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.

David Crowder Band has recently released a new CD with a recording of John Mark McMillan’s How He Loves, but Kim Walker recorded it live last year and I JUST LOVE the recording.  Check it out:

I just downloaded the new Leeland CD today, Love is on the Move.  It is fantastic!  I coudn’t wait to share the news.  Check out their MySpace page and listen for some of the tunes to play before and after church this weekend!

Sanctus Real’s album We Need Each Other was nominated for a Grammy award!  How often do you get to see a Grammy-nominated artist perform for $5?  What a treat!

We sold 50 $5-tickets in 10 minutes on Sunday.  We will have 150 more to sell this week.  I will be at the Grace Centre on Thursday evening from 3pm until 10pm if you want to purchase tickets then.  Otherwise, you can take your chances next Sunday!

Phil Wickham is coming to the Grace Centre on Sunday, September 13 (see previous post).Visit his website today (www.philwickham.com) and you can download his latest recording “Sing Along” for free!  All you have to do is sign up for his e-mail list.   The new album features a collection of live acoustic recordings from a concert in Oregon.  You’ll even recognize a couple of the songs we sing at Grace (Always Forever and Cannons).

We are excited to announce that World Vision will be sponsoring a concert at the Grace Centre on Sunday, September 13 featuring Sanctus Real, Phil Wickham and Jason Gray.Tickets are $15 through TicketWindow.ca.  But you can buy your tickets at Grace for only $5!  Better yet, you can volunteer for one of the concert teams and get in for free!  We’ll have sign-ups on Sunday for Ticket Takers, Ushers, Load-in/out crew, Concessions and more!  Look for the concert table in the lobby on Sunday to buy your tickets or sign up for a team.

Auditions for the Grace Music team will be held on Saturday, September 12.  Anyone interested in auditioning should pick up an audition packet at the Uplink table (in the Grace Centre lobby) and complete the audition application no later than Sunday, September 6.

Several vocal and instrumental roles are currently available.  Additionally, the band leaders and I would like to meet with anyone who plays instruments not currently used in the band; strings, horns, woodwinds, accordian, banjo…..you name it, we are interested in hearing you play!

The application is also available online at www.grace-church.ca/music.pdf

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!

Join us at Grace this summer for a study through the book of Genesis; chronicling the stories of Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, Noah, Abraham, Jacob and Joseph.  Strengthen your knowledge of the Bible starting right at the beginning.  Think of it as Sunday School for Grown-ups.

Sundays @ 10:30am      July 5 - August 30

I started recording a new album back in August 2008.  With my role in the Grace Centre acquisition and subsequent build-out, time “in the studio” was rare over the last 8 months.  But last week I finally finished the project!

The new album, titled With the Breath in My Lungs, is my first full-length solo album.  The 11-song CD will be available at Grace on June 14, 21 and 28 for $15. 

Here’s a sample of one of the tracks from the CD:

I’ll Fly Away

To hear more of the album, visit my page on VIRB.