Word on the Street - 2/22/13

During the Lenten season we are studying temptation in church. How many times have you been tempted today by food? Alcohol? Shopping? Gary Zukav says behind every temptation there is a typical dynamic. It's easy to think of a temptation as a trap, but Gary Zukav says it's just the opposite.  Zukav says temptation is a compassionate gift: an opportunity to learn without creating negative consequences.

"Temptation is like a magnet. It brings negative things to the surface - and it allows you to do something about it. Temptation is an invitation to get to know yourself.   You can think of temptation as providing you with a "dress rehearsal." When you're tempted, you can play out in your mind what would happen if you indulge. Once you visualize what would happen if you snack on some chips, smoke a cigarette, buy those shoes, you can make a choice to resist or act out. The benefit of playing this out in your mind is that you don't create any negative consequences if you choose to resist. Only if you act on your temptation, have you created negative consequences for yourself and others."

Jesus was tempted in the wilderness just as we are tempted in our everyday lives, however we not only have the ability to resist temptation but more importantly have the grace to insist on God's way in our lives.  What are you doing this week to insist on God's way?

Word on the Street - 01/25/13

For this Word on the Street please CLICK HERE to see several video FAQs about what to expect with the schedule changes this weekend AND hear descriptions of each of the services. 

Word on the Street

As we approach the time of New Beginnings at Grace Avenue I have been asked frequently about both the schedule and the description of the various services. The staff has been working diligently to prepare for this exciting new time at our church. One of the great challenges, however has been to create a description that does not read like a book. I want descriptions that are simple and direct.
There is no way to describe these new experiences 100% so we are attempting to describe the essence of each worship service with room for growth, change and most importantly, the Holy Spirit.

As you read these descriptions I would love to be in dialogue with you. We are planning some Q & A times both in person and online. Be watching for these events or email me at billy@graceavenue.org. remember we move into the new sanctuary on Jan 5th & 6th with the existing schedule. On January 26th & 27th we will open the renovated Worship Center and begin the new six worship service schedule.

Here is a list and brief description of what you can expect beginning January 26th:

Contemporary Worship Expressions - In the Renovated Worship Center

Saturday 5:30 pm, Sabbath Service
A come-as you-are Sunday alternative experience
FOCUS: In a busy world we honor God by having sacred time for worship and reclaimed time for rest and family.

Sunday 9:30 am, Celebration Service
A joyful praise experience
FOCUS: Music and message that is uplifting, encouraging and relevant.

Sunday 11:00 am, Threshold Service
A postmodern community experience
FOCUS: Entering into worship that integrates gathering, growing, going and giving in the life of faith

Traditional Worship Expressions - In the New Sanctuary

Sunday 8:30 am, Communion Service
An early morning sacrament-centered experience
FOCUS: Built around the United Methodist service of Holy Communion every week.

Sunday 9:30 am, Foundation Service
A family oriented experience
FOCUS: Families engage and participate in worship together.

Sunday 11:00 am, Covenant Service
A time-honored experience
FOCUS: Wesleyan theology presented through liturgy, ritual, hymns and choral singing

Word on the Street

You have access to Grace Avenue in two new ways right at your fingertips and you may not even realize it. One of the great challenges for a church like ours is to make the great content of Grace Avenue accessible, mobile and able to keep up with people on the go. These new tools are no longer dreams. They are ready and available for download today.

The first is a wonderful new recording project just in time for the season. It is called "Christmas on Grace Avenue" and it features Laurie Hanson Roberts, The Grace Avenue Band and the Grace Avenue Adult Choir. They perform traditional Christmas songs as well as music that unique to Grace Avenue. One of the songs is a beautiful original piece entitled: "Speak" composed and arranged by Laurie and Doug Cuny.

When the project was in the production phase a decision was made to make it available in such a way that the largest number of people could enjoy it. "Christmas on Grace Avenue" is available on iTunes and Android Market. You can find it by searching for "Grace Avenue Band". Or you can CLICK HERE to purchase through our website. It is a great way to get in the spirit of the season.

Also now available is the Grace Avenue app. It is available for your smartphone or tablet device. It has the most recent sermons, information, and links to everything Grace Avenue. Traveling and want to see and hear a recent sermon? Go to your Grace Avenue app. Need to sign up for an upcoming Grace Avenue event? Go to your Grace Avenue app. Forget your offering last week and want to make a gift online? Go to your Grace Avenue app. The app is free and can be downloaded at the in the Apple App Store or Android Market. Simply search "Grace Avenue".

I want to thank Clint Allen and our Communications Department for the great way in which they are making Grace Avenue; "Not a location, but a way of life."

 

Word on the Street

Does the current representation of Christmas really work for us anymore? Retailers push Christmas earlier in the calendar every year. We have to be guarded about what we are celebrating, the greetings we give, the gifts we share; even the words we use are in dispute. Add to this the raw emotions of unrealistic expectations, unrealized wishes and uncertain prospects and it feels like the Christmas Machine we have created is displaying a sign which reads "Out of Order".

In the spirit of the lectionary, Advent begins a new Gospel cycle with a focus on the Gospel of Luke. In Luke 1:3 the Gospel writer expresses his desire to write an "orderly account" of Jesus' birth, ministry, death and resurrection. His "orderly account" is both a matter of sequence and priority. It is about both chronos and kairos time. In other words, Advent is a time to get things back in their proper order and remember that God's plan is much more fulfilling than ours.

Join us for Worship this week as we begins our sermon series: "Christmas Out of Order."

Word on the Street

Thanksgiving may be our best holiday when it comes to simply being together with others. The great feast itself is normally accompanied by pre-feast appetizers and after-feast second helpings and leftovers. In reality the food is simply garnish for the greater experience of fellowship with family and friends.

The early Christians understood the concept of simply being together as loved ones. They called it Koinonia. We translate the word "fellowship". Fellowship is another Godly pathway to contentment. Instead of being pursued by happiness, we can choose the gracious gift of being together.

Robert Kriegel is the author of the book; If IT Ain't Broke...Break IT! In it he writes:

"What often goes missing in the bumper-sticker, The One Who Dies With the Most Toys Wins philosophy of life are considerations of the cost of consumption. Not just the initial down-payment costs, but the subsequent emotional, family and psychological costs.

The greatest irony in the pursuit of the most toys is that it inevitably requires the most time to get them, leaving the least time to use them. Pollster Lou Harris has found that people have an average 32 percent less leisure time than they did a decade ago.

With there being only so many hours in the day, something has to give. Consequently, the dream car has been parked so long it's used more air in the tires than gas in the tank. The country house for weekend getaways may as well be in another country. The two-week ski trip to Europe has been delayed for the third winter. And the treasured wooden skiff hasn't touched anything wet in eight months. Blessed are the toys for they shall inherit the...dust!"

I pray your Thanksgiving is a feast of great fellowship.

Word on the Street

The election is finally over. Clearly the country is decisively split. In spite of our differences, however God is still God and God is still good. The sun still came up on Wednesday regardless of how you or anyone else voted on Tuesday. Now is not the time for victorious gloating or sour grape bitterness. I am astounded at some of the unholy and unhelpful reactions I have read on social media. Instead we would do well to heed the time honored words of our Methodist Founder John Wesley who in 1774 said:

"I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them
1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy
2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against, and
3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side."

 

The Apostle Paul wrote: "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." (II Corinthians 5: 16-20)

 

How are you functioning as Christ's Ambassador this week?

 

Word on the Street

One of my favorite avocations is photography. I especially enjoy taking pictures at church events. This last Sunday night I had a great time being on the other side of the lens during our Annual Fall Festival and Trunk-or-Treating event.

One of my problems, however, is that I get these great pictures but I am never sure exactly how to share them with a wider audience. Our wonderful Communications Staff has come up with a solution that we would like to try:

CLICK HERE to go to the on-line photo album from the Fall Festival. Password for the private album is "fallfest2012".

There you will find all the pictures that I took at the Fall Festival. In following this procedure we are asking a couple of things from you in order to respect everyone's participation.

1. If you do not want a picture of you or one of your family members to appear on the site. Please email us at Kime@graceavenue.org and we will take it down immediately.
2. We ask that you share via download, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. only those pictures that are of you or your family OR you have received approval from someone else to share.

Following these simple steps we believe we can share these fun photos with our church family. I had a great time taking them. I hope you have a great time viewing them. There are certainly a great indication of the joy we share as a church family.

Word on the Street

This past weekend I attended three very different worship experiences. Most weekends I attend four unique worship services at Grace Avenue but this was different in that I did not lead at any of the services I attended. I came away renewed by each experience.

The first worship service was Saturday evening in Ennis, TX. It was the wedding of our Co-Youth Minister Christopher Vaughan and his beautiful bride Caitlin. Often we forget that a marriage ceremony, in the Christian context, is first of all a service of worship. Christopher and Caitlin did not forget. Instead they chose to honor God and begin their life together with prayer and praise. Dr. Jim Moore did a beautiful job of leading the service and the most touching part for me came when we all walked to the front of the sanctuary and were served Holy Communion by the bride and groom.

Sunday morning at 9:09 am (that is the starting time, not the time I arrived just in case you were wondering) I attended a new worship experience at St. Andrew UMC called The Well. It too was prayer and praise but with an ultra contemporary style. Those who led the worship were all in their 20's and their passion for their faith in Jesus was extremely evident. Although different from what I am accustomed to, I felt very much welcomed and in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Rev. Arthur Jones preached a terrific sermon called "Storage Wars: the battle for our hearts" in which he spoke about the passage from Matthew 6:21 which says "where your treasure is there will your heart be also." Yes friends, even the ultra contemporary talk about stewardship and the proper uses of God's resources including money in church. I was blessed by the whole experience.

By 11:00 am I was back home; at Grace Avenue. Here I was blessed to be involved in the baptism of an eight month old child. Then I was able to sit where you sit, sing where you sing and pray where you pray. It was an amazing experience. Joe Stobaugh's sermon from Job about the presence and wisdom of God brought it all together for me.

It reminded me that every week, actually every day, God is worshipped in a variety of styles, languages and places. We would do well to remember that the Lord's Prayer does not begin with the words: "My Father" but rather, "Our Father". I thank God that we can express our love for God in so many ways.

 

Where and how will you be expressing your love for God this week?

Word on the Street

Do you ever find yourself wishing you could trade places with someone else? It is easy sometimes to look out on the lives of others and declare: "Well sure I could do what they do if I had what they have." With such beliefs, envy and jealously soon creep into our lives. We become bitter and believe that the inequity of life is some kind of cosmic cruelty toward us.

At other times we count our blessings on the troubles of others. We say; "Life is not all I want it to be but at least I'm not having the problems of some others I know." With this approach we often become fatalistic. We wonder when will it be our turn to experience misery and suffering.

 

The bottom line is that we cannot live someone else's life. This is why Jesus taught us not to judge others (Matthew 7: 1-5) and to "Seek first the Kingdom of God." (Matthew 6:33). We must be faithful to the course that God has charted for us.

 

When Albert Einstein was making the rounds of the speaker's circuit, he usually found himself eagerly longing to get back to his laboratory work. One night, while driving to yet another dinner, Einstein mentioned to his chauffeur (a man who somewhat resembled Einstein in looks and manner) that he was tired of speechmaking.

"I have an idea, boss," his chauffeur said. "I've heard you give this speech so many times, I'll bet I could give it for you."

Einstein laughed loudly and said, "Why not? Let's do it!"

When they arrived at the dinner, Einstein donned the chauffeur's cap and jacket and sat in the back of the room. The chauffeur gave a beautiful rendition of Einstein's speech and even answered a few questions expertly.

Then a supremely pompous professor asked an extremely esoteric question about antimatter formation, digressing here and there to let everyone in the audience know that he was nobody's fool.

Without missing a beat, the chauffeur fixed the professor with a steely stare and said, "Sir, the answer to that question is so simple that I will let my chauffeur, who is sitting in the back, answer it for me."

Who's life are you trying to live this week?

Word on the Street

For the past several weeks we have been very excited to see the progress on the outside of the new building. It is beautiful outside and we are thrilled with the way it looks when people drive by or onto the property. You may, however, be wondering about how things are progressing on the inside. This weekend at church you will have an opportunity to see firsthand the great progress that is being made on the inside of the new building.

The building committee of Grace Avenue United Methodist Church will be hosting tours of the inside of the new building this weekend. Tours will be Saturday night before and after the 5:30pm service and Sunday morning continuously from 8:15am-12:30pm. The tours will be guided by members of the building committee. Please check in for your tour in the learning center lobby. Each tour should last around 15-20 minutes.

While on your tour, you will have opportunities to see the various rooms in the new building, ask questions about the new building and continue to see opportunities of furnishings that the new building will need. If you have not yet made your from the heart commitment, brochures and commitment forms will be available. Please be reminded that on many of our furnishings, we have several weeks of lead time for ordering those items, therefore, the sooner we can get commitments for our furnishings, the sooner they can be ordered.

I want to thank the building committee for their hard work on this great project and for volunteering to lead these tours. What you see on the outside is just a glimpse of how great everything is and how wonderful it is on the inside. Join us for guided tours of the new building this weekend!

Word on the Street

Last week in worship we continued to talk about The Divine Check Up. Proverbs 3 offered us a "prescription" for spiritual health. The prescription included: Trust God, Honor God and Keep the commandments.

We were reminded that trusting, or leaning on God is not a crutch, but instead is the thing that gives us true freedom and wholeness.

Dave Nash offers Seven Beatitudes of a Growing Faith. They are:

Blessed are those who have daily dialogue with God.
Their faces will shine like the sea.
Blessed are those who depend upon the Lord.
They shall throw away their crutches.
Blessed are those whose faith moves them to compassion.
They will warm our hearts and teach us to love ourselves.
Blessed are those who persevere.
Their courage will give us hope; their patience will calm our fears.
Blessed are those who trust in the living God.
Their joy in worship will light our path.
Blessed are those whose love of the church reveals deep faith.
They shall see the living God.
Blessed are those whose faith erupts in mission.
Their witness will show us the power of God.

Have you filled the prescription yet?

Word on the Street

Wisdom is the application of knowledge. In some respects wisdom comes with work. Wisdom is not a magic potion or something you buy off a shelf. It is a desirable commodity but it is not a pre-packaged instant mix product.
Migan McKenna tells this great parable about the wise process of getting the things we desire.
"Sometimes, good advertising is a matter of planting good seeds, as did the woman who wanted peace in the world and peace in her heart, but was very frustrated. The world seemed to be falling apart. She would read the papers and get depressed.
One day she decided to go shopping, and she went into a mall and picked a store at random. She walked in and was surprised to see Jesus behind the counter. She knew it was Jesus because he looked just like the pictures she'd seen on holy cards and devotional pictures. She finally got up her nerve and asked, Excuse me, are you Jesus?

I am.

Do you work here?

No, I own the store.

Oh, what do you sell here?

Just about everything, Jesus said. Feel free to walk up and down the aisles, make a list, see what it is you want and then come back and we'll see what we can do for you.

She did just that, walked up and down the aisles. There was peace on earth, no more war, no hunger or poverty, peace in families, no more drugs, harmony, clean air, careful use of resources. She wrote furiously. By the time she got back to the counter, she had a long list. Jesus took the list, skimmed through it, looked up at her and smiled. No problem. And then he bent down behind the counter and picked out all sorts of things, stood up and laid out the packets. She asked, What are these?

Seed packets, Jesus said. This is a catalog store.

She said, You mean I don't get the finished product?

No, this is a place of dreams. You come and see what it looks like, and I give you the seeds. You plant the seeds. You go home and nurture them and help them to grow and someone else reaps the benefits."

What are you doing with the seed packets Jesus is offering you?

Word on the Street

The signs of growth are everywhere at Grace Avenue. Our beautiful new building is a constant reminder that things are changing. In the last four weeks we have received 51 new members to our congregation. At our last Discipleship Council meeting it was confirmed that we would move from four to six worship services in 2013 once the new building is finished and the current Worship Center is renovated. New Bible studies and increased mission opportunities are springing up everywhere and right around the corner our Pumpkins on the Prairie will celebrate its 10^th anniversary.

The companion to this kind of growth is also the addition of new staff members. The Staff-Parish Relations Committee of our church has been working for almost a year to prepare for these important new additions. I would like you to help me in welcoming these newest staff members to Grace Avenue UMC.

Bill Ball is joining our staff as the Adult Minister. Bill is currently a first year seminary student at Perkins School of Theology and will be working on our staff part-time. He has experience in a variety of great churches including Tarrytown UMC in Austin, Highland Park UMC in Dallas and Suncreek UMC in Allen. Bill is a graduate of Centenary College and has a masters from SMU. Bill has a son who is in the third grade. Bill will be working to coordinate aspects of our GROW ministries as they relate to adults. This includes Adult Sunday School classes, Bible Studies, small groups and other adult education opportunities. Bill started at Grace Avenue September 4.

The Rev. Joe Stobaugh is joining the Grace Avenue staff as the Minister of Worship and Arts. Joe is a graduate of University of North Texas and Perkins School of Theology at SMU. He is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church and is currently serving at Argyle UMC. Joe is married to Sarah Stobaugh and has two children who are in PreK and 2^nd grade. Joe will be working to design and oversee the six worship services that I mentioned above. He will be working with a variety of groups and ensembles including vocal groups, instrumental groups and worship implementation groups. Joe will begin working at Grace Avenue on October 8.

I am asking you to do two very important things as these changes occur: 

1. Please pray for our new staff members and welcome them in the wonderful spirit of Grace Avenue.
2. Please take time to say thank you to our current staff who continue to do a fantastic job of helping us fulfill our mission to "make disciples and make a difference through Jesus Christ." They continue to lead us as we move into the future of Grace Avenue.

As we move into this new era of the church, the SPRC will continue to examine and fulfill future staffing needs. I am grateful for these wonderful new additions, but most importantly to be part of such a great church.

Word on the Street

This weekend we begin a new message series based on the book of Proverbs in the Bible. Proverbs is considered Wisdom Literature in scripture. This creates within me the question: "What is wisdom? And how do we acquire it?"

The philosopher Socrates once said: "Wisdom begins in wonder."

Hundreds of years later Ralph Waldo Emerson conjectured: "The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common."
 

Proverbs 9:10 declares that, "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

I've come to believe that we cannot experience true spiritual health without wisdom. Maybe it is time for a check-up. That is what we will be about the next 4 weekends at Grace Avenue; "The Divine Check-Up." Plan to join us as we take and intriguing look at the book of Proverbs.

Are you ready to get healthy?

 

Word on the Street

On a Labor Day weekend it is worth asking: "What is my vocation?" The question is not; "What is your occupation or what do you do for a living?" When God created the first human beings, He gave them a job(Genesis 3:15). It was a calling with purpose. Their disobedience, fear and sin turned it into toil. There is a great story worth considering on this Labor Day weekend.

 

Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell apart.

It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I'm looking for a few days work," the man said. "Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there. Could I help you?"

"Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor, in fact, it's my younger brother. Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee, and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll go him one better. See that pile of lumber curing by the barn? I want you to build me a fence - an 8-foot fence - so I won't need to see his place anymore. That'll show him."

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger, and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."

The older brother had to go to town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day.

The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing.

About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job.

The farmer's eyes opened wide. His jaw dropped.

There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge - a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all - and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched.

"You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done."

The two brothers met at the middle of the bridge, taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder. "No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother.

"I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but I have so many more bridges to build."

 

We are called to work for a bridge-building carpenter from Nazareth. Is your labor a calling or a toil?

Word on the Street

Our friend and brother Tom Graves, who served at Grace Avenue 2007-2009, passed away on Wednesday. His passing, like his life, was peaceful and gentle. His daughter Lauren and close friend Mike were at his side along with the music therapist who was singing a collection of his favorite hymns. He was joyful, faithful and worshipful to the end. It is easy to imagine that his wonderful wife Linda who passed away in 2001, was there as one of the first to greet him as he arrived to his eternal home.

I'm sentimental about Tom. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for him. That's probably because he was never anything but gracious with me from the first time he met me as a freshmen in college to the last time I visited with him a week ago. Last weekend in church we talked about Joseph who the early church renamed Barnabas (Acts 4) because he was an "encourager". Tom Graves was one of the most important Barnabas' in my life.

Late this week I found myself being drawn back to Tom's writings. He was a great author and I, like many of you, are blessed to have the collection of his four published books. In the first chapter of his book; From Sunday Conversations, he talks about his calling into ministry. Tom writes: "The driving force inside my journey as an Ordained United Methodist Minister is the heartfelt conviction that ministry is a privilege, a gift of grace, and the overwhelming sense of gratitude I feel because I have been, and still am, given this privilege."

Tom is not just speaking of ordained ministry. He is speaking about all ministry; the ministry of all believers that is mentioned in II Peter 2: 9-10. Ministry (Gathering, Growing, Going and Giving in the name of Christ) is a privilege. This is Tom's legacy. Now it is our calling.

 

Word on the Street

For thirteen years Grace Avenue has used the motto: "Not a location, but a Way of Life." In other words Christian faith is a perspective. It is a state of mind. It is a matter of the heart.

This story I think illustrates our motto well:

Two wealthy Christians, a lawyer and a merchant, joined a party that was traveling around the world. In Korea one day, they saw, in a field by the side of the road, a boy pulling a rude plow, while an old man held the plow handles and directed it. The lawyer was amused, and took a snapshot of the scene.

"That's a curious picture! I suppose they are very poor," he said to the missionary, who was an interpreter and guide to the party.

"Yes," was the reply. "That is the family of Chi Noui. When the church was being built they were eager to give something to it, but they had no money; so they sold their only ox and gave their money to the church. This spring they are pulling the plow themselves."

The lawyer and the businessman by his side were silent for some moments. Then the businessman said, "That must have been a real sacrifice."

"They did not call it that," said the missionary. "They thought it was fortunate that they had an ox to sell."

 Is the giving of your time and resources to God really a sacrifice or a blessing?

Word on the Street

Happy Birthday Grace Avenue! Next Wednesday August 15 our church turns 13. We've hit our teen years and like any adolescent we are just beginning to move into our most important growing years. Certainly we know 13 can be a confusing time but it is also a time to develop and mature. In the next few weeks we will celebrate the opportunities and the challenges of being 13.

1. At 13 we like to party. That is why this year we are celebrating Grace Avenue's birthday for three weekends instead of just one; August 11 &12, August 18 & 19 and August 25 & 26. Part of the fun begins this Sunday night with Grace Avenue's first ever Talent Show and Spaghetti Dinner. It is still not too late to sign up.
2. At 13 we often have an identity crisis. It is no different with churches. I have people tell me all the time they don't recognize many of the people at our church now, so for the next three weeks we are going to place an emphasis on getting to know one another a little better. In addition I will be preaching a message series about some people in the Bible you may not recognize. The series is called: "Someone I'd Like You to Meet" based on stories from Acts 10, 11 & 12.
3. At 13 we like gifts. Grace Avenue has had a great start with the "From the Heart" furnishings campaign and now would be a great time to give the church a birthday present. If you have not made a "From the Heart" gift, now is the perfect time. If you have purchased an item, I want to thank you. Big gifts, little gifts all count in this important effort and it is a great way to remember or honor someone you love.
4. At 13 we know how important it is to get ready for school. That important transition time is almost here, for everyone. We know the kids will be in class; will you? We have a great Autumn line up of Grace Avenue GROW classes beginning with Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University that starts Wednesday August 29. The rest of the lineup will begin the two weeks following Labor Day. Also on August 25 & 26 we will be celebrating "Blessing of the Backpacks" and Education Personnel commissioning in all our worship services.

We're turning 13. Now is the time to live fully into the dreams God has for us. See you at church.

Word on the Street

As we continue with the "From the Heart" furnishings campaign, I continue to stress that the nature of the furniture is not as important as love demonstrated in these gifts. Our love is expressed in remembering or honoring someone, but also as love expressed to the people who are not at our church yet, who need the ministry of Grace Avenue.

Here is another illustration of that point:

It is said that the great violinist, Nicolo Paganini, willed his marvelous violin to Genoa - the city of his birth - but only on condition that the instrument never be played upon. It was an unfortunate restriction, for wood, as long as it is used and handled, will show little wear. As soon as it is discarded, it begins to decay. The exquisite, mellow-toned violin became worm-eaten in its beautiful case, valueless except as a relic. The moldering instrument is a reminder that a life withdrawn from all service to others loses its meaning.

Our new building must be a mission station not a museum. Our love will be our legacy not the building or the contents therein. We must have the furniture to do the ministry. We must give the furnishings "From the Heart".