Dear Grace Family,
In light of the recent coronavirus concerns, we have decided to cancel Sunday on-site services at Grace this week, March 15th. We will have Facebook Live worship at 10:00 am this Sunday, followed by our sermon series in Isaiah, and we would encourage you to gather in smaller groups with friends in homes. If you know of people in our church who are not well-connected to a group, please consider reaching out and inviting them to join you.
Our high school ministry, The Bridge, will not meet on Sunday night.
Also, we are very sorry to say that the Women’s Retreat scheduled for next weekend is canceled, which we know is disappointing to all who had looked forward to attending.
Please know that we made these decisions from a desire to use an abundance of caution in caring well for our church. There are so many unknowns at this point with the virus that we wanted to err on the side of caution and then evaluate next steps in the coming week.
We are continuing to host our WE Shelter, so if you are scheduled to serve overnight or bring a meal, please continue as planned. Also, we will still serve our WCF meal this Wednesday evening for the community, and that meal will be given “to go” instead of as a sit-down dinner. Stay tuned for ways you can help prepare and serve the plates for our guests.
Speaking of WCF and the WE Shelter, our church has always had a concern for the vulnerable, and I would ask us to be especially prayerful for the poor in our city, many of whom are one paycheck away from really dire straits or do not have easy access to medical care. We as a church will be looking for ways that we can bless our city and care for the poor around us in practical ways.
As disciples of Jesus in this unsettling time, we are called to bring our fears and anxious thoughts to Him and to receive His peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:4-7). As we do this, we can be known not as people who are fearless, but as people who have a Better Help and a Better Hope that gives assurance in the midst of any and all fears. As we receive His peace, we can be peacemakers in this world, and Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Also, 1 Timothy 6:17-18 calls us not to put our hope in wealth but in the God who provides all things, and that disciples of Jesus Christ are to be rich in good deeds, generous and ready to share. Even if you are not rich in financial resources, if you know Jesus you are rich in hope in Christ and have been given gifts and talents by His Spirit for the building up of others. This is a time for us to share those gifts as a way to point to God’s goodness. He is still the God of Isaiah 6, seated on the throne, filling the earth with His glory.
Prayerfully,
Marshall