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June 4, 2020

Anxious for Nothing

Drive-Thru Communion

Sunday, June 7, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Please join us on Sunday as we gather to celebrate the sacrament of The Lord’s Supper with a special “Drive-Thru Communion” at Grace. We will begin at 4:30 p.m. Please enter on Ella Lee Lane by the designated entrance located by the Athletic Fields. Elders and staff will be there to greet you and offer prayer request cards as the line moves forward. Pastors Trey and Chris will administer the sacrament of communion using individual communion sets passed through your car window for each person in your vehicle. As we’re making plans to regather at Grace soon, we are thrilled to take holy communion together in a safe way!
gather
Gather

Stay a Part of Grace: A Phased-Approach to Regathering

We’ve been working with Grace leaders and elders, in concert with local and national authorities, to determine what exactly the days ahead can and will look like. What we know with certainty is that God is sovereign, and He remains in control. Let’s not regather simply because we can. Let us regather with renewed and refocused vigor, intentionality, and purpose. We want to be intentional about bringing the hope and joy of the gospel to our neighbors as we Gather, Connect, and Bless! It’s never been about the building. The “church” has always been a collection of individual believers called, equipped, gifted, and mobilized. Every single day, we as disciples are called to make disciples for the glory of God.

Click HERE to download a detailed look at our phased plan for regathering.

Virtual Sunday Worship and House Worship Liturgy Guide

We continue to have one worship service in English at 10 a.m. each Sunday. The link to watch on Vimeo, YouTube, or Facebook will be posted each week on our website and social media.

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

Grace en Español

Join us at 11 a.m. for Grace en Español. The link to watch on Facebook will be posted HERE.

The Power of Prayer

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

Moments of Grace
Online Tool

Moments of Grace is an 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.

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.

Midweek Song and Prayer

Wednesday evenings, 7:30 p.m.
(piano prelude of hymns beginning at 7:20 p.m.)

Let's join together through an evening of song and prayer. To join the livestream on Facebook, please click HERE. If you have streaming issues, please click HERE to join the livestream on Vimeo.

 

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 also can mail your check to Grace (10221 Ella Lee Lane, Houston, TX 77042).
Connect
Connect

VBS Amazon Wish List Deadline

Please help us provide everything families need to FOCUS on God’s great love for us. “Take a Closer Look” at this year's Virtual VBS 2020 Amazon Wish List now: https://a/co/2IWsRPt. We will start prepping our supply boxes in just two weeks!

Last Chance for T-Shirts

Order Deadline — Sunday, June 7, 9 p.m. 

Your last chance to order VBS T-shirts is this weekend. Order HERE.

 

Celebrate with CDs

The VBS CD is available for preorder HERE and on all music streaming platforms. It includes Ivy Castle Simpson’s song “Lord’s Prayer” that will be part of this Sunday’s worship service!

Still Time to Register

We have extended the registration timeline so you don't miss out on our very first Virtual VBS July 13-16! Click HERE to register your kids and to volunteer for prep work today! For more information, contact Lisa Ann Henkel.

Sunday School
Small Groups on Zoom

Join our Virtual Sunday School Small Groups this Sunday, June 7. Find the links to your child's small group HERE.

Videos & Activities
for TreeHouse & Backyard Kids

Find all our Children's Ministries Resources HERE. Use the Parent Guides, activity pages, and our personalized Bible Story videos to share God's love with your family.

I Spy Ollie

We invite our preschoolers and their families to play "I Spy Ollie" with us on our Facebook page: Grace Preschool Ministries. Ollie is our stuffed owl mascot for all TreeHouse lessons and activities. If your child needs an Ollie, contact Lisa Ann Henkel to schedule a socially distant delivery!

Bible Study for Preteens: Rising 5th and 6th Graders

Children’s Ministries and Students Ministries are teaming up for an exciting Bible Study collaboration! We invite our Preteen girls and their moms (or mother figures) and our Preteen boys and their dads (or father figures) to join us for a short summer series after VBS. Look for more details in the next couple of weeks.

Connect
with Student Ministries
on Instagram & YouTube

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

Interact with Daniel Baudin and Amber Sheffield on Instagram each Thursday. Check out grace.highschool and grace.middleschool stories for fun ways to connect via social media. Don't have an Instagram account? You can still participate by going to the Student Ministries YouTube channel at GPCH Students.

Lights, Camera, Action! Students Share
Day-In-The-Life Videos

We invite students and their families to shoot their own short Day-in-the-Life videos to share on our social media. For guidelines, contact Phil Warman.

Stay Tuned
for Summer Events

Visit grace.highschool and grace.middleschool stories on Instagram for upcoming summer events and activities coming soon!

Ponder Farm-to-Table Class is Online

Sundays, 11:15 a.m.

Want to experience the freshness of God’s fruit of the Spirit? Join the Farm to Table class on Zoom at 11:15 a.m. on Sundays to Ponder a verse or two that relates to the Sunday Sermon. No preparation is necessary, but you will want your Bible and a pen and paper. Click HERE to join the Zoom.
Bless
Bless

Volunteer & Shop at Garage Sale Fundraiser
for Kenyan Families

Wednesday through Saturday, June 24-27

In Sunday’s Fruit of the Spirit message, Margaret Ellis talked about serving families in Kenya. Now, she needs your urgent help! The Friends of Samburu organization is raising financial support to purchase food rations for the 300 families in the Kiltamany community, located just outside of the Samburu National Park. Due to the current pandemic and swarms of locusts that devastated their family plots, food insecurity is a reality. 

Come volunteer at the Friends of Samburu Garage Sale, Wednesday through Saturday, June 24-27, at 12214 Fieldsboro Dr. in Houston. Help set up, tear down, and/or sell items to the public. We will practice social distancing. You also are invited to come by and make a purchase to support this initiative. All proceeds from this sale will directly feed the hungry. To volunteer, call Margaret Ellis (713-501-5140). 

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.

We Have Many Opportunities
to Bless Others in Three Tangible Ways:

  1. Providing Food
  2. Resourcing Health Information
  3. Encouraging Spiritual/Emotional Support

Providing Food

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 them:

  1. ONLINE: Donate much needed supplies by making a purchase on WHAM’s Amazon wish list. Items will be directly delivered to WHAM.  If you give online to WHAM, please type Grace Campaign in the comment section of the donation page.
  2. IN PERSON: 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. For an updated list of needed items, please click HERE.
  3. DAILY PRAYER: Check out their Facebook page and then pray specifically.

Resourcing Health Information

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:

  • Mail or deliver masks to WHAM, at 10501 Meadowglen Lane, Houston, TX 77042.

Houston Responds with Masks-For-All Initiative

To reopen public spaces in our communities, while limiting transmission of the COVID-19 virus, wearing face masks will be strongly recommended, if not required. Government leaders have asked Houston Responds to help provide personal use face masks to help ensure there are MASKS FOR ALL as we transition out of quarantine, especially for those in under-resourced areas.

Houston Responds' goal is for 1,000 congregations to provide 100-200 masks per week. The love, service, and generosity of local congregations will ensure more than one million people in Greater Houston will have potentially life-saving reusable masks. Click HERE for more information.  

Grace is a drop-off site to collect masks. A labeled donation bin is located under the porte cochere at our Welcome Center entrance off of the Ella Lee side of Grace. Please make sure you indicate how many masks you are donating when you place them in the drop off container.

The masks collected at Grace will benefit:

  • West Houston Assistance Ministries  
  • Grace Presbyterian, Kroger, and James Hardin food distribution partnership
  • Friends of Westchase

Encouraging Spiritual/Emotional Support

Community Resources

If you need help with supplies, counseling, safety situations or anything else, please reach out to us or to the following resources:

  • WHAM for West Houston: (713) 780-2727
  • NAM for Northwest Houston: (281) 885-4555
  • Mental Health Services: (713) 871-1004 (offered by Hope and Healing Institute)
  • Family Violence 24-Hour Hotline: (281) 885-4673
  • Suicide Prevention Hotline: (800) 273-8255

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.

How can we Pray for and Help You?

Please know that we are praying for you and want to help in any way if we can. Are you able to get out of your home and get groceries/gas/other supplies? Do you have face masks or need any? Can we pray for you in a specific way or add you to our prayer team list? Do you just need to talk out all that you’re feeling at the moment? Reach out to us 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. Mail handwritten notes or artwork to connect and encourage others. To join the children of Grace in this initiative, please contact Chris French.

Modeling Christ's Love

So many of our Grace members and staff either are or have family members who are at high risk for severe effects of the COVID-19 virus. As we begin the re-gathering process, we kindly ask that you wear a mask within six feet of us and our workspaces.