I want to thank everyone who is a part of this church for the wonderful way you support all the pastors on staff at Grace. I am so blessed to be part of a congregation that understands the difficulties the job of pastor entails and is willing to say thank you in so many different ways. I know we all especially appreciate your…

We are entering Veterans Day weekend, and we honor our veterans who have served our country. I know that many active members of Grace are veterans, and we are grateful for your service and dedication to our country. As you learned last Sunday, I have accepted a position in the Jacksonville Public Defender office working in problem solving courts starting December 1. The conference…

Many thanks to everyone who helped with our pumpkin patch this year. Every year, October is such a busy month at Grace. We are able to welcome so many people to our campus with the patch and trunk or treat. Your help and participation blesses people throughout our community.  This Saturday, November 4, we will offer our country store event. If you…

During the past twenty years, I have had the privilege of officiating many funerals and celebrations of life. The impact that the deceased person has had on the lives of family and friends is often apparent in the conversations before and after the service. I am convinced that the best legacy we can leave when our time on earth is done is…

I hope you are enjoying the cooler weather, just in time for pumpkin patch! This is a time of year when we have the privilege of having many people from all walks of life on our campus. Thank you for showing genuine hospitality to everyone you encounter.  Our beloved facilities manager, C.H. Hibbard, has turned in his resignation effective December 1, 2023. We…

When I was much younger, people older than me told me that time would seem to move even faster as I got older. They were right! Here we are in the last quarter of 2023, and before we can blink, we will be in the midst of the holiday season. My prayer for all of us between now and then is that…

Rachel Held Evans was a young woman who wrote extensively about her Christian faith. She died before the age of 40, but she offered timeless wisdom in her writings. Regarding the kingdom of God, she referred to it as “a group of outcasts and oddballs gathered at a table, not because they are rich or worthy or good, but because they are…

Recently, I read an article about seeing with the “eyes of the heart.” The author of the article, Peter Marty, points out that Jesus had a “steady interest in blind people” and Jesus had a “hope for all of us to see truth with more than the eyes of our face.” While I cannot imagine the challenges of daily living as a…

I am currently reading a new book entitled “The Great Dechurching.” As the title suggests, the book explores the current reality of American life in which fewer and fewer people are involved with local churches. While the rate of decline in church participation is disturbing, the news is not all bad. Extensive surveys of the “dechurched” reveal that most of these folks…

As a young adult, one of my favorite bands was the Grateful Dead. The band had a hippie reputation that some folks saw as deviant and rebellious. However, the lyrics to many of the songs referenced a spirit of shared sufferings and shared life experiences. There was a message of hope that ran through the lyrics. Recently, I discovered a book entitled…