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8 Seconds
Have you been to this year’s Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo yet? I have not, but I hope to attend a couple of times before it is over. As a Texas native, and a Houstonian, I have always loved the rodeo. The musical entertainment is typically the main attraction, but I am one who loves all aspects of the rodeo. I enjoy walking around the livestock show and enjoy all of the rodeo events, one of my favorites being the bull riding.
I have absolutely no desire to ever ride a bull, but I have tremendous respect for the cowboys who are just crazy enough to attempt it. I have learned that there is a reason a bull ride is supposed to last eight seconds. For the safety and well-being of the animals, eight seconds has been determined to be the length of a qualified ride. After 8 seconds, the bull loses adrenaline, and with that fatigue, their bucking ability decreases.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had some kind of timer for life? Wouldn’t we all benefit from something built into our weekly ride of life that was devised primarily for our safety and well-being? Because the reality for most of us is that we lose adrenaline and become fatigued, but we don’t always pay heed. Instead of hearing a buzzer signaling us to STOP the ride, we tend to ring our own internal bell to PRESS ON through the exhaustion.
Hebrews 4:9-11 says, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest…”
God so loved us, that among all the other things He gave us, He put in a timer for life! It’s called the Sabbath. Perhaps this Lenten season you will choose to observe “eight seconds” in your daily and weekly life. I am not suggesting that you only need to take eight seconds of rest, but instead, that you will remember the benefits of Sabbath-rest and adopt it as part of your routine.
You can spend time with the Lord in prayer or through the study of His Word. Perhaps you could spend time reading a book. If you purchased Terry Looper’s new book, Sacred Pace, that would be a great place to begin. Perhaps you could take time to walk and, along the way, reflect on God’s goodness in your life. You may choose to simply be still and sit in silence for a period of time. The point is, rest is imperative for our spiritual well-being.
Most of us will never be bull riders, but many of us often feel like we have been. We feel like we have been bucked off, beaten up, or disqualified. Others feel like life is all about a score that never seems to be high enough to win. Friends, God desires for us to rest in and with Him in order that we can be reminded of His truth. That truth includes, among other things, that we have been saved by grace through faith. Our salvation is not dependent on a score or how hard we work. Nor is our hope based on how many times we fail but instead on His victory, for us, in His Son Jesus Christ.
Make time to REST this Lenten season — it just may be the best ride of your life.
I hope to see you Sunday.
Peace, Trey |
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Celebrate the Ministry of The Rev. Chad Erb
We invite you to celebrate the ministry of The Rev. Chad Erb at a drop-in reception on Sunday, March 17, 10:15-11 a.m. and 12:15-12:45 p.m in the Church Library. As the Grace family, we look forward to sharing our love and appreciation with Chad and his family, as well as surrounding them in prayer for their next journey. |
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Reminder! Daylight Savings Time Begins this Weekend!
Don't forget to set your clocks forward one hour on Saturday night! |
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Student Missions Sunday, One Worship Service on Sunday, March 31
On Sunday, March 31, we will celebrate and worship together with one service in the Sanctuary at 10:00 a.m. This special day will highlight Student Missions with worship, a silent auction, church-wide lunch, and Sporting Clay Tournament. Throughout the day, you’ll see students serving as greeters and ushers, assisting in worship, playing in the band, and so much more. You’ll also have the opportunity to hear all about what God is doing in Student Ministries and our exciting plans for our mission opportunities in 2019. For more information, please click HERE. |
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Stewardship 2019
Recently, we celebrated our Stewardship Commitment Sunday! If you have not turned in your pledge card, it’s not too late! You may mail it to the church office, bring it to worship on Sunday, or pledge online at www.gpch.org/gratitude. God’s grace is powerfully at work here. There are new members, new conversions, new ministry opportunities all rising up from God’s grace at work in and through people like you. What a privilege it is to be able to respond. Thank you for committing your time, talents and treasures to the mission and ministry at Grace. |
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Lily Dedications
Every Easter the Grace Sanctuary is filled with lilies given in honor or in memory of someone. Dedications may be made through April 14. The cost is $10. You may purchase a lily online at: gpch.org/lily. |
Join the Choir Family
Now is the perfect time to join the choir family. No experience necessary, and you’ll have the BEST seat in the house every Sunday! For more information, contact Stephanie Clarke (sclarke@gpch.org; 713-267-5031). |
Now You Can Give
On the Go!
In less time than it takes to write a check, you can now make contributions using your smartphone at church or anytime. Mobile giving is a quick, easy, and convenient way to support the ministries and missions of Grace.
Online giving is easy to set up, and you can make a one-time gift or automatic recurring contributions with your designated bank account or credit card. You are also able to view your complete giving history.
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. Follow the prompts to create or login to your giving profile, and in just a few clicks, your contribution is made. |
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Holy Week and Easter Schedule
Maundy Thursday, April 18
7 p.m., Sanctuary
(Child care is available by reservation; contact dkay@gpch.org before the April 12 deadline.)
Good Friday, April 19
7 p.m., Sanctuary
(Child care is available by reservation; contact dkay@gpch.org before the April 12 deadline.)
Easter Sunday, April 21:
6:30 a.m. Sunrise worship, the Courtyard
7:15-11 a.m. Continental breakfast, Massey-Tucker Fellowship Hall
9 a.m. Contemporary worship, Sanctuary
10:15-11 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt for Children, Grace Athletic Fields
11:15 a.m.Traditional worship, Sanctuary
11:15 a.m. Grace en Español, The Founders’ Chapel |
Lenten Prayer Vigil
Join us in a 24-hour prayer vigil as we begin the holy season of Lent. As a church family, we are joining together from wherever we are, handing off the vigil from one person to the next. It’s a way of joining together even when we are apart. It’s a way of partnering together, taking turns to cover our church, our community, and our world with prayer to prepare our hearts to enter into the season of reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter. We invite you to sign up for a 30 minute time slot HERE. Contact Sheila Hutchings for more information. |
Out Of Town This Sunday? Watch Us On Facebook Live Each Week!
We love gathering together each Sunday as a Grace family! But, if you are unable to join us for worship, there are two ways to join us online: on our homepage or live on our Facebook page.
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Here's What We're Learning in
The TreeHouse
March 10
Basic Truth: God made me.
Key Question: Who made you?
Bottom Line: God made me.
Memory Verse: “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” • Psalm 139:14
Bible Story Focus: I am important to God.
You are important to God. • Luke 12:7, John 3:16 |
Auction Donations Needed for Student Missions Sunday
March 31
Do you have tickets to the Astros? Do you own a fabulous vacation home? Do you have great taste in jewelry? Donate to our Student Missions Sunday Silent Auction where donations will help raise funds for Student Ministries Missions and other student programs throughout the year. Donations and donation forms may be dropped off to Angie Williamson in the Student Ministries offices and are due by Sunday, March 17. For more information about Student Missions Sunday, please click HERE. |
Middle School
Spring Retreat
April 5-7
We are excited to head back to one of our favorite spots in Texas with some of our favorite people, Camp Cho-Yeh! Come join us as we hang out with friends and make new ones. We will eat WAY too many snacks, play games, have awesome worship, and dive into God's Word together. Space is limited so sign up today!
We will meet at Grace on Friday, April 5, at 5 p.m. We will eat Chick-Fil-A for dinner, load up the buses and head out to Cho-Yeh. We will return on Sunday, April 7 at noon. The cost is $100. For more information, contact Reed Brentlinger (rbrentlinger@gpch.org; 713-267-5076). Register HERE. |
McKechnie Scholarships
The Grace Presbyterian Church Endowment Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the fourth year of scholarship awards from the Grace Church’s endowment funds. In 2018, the board awarded scholarships to four students attending Grace School and 25 students attending 14 different US colleges and universities. The funds for these scholarships come from the General Endowment Fund for Grace Church and the David G. McKechnie Scholarship Fund. The scholarships are funded from the income produced by these two Endowment Funds, so funds available are totally dependent on the income produced from the two fund balances. The application for 2019 scholarships is available HERE.
If you want to make a gift to the Grace Church General Endowment Fund to assist in building the capacity of the endowment to fund these scholarships and other needs of Grace Church outside of the annual operating budget, you may contact Hardie Morgan at the church office. The McKechnie Scholarship Fund is closed to new gifts, so all new gifts will need to be made to the General Endowment Fund. |
Summer Sports Camps Job Opportunity
Triumph Sports is looking for high school and college students who love Jesus, love working with kids, and love having fun for its summer sports camps. Applicants must be 16 or older. High school students earn $10/hour and college students earn $12/hour as coaches. College graduates can be head coaches and earn $20/hour. Apply online at www.TriumphSports.com. Grace will host a Triumph camp after each morning of VBS in June. For more information, contact Lisa Ann Henkel (lhenkel@gpch.org; 713-267-5015). |
Register Now for April Parents' Night Out
Saturday, April 27, 5-9 p.m.
Our next Parents’ Night Out will be Saturday, April 27, from 5-9 p.m. We’ve invited Triumph Sports to create their All-Start Sports and Games Tournament for the evening. Elementary age kids play games, learn memory verses, and hear a Bible Lesson during the pizza dinner. The program includes games like Capture the Flag, Kickball, and Dodgeball in several different forms. Kids learn or improve skills like throwing, catching, dodging, as well as basic strategy. The schedule is fast-paced and includes 10-12 different games as well as a closing ceremonies. The emphasis is on FUN, not athletic ability, and kids will be grouped together with others from their age group.
Note that for this PNO: PreK Fours will be in a Sunday School classroom with Grace Childcare Workers. They will have centers, snacks, crafts, and a video. We will still place babies through PreK Threes in the nursery. The deadline for registration is noon on April 19. If you have questions, please email Lisa Ann Henkel at lhenkel@gpch.org.
Register HERE. The deadline for registration is noon on April 19. Cancellations for a refund are accepted if received by this date. Space is limited to registrants only. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept walk-in registrants. If you have questions, please email Lisa Ann Henkel at lhenkel@gpch.org. |
Here's What We're Learning in
The Backyard
March 10
Bible Story: Between You and Me (The Lost Sheep) • Luke 15:1-7
Bottom Line: God wants to have a relationship with me.
Memory Verse: “How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well.” • Psalm 139:14, NIrV
Life App: Individuality—Discovering who you are meant to be |
Save the Date! VBS 2019
June 10-13, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
This year our theme is LEVEL UP!... How are YOU gonna play the game? Mark your calendars now for the best week of the summer! |
World Water Day 5K & Open House
Grace Student Ministries will partner for the third year in a row with Living Water International for the World Water Day 5K. This year the race will raise money to share safe water with the people of Plaine du Nord, Haiti, the same place our church will be sending another team with Living Water this month.
The 5K Run/Walk: Meet us at 7:30 a.m. at Living Water International. The race starts at 8 a.m. This will be a chip-timed race with awards for the top three participants in each age group (14 and under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60 and over). Stay after your run/walk to enjoy the Open House and tour the Living Water International office, meet the staff, and hear the stories of thirsty people whose lives you’ve forever changed! This activity will be fun for the whole family. Guests are welcome to stop by anytime between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Details and registration can be found HERE. Contact Lindsey McDonald (lmcdonald@gpch.org; 713-267-5067) to let us know you are participating or with any questions/comments. |
College Ministry
The Bridges Sunday School class coordinates our college ministry events throughout the year. If you have college-aged children, please contact Carey Dow (careydow@me.com; 713-822-3981) to make sure that we have their contact information so that we can let them know when events are planned. |
Student Ministries
Summer Mission Trips
Registration is open for all of our Student Ministries summer mission trips. Information and registration links may be found HERE. |
Sisterhood March Dinner
March 24, 5-7 p.m., home of Cathy Finck (8710 Cedarspur Drive)
All High School girls and their friends are invited to The Sisterhood Dinner at Cathy Finck’s house. For more information, please contact Angie Williamson (awilliamson@gpch.org; 713-703-5083). Register HERE |
Encore April Day Trip:
The Wild West in the Back Yard – New Dubina
Wednesday, April 3
9:45 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
It is a rite of passage for many Texans to retire to a home on the range. But unlike other wannabe cowboys, Jimmy Helms, a retired Houston dentist wasn’t content with just a herd of cattle and a stocked fish pond. He built his own old Western town that recalls the days of lawmen and gunslingers on the ranch. He now has well over 20 buildings to explore. Come join us and return to the Wild West! The cost of the tour and lunch is $15. Seating is limited. For more information, contact Becky Morris (bmorris@gpch.org; 713-267-5091). |
Student Ministries Project Home
May 11, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.,
Grace Student Ministries will partner with West Houston Assistance Ministries (WHAM) for their community Food Fair. We will be helping to create boxes of food from WHAM’s food pantry. Later that morning we will pass out the food boxes to families in need of assistance. We will meet at WHAM at 9 a.m. Food fair will end no later than 2 p.m. (time varies depending on number of families). Pick up and drop off at WHAM, located at 10501 Meadowglen Ln. Please make sure to eat a big breakfast before arriving at WHAM. Bring a sack lunch to eat and water bottle for during our time at WHAM. Wear closed toe shoes and long pants. Register HERE. |
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Manna from Grace
Saturday, March 9, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
at the home of Judy Sims (713-253-1614)
Twice a month folks gather to have fun and fellowship while they prepare food for those in the family of Grace who are going through a time of illness or trial. While some of the meals are delivered, many are put in the church freezer, located right inside the portico door. These are for anyone to take when they know someone who could be blessed by one of these meals. If you would like to know about Manna from Grace – volunteering or receiving meals – please contact Becky Morris (bmorris@gpch.org; 713-267-5091).
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Looking Ahead in 2019… SAVE the DATE!
March 23, World Water Day 5K and Living Water Open
March 31, McKechnie Scholarship Deadline
March 31, Student Missions Sunday
April 5-7, Middle School Retreat
April 18, Maundy Thursday Service
April 19, Good Friday Service
April 21, Easter Services
April 27, Parents' Night Out
June 10-13, Vacation Bible School
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