gifts to the PDA. We’ve packed buckets and hygiene bags and given to the One Great Hour of Sharing offering.
I learned that for PDA to have actual “boots on the ground” we needed to have a PDA infrastructure of local presbytery volunteers already in place. We did not have that, but fortunately other faith groups and non-profits did, and they jumped in with clean-up help.
The good news is that our presbytery applied for a grant from PDA, and we received $7500 that went to the United Way of the Plains to help people get back in homes. While many people had insurance, some were under-insured, and there were uninsured or under-insured renters who lost everything, and the United Way is working with all of them.
We are grateful that through our connectional church we could help facilitate this gift.
-Catherine NB