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Just a reminder to leaders who missed last weekend’s Leadership Central meeting; it can be downloaded from sermon.net: www.sermon.net/grace-inside

In addition to having the regular Sunday morning messages posted at Sermon.net (see www.sermon.net/grace-church), we will now be posting the Sunday afternoon services - Core, Leadership Central and Faith@Home - at the following address:

www.sermon.net/grace-inside

We are headed into a three-week stretch of teaching at Grace in which we will observe the lives of Noah and Abraham.  As I have prepared the worship time for these upcoming weeks, the recurring theme that has inspired me is the significant calling that each of these men had.  God challenged them to accomplish tasks that were HUGE!

I asked myself the question: Does God call us (people today) to such great assignments?

Here’s a short video from a pastor/author named Erwin McManus that I believe sheds a little light on this issue.  Enjoy!

On Friday, December 12, my Community Group had the honour of assisting Grace member, Terry McGuire, with a Christmas service for the residents of Leisureworld Care Centre (formerly Chelsea Park Nursing Home) in Streetsville.  Terry is a regular visitor to the care centre and offers Bible studies and spiritual counsel to the people who call Leisureworld their home.

We had a wonderful time singing songs with the residents - aside from the silly antlers Terry made me wear ;0.  Terry shared a short message on reconciliation with God (based on Hark, the Herald Angels Sing), and we even got the kids involved by having Jacob and Silas read portions of the Christmas story.

After the service was complete, we had a chance to mingle with the residents and wish them all a wonderful Christmas.

Here are some snapshots from the evening:

Here’s a list of the podcasts that I’m listening to these days:

Northpoint Ministries (Andy Stanley)

Catalyst

Imago Dei (Rick McKinley)

The Moth: Stories Told

Francis Chan on Catalyst TV

Last weekend at Grace, the elders officially comissioned Willy Sanchez as the new pastor and church planter of the next Grace Brethren church to launch in Canada. Willy and his wife, Mary, will be leading a team to plant Manantial (Spanish for ‘well spring’) in September 2008.  They will begin house church meetings within the next couple of weeks, and in the fall, they will begin public meetings at West Credit Secondary School.

The Sanchez family, originally from Guatemala, has been attending Grace for over three years.  During their time at Grace they have been small group leaders, have served as hosts on the First Impressions Team and Willy has occasionally played guitar or bass in the worship band.  Willy also currently serves as an elder and executive board member.  Willy and Mary have been involved at a high level with two previous church plants. 

We are thrilled to be supporting them in this effort to more effectively connect the Spanish speaking community in Mississauga to Jesus and his wonderful love!

We are very excited to announce that the elders of Grace Community Church have officially commissioned Armando Padovan as Pastor of Brazilian Ministries.

Pastor Armando, a native of Brazil, has been working, since early 2008, with Pastors Nathan Bryant and Bartley Sawatsky to formulate a plan for the launch of Grace’s newest international ministry: VIVA BRASIL

The Brazilian community in the Greater Toronto Area has been steadily growing over the last decade and this strategic move of developing a Portguese-language ministry is another step in moving Grace to being Meadowvale’s greatest love source.  Please join us as we pray for the Padovans in their new leadership role.  Also join us in praying for the possibility of their son, Marcos Tiago, moving from Brazil to Mississauga this year to assist his father in this ministry.  (The Padovan’s older son, Marcio and his family, are already members at Grace).

Pastor Armando Padovan

The Elders at Grace commission Armando Padovan

For those of you who do not attend the Old Testament Survey class at 11:00 (and that’s most of earth’s population) you might not have learned that discoveries in recent (25 or so) years have led archaeologists and biblical scholars alike to rethink the location of Mt. Sinai, where God gave Moses the 10 Commandments. Sadly, not too many Christians I’ve spoken to recently know anything about the exciting discoveries being made that staunchly defend the biblical account of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, being miraculously provided water in the desert, and saved from the Egyptian army.

Here are some links to videos and notes that you’ll find fascinating:

The Search for the Real Mt. Sinai

Mt. Sinai, Moses & the Exodus

Mount Sinai / Red Sea Class Notes

These are only a few samples of information available on the subject. Enjoy!