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…

Spring has officially arrived, and the schools are back from spring break. This is an especially busy time of year as families start thinking about graduations and many young people plan for the next chapter of their lives. With so much in our world that is negative, it is good to focus on positive plans for the future and to support those…

This week I enjoyed leading the discussion for our Lenten lunch book study. We discussed the meaning of the phrase from the Lord’s Prayer that states, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Adam Hamilton commented in his book that this phrase is the central concern of Jesus’ entire ministry. Through our prayers and our…

In speaking with Pastor Beth and Pastor Gary this week, I was reminded of how Grace UMC is living into our vision of “Building Bridges Between Christ and the Community.” From our newest efforts regarding health ministry to the daily engagement with preschool families to our growing children’s ministry, the Holy Spirit is at work among us! Thank you for the ways…

We began our Lenten journey with our Ash Wednesday service this week. During a time of war in Urkraine and many challenges throughout our world, it was good to have time for focused prayer and reflection.  Starting Tuesday, March 8, we will offer our Lenten lunch study of Adam Hamilton’s book entitled “The Lord’s Prayer.” Every Tuesday for five weeks we will…

The season of Lent starts next week with Ash Wednesday. Lent is the name for the period of 40 weekdays (excluding Sundays) between Ash Wednesday and Easter. It is recognized as a time of penitence and fasting in preparation for the resurrection life of Jesus. The western church has likened this season to Jesus’ time of preparation in the wilderness prior to…