Posts with the category “staff-articles”

A couple weeks ago one of our students who attended the youth retreat shared a poem they had written during our solo time. The setting was beautiful; a cloudless day with warm sunshine blanketing a cool, sandy beach. The waters of the Gulf stretching out as far as one can see, and the beach dotted with students reflecting on God the creator, the one who loves them. It is always one of the highligh...  Read More

Mark 10:45a, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve”For as long as I can remember, serving others, especially those less fortunate than me, has been a vital part of my life. I can vividly remember when I was about 5 years old Dad and his small group from church decided to do a service project in our neighborhood. The project was cleaning up an elderly lady’s yard of overgrown...  Read More

As with any trip, such as the one we recently took to Belmopan, Belize, there is a natural tendency to ask the wrong question, both leading up to and coming back from the trip. I heard it many times in reference to this trip, “So, what will you be doing?” Or upon our return, “So, what did you do?” And while that is often asked in genuine curiosity and out of a good heart, it indicates something so...  Read More

Did you have a best friend as a child? Riding bikes around the neighborhood, playing games, climbing trees, sleep overs, chasing lightning bugs after dark (I am probably telling my age!). Many of you can remember fun times with a best bud or a BFF. For some, those are special memories.Today, we live in a culture where friend can mean anything from “adding someone to your list of contacts on a soci...  Read More

Life is about relationships. Relationship is the state of being connected—to God, people and the world. One God-given relationship that’s important is between parents and children. As parents, we have the opportunity to lovingly connect with our children and ultimately point them to Christ. One thing I remember doing as a parent was figuring out ways to “tie strings” to my children’s hearts—to mak...  Read More

It is hard to describe what an incredible joy it is when multiple ministry areas merge to create an impactful event. At our recent Daddy Daughter Date night, our Men’s Ministry and Deacons Ministry, along with many servant leaders, contributed to a most memorable evening. Having a daddy/daughter event where just dads and their daughters enjoyed a special dinner easily translates to a “home run.”Ho...  Read More

Bivocational; a term the IRS might call “two-jobs” but one the church uses to refer to a person who works in a paid ministry role as well as any other job simultaneously. For those of you who do not know, I am a full-time Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant while also being on staff here at Grace part-time as the Middle School Youth Director. This makes me bivocational.Serving in these two roles...  Read More

Why worship through singing? Maybe you aren’t into music, you have trouble finding the right notes, or music just doesn’t feel like worship to you. So, why should you sing? Why can’t we just say our praise to God?Sing praise to God, sing praise! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! (Ps 47:6)Not only does Scripture command us to sing, but singing is mentioned alongside God the Father, the Son (M...  Read More

If you were present at our Thanksgiving Sharing service, did you notice anything? There arose a definite theme—the ministry of presence. Person after person, young and old, shared how others had served them, encouraged them, or been there for them in a time of need and in day-to-day life. It was such a joy to hear how God is using the Grace family in such meaningful and loving ways.A few days afte...  Read More

A full-time ministry position can be ambiguous. Depending on the person, the church, and the role, there are a variety of ideas about what that job may actually entail. I think about the meme from a few years back where there were six very different pictures that illustrated six very different perspectives on any given job. Taking a youth pastor for example, one picture may show what the pastor’s ...  Read More

The Women’s Ministry theme this year is “Journey On.” As followers of Jesus, we’re on a path toward God, through triumphs and trials. Thankfully, our Shepherd has equipped us for our earthly journey with all we need—the Word, the Holy Spirit, and each other.This marks the 30th year the Women of Grace have gone on a retreat to focus on our relationship with God in the midst of community. One of our...  Read More

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”  (Eph. 6:11, ESV)When I think of this verse the image that comes to mind is of a Roman soldier in biblical times dressed for battle, kind of like this warrior.13  Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will sti...  Read More

Every summer we get the opportunity to take the Youth Group on a summer retreat. This trip is normally just a few days where we try to get out of town and get the kids out of their normal routine. As Tim and I prepared content and schedule for the retreat there was a unique time that arose in the schedule. This time was a pre-breakfast devotional time that we made optional as it did entail having ...  Read More

Pastor Ben recently shared a link to an article entitled “In Praise of the Boring, Uncool Church.” I found it a very interesting and relatable read. Around the Church Office we will often joke and say, “We can’t do that. That’s too cool and we are not a cool church.” It is meant in fun, but really, it is true (at least according to the world’s standards), and it is intentional.This quote from the ...  Read More

My youngest is now two weeks old. A lot has gone through my mind over the past fourteen days but two thoughts have dominated the rest; the wonder of new life, and the sacrifice of motherhood.While this is not the first time I have looked at a newborn who has just uttered their first cry and been reminded that human life is fearfully and wonderfully made, that we are all, male and female, made in t...  Read More

Several days ago, I read a devotion in New Morning Mercies written by Paul Tripp that describes our walk with God as a “community project” and thought how true! If I try and make it on my own, I’m often deceived when I justify wrong attitudes and actions, but others in my life can reveal to me what I often can’t see myself. Physical blindness is obvious to those who are blind, but spiritual blindn...  Read More

Over the years, my concept of what worship in a church looks like has changed. I grew up in a time where contemporary Christian music and praise bands were becoming more popular. But through that transition, the atmosphere began to change. Churches began dimming the lights, and we were encouraged to tune out those around us and focus on God.When I started out as the music director, I approached wo...  Read More

One of my greatest joys in ministry is working with our Deacons at Grace! You talk about some servant-minded people! Not only are they servant-minded, but they serve a specific purpose in the organizational structure of Grace.Our “one-pager” or “job description” for Deacons includes the following sentences: Deacons are servants and leaders of ministries who support the work of the church and the E...  Read More

Preconceptions have the ability to significantly alter how we think about things. This past semester in our Middle School youth group gatherings we studied several Old Testament characters, many of whom are very familiar. As I began to dive into the idea of taking an entire semester to solely focus on Old Testament characters, these preconceptions began to drift in. My mind quickly shifted to thou...  Read More

The following is an article written by one of our high school seniors who participated in our annual student leadership course. The final assignment for this course was to write out an answer to the question, “What Makes a Biblical Leader?” and this was one of the many well thought out and articulated answers to the question. This past summer a few of our high schoolers participated in a four week...  Read More

It has been so encouraging to see so many new faces attending Grace lately and to welcome some of those as new members. God adds to His church. We are grateful.I am so thankful that Grace is a welcoming church; grateful for this cultural value. Of course, our desire to be a welcoming community of believers is birthed by and reflects God’s welcoming posture toward us.  - He pursued us when we were ...  Read More

I wonder what it was like to be Jesus’ brother and watch him die; or his mother, sisters, or disciples. More than just the Messiah, here was a son, a brother, and a friend suffering not only death, but the most gruesome and tragic of deaths imaginable. While they knew on some level this death was not permanent, it sure must have felt permanent in the moment. We feel the pain of those closest to Je...  Read More

Over the summer, over ninety of our adults participated in Soul Care groups. Each group was comprised of 4-5 people, most being diverse in background, age, and interests. As the weeks rolled by, we began hearing from different ones participating. By and large the responses were very positive. We had groups enjoy dinner together in homes and restaurants, go swimming in a backyard pool and in a publ...  Read More

Have you ever wondered what Children’s Ministry is? Well, here’s the Grace 101 answer—Children’s Ministry is designed to help families build a strong spiritual foundation based on the Word of God. We want to support and reinforce these teachings in the homes represented at Grace Church so that we can become true “worshipers in community, engaged in ministry.”Does “worshipers in community, engaged ...  Read More

Having a job is a grind. Whether you work full time or only part time, you reach a point of needing some time away to maintain healthy functioning. Even in ministry, there is a threshold of too much work that can easily be reached. While vacation helps in the individual and family context, something else is needed as part of the organization’s structure that will provide this necessary ingredient....  Read More

Having just finished an audiobook of Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities, the opening paragraph struck me as very apropos to the year we’ve just experienced. I’m sure all of us can find a phrase or more to relate to.It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season o...  Read More

Here at Grace, and in many other local congregations, these words are uttered often by those on stage. Who controls those mics? That’s where myself and a few others in our congregation come in. We are the AV Crew officially but I’d like to give you a look into what the “Sound Guys” do and what serving in this role has taught me.I started serving on the sound team in 2013 as a young 15-year-old boy...  Read More

I have always struggled with guilt in my life. Either with my parents as a kid, with friends I have possibly offended, or with my heavenly Father. The guilt would keep me from confronting the root of my sin and seeing the forgiveness I had with my Father through Christ.It became a “back and forth” relationship with Christ. I would avoid him until I finally became desperate enough to crawl back. Th...  Read More

Recently, Pastor Ben preached a sermon about community from the book of Jeremiah. God told Jeremiah to tell the children of Israel, who were physical exiles in Babylon, to put down roots. “Build houses, plant gardens . . .” in other words, live life…you are going to be here for a while. That place was their temporary new normal. This was not what they wanted to hear, but it was where they were.Thi...  Read More

For the next generation to know and love the Lord Jesus takes several things, but caring teachers is one. At Grace, the desire, compassion and genuine love our teachers exhibit in Sunday School and Pioneer Clubs is amazing! I hope you’re encouraged to read these teacher testimonies.Robert and Susan Griffith who’ve taught for a couple years, think about their public pledge at baby dedications:Do yo...  Read More

You’ve heard it before . . . for some people, the holidays can be the loneliest time of the year. In 2020, with isolation more prevalent than ever due to Covid, this particular Christmas season can feel like piling on. I heard from someone this week who, sadly, spent Thanksgiving apart from family for the first time in their life; an all-too-common phenomenon I fear.God hardwired us for community,...  Read More

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thess. 5:18 (NKJV)While this is the verse most often quoted in this season of thanksgiving I would submit it is also the verse most misunderstood. And in a year where it seems everyone has endured at least some measure of challenge, it is almost assured that this verse will be used to say we should be thankful for th...  Read More

These simple words carry a lot of weight, weight that is hard to describe and yet extremely real. Failure is something few like to talk about and even fewer like to admit. I find it odd, though, because it’s all around us on a daily basis. For example, I set my alarm this morning for 5:00am but hit the snooze button multiple times. Now that seems really knit picky and harsh but it’s a small exampl...  Read More

Recently, I have found myself in a stage of life where I can be quickly overwhelmed. Either I have one too many things I have to get done, or the circumstances around me are challenging my character and trust in the Lord. Feeling overwhelmed, or rather, helpless and out of control, left me with a question. Can I be overwhelmed with my circumstances and still be trusting in the Lord? Is it a sin li...  Read More

If I am being honest, I would have to confess that I have struggled in the past five months. Really struggled. It is kind of like a weird mixture of wearing shoes that are way too tight and grief. With every step comes the awareness that things are off…and my heart is heavy and feels the loss of meaningful things. In the midst of the struggle and seeking the Lord, I have discovered one of the sour...  Read More

Life has been anything but normal…it’s been filled with trouble! When trouble hits us from all sides, lots of things get knocked off track like our routines, comforts, plans, emotions and even our beliefs. We’re plagued with uncertainty, fears and questions we can’t answer. These troubling times can bring us face-to-face with what we really believe or hope in, whether it’s true or false. Often in ...  Read More

My parents have always held missions in high regard and the importance of spreading the gospel around the globe. In my growing up years, stories were read, principles taught, pennies were saved, and prayers were offered. Not only did Dad and Mom teach it, they lived it by leading countless domestic and international short-term mission trips. I had the privilege of participating in some of those. T...  Read More

Did you know that Jesus utilized technology?  Now clearly he did not live stream the Sermon on the Mount, or post the Last Supper on Instagram, but nonetheless throughout his short time in earthly ministry he utilized the best means available to him as he presented the good news of the gospel to those around him.  Mark 4 provides us with a great example of this as Jesus is teaching a crowd of peop...  Read More

Have you heard of our Kids’ Mission Sundays? They’re new!! On the last day of Sunday School this past summer we had our first Kids’ Mission Sunday. It was such a success that we decided to have them at the end of every semester! This is how it works - on that day, our kids spend time listening to 3-4 of our mission partners share about their ministries. Classrooms are used to set up stations for e...  Read More

Though my first two years as music director at Grace were a little tough, this past year has been a bit easier. I figured a few things out, and my four kids became more independent. Gaining some confidence in myself, my desperation for help from God wasn’t quite so desperate. And my default of relying on self rather than the Spirit kicked in as things got easier.But when I put the Holy Spirit asid...  Read More