The Grace Presbyterian Church Annual Meeting is Sunday, February 7.

On this day, we worship together in one service at 10 am in the sanctuary. The meeting follows immediately after the service. The annual reports are available starting the Sunday before, January 31. During the meeting, the congregation reports about different areas of ministry and has a chance to ask questions about the budget.

In addition, the nominating team presents names for election to offices: Anne Woolsey to fill a two year term on the Session; Don Allison to fill a seat on the Board of Trustees for the remainder of 2016.

Are you new to Grace? Would you like to know more about the church?

Join Pastor Catherine Neelly Burton for a Get to Know Grace class on Sunday, February 7, from 9-9:40 am in the church parlor. This is a one service Sunday with worship at 10 am. Get to Know Grace is a time to ask questions and learn more about who we are. No RSVP is needed. Questions?

Contact Catherine, 684-5215 or email.

On Sunday, January 31, all families are invited to Laser Quest at 3:40p.m. for a family fun day. Each family with children ages 5-11 are asked to bring $7.00 per person and a snack to share. The Children’s Ministry department will offset the rest of the cost. Older siblings are welcome to attend as well. Please call Jennifer at 684-5215 if you have any questions or email to jennifer@mygpc.org.

You are invited to participate in a congregational study during Lent. The study is called “The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus” and is written by Adam Hamilton. We used his “Forgiveness” study last year for Lent.

“The Way” takes participants on a six-week journey through the life and teachings of Jesus. Class participants should buy the book. Books are on sale at Grace on Sundays: January 31, February 7, and February 14 for $13. You may also buy them through a variety of bookstores and online sellers.

A CD version of the book is available, and if you would prefer that please let Catherine Neelly Burton or Martin Burch know as soon as possible, 684-5215.

There are four Sunday morning study groups for adults to choose from:

• Room 209 (The Steamers Room) – An ongoing class where all are welcome. Lent Study taught by Tom Rhoads

• Room 101 – A short-term study group taught by Bill Woolf.
• Room 103 – A short-term study group taught by Hal Welch.
• A class for adults 40 and under meets in the Grace Study.

In addition our Kindergarten – Fifth grade classes use a children’s version of “The Way” curriculum.

The study begins February 14 and goes every Sunday through Palm Sunday, March 20.

College Conference: Montreat, North Carolina

In early January 2016, Kirk Anderson and Sean Foster took five of our college students to Montreat, North Carolina, for a Presbyterian College Conference. Spencer McIntire, a freshman at KState, wrote a reflection for our blog:

I really enjoyed the Montreat College Conference! It was an amazing experience where I met with about 1,000 other college-aged Christians to discuss our faith. Specifically, the verse that the conference centered around was John 3:16 and the many different meanings that are associated with the verse. We spent the weekend in worship and in small discussion groups talking with one another about our understanding of John 3:16 and about what the keynote speakers said about John 3:16.

Our two keynote speakers for the weekend were Jason Brown, ex-NFL player who left the NFL to start farming, and Nadia Bolz-Weber, a pastor and author out of Denver. Both spoke about 3:16, though both looked at the different aspects of the verse. Jason focused on how belief in Jesus and God leads to eternal life, while Nadia focused more on God’s unending love for us and the grace that comes with that love.

The conference also offered many other experiences along with worship and discussion. On Monday, we were given a Sabbath morning to have some free time to do with what we pleased. I spent the morning exploring the Montreat campus and the surrounding mountain trails. They also offered different workshops to help us learn about different aspects of faith. I went to a workshop to learn more about applying God’s gifts to the real world.  All the workshops seemed interesting, and I wish I could have gone to more.

Overall, the conference was an amazing experience that I believe helped me grow in my faith. I met many amazing people and experienced something that I have never experienced before.