NEWS FROM OUR SENIOR PASTOR

Of all my “mentors in print,” none speak more directly nor convict as deeply as C. S. Lewis.

Here’s a zinger he wrote on prayer:
“The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.”
– Mere Christianity Book 4 Chapter 8
I know my wild animals. There’s the phone that sits by my bedside with the always cluttered inbox. There’s the bed which roars to my “I hate mornings” self. There are God-given animals – my son who texts me from Wake Forest as he is heading to his early morning class, my daughter who, calls me from Wake also dreading the morning, and my husband, who competes for bathroom space to get ready for the day. Not to mention the calendar and the endless meetings, the burdens that weigh me down, and the dreams that make me smile. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my.
But when I can shove it all back. And have some quiet, some Bible and a diet coke with my talking to God, the day starts right and I start ready. No matter what the day may bring.
Prayer is powerful. It changes my day. But it does more than that. It changes my perspective. It changes my relationships. It changes me.
This week, we continue with will continue in our Reset Series. Mark will be preaching …. “Just Ask”- on our need to reset our prayer-life.
This past year, I have learned more about the power of prayer in my ministry and in the life of the church than ever before. God is so faithful. Ready to hear our deepest longest and ready to meet our greatest needs. We have so much to be thankful for, GRACE Church! One year ago, this Sunday, we had our first worship service at BECA high school.
If you were there, you will never forget the powerful morning as we launched into our new adventure together. The location itself was an answer to prayer. God gave us just the right place for our interim worship space. He gave us just the right partner in BECA. Our relationship has continued to grow over the year as we have had a chance to bless each other. We will celebrate our partnership with BECA and thank their principal Holly DeNofa in services on Sunday. There will be a card for you to sign as you come in to worship so you can add your personal thanks.
Of course, I must mention the weather. Many are predicting snow, ice and extreme temperatures throughout the weekend. Our team will evaluate the conditions and will make a decision about church late on Saturday. Information will be put up on the church website, FaceBook page and a One-Call phone message will go out to the entire congregation early Sunday morning (around 8 am). You can also check Facebook and the website for information. If you do not receive our One Call phone message and would like to, please email us at info@gracecb.org with your home or cell phone number that we can use for future church phone communications.
If we do have to cancel services for our safety, we will have a worship experience that will be aired via our livestream link on the website. We will air that at 10 am. After 10 am, it will be available to watch anytime throughout the day. The link to the livestream is here.
Your Pastor and Friend,
Dr. Marnie Crumpler
Senior Pastor