Dear Grace Community,

Let all things now living
a song of thanksgiving
to God our Creator triumphantly raise;
who fashioned and made us,
protected and stayed us,
by guiding us on to the end of our days.
God’s banners are o’er us;
pure light goes before us,
a pillar of fire shining forth in the night:
till shadows have vanished,
all fearfulness banished,
as forward we travel from light into light

~“Let All Things Now Living” – Hymn 37 Glory to God Hymnal

As we move toward Thanksgiving, I am drawn to the thanksgiving hymns in our hymnal.  I am grateful for the words and melodies that give voice to gratitude for all God is and does.

My family spends Thanksgiving with a large group of extended family on my mom’s side. As of now, the plan is for all nine first cousins of my generation to attend.  I can’t remember the last time this happened, and I look forward to it.

For many of us, Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and joy. I also know it can be a hard day and season. Within our church we’ve had 15 deaths in 2018. As we read the necrology on All Saints Sunday, I gave thanks for those saints who now rest from their labors, and I recognize that their seats will be empty at the Thanksgiving table this year. In addition to the deaths within our congregation, many of you have experienced deaths of people close to you.

I hope that you have space this Thanksgiving to feel whatever it is you are feeling, be it sadness or joy.  I also invite you to our annual Silent Night Worship Service on December 10 at 6:30 pm in the sanctuary. It is a quiet service that includes prayer and communion.

In Christ,

Catherine

Dear Grace Community,

Does Grace Presbyterian prioritize faith formation and disciple-making?  What do you think?

This question comes from the PCUSA Vital Congregations tool-kit.  Back in September I mentioned in a sermon that the Session was going to explore this resource.  As I said then, I absolutely think we are a vital congregation, and I also think we constantly need to reexamine how it is that we follow Jesus together. This resource is a good way to do this.

The Vital Congregations toolkit names seven areas of church vitality. The first is Lifelong Discipleship Formation. The Session is looking at questions like, “Do we see people grow in their faith through participation in the activities of the congregation?” and “Does our church help members apply faith to everyday life?”

One challenge is that there is no set yes or no answer because the people who make up our congregation are unique individuals, not necessarily thinking the same.  Nonetheless, these are important questions for us to ask, and if we have to work too hard to answer yes in any area, we know where we need to do some work.

Again, and again you’ve heard me say that being the church in 2018 is like nothing else in Christian history.  Yes, like the church in all times and places we follow Jesus, and we worship, and we care for others, but the rapidly changing attitudes and perceptions about not only church but about God in our culture are happening at a rate no one was prepared for.  And in all of this our call to share God’s love continues.

By using scripture and reflection to consider areas of vitality and areas of growth we will be better prepared to answer God’s call.  If you’re interested in going through this took-kit, let me know, and I’ll get a copy to you.

In Christ,

Catherine

Dear Grace Community,

You’ve heard a lot from me recently about the Deep Roots Capital Campaign.  I’m excited about the ways it will strengthen our ministries and our facilities.

Seventy years ago, we dedicated our current sanctuary.  Much has changed in the world since then.  What hasn’t changed is the opportunity to share God’s love with others.

Children, youth, and adults still light up when they hear Bible Stories and come to know Jesus.  People in need still appreciate compassion in the form of a warm place to sit, a bus pass, or clothes to wear.  People living with addiction still seek places where support groups can gather anonymously.  People of all ages still love to gather for fun and food.  All of this happens at Grace, just as it did 70 years ago.

It is the rare week when our building is not in use every day by our official ministries or by outside groups who share space with us.  Because the building does not get much rest and gets so much use, it’s time to make repairs and updates.  The Deep Roots Campaign seeks to strengthen our roots here so that we can answer God’s call to new ministry and mission.

We have brochures detailing the campaign available at Grace, and all of the information is here on our church website.  If you did not receive a brochure, call the church office, 316-684-5215, let us know, and we will mail one to you.

In Christ,

Catherine

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Dear Grace Community,

This summer our congregation was blessed to have Christina Sledd serve as our intern.  During June and July she participated in and led many ministries. At the end of July she wrote about her experiences with us, and for this edition of “From the Pastor’s Desk,” I share her note.

In Christ,
Catherine

My name is Christina Sledd, and this summer I have had the pleasure and privilege of working as the summer intern at Grace Presbyterian Church. Through the past several years I have been acquainted with Grace through the youth mission trips and have built a desire to learn more about this church that has welcomed a friendship with my hometown church of Chase Presbyterian.

Growing up in my small-town church I always had a drive to do it all and learn about what our church is and does. This meant that I explored the children’s Sunday School, women’s kitchen group, Session, Trustees, Advent, and even preached a little bit. I knew everything that made Chase Presbyterian Church what it was and is today. With that, I did not know what a church much larger than my own looked like. When discussion arose about what my internship would look like, I quickly stated that I wanted to see all the different parts Grace Presbyterian Church, not just the youth and children’s ministry (which I went to college for). The staff eagerly agreed, and soon I was swept into more committees and groups than I ever knew existed.

While at Grace, I met with almost every group and I was able to see how they all worked together to strengthen and build the body of Christ. I worked with the Session, Deacons, Trustees, Christian Education, Worship teams, the Economy Corner, Jacob’s Learning Ladder, the Bus Tickets, Vacation Bible School, the Youth Mission Trip, church services, home visits, and so much more within these past two months. I was able to see how different aspects that I previously took for granted came together and made things happen, as well as how much planning and thought went into the different ministries within this church.

This experience definitely opened my eyes to all the different kinds of ministries that go into a church this size. I was also amazed that every part of this church has a desire to love and help the Wichita community, whether that is the donations to the Economy Corner, monetary donations to different charities in this town, educating people of all ages, providing bus tickets, raising provisions for those in need, and so much more. If you do not know what is going on at Grace Presbyterian, I highly encourage you to find and explore what everything is about. Thank you all for this opportunity and the chance to meet many of you and share in the ministry that is Grace Presbyterian Church.

Dear Grace Community,

In June I attended a Worship and Music Conference in Montreat, North Carolina.  It’s an annual event, but I had not attended in ten years. I’m glad I made it a priority this year.  Montreat is one of my favorite places in the world, and in addition to the conference I was able to spend time with family and to connect with friends and ministry colleagues.

The conference is put on by the Presbyterian Association of Musicians, and the music is phenomenal. There are multiple adult choirs, children’s choirs, and youth choirs, and then there are instrumental groups (bells, drums, brass) on top of that. I did not participate in any of these choirs or ensembles, but I was blessed by their leadership.

My musical contribution was singing in worship, and it was fun to sing with so many gifted musicians. Because there are so many musicians in the congregation we were able to sing some of the more difficult hymns in our hymnal. The conference was called “Sacraments and Seasons,” and followed the seasons of the liturgical year  Sunday was Advent, Monday Christmas, Tuesday Lent, Wednesday Holy Week, Thursday Easter, and Friday Pentecost.

I took some classes at the conference and was grateful for the practical components as well as the generally enriching aspects. The PCUSA just put out a revised edition of our Book of Common Worship, and I took a course with one of the editors. It was great to feel like I really know the book now.  One of my seminary professors taught a class on theology and art around baptism and the Lord’s Supper. While far less practical, it was fun to explore academically and from a faith perspective.

I am grateful for the ways that you, the congregation, make it possible for me to attend conferences like this.

In Christ,
Catherine