On Sunday, January 31, all families are invited to Laser Quest at 3:40p.m. for a family fun day. Each family with children ages 5-11 are asked to bring $7.00 per person and a snack to share. The Children’s Ministry department will offset the rest of the cost. Older siblings are welcome to attend as well. Please call Jennifer at 684-5215 if you have any questions or email to jennifer@mygpc.org.
You are invited to participate in a congregational study during Lent. The study is called “The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus” and is written by Adam Hamilton. We used his “Forgiveness” study last year for Lent.
“The Way” takes participants on a six-week journey through the life and teachings of Jesus. Class participants should buy the book. Books are on sale at Grace on Sundays: January 31, February 7, and February 14 for $13. You may also buy them through a variety of bookstores and online sellers.
A CD version of the book is available, and if you would prefer that please let Catherine Neelly Burton or Martin Burch know as soon as possible, 684-5215.
There are four Sunday morning study groups for adults to choose from:
- Room 209 (The Steamers Room) – An ongoing class where all are welcome. Lent Study taught by Tom Rhoads
- Room 101 – A short-term study group taught by Bill Woolf.
- Room 103 – A short-term study group taught by Hal Welch.
- A class for adults 40 and under meets in the Grace Study.
In addition our Kindergarten – Fifth grade classes use a children’s version of “The Way” curriculum.
The study begins February 14 and goes every Sunday through Palm Sunday, March 20.
College Conference: Montreat, North Carolina
In early January 2016, Kirk Anderson and Sean Foster took five of our college students to Montreat, North Carolina, for a Presbyterian College Conference. Spencer McIntire, a freshman at KState, wrote a reflection for our blog:
I really enjoyed the Montreat College Conference! It was an amazing experience where I met with about 1,000 other college-aged Christians to discuss our faith. Specifically, the verse that the conference centered around was John 3:16 and the many different meanings that are associated with the verse. We spent the weekend in worship and in small discussion groups talking with one another about our understanding of John 3:16 and about what the keynote speakers said about John 3:16.
Our two keynote speakers for the weekend were Jason Brown, ex-NFL player who left the NFL to start farming, and Nadia Bolz-Weber, a pastor and author out of Denver. Both spoke about 3:16, though both looked at the different aspects of the verse. Jason focused on how belief in Jesus and God leads to eternal life, while Nadia focused more on God’s unending love for us and the grace that comes with that love.
The conference also offered many other experiences along with worship and discussion. On Monday, we were given a Sabbath morning to have some free time to do with what we pleased. I spent the morning exploring the Montreat campus and the surrounding mountain trails. They also offered different workshops to help us learn about different aspects of faith. I went to a workshop to learn more about applying God’s gifts to the real world. All the workshops seemed interesting, and I wish I could have gone to more.
Overall, the conference was an amazing experience that I believe helped me grow in my faith. I met many amazing people and experienced something that I have never experienced before.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness month. The Wichita State University Center for Combating Human Trafficking hosts events during the last week of the month that are free and open to the public.
January 26, 5:30 pm – WSU Old Town, 238 N Mead
“A Path Appears” Documentary Screening and Discussion
Free, open to the public, no registration required
January 28, 6 pm – Eastside Community Church, 14242 E 21st St N
“Engage, Act, Abolish: Do No Harm in the Anti-Trafficking Movement”
Free, open to the public, registration is required. Call Eastside Church to register – 733-7011 – or register online: register
On Sunday, January 24, Pastor Catherine Neelly Burton preaches on the text Matthew 2:13-23 and talks about human trafficking. This text is uncomfortable and tells of Herod’s slaughtering of all of the children two years and younger in Bethlehem.
Each month Grace distributes bus tickets to people in our community. This happens on the 15th of the month (or the Friday before the 15th if it falls on a weekend.)
Volunteers and those receiving tickets begin to gather around 7 am in the Grace alcove. Guests are greeted with smiles, coffee, water and a place to sit. Tickets are distributed at 8:30 am, and a brief worship service follows. Everyone is invited to stay for worship, which includes communion.The worship service lasts about 15 minutes.
We can always use volunteers to help with set-up, clean-up, and ticket distribution. Want to help? Contact Kirk Anderson by email or 684-5215.
