Greetings,
Can you believe July is nearly over! Your church staff and various committees are gearing up for Fall and the start of new sermon series, classes, small groups, Wednesday dinners and special events. We sure hope you will be joining us. We’ve missed seeing folks who have been away on vacation and those who haven’t yet returned after the pandemic. The start of a new school year is almost like New Year’s Day when new good habits are set, and schedules are more concrete. Please find time to schedule worship and time with your church family. In today’s world, it’s more important than ever!
The current sermon series, Wait! Is that Really in the Bible? has certainly shed some light on how the lines often are wrongly attributed to the Bible. This Sunday’s message is entitled When God Shuts One Door, He Opens Another. It is sure to be just as enlightening as the previous ones in the series.
Coming up is one of the busiest, noisiest, and exciting weeks of the church year. VBS begins on Monday, Aug 1, and will end with a Variety Show on the August 5 at noon. Pastor Marty and volunteers have been working hard to make this VBS one of our best! Everyone is cordially invited to the Variety Show to witness the God-given talent that will be shared that afternoon. You won’t want to miss this big event. We want to extend a heart-felt thank you to the wonderful folks who have volunteered their help with VBS. It can’t happen without you!
Denomination Discernment – Some of you have been asking, so we wish to give an update here. Because of ongoing disagreement in the UM church, there is a window open for considering disaffiliation. Grace Church leaders will be meeting with our Bishop and some of her staff on September 13th to discuss the future of our affiliation. This meeting is only an informational gathering meeting for our church boards. Immediately after that, we will begin having informational meetings over the coming months. The entire church will be invited to attend these meetings and to ask questions and to hear from the pastors and leaders. Then Council will decide whether we should pursue disaffiliation, and if so, will request our District Superintendent to hold a special charge conference for a vote. Then in the late part of this year or very early 2023 we will have a charge conference vote to make the decision. All members of the church will have a vote at that time. Please know that the pastors and church leaders here are committed to continue operating the church as we currently do. We will always present the Gospel as it appears in the biblical record which will be consistent with a holy and loving God. As always, we will continue to welcome all into our fold as we strive to become more like Christ. We are committed to the involvement of the laity as we engage, empower and expand the kingdom together, as one body of Christ. I am convinced that God will guide us, so pray, pray, pray. -Pastor Bill Blair
MINISTRY MATTERS features the Church Council, one of the leadership teams at Grace Church. According to Discipline, Church Council is the decision-making body, nominated by the Lay Leadership Committee and elected at Annual Charge Conference. All other leadership committees report to the Church Council. Some of their responsibilities include filling interim vacancies in committees between charge conferences; establishing the budget on recommendation of the Finance Committee; recommending to the annual charge conference the salary and benefits of pastors and staff members. The committee consists of nine at-large members, chairperson of each church committee, lay leaders, and lay delegates to annual conference. A youth is one of the at-large members. Pastors give reports and have voice but no vote at council meetings. The Lay Leadership Committee strives to nominate folks from each worship service with cross section of age groups. Council meets monthly or whenever a special meeting may be called.
ALL CHURCH EVENT – Grace is organizing an “Arts & Crafts Showcase” for Thursday, December 1, 2022. It will be exciting to see and purchase homemade treasures created by our talented members of our congregation. If you are interested in setting up a display of your work or would like to sell your handiwork, please register in the Welcome Center. The Showcase will begin at 1 PM and end at 7 PM in Fellowship Hall. No businesses are eligible!
August 14 is Step-up Sunday for sixth graders who will are old enough to join the great fun and services of the Youth Group. They will be recognized at the 11 a.m. service that morning and will have a special Youth Group welcome that evening.
Feeding Thousands! We are raising $15,000 to provide 45,000 meals through the UNTO Pack Hope project. If you would like to contribute and watch our bean-o-meter rise, please drop a check or envelope in the offering plate or offering boxes. Be sure to indicate PACKHOPE in the memo line. You can become even more involved with this mission by signing up to help pack meals on September 8th or 9th. Visit our website www.indianagrace.org or complete the form found in this Sunday’s bulletin. This project was so well received last year, with more than 70 people involved at one time or another. It’s a fun local mission that means everything to those who receive the meals
The All-Church Picnic is scheduled for September 18th at Blue Spruce Park, beginning at 4:00 p.m. Mark your calendar to save the date. Details and sign-up sheets will be available after VBS week. This is a real highlight of the church year and the perfect place to meet church friends you haven’t met yet! There will be games, great food and wonderful fellowship.
Did you know a charitable bequest is one of the most flexible ways you can give and make a lasting impact for the Kingdom of God here in Indiana? A bequest is one of the easiest gifts to make. With the help of an attorney, you can include language in your will or trust specifying a gift to be made to Grace as part of your estate plan. Your legacy gift can help transform lives — and it can benefit your heirs too. A charitable bequest allows you to:
- Receive an estate tax charitable deduction
- Reduce the burden of taxes on your family
- Leave a lasting legacy of generosity that will impact generations
For more details on these and other events happening here at Grace Church go to Welcome Center, check our website, social media, weekly e-news, or call the church office.
JUST FOR LAUGHS:
Elderly John had been a faithful Christian and was in the hospital, near death. The family called their pastor to stand with them. As the pastor stood next to the bed, John’s condition appeared to rapidly deteriorate, and he motioned frantically for something to write on. The pastor lovingly handed him a pen and a piece of paper, and John used every ounce of strength to scribble a note before he died.
The pastor thought it best not to look at the note at that time, so he placed it in his jacket pocket.
At the funeral, as he was finishing the message, the pastor realized that he was wearing the same jacket that he had been wearing when the man died. He said, “You know, John handed me a note just before he died. I haven’t looked at it but knowing John, I’m sure there’s a word of inspiration there for us all.”
The pastor opened the note and turned pale as he read aloud the words…”You’re standing on my oxygen tube!”
