Dear Grace Community,

“The Israelites said to Moses and Aaron, ‘If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into the this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” – Exodus 16:3

Scripture tells us that the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 years.  In the Bible, the number 40 generally means a long time.  As we approach our seventh Sunday of online only worship, it feels like a long time.  I have far more sympathy for the Israelites in their grumblings than I ever did before.  It’s hard to continue when we don’t know when or how this ends.

Nonetheless, we do know a couple of things.
1) The Session voted on Monday to extend this way of life through at least Sunday, May 17.
2) For now we are to do the kinds of things Moses instructed the people to do.  We pray, and we gather for worship.

I hope you’ll worship with us tomorrow on Facebook and join other Facebook and Zoom opportunities listed below.  There’s a fun congregational game planned for Monday night at 7:30 pm.  You’ll see baby and childhood pictures of staff and elders and try to identify them.

Let us know how you are.  Email the church staff or call us to check in and share.  We miss you and pray for you.

In Christ,
Catherine

• Seeds and Plants
• Book Club: April 28 
• Rituals
• Food Donations

Dear Grace Community,

Welcome to the Easter Season!  The Easter Season is 50 days to celebrate our risen Lord. Check out this video>

It’s also a time to acknowledge that as Christians, we’re Easter people, and we still see pain and suffering around us.  Being Easter people doesn’t mean we’re always happy and we see good everywhere.  It means following Jesus, showing his love, and listening for where he calls and sends us.

I hope you’ll worship with us tomorrow on Facebook and join other Facebook and Zoom opportunities listed below.  In addition, take note of the links updating you on life and ministry at Grace.

Let us know how you are.  Email the church staff or call us to check in and share.  We continue to pray for you.

In Christ,
Catherine

• Will You Share? 
• Refugee Team
• Seeds and Plants
• Book Club: April 28 
• Rituals
• Food Donations

Dear Grace Community,

Welcome to Holy Saturday, the space between death and resurrection.  For some it may feel like the world is stuck in Holy Saturday, a place of sadness and waiting.  Holy Saturday is a hard place to live, and I have good news for you, Sunday is coming.  Easter is coming.  Resurrection is coming.

Earlier in the week I wrote to you and said, ‘Easter is about an empty cross, an empty grave, and a risen Lord.  Nothing can change that.’  I look forward to celebrating Easter with you tomorrow.  No, it won’t look the same, but the promise is the same.

We continue to worship together online at 10 am on Sundays. The schedule for Sunday as well as opportunities for next week are listed below. Attached are the hymns for Sunday as well as a cross for you to download. Since we won’t gather to decorate the flower cross, create your own. Make one from materials in your home or yard, decorate this one, or simply place this one on your door.  Please take a picture of your cross and email it to catherine@mygpc.org and or put it on Facebook with the hashtag #mygpceaster.

Below you’ll also find links with information about life at Grace.  Life continues, though quite differently.

In Christ,
Catherine

• One Great Hour of Sharing
• Will You Share? 
• Refugee Team
• Seeds and Plants
• Book Club: April 28 
• Rituals

Sunday, April 11 – Easter Sunday Worship at 10 am

• Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/mygpc.org
• Or watch a recording later in the week: www.mygpc.org
• See the attached hymns – Alleluia and Jesus Christ is Risen Today.
• We celebrate the Lord’s Supper in worship. You do not need bread and juice, just have something to eat and something to drink.

Monday, April 6 Morning Prayer at 8 – 8:15 am

• Start the day on Zoom with prayer with Catherine Neelly Burton.
• Join by computer/tablet/smartphone: https://zoom.us/j/434377004
• Join by phone: +1 346 248 7799
• Meeting ID: 434 377 004

Tuesday, April 7 Parables: Tell Me the Stories of Jesus with Martin Burch at 2 pm

• Join our Executive Pastor Dr. Martin Burch in a parable study.
• The next class focuses on The Good Samaritan from Luke 10:25-37.
• Join by computer/tablet/smartphone: https://zoom.us/j/450006566
• Join by phone:+1 346 248 7799
• Meeting ID: 450 006 566

Wednesday, April 8 Youth Connection

• Youth Connection: Kirk Anderson sets up video connections with youth.  If you have a youth in your family who wants to connect, contact Kirk@mygpc.org

Families with Children – Jennifer – Zoom Check-In

• Families with children, be on the lookout for an email from Jennifer about a Zoom check-in, date and time TBA.
• Email her, jennifer@mygpc.org with questions.

Each month Grace invites you to contribute to our “Yellow Bag” Sundays.  Yellow reusable grocery bags are available, and you are encouraged to fill them with the item of the month and return them to the church.  In March you generously donated items for the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

We aren’t in the building in April, but we want to give you the opportunity to give. There is need for food in our community pantries.  If you’re out at the store and want to drop off a bag of groceries at Grace feel free to do so.  We will get these things delivered to one of our community partners.  If you’d rather donate money and have us buy food, you may go here to give: https://www.mygpc.org/online-giving

April 15, 2020

Dear Grace Community,

Christ is Risen! In our tradition we celebrate Easter as a season of 50 days. If there were ever a year we needed to hold onto Easter, this is it. We cling to the promise of our risen Lord.

We’ve now worshiped online as a congregation for five Sundays. The Session meets next week and decides whether to continue our current status beyond April. While we aren’t physically together, we give thanks for the ways we can connect and for the technology that makes worship and meetings possible. If you aren’t receiving our email communications, please let us know by writing to info@mygpc.org.

Your elected leadership (Session, Deacons, Trustees, and Jacob’s Learning Ladder Board) each met at least once online since mid-March. Kirk Anderson and Jennifer Snook are meeting online with their respective teams as they consider what the summer may look like for the ministries they lead. Other ministry teams meet online, too. This week we distribute bus tickets in a new socially-distanced format. Jacob’s Learning Ladder (JLL) is still open with about 30% of students attending. JLL put temperature checks and extra safety measures in place in March.  Life continues.

We were fortunate to apply for and receive a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This loan covers our payroll expenses for eight weeks, and most of it is forgivable if we maintain our staff. Dr. Martin Burch worked tirelessly on this with the support of staff members Leah Plush, Nancy Morrow, and Emily Stoltz. The Board of Trustees approved our application, and we applied on the first day it was possible. This ensures that we can pay our staff right now, including our Jacob’s Learning Ladder staff while enrollment is low.

We are grateful for the ways you support Grace financially and encourage you to continue to do so. We know that some of you have experienced a reduction in income, and we are grateful that the PPP loan helps us cover budget shortfalls.

I close with bittersweet news. Sean Foster, our Director of Music Ministries, will leave Grace this summer. Sean started working at Grace nearly 10 years ago when he was a student at Wichita State. He served as our accompanist, and two years ago we were blessed to call him to the Director position. While serving in this position, Sean discerned a clear call to choral direction. He starts graduate study in choral conducting at Western Illinois University in August.  You’ll hear more from me as we seek to celebrate Sean’s time here and begin a search for a new Director.

Please stay in touch. Know that I and the staff pray for you.

In Christ,

Catherine