From the Pastor’s Desk

Dear Grace Community,

How many of you have perfect lives? Anyone?

I don’t have a perfect life, and I know you don’t either.  None of us claim to, but there’s something funny that happens. Sometimes people who don’t go to church have the impression that we church-goers think we’re perfect.  The reality is that we know how imperfect we are, and we’re grateful for a God who loves us.

As more and more people in our Wichita community choose not to attend church, ...

Dear Grace Community,

2017 marks 500 years since the Protestant Reformation. You’re invited to explore this anniversary and why it matters to our church during Sunday School in August. The Christian Discipleship team leads this class for all ages for four Sundays in the Great Room.

In some ways the Protestant Reformation was a perfect storm of events.  No one person set out to change the course of history for the Western world.  Martin Luther was a Catholic priest who only wanted ...

Dear Grace Community,

Before getting married at Grace, every couple is required to go through pre-marital counseling.  When I lead couples through this I always say at the start, “This isn’t counseling or an advice giving session.  It’s an opportunity to open up areas of conversation.”

There are some things couples haven’t thought about discussing, and other things they avoid discussing.  I name those things and invite them into conversation. Usually one person is more interested in the process than the other, ...

There is a group that meets twice a month to share ideas and to think creatively about worship.  For a couple of our meetings in April we read aloud from the book of Acts, through the first eight chapters. I shared with the group that I was considering preaching from Acts in June, on the Sundays following Pentecost (which is found in Acts 2), and this was a good way for us to explore the stories.

Reading it out loud together ...

On Palm Sunday, April 9, we received the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering. On Pentecost, June 4, we receive the Pentecost Offering. These are two of the four special offerings we receive each year as part of the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA). Our church leadership sees these offerings as an opportunity to be part of ministry that is much bigger than this congregation.

The PCUSA, of which Grace is a part, has over one million members. Being part of a ...