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Grace Notes A Grace Fellowship Church Newsletter

August 2019 Edition #2

Quilts for Christ

A group of ladies, and youth, meet once

a month in the Fellowship Hall to make

lap quilts. They sew throughout the year

and present the lap quilts to our high

school graduates. Quilts for Christ start

ed meeting in 2013 with the specific

goal of honoring the graduates by sewing

a lap quilt that they could take with them

into the next phase of their lives. When there have been extra lap quilts available, occasionally the church has

given the quilts to individuals with special needs or circumstances. The situa-

tions were spontaneous and intended to comfort an individual experiencing a

challenge or illness. The group is open to anyone, if you have your own sewing machine, great

bring it, if not the church has a few extra machines you can use. The individ-

uals in the group have different levels of sewing experience and are willing to

teach anyone who has the desire to learn. Some women take quilt kits home

to sew in addition to attending monthly, and there are some individuals that

can’t participate in the monthly sewing days and only sew quilts at their

homes. Group members shared that they have been asked to take on clothing

repairs and similar tasks, but that is not their mission or expertise. Quilts for Christ meets on the third Saturday of each month from

9:00-12:00. Come and enjoy a fun group of women for fellowship, laughter

and sewing! For information call Judi Rosie, 480-242-4653.

INSIDE This Edition

Question: Why was Moses not allowed to enter the promise land after hitting the rock rather than speaking to it? It doesn’t seem like the punishment fit the crime? This is a great question that probably many of have pondered when reading this passage of scripture. So, let’s go to the text- Numbers 20:1-13

Pastor’s Key Strokes

AUGUST 2019 Edition #2 VISIT US ONLINE AT www.graceinbuckeye.com

Seems harsh, doesn’t it? After 40 years of faithful service to the Lord with a nation of complainers, he is unable to

enter into Israel, the promised land, with the rest of the people. What happened?

After listening to the complaints of the people, Moses and Aaron sought God in which they were told by Him to

speak to the rock which would draw out water for the thirsty people of Israel. Moses obeyed the Lord to the point

where he struck the rock rather speaking to it.

Some would say this harsh punishment came because of Moses’ anger with the people.

He certainly was angry calling them rebels, but that was not the reason for the judg-

ment. Notice the two reasons God judged Moses.

1. Moses did not believe God.

2. He did not treat God as Holy in a public setting before the entire

congregation of the people of Israel.

Say it ain’t so Moses!

God, highly values faith/belief in Him and Moses did not believe God. God also values and protects His holiness;

Moses publicly saw God’s words as falling short and because of this struck the rock. Because of these two very se-

rious acts of disobedience, Moses did not enter into the promise land. Change your mind yet as to the severity of the

consequences?

So, it is true, Moses did not enter into the land… he lost his inheritance of possessing the land. That brings up an-

other question? Does forfeiting his inheritance mean that Moses went to hell? The opposite is actually true. No-

tice…

1. Moses was buried personally by God (Deuteronomy 34:1-8)

2. Moses was seen with Elijah when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain (Matthew 7:1-8)

3. He is counted in the halls of faith (Hebrews 11… this is interesting he was man of faith but did not enter the

land of Canaan because of his lack of it)

4. I believe he is one of the two witnesses of Revelation 11 (I know and understand the controversy around the

two witnesses regarding one of them being Moses)

I think we can learn from Moses that our initial faith in God’s promise of everlasting life through Jesus Christ is

essential for our justification before God, but God also highly values our continued faith in him throughout our

lives in sanctification.

So, as a body of believers, let’s set our minds on the things above and seek to live our lives walking in faith, matur-

ing our faith, and finishing well the race set before us.

Pastor Jon Pastor Jon Brecke

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+20%3A1-13&version=NIVhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+20%3A1-13&version=NIVhttp://www.graceinbuckeye.com

From the Mission Field

Most fictional writing is inspired by something real. For example,

Roald Dahl’s books were inspired by his difficult upbringing.

Laura Ingalls Wilder once told readers that “All I have told is true

but it is not the whole truth.” Another such author’s writings were

inspired by a particular place and family - that of Bram Stoker.

There is a real place called Transylvania, it’s located in Romania.

There once was a real man named Vlad III, more specifically

Vlad the Impaler. Vlad III’s father did own a home in Transylva-

nia. This older Vlad II was inducted into a knight’s order - the

Order of the Dragon, thereby giving him the surname dracul.

That makes Vlad III the son of dracul - or draculea. The appropri-

ately named Vlad the Impaler, or Vlad Draculea, combined with

the eerie Bran castle in Transylvania, Romania gave inspiration

for the story of Dracula.

A story lesser known in Romania is that of Ken and Monica Luse. It’s a true story.

They live in Iasi (where the arrow is on the map above), Romania near the Republic

of Moldova. They work with local and international students that come to study at a

nearby University. They welcome students into their home and share Jesus with

them. The Luses are involved in a local church where Ken helps with mentoring new

believers. Monica facilitates women’s bible studies and teaches various skills includ-

ing English. Their inspiration comes from the Lord. They share His love and salva-

tion with those around them. You can be part of this story. You can influence their

ministry in a real way by praying for them.

Grace Fellowship assists in supporting 13 missionaries and their families.

Check out their pictures in the church lobby!

(Psalm 96:3) “Declare His glory among the nations…” TOGETHER.

Heather Brecke Missions Coordinator

From the Chaplain's Corner... Your Chaplains, DD and Vycky, continue to stay busy around Grace and the Community. We are busy with - and available for - hospital visits, mentor-ing, prayer support, counseling, rides to the airport, and many other things. Please feel free to contact one of us when you have a need; our cards are in the Church office!

DD McDonnell and

Vycky Denley

TT&F—Twenties, Thirties, and Forties-ish

~Who are we? We are a group that gathers for fun, fellowship, and journeying deeper together.

~How often do we meet? We meet four times a year. We hope to see you every time, but we know that everyone has busy lives. So, just come whenever you can.

~Who can come? Anyone in their 20s, 30s or 40-ish, or feel those ages inside, you are welcome, too.

Married or single, with or without kids—all are welcome!

Dates 9/27—Robert and Laurie Jackson’s Home 1/11—Rick and Sherry Saylor’s Farm 3/28—Carolyn Hardison’s Farm Summer Pool Event—TBA

Connection Point: Join our Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/gfcttandf

Please sign up at graceinbuckeye.com/events.

Amy Gerak (602-339-2192/SongbirdofYhwh@msn.com)

From the Church Office

Do you know the best A/C Repairman? Plumber? Pet-Sitter? Handyman? Pest Control Company? Land-scaper? Seamstress?

We’re putting together a “directory” of recommended service providers from small local businesses and we’d like to get your best recommendations (please only submit business names/service providers you have personal experience with). If you are a business owner providing the services mentioned above (or some-thing like it), or if you’ve used a local service that you’ve been extremely satisfied with, please let us know! Please include a brief explanation of your experience with the business you’re recommending. Send recom-mendations to rebecca@graceinbuckeye.com.

AUGUST 2019 Edition #2

Rebecca Aarup Church Secretary

Have faith… There’s a verse that says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). It is a faithful reminder that problems are temporary,

but our blessings last forever. We persevere by faith and trust during the night, but as the

dawn appears on the horizon, the sun rises quickly bringing hope and light. So don’t give

up—God is preparing you to rejoice. Dr. David Jeremiah, Turning Point Ministries

The Other Half…the Over 50 Crowd

Are you new to Grace Fellowship, or newly retired, and would like to socialize with individuals who are also over 50? If so, plan on participating in the potluck on September 19th at 11:30. The Other Half , where you will meet friendly people and eat great food, meets on the third Thursday of each month in the Fellowship Hall!

If a small group setting is a comfortable environment for you and you would like to get to know people better, ya’ll come! The guest speakers are also over 50 and share about their life experiences. Many times, when you find that you have something in common with another person, you can relate to them simply because of sharing common experiences.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/gfcttandfgraceinbuckeye.com/eventsmailto:SongbirdofYhwh@msn.commailto:rebecca@graceinbuckeye.comhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+30%3A5&version=NIVhttps://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Kids’ Corner

In June we went In the Wild and had Amazing Encounters with Jesus at Vacation Bible School! We had 208 children participate and 21 accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior! Each year at VBS we serve a local and international mission project to remind the kids that while we’re here to have fun and learn about Jesus, it is also our job to be the hands and feet of Jesus in any way possible. We always partner with our local food bank, All Faith Community Services, during the summer because that is their greatest time of need. We helped the children understand that many of the kids they go to school with go hungry during the summer because their families can’t afford to provide three meals a day. Our VBS kids brought in over 200 pounds of food for All Faith!

Our international mission was of course for the K.I.D.S. in Uganda ministry. We set two financial goals for our kids. The first was to provide one pair of good school shoes for all 188 orphans at the Koboko rescue unit; at $5 a pair, our goal was $940. I knew we could easily beat that goal as we have in years past so I set a second financial goal for the kids. The Bukedea rescue unit was recently relocated as their previous property was stolen from them. They had to start all over building shelters, water wells, etc. When I visited Uganda in February, batteries to store their solar pow-er (the only source of power in most areas of Uganda) for overnight usage was on the missionaries wish list – the cost, $800. This brought our total financial goal to $1,740.

Over the week, we helped the kids understand what it would be like to not have school shoes, particularly if they had to walk to school in our hot summer sun. Koboko, Uganda’s climate is similar to our Arizona summers – HOT! We also had them imagine what it would be like to not have power overnight. I never imagined the kids would under-stand and have such a big heart for the plight of the K.I.D.S. in Uganda. They talked to their parents every day about helping the K.I.D.S. in Uganda and not only met our goal but nearly doubled it! The kids and their families brought in over $3,000!!! Thanks to the generosity of the families who attended VBS, we were able to send an additional $1,300 over to repair shelters at two additional rescue units!

A huge thanks for the countless hours of hard work by dedicated volunteers and donors, but also, all praise, glory and honor goes to God, for through Him all things are possible!

Children’s Ministry to Uganda Free to Be H.E.R. – Healthy, Educated and Respected

In February 2019 I had the privilege of spending 10 days in Uganda with the K.I.D.S. in Uganda orphan ministry. River Valley Church in Grants Pass, Oregon founded this ministry about 12 years ago because they saw the Kids In Desperate Situations simply needed someone to come alongside them and help them navigate life, meet their basic needs (food, shelter, meds, education, etc.) and learn to help themselves. I met the facilitators, the missionaries who run the orphan rescue units, at all of the locations and got to see the amazing way they minister to families with sim-ple, practical things we as Americans take for granted.

In Uganda, girls don’t get to go to school during their menstrual cycle because they don’t have hygiene products (again…one of those very basic things Americans take for granted). The girls often quit school because they get so far behind. Imagine missing a week of school every month when there are 100-200 kids in one classroom, you’ve maybe eaten one meal if you’re lucky and you’ve walked several miles both ways to school. I’m sure you can see why these girls can’t keep up.

When the quilting group at River Valley Church in Oregon heard about the hardship these girls experience for simply being girls they made “Free to Be H.E.R.” (Healthy, Educated, Respected) part of their church’s K.I.D.S. in Uganda ministry. The quilters at River Valley designed reusable menstrual pads (much like cloth diapers) so the orphan girls in Uganda can get an education, make a life for themselves and change the lives of those around them.

If you would like to partner with River Valley by sewing a few cloth pads please contact me for the patterns and instructions. Early in 2020, River Valley will take over all of the pads that have been provided. If God has gifted you with sewing talent, would you help make an impact on these or-phan girls in Uganda?

AUGUST 2019 Edition #2

Melissa Kacer Children’s Minister

Grace Institute is starting soon!

There will be three classes this semester starting August 7 through October 30, with a one week fall break on Oct. 9th. Classes are held on Wednesday evenings from 6:15-8:00 p.m. for 12 weeks. At the last class, there is usually a pizza party celebration for all classes. The classes and instructors are as follows:

• Jon Brecke…Theology II using the text: Basic Theology by Charles Ryrie, book is $23 Classroom: A6

• Terry Crabtree…Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey, a video and workbook course. Cost is $91.00 for the first 12 people/couples on a first pay basis; or $129.00 thereafter unless 10 more sign up.

Classroom: Fellowship Hall

• Don Gray…Eschatology using the text: Understanding the End Times by Paul Benware, book is $20 Classroom: Grace Fellowship Academy Library

Please come and join our teaching and fellowship. This a great way to learn Scriptural truths and to get to know your brothers and sisters in Christ. You do not have to be a member to attend. Classes are on the same evening as Awana so parents or grandparents could attend while their children are also in class. Nursery is provided if you are attending classes, and please be sure to be prompt when picking up your children.

Don Gray Grace Institute Director

Community Outreach All Faith Community Services Established in 1996

Grace Fellowship assists in supporting All Faith in our ministry of food collection for those in need in our local com munity. All Faith is the only food bank in Buckeye and serves an average of 2,500 families a month. There are approximately

100 volunteers that work different shifts during the week to separate the donations, prepare food boxes, provide clerical services and much more.

During the school year a food program called Weekend Snack Sack is in action. All Faith Community Ser-vices partners with local elementary schools who have identified children who are going hungry on the weekends. Last year they provided over 1,000 Snack Sacks each month. The program is expecting addi-tional children after the school year begins on August 7th. To assist All Faith with this program, please donate shelf stable, kid friendly food products. All Faith has the hardest time collecting meal products, for example: beanie weenie, raviolis, soup, mac and cheese, tuna, oatmeal, and cereal. Individual sizes are good but most of the time there are siblings in the home so full size portions don’t go to waste.

Unlike other “hand-out” programs, All Faith seeks to make profound, long-lasting changes in the lives of the individuals it serves. With its self-help and work-based programs, it provides support, direction and training to assure that individuals who are in chronic need become employed, self-sufficient and most im-portantly, productive members of the Community. Through All Faith, people are helped, lives are changed and communities are impacted.

AUGUST 2019 Edition #2

https://www.amazon.com/Basic-Theology-Systematic-Understanding-Biblical/dp/0802427340https://www.daveramsey.com/store/product/financial-peace-university-class#in-progress=1http://paulbenware.com/product/understanding-end-times-prophecy/https://afcsaz.com/about/

Grace Fellowship Church

1300 N. Miller Road Buckeye, AZ 85326 Phone: (623) 393-8386 www.graceinbuckeye.com Email: gfc@graceinbuckeye.com Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8:00am-3:00pm

Grace Fellowship Academy, GFA

August 12th marks the beginning of another school year here at Grace Fellowship Academy.

The classrooms are ready, curriculum is new and waiting to be explored, uniforms are bright

and shiny. Summer vacation is a time for our students, teachers and staff to rejuvenate and refocus on family and

God. Learning is done in the outdoor classroom, on ballfields and around the kitchen table with relatives. The

new school year however brings anticipated excitement of what lies ahead, what God has in store for our school,

students and this community. It is an opportunity to get back into the daily routine—to attend our weekly chapels,

devote time each day to God’s word and to focus on God’s teaching in a cross-curricular classroom setting.

This school year our focus will be on emulating Jesus in every area of our lives. 1 John 2:6 is going to be our

focus verse “Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus Christ did.” This will be a daily reminder to walk

like Jesus, speak like Jesus, teach like Jesus, lead like Jesus, love like Jesus.

Please continue to pray for Grace Fellowship Academy. We are so blessed to have a

school that is HIS school. We are thankful for the support of our church community and

look forward to another successful school year.

If you would like to be included in the monthly email

newsletters, please let the church office know your email

address. If you don’t have an email, there are printed copies

available in the office.

If you would like to unsubscribe, let the office know or

email gfc@graceinbuckeye.com. Thanks.

Stephanie Pedersen GFA Principal

AUGUST 2019 Edition #2

Worship Times

Worship Services 9:00 am & 10:35 am

Adult Sunday School 9:00 am

Children & Youth Sunday School 9:00 am

Children’s Church & Young Adult’s Class 10:35 am

Infant - Pre-K Nursery Available for Morning Services

Communion & Bible Study 4:00 pm

Back to School Humor

What kind of school do you go to if you’re…

...an ice cream man? Sundae school

...a giant? High school

...a surfer? Boarding school

...King Arthur? Knight school

Teacher: What’s the chemical formula for water?

Student: H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O

Teacher: What are you talking about?

Student: Yesterday you said it was H to O

Math teacher: A person from LA drove toward New

York at 250 miles per hour as another person drove

from New York to LA. Where did they meet?

Student: In jail!

http://www.graceinbuckeye.commailto:gfc@graceinbuckeye.commailto:gfc@graceinbuckeye.com