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Steve Luxa
Lead Pastor
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GracePoint Mom's Group |
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Mothers of all ages are invited to join the GracePoint Mom's group.
We tackle marriage and child rearing issues using the Christ-centered Mom to Mom series Heart Talk created by Grace Chapel's Linda Anderson.
The GracePoint Mom's group meets bi-weekly on Thursdays from 9:30-11:30am. The location is Veasey Park in Groveland, MA.
Childcare is provided. For more information, contact Jessica Mitchell at
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| Outreach Links |
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Did you know you can stay up to date with many of the local and international organizations we support as a church online? Check our the links below.....
"Face of a Child" in Moldova - Little Samaritan Mission - Remember to be praying for our team that leaves for Moldova in October. Keep up to date with what is going on in Moldova and affecting the lives of "our" kids.
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| Current Sermon Series |
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Listen all around you...Christmas is in the air from the music at the mall to the squeals of anticipatory children. The sounds of Christmas are everywhere, much like they were on the very first Christmas when Jesus arrived. And those ancient tones, reverberating with music, waiting, sacrifice and hope would shock the Hallmark cards and sentimental carols we associate with the season. Surprised? Then join us as we listen in on the voices and remarks within that first Christmas during this advent season. Hark! He's come.
The Christmas Eve service will be on December 24 at 4:30pm. | |
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Message from Steve
Christmas is in full swing at the Luxa house! In fact, the Christmas season officially began on the Saturday after Thanksgiving when we did the traditional tree deal for us. That's right, I went into the attic, got the box with the artificial tree in it, and brought it to the tree's appointed spot where I set it up. I know, I know, Jenny has the same reaction to the sacrilege of having an artificial tree! So the whole family spent that Saturday evening decorating the tree along with the rest of the house, while we listen to Christmas music and sip apple cider in front of a fire in our fireplace. It's quite the Normal Rockwell moment, save the inevitable arguments about who gets to put on which ornaments where on the tree!
But with the ramp up in activity and busyness that always goes along with the Christmas season, Jenny and I have to try really hard and be very deliberate to make sure we and our kids focus on Christ and his coming as the true reason for Christmas. It is all too easy for our family to lose this as we shop for gifts, revel in Christmas parties, and get lost in the rush. So this year, Jenny and I are doing a couple of things to help our family focus on Christ this Christmas.
One staple for us is to return to the Christmas story, so we read the Christmas story from Matthew 1:18-2:12 and Luke 2:1-20 with the kids bringing out the characters in the story in their nativity sets. Both of the kids love to bring out the character at just the right time and enact what is happening (with the occasional guerilla attacks from angels or shepherds sometimes happening... hey, what can I say? They're boys!). In that whole story reading, we get to reflect on who Jesus is and the significance of him coming, especially from Matthew 1:21, and Luke 2:11 with Jesus being God's gift to us. In fact, we have posted Isaiah 9:6 prominently in our kitchen and eating area just so we can talk about who Jesus was born as!
Another staple for us has been to take on an activity of generosity to somehow reflect and step into God's generosity in sending Jesus to us. We want to practice generosity with the whole family involved so that we remember that Christmas was God's gift to the world in the coming of Christ and not just our personal benefit. In years' past, that has meant providing gifts for kids through Angel Tree. But since we weren't able to pull that off this year at GracePoint, we're choosing a gift from World Vision that will provide for some basic food, education, or clothing help to the poor. Check out World Vision to see what I mean: http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2ibe
CCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10389. By practicing
generosity, where we get nothing in return and we even lose something in doing so, all of us gain a deeper appreciation for God's generosity in giving Jesus because we feel some small part of it in giving without getting.
So it is my hope that you and your family would find moments to slow down and reflect on Christ's coming, even apart from Sunday morning. Find some ways to make the Christmas story and experience real to you and your kids. If there is any way I can help you and guide you in doing so, please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll do what I can.
Trying to focus on Christ at Christmas (just like you!),
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Missions Update
On October 16th, five members of Gracepoint left Boston for a nine-day journey to Moldova. Colleen and Adam Young, Robin Higle, and Joe and Kim Wilkinson left the comfort of their homes to travel to the poorest country in Eastern Europe. Their mission was to continue to aid Little Samaritan Mission in their distribution for the Face of a Child Project. The project for 2008 was to distribute bags to many of the orphanages and villages in Moldova. These bags included brand new athletic clothes, sneakers, school supplies and various toiletries.
The team from Gracepoint was able to visit 2 orphanages and 3 villages during their stay in Moldova, but the one place that is most dear to our church is the orphanage in Tocuz. Gracepoint has been sponsoring this orphanage for two years now and each child and staff member have become special to the congregation. This year, Gracepoint sponsored a pizza party for the entire orphanage! This was the first time that the children/staff have ever eaten pizza...they had to be shown how to eat it.
The team was also able to see the new bathrooms and laundry room that Gracepoint financially assisted with. The director told us that the children had never seen such bathrooms and were scared at first of the showers, but now they can't get the kids out of them! These two renovations are truly life changing events for the kids. Sickness and other various health issues have decreased as the kids are cleaner and are able to have clean clothes, bed linens, etc. Through these renovations, we are continuously reminded of God's timing and how he hears the prayers of His people. The Outreach Team received a report from LSM stating that the orphanage in Tocuz was on the verge of closing due to the deplorable health conditions, but because of the money sent from GracePoint, the orphanage has been saved and the 100 children that reside there have a place to call "home." At the time that Gracepoint donated the money, the team had no idea that the orphanage was about to be closed by the government. God is good and faithful!
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Financial Update
The Elders want everyone in our church to be well informed about our church finances.
Earlier this year, as you may remember, we reduced our annual expense budget (and actual expenses) by about $40,000. Through the first six months of our fiscal year (May - October) we are spending a little less than $28,000 per month. This spending includes everything - salaries, rental for the space at the technical school, office lease, missions spending at 30% of our income, Kid's Town, hospitality, etc. Giving to the church has been averaging a little less than $20,000 per month. So, we are having to use about $7,700 each month of our "cash reserve" to cover the difference. We still have over $100,000 in our cash reserve, but we are spending from it at a higher rate than we had anticipated.
We know that God will and does provide for all our needs. He is doing some wonderful and amazing things through his church - all of you - in this region and throughout the world. We thank you for being part of this church and for your faithful giving.
At this time of the year, we ask that you pray about the financial needs of GracePoint and consider how you can help through an increase in giving or an additional year end gift in order to help us close our monthly deficit.
The Elders of GracePoint Community Church
Chris Choate
Michele D'Agostino
Bob Givens
Steve Luxa
Tony Russo
Craig Utley
Nate Williams
Below is an update of our financial status through November 2008.
(Our fiscal year runs from May 1, 2008 - April 30, 2009.)
Total Revised Budget: $336,227
YTD Budget (7 mos.): $196,133
YTD Giving (7 Mos.): $137,280
YTD Difference: -$58,853
Cash Reserve as of the end of November (not designated)= $119,000 (This reserve increased from October because we received approximately $18,500 from two accounts with Grace Chapel.)
Average November Attendance: 137 (includes KidsTown) | |
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