GRACE This Week

Sunday is coming…. And there are some important things for you to know.

First, Sunday is “Fall-Back” Sunday. Set your clocks back an hour. Practically, that means one extra hour of sleep. Enjoy that added grace-filled hour.

Second, you don’t want to miss Sunday morning worship. We will continue in our Dear Church Series with “Your Suffering”. My dear friend, Sasan Tavassoli, will be our guest preacher. Sasan brings a perspective of the global church that we need to hear as he takes on the letters to Smyrna and Philadelphia. It is a gift to have Sasan back with us.

Dr Sasan Tavassoli is missionary with the Outreach Foundation to the Persian speaking world. Sasan is a former Shi’ite Muslim from Iran who came to faith in Christ in 1985 as the result of the ministry of a group of American missionaries while he was living in Europe. He is an ordained ECO minister and has been involved in ministry within the Iranian communities in the US as a pastor, teacher, and theologian for the past two decades.

Since 2006 the main focus of Dr Tavassoli’s ministry has been teaching on Christian satellite TV. His Farsi broadcasts are aired into Iran and around the world on a daily basis. He is also a co-founder of Pars Theological Center and is extensively involved in leadership training and theological education for the purpose of equipping and resourcing the leaders of the house church movements in Iran. Sasan also travels widely within North America, Europe, and the Middle East to preach, teach and encourage Iranian Christians in diaspora.

Dr Tavassoli has graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary (MA), Columbia Theological Seminary (ThM), and earned his PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Birmingham, UK. Sasan and his family live in the USA.

Finally, on Sunday evening, I am hosting an All-Church Vision Gathering at the Locust Street Campus at 5 pm.

As you know, times have been challenging, and the Building Committee, along with the Finance Committee and our officers (Session and Trustees), have been working together to navigate the building process and progress.

At the meeting Sunday, you will hear important updates from the Building Committee, Shine Campaign Committee, Finance Committee. It will be a time of information and inspiration and I trust that at the end of the evening, you will be energized by the way forward with our new campus and our shining bright future.

God is on the move in powerful ways in our church and through you.

I can’t wait for Sunday,

Dr. Marnie Crumpler
Senior Pastor