Grace Alive - Fall 2022

Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church Iglesia Presbiteriana Gracia de Cristo

“Together at Grace, Loving God and Loving Others”

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2022 VOL 135

Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Pastor — Curt McFarland, Pastor TOGETHER, BUILDING ON THE ONE FOUNDATION

Trusting in Him who brings the growth “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth... For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” – 1 Corinthians 3:5-7, 11 The passage above is one the church program staff recently reflected on. As I write this article I am at home, looking out my window, watching the pouring of the concrete foundation for the last of the 12 homes in our little subdivision. Since the sale of that piece of property more than a year ago it seemed nothing much was happening. In reality a lot of work was being done.

Plans were developed, permits obtained, power, water, and irrigation lines dug, pipes put in place. Then these future homeowners designed their home and contracted with a builder.

The place where the home would stand was dug, leveled, soil compacted, all to ensure a solid foundation. The building code established the right amount of concrete to bear the weight of the home for generations to come.

the future, has been God-given, not the result of human effort.

In the Adult Education room (next to the main office) there is a wall with photos of pastors that have served the church from its very first years. Pastors like David Ferry, Charles Ghormley, Mark Koehler, Vic Pentz, Rick Murray, Steve Barker, Gustavo Carvajal, Jack Peebles. Individual lives have been changed, eternally. Our city has been dramatically impacted by our church’s commitment to its foundation, to Jesus.

Let us never forget that it isn’t a particular pastor, no matter how eloquent, how charming, how skillful, that brought growth, God gave, gives, and will give, growth. Pastors have played a role, but so many others have too. Who should be on that wall in the Adult Ed room? A picture of each and every person, each of you, who have (has) loved Jesus and built First Pres/Grace on Him. We have failed at times. We are a work in progress. He is still at working among us, in us, through us! God is so good, patient, and kind.

Together, building on the One foundation, trusting in Him who brings the growth, – Curt

As the concrete foundation is being poured, I am reminded of its importance for a home, a church, for our own Christian faith. If the foundation isn’t right everything falls apart.

What is the foundation for our life together at Grace of Christ?

The foundation determines what the house, what Grace, will look like, how stable it will be, how long it will last, what kinds of things will happen inside, and how those inside will love others outside.

Grace of Christ (First Pres) has an incredible history. How grateful we are today that those before us took the time to build wisely, faithfully, and their investment has given us, in the fall of 2022, a firm foundation to continue building on. But let’s not fool ourselves, any real growth through the years, and in

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MEN’S BREAKFAST

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8 | 7:30AM | GYM Hey guys! Mark your calendars – there will be a men’s breakfast on Saturday, October 8th at 7:30am in the church gym. A very hearty (and delicious) meal and good conversation with the guys. A great way to start the weekend. Men of all ages are welcome – bring your sons or grandsons, friend from work, and your neighbor! Please let the church office know if you want to help cook & set-up or help clean up afterwards.

Call 509-248-7940.

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Pastor INTRODUCING SIX PRIORITIES In discussions over the past few months your session (those you elected as elders, leaders, to guide Grace of Christ) arrived at Six Priorities we will focus on over the next 18-24 months. This does not change our main focus, our mission: Love God, Love Others. We believe this is God’s continuing desire for us, and for all who follow Jesus (Mark 12:28-31).

This also does not change our commitment, our priority, to speak about, and elevate, Jesus in everything we do (teach, preach, serve, care for each other, live our lives … everything). We are a Jesus church! Jesus, God in human flesh, came to rescue us. He is One and only hope (Matthew 1:21, Acts 4:12). In addition, we are a mission church deeply committed to our city, our community, and our world. To our last person, our last breath, we want to be a giving, loving, serving, generous community of Christians.

(4) STUDENTS: God has called us to care for students.

How can we faithfully love and serve students, pointing them to their Savior and ours? Elders: Doug Bernd, Michele Elledge. Staff: Kara Brown.

(5) CARE FOR STAFF AND KEY LEADERS: God has blessed Grace of Christ with a beautiful group of dedicated, passionate staff and key leaders. How can we care for them as they care for us? Elders: Rosanne Bacon, Janet Krieger, Keith Mathews, Duncan McRayde, Jeff Steere. Staff: Tammy Nunley.

(6) VULNERABILITY: We believe God wants Grace of Christ to be a safe place for those who have questions and doubts, those who may not agree with everything the pastors, the church, Christian faith, believes. Being a part of Grace is a call to community not conformity.

Elders: Jeff Arkills, Jeff Steere. Staff: Ericka Clark, Debbie Meyers.

These Six Priorities are not new ministries, instead they are six priorities that every existing ministry will take and infuse into what they are already doing. They are also a work in progress. Details have not been worked out. This is why we pray for your involvement as each of these six takes shape over the next 18-24 months.

In the next several weeks you will hear more about this process, and you will be invited to be a part of the team you are prayerfully drawn to. If you have questions or comments please speak to one of your elders, one of your staff, either Alex (Alex.Rule@yakimagrace.com) or Curt (Curt@ yakimagrace.com). Church phone: 509-248-7940.

The Six Priorities (and the elders and staff who will help guide each) in no particular order:

Session (Elders): Jeff Arkills, Rosanne Bacon, Doug Bernd, Michele Elledge, Janet Krieger, Carla Kupp, Keith Mathews, Duncan McRayde, Trinidad Rivera, Jeff Steere, Robin Stuber.

(1) PRAYER: We are committing ourselves again to prayer.

We want to better understand prayer, and more contin ually incorporate prayer in all we do. Elders: Carla Kupp, Keith Mathews. Staff: Alex Rule.

(2) ONE CHURCH: We will continue the process of becoming One Church, uniting Gracia de Cristo and Grace of Christ.

Elders: Rosanne Bacon, Michele Elledge, Trinidad Rivera.

Staff: Curt McFarland.

(3) OPEN CHURCH: We believe God has given us a beautiful facility in the heart of our city. How can we use our facility to bless our community? Elders: Robin Stuber, Duncan McRayde. Staff: Sarah Huck, Becca Mailand.

Book Excerpt from

“Letters and Papers from Prison” A portion of a prayer for fellow prisoners, Christmas 1943 “O God, early in the morning I cry to Thee. Help me to pray and to concentrate my thoughts on Thee; I cannot do this alone. In me there is darkness, but with Thee there is light; I am lonely, but Thou leavest me not; I am feeble in heart, but with Thee there is help; I am restless, but with Thee there is peace.

In me there is bitterness, but with Thee there is patience; I do not understand Thy ways, but Thou knowest the way for me... Lord Jesus Christ, Thou wast poor and in distress, a captive and forsaken as I am. Thou knowest all man’s troubles; Thou abidest with me when all men fail me... give me such love for God and men as will blot out all hatred and bitterness; give me the hope that will deliver me from fear and faint-heartedness... I remember in Thy presence all my loved ones, my fellow prisoners, and all who is this house perform their hard service; Lord have mercy. Restore me to liberty...”

– Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Pastor • 72% stated they would invite someone they knew to Grace of Christ • Top 6 Strengths of Grace of Christ: 1) Sunday Morning Services/Preaching 2) Friendships 3) Mission Commitment 4) Ghormley 5) Studying the Bible 6) Sunday Music • Top Needs/Priorities for Grace of Christ: 1) Sunday Morning Preaching 2) Leadership Stability after so many changes 3) Children’s Ministry 4) Student Ministry 5) Help in a personal crisis

SOME OF THE SURVEY COMMENTS RECEIVED

THE CHOSEN

Wednesday, September 21 | 6:45pm Bring your family for a good meal at 6:00pm in the gym and then join one of the studies planned for every age group.

“Grace of Christ has taken a stand on issues that I disagree with. This has been my home church for many decades, and I was saddened to leave.”

Pastor Curt will be leading an adult class that will watch the TV series, "The Chosen," based on the life of Jesus as seen through the eyes of those who met Him. A guided discussion following each episode will provide background information with historical and cultural context as we study the truths about God revealed in His word.

“I have been grieved, frustrated, and discouraged at times.

Sometimes tempted to try elsewhere but figured I would find the same elements elsewhere.”

ALL-CHURCH SURVEY UPDATE… More from our All-Church Survey

“We need leadership stability after so many changes.”

“I would love to see a spirit of acceptance, welcome, and respect to all who enter our church, rather than judgment.”

This last spring, we sent a survey either by mail or email to those connected to Grace. If you did not receive one and would like to take part, please connect with Ericka. (509) 248-7940 x107 or Info@yakimagrace.com. In the last issue of Grace Alive, we provided some of the comments from surveys returned to date. Below you will find additional information we learned, and some of the comments we received.

TO DATE, 455 SURVEYS WERE RETURNED • 88% of those returning surveys have been connected with Grace of Christ for 7 years or more • 87% of those returning surveys are over the age of 55 • 65% (40) on the shorter survey indicated they are members or legacy members of Grace of Christ • 73% (287) on the longer 5-minute survey indicated they were members. Another 11% (43) legacy members, and an additional 9% (34) attend regularly but are not members • 97% indicated they were Christians • 25% indicated they, or someone they know, had been hurt by decisions and actions of the church. 59% said they had not been hurt. 16% were unsure if they or others had been hurt 4

“I will be attending more regularly once, God willing, COVID subsides.”

“It is a beautiful church with wonderful and caring people!”

“Hurt is too strong, changes instituted or proposed without input from the ‘pews’; top down driven.”

I would not invite someone to Grace, not the shape it is in now. There is no definite purpose for it. Why is Grace of Christ here? What is its purpose? What are we learning as believers in the Yakima Valley, State of Wa. or the world?”

“I was hurt by the secrecy around firings or leavings.”

“I would like to see Grace of Christ be more open in sharing things with the church instead of keeping things so secret!”

“This church is so welcoming and it’s a beautiful church. The pastor is so nice and welcoming. There are amazing people and they have good events and groups you could go to and same with volunteer opportunities. It’s an awesome church and I would definitely recommend this beautiful church.”

Thank you for taking part in the survey. Our church staff and leadership are grateful, humbled, encouraged, and have been educated, by your survey responses. The survey was not the end, but a beginning. Listening and learning must be a part of our life together at Grace, now and in the years ahead.

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Outreach — Alex Rule, Pastor

DIOS CUMPLE SUS PROMESAS GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in Me, and I in you. Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

– John 14:15-21 (ESV) God our Father, has promised us that He will always be with us. He sent His son Jesus to bear witness to His great truth, and Jesus has revealed His Father God to us. He tells us that if we truly love Him, we must keep His commandments, and by doing so He will also send us the Spirit of Truth. I personally believe in a powerful and sovereign God, creator of the earth and the entire universe, of the visible and the invisible, who always governs with unlimited love and wisdom. I also believe that God has absolute power over time, matter, and space. I believe He always keeps His promises.

Father, I trust and believe that You will always be with us because Your promises, love and wisdom are true and are forever. Thank You for loving us, our families, church, community, country, and the world. I pray for Your divine intervention to stop the wars and all kinds of diseases.

Please bring Your love and peace to our world and let us enjoy Your mighty creation. In Jesus’ name, amen!

“Si ustedes me aman, obedecerán mis mandamientos. Y yo le pediré al Padre, y él les dará otro Consolador para que los acompañe siempre: el Espíritu de verdad, a quien el mundo no puede aceptar porque no lo ve ni lo conoce. Pero ustedes sí lo conocen, porque vive con ustedes y estará[a] en ustedes. No los voy a dejar huérfanos; volveré a ustedes.

Dentro de poco el mundo ya no me verá más, pero ustedes sí me verán. Y porque yo vivo, también ustedes vivirán. En aquel día ustedes se darán cuenta de que yo estoy en mi Padre, y ustedes en mí, y yo en ustedes. ¿Quién es el que me ama? El que hace suyos mis mandamientos y los obedece. Y al que me ama, mi Padre lo amará, y yo también lo amaré y me manifestaré a él.” – Juan 14:15-21 Dios nuestro padre, nos ha prometido que siempre estará con nosotros, Él ha enviado a su hijo Jesús para dar testimonio de su gran verdad, y Jesús nos ha revelado a su padre Dios. Él nos dice que si verdaderamente lo amamos debemos guardar Sus mandamientos, y al hacerlo Él también nos enviará el Espíritu de la Verdad. Yo personalmente creo en un Dios poderoso y soberano, creador de la tierra y del universo entero, de lo visible y de lo invisible, que gobierna siempre con Amor y Sabiduría ilimitados. También creo que Dios tiene poder absoluto sobre el Tiempo, la Materia y el Espacio, y que Él siempre cumple Sus promesas.

Padre confío y creo que siempre estarás con nosotros porque tus promesas, amor y sabiduría son verdaderas y son para siempre. Gracias por amarnos a nosotros, a nuestras familias, iglesia, comunidad, país y al mundo. Oramos por tu intervención divina para detener las guerras y todo tipo de enfermedades. Por favor trae tu Amor y Paz a nuestro mundo, y déjanos disfrutar de tu poderosa creación. En el nombre de JESÚS, AMEN!

In Memory of Maurice ~ En Memoria De Maurice

In early June, we honored our dearly missed Maruice Peugh with the dedication of a special garden on the west side of the church building.

Maurice spent many, many hours creating and maintaining our church grounds over the past years. Every day he is remembered fondly as we see his many touches throughout our church and grounds. Family and friends came to see the unveiling of the memorial rock, admire the new landscaping, and enjoy cake and conversation.

A principios de junio, honramos a nuestra muy extrañada Maruice Peugh con la dedicación de un jardín especial en el lado oeste del edificio de la iglesia.

Maurice pasó muchas, muchas horas creando y manteniendo los terrenos de nuestra iglesia durante los últimos años. Todos los días lo recordamos con cariño al ver sus muchos toques en nuestra iglesia y terrenos. Familiares y amigos vinieron a ver la inauguración de la roca conmemorativa, admirar el nuevo paisaje y disfrutar del pastel y la conversación.

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Outreach

ADAMS OPEN HOUSE

CASA ABIERTA DE ADAMS

What a great opportunity we have to serve God in our community. We were invited to Adams Elementary Open House, on Monday, August 22. Some members of our church received the call to volunteer and serve food to the many families who attended this very important event. Thank you all for loving God and loving our neighbors.

Que gran oportunidad tenemos de servir a Dios en nuestra comunidad. Fuimos invitados a la Casa Abierta de la Primaria Adams, el evento se llevó a cabo el lunes 22 de agosto. Algunos miembros de nuestra iglesia recibieron el llamado para ser voluntarios y servir comida a las muchas familias que asistieron a este evento tan importante. Gracias a todos por amar a Dios y amar a nuestro prójimo.

COLECTA DE ROPA DE INVIERNO Después de más de dos años de pandemia, nuestro evento de ropa está de vuelta. Este año será diferente y solo recibiremos y regalaremos ropa de invierno nueva o usada.

Abrigos, suéteres, pantalones, gorras, bufandas, guantes y botas para hombres, mujeres, niños y niñas. Nuestra colecta de ropa de invierno está programada para el sábado 15 de octubre de 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. en el gimnasio de la iglesia.

Si traes algo para regalar pero no está en la lista, considere llevarlo a cualquiera de las tiendas de la Misión.

WINTER CLOTHING DRIVE After two plus years of pandemic, our clothing giveaway is back! This year we are doing things differently. We will ONLY be collecting and giving away WINTER clothes in NEW or GOOD condition. Coats, sweaters, pants, hats, scarves, gloves, and boots for men, women, and/or children.

Tú eres muy importante para nosotros, por favor trae a tu familia y lleva la ropa que necesites, también puedes traer algo de ropa para compartir con nuestra comunidad.

Sabiendo que Dios nos Ama con Su Amor Eterno los estaremos esperando con las puertas abiertas.

You are very important to us, please bring your family and take the clothes you need, you can also bring some clothes to share with our community. Our Winter Clothing Drive will be Saturday, October 15 from 9:00am - 1:00pm in the church gym. Bring your donations (see list above) to the church beginning October 1. If you have items to donate, but they are not on the list above, please consider taking them to any of the Union Gospel Mission Thrift Stores.

Knowing that God Loves us with His Eternal Love we will be waiting for you with open doors.

Working for The Kingdom of God, – Pastor Alex Rule 6

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Trabajando para el Reino de Dios, – Pastor Alex Rule

Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Women’s Ministry WOMEN'S MINISTRY FALL KICK-OFF!

Writing a fall kick-off article in late July, while the forecast is in the 100’s all week, seems crazy! In this moment, it is hard to believe fall is just around the corner. Yet as we look ahead to harvest and the new school year, it always feels like time to re-start or renew. It is time to return to regular routines and rhythms after the summer break. Women’s Ministry at Grace of Christ has great opportunities for every woman this fall – some familiar and some completely new. Take a look.

WOMEN’S LUNCHEON

A Renovated Faith | Garden Room Saturday, September 10 | 11am We are carving out time to invite God and His living Word to restore places in our lives where difficulties, wounds, or trauma have taken a toll on our relationships or spiritual vitality. SomeTina Wanamaker times it’s as if there are cracks in our walls of faith, yet the Great Renovator is available and ready to set us back on a firm foundation. We hope you will join Tina, our speaker, and our amazing community of women as we grow in our faith together. RSVP through the church website or call the church office at: 509-248-7940.

WOMEN OF THE WORD (WOW) BIBLE STUDY

Tuesday, September 20 | 9:45am | Fireside Room Women of the Word (WOW) Tuesday morning Bible study is back and we will be looking at the Psalms, Jesus’ prayer book. This will be a meaningful time together as we study and pray nine different Psalms. Our teaching team (Donna Fuhlman, Donna Oliva, John Stolzenbach) will be leading us through LifeGuide’s “Praying the Psalms” study guide, which can be purchased at the first class. Questions? Call Donna Oliva 509-452-3961.

Please join us for this time of prayer, study, laughter, meeting new friends, and increasing our faith.

in the gym and then join one of the studies planned for every age group. Robin Stuber will be teaching a nine-week study for women on deepening our relationship with Jesus, titled Arise. If you can’t make it to dinner, class begins at 6:30pm.

Just as relationships with others are sometimes wonderful, challenging, scary or just plain hard, it can be the same in our relationship with Jesus. But thankfully, He has given us road signs along the way. In this class, we will look at the names Jesus gives us about Himself that can help deepen our relationship with Him and others. And it all starts with “Arise”!

TIME TO RETREAT?

Creekside Camp | Antelope, OR | Sept 30 – Oct 2nd The next Grace of Christ women’s retreat will happen in 2023.

What to do in the meantime? Come to the Oregon Young Life’s Washington Family Ranch Creekside Camp for their Women’s Retreat. Several GOC women are helping with this retreat and Emily Jamiesen, who spoke at our 2019 retreat in Leavenworth, will be the speaker. She is focusing on how God’s faithfulness is the source of our hope – future hope AND present hope. We can receive wisdom and joy in the midst of difficult circumstances because we are not alone. God has proven that not even death can separate us from His love. Living in the reality of this kind of hope will change our lives.Creekside Camp is an amazing property. The 3 ½ hour drive will fly by if you carpool with a few friends. Great food, fellowship, inspiration, and activities.

Yes, a wonderful getaway.

Register at the website and select "Women’s Weekend" https://washingtonfamilyranch.younglife.org/events/ Make a note you are with Grace of Christ Church. We will room together and eat together in the dining hall, building our church family relationships while we are there. Questions?

Connect with anyone on our Women’s Ministry team: Sarah Huck, Jennifer Ulmer, Sarah Myers, Rachell Newman, Julie Grove, Jennifer Brice in the church office, or Trinidad Rivera.

FALL WEDNESDAYS@GRACE

Wednesday, September 21 | 7pm Fellowship and food often go together at Grace, and this time it’s dinner! Bring your family for a good meal at 6:00pm 7

For More Information or Registration Details If you’d like more details or registration information for these opportunities, visit the Women’s Ministry table in the Garden Room, check our website, https://yakimagrace.com/women, or call the church office at 509-248-7940. If you’re a woman attending Grace, we’d love to have you and your friends join us this fall. It’s time to renew our faith together.

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Family & Children’s Ministry — Sarah Huck Family & Children's Ministry Director

HELLO GRACE FAMILIES! I hope and pray everyone had a wonderful summer. It sure goes fast, doesn’t it? As a kid I remember thinking summer lasted forever, and by the end of August, I couldn’t wait to start school and wear my new clothes my mother made me wait to wear! But now, as an adult, I blink and summer is over.

I’ve been aware of time my whole life. Don’t worry, I won’t go all Ecclesiastes on you. But even as a child I knew about time – what time it was, the time it took me to do something, the time I had to spend with a friend, the time I could read, and the time it would take to ride my horse to the candy store in Wiley City. And one thing I hated, HATED, and still hate, is wasting time. Somehow, at a very early age, I was able to understand the value of time. After all, it is the one thing we cannot get back. People can even come back to life, but they cannot get back time.

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.

Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God. And there is no other.

My people shall never be put to shame.

– Joel 2:25-27 This is a word the Lord spoke to me about a decade ago. I was grieved over poor decisions I had made and the years I had spent partnering with unhealthy behaviors and habits.

It affected my family, my marriage, and most of all my relationship with God. God spoke to me one night, saying, “Sarah, I will redeem the years the locusts have eaten.” And when I heard that, I wept. God would redeem the years! God is faithful. God is so good. And He has honored His promise.

One way I see this redemption is through my job at Grace of Christ. I have experienced the goodness of the Lord as I’ve followed nudges on what to teach our KidZone kids and who to invite to VBS and Sunday School, as well as through the amazing volunteers who have agreed to serve with me.

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But let me be more specific. On Sunday, July 24th, I taught our Sunday School kids about Elisha purifying the deadly stew with flour (from 2 Kings 4:38). I asked the kids how Elisha knew to put flour in the stew. After several comments, one little boy raised his hand and said, “Elisha asked God what to do.”

I asked, “How do you know that? The Bible doesn’t tell us that Elisha prayed to God and asked him what to do.” The boy said, “He asked God because the Bible says he was a man of God. So, he heard from God. He knew God!” Why am I so excited about that? This boy had only been coming to church since VBS. That is four Sundays. No prior knowledge of God or Jesus, yet he gets it. My next question was, “Why didn’t God just wave a magic wand and make the soup good? He was God after all. So why not do this Himself?” We were able to talk about how God created us to be in relationship, and sometimes He wants to do things through us rather than for us.

I shared a real-life story with the kids about an impossible problem I had, but when I prayed to God, He gave me the solution. I asked the kids if they wanted to have this kind of relationship with God – this kind of friendship with Jesus.

Five boys gave their lives to Christ that Sunday. And let me say that these kids had never done this before. This wasn’t one of those times where a child gives his heart to Jesus over and over because everyone else is doing it, not that there is anything wrong with that. Some of these kids were new to our church and new to this whole idea of Jesus. But they wanted what Elisha had. They wanted to be men of God. Parents, time is short. You will never get to do these years over with your kids. How do you want them to be prepared to deal with the deadly things they will be exposed to? The difficult choices they will have to make? The way they will view their purpose for living and the meaning of life?

There are a lot of fun things, a lot of good things, and a lot of ways to spend Sundays. But there is a short amount of time to equip your kids to know the love and power of Jesus and to develop friendships with others who are choosing to follow the Lord.

No matter what stage of life you’re in, I encourage you to be a man or woman of God. Time goes by quickly. Don’t waste it. Use it wisely, bringing God’s love everyplace you go. Allow Him to do miracles through you. He’s your God, and now is the time.

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Family & Children’s Ministry "Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?"

– Job 38:41 "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

– Luke 12:7

Cubbies Class

KIDZONE OPEN HOUSE

Sunday, September 18 | 9AM | Kidzone We are exicited for you and your children to join us for our annual KidZone Open House on Sunday, September 18th!

This is a time set aside for new and returning Grace of Christ parents and kids to become famililar with their classrooms, meet some of their Sunday School teachers and it's also an opportunity for students meet and reconnect with friends.

(Ages 3 - Kinder) Cubbies recently made bird feeders to remind them that God provides.

"Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!"

– Luke 12:24

Each of our classes are filled with creative lessons, games, activities and artwork that points us toward our goal of learning how to love Jesus, learn Jesus and live Jesus. If you would like to learn more or are interested in volunteering, please contact Sarah@yakimagrace.com.

GRACE KIDS… What have they been up to?

Seekers (1st - 5th Graders)

Our Seekers class had a great group discussion after Hamilton and Carol Licht’s teaching. The Lichts always come up with inventive ways to bring the lesson to life.

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STARRY NIGHT PAINTING Kathaleen McFarland recently joined our class to teach us how to paint our own Starry Starry Night canvas!

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Family & Children’s Ministry FAMILIES… What have they been up to?

TRUNK OR TREAT

Our family swim day at the Gustafson’s was a hit! Three new families attended, and the kids had such a fun time, as did the parents! Thank you, G’s!

Saturday, October 29 | 6–8pm | Parking Lot This year Trunk or Treat will be on Saturday, October 29th from 6pm – 8pm in the church parking lot. We need cars and candy! If you would like to bring your car, lead a carnival game, or just volunteer please let me know! Join us Sundays, Wednesdays, Trunk or Treat or just by praying for each of our little ones. It is a privilege to serve as we follow Jesus!

STARRY STARRY NIGHT

HAMBURGERS & HAIRCUTS

FAMILY SWIM

We hope you were able to come to our Starry Starry Night in August. We are truly blessed with such gifted vocalists and musicians in our Valley.

Our very own (and amazing) Jason Wickson, along with talented Joseph Brooks (on clarinet), and Sam Ritchie with his teacher, Anne Schilperoort (on piano), collaborated in presenting a dynamic concert of Starry Starry Night. We enjoyed excerpts from Handel’s Messiah and Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise.

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Our 2nd annual H & H event was huge success!

Speaker Brian Jones shared a powerful message with the kids about the strong, redeeming love of Jesus. A big thank you to the hair stylists who volunteered their time, to our church family volunteers and especially to Monte for feeding us delicious bbq burgers. We are already looking forward to next year!

Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Grace of Christ Preschool — Becca Mailand

yakimagrace.com/preschool

NEVER-CHANGING, EVER-CHANGING

(4) Our Board – may they lead with wisdom as we carry out the mission and vision of our preschool and support the mission and vision of Grace of Christ

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS

Preschoolers Learn to Rotate Through Each Activity Table The beginning of the school year is so familiar to families: the mad dash for school supplies, new outfits, haircuts, lunchbox friendly foods, and the struggle to find shoes that fit just enough to stay on but not so well that they’ll be outgrown in a few months. When the school year starts, everything is shiny, new, sharpened, and organized. But there is also a lot that is the same each year: shopping, meeting teachers, bedtimes, breakfast routines... Even as teachers we have our start-up checklists that we dust off every August: cubbies, name tags, circle spots, curriculum, Me Books, art supplies, books, puzzles, and building blocks.

There is anticipation in the new and comfort in the old. Too much newness creates uncertainty and fear. Too much tradition can make programs feel stagnant. But a balance between the two builds a strong foundation for faith, education, and relationships while filling us with joy, excitement, and a fresh start each morning. We as a preschool team turn to prayer when we can’t find a balance, and in our prayer, we discover an important truth: Our God is “the same yesterday and today and forever” and He also tells us, “Behold, I am doing a new thing!”

School starts! We’re welcoming back nine returning students and over 20 new students! Our main floor classroom is home to our 2-day and 3-day programs. The classroom got updated this summer, check out the new paint and bright lights. The space is so inviting! We also added another classroom on our 2nd floor. Take a peek inside 217 to see the wonderful things happening in our 5-Day PreK classroom.

Our annual pumpkin patch field trip and pumpkin party is our first big celebration of the school year. We’ll have photos up in the halls and online towards the end Investigating Pumpkins of October.

2022-2023 PRESCHOOL STAFF

We hired two assistant teachers for this fall. Watch our staff page online to see their bios and make sure you say hi to them in the halls.

PRAYER REQUESTS (1) New Students – may they be filled with excitement, not fear

(2) Returning Students

may they find a fresh new start to this year

(3) Teachers – may

they build strong relationships with each other, their students & families

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Crystal Lopez, Ana Espinoza, Amber Miller, Amiya Aparicio Becca Mailand, Preschool Director Crystal Lopez, Lead Teacher – 5-Day Ana Espinoza, Assistant Teacher – 5-Day Amber Miller, Lead Teacher – 2-Day/3-Day Amiya Aparicio, Assistant Teacher – 2-Day/3-Day

2022-2023 PRESCHOOL BOARD

Robin Stuber (Chair), Kayelyn Aggett, Jennifer Brice, Darlene Fairbrook, Lauryl Garcia, Carla Kupp, Jean Schiewe Taking a Turn in the Gunnysacks Ya k i m a G r a c e . c o m

Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Deacons DEACON MINISTRY AT GRACE Serving the Grace Family through the Encouragement Ministry The men and women of Grace serving on the Deacon Ministry have the privilege of loving on the Grace family through three specific sub-ministries. The Communion Ministry, the Celebration of Life Ministry and the Encouragement Ministry. For this article, let’s focus on the Encouragement Ministry.

ENCOURAGEMENT MINISTRY

Each deacon has at least one Grace family member that they pray for and encourage in practical ways. Most are unable to attend church due to a variety of reasons, so a visit with their deacon is something they look forward to.

Enjoying Small Pleasures Together So how do you encourage someone in a practical way? Consider Janet Doty’s experience. Janet visits Peggy Riley, a long time Grace member who now lives in Garden Village Facility. As they were getting to know each other, Janet learned that Peggy loves strawberry sundaes. Well that meant a trip to Dairy Queen much to Peggy’s delight! Janet learned that Peggy had family members buried in the Terrace Heights Memorial Park.

So, a drive through the city, with a visit at the grave sites was planned. Delightful memories, reminiscing and then feeding the ducks made for a joyful afternoon.

Mary Pooler Gets a Haircut from Deacon Robbie Johnson

Blessing Others with Your Talents Deacon Robbie Johnson visits long time Grace member, Mary Pooler who lives at Blossom House. During a recent visit Mary shared she wished she could get her hair done. Well Robbie happens to be a hairdresser. She spread out a sheet on the floor, wrapped a cape around Mary, grabbed her scissors and worked her magic much to Mary’s delight! Being a deacon is just blessing others with the skills God has blessed you with.

“I never thought I could be a Deacon. I was scared when I first started. But now I love this opportunity to serve the Grace Family.”

Peggy Riley's 100th Birthday Celebration

Celebrating Peggy's 100th Birthday When Sigrid Hagen, Peggy’s daughter, let the deacons know that her mom was turning 100 on May 30th, deacon Peggy Steere enlisted the help of a host of deacons to put on a fabulous 100th Birthday Party and luncheon for friends and family. There was worship together, birthday cake with the Grace congregation in the Garden room, followed with lunch, hosted by the deacons, in the Lounge. Balloons, cake, friends, laughing, and stories meant one great party!

“This was my best birthday ever!” Peggy reported.

I guess after you’ve had 100 of them, that’s saying something!

Loving people in practical and meaningful ways. That’s what deacons do.

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Pastor Curt Knows The “Encouragers” Need Encouraging Too

Encouraging the Encouragers Kathaleen and Curt opened their home to the deacons for a delicious meal, a hilarious challenging game of Jeopardy and a sweet time of sharing and prayer. Encouraging and refreshing!

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Student Ministry STUDENT’S SUMMER RECAP Ghormley's Middle School Camp We had so much fun this summer...

Middle School camp was a blast. It was a week of action-packed fun.

From the slip’n slide to Thursday’s lake day! We know the students that went had life changing experiences. The surge of enthusiasm they rode all week has stayed with them and we hope continues to lead them to the next step in life as they start school in a Exploring God's Creation new environment.

Ghormley's Water-Ski Camp Water-Ski camp was in July and boy what a ride! Our students that went definitely caught some awesome waves! All were beginners at skiing or wake-boarding and they took to it like naturals!

Students filled some of the more laid back moments by spending time in the water or making friendship bracelets with both new friends and old. But most Captain Amy at the Helm exciting, they had great conversations with the speaker on their understanding of Jesus.

Summer Pool Parties at the Gustafson's, Licht's & Bensons

Summer Pool Parties

Besides camp, we had our weekly pool parties all summer.

We want to thank the Gustafson’s, Licht’s, and the Benson’s for lending us the use of their pools. We appreciate you guys wholeheartedly. Thank you for letting us cool off throughout the hot summer!

International Water Fight Day

First Time Skiers Master the Waves 13

And finally, we ended our weekly summer meets with a splash. We have a bit of a yearly tradition of having what we call International Water Fight Day! We use the amazing space we have by the north and south lawns as well as a good chunk of the parking lot to have a giant game of capture the flag with water balloons. It was epic.

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Student Ministry WELCOME TO FALL

We will start our Fall Wednesday Program on September 21st and will continue until December 14th.

OUR WEDNESDAY NIGHT SCHEDULE 6

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DINNER (IN GYM) 6:00-6:30 6:45-7:15 GAME (S) TALK/DISCUSSIONS

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7:15-8:00

NEED A RIDE? If you need help with transportation, the van will be available afterwards for rides home.

STUDENT MENTORS Our mentorship program contiues to be priority. We hope to realize a 5 to 1 students to mentor ratio. With our mentorship program, we hope to connect our students to adults with similar interest in hopes to get our students to find connections within our church. We will have other events, hosted by our connectors, beginning later in the year, so keep an eye out for those. We can’t wait for another great school year!

NEW DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MINISTRY

Grace of Christ welcomes Kara Brown as Director of Student Ministry. We believe that her love for God, experience and enthusiasm will guide the youth of our church along the paths of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Kara Brown

MEET KARA BROWN Greetings Grace of Christ! I am honored by your inviting me to nurture and teach your students, and I am enthused about getting to mentor, disciple and love them as Christ might.

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Kara Brown and Husband Aaron Brown

My own relationship with Christ began at a young age, having grown up the 5th of seven pastor’s kids. My father preached for 30 years with the Southern Baptist denomination, and I was blessed to be surrounded by true representations of the love and sacrifice of Christ.

Both my parents as well as church lay leaders were bright examples of true Christ-likeness and I chose to follow in their faith-filled footsteps as a grade schooler, later also choosing to be baptized as a middle schooler.

Spanish Language Studies at UW I worshiped with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship during my college years at the University of Washington while I played sports and pursued a degree in Spanish language studies. It was such a gift to have my understanding of Jesus expand as I began to rub shoulders with Christians from all different backgrounds.

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Student Ministry Mending Wings Ministries & Habitat for Humanity After graduating from the UW in 2006, I took an internship serving youth on the Yakama Reservation with Mending Wings Ministries in Wapato. Following the conclusion of the internship I joined the Carpenters Union and worked in that trade for seven years; five of those years with Habitat for Humanity, eventually becoming a site supervisor for them.

My greatest joy as a crew leader was creating an environment for volunteers where they could be equipped, encouraged and empowered to contribute toward our goal.

No matter what skills they came with, there was always a way in which they could participate, and I absolutely loved making the job site a place where all felt welcomed and spurred towards their potential.

During that time, I worshiped with Hope for The Nations Foursquare church in Toppenish and then with Harvest Community Church in Selah. I once again enjoyed the blessing of learning more about the many facets of God and His Kingdom by fellowshipping with new denominations. I served on the worship teams and with the youth ministries in these congregations, also leading a small group for a short time.

Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, Music Director In 2018 I followed a divinely orchestrated invitation to take the position of Music Director for Mt. Olive Lutheran Church. It was a rich time for growth in my leadership style and confidence built in the mighty strength of our

Thank you ! l e e h z a J d n a e a Am

On behalf of Grace of Christ, we want to thank Jahzeel Garcia and Amae Merrill for their great leadership and constant support of our youth. Being available to help our young people is not an easy task, and you both did extraordinary work, especially in times of pandemic.

We want you to know that you are a vital part of the Kingdom of God here on earth. Your love and patience for our church and your ministry is appreciated. May God continue to bless you both, and Kara as you work for the Kingdom of God and His youth ministry.

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unifying God as I experienced the beauties of serving a liturgical congregation. During my service there I met and married my husband Aaron, who hails from Eastern Oregon and moved up to Yakima when we got married on leap day of 2020.

The Opportunity to Serve at Grace The opportunity to serve as youth pastor for Grace of Christ Presbyterian is also, in my view, a divinely orchestrated door that was opened for me. God has been steadily and deeply planting in me several passions of His heart for our young people, and I believe that those are key elements to the direction in which He would guide our studies and discipleship with the youth.

While I’m sure that He will redirect us often into seasonally specific themes as we move forward together; a few of the deep passions that are guiding me at the outset are:

That this would be a place...

(1) where God’s present-day power and presence are expected.

(2) where we hear His voice clearly and often.

(3) where we are surrounded by people who love us like Jesus has loved them.

(4) where each student grows to better understand God’s unique and Kingdom-centered design for each of them.

I look forward to working alongside you all to nurture a youth cadre that experiences the love, truth and power of God. – Kara

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

– Colossians 3:23-25

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Amae Merrill & Jazheel Garcia

Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Hospitality & Serving at Grace PRAYER AND HOSPITALITY

“The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” – Psalm 145:18 Many years ago, I read a story of a missionary who went to a remote region where two unreached people groups lived on opposite sides of a mountain. He knew he couldn’t witness and minister to both groups because of the distance between them, so he decided to live amongst one group and made a vow to the LORD to go to the top of the mountain each day and pray for the people on the far side. After a good many years, the coverts were few among the people group with whom he lived. But, one day he happened to make it to the village on the far side and found there many believers and the Gospel thriving. This account has stuck with me and is a reminder that the greatest work we can do is to spent time in prayer! This quote sums it up well, “When man works, man works. But when man prays, God works.” – Martin Kim

PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER…

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” – Ephesians 6:18 Prayer has been a hallmark of Grace of Christ Church for many years. In Luke 18:1, Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Prayer is foundational in Christian discipleship. It is essential for ministry even as we extend the welcome of Jesus to others as they enter our church on Sunday mornings or hand out cookies. Prayer should undergird all aspects of our ministry as well as our individual daily walk with Jesus.

to LORD under the leadership of Nathan Gross. There were door prizes and updates on safety were shared. (FYI – We now have a defibrillator in the basement outside the women's bathroom.)

The group split up so that the Ushers could meet with head Usher Donnie Ide and Pastor Curt. The rest of the group spent time at their table sharing their own conversion story and praying together for the lost, the ministry of Hospitality, the church, and for revival. It was a good time together and a delight to see old friends and make some new friends!

We are always happy to have new people join our HMT team.

Don’t hesitate to let the church know if you are interested in joining in. We all like to be flexible, so we can always find a spot that can fit your schedule preference for volunteering.

HMT FELLOWSHIP AND TRAINING

The Hospitality Minitry Team (HMT) volunteers gathered together for some fellowship and training on August 17th.

After our meal we spent some time singing, worshipping

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We certainly could use someone who likes photography to take photos at church events.

Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Mission Ministry “Equipping disciples to love and serve our neighbors” Grace of Christ is a mission focused church, sharing DROPS OF GRACE locally, nationally and internationally having a global reach. Loving in the name and power of Christ, Grace of Christ truly has a world-wide impact, changing lives for His Kingdom. The Mission Ministry Team (MMT) maintains interaction with and oversees distribution of funds to more than twenty mission partners and organizations.

PERSPECTIVES CLASS

Comming To Grace of Christ Church | January 2023 In January 2023, Grace of Christ will be the location for a 15-week Perspectives Class. If you’d like more information or would like to register, please contact the church office or connect with our Mission Ministry Team. The Perspectives Ministry Vision is to see the Body of Christ awakened to pursue the fulfillment of God's global purpose within every people for His glory.

Mobilize the Body of Christ Perspective's Mission is to mobilize the Body of Christ in the USA through education to strategic engagement in God's global purpose, not necessarily to make missionaries out of all believers, but to have all believers be on mission with God. The aim of the Perspectives experience is to educate in order to mobilize the whole Body of Christ to become "World Christians," people who live intentionally to see God globally worshiped.

Becoming World Christians (1) The Course Grows Vision – the Biblical vision of God accomplishing His purpose.

(2) It Gives Purpose – as we align ourselves with God's timeless purpose and global promise.

(3) It Gives Hope – as we see people from every tongue, tribe and nation worshiping God together before His throne.

(4) It Unifies the Body of Christ – as we work with a common purpose to see Jesus glorified among the peoples of the earth.

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LIVING WATERS AND A FALL SPANISH CLASS Living Waters for the World empowers everyday people to change lives through clean water. We train, equip and support volunteers in forming global, clean-water mission partnerships. These mission partnerships empower international communities to install and sustain water purification systems and health education programs that transform lives. The Yakima Network partnership is with the Yucatan Mexico communities. In June, a check for $1000 was given to supplement the 10,000 pesos our Becal Partners had saved, for the purchase of a “moto caro.” This vehicle enabled them to meet the water delivery requests for this thriving community at the hottest time of the year.

SPANISH CLASS – Fun & Interactive for all Levels!

Wednesday | September 21 | 7pm As a part of our church’s fall Wednesdays@Grace, a Spanish Class, taught by Rebecca Whitmore and Terri Buchanan, will be offered as one of the options following the Wednesday dinners. The class begins September 21, with the goal of encouraging English speakers to expand their skill and comfort level speaking Spanish and interacting with Spanish speakers. The class will be fun, interactive, and free! Please plan to attend.

Living Water for the World – Yakima Meetings

Friday | September 16 | 1pm | Grace of Christ In October, Javier Valencia, a member of Grace’s LWW team, will be heading to Clean Water University in Camp Johnsonburg, NJ, for four days of intense training in installing water systems. The Yakima Network for LWW meets the third Friday at 1pm, here at Grace. If you enjoy traveling and making a difference in the lives of others, please join us!

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Mission Ministry University in Kenya and has designed courses for teaching in Francophone Africa. In addition, Dr. Tim is a world renown expert in AIDS education/prevention.

Bolstering the team, Muriel holds degrees from The University of Calgary and University of Alberta. Muriel has primarily acted as librarian/teacher and library consultant and trainer in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She also has been the developer and manager of school programs for needy children in church schools in rural Haiti.

Dr. Tim and Muriel Teusink

Following decades of service and... circling, circling, and circling the globe, now it is time for the Teusinks to return home.

After some 40 years of hands-on missionary work in the trenches, Dr. Tim Teusink (fondly known as Dr. Tim) and his wife Muriel will be retiring and returning to the United States. More specifically, Yakima. Logging numerous miles and saving countless lives (both physically and spiritually), the Teusinks’ stint as medical/educational missionaries is coming to a close.

Their mission work took root with Free Methodist World Missions in Haiti and Rwanda. Following was service with SIM (an international, interdenominational, evangelical mission organization) in Ethiopia, and France, as well as teaching throughout the African continent. Staying the course, the Teusinks continued with their SIM – France/Belgium duties in France – which acted as a springboard for travel between different continents. Coming full circle, Dr. Tim and Muriel will soon say “au revoir” and set foot upon American soil.

Choosing to lead lives of service over comfort and predictability, the Teusinks have truly impacted untold numbers and have made a world-wide difference. Dr. Tim and Muriel have selflessly served together for nearly four decades in the fields of medicine/surgery and education.

Dr. Tim earned his medical degrees from the University of Washington, then completed a residency in Family Medicine, followed by additional surgical and tropical medicine training. His master’s degree is in Bioethics (Medical Ethics).

Dr. Tim developed an international Bioethics curriculum, teaching at the Myungsung Medical College (MMC) in Addis Ababa, where he remains on visiting faculty. He also teaches medical ethics to Family Medicine residents at Kabarak 18

“There is not much we would have changed over the past decades –with the exception of working in a war zone – but, even that experience had its unique blessings, as we shared difficult challenges with our Rwandan brothers and sisters who taught us so much about trusting God in every situation,” Dr. Teusink reflects. “All of our colleagues in every country we’ve been blessed to work with, have left their profound imprint on our lives and for that we will be forever grateful.” – Dr. Tim Teusink Most recently, Dr. Tim has been actively teaching with the Christian Medical-Dental Associations Medical Missions Conference. CMDA-CMDE is an international association that exists to start and strengthen Christian national medical and dental movements in Greece. The CMDA-CMDE has made various excursions to Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Austria and France to visit supporters and to participate in conferences. As a long-time member of CMDA-CMDE, Dr. Tim has previously done some teaching at medical missions conferences in Kenya, Thailand and Greece.

The Teusinks’ work with SIM will continue to the end of 2022 as their assignments will involve visiting supporting churches and individuals, as well as attending a final debriefing at SIM-USA headquarters in Charlotte, NC, in October. In addition, the Teusinks will be mentoring a missionary couple who are just beginning their work in the field, as well as active recruitment involvement, particularly of medical/educational missionaries. Dr. Tim will continue his role with SIM International Health Ministry Team and will be available as a consultant with SIM-France until they secure a French physician.

One of the biggest, and perhaps most welcomed change will be that after many, many years spent apart, the Teusink family will finally be living on the same continent. After so many years spread around the world, the family will all be residing on the North American continent, with son Jonathon in Canada and daughter Bekah in the Pacific Northwest. Needless to say, the sacrifices of a global missionary family are great. Wishing the Teusinks a healthy, happy and blessed new chapter!

“With profound gratitude for your partnership, encouragement and support over the decades.” – Dr. Tim & Muriel Teusink

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Mission Ministry

Gerardo and Jenny Mendoza

Gerardo Working with Teens through Young Life

YOUNG LIFE WELCOMES GERARDO Gerardo Mendoza has an amazing ministry with students from his old neighborhood. Gerardo says that growing up in the hood was both a struggle and a blessing. It was a struggle because the area was full of gang violence, crime, and poverty. Through all the hardships, God continued to bless him with mentors and organizations that came into his life.

Together, The Madison House Community Center and Young Life gave to Gerardo what he needed most: a spotlight on Christ through personal relationships. He says, “I know that serving God through Youth Ministry is what I am called to do. If it was not for the people who invested in me at such a young age, the streets of Yakima could have been lethal.”

Gerardo started as an Intern at the Madison House when he was 18 years old, working with elementary kids on a daily basis and taking them to events and to camps. He wasn’t paid because at the time he was undocumented. In the summers, he worked at Lost Creek Camp as a lifeguard, counselor, and other jobs.

He met Jenny and knew she was the love of his life. They were married at Cascade Gardens, and now have two boys, Noah (age 6) and Jonah (age 3). For three years Gerardo stopped ministry and moved with Jenny to Seattle, where Jenny got her Masters Degree in Social Work. Now, she is a school counselor in East Valley. The Mendoza family goes to the 9:00 service at our church, where Gerardo is an usher.

Back at the Madison House, Gerardo was hired part-time by Young Life and by the Union Gospel Mission to be the Programs Coordinator at the Madison House. He helped recruit and train staff and most importantly nurtured them through the very hard task of loving kids. He created events to min19

ster to both the students and their parents. Under his leadership, Madison House started block parties that swelled to 300 participants. He implemented an outstanding Thanksgiving and a Christmas dinner program that served 100-120 parents and kids. Volunteers are hard to come by, but he was able to convince the community to jump in and help.

Gerardo strongly believes that to change the student, you must reach out to the parents.

This year, an opportunity opened up for Gerardo to work full-time for Young Life. He was hired to oversee all Young Life Ministries for the Yakima School District and the Union Gap school. Young Life maintains active ministries at Stanton, Davis and Eisenhower High School, as well as Wyld Life Clubs centered at Lewis & Clark, Franklin, Washington and Union Gap Middle Schools. He will be bringing 30 local high school and 13 middle school teens to a Young Life camp this summer.

Part of his job responsibilities include raising funds for the Yakima Valley's Young Life Ministry. Gerardo is praying for 22 partners throughout the valley to pray with and support his ministry with teenagers. With God’s help, he needs to raise $12,000. Will you consider being one of his partners?

Personal Checks can be made and sent to: Young Life – WA28 725 W. Yakima Avenue Yakima, WA 98902 Gerardo’s email is Gerardo.mendoza.ruiz71@gmail.com If you can’t go and be with students yourself, why not support someone who is called by God to do this work?

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Mission Ministry THE HISTORY OF STUDENT MINISTRIES

Full-Time Directors of Student Ministries

Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church has a legacy of strong Student Ministries. For decades, this ministry was directed by either the Head Pastor or an Associate Pastor. In the 1950’s, churches started to hire Youth Pastors full-time to focus on the important work of training young people to follow Christ and find their identity in sharing the Good News with others. The greatest gains in this discipleship always happened because volunteers or part-time staff from the congregation rolled up their sleeves and dived into building strong relationships with the students.

We are honoring those men and women who lived out 1 Thessalonians 2:8, “We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.”

This commemoration focuses on those who were hired full time to be the Director of Student Ministries.

Hap Brahams came to First Presbyterian in 1957 to work as our first Youth Pastor. Ten years later he came back to our church as our head pastor and hired Sonny Salsbury. Sonny defined the phrase of long-term excellence as he served eight years. This remains our longest tour of duty for any Youth Pastor that we have had. Both Andy Ross and Anthony Peggins served six years pouring into middle school and high school students.

Anthony Peggins, Student Ministries 1999–2005

Hap Brahams: 1957-1959 Tom Pearson: 1967-1968 Sonny Salsbury: 1969-1977 Doug Cairns: 1978-1979 Greg Tyree: 1979-1981 Tim Uecker : 1981-1982 Rick Hudson: 1983-1984

Andy Ross: 1984-1990 Roger Bennett: 1991-1993 Bryce Lund : 1994-1997 Anthony Peggins: 1999-2005 Tyler Van Horn: 2006-2009 Jeff Murray: 2010-2015 Thomas Sudbury: 2017-2019

In recent years we have had a wealth of Student Volunteers, Interim Directors & Assistants: Jahzeel Garcia-Figueroa, Amae Merrill, Hamilton Licht, Carol Licht, John Yolo, Kelsey Schmidt, Esteban Mata, Courtney Hutchins, Austyn Chynoweth, Ali Hildebrand, Shane Hildebrand, Josh Merrill, Jacob Merril, and Brent Alderman Thank you for giving your prayers, time and energy to the future of the church. An essential part of any staff person’s resume is the support of his/her family and spouse. A big thank you for all the staffs’ families.

Do you have corrections or additions to this story? Perhaps you have photos of you or your children with a youth pastor.

Please send them to Don Stuber at dstuber47@gmail.com

Tyler Van Horn, Student Ministries 2006–2009

Jeff Murray, Student Ministries 2010–2015 20

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Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Ghormley GHORMLEY SUMMER 2022!

As we turn the page from summer to fall, we are celebrating an amazing summer of ministry at Camp Ghormley! 483 campers attended this summer, along with 100 campers for Outreach Camp Weekend, plus many rental guests throughout the summer. It was a tremendous joy to once again have a full slate of camps and summer activities here at camp.

This year's team was truly a blessing that will set the stage for future summers. Praise God for a great 2022 summer camp season at Ghormley!

Campers enjoyed many fun activities at camp this summer, including a pool rodeo, nighttime pool party, a Christmas in July celebration, color wars, slip n' slide, face painting, along with all the traditional camp fun like paintball, ropes course, swimming and lake activities. Another huge hit this summer was the return of horseback riding! Nearly 50% of the 483 campers who attended camp this summer went riding!

as our future Program Director! However, this individual grew up in Vancouver, B.C., so there are some immigration hoops we will have to jump through. Pray that God will smooth the way for Elliot Daly (along with his wife, Vivian, and their two children) to join us in the spring of 2023.

Spiritually speaking, God did some incredible things in the lives of so many young people. Hundreds of kids made commitments to follow Jesus!

We were also blessed with an incredible staff team that was strong and excited to serve from the first to the last day of camp!

PRAYER NEEDS FOR OUR FALL SEASON

• We believe that we have identified the right person to serve

• Pray that God will send us guest groups that we can serve in the later part of this fall season.

• Pray that God will continue meet our financial needs as

we enter the end of 2022. We have had a strong summer in terms of campers and guests, but the impact of inflation has made our budget tighter than we would have hoped coming out of the summer.

"Thank you for ever ything , you all helped me ge t close to God again, and I am re ally thankful!"

" I loved my time at camp so much, I cried when I had to leave."

"My child came home from camp like a different person! Thank you so much for all you do!"

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Ya k i m a G r a c e . c o m

Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Announcements GOSPEL KIDS: A YAKIMA CHILDREN’S CHOIR | THUR, SEPT 22 | 3:45PM – 5:15PM | CHOIR RM Sonny Salsbury is gearing up for a new season with the Gospel Kids, a singing group in Yakima, open to the community.

Sonny and team will lead the group made up of children grades 3rd through 7th who want to sing. (No formal training required!) Weekly rehearsals will begin September 22nd – Thursdays from 3:45pm – 5:15pm at Grace of Christ Church in the choir room. Please contact Sonny for more information or to sign up! (805) 709-6605.

BELLS OF GRACE

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 | 4PM | SANCTUARY Bells of Grace welcomes veterans and newcomers alike to rehearsals beginning Tuesday, September 20th at 4:00 pm. We are a friendly bunch of varying bell ringing abilities, but love to share our gift of music. We aim to play throughout the year... 5th Sundays, Advent, Christmas Eve, and Lent/Easter Season. Contact Julie Hunziker at (530) 209-4329 or jbhunziker@gmail.com

WEDNESDAYS@GRACE Join us Wed. nights, Sept 21 – Nov 16 for dinner & class! We have something for all ages, so bring your family! Dinners are in the gym at 6pm. Suggested donation $4/person or $12/for family. Classes begin at 6:45pm unless stated otherwise.

Childcare Available: 6pm – 8pm (Main floor childcare) Grace Kids: Kinder through 5th grade (2nd Floor KidZone) Youth Group: 6th grade – 12th grade (Youth Room/Gym) Adult Class Options: The Chosen (Adult Ed Rm) see pg. 4 Arise! (Chapel) see pg. 7 or Spanish Class (Lounge) see pg. 17

MEN’S BREAKFAST

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8 | 7:30AM | GYM Hey guys! Mark your calendars – there will be a Men’s Breakfast on Sat, October 8th at 7:30am in the church gym.

Enjoy a hearty (and delicious) meal and good conversation with the guys. Men of all ages are welcome – bring your sons or grandsons, friends and your neighbors. Please let the church office know if you want to help cook & set-up or help clean up afterwards. Call 509-248-7940.

WINTER CLOTHING DRIVE

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15 | 9AM – 1PM | GYM This year we will only be collecting and distributing WINTER CLOTHING in NEW or GOOD condition. Please bring your donations of: Coats, Sweaters, Pants, Hats, Scarves, Gloves, & Boots for men, women and children to the church beginning October 13th.

Bring your family on Saturday, October 15 (9am to 1pm) and take the winter clothes you need, you can also bring some winter clothes to share with our community.

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YakimaGrace.com

Grace of Christ Presbyterian Church

Sunday Services & Calendar of Events JOIN US FOR WORSHIP SUNDAY MORNINGS!

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT GRACE

9:00am Youth 11:00am

Communion

Prayer

MONDAYS 6:30pm Divorce Care 7:00pm Men’s BSF (Bible Study Fellowship)

TUESDAYS 9:45am WOW - Women’s Bible Study 6:00pm Youth Worship Band Rehearsal

WEDNESDAYS 6:00pm Wed@Grace Dinner & Classes 6:00pm Choir Rehearsal THURSDAYS 9:15am Women’sBSF (BibleStudyFellowship) 3:45pm Gospel Kids Rehearsal 6:00pm Worship Band Rehearsal MON–FRIDAY 9:00am Preschool

9:00am Contemporary style worship, classes for children of all ages, childcare available Grace Kids (Kidzone 2nd Floor)

Youth Breakfast Club (Chapel Main Floor) Traditional style worship with choir and pipe organ, childcare available Served the First Sunday of each month at both services (9:00am & 11:00am) Available at the front of the sanctuary after each service

DATE Sun, September 4 Mon, September 5 Tue & Wed Sept 6 & 7 Tue, September 6 Wed, September 7 Thur, September 8 Sat, September 10 Sun, September 11 Sun, September 11 Sun, September 11 Sun, September 11 Mon, September 12 Mon, September 12 Tue, September 13 Tue, September 13 Thur, September 15 Fri, September 16 Sun, September 18 Mon, September 19 Tue, September 20 Wed, September 21 Tue, September 27 Wed, September 28 Sept 30 - Oct 2

Sun, October 2 Sun, October 2 Tue, October 4 Sun, October 9 Sun, October 9 Mon, October 10 Tue, October 11 Tue, October 11 Sat, October 15 Tue, October 25 Wed, October 26 Sat, October 29 23

EVENT

WHEN

Communion Sunday 9:00am and 11:00am Labor Day / Church Closed First Days of Preschool 9:00am Worship Ministry Team Meeting 4:30pm Hospitality Ministry Team Meeting 3:00pm Grace Sunday Teacher Meeting & Dinner 6:00pm Women's Luncheon 11:00am Grace Kids Open House 8:30am-9:15am Pastor Chat After Each Service Women's Ministry Team Meeting 10:30am Deacon Meeting 12:30pm Preschool Board Meeting 1:00pm Men's BSF Begins 7:00pm Business Ministry Team Meeting 4:00pm Mission Ministry Team Meeting 4:30pm Women's BSF Begins 9:15am Living Water Meeting 1:00pm Kick Off Sunday 9:00am & 11:00am Trailseekers Begins 2:45pm - 4:00pm Women of the Word Bible Study Begins 9:45am Wednesdays@Grace Dinner & Class Begins 6:00pm Session Meeting 6:30pm Mary McLean Guild Meeting 1:00pm Women's Conference All Weekend (at Young Life Family Ranch) Communion Sunday 9:00am & 11:00am Chat with the Elders After Each Service Worship Ministry Team Meeting 4:30pm Women's Ministry Team Meeting 10:30am Deacon Meeting 12:30pm Preschool Board Meeting 1:00pm Business Ministry Team Meeting 4:00pm Mission Ministry Team Meeting 4:30pm Winter Clothing Drive 9:00am-1:00pm Session Meeting 6:30pm Mary McLean Guild Meeting 1:00pm Trunk or Treat 6:00pm YakimaGrace.com

WHERE Sanctuary Classrooms Garden Room Lounge Lounge Garden Room KidZone Room 2nd floor Fireside Room Adult Ed Room Lounge Adult Ed Room Sanctuary Library Adult Ed Room Sanctuary Lounge Sanctuary Gym Fireside Room Gym / Classrooms Adult Ed Room Fireside Room Oregon Sanctuary Fireside Room Garden Room Adult Ed Room Lounge Adult Ed Room Library Adult Ed Room Gym Adult Ed Room Fireside Room Parking Lot

GRACE OF CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 9 S 8TH AVENUE YAKIMA, WA 98902 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID YAKIMA, WA PERMIT NO 59