This Sunday is November 1, and we will celebrate All Saints Day in worship. It is important to reflect upon the lives of all those who have entered heaven’s gates during the past year. They are saints not because they lived perfect lives, but because they trusted Christ and attempted to follow his teachings and his life example. As I think of…

Dear Grace Family: This Sunday, October 25, is reformation Sunday on the church calendar. What I appreciate most about the Reformation is that the movement gave birth to the concept of the “priesthood of all believers.” This concept reminds us that all Christians are ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This gives us all both freedom and responsibility. We are free…

Dear Grace Family: Hopefully you all received word that our pumpkin delivery will be delayed, but we anticipate that the pumpkins will be here by the middle of next week. We look forward to the opportunity to bless the community with the tradition of the patch, and we ask everyone to follow all the safety rules so that we minimize COVID risks.…

This coming Sunday, October 4, is recognized on our church calendar as “World Communion Sunday.” This is one of my favorite Sundays of the year. It began in 1936 in the Presbyterian Church and was adopted by what is now the National Council of Churches in 1940. As an article from Ministry Matters explains, “World Communion Sunday is a time for remembering…

Dear Grace Family: I had the privilege of a little time away this past weekend,  and I am so grateful for our great worship team doing excellent work in my absence. But I am not surprised, because they do excellent work every week. We are blessed with some great talent here at Grace, and I thank God for each one. From Pastor…

Dear Grace Family: I really appreciate the fact that so many of you have returned your pledge cards for 2021. It is a wonderful thing to have a significant amount of funds pledged to help us plan the budget for the coming year.  If you have not yet turned in your 2021 pledge card, please do so by September 27, 2020. While…

Dear Grace Family: As we approach Labor Day weekend, it is my prayer that we all make the effort to stay connected with our friends and family. Many people who normally travel on holiday weekends may not do so this year, but there are still ways to be social by phone or letter or the various forms of electronic communication. Loneliness and…

Dear Grace Family: With a new school year underway I see more traffic and activity around the church and in the Merritt Island community. I am grateful for the signs of life and activity all around us, even if it requires extra patience when driving. If you are in the process of adjusting to a new schedule because of school starting, I…

Dear Grace Family and Friends: As we approach the opening of our public schools for a new year, we will see more traffic and more people out of their homes. I pray that all of us can exercise extra patience and that we can express gratitude for each pleasant encounter. The isolation of the past few months has been difficult for many…

Dear Grace Family and Friends: This has been a crazy week indeed! It started with a hurricane warning last weekend. We canceled in-person worship because of the warning. While there were no weather problems on Merritt Island, there was a car that hit a power source near the church, causing the church campus to lose power. The power was off from Monday…