Each month on the first Sunday you’re encouraged to take home a re-usable yellow grocery bag, put some non-perishable items in it, and bring it back the next week, or soon thereafter. In November and December our contributions go to Operation Holiday. Operation Holiday is a mission of Interfaith Ministries. Operation Holiday expects to serve over 13,000 people this year.
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, and this month it’s November 11. 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. We wrap up with dinner around 5:30 pm.
As Christians, we claim that humans are made in God’s image. What does this mean? And if it’s true, why do humans do so many things that seem counter to who God is?
In Old Testament times, kings of other nations claimed to be the actual image of God, with the authority of a god. They had idols made of gods for worship.
God’s people were different. God never intended for the people to have kings, and when God finally relented and gave them kings like they asked, it was with the understanding that the kings were not God. Idols were not to be made (though the people had some trouble with that as we see on November 4.)
We don’t think about kings and God as being interchangeable these days, but we do deal with image and idols. In whose image do we shape our lives? God’s or a modified version of God’s image that fits how we want to live?
What and where are the idols we give our allegiance to before God?
During our series “In the Image of…” we look at these questions, and we look at the words “reflect, direct, serve, and grow.” We reflect God’s image. We direct others to God’s image. We serve in the image of Jesus, and we grow in God’s image.
How we understand in whose image we’re made determines how we live our lives. This fits well with our annual stewardship season. During stewardship season each of us is asked to consider how we steward all that we are: our time, our talents, and our finances. Does our stewardship reflect who we understand God to be? Join us as we explore this together.
Photo by Suhyeon Choi on Unsplash
The Race with Grace crew is back in action looking for foot races around Wichita where Grace athletes can participate in fellowship within the community.
The 43rd Annual Wichita Turkey Trot is Saturday, November 18 – there is a 10-mile and a two-mile run/walk, and a Tiny Turkey Trot (250 ft. for children six and younger). Athletes from Grace (runners, walkers, dawdlers, etc.) are invited to register online and meet at the run before and after the race. If you would like to participate but don’t want to run or walk, feel free to come out and cheer us on!
Registration and race information is online at https://www.wichitaturkeytrot.com/
For more information email Christy Vavra at cjvavra01@yahoo.com or Catherine Briggs at briggs.catherine10@gmail.com.
We look forward to seeing you there!
- Every two seconds someone in the US needs blood.
- One pint of blood (the approximate amount given in a donation) can be used to help up to three people.
- About 1/3 of the US population is eligible to give blood.
- Five million patients in the US need blood every year.
On November 11, we host a Red Cross Blood drive at Grace from 8 am – 1 pm. Sign up to donate on Sundays at Grace, by calling the office – 684-5215, or by going here: http://www.redcrossblood.org/rcbmobile/drive/chooseDonationTime.jsp.
You may use the “rapid pass” and save time on the day of your donation. Go to redcrossblood.org/RapidPass to finish the pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online before coming to your appointment.
