In this season when we celebrate God drawing near to us in human form, we invite you to draw near to God. Whether you are overwhelmed with commitments or are wishing the time would move on, draw near to God.
Draw near through worship. Draw near through prayer. Draw near through church community.
We worship each Sunday in Advent at 9 and 11 am. Our Silent Night Worship is Monday, December 10, at 6:30 pm. Christmas Eve Worship is Monday, December 24, at 5 and 8 pm.
Messy Church is our once a month interactive worship experience that always ends with free dinner. This year Messy Church happens on the second Sunday of the month at 4:30 pm. Messy Church is designed with children eight and under in mind, BUT people of all ages are welcome. It’s a little different each month, but there is always singing, playing, laughing, praying, and Bible story telling. In December we celebrate the Christmas story. We wrap up with dinner around 5:30 pm.
For anyone who has experienced loss or sadness, the holidays can be difficult, or at the least, stir up emotions. Whether it is a public loss, like a death in the family or a divorce, or a more private sadness, it can be hard to move through a season when the expectations are high energy, big smiles, and full schedules.
Recognizing that some of us need a time to pause, a quiet time and space set apart during the Advent Season, Grace hosts our annual “Silent Night” service on Monday, December 10, at 6:30 pm in the sanctuary. It is a quiet worship service that includes the Lord’s Supper. All are invited to join us. Even if you approach Advent and Christmas with no sadness or heaviness you may appreciate a quiet evening of worship.
We continue to celebrate the success of the Deep Roots Campaign, and we are getting to work. We are busy getting final bids for projects related to Jacobs Learning Ladder and setting up timelines. All of the door handles in Jacobs Learning Ladder have now been replaced. This is a small project but an important security procedure, and we’re excited to be moving forward.
In addition we shared our first community gift. On November 7 we delivered a check for $7500 to the International Rescue Committee to support their Youth Initiative. This new program works with high-school-age refugees who are in newcomer classes in the public schools. The Youth Initiative supports these teenagers so that they can transition to regular classes for credit and earn high school diplomas.
Each month Grace distributes bus tickets to people in our community. This happens on the 15th of the month, or if the 15th is on a weekend we meet the Friday before. Volunteers and those receiving tickets begin to gather around 6:30 am in the Grace Alcove. Guests are greeted with smiles, coffee, water, and a place to sit. Tickets are distributed at 7:50 am.
We can always use volunteers to help with set-up, clean-up, and ticket distribution. Want to help? Contact Kirk Anderson, kirk@mygpc.org or 684-5215.
