He is Worthy of our Thanks and to be Praised!

Submissions from the Grace Family for Thanksgiving

I am thankful that I have my health, and I am employed. I am thankful that I have my house and the bank doesn’t own me. I am thankful that I have a wonderful husband.

I'm thankful for His growth in my life and for the work He does through me for His glory. He knows all of the work, and I have only finite knowledge of what He does through me. The things I go through, or receive, or circumstances that "work out" mean nothing compared to the relationship I have with Him, so even though I'm thankful for those things, those things aren't the importance of my life or the reason for my thanksgiving and praise. This world will pass away, and I'm thankful that He created me, loves me enough to not let me stay sinful, provided a way through Jesus Christ to wipe those sins away so that I can come back to Him (God) where I belong. That's what I'm thankful for every day, He allows me to wake up and live for Him, and Him through me.

I am very grateful to God and to my family at Celebrate Recovery here at Grace . I have been growing in a lot of different ways through the step studies and share groups at Celebrate Recovery in the past four years. I also got the opportunity to go to California for leadership training, which was very exciting . I have had serious problems with intimacy and trust issues because of my background. Growing up in a alcoholic home and being married to an alcoholic took a real toll on my character. I struggled with low self-esteem and lack of confidence and I isolated myself for fear of letting people really know who I am. I became lonely and non-productive. I could not share God's word with anyone. I wasn't sure I even knew what being a Christian was. I saw Christians as perfect people, and I just did not fit the profile. Through the Step studies and the share groups, I learned to share my heart with other people and through this I also learned that many people had problems just like me. This experience helped me to stop isolating myself and I felt this was a place of belonging and a place I could be real and share my pain and my thoughts without any judgements. I have made friends and I have gotten married again to a wonderful man (I did not say perfect). I know I need the teachings in Matthew on the B-attitudes. I need to be reinforced with the lessons that speak truth to my heart every week, and I need the fellowship of Christian people to succeed in my walk with God and follow his will for my life, and I find all this here at Celebrate Recovery on Thursdays at 7pm. I am Thankful at Thanksgiving and throughout the year.

For two weeks last month I had experienced lower back pain. Pastor Mike prayed for me, as did the church. I no longer have this pain and I believe that God took it away. I am very thankful that I belong to a praying church!

Wow. Where do we start? I am thankful for our kids' health and their relationship with the Lord. I am also thankful for the financial provisions that God has provided over the last year. One year ago things did not look very good for us, but by His grace, he has provided.

God never stops His work in the believer's life. He perfects His children. I am thankful that day by day and with each passing moment, strength I find to meet my trials here, for in my Father's wise bestowment I have no need to worry or to fear.

Moments of peace when the whispers of God seem clearer.

I am thankful for a full van.... Both of my teens are in youth group, so every Wednesday night I find myself driving to and from church. I kept thinking something is missing. At the end of this summer, as I looked at my two kids in the van, I asked God to fill my van with others. God answered. At first we had a wise-cracking, fun teen boy join in, then about two weeks later a shy neighbor teenage girl joined in, and then in mid-October, a loud, fun-loving teen girl joined in. All are seekers. Every Wednesday, my van is now filled with joy, jokes, loud music and laughter as this group of teens and I trek to and from youth group. I have one seat left in my van, and I know God will fill it. I am thankful for my loud van full of teens!

I am thankful to God for his orchestration of relationships in my life. He has shown Himself and introduced to me new ideas and insights and understanding through family and friends that I never would have received on my own.

This past year I have been blessed by the gift of a family:

1) my daughter living closer and being a reminder of the "awesomeness" of God

2) my awesome new son-in-law and daughter depending on God for everything and making me laugh

3) the love of a great, Christian husband

I have so much to be thankful for this year, but above all I am thankful that God has healed my husband. I know that God uses him in my life to speak the truths of His Holy Spirit and to surround my children and me in love. We are truly blessed for everyday that God gives.

I am a teen and I am thankful for the club volleyball team that I have been accepted on. It is a team that was created by coaches, parents, and players that didn't want to have to choose between church and sports. So they only play at Saturday tournaments and no practices on Wednesday night. I am so thankful that I can continue on the youth leadership team at church, be at youth group, attend Epicenter, go to TBF and still play competitive volleyball!

I am grateful for my diagnosis of diabetes this year. It was a wake-up call for me to attend to health issues I was ignoring. With God's grace, I have changed my attitude and lifestyle, so that now I am off the medication for diabetes. Praise God and his infinite wisdom.

I am so thankful for God's faithfulness and provision this year, and for the ways that he has shown his love to me and my family through other believers.

I am thankful that such an awesome and powerful God would care about me and my kids. I am thankful for my two amazing children. And, after much prayer, he sent me the perfect job! I am thankful that we have a beautiful home to live in and that we are all healthy. I am truly thankful for my wonderful small group family and all that they mean to me.

My wife and I are both thankful for continued good health even at our advancing age and for a long lasting sweet marriage of 51 years. Finally, we’re thankful for our kids, in-laws, and grandchildren, and how the Lord has been active in their lives, even when they don’t know it.

We are thankful to God for guiding us in raising our children and teaching us that they will always hear us and learn from us! Parenting is a role that we both have been praying we do right and without God's grace we never would have made it! We will always be thankful knowing He works through us in ways we still don't know!

I am thankful for a fresh understanding of God’s unconditional love for me that is eternal. I am grateful for the renewed sense of closeness between my wife and me in our relationship. I am thankful for increased times of prayer and scriptural discussions and closeness with my wife helped by a devotional book for couples. I am humbled by how God is convicting me of how much I talk about prayer and how inconsistently I practice prayer.

I have seen God demonstrate His love for me through countless unseen realities . . . the things we cannot touch . . . hope, encouragement, music, solitude, reflection, beauty, understanding from those close to me. I am so very thankful.

I am thankful for the Women of Grace who serve so selflessly. In particular, I am thankful for the ministry of the MOPS – Mothers of Preschoolers. The leaders of this program have blessed so many of us who struggle with parenting. I thank the Lord for this ministry and how it has touched me and so many others.

A renewed faith in our Creator through difficult times. He is faithful and I’m truly blessed as a single father to raise my teens with Godly wisdom and see them grow in faith. Side note – finding a special woman to share this joy with and soon to become my wife. God is more than Good; He is awesome.

I am very thankful that the Lord led our family to Grace Community Church. We had been looking for a church home for a long time!

The Lord has been so very real to me as my heavenly Husband in this year that my earthly husband was taken home. He, the Lord, has asked me if I would go with Him to the end of the journey on earth….to the edge of the sea. He has shown up with joy and filled me unspeakable on a lonely road. He has sent a friend or a phone call at the needed time. When no one was there, he was there. He accepts me where I am and what I am feeling. He carries me thru the good and the bad. He is changing me and I am grateful beyond words.

I am grateful for a husband who takes his health seriously. Just over a year ago he had a heart attack. Since that time he has lost over 20 pounds, reduced his stress, and stayed committed to an exercise routine. Some people don't take these wake up calls seriously. I am thankful my husband did!

Grace Christian Learning Center

By Nicole Gibson

Fall is in the air and at Grace Christian Learning Center the classrooms have been filled with festivities that remind us all of the beautiful seasons God has created in this world. I am really enjoying getting to know all of the wonderful women who are truly centered in doing God’s work for these children. It’s been obvious by all the smiles, hugs, squeals and giggles that the children can feel the love of Christ these teachers are sharing.

This week was lots of fun. We started off with Sharon Madonna sharing Chapel time with the kids on Monday and Thursday. This year we’ve had the privilege of the MOPs group joining us at Chapel too. We are so happy to add even more little ones to listen as Sharon shares stories of God’s great love. We are so thankful that by God’s grace Sharon is on the mend and able to make it back to GCLC to share such a special time.

The classes have been having lots of fall fun and Grace Christian Learning Center even had the chance to share the message of Christ with some new families at the Frederick Preschool Fair this week. What a wonderful opportunity to tell other families about all that God is doing through this preschool. We also got class pictures back (boy are they cute!) and just in time for Thanksgiving Break!

Before our week off all the classes are celebrating with a Fall Party. The kids love the opportunity to cook and share with each other just the way the Pilgrims and Indians did many years ago.

As teachers we are all looking forward to time spent with family and friends over Thanksgiving but we thank God for the blessing of sharing His love and wisdom with the children through scripture like 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Discipleship and Sacrifice

By Pastor Dan Haffey

Our Fall spiritual journey in the Book of Acts is recounting God’s plan for the unleashing of the Gospel under the power of the Holy Spirit. It also lays out the call to be a disciple, that is, a follower of Jesus Christ. The principal actors in Acts, having encountered God, were 100% sold out to the Mission. They gave up everything to follow Christ by telling the great story of redemption. They sacrificed all to be a follower of Christ. Luke 14:33 says that “any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple”. What have you (or would you) give up to follow Christ? Have you given up anything? If your relationship with Christ was measured by your sacrifice, how strong would that relationship be?

So what are the other qualities needed to be a disciple? First, a personal and vital relationship with Christ. The power to overcome all the natural and unnatural obstacles to bold in Christian living comes from the Spirit of God within the believer. Next, a love for others. John 13:35 tells us that it is our LOVE that will be the proof of our discipleship. Since that kind of love is not natural we need the power of the Spirit to supernaturally love others, even the most unlovable! Third, an obedient heart toward God’s teaching. Jesus says clearly in John 8:31 “if you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples”. Last, a fruitfilled life. Just as we are to known by our love of others, our lives as disciples are to bear good fruit, the fruit of the Spirit in our own lives and good fruit in the lives of those we encounter.

The first century church was unique in some ways BUT their commitment to Christ is the pattern we are to follow in our own path of discipleship. Are YOU a true disciple of Christ? Do you evidence the qualities of a disciple?

Ask God to show you where you need to grow as a disciple…..He will bring the truth about yourself to you if you ask with a sincere heart.

Fall Festival!

By Brenda Rota

If you were on campus the evening of October 30, 2011 then you got to experience how GCC celebrates Fall Festival.

Erin O’Hara served as ministry leader over this event. This does not fall under her staff responsibilities. Rather, this event is something she is passionate about, and her passion is evident in all aspects of her planning.

Fall Festival is not only for our church families to enjoy, but it is another opportunity for us to invite our friends, neighbors, and family members onto our campus. We welcomed 19 visiting families to our campus that night. Candy and costumes were definitely part of the evening. But there was so much more!

Our small groups were joined by ministry teams from MOPS and Drama to provide 15 activities for the families to participate in. Face painting, balloon art, moon bounce, bracelet

making, donut eating race, and the basketball shoot out were only some of the games offered. Family portraits were taken in the Atrium and hotdogs were served in the North Lobby.

Before the night was finished, our drama team and high school students made sure that everyone heard the Gospel presentation. They did a great job!

So, how do you measure success? Pictures are a great way to tell a story. A few snapshots are included here and on the Community Bulletin Board. We are asking all who took pictures to send them our way!

If you are a numbers person, here are some stats for you: we counted 216 children; over 220 adults; 136 family units; 288 hot dogs served; and over 200 bags of candy distributed. We even came in under budget and collected $140 in donations for our Thanksgiving Baskets!

We measured success at the end of the night by the two young families who thanked us for making them feel welcome in our church. And, watching the way our small groups bonded over their service in the booths. And hearing the four year old boy who said his favorite part was playing the donut eating contest with his grandfather. What was your favorite part of the evening? Leave your comment below.

Thanksgiving ... A Favorite Time of Year!

By Pastor Mike

What a great time of year! Thanksgiving! I love the cool, crisp weather…the anticipation of deer hunting with my brothers and nephews the week after Thanksgiving…and the Thanksgiving Dinner with family.

However, the eternal dimension is very significant! Psalm 136:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His loving kindness is everlasting,” He is worthy of our thanks and praise!

It is important to note…that Thanksgiving Day is a cultural holiday. Yet we need to be reminded that the practice of giving thanks is part of our daily spiritual disciplines. So may we ask God to use the cultural holiday for His glory to give us opportunities to praise Him!

Speaking of opportunities…Wednesday, November 23 at 7:00pm is our Thanksgiving Eve Worship Service. It is a powerful time of worship to God through testimonies, Scripture reading, special music, congregational singing, offering for needy people and video clips. Hope you can make it!

Help & Hope for Parents

By Pastor Mike Brubaker

Often Moms and Dads have asked me for suggestions and for help in parenting their children. They have asked for workshops or classes on parenting with a biblical and Christian perspective. Wow… here it is! On Saturday, November 12 and Monday, November 14 there are Parenting Conference Workshops here at Grace Community Church. Catherine Hickem, nationally known Christian author & speaker is our guest to lead these Workshops.

On Saturday, November 12 from 8:30am to 1:00pm Catherine will address the issue of “Parenting Adult Children.” And on Monday, November 14 from 9:00am to 11:30am she will address the issue: “Regret Free Parenting.” Please register through our website…www.gracetoday.org or call the church office… 301-473-4337 and speak with Brenda (x124) or Verlyn (x100). I love how the sovereign and providential plan of God brings Catherine Hickem to Grace at just the right time to offer hope & help in parenting!