Grace Evangelical Covenant Church, Chicago
Word from and about Grace’s missionaries.
Justice with Grace is collecting children’s socks and diapers (all sizes) throughout the Advent season. These items will be distributed through the FED at Grace ministry in addition to the food boxes. Please look for the “sock drawer” and “diaper bag” in the sanctuary to make your donation.
Celebrate the hope, peace, joy and love God has shared with us at Christmas.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service – December 24th at 5 p.m. (all ages in worship)
Christmas Day Worship – December 25th at 10 a.m. (all ages in worship)
New Year’s Day Prayer Service – January 1 @ 10 a.m.
Learn about and sign-up for a new resource-sharing tool throughout Advent.
Youshare video with verse from youshare.org on Vimeo.
If you would like to be part of the on-going conversation of going “Deeper in Christ and Further in Mission” at Grace, please plan to join us for a Deeper and Further Workshop on Saturday, January 7th, from 9 a.m.-3p.m.. We’ll explore scriptures on the purpose of Christ’s church, discuss realities for our local church context, and pray for our shared ministry. All are invited. Peter Sjoblom from the ECC’s regional office will lead us. Lunch and childcare will be provided.
Help the poor and marginalized by giving to Covenant World Relief, the disaster relief and community development agency of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
This Sunday, following worship until 2:00 p.m., we’ll be ripping and rolling bandages to send to Congo and eating lunch hosted by the youth. For a $5 donation, you’ll be able to build your own sandwich wrap. This is a great service opportunity for all ages.
WE NEED: Used cotton, cotton/poly blend, or linen sheets, pillowcases, tablecloths or fabric bolts with no holes, patches or stains. Any color with or without pattern is acceptable (don’t have any laying around the house? Super cheap at second-hand stores!).
We will also be taking a free will offering at the end of worship to help cover the shipping costs of the bandages ($2.50 per pound). Please consider contributing in some way this Sunday. These bandages make a difference!
This summer we are focusing on compassion, mercy and justice in Jesus’ name, and there are plenty of opportunities to engage in service!
Sign up for service opportunities during worship on Sunday or contact the church office. Thank you for serving in Jesus’ name through your local church body!
Sunday, 8/14, after worship – Letter-writing to Leaders on Hunger & Poverty @ Church
Saturday, 8/20, 12pm-4:15pm – Kids Day Food-packing Session @ Greater Chicago Food Depository
Sunday, 8/21, after worship – Rip N’ Roll Bandages for Congo @ Church
Wednesday, 8/24, 8pm-9:30pm – Food-packing Session @ Feed My Starving Children (Schaumburg)
Please pray for this group of high school students and leaders as they are heading out to serve on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana this week, beginning Saturday, July 23.
Porter Abbey
Rosalie Abbey
Noah Chisman
Olivia Chisman
Nettie DeNeui
Abigail Hancock
Kara McCready
Perri Mueller
Forrest Reed
Lee & Becky Edwards
Next Sunday, July 31st worship will include a time to share our summer encounters with doing compassion, mercy and justice in Jesus’ name. Testimonies can be shared from the microphone or written out and read by the pastor. Questions to consider: How have you shared CMJ in Jesus’ name with someone this summer? How did that person respond? How was the experience for you? If you haven’t participated, what’s holding you back? How may God be equipping you to step out in faith and serve others? All are invited to participate. For God’s glory and neighbor’s good.
If you would like to encourage our youth in their discipleship and service of Jesus, last-minute sponsors for the high school missions trip are needed. The students are journeying this week to Montana to serve with YouthWorks in a rural, reservation town, by leading VBS and doing work projects. Three students still need assistance covering the $260 cost.If you can help, write a check to Grace ECC with “sponsor missions trip” in the memo line and put it in the offering plate, or contact pastormandy(at)gracechurchchicago.org. Thank you
If compassion pulls drowning people out of a river, justice goes up stream to deal with reasons people are being pushed or falling into the river in the first place.
Understand Biblical justice by reading the ECC’s Resource Paper on Compassion, Mercy and Justice and joining in a discussion on Sunday, July 31 following worship.
Then, learn about immigration reform and write Congress (PDF download).
