Life Together Fall Preview Special Edition

In case you don't read email anymore or it went to junk, here is yesterday's all church email. It contains vital information about the Fall here at GraceSLO. Holler if you have any questions. . . T.





Celebrating, Proclaiming & Living the Gospel Together

WARNING: This one's a bit long, but contains vital info!

Beloved Family of Grace,

Ready or not, the Fall is here! I don't know about you and your family, but we've realized that this quarter is going to be more full and more busy than any we've ever experienced as a family. It's a hard sprint to Thanksgiving for us. How about you?

Because our family is so busy, we've recognized it's even more important to prioritize our spiritual lives and our gathering together with God's people for worship and fellowship. We need to hear the Gospel EVERY WEEK and be with others who believe the Gospel EVERY WEEK. That's why we're committed to worship on Sundays. That's why we're committing to a Growth Group this Fall. That's why we're committed to getting our jr. high student to mid-week youth group. We need these anchors in our lives. We want these rhythms and practices to shape our lives.

We've taken time as a family to sit down and talk about these priorities and our busy schedules. I want to encourage you to do the same as soon as you can. (If it would be helpful to hear what this looks like and how we do this, email me!)

The Fall is always an exciting and vibrant time here at GraceSLO. It's a time when new folks drop in and new things get going. Amidst all the activity, events, ministries and opportunities, we want to help you prioritize your involvement at GraceSLO this Fall. . . .

Priority #1: Come to the Sunday Worship Service. If you've only got time for one thing this fall, choose this. Our worship service is the center of our life as a church, and the thing that drives everything else we do. It's in the worship service, where our diverse inter-generational family of Grace comes to unite and worship the Lord together, hear the preaching of His Word, partake of the Lord's Supper, and cheerfully give to the work of the Lord. These things don't happen anywhere else in our church, like they do in our worship service.

Priority #2: Jump into a Growth Group. Remember, this is our "Big Rock Priority" that we want to stick in our life jars first! (If that doesn't make any sense, listen to this message.) This is where we connect and care for one another. This is where we grapple with and apply the Gospel together. This is where we really can practice all those "one another" commands. . . . not in a group of 400 people on a Sunday morning, or even a group of 40 people, but in a group of 6 - 12 people where we can open up and share our lives. Growth Groups make a big church feel like a small church.

Priority #3: Get Your Students to Wednesday Evening Jr. High and High School stuff. In today's world, we believe Christian students need to be together regularly and often for mutual spiritual encouragement.

Priority #4: Take Your Pick. . . . . from our wide variety of other ministries including Tuesday Evening AWANA Kid's Program, Adult Sunday Seminars and Bible Fellowships, Thursday Morning Pearls of Wisdom Women's Study, Wednesday Evening Prayer Meeting, early morning Men's Studies throughout the week and a continual stream of special events.

With those priorities in mind, here are more specifics regarding a number of opportunities starting up in the next couple of weeks. . . .

• Fall Kick Off, Sunday, September 19, 10:00 AM: Our annual Fall Kick Off in Mitchell Park is a week from this Sunday! We can still use helpers, so email our church office right now, if you can help with set up, food, fun booths, welcome, food or park clean-up. Let us know on the tab this Sunday how many will be joining us for lunch. Please, for the safety and enjoyment of others, do not bring your pets to the park that day. Invite your friends, co-workers, neighbors and family members to join us for this great day. This is the best, most open, inviting, non-threatening event we do every year. So let's make the most of the opportunity!
  

• Pearls of Wisdom Women's Bible Study kicks off Tomorrow, Sept. 9, 9:00 AM: All women are welcome to join us as we study, "Meditations on the Person of God." You may register at the first meeting.
  
  
• Growth Group Open Enrollment, Sundays in the Courtyard: We're reaching for 40 vibrant, alive, warm, relational groups this quarter. Groups begin meeting the week of September 26. Enrollment is happening Sundays in the Courtyard.
  

• Open-to-All Sunday Adult Seminars & Bible Fellowships starting Sunday, Sept. 26
  

1. Financial Peace University, September 26, 10:45 AM, Founders Hall B: We are once again hosting Dave Ramsey's 13 week Financial Peace University. Cost is $100 and space is limited, so register in the Courtyard on Sunday.
   
   
2. Effective Parenting in a Defective World, 9:00 AM, Fireside Room: Hosted by our 2:42 ABF and facilitated by Donny & Stephanie Valliere, this 12 week class, utilizing a Chip Ingram film series, will tackle the ins and outs of Gospel-centered parenting in a busy, broken world.
   
   
3. Living Out Loud, 9:00 AM Founder's Hall B: We all know we should share our faith in Jesus with others around us, but most of us are scared to death and don't know where to begin. Hosted by the Harvesters ABFs, this seminar co-lead by Ted Malley and Tim Arlen, will provide Biblical training and practical help for effectively sharing your faith in your God-given circle of influence. . . and with perfect strangers.
   
   
4. Living Stones Adult Bible Fellowship, 9:00 AM, Founders Hall A: As the fall gets going, the Living Stones invite you to jump into their ongoing study of Acts. Living Stones are a warm, caring fellowship of adults, between the ages of 40 and 65.
   
   
5. Bereans Senior Adult Bible Fellowship, 10:45 AM, Fireside Room: We love our senior adults here at GraceSLO! If you're a senior adult looking to connect with others your age, the Bereans is the class for you. Join them this fall as they continue in their study of Revelation and Proverbs.
   

• Daughters of the King Brunch, Saturday, October 9, 9:00: We'll be celebrating our place as women in God's Kingdom. Come enjoy a delicious breakfast, fun crafts, sweet fellowship and an inspirational talk. Cost is $5/person with a $10/family maximum. Sign up in the Courtyard on Sunday. For more information call Debbi Weeks at 543-2358.
  

It's going to be great Fall together. Let's prioritize and sprint hard toward Thanksgiving together.

I just don't have time or space in this email to tell you about our leadership's Big 5 Priorities this Fall, but I want to and you need to hear them. So I'll save them for a future email. Stay tuned!

Oh yeah. . . also. . . after a few weeks away from preaching, I've got a "burning in my bosom" and I'm fired up to preach the Gospel from Psalm 63 this Sunday morning. A bunch will be away at the Grace Family Campout at Lake San Antonio, but also a number of families will be visiting our church as they drop off their incoming Cal Poly Students. Let's look for them and reach out to them.

Thanks for reading. Hope to see you Sunday.

Because of and for the Gospel . . . Pastor Tim

Listen to last week's message, "A Solitary Savior in the Midst of Misery"

Read Pastor Tim's blog (see what Haaken got for his 5th birthday this week!)

See Grace event pictures

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