“Your mind is a garden, Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers, or you can grow weeds.”
Well, Spring has arrived along with a host of uncertainties. We are enduring times unlike most of us have ever experienced before. But one thing is certain: God is in control. If you’re feeling anxious about what is going on around us, dwell on these scriptures:
Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up. – Proverbs 12:25
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. – Philippians 4:6-7
Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7
Our Grace Church family is amazing! In spite of our social distancing, we are managing to have virtual get togethers on Facebook and other social media. If you don’t have a Facebook page, you can access many of these recorded get-togethers on our website: indianagrace.org. The virtual Hymn Sing this past Wednesday evening had more than 1400 viewers! We hope you were able to sing along and request your favorite hymn. We expect to do this again very soon.
Following are some opportunities to get together on line:
Each weekday evening at 8:30, join us for Evening Worship, Devotions and Live Chat. (Not only inspirational, these evening events are fun and inclusive.)
Sunday morning worship will be live-streamed at 9 am (Traditional) and 11 am (Contemporary) on our Facebook Page. If you don’t use Facebook, these recorded services will be on our website (indianagrace.org) at 10 and 11 am, respectively.
Email blasts will be sent out with any new or developing features we need to share with you.
Perhaps most exciting is our DRIVE-IN CHURCH SERVICE that will be held at 6:00 p.m. in the borough parking lot right behind the church. With permission from Indiana Borough Police, and in partnership with radio station WMUG, Pastor Bill Blair will bring an inspirational message from the balcony over the handicap ramp. Will Pinos will be leading us in musical praise and worship. Everyone can back your vehicles into parking spaces in the parking lot, tune in to WMUG FM 105.1 and join us in corporate worship right from your car. (Unfortunately, we cannot access the church building for restrooms, so… you’ll want to take care of business before you leave home!) This worship service will also be available at the WMUG website: wmug.org. A huge thank you to JD Varner and the WMUG team for their kind response to our request for this time on the radio.
Reminder: You will need to set your ignition to accessories to play the radio throughout the service.
Many of our faithful have called or emailed to ask about ways to continue financial support. They realize that our expenses continue, and they believe in the ministries and services our church provides–not only to our congregation, but to our community and to local, national and international mission fields. You may continue your support in any of the following ways.
Send a check by mail to P.O. Box 6, Indiana, PA 15701
Use the Bill Pay feature at your bank. (There is no cost to the church for this service.)
Drop a check into the new slot on our porch at the handicap entrance.
At Drive-In Church, you may turn on your lights to let ushers/safety team (in vests) know you want to drop a
check or cash into our arm’s length offering buckets.
Use PayPal following these instructions:
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Go to our website indianagrace.org/give
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Click orange donate button at bottom (Grace Account appears automatically)
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Enter amount and click. You can make this a regular donation if you like
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Put in email address and create new PayPal account
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Enter credit card information and accept
Be assured, we are practicing good stewardship of our financial resources. Some staff have been temporarily furloughed or are working fewer hours. To save utility costs, the heat in the church building is turned off, the thermostat in our office has been turned down by five degrees, and we’re working with limited lighting. Other than cleaning supplies, all purchases are on hold.
In closing,
Father, we are tempted to worry about so many things. Our world is a mess! Forgive us for focusing on anything or anyone but You. Thank You for the Bible that equips and empowers us to live each day. Right now, we declare that You are our only Hope. Please help us to remember that You really are in control.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: You may have received (or soon will receive) a large postcard from Grace that advertises the original theatrical production we had planned to present in April. Please note that those cards were ordered through a special offer from OUTREACH.COM in January. Unfortunately, they were already printed and shipped to the post office before the social distancing mandate was issued. We tried to stop delivery into homes at the local post office, but were unsuccessful. We hope to be able to present the Easter play at a later date because the message it conveys is always timely!
