Dear Grace Family: This Gracevine note will cover the next two weeks. We are entering the Thanksgiving and Advent season this coming week, and it is a time of reflecting upon and waiting in anticipation of the transforming love of God. This Sunday, November 22, our scripture passages are Psalm 100 and Ezekiel 34: 11-16. The message is entitled “Hound of Heaven.”…

Dear Grace Family: I am writing this Gracevine from Lakeland, as I am handling a matter for the Florida Conference office this week. I look forward to officiating a wedding this weekend. It is the wedding of Ms. Melody Hall, granddaughter of Sherry and Dan Bruce, and Mr. Tyler Rye, son of Tanya and Brian Rye. The wedding is not at Grace,…

Dear Grace Family: What a week! With the election, the ongoing stresses related to Covid, and the routine challenges associated with daily life, many of us feel overwhelmed. I have found that during such times, I really need to stop at various points throughout my day and remind myself that I need help from God and from other people. God uses short…

Dear Grace Family: 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…

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…

Hello Grace Family! I am so grateful to all of you as you continue to volunteer around the church in support of the many mission and ministries of Grace. You are truly building bridges between Christ and our community in so many ways. This past week saw several new beginnings. MOPS had their first meeting on campus since mid-March and seeing all…