Grace Presbyterian Church

1090 N Davis Ave

Weed, CA  96094

 

Pastor:  Jim Howe

 

Phone:  (530) 938-4571

Fax:      (530) 938-4571

Email:  gracepc@snowcrest.net

Pastor Jim’s Blog:

http://stateofjeffersonspirituality. blogspot.com

 

Pastor Jim’s Parish Scroll Message will appear here each month.

August 2010

 

Confessing Jesus Christ is LORD!

Is All About God’s Glory.

 

Our Unchanging Confession

There is a lot of talk today about why the Church is not what it once was.  One of the reasons is that the times have changed.  America is changing more rapidly than ever before.  On one hand it is becoming more spiritual and on the other it is becoming more secular and antagonistic.  How do we respond? The pressure is on us to make the message of Christ “relevant”.  But there is another option, the ancient way of the Church, and that is to confess the faith faithfully in our time.   The confession of the gospel is always pertinent to humanity.  The question is: “what does the gospel call us to be and to do in light of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ?”  It is not, “how we can re-imagine the gospel?” It is about the gospel, not about us.  It is about us participating in the gospel and the new world its message of good news is creating.  When God’s people confess Jesus Christ is Lord, the gospel intersects with our neighbors.  I am serving you as a pastor who confesses Jesus is Lord and the authority of the Holy Scriptures.   

 

 

Worship Renewal

We are in the beginning stages of the worship renewal process.  Worship is central to our life together.  In worship Jesus Christ meets us and shapes us.  The practices of worship are to be formative in the sense that our lives, 24/7, are to be shaped by the God we encounter. Worship can be done anywhere; but it does not shape us as disciples in the same way as it does in regular gathered worship.  People are leery of “organized religion”, but is leaving spiritual development to haphazard disorganization any better?  The author to the Hebrews speaks to our situation: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25, NIV)  If we want to be conformed to the image of Christ, regular worship is essential.  It prepares us for the day upon which he shall return.

 

Pastor’s Renewal

This newsletter will tell you about a number of other opportunities to gather, to be equipped for your ministry (we are all ministers), and to go out as witnesses to your neighbors so that God may draw others into the Body of Christ.  This is the work of the whole congregation.  This month I will be taking some much needed time to recharge my spirit and body as Kerry and I worship at University Presbyterian in Seattle and other churches along the way on our vacation.  I will be reading some, praying, and seeking to continue to discern what God is doing in our midst so that our worship renewal process arises from God’s work, not any one individual’s personal desires.  While on vacation we will also be celebrating another anniversary together on August 17.  God has blessed me with a godly, prayerful, and joyous saint to live my life with.  Thank you, Lord!

 

Highlights for August

Rev. Leon Thompson will be preaching (Aug. 1), Rev. Richard Evans from Jacksonville, Oregon (Aug. 8), as well as Mr. Jim Tyhurst at Community Presbyterian and Mr. Gerry Watson at Grace (Aug. 15).  August 22 we will worship together, Community Presbyterian, Grace Presbyterian, Calvary Christian Center and First Baptist, McCloud at 10a.m. at Community Presbyterian, Church.  I will be preaching from Eph. 3:14-21 about the importance of prayer in our mission.   

 

August 25 Kelly Ballard will be at Grace Presbyterian from 6-9 to meet with our worship design team (that means any one that wants to assist) along with Gerry Watson, Leon Thompson, John Christ, and Mike Krause.  Grace Presbyterian will also host the Fifth Sunday Weed Ministerial Service Aug. 29th at 6pm.  Shawn Young, the Regional Director with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship will be speaking and the students at C.O.S. will be invited to join us for this time of worship and mission.  The offering will go to support the work of IVCF at C.O.S.

 

Taking It Outdoors!

We had a great time in July with a few at Deadfall Lake and climbing Mount Eddy.  Special thanks go out to Josh and Amy Green, Becky and Jim Langam, as well as Jim Christopher.  You folks make community more than just a word.  On September 5th at 1pm Kerry and I would like to invite whoever would like to join us for a picnic at the Dunsmuir City Park on the Sacramento River.  If you are interested let us know at pastorhowe@gmail.com or 925-2443.

 

Prayer for Renewal

Pray for the students and faculty as they return to C.O.S.; that they might join us in worship and service in the kingdom.  Pray this month for the Worship Design Team as they brainstorm and begin to put together the plan for our Advent services and receive some direction from Kelly Ballard, our worship consultant.  Pray for our music leaders at Community Presbyterian and Grace Presbyterian in particular so that we might grow in our ability to lead God’s people in worship.

 

Blessings, Pastor Jim Howe