FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2024

God of surprises, break through the life of Grace Church and its people. Reveal to us new ways we can be faithful and fruitful, moving into the future you have in store.

STORIES AND SONGS ON SUNDAY!

We look forward to our annual “Stories and Songs” worship service on Sunday! It will be a full morning. Come at 9:15 a.m. to the Blue Room for the first installment of Rev. Dr. Amelia Boomershine’s Advent series, “Journey to Bethlehem”. She will use Godly Play to explore Isaiah and Mary in scripture. Coffee and goodies are available at 10:00 a.m. in the Ladies’ Parlor. Cookies will be available for purchase from the United Women in Faith before and after the worship service. And at 10:30 a.m., please join us for stories told by Grace by Heart Biblical storytellers and songs sung by soloists, duets, and choir and played on bells, piano, and organ. If you can’t attend in person, join us virtually HERE on the Grace Church Dayton channel of YouTube.

H.O.P.E. MINISTRIES UPDATE

The jail/prison/reentry ministries at Grace grew out of an understanding of how racism impacts our society, community, and in particular, the criminal justice system. H.O.P.E. Ministries proposes to be more intentional in 2025 in learning about and addressing that reality.

During 2024, many of us heard the powerful message of Jemar Tisby. Four H.O.P.E. members followed up a study of his book The Color of Compromise with a pilgrimage to Montgomery, Alabama, to tour the “Legacy Museum: from Slavery to Mass Incarceration.” These experiences led to a proposal for an extension of H.O.P.E. Ministries to include a focus on justice. It seems that the Holy Spirit is leading in this direction.

In 2025 H.O.P.E. will have luncheon gatherings after worship on the second Sunday of the month from noon to 1:30 p.m. Dayton Cooks! will continue to provide the meals (free will donations are appreciated). For those who cannot attend in person, an online option will be available.

COOKIE WALK

Don’t forget to bring some cash with you this Sunday, December 15! You’ll want to have it for all the cookies you’re going to buy at the United Women in Faith Cookie Walk. You’ll find the cookies in the hallway before and after worship. All the money raised will go to support UWF missions, and Pastor Steve says it is your Christian duty to buy cookies! 🙂