=
April 16, 2020

In the Meantime

Special Message of Love for the Grace Family
from the Grace Staff
gather
Gather

Virtual Sunday Worship and House Worship Liturgy Guide

We will have one worship service each Sunday at 10 a.m. during this period of constant change. The link to watch will be posted each week on our website and social media.

We also will have a House Worship Liturgy guide that you can use during our time together. You can download it HERE.

A "How To" Tutorial
for the House Worship Liturgy Guide

Click HERE to watch Heather Kaemingk’s brief tutorial inviting you to utilize our weekly House Worship Liturgy Guide.

Midweek Song and Prayer

Wednesday evenings, 7:30 p.m.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” -- Jesus

Throughout the scriptures Jesus invites us to come to him, reminding us that we are not made to carry the burdens of this world alone. As a community, let's join together through an evening of song and prayer to come before our Lord and lay our burdens at the feet of the only one who is strong enough to bare them. See you on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. via livestream on Vimeo. Please click HERE to join us. 

 

Grateful for Your Continued Support

Please know that your faithful giving to Grace’s annual budget will continue to empower us to make Jesus visible in very tangible ways.

Using your smartphone’s camera or code reader app, you can scan this QR code to go straight to the secure Grace online giving webpage HERE. Follow the prompts to create or login to your giving profile, and in just a few clicks, your contribution is made. As always, you can also mail your check to Grace (10221 Ella Lee Lane, Houston, TX 77042).

New Moments of Grace Online Tool

Moments of Grace is a new online tool to share where you see good things happening and God at work. It’s a safe place to “snapshot” a short story, a great picture, a praise, some kindness —wherever you see Jesus visible. Just click on the link HERE to write a short description of your moment and upload a picture (optional). We would love for our Grace family and beyond to see how God is moving through the moments of our congregation.

The Power of Prayer

We would love to pray for you! Click HERE to submit your prayer needs.

Children's Ministries Sunday Morning Resources

Click HERE to download resources for Sunday Morning Video Chats and "at home" small group activities for your children each week.

Zoom Prayer on Mondays

Mondays, 4 p.m.

Join us each Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. as we unite together in prayer. Click HERE to access the zoom call.

Church Offices Remain Closed in Response
to Stay-Home-Work-Safe Order

With the imposition of Harris County’s Stay-Home/Work-Safe order, the church offices remain closed, and all church employees will work from home. We will continue to broadcast our services at 10 a.m. (11 a.m. for Grace en Español) each Sunday. If you need to reach someone at the church, you may call the main number to be connected to the pastor on call voicemail. For administrative or financial matters, you may contact Hardie Morgan (hmorgan@gpch.org; 713-267-5028).

Some of you drop off your financial offerings at the church. With the offices closed, that is no longer possible. Gifts can be made online at www.gpch.org/give, or you can mail a check to: Grace Presbyterian Church, 10221 Ella Lee Lane, Houston, TX 77042.
Connect
Connect

 

Register Now
for Virtual VBS 2020

Click HERE to register!

The best week of the summer is going online! Register below for Virtual VBS 2020 "FOCUS: Take a Closer Look!" With a mix of livestream sessions, video resources, supply bags, and easy-to-follow Family Guides, we're excited to deliver a new way to share VBS with your family and friends! 

  • New Dates: July 13-16
  • Registration will close May 31.
  • T-shirts and CDs will be available for pre-order during this time.
  • The VBS music also is available for digital purchasing and streaming.
  • Volunteers will STILL be needed but in different ways!
  • Watch gpch.org/vbs and social media for new details.

For more information, contact Traci Baudin or Lisa Ann Henkel. Together, we can continue to make Jesus VISIBLE in our daily lives!

Virtual Volunteers
Needed for VBS

How can volunteers help make a Virtual VBS happen? We STILL need you but in different ways. As we continue to plan, we will ask for your help. Until you hear from us, however, the most important job of any VBS participant and volunteer remains the same:

  • Pray that what we plan never overshadows the message that our God loves each of us!  
  • Pray that everyone who is touched by VBS sees the truth of Jesus Christ's sacrifice for us!
  • Pray that the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to what our Heavenly Father has planned for us!

Register as a virtual volunteer now HERE.

Student Ministries Livestream Videos

Thursdays, 4 p.m. Middle School, 4:30p.m. High School

Each Thursday in the coming weeks, we will be going "live" on the the Middle School Instagram account at 4 p.m. and the High School account at 4:30 p.m. The livestream will be a short video consisting of a short devotional, a short teaching, and some questions of reflection at the very end based on Trey's sermon from that previous Sunday. We encourage you to watch together as a family, and go through the questions in community with one another at the end. We really want this to be an opportunity and chance for students to interact with Daniel/Amber as they go live on their respected accounts! In the days leading up to and after the livestream, go check out the grace.highschool and grace.middleschool Instagram stories for more fun ways to interact via social media, and to drop in fun questions that they will answer during the livestream itself!

Crowded House and More Student Min Fun to Come

Crowded House is back! Contact Phil, Amber, or your Crowded House leaders to find out how to get connected and involved with your virtual group! Groups are broken up by grade and gender.

Student Ministries Day
in the Life Videos

Another way we want to stay connected is our weekly filming of "day-in-the lives." We invite students and their families to participate in this fun activity! Email Phil (pwarman@gpch.org; text him at 630-981-7821) to send your short videos to be shared on our social media outlets. We can’t wait to see what you are doing to stay busy!

Please email pwarman@gpch.org to be added to our weekly emails as well as check out our Instagram accounts grace.middleschool and grace.highschool for more information!

Financial Peace Course Available

Sundays, April 19 - June 14, 7 p.m.

Are you ready to take control of your money? Grace Elder Deb Castillo will coordinate a virtual class of Financial Peace University (FPU), a nine-lesson course designed to help you build a budget, dump debt, grow your wealth, and leave money stress behind! Each lesson, taught by Dave Ramsey and his team of financial experts, is based on biblical wisdom and common sense. In your FPU group, you’ll be motivated and encouraged by others just like you! This class begins April 19 at 7 p.m. To register please click HERE. For more information, contact dphelps@gpch.org.

Zoom Conversations
with Pastor Chris

Wednesdays, April 22, 29, from 10:30 a.m. - noon

Our Stay-Home/Work-Safe environment has challenged us to find ways to stay connected by using technology and getting creative. Join Pastor Chris French on a Zoom call. Feel free to click-in and connect for a brief hello, conversation, prayer, or connection. Think of this is a "water cooler" or “meet up at Starbucks” kind of time together. Everyone is welcome... stay for as long or little as you would like. Click HERE to join the Zoom call.
Bless
Bless

Love Your Neighbors

As much as you are able, within the suggested guidelines with care and compassion, reach out to your neighbors and the vulnerable to see how you can help make Jesus visible to them. The simple gesture of being connected and in community will provide great comfort to those who feel most isolated.

We’d love for you to share these “Moments of Grace” online with the Grace family so we can we celebrate and stay socially connected even as we must be physically distant.

Fellowship By Phone Opportunity

Grace invites you to join our “reach out and touch someone” ministry. We want to equip our congregation to reach out to one another and check in to see how others are doing. If you are interested in picking up the phone, opening your phone app, or asking Siri to dial a number to reach out to those who may feel isolated in these times, please sign up HERE.

Kids Inspiring Hope -
Join the Kids of Grace
as We Reach Out
to Vulnerable Adults

Kids and people of all ages are invited to connect with vulnerable adults during this time. 

Your efforts will build bridges of connection to provide hope and comfort. We are asking you to mail handwritten notes or artwork to connect and encourage others. To join the children of Grace in this initiative, please contact Chris French.

 

West Houston Assistance Ministries - West Houston Resource Center

Grace and Friends of Westchase are strengthening our partnership with (WHAM). Here are three ways to partner with WHAM:

  • ONLINE: Donate much needed supplies by making a purchase on WHAM’s Amazon wish list. Items will be directly delivered to WHAM. 
  • IN PERSON: As of now, you can drop off items. For an updated list of needed items, please click HERE. Donations can be dropped off at the food pantry from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Friday at 10501 Meadowglen Lane, Houston, TX 77042.
  • DAILY PRAYER: Check out their Facebook and then pray specifically.

Online Tutoring Service Offered Free of Charge Until End of School Year

Does your child become frustrated with online learning? Do you find yourself saying, “I didn’t sign up for this!” Well, there are Grace members who are willing to help with the new normal of distance learning and a variety of subjects and ages. Call Margaret Ellis (713-501-5140) if you or your children need assistance.

 

Friends of Westchase - Assessing and Addressing the Needs of Families
in Our Community

Friends of Westchase is working with administrators at Walnut Bend Elementary and Paul Revere Middle School as well as two local apartment complexes to assess and address specific needs of the community as families adjust to a digital learning environment. WHAM is serving as the main community resource for critical needs like food, and Friends of Westchase will work to make sure local students have the materials and resources they need to learn remotely. For further details or questions, contact Nancy Bailey and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

Making Masks for WHAM to Distribute

West Houston Assistance Ministries (WHAM) wants to provide homemade cloth face masks to the hundreds of people who come to its center for food. Can you help? The following links give easy-to-follow instructions for making masks:

Tutors Needed to Assist Families with School
at Home

Do you have a tutoring or teaching background? Are you looking for a way to use your background during Covid-19? If so, volunteer as a tutor to help families dealing with the stress of school at home. We are compiling a list of people who are interested in teaching any core curriculum subject (i.e. Math, English, Reading, Spelling, History). You can choose the online communication application that you and the recipient family are most comfortable with during your first contact with a parent. To learn more or to serve as a tutor, please contact Margaret Ellis at 713-501-5140.