WWW.GRACEPOINTCC.US 90 E. ORCHARD RD., LITTLETON, CO 303.798.6387
July - September 2014
Dear Partners in Ministry,
In this issue of GracePoints, and in the next one, I
want to share with you a few insights I’ve read by other
authors that have truly resonated with me and provided
inspiration. I hope they will do the same for you.
God Does Big Things In Small Churches by Scott
Attebery
Remember the Pepsi Challenge? It was a marketing
campaign in the 80’s where people would be offered
two unmarked cups. One contained Coke and the other
contained Pepsi. After taking a sip of both, the
participants would be asked to reveal which one they
. the best.
liked
Apparently more people picked Pepsi. At least, that’s
what their ads led us to believe! (You see, my wife who
is a dedicated Coke drinker, whenever she took the
blind taste test, nailed it every time and always
differentiated the two without any hesitation.)
Comparing two different brands of soft drinks makes
sense to us. However, what if someone ran the same
test, except this time using the same brand? Let’s say
the only difference would be the size of the cup.
Wouldn’t you think that was a strange comparison?
Does anybody really think that a 24oz cup of Pepsi
tastes better than a 16oz cup? No matter the size, the
contents would be the same –and that’s what matters!
I think we would all agree that testing by size would be
ridiculous and illogical.
So why, then, do we often measure the
effectiveness of a church by its size? A church of 50
and a church of 5,000 are both full of the same thing:
Followers of Christ!
Don’t get me wrong, not every small church is healthy,
but neither is every big church. The fact of the matter is
that the majority of churches around the world are what
most would consider “small.”
I’m afraid that some may have the mistaken
impression that “small” means a lack of mission or
purpose. Nothing, however, could be further from the
truth. Some of the most passionate missional
churches are relatively small congregations. Make no
mistake about it, “small” does not mean inferior.
Excerpted from Why Church Matters by Joshua Harris
As we become genuinely involved in the church’s
work in the world, we put ourselves in the best
possible place to allow God to do His work in us.
That’s because the church is the best context -- God’s
greenhouse, if you will -- for us to flourish spiritually.
It’s here that God grows us and conforms us to the
image of His Son. (And when I say “the church is the
best context,” I’m not only talking about what happens
in the pew, or prayer room, or anywhere else inside
the walls of a worship facility.) The church community
is where we learn to love God and others; where we
are strengthened and transformed by truth from the
Word; where we’re taught to pray, to worship, and to
serve; where we can be most certain that we’re
investing our time and abilities for eternity; where we
can grow in our roles as friends, sons and daughters,
husbands and wives, fathers and mothers.
The church is earth’s single best place -- God’s
specially designed place -- to start over, to grow and
to change for the glory of God. That’s why I tell people
that when they get serious about the church, they’re
not just adding another item to a long spiritual to-do
list. Instead, they’re finally getting started on
experiencing all the other blessings that Jesus
promised to His followers as the fruits of the truly
abundant life.
Let me know if either of those two excerpts
prompted a response in you.
Thinking globally,
Ministering locally,
Pastor Fred
,
“Kingdom Matters”
The last Sunday of each month during the worship
celebration a different member of GracePoint’s
leadership team has been sharing insights about
what God is doing in his/her life. On Sunday, June
29, our Treasurer Tom Marshall shared his
heart. For those of you who were not there, or to
revisit what he said, his words follow.
What God has been doing in my life………
Tom Marshall 6/29/2014
In recent years I have been thinking about Identity
and Calling. Who or what am I? What should I be
doing? Answers to these questions are easily
confused, which can lead to painful transitions,
such as when your boss tells you that you are no
longer needed. If your job is your Identity, that
message is much more painful than if it is just what
you do. So, when I consider my Identity, am I a
Husband, Family Provider, Father, Granddaddy,
Son, Brother, Uncle, Friend, an Engineer, Project
Leader, Church Leader, Fisherman, Do-ItYourselfer? No, these are Roles that, if strongly felt
under a blanket of prayer as “ought-to-do’s,” can be
considered Callings. So, what is my Identity? I
have come to recognize more and more that my
Identity is a Child of God, saved from myself by the
grace of God which moved me to believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ, His atoning sacrifice on the
cross, His resurrection and living, life-giving
presence today and always. Callings can change
over time, but my Identity was fixed before the
beginning of Time, and first recognized by me, in a
small way, when I accepted Christ as a young child.
I have been growing in knowledge of that Identity
ever since; it’s the journey called Sanctification.
Happiness comes when your Roles happen to line
up with your Callings. If I schooled and trained and
enthusiastically labored for years as a doctor, but
one day seemed to lose the enthusiasm or skill for
doctoring, then my Calling as a doctor may no
longer be valid, and my Role as a doctor may no
longer bring me the happiness it once did. In
Ecclesiastes 3, I read: “So I saw that there is
nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work,
because that is his lot.”
I am approaching a point in my professional career,
call it Retirement, when my Calling as an
Aerospace Engineer seems to be dimming and
shifting to something else, just what I don’t really
know for sure. In Psalm 143, I read: “Show me the
way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul…Teach
me to do your will, for you are my God;”
Also, I have felt Called for many years to be your
Treasurer, but now recognize that that Calling is
dimming and the time is right for a transition.
Pastor Fred mentioned a month ago that, although I
am continuing to act as your Treasurer, the position
of Treasurer is now open for the next person God is
calling to that place of service. If you are beginning
to feel a nudge from God in that direction, Karen
Kupilik our Elder for Stewardship & Finance would
like to see you.
As for me, I am continuing to seek certainty of my
“ought-to-do’s” with the intention of keeping my
Roles aligned with my Callings. For in Psalm 127, I
read : “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders
labor in vain.” I trust in the words in Psalm 139: “If I
rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far
side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.”
Canvas Youth
Ministry
On July 27th, the Sr. High youth group will gather together to
pray and head out on our annual mission trip. We will head
up to Weld County, CO to work alongside of Reach
Workcamps and hope to bring relief to those affected by the
floods that occurred in September 2013. Our group is
excited to have the opportunity to help serve those right here
in our own state!
As we continue to prepare for this trip, I would ask
that you would be keeping our team in your prayers. We will
be spending the week doing various activities which may
include any of the following; scraping and painting, building
steps, repairing roofs or porches, building wheel chair
ramps, caulking windows, or other home repair projects. If
you could please pray for safety for our group as we work
hard and as we seek to show Jesus Christ to the people we
meet. Please pray that God would provide opportunities for
us to share our love for Him and the courage for us to share
our faith boldly. We would greatly appreciate it!
We want to thank you for your support of our mission
trip this year through your generosity in giving, through your
prayers, and through your encouragement. We look forward
to being able to share with you in August how God used our
group during this week to change lives!
Jason Mitchell,
Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries
Summer Interns
Hi, my name is Alex
Vahle and this is my
second year of being an
intern at GPCC. I love
music and play bass
guitar in the praise team
on Sunday morning. I
love to skateboard and I
ride everywhere I am
going! I am in the 9th
grade, I am 14 years
old, and I will be going
to Douglas Country
High School(DCHS) this
fall!
Hi my name is Eli Smith. I
am 14 years old and I will
be
an
freshman
at
Heritage High School this
fall. I attend GracePoint
Community
Church
regularly. I go to Sunday
School
and
Worship
Service every Sunday, as
well as the youth group
every week. This is my
second year as a summer
Intern at GracePoint. I
play center and goalie in
hockey and hope to play
for the Heritage Ice
Hockey
team
this
upcoming fall.
C
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VBS A BLESSING
AND
NEW SUMMER PLANS
Our Creativity Connection VBS was a tremendous blessing to many who were
involved. Twenty-three children attended, although not everyone came every day.
Our theme was Having a Heart After God, using the life of David as our example. We
tied themes from God’s work through David into God’s ultimate work of redeeming us
from sin by dying and rising again. Kids seemed to have received the message,
indicated by such statements on their evaluations as “God is our Savior,” “He is a
Redeemer,” and “He’s always watching out for us.” One parent, who also worked at
the VBS, indicated that she and her kids had been spiritually blessed, and her
children had made friends because of the smaller group of kids. She also relayed
that a grandma who had brought her grandchildren had come to her with tears in her
eyes, saying how one of the kids’ choir songs had ministered to her so much. A
parent evaluation stated, “Thank you for solid Bible teaching, a love for each child,
and Christian fellowship.” Your prayers and support have made this ministry
possible. Sincere thanks to our entire congregation and especially to the many
people who volunteered.
The children will continue studying Old Testament stories chronologically in
Sunday School this summer. In Kids’ Church, they will begin a new series entitled,
How to Walk in Victory. The curriculum description explains, “Children, just like
adults, are living in a spiritual battlefield and need to be equipped to live victoriously.
Too often we tend to focus on helping children know how to behave — as if a child's
behavior depended entirely on human effort. What children need is to be trained in
how to claim spiritual victory in Christ Jesus.” This is sure to be a group of lessons
that will encourage the children’s spiritual growth and give them tools for life.
Sue Eby,
Director of Children’s Ministry
“Missionaries” – Taking On The
Impossible
By Rev. John Taylor – Director of International Nepal
Fellowship, N. America
Of all human enterprises, Christian missions are
probably the least likely to succeed. Just look at their
workers – “missionaries!” The label itself is something
akin to “nerd,” “pariah” or worse, like “psychopath” or
“terrorist.” Missionaries are individuals who have “heard
a call from God” to go to a foreign country to deliver the
“good news” of their God to a people who have either
never heard it or don’t want to because of the bad
things they have heard about it, such as: “They (the
missionaries) will foist a foreign god on us to turn us
against our gods, our culture, and our way of life. They
(the missionaries) get big money from home for doing
so, and they merit favor with their god.”
Missionaries go as novices in the language and
culture of the people to whom they are charged with
delivering the great, good news. They have to raise
their own finances and often have barely enough to
sustain themselves and the costs of travel and ministry.
Seldom, if ever, do they have the backing of
governments and huge funding organizations. After all,
who in their right mind would put good money into
the hands of one who hears voices from God? By
comparison, with sumptuous salaries that
government and corporate workers garner when
working abroad, the average missionary subsists
on a meager wage of mostly gifts from ordinary
folks and small churches back home that run on a
shoe-string budget themselves. It certainly seems
an impossible undertaking and doomed to fail!
Of all human enterprises though, Christian
missions have proved by far the most successful
in history. Whether in terms of human uplift or
“bang for the buck,” they have done the most for
the least and for far longer – over 2,000 years and
still running strong. Why? How? Because the
truth of the matter is Christian mission is no mere
human enterprise. It is primarily God’s doing –
i.e., God working upon and through the agency of
ordinary human beings – not only those who go,
but every bit as much with those who pray and
give.
Addendum from Chris Smith: Thank you so
much for helping GracePoint “Take On The
Impossible” as God enables you.
Missions - Rev. Chris Smith, Chair
New Adult Spiritual
Formation Class
Beginning September 8th
David Shahan and Chris Smith will be teaching
through the Book of Nehemiah, a wonderful
account of God’s covenant promise to His people.
You will be blessed to be reminded how God
orchestrates His will through an obedient person,
and raises up godly leaders.
Birthdays
Birthdays &
Anniversaries
JULY
1 – Katie Norton, Marjorie Tomko; 2 – Mari Grattet; 3 –
Tierney Heaslet; 5 – Tammy Brown; 6 – Owen Randall; 7 –
Alyssa Heaslet, Warren Munger; 11 – Marveen Bates; 13 –
Kelly Borger; 15 – Garrett Daly, Taylor Daly; 17 – Robin
Grattet; 19 – Austin Porras, Harvey Wooley; 13 – Kelly
Borger; 22 – Shirley Folsom, Lela Grattet, Pam Kearby*,
Karen Kupilik, Forrest Rose; 25 - Lesa Brown*; 30 – Joni
Gillette
AUGUST
6 – Jared Heaslet, August Rose; 8 – Sarah Knoll; 9 –
Janay Heaslet; 10 – Lisa Heaslet; 13 – Ashley Brumfield;
14 – Cammie Daly; 17 – Jeri Joseph; 18 – Aaron Laenger,
Trevor Petersen; 22 – Vicki Muehler; 23 – Len Dutton; 24 –
Debi Van Eps; 26 – Steve Hughes, Kara Thoreson; 29 –
Kylah Adams, Mike Guy*, Leslie Thoreson; 30 – Jake
Austin
SEPTEMBER
3 – Mike Van Eps; 7 – Carlene Chrisman, Ruthmarie Tieri;
9 – Sue Miga, Jordan Conner; 10 – Mindy Grudenich; 11 –
Carol Conner, Jim Handy; 14 – Joyce Weaver, Jesse
Myers; 15 – Mitchell Norrell; 18 – Rick Hall; 19 – Susan
Craig* ; 20 – Janet Walker; 22 – Tina Smith
Anniversaries
JULY
8 – Dean & Margie Bowman; 11 – Ed & Sue Eby; 18 –
Mike & Rebecca Vahle, Russ & Carol Wibbens; 28 – Paul
& Kathy Maes
AUGUST
9 – Tom & Jan Marshall; 10 – Tim & Cammie Daly; 11 –
Jason & Amy Mitchell, Kent & Doris Olson, Gary & Ann
Wooley*; 12 – Steve & Anne Hughes; 15 – Larry & Judy
Rose; 25 – Gary & Leslie Thoreson
SEPTEMBER
12 – Kim & Jerry Norell; 15 – Royce & Joyce Weaver; 24 –
Rex & Jane Chilson, Nick &Tina Newey; 26 – John &
Karen Kupilik; 28 – Vaun & Robin Grattet, Dale & Judi
Richardson
Planning Ahead
July
2, 9, 16 – Sweets at Sunset
th
4 – Independence Day
th
8 – All Church Picnic, No Sunday School, Worship at
10 a.m.
13 – Andy & Lesa Brown from Africa
20 – Carlene’s Crazy Boat Races
7/27 – 8/2 – Youth Mission Trip
August
6, 13, 20 – Sweets at Sunset
th
th
8 & 9 – EPC Discovery Workshop
th
10 – All Church Picnic; No Sunday School, Worship at
10 a.m.
17 – Congregational Meeting
31 – Labor Day Weekend, No Sunday School
SEPTEMBER
1 – Labor Day, Office Closed
th
20 – Fall Church Work Day
nd
22 – Operation Christmas Child Meeting
9/30-10/10 – Pastor Fred out of the office
GRACEPOINT
COMMUNITY CHURCH
3
3-798-6387www.gracepointcc.us
90 E. Orchard Rd.
Littleton, CO 80121
303-798-6387
www.gracepointcc.us