In the gospel of John we hear Jesus say I am… The I am statements include, “I am the bread of life and I am the light of the world.”
Starting on March 3, we begin a series on the I Am statements. This is the focus of worship as well as the adult Sunday School hour. There are three adult classes offered on this topic, and we use the book The God We Can Know by Rob Fuquay. Books are on sale February 17, February 24, and March 3.
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on March 6. This year we again have two opportunities for Ash Wednesday worship.
The first is Ashes On the Go at Watermark Books. From 7-9 am Pastor Catherine Neelly Burton is at Watermark to mark you with ashes as you start your day. This is an opportunity for you to share your faith both by wearing your ashes and by making a public witness at our neighborhood bookstore. It’s a come and go time, though you’re welcome to get breakfast and stay for a while.
At 7 pm we gather in the Grace Sanctuary for an Ash Wednesday service that includes the imposition of ashes, Holy Communion, and music from our choir.
Each month Grace distributes bus tickets to people in our community. This happens on the 15th of the month, or if the 15th is on a weekend we meet the Friday before. Volunteers and those receiving tickets begin to gather around 6:30 am in the Grace Alcove. Guests are greeted with smiles, coffee, water, and a place to sit. Tickets are distributed at 7:50 am.
We can always use volunteers to help with set-up, clean-up, and ticket distribution. Want to help? Contact Kirk Anderson, kirk@mygpc.org or 684-5215.
And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So, God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. Genesis 2:2-3
In a society that pushes us to do more and more and more, God urges us to take pause to rest. The Bible is full of examples where He’s commanded his people to stop producing, for the sake of their physical and mental well-being, and to be able to take time to revive and to draw nearer to Him.
Last November, the Session of Grace Presbyterian Church approved Pastor Catherine’s request for a one-month sabbatical during the month of May 2019. As our senior pastor, Catherine spends countless hours tending to the needs of our church, while also balancing the needs of her own family. She pours her energy, caring, and keen intellect into all she does, and it shows. We believe a well-earned rest will allow her to recharge and continue to serve us with imagination, passion, creativity, and love.
Catherine will be gone the month of May, returning to worship on June 2 and preaching on June 9. During her sabbatical, she plans to rest, recuperate, spend time with her family and nourish her relationship with God. Arrangements will be made in advance to have all of Catherine’s responsibilities covered while she is out. We are confident we will be fine.
If you have any questions regarding this decision, please feel free to reach out to us. We trust as members of the church, you see the importance of caring for our pastor as much as she cares for us.
In Christ’s Love:
The Session of Grace Presbyterian Church
Each month on the first Sunday you’re encouraged to take home a re-usable yellow grocery bag, put some non-perishable items in it, and bring it back the next week, or soon thereafter. In January you’re invited to choose between two options for your donations, one local and one global.
We’re sending three people to Cuba in February with the Presbytery of Southern Kansas. They will take things to share with the people they meet in the Cuba churches. Their requests include:
If you have questions contact Darcy Eads deads@cox.net, Capri Zimmerman prizslp@gmail.com, or Pam Head headsup@cox.net.
If you prefer to buy non-perishable food items, we’ll give those to the Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church food pantry.