GRACE N TESNews from and about Grace Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan Volume 4 # 11 December 2012

WHO IS READING?Six male members of Grace Church have been meeting at Wolfgang Restaurant early in the morning, before they go to work, to chew on life issues for over a decade. Right now they are exploring the writings of Eric Metaxas: Socrates in the City: Conversations on Life, God, and Other Small Topics. This is a book of provacatively different essays by good thinkers and writers.

Duane VanderBrugTwo local woman have written an

excellent account of what it might be like to live in 30A.D. with the greatest Rabbi of all time, Rabbi Jesus, in the book Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, How the Jewishness of Jesus can Transform Your Faith, by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg, Published by Zondervan, 2009, 251pg.

By immersing myself in culture, customs, prayers and feasts of first-century Jews, I greatly enriched my own understanding of the Bible, especially Jesus ‘ teachings. “If we could turn the clock back to the Jewish world of the first century…,” says Marvin R. Wilson professor of Biblical Studies at Gordon College, “…what would it be like to follow in the footsteps of Jesus the Jew? Spangler and Tverberg vibrantly introduce the reader to valuable aspects of the Jewish background, life style and teachings of the Rabi from Galilee.” Becoming like Jesus is the greatest motivation I can see to read. One of the great helps for this, is the challenging question section, at the end of each chapter, that throw you right back into the text. It is also a great book for serious study groups. This book is high on my list of recommended books. Ed Smith

VOLUNTEER CORNER Lillian Grissen, at 90 years

of age, is still busy serving her God. Living in one room at DeVos Center at Raybrook, she is limited in some ways but her ministry is still extensive. She corresponds with people who are incarcerated. She writes regularly to several members of Grace Church, she corresponds with people who are studying

the Bible through the Crossroads Bible study ministry, and she writes to a

few people she has “met” through a prison ministry carried on by a granddaughter.

At 90, Lillian can no longer write the beautiful hand she used for years as a teacher, author, and editor. After struggling with computers and typewriters, she has finally settled on printing by hand the letters, cards, and responses to study questions she shares with prisoners.

We all know of Grace Church’s ministry to the prisoners in the Kent County Jail (about which more in another article). But Grace’s ministry reaches into prisons and jails across the country through the work of Lillian Grissen. Karen DeVos

Lillian and Ray Grissen

ADVENT CHOIR 2012Seventeen individuals joined

Michael Van Houten, our new Min-ister of Arts and Worship, to form an Advent Choir. They sang in the Second Advent Service of this year. Thank you all for making a joyful sound, enrching our worship.

Blessed Christmas to each and

everyone

If you have an event, a story or a report to share with the Grace Church community please forward either the idea, or write it down for us. If you are interested in becoming a reporter, inform Chris or Greta Overvoorde at over@calvin.edu, or call 956-7454. We would love to include your words into Grace Notes.

FROM THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE Dana Lautenbach • Pat Nederveld • Carrie Nemecek •Nikki Pinder • Ruth VanderHart

Grace Church’s programs are off to a good start this year, thanks to the capable and caring leadership of Andy Kok and Harry Lew (Sunday School for kids and adults), Marie Ippel (Gems), and Jason Carrigan (Cadets)—along with many volunteers who influence the lives of participants

in these programs each week. They make our work as an Education Committee easy—we stay in touch with program leaders and commit ourselves to praying constantly for the children, adults, and

volunteers who attend so faithfully. We’ll use a small corner of upcoming issues of Grace notes to

highlight the people and programs more specifically; but for now, won’t you join us in praising and thanking God for all of the learning and growing that’s happening? (And take a moment to pray for—and thank!—the leaders too.)

Our committee members are pretty new to this challenge, but here’s what we’ve set as our goal: to encourage and support Grace Church’s discipleship ministries/programs in a way that fits with our Mission statement: Grace Church’s mission is to be a community where all associated with us by membership, worship attendance, participation in programs, or neighborly “dropping in” may find:

• a greater knowledge of God and experience of God’s love,

• an ever-growing commitment to living as whole-hearted and joyful disciples of Jesus Christ,

• an experience of sharing joys and sorrows with and among others who are on their way to a greater knowledge of God, and

• support and encouragement for ministry to others in home, work, school, community and church.

So, if you have suggestions or feedback on anything related to our goals and our work as a committee, please contact one of us. We’d love to hear from you.

Kok

Lew

TASK FORCE REPORTS The Grace Neighborhood Task Force was appointed

by the Administration Committee of council in May 2012 to respond to this question: “What can and should Grace Church do in response to the imminent changes that will and are taking place in our neighborhood?” The members of

this task force are: Paul Hart, Jack and Eileen Koorman, Carl Kammeraad, Khary Bridgewater,

Chris Overvoorde, and Karl Westerhof. While each member has pursued parts of our mandate alone or in smaller teams the task force has met four times and will report on its findings and recommendations to the January council.

What are these changes to which we as a church must respond? We see “downtown” Grand Rapids advancing south along Division and into the Grace neighborhood bringing with it new housing, a new charter high school, a new urban market, a new church, and, of course, new people. Increasing diversity-social, economic, religious-

along with new/restored housing and transportation options will impact all who live and worship in the Grace neighborhood. So, how can we cooperate with new landlords and residents, new teachers and students, a new church and its members while we reach out to and care for the neighbors we have plus new neighbors who are moving in? And how can Grace Church continue to be a welcoming place for our many new members and those who will join us in the future? By early 2013 we promise to respond to these questions with the council and following this we hope to continue this conversation about Grace’s future with you, the members of Grace Church. Carl Kammeraad