This Sunday will be Pentecost Sunday. We will celebrate what we traditionally view as the birth of the church. But is it? We believe that the church began at this point because this is when God’s Holy Spirit came down and as Luke describes it: “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of…

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that “Life isn’t worth living until you find something worth dying for.” This quote is particularly relevant as we recognize Memorial Day weekend, a time to honor those who gave their lives in service to our country. As we recall memories of loved ones who died in service, may their legacies inspire us. We will…

Another school year is about to end, and we celebrate the graduates who end one chapter of life and embark upon another. My prayer is that our students, parents, school administrators, staff, and teachers can enjoy a safe and peaceful summer.  The beginning of summer typically means people travel more regularly and may be more sporadic in church attendance. Please remember the…

I hope you all enjoyed our worship last Sunday as much as I did! It was extra special to welcome our confirmands and new members and to share the good news about paying down our mortgage. We look forward to a mortgage burning party within the next few months. If you are able to finish any legacy commitments, that would be great!  Friends, Pastor…

I was truly honored to be present and to lead our confirmands as two of them were baptized last Thursday at the beach. The others were baptized earlier in their lives, but we all reflected on the meaning of baptism. As you know, we have eleven young people who will be confirmed and become members of Grace on Mother’s Day. Ms. Niki has done…

This is the week of our confirmation picnic and baptisms at the beach. We have 11 confirmands this year, and they have been meeting and learning together as a group since January. Some of them have never been baptized, so on Thursday, April 28 those students will be baptized at the beach. For those who were baptized as infants, we recognize those…

I am grateful and humbled by the wonderful worship attendance at Grace on Easter Sunday. We had 50 for the sunrise service, 228 at 9am, and 84 at 11am. May we keep growing and learning! Our excellent staff and volunteers worked behind the scenes to prepare for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, a well-attended Easter egg hunt on Saturday, and all the Sunday…

Holy Week is always a busy time at Grace, and one of the challenges for many of us is to pause and pay attention to the spiritual significance of each part of the journey. Thursday evening’s service will Include a special time for prayer and anointing. Pastor Beth, Pastor Gary, and I will be offering time for individual prayer and anointing immediately following…

We are rapidly approaching Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. The various worship themes and events of the week offer powerful opportunities to reflect upon Jesus’ journey to the cross. We begin with the ironic celebration of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, then we move to the deeply personal time with the disciples at the last supper, and then we experience the darkness…

We have a church dinner event scheduled for next Wednesday, April 6 starting at 5pm in the fellowship hall. This will be an Easter themed dinner and I hope you will plan to come. We need these informal gatherings to share a meal and time together. Just call the church office and let us know you plan to attend.  It’s not too late to…