Thanks to all for a Great Christmas Season @ Valley Grace!

The Christmas Eve service was a special time for pausing and reflecting on Jesus' birth. Thank you to all who participated to in the service as well as the planning and preparation including decorating for the event.

So grateful also for those who came to share in the Christmas Sunday service. The choir, and all the special music was truly appreciated. The Praise Team did a great job in leading us in music. Thank you for taking the extra time to rehearse to make it a great day. Well done, Valley Grace!

Christmas Letter to Valley Grace Church Family

Pam and I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you our Christmas letter to the Valley Grace Church family. In order to read a full PDF please click HERE. (Note: we wish we could continue the tradition of the past in sending a personal card to each family who has made Valley Grace their home church. But it has just become impossible and so following the suggestion of some individuals, we have made available a letter which was inserted in the bulletin this past week.)

Reflection and Celebration of a Job Well Done!

Just wanted to celebrate a job well done, Valley Grace! Thanks to all who made Sunday's Services so special. The extra space for the Second Service was truly a blessing, both for seating and also for being able to spend some time in talking with folks and people movement. (photo: Elizabeth Draper)

Behind the scenes, special gift baskets were prepared for some individuals whom Valley Grace has been impacting. Included were homemade selections.

Thanks also for your generosity in providing Christmas gifts to two families at Hickory Elementary School and also Lincolnshire. The contacts from those schools who picked up the items were impressed by what you have done.

Thank you for your investment in the lives of people to introduce them to the Jesus who gave everything that we might experience His life in us!

Construction Celebration & Dedication Phase 1A

On Sunday evening, November 20, during our All Church Prayer & Praise Event, we had the opportunity to thank God for His provision through you, His people, for our additional facilities. Thank you to the Expansion Committee, the Decorating Committee (who found unbelievable bargains through their meticulous research), our sub-contractors, and many who worked so hard to make it possible. Thank you for your faithful giving to make this added space available for continued ministry opportunities. Willie Marker offered a prayer of thanksgiving and dedication on behalf of the Valley Grace family to the Lord. 


The purpose of this expansion was to provide: additional nursery space, additional meeting space, better people flow in and out of the building, handicapped/family bathroom, a place to gather, and to upgrade our electrical capacity which we had maxed out. 


Local contractors were: Larry & Sons Plumbing & Heating, Ellsworth Electric, Jeter Paving, Crown Painting, Dorsey Brothers. 


Thank you for your faithful support which allows us to serve and minister more effectively!

Sunday Worship at Seacoast Church ~ Myrtle Beach, SC

Pam and I had the privilege of worshiping on Sunday (11/27) with the church family at Seacoast Church in Myrtle Beach, SC. Fabulous story of God's provision of this facility in a prime location. It had been a training center for a corporation. The price they paid for the land and property was probably what just the land alone was worth. They had been renting space and the cost of renting was just about equivalent to the cost of their mortgage on this place. It also included the remnants of a deli type place with space for offices and a great area that has been turned into the children's ministry area. Rejoicing with them in what God has provided as they seek to build Jesus' church in Myrtle Beach!

Week Wrap Up ~ 2011.11.11

Thanks to all who came out last Sunday evening for our All Church Prayer and Praise (Concert of Prayer). Great time together praying about the ministries which are taking place and being informed of what God is doing locally. Some great testimonies! Special thanks to Praise Team who helped to lead us and took extra time to prepare. Well Done!

Another good evening on Wednesday night of Family Night Ministries. Thanks to all who serve, whether driving the van, crossing guard, food preparation, AWANA, JV & Varsity Boys, Girls of Grace, etc. We are grateful for this ministry and its outreach.

And since this is posted on Veteran's Day, we do want to express great appreciation to all who have served and are serving in the armed forces which make it possible for us to enjoy our freedoms.

Weekend Review of Ministry at Valley Grace

(pictures from memorial service for Dee Shillingberg) - click to enlarge

Thanks so much to the Valley Grace church family who served Dee's family and friends through her memorial service.

Our fearless AWANA Commander (Ed Imes) in dreadlocks - no less. Great job to all on family night ministries.

Brighten the Night ~ Report

Great job church in serving the community through the Brighten the Night event which runs in conjunction with the annual "Trick or Treat" night in our neighborhood. Somewhere between 250-300 hot dogs served (ran out of buns for the last dozen or so hot dogs, so they were "hot dogs on a napkin"). Many bags of popcorn were handed out as well as candy with a tract. Face painting and moon bounce were also part of the evening. Thanks for all who worked to make it a success. It was interesting hearing comments from folks from the community who had been directed up our way. More pictures of the evening - HERE.

Well Done ~ Valley Grace!

The Valley Grace Church family was involved in two significant events on Saturday.

Mark McAbee Memorial Service held at Valley Grace. The family did a tremendous job with celebrating Mark's life and also pointing folks to the importance of knowing Christ and walking with Him in this life. Big "Thank You" to all who helped with set up, food, serving, clean up, sound, etc.

Convoy of Hope. Approximately 40+ individuals from Valley Grace were involved with folks from other churches in the area in serving our community with Convoy of Hope. Here is a link done by one of the area churches - click here.

Learning Lessons from a Marriage Fight

Have you ever had a "disagreement" with your spouse? Better question, when was the last time you had a fight with your spouse? What did you learn from it? Michael Hyatt has a great post entitled "What I Learned About Leadership from a Fight With My Wife." Michael and Gail Hyatt have been married for thirty-three years. They truly enjoy each other's company, but they had a "doozy" (Michael's word) of a fight. Michael identifies 5 lessons which he wants to remember for future use. These five are important for all of us to consider.

1. Clarify our expectations up front: too often we have differing expectations and our spouse doesn't know what we anticipate. Our spouse can't read our mind, but we some how assume that they should know - if they really loved me, they would figure it out!

2. Assume the best about the each other: that is one of the statements about love from 1 Corinthians 13 - "believes all things." That is, believes the best about the other. We should not assume that our spouse is doing something intentionally to make us miserable!

3. Affirm the priority of the relationship: our relationship is the most important asset that we have. It ought to be more important than "getting our way."

You can read Michael's comments (HERE) on the above as well as the final two lessons. They can make for a great discussion if you take the time to sit down and talk about these things -- even before the "fight" begins. It could help to prevent the escalation as well as serve to prevent those battles. Take time to also read through the comments to his post.

Moving Toward Grace Filled Conversations

The Setting: Bill Hybels from Willow Creek Church hosts a leadership seminar, Summit. Howard Schultz from Starbucks was to be one of the speakers. Apparently a petition with over 717 signatures was sent to Howard Schultz declaring that Willow Creek was "anti-gay" and that he should not be present. Schultz decided to cancel his contractual engagement.

In the video clip below, Bill Hybels graciously responds and reminds us that the church is not called to be "anti" anyone. The doors of our churches should have "welcome" to everyone who comes across them. That does not mean that we are called to affirm the lifestyle choices, but we are called to graciously invite them to become a follower of Jesus Christ. We are called to challenge everyone to become a follower of Jesus Christ and to live out the principles of Scripture. As Hybels points out, there is a great deal of confusion and brokenness in our fallen world. He states, "at Willow we honor the journey of everyone who is trying to follow Christ."

I loved the fact that he encouraged his audience to write letters of appreciation and invitation to Howard Schultz, rather than those filled with vitriol because of his business decision. An oh, by the way, he encouraged them to buy a cup of Starbucks coffee.

We are living in a world which is becoming more and more antagonistic to principles which God has espoused. We need to learn how to hold a graceful conversation with individuals who are not following those principles and prayerfully endeavor to lead them to Christ. Please take the time to look at the video clip below, as a pattern for grace.

The Importance of Church Community

There is a tendency among some people who claim to be followers of Christ to think that they can live the Christian life without being connected to a local body of believers. This connection is much more than arriving a few minutes after the service has started and then quickly heading back out the door until the following week, or schedules allow for another visit. John writes, "... that which we have seen and heard we proclaim to you, so that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:1-3).

The point that John is making is that believers are to have a connection with other Christians. Those who are false Christians leave the church fellowship (1 John 2:19). It is within the local church body that followers of Christ have the opportunity to get to know, serve and love other followers of Christ.

One of the reasons for constructing the lobby area with tables and coffee is so that there is a place where it is possible to sit down at a table and spend some time getting to know other followers of Christ. It is a place to connect, to share praises and prayer, and you are encouraged to take the time to make it work. This might mean arriving earlier so as to have some time to connect or perhaps even staying a bit later. (Perhaps we need to rename it to "Cafe" which gives more of the idea that this is a place to linger and spend some time investing in the lives of other believers). Obviously, not all connection needs to happen within the walls of the church building, but this is certainly a good place to look for opportunities to invest in the lives of people who are part of the Valley Grace community.

Prayer Requested for Christian Pastor Sentenced to Death

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has been sentenced to death for his faith in Christ. He is charged with "apostasy." Please pray for him and his family. You can read more about it here and other followers of Christ who are persecuted at Persecution.com.

Momentum Has Begun - Please Pray!

(Youth been given "final instructions") - Please be in prayer for our youth and leaders as well as other young people who are at Momentum (Youth Conference) this week that God would work in each of their lives in a special way. We have already been made aware of God's involvement!

The Church is the World's Most Powerful Weapon Against AIDS ~ by Rick Warren

Rick Warren advocates that the church has the greatest opportunity to provide the fullest support to individuals who have contracted AIDS, whether through personal choices in life, or the choices that were made by others. You can read about it HERE.

Thanks to OB!

We appreciate the ministry of Operation Barnabas - short as it was! They had a good ministry at Antietam Recreation, then about a half hour program at City Park before the rain set in. On Friday morning, half of the group helped with clean up around the church from construction. Also, thanks to Drapers for taking them to that great historic site: Nutters in Sharpsburg on Thursday evening! ;-)

Happy Church Ministry Vignette @ Valley Grace

It was our privilege to have some of the youth of the Happy Church stay with us over the weekend. The Drama Team did three presentations and Pastor Mike preached between those events. Here is a clip of the experience. Great to have the opportunity to reconnect with them! Thanks to all who hosted them.

Valley Grace Block Party 2011.06.11

Thanks to everyone who helped put together the Block Party Kick off for VBS. Well done with the set up, the food, the staffing, the take down. Thanks also for those who helped with cleaning up from drywall dust, etc.

Urban Hope 2011 Video

Thanks for all who served. Here is the recap!

Valley Mall Shoe Project

Thanks to those who participated and those who gave financially to make this possible. Information about Valley Grace was handed out as well as information about the upcoming VBS. Please pray for those who were contacted to come to know our Savior!

Church Ministries Pastor

We look forward to Pastor Doug & Barb serving the Lord with us here at Valley Grace. Pastor Doug's role will be to assist all those involved in ministry as well as to help with the development of future ministry.

Mother~Daughter Luncheon

Thanks to all who made the Mother~Daughter Luncheon a possibility. Great Job! Thanks also go men who served.

Dr. John C. Whitcomb ~ Speaking at Valley Grace - 50th Anniversary of "The Genesis Flood" (book)

50 years ago on February 20, 1961 the first copies of "The Genesis Flood" were shipped by the publisher. "The Genesis Flood" book was on the cutting edge of the Creation Movement -- the understanding that God created the heaven and earth in six literal days and that our world could be understood from that perspective. The evolutionary theory is not more "scientific" than believing that God created the world just as He said He did in Genesis 1 & 2. Both Creationism and Evolution are faith based. The ramifications of one's choice of belief in origins are far reaching. Dr. Whitcomb will be preaching on Sunday May 15th at both the 8:15 & 10:40 service. The regular 9:30 Sunday School hour will include a question and answer time.

Answers in Genesis has more information on the significance of the Genesis Flood which you can read HERE.

Missions' Team to Urban Hope

Please be in prayer for the 24 individuals who left Valley Grace to minister at Urban Hope this weekend. Please pray for their safety and most of all, that there would be people introduced to our Savior. (You can click on the image for an enlargement)

AWANA Awards Night 2011 wrap up

Thanks to all for a great year in ministry through AWANA. This is one of our best years. Those standing in this picture are individuals who have invested their time in teaching boys and girls for Christ. More pictures HERE.

Youth Spaghetti Dinner & Show

Wanted to thank each person who was involved in the Youth Spaghetti Dinner & Show. It was an excellent event - great food, entertainment and fellowship. Thanks to all who came to help support youth for Youth Conference. From the numbers I received, there were 140+ who were served. The Show was truly enjoyable, from the praise time to the entertainment. More pictures HERE.

A Plan to Live Your Life on Purpose

Do you feel that your life is out of control? That you are running around with a calendar that is filled, and fall into bed wondering if you have accomplished anything that has significance during the day? Most people spend more time planning their vacation than they spend planning their life. Michael Hyatt has written a very helpful ebook with the goal of providing a "step-by-step guide for developing the Life You've always wanted." He outlines how to plan your life with regard to spiritual, family, work, etc., goals and provides worksheets on how to do it. I highly recommend that you grab this free resource while it is available, and invest the time in developing your own life plan -- effective for any and every age. You can go HERE for more information and to download your copy of this resource while it is available.

Virginity Making a Comeback, Report Says

An article in MSNBC indicates that a CDC study has found that virginity is making a comeback in some age groups. According to the report,

Researchers found that between 2006 and 2008, the percentage of 15- to 24-year-old men who had never had any form of sexual contact with another person was 27 percent (up from 22 percent in 2002) while the percentage of 15- to 24-year-old females who had never had any sex whatsoever was 29 percent (up 7 percent points from 22 percent in 2002).

There is a great deal of teaching that needs to be done instructing our young people on the truths of God's gift of intimacy for marriage. If you want to read more of the study, you can do so HERE.

Pastor Tom Nelson tells his story of Clinical Depression

Pastor Tom Nelson tells his story of experiencing clinical depression. He talks about what got him there, what he had to do to begin healing, and steps to take to keep from getting into clinical depression. This is a very insightful and helpful story.

You can watch the video (here) or download the mp3 (here).

If you have been through clinical depression, and would be willing to talk to someone going through it, please contact me. If you think that you are going through clinical depression and want to talk to someone who has been in that "black hole" (as Tom Nelson calls it) and gotten out, I will try to link you up.

Husband's Responsibilities to his Wife in Headship

This past week we looked at God's design for the roles of a Christian husband and wife. We focused primarily on the headship responsibilities of a husband to his wife. Here are seven areas of focus as a reminder:

• Honor her Maritally: not flirting, no wandering eye
• Honor her Physically: she is weaker, don't hit, shove, push or grab
• Honor her Verbally: no nasty nicknames, don't raise voice or threaten
• Honor her Financially: provide for her, pay bills, don't be stingy
• Honor her Practically: maintain the house and car, and other responsibilities
• Honor her Parentally: love your kids, help raise them, spend time with sons & daughters
• Honor her Spiritually: pray with her, read the Bible with her, encourage her spiritual growth.

You can read more as laid out by Mark Driscoll (HERE)

Monday Morning Reflections ~ 2/21/2011

• Praise Team again did a great job of leading us in praise before our God.
• Focused our study on "The Role of a Husband & Wife in a Christian Marriage" - Part 3 of Marriage as it was Meant to Be.
• "Thank You" to Bonnie Leigh for sharing insights on marriage in her video testimony.
• Thanks to all of you who are helping to support our youth in raising funds to go to Youth Conference!
• Great time of Church Worship & Prayer on Sunday evening. Thank you to Jeff Rowe, Steve Taylor, Praise Band, and those of you who came an prayed. Awesome!

Expansion Update 2011 - Link

We are planning on trying to take some pictures as progress is being made on the expansion project here at Valley Grace. They will be available at the following link if you want to take a look from time to time: (Click Here)

Some Thoughts on Book "Heaven is for Real"

This book maybe a good read and a fascinating read. It may be well written and an interesting story. What concerns me is that for me, the title infers that now we know heaven is real because of the experience of this boy. From what I see in Scripture, experience is not the proof that Scripture is accurate or false because it is very possible to misinterpret our experience/s. Jesus said in Luke 16:31 "... If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead" (NASB). Peter writing in 2 Peter 1:19 says that we "have the prophetic word more sure, to which you do well to pay attention..." (NASB). I realize that there is some discussion over what that means precisely, but a very good understanding is that the Word of God is more sure than personal experience (e.g. Mount of Transfiguration referred to in 2 Peter 1:16-17).

I recall reading a number of years ago an editorial from a Time magazine editor who was involved in a horrific car accident in Australia and he was not a believer at all. He claimed to have had an out of the body experience, and saw a bright light, etc., and found it to be a very calming experience. His take away, no worries about the afterlife, everything will be fine. People who subscribe to false cults claim the same experiences. The book "Heaven is for Real" may be a good story and told very well. But for me, the bottom line is that we know heaven is for real because "the Bible tells me so."

Valley Grace Ministry trip to Urban Hope 1/28-30, 2011

Thank you for your support for the ministry team from Valley Grace to Urban Hope. It was a great weekend. Note: apologies for the thumbnail, that was automatically selected by youtube and I am not sure how to change it!)

Monday Morning Reflections ~ 1/17/2011

Thanks to all for a great weekend.

Saturday: Tremendous job of hospitality for the Memorial service for Mrs. Edna Stickler. Thanks to those who prepared and served food, clean up, etc. A great ministry to the family.

Sunday: Thanks to all who ministered on Sunday - Sunday School & Children's Church teachers, praise team, and music ministry. The challenge from God's Word was to live a life of purpose as directed in Titus 3:9-15 (esp. v 14). A reminder that "The Good News should produce Good Life."

We received into membership: George & Peggy Mongan, Susan Mongan, Jodi Ramsey, Ashley
Taylor. We look forward to continuing to serve the Lord together at Valley Grace.

Thanks to those who planned and hosted the youth group on Sunday evening.