Pastor Paul's Paragraphs

      When it is time to write an article for our church newsletter, many times I have to transport myself into the future a few weeks. It takes time to prepare, fold, stamp, and mail the newsletters. When the newsletter does finally arrive, it is usually about two weeks in the making. That does not sound like a lot of time, but as I sit here at my desk, it is actually the middle of November. I am planning on traveling to Phoenix next week to be with family over the Thanksgiving Holiday. The travel plans and anticipation of being with family fill my mind. I predict a few crazy moments with family around Thanksgiving Day. I come from a large family with pranksters. Next week sounds like it will be fun. Yet today,

     I am expected to transport myself into the future a few weeks and write as if it is the first part of December and we are eagerly anticipating Christmas Day. As you open your Grace Notes during the first week of December, you will expect to read about Christmas. OK, I think I can transport into the future today. Here goes.....

      It is the first week of December, you have your Grace Notes in hand, Christmas decorations have gone up. I am still being thankful that, the craziest shopping day of the year is over: Friday after Thanksgiving Day is history! We are making our lists and, oh my, the first Christmas party is this Friday. I still have to put the manger scene up in the auditorium. There are Christmas banners that need to be hung. What about scheduling the school bus to take us to look at Christmas lights around the city? What about the Christmas lights on my house - they have to be put up too! Oh yes, there will probably be a request to do that Christmas tree light thing in the front yard that I did a few years back. I have not put it up the last few years because it is so much work. Maybe best if I don't even mention that....too late. Busy, busy, busy, busy.

      Ever wonder what took place in heaven those weeks before Christ was born? If you have a few thoughts, jot them down and pass them on to me. I would love to know what you think. I envision some pretty tender moments. Was Christ restricted to the womb for those nine months? How was the Holy Trinity handling all this? What about the angels? And who is getting the assignment to be part of the heavenly choir that will be witnessed by those shepherds? Here on earth, who is in charge of making sure the manger is in place? What did Joseph and Mary experience? Check out the context in Luke 2:19 and consider what might have been going through the mind of this new mother? Quite a contrast of reactions when you look at Mathew 2:3. Mary is in awe at what God is doing. Herod is full of fear at the birth of this Child.

      This Christmas, make sure to take the time to ponder, to wonder, to stand in awe, to rejoice, to sit in silence. "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given." (Isaiah 9:6a) "....and you shall call His name JESUS."

     (Mathew 1:21) I pray that you will have a very blessed Christmas.

      Merry Christmas from the Radobenko home.

      Pastor Paul

Kids Korner - Pastor Greg

     As I write this month's Grace Notes article, I still have visions of this past Sunday rolling around in my head. 40 kids, joined hand in hand, circled around the 265 shoe boxes we collected for Operation Christmas Child. What a beautiful picture! And as the microphone passed from one child to the next, my heart become more and more full of joy. To hear their simple prayers was a blessing beyond words.

      Thank you for your generosity this year. There have been many opportunities to give this past year: Special Projects, Missions Projects, Tsunami Relief, and more. And after all of that there was still a platform full of shoeboxes to go overseas! God bless you! May you know that the gifts given to those children may very well be the instruments God uses to draw girls, boys, moms, dads, grandmas, and grandpas to Himself. What an awesome outreach!

      Consider the follow account: "In a Middle Eastern country more than 800 children received gifts during a distribution at a church, including a little girl whose pleas had finally persuaded her reluctant mother to bring her to the event. They were invited back, and the mother and daughter returned and heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. Both of them became believers.....the father, an alcoholic, tried to keep them from attending services at the church, but the wife reminded him that Jesus had healed her. She pressed him to join her, and eventually he agreed to come. Before long, the father also received Jesus Christ as his Savior and was delivered from his addiction to alcohol. Today he is an elder in the church."

     (Samaritan's Purse Website Article) It is stories like these that keep us excited about the work of God around the world. And your gifts this year help keep that message going and going and going.

      Stop for a moment and reflect upon the gift you were given in the person and work of Jesus Christ. When the angels appeared to the shepherds, they proclaimed: "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a SAVIOR, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11, emphasis mine).

      Jesus came "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

     That's you and me, friend. We were lost and dead in our sin. And then Jesus came and took the pain, the guilt, the punishment of our sin upon Himself. He bore it all so we would not have to. Jesus was born to die - not to perform miracles, not to live a perfect life, not to teach and preach, but to die. And because of His great sacrifice on the cross for me, I now have forgiveness, peace, a new family and a new home. What an incredible gift we have received!

      From our family to yours, we wish you all a very merry Christmas. It has been a wonderful year of ministry and we look forward to all God has in store for us in the days to come. Thank you for your faithful support this year. You are all so dear and special to us. May God richly bless you.

      Pastor Greg

The Month in Focus with Pastor Ben

     Merry Christmas Everyone!

     I am sure by now you have recovered from overstuffing yourselves at Thanksgiving and are frantically trying to figure out what to buy your great uncle's nephew on his half sister's side. Don't worry, McDonald's gift certificates work great. Seriously though, I hope you have remembered to stop - not to smell the roses - but to appreciate God.

      This time of year we take time to give thanks, be with family, share with those who are needy, and reflect on the year. As you take that time to reflect, think about what Jesus has done for you. I know most of us have physical problems. I'm not that ...um...advanced in years, but I still have aches and pains from playing sports. I have acid reflux which annoys me to no end because it ends up causing other issues. These bodies are obviously decaying. Jesus knowingly chose to have a body like ours. He knew He would experience fatigue, hunger, sore muscles and all the other glorious stuff that comes with having a human body. He did that so that we could have salvation. This is why we celebrate this time of year: His coming to live for us.

      In our day-to-day routines, we often forget why we are here. In November we took some high school students on a retreat. We talked about prayer, time, leadership and some other things. God wants our time. We found that the average person has about 30-35 hours of free time every week. What do we do with that time? Are we using it to appreciate God and what He has done for us? Are we sharing with others that Jesus has come and "He is the reason for the season" as the cliché goes?

      Have a Merry Christmas and take time to remember Jesus, our Christ; take time to show Jesus to others; take time to love God.

      Pastor Ben

Donate Poinsettias

Once again this year, Grace Baptist Church would like to give you the opportunity to remember a loved one or special friend this Christmas season by purchasing a poinsettia in their memory or in their honor. These plants will be used as part of the church decorations. Because of the planned arrangement for these plants and the need that they all be the same size, the church will be purchasing the poinsettias.

A listing of those donating poinsettias and for whom they were donated will be published in the December 18 bulletin. You will also have the opportunity to take your poinsettias after the morning service on December 25.

If you would like to be a part of this special remembrance, please fill out the form below and return it, along with $7.00 for each poinsettia you would like to donate, to the church office by Sunday, December 11.

If you have any questions please contact Abby or Lori in the church office or send an email here.

Print the form (click here).

Salvation Army Angel Kids

Bring new, unwrapped toys for children under the age of 12.

A collection barrel will be in the church foyer thru December 11.

This is the program that was formally known as "Toys for Tots".

Holiday Events

Thursday, December 15 at 7:00 PM
GCA Christmas Program
"Christmas in Reverse"

Friday, December 16 at 7:00 PM
Preschool Christmas Program
"A Shepherd’s Story"

Sunday, December 18 at 6:00 PM
Worship Choir Christmas Cantata
"Forever Gloria"

Saturday, December 24 at 6:00 PM
Christmas Eve Service

(All programs are in the church auditorium)

January Events

Calendar of Events

Click on the highlighted dates - the events are shown on the right.