From Missions Team Director, Shannon Sawatsky:We are here! The whole team is here and things are getting rolling. Today we had the opportunity to bless a Christian school in the area with tons of yard work, repairs, and general clean up. Then this evening we hit the neighbourhoods to begin the survey process. The weather has been fabulous and we have groups from California, South Carolina, Iowa, Ohio, us, and Surrey. It’s been great seeing people we haven’t seen in a while and meeting people that have had connections with Grace for many years. I actually met someone from South Carolina that knew my old pastor from Maine! Go figure! Tomorrow we have more training, surveying and helping at the Salvation Army. You can keep track of us on this web site www.canadianadventure.org. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. I’ll keep you posted. Shannon 

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Current update on FGBC and Haiti relief, sent by Dan O’Deens, as of Sunday afternoon, January 17:

A new Haiti earthquake response video is now online and is viewable and downloadable at http://www.convoyofhope.org/go/videos.

Current facts and statistics:  Some power, communication, and water systems are still down, but open lines remain unreliable. According to the Haitian Prime Minister, 100,000 casualties of the earthquake are expected. The Haitian President is projecting a more conservative number of 30,000 to 50,000.  Three million people have been left homeless. Eighty percent of structures have collapsed. As of 7 a.m. Friday, the Port-au-Prince airport is fully operational. The ports remain closed due to collapsed cranes and debris. Armed looters are scavenging the city.

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Thanks to some diligent work from Marcos Casadei, we have a new tool online for promoting and communicating items going on at the Grace Centre.  This will also serve as a portal for groups outside our church community who are looking for space to rent or a place to hold other community service activities:  check out www.grace-centre.ca

Don’t forget to bring sock, gloves and mittens on Sunday for our contribution to the Salvation Army. We are collecting these items in support of the Gateway Shelter in Toronto.

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

Enigmata Promo from Grace Church on Vimeo.

Each year, in the weeks leading to Thanksgiving, Grace Community Church has held a canned food drive in support of Mississauga’s Eden Community Food Bank.

The Eden Food Bank is the primary source of food assistance in west Mississauga.  What began as a ministry of the Eden United Church in 1989 is now a significant, self-sustaining charitable organization serving literally hundreds of families each month.  In fact, in 2009, the average number of families being assisted each month is approximately 350, representing over 1000 individuals.  These numbers are up quite significantly from 2008.

On Friday, October 2, the Jr. and Sr. High students at Grace walked door-to-door through the community collecting canned and dry goods.  Additionally, regular attendees of Grace’s weekend services have also been dropping off canned goods at the Grace Centre.

On Sunday, October 4, Grace welcomed Ron Saito, Eden Food Bank’s president to its services.  Mr. Saito was interviewed by Grace’s Missions Director, Shannon Sawatsky.

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

Hi, Everyone.  I just wanted to say thanks for participating with me in the fast last week.  We’d like to get some feedback on how it went.  Please watch the video and see how you can share your story.  Thanks!

- Pastor Bartley

Grace on Vimeo