Happy New Year!
To my Grace Place family:
Happy New Year! As we come to the end of 2009 there are so many blessings to be thankful for, regardless of the trials and struggles of the past year. And as we began a new year, and a new decade there are amazing new opportunities awaiting us.
I’m really excited about the message this weekend: 20/10 Vision. After months of prayer and reflection with various teams, I will be sharing with you for the first time our newly revised Grace Place Core Values. I believe you will be energized to see the results of how God has been shaping us—especially in recent times.
Our Senior Leadership Team has decided to revise the Grace Place membership class around the newly stated Core Values. With that in mind, this weekend provides a unique opportunity for anyone who has not been through a membership class to have the option (if you choose) of signing up to be a member of Grace Place in the worship service without taking a separate class. This chance doesn’t come around often…so take advantage of it if you’d like (especially if you are a leader or considering leading at Grace Place!).
We are back to regular worship times this weekend. Berthoud: Thur. 6:45 PM; Sun. 8:30/10:30 AM; Loveland High School: Sun. 4:00 PM. Yes, I know that Thursday is also New Year’s Eve, but what better way to finish the old year and bring in the new, then beginning the evening worshiping the Lord with others! We’ll be finished around 8:00 PM if you want to keep celebrating until midnight.
I really want to appeal to some of you who were attending the Loveland campus at Thompson Valley High School to try out the new time and location at Loveland High School. I know some have concluded that the afternoon/evening time doesn’t work for them. But some have come to that conclusion without really giving it a chance. Four o’clock is a very popular time for movies and it is working well for many churches around the nation as well. It just takes some adjusting to get a new rhythm. It took awhile for Thursday nights too catch on, but it is now a strong service. If you insist on worshiping in the morning, come to Berthoud. But if you live in Loveland and want to be a part of some new and exciting outreach opportunities in the new year, now is the time to join the core group who is serious about reaching out to their friends and neighbors, as well as the community around Loveland High School.
Thursday, Dec. 31 is the last day to make a donation and have it count on your 2009 tax return. If you can’t make the service that night and still want to give, it still counts if you mail it and is postmarked on that date. We met budget in November and exceeded in December. We could still use a strong finish to this year if the Lord lays it on your heart to something extra. An annual report will be sent out early in the new year to show how we ended the year. We are grateful to the Lord for seeing us through a tough year economically and look forward to what he will do in our midst in 2010!
I’m so appreciative of our committed staff team who have servant hearts and who have stayed positive through some cutbacks this year. This will be the second year that they will not be receiving raises or cost of living adjustments. God has blessed us with a dedicated team.
Selene and I love you and count it a privilege to serve you!
