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Steve Luxa
Pastor
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| Christmas Eve Service |
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A Courageous Christmas Story
December 24 at 4:30pm |
| GracePoint Blog |
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GracePoint now has its own blog! A blog is a simple communication tool that can be used and accessed by anyone. Steve, Ryan and others will post comments to the blog that anyone can read. We will highlight everything from the ministries at our church, to theology, to politics to culture. Anything is game! http://gracepointne.blogspot.com/ | |
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Message from Steve
I recently ran across a story about a woman who was doing her last-minute Christmas shopping at a crowded mall. She was really tired of fighting the crowds. She was sick of standing in long lines. She was weary of fighting her way down long, crowded aisles looking for that perfect gift only to discover that it had been sold out days before.
She waited for the store elevator to take her to another level of wearying shopping, her arms were full of bulky packages. And as the elevator doors opened, she noticed that it was full, just like the rest of the store, but her fellow elevator riders grudgingly tightened their ranks to allow a small space for her and her load.
So as the door closed, she blurted out, "Whoever is responsible for this whole Christmas thing ought to be arrested, strung up, and shot!" And a few others in the elevator nodded their heads or simply grunted in agreement.
Then, from somewhere in the back of the elevator, came a single voice that said, "Don't worry. They already crucified him."
As a recovering Christmas scrooge, I appreciate this story. Why? Because my Christmas can feel so much like that woman's experience, only add to the shopping experience extended family issues, year-end deadlines, snow storms, and a Christmas day that never seems to match expectations of great times. The Christmas experience can often be a blizzard of dysfunction, sprinkled with sin, and a healthy dose of tangles.
BUT as I heard Andy Stanley point out last year, if it weren't for all those things, Christmas would never have happened. That is, since there is all that junk at Christmas, we have Christmas. Or as the Gospel of Matthew says in the Christmas story, "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21, emphasis mine). The whole Christmas deal came about, in part, because of the junk that happens at Christmas. So in a sense, the sentiment of the story is true...Christ was crucified for Christmas.
So as you and I are in the throws of the junk of Christmas, may we capture sacred moments within it to remember that that's the whole reason Christ even came. May we celebrate through the coming Advent series the courage of those involved to accomplish God's plans to save us from our junk and sin. May we celebrate Christ on Christmas Eve at 4:30pm in the auditorium with awe and wonder of his own courage to lay in a wooden manger only to be laid on a wooden cross later on. May we experience the Christ of Christmas who came in part because of our experience of the junk within Christmas.
Merry CHRISTmas,
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Science & Faith Point Class
Are you interested/ confused/intrigued by the interface between science and faith? Are science and faith incompatible or can both be integrated into a worldview which is intellectually coherent and rational? Does modern science make Christian faith more or less credible? What are we to make of the biblical stories - from plagues in Egypt, to virgin birth, resurrection and immortality? Are these pure myth, or historical events? We will tackle these and other topics as we wrestle with the Decisive Questions of Science and Faith. We are privileged to have teaching this class Steve Hill who will lead you down the path to firmer faith and a deeper knowledge of God.
The class will meet from 9:00 to 9:50AM on January 13, January 27, and February 3.
Childcare will be provided.
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Missions and Outreach Update - Moldova Mission Trip
It wasn't so long ago that we were all packing gigantic plastic bags full of coats and hats, scarves and gloves, and tons of other necessities for the orphans in Tocuz, Moldova. We brought them to church, the youth packed them into cars, and then volunteers carted them to Grace Chapel to be placed in a container destined for Moldova. Well, the time has come to actually deliver those gifts to the kids!
We are excited to announce that Gracepoint will be sending a team of 6 people to minister to the kids in Tocuz. Adam and Colleen Young, Joe and Kim Wilkinson, and Bill Stearns will be representing us in this endeavor. The sixth team member is from Grace Chapel, Kathleen, who has been teaming with Little Samaritan for a long time, and has extensive experience in the region.
The team will be travelling between January 18 -27, 2008. They will not only deliver the winter gear, but will spend an entire day interacting with the kids and building relationships with the director and staff. A Bible study is being developed by the women on the team for the young girls at the orphanage, revolving around their identity in Christ. The men on the team will spend the day in various activities with the young boys. Additionally, the team will be working with Little Samaritan to deliver goods to other orphanages and villages.
As we have been learning more and more about Moldova, the region, the kids, and their lives, we have become aware of another disturbing situation. Most of the orphanages will only house children until the
age of 16. When they are released from the orphanage, many of these kids do not have the skills needed to find a job or support themselves. More horribly, many of the girls are recruited into a life of prostitution. A number of organizations are beginning to open "Halfway Houses" - homes that take in these 16 - 18 year old kids, give them food, shelter and most importantly, train them in a skilled labor. Our team will be working with a pastor from the states who is opening one of these homes, for girls. They will be interviewing girls, assessing their match to the program, and again, delivering the Bible study of Identity and value in Christ.
Each of the couples on the team will be raising $2,000, and Bill will be raising $1,700. If you would like to personally support them in this endeavor, please speak to them individually, or any member of the
Missions and Outreach Team (Bob Givens, Craig Utley, Colleen Young, Emily Roth) Additionally, please pray with us for this team. For unity of spirit as they plan, for safety in travel and logistics, for strength in ministry and outreach, and for openness to what God has for them to do, and learn.
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Financial Update
Below is an update on our financial status through November 2007.
(YTD: May 2007 - April 2008. The new fiscal year began on May 1, 2007.)
YTD Budget: $232,344
YTD Giving: $159,712
YTD Difference: - $72,632
Average November Attendance: 121 (includes KidsTown) | |
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