From the Pastor’s Desk: March 2020

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Dear Grace Community,

But now says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. – Isaiah 43:1

I’m writing to let you know that we are cancelling worship and all church activities (meetings, events, rehearsals, regular groups, etc.) through the end of March.

This is not a decision made lightly but prayerfully and thoughtfully with the best information we have right now.  This decision was made by members of the staff in consultation with the church session and with physicians in our congregation.   We made this decision, not out of fear, but as a way to protect the most vulnerable around us.  There is much uncertainty around the Coronavirus/Covid 19, but what is clear is that limiting large gatherings is prudent in stopping the spread.

This decision is hard for many reasons, including that gathering to worship is central to who we are, and so we invite you to worship in a new way for a few weeks.  Starting this Sunday, we will live stream worship on the Grace Facebook page at 10 am CDT.  The same service will be available on the mygpc.org website later that day.  This week the service will be primarily scripture, prayer, and music.

This technology allows us to, in fact, worship together.  While not ideal, it is a gift.  Staying connected while not seeing each other at Grace is important.  We will send out regular communications through email.

If you are staying home all of the time because you are self-quarantining or because of your health, do you need any help?  Do you need things dropped off at your house (medicine, food, etc.)?  Please let us know so that we can help you.  Do you need prayer?  We’d love to pray for you.  If you are willing to help run errands for people or to make check-in phone calls to members of our community, please let me know, 316-684-5215, catherine@mygpc.org.

I look forward to hearing from you, and I will miss being together this Sunday.

In Christ,
Catherine

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From the Pastor’s Desk: A Note About Health Precautions

What does life at Grace Presbyterian Church look like in this time of the Coronavirus – Covid 19?  The answer will likely change from day to day.

Tim and Isaac, our custodians, are cleaning as vigilantly as ever.  Tim is in tune with what cleaning supplies are best equipped to kill the virus.  Jacob’s Learning Ladder is receiving regular updates from the state health department and follows all guidelines.

The other change to our common life is that on Sunday we ask you not to shake hands, even during the passing of the peace.  While some of you are completely comfortable with shaking hands, the people next to you might not be.  In addition our ushers will greet you with words of welcome but no handshakes.

We are exploring the possibility of video recording our services so that those of you who need to stay home may watch.  Right now, you may listen to sermons on our website.

[button url=”https://www.mygpc.org/sermons” target=”” size=”small” style=”orange” icon=”” popup=”” title=””]Listen to Sermons[/button]

If you are sick, we ask that you not come to worship.  If you are sick or choose to stay home because of your vulnerability to sickness, please let us know if you need anything.  Do you need someone to run to the store for you?

For the coming weeks look for updates like this in the Thursday email.

In Christ,

Catherine

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From the Pastor’s Desk: February 2020

Dear Grace Community,

What do you think of when you hear the word parlor?

Do you picture women drinking hot tea?  Or do you imagine a place where you go to meetings?

As part of our Deep Roots renovations we now have sights set on the Grace Parlor.  Chris Alexander, Ben Juhnke, and Kendall Price are working with me and Martin Burch on this project.  One of the early conversations the team had was about what our parlor is used for.  This is the list I came up with:

Monthly Grace Meetings

  • GRACE Session
  • GRACE Deacons
  • GRACE Mission Distribution Team

Monthly Outside Group Meetings

  • ALS Support Group
  • Delta Kappa Gamma
  • PEO – twice a month

Occasional Grace Fellowship Events

  • Steamers
  • Windjammers

Showers (wedding, baby)

  • 2-3 a year

Wedding (bridal space)

  • 1-2 weddings a year

Gathering Space for families before funerals

  • Dependent on number of funerals in a year, lately 12-14

Funeral meals or small receptions

  • 4-6 a year

Other

  • Study groups, Sunday School, or team meetings
  • Down Syndrome Society of Wichita – 4 times a year
  • Small Congregational dinners (planned giving)

We envision a renovated parlor that works for what we use the space for.  We know that it needs to be quite flexible with room for various table configurations.  We also want it to be a comfortable space for people to sit and visit or relax.   Feel free to ask any of us questions.

In Christ,
Catherine

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From the Pastor’s Desk

Dear Grace Community,

This month we started reading through the book of Mark in worship. The first two weeks there was a focus on healing stories.

In my sermon preparation, I focused on the history, and context, and connecting the stories to our month-long theme, “Why Church?”  Then I stood up to preach and looked at you and thought of your stories and the people in your lives who long for healing.  It occurred to me then how hard it might be to hear stories of Jesus’ healing miracles while those miracles are not realized in your lives.

I was grateful when one of you came to me and named this tension; how are we to understand these miracles in our lives today?

What I can tell you is that I believe the miracles in scripture. I believe that Jesus performed miracles. I believe miracles still happen. You’ve told me too many stories for me to believe otherwise. And I don’t know why they don’t happen more. I don’t know why God doesn’t heal more people. I know it’s not for lack of faith. I know that sometimes the healing comes through medicine, and sometimes it comes with death and wholeness in God.

When I sat down to write this, I kept hoping I’d come up with the perfect way to tie it up neatly, but I don’t have one. Only to say, know that you are not alone in asking these questions of scripture. This is one of the reasons why we read it together, so that we are not alone in our questions.

In Christ,
Catherine

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From the Pastor’s Desk: December 2019

Dear Grace Community,

I’ve said it many times, Advent and Christmas are my favorite times in the physical life of Grace.  The beauty of this space is somehow even more awe-inspiring with poinsettias, greenery, and lights.  I give thanks to God for the ways I catch my breath walking in the Sanctuary or the Great Room for worship.

Being inspired by beauty is a gift in this season, a gift I gratefully receive.  And like with any gift from God, I am moved to respond. The response piece is critical. When I am drawn closer to God, I am called to then share God’s love with others.

There is no exact formula for this. It’s not like I must receive X amount of God’ beauty and love before I share X amount.  Like with all matters of our faith, there is a mystery about it, a Spirit-inspired element that can’t be quantified.

What I believe is that if we pay attention, the Spirit will guide us. Our faith should never be entirely inward, about receiving, nor can it be only about giving. That’s not sustainable.

This fall your Session challenged you to read scripture each day. The scripture readings follow along with the Sunday readings, and the idea is to fill in the story during the week. I confess that I haven’t done the readings every day. I started strong, and then missed a day here or there, and then picked back up, and missed a day here or there, then picked back up. I’m always glad when I start back.

When the Session discussed this challenge, it was part of a conversation and initiative to encourage lifelong Christian discipleship in our congregation. We believe that in order to be disciples of Jesus, we must know scripture. There was some question about whether this challenge and this focus was too inward; should we also encourage some sort of outward mission?

Ultimately, we decided that knowing the Bible is one important step, and our hope is that response is the natural outgrowth of scripture reading. The hope is that as Christians we can’t just read scripture and not be changed. We read it to be transformed. We must respond to it.  In the new year I encourage you to pick up the Bible and read along in Mark with us. As you do, consider how the Spirit is moving in you to respond to God’s word.

In Christ,
Catherine

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