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Last weekend, our next generation ministries launched. We started the year with even more children than we had attending last year. Preschool, Elementary and Middle School Sunday morning programs were buzzing. Choirs were singing. Later that day over at Locust Street, High School programs launched. 

You may have missed seeing it last week, but you won’t this week . This week in both services, we will have our annual “Blessing of the Backpacks.”   We will bless the backpacks (and the students that carry them) as our students begin their new year of school. We will also give every child a tag to put on their backpack to remember that God is always with them. Parents, bring your kids so they can be a part of this event. You will also have a part to play in our blessing! And teachers, we won’t forget you.

I want everyone in the Lehigh Valley to know that we love kids. As a church, we are so excited and privileged to live out Psalm 78 …. We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.

I am so grateful for our children and student staff, Denise and Jodi, and all the volunteers that will be leading in our ministry to the next generation. And I am excited to let you know that we have another staff person coming to join them as team leader in this mission critical for GRACE.

Taylor Shade, and his wife Emily, as I write, are out house hunting in Bethlehem. Taylor will be joining us as the Next Generation Director. He brings a wealth of experience in student ministry serving at churches in Colorado. You will appreciate his energy and commitment to the Lord and to students. He is close to completing his seminary education at Fuller Seminary, and will be going through the ECO ordination process to become our Next Generation Pastor.

Sunday, I will continue our “Defining Moments” series with “Bending our Knee”. We will be diving into the life of Daniel . This is the perfect scripture account for us to look at on such a big next generation Sunday. We need Daniels. We need to be a church raising up Daniels – people who choose to hear the voice of the Lord over all other voices. 

Last weekend, we also had a congregational meeting to take the next step to close on our new property on Hecktown Road. As we shared in the meeting, we are blessed to have early pledges and gifts to move to closing. There were also questions about what’s next and when . Steve Follett and Jeff Mohler, our co-chairs of the Master Plan Committee have an update for you.  See below for their update communication.

Grateful for all the ways God is on the move at GRACE,
Dr. Marnie Crumpler, Senior Pastor



FROM THE MASTER PLANNING COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS

September 20, 2019

Update to Grace Church Congregation – Master Planning

Greetings,

We want to update you on the most current status of our Master Planning process for our new church building on the property that we will be officially purchasing later this month. If you recall, the Master Plan is a set of higher level plans that includes space usage, conceptual building layout, positioning of the building on the new property, cost estimates for site preparation (including all necessary approvals, water and utility management, etc.) and construction costs for the new building. If you were at the congregational meeting this past Sunday, you heard that the building design and phasing for construction are in a “holding pattern” until we get a better forecast of what our Capital Campaign will bring in.

The Master Planning Committee has worked with our architects, Merriman, Holt and Powell, to put together a few different space allocation alternatives for the building, with each assuming different levels of capital required. All of the alternatives took into account the input that you all provided at our “Vision Gatherings” last November. Nearly 500 were involved in this process through a dozen Ministry Groups and three full congregation meetings.
  
So, we will be very well prepared to communicate further the details of the preferred building option once we have a better projection of the Capital Campaign results, which we will have before the end of this year. More detailed information will follow after we have that estimate. Recommendations on building cost and any proposed financing for the building will be communicated and discussed with the congregation before any final decisions are made.

In the meantime, if you have questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to contact Jeff Mohler, Steve Follett or Marnie. You can also email your feedback to mpfeedback@gracecb.org . This is an incredibly exciting time for our church and we are on this journey together. We are blessed with exceptional leadership, a dedicated congregation and an amazing God to take us successfully into the future. 

Blessings,

Steve Follett and Jeff Mohler

COMING UP AT GRACE
Weekly Prayer Service
Our weekly Service of Prayer will resume on Thursday, October 3, at 5:30 pm in the sanctuary at Locust Street. Marked by the music of the organ, scripture, and silence, this is a time when we bring the needs of our church, our burdens for people we love, and our own requests for wholeness and healing before the Lord.  
Blessing of the Backpacks
GRACE Kids and Students— bring your backpacks to BECAHI next Sunday, Sept. 22! We will bless you and your backpacks on stage in both services. Parents and teachers, you will have a role too! 
Grace Men Weekly Gathering 
GRACE Men— join Pastor Mark for a nine-week gathering that will engage you in the study of scripture. This series is a perfect opportunity for men who are not currently involved with a men’s group or Bible study. Our time around the tables will allow us to engage God’s word and get to know each other. We will meet at our 521 E. Locust Street Campus on Wednesdays at 7:00 am, starting Sept. 25. Learn more at gracecb.org/men.
Moms in Prayer
GRACE Women— come enjoy fellowship and be encouraged as you are surrounded by other moms who have a heart to cover their children and schools in prayer. Starting this Tuesday at 9:30 am, we will join together each week to praise, confess, give thanks, and intercede for our kids and schools. Childcare will be available by registration. Learn more at gracecb.org/women. 
SAVE THE DATE
Fall Faith Festival
Oct. 21-24, The Pocono Mountains
CLICK HERE for more information.
JOY Oktoberfest Event
Oct. 11, 521 E. Locust St.
CLICK HERE for more information.
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