Community Groups

Throughout the fifteen year history of Grace Bible Church our home Bible studies/ small groups, the Home Fellowship Group ministry has been a rewarding avenue used by the Lord to study the Bible together, form friendships, and pray for one another. As GBC has grown to nearly 600 worshipers each week that ministry has developed into our front line for shepherding, nurture, and the relational life of the church. This Fall there will be 14 groups meeting throughout the East Bay, led by trained and supported leaders with the goal of seeing each group leader assist in raising up, training, and sending out new group leaders. Currently there are four men “in the queue”, in training to become future group leaders.
These smaller “gospel communities” meet in homes throughout the week around Bible study, prayer, fellowship, and the sharing of life’s joy’s and burdens are much more than a mid-week small group meeting, but a network of relationships where our people care for one another, practicing the NT “one anothers.”
The meetings are not an end in and of themselves, but a means to further deeper relational life and personal ministry. With that in mind effective this fall the elders have decided to change the name of this ministry. From now on our Home Fellowship Groups will go by the name “Community Groups.” While we have always loved the previous name, the vision for this ministry has always meant to go beyond  the mid-week meeting and provide a network of ongoing relational care rooted in the gospel that highlights in Christ, God has made us a new community.

Missions Update: July 2009

Short term missions has seen some changes from our January plans, but there is progress. See the missions display board in the lobby for pictures of the house foundation in Tijuana, and the house walls in San Quintin! Brian Smith will be leading a team to San Quintin around the end of July to help put the roof on. Teams from other churches will be completing the Tijuana house during the summer.

Other trips are proceeding as planned.  Taylor Smith will be leaving for the Philippines in mid-July. There is a fund raising BBQ after church on Sunday, July 12. Hope you can participate. If you have yard work, painting, childcare, or other work you need done, hiring Taylor is another way to provide funds for this trip. The Honduras team, consisting of Keith Telle, Dave and Julie Hicks, and Gary and Sue Rickman, will be leaving August 21st for ten days to work with MEDA missionaries, Carlos Montoya and Adrian Donato. Continue to pray for the preparation needed by both of these trips.

A few summer missions plans have been cancelled. The Cottonwood VBS won’t be happening. The San Quintin ministry trip was cancelled because school sessions there have extended into the summer to adjust for flu closures earlier in the year.  We understand that the San Quintin church will be running those ministry activities themselves at a later date, so pray for them. The Pleasant Hill CEF children’s clubs will not happen this year because of teacher availability. We are confident that this is all in God’s providence, and we remain enthused to see some new ministry efforts being successful. Praise God!

~The Missions Ministry

What’s going on in July?

Baptism Service

On Sunday, July 5, we will have a baptism service following the 11:00 a.m. worship service. Please plan to stay around on that day to rejoice with those who rejoice.

Members’ Meeting

Be sure to set the evening of August 9 aside for our second quarter members’ meeting. We will meet at 5:00 p.m. for a time of worship, prayer, and updating the church family on various aspects of the ministry here at Grace Bible Church.

The Office is Moving

On July 25, the church office is moving across the parking lot back to the church’s education building. We will need as many people as possible on that day to help with the move. If you’re available to help, please contact either Andy Senft or the church office. Thank you!

Softball in the Summer!

Grace Bible Church now has a softball team that plays in the Pleasant Hill Parks and Recreation summer league. We hope you’ll mark your calendars this month to route us on and help us engage our community as we live out the gospel before, during and after each game.

The schedule for July is:

7/6 6:30 p.m. at College Park High School, 201 Viking Drive

7/13 7:40 p.m. at Valley View Middle School, 181 Viking Drive

7/20 8:50 p.m. at Pleasant Hill Park, across from the church.

7/27 7:40 p.m. at Valley View Middle School

Missions Update

The following recently came from Craig & Lisa . Our missionaries in Southeast Asia, sharing one aspect of their ministry there. Let the beautiful scene they describe encourage your heart and remind you to pray that God would reach out with His love to the ladies mentioned here.  Pray also for Taylor Smith who will be working with Craig & Lisa for two months this summer on a short term missions trip.

Just above the equator in our part of the world, summer has been slowly turning already warm days into warmer days that drag down even a tropical pace of life. Lisa and I recently sat among a handful of women in the shade of a large, spreading Kamias tree, circled by tall, full coconut trees. Through the chatter of these ladies sitting in plastic chairs, their eyes would occasionally glance up to be certain the coconuts were as firmly attached to the top of the tree as they appeared to be.

As we caught up with each other, women began to trickle in as their morning work ebbed in the homes where they woke well before sunrise to find wood to cook their family’s meals and to gather water from a pump for cooking, cleaning, and laundry.  Our team was hosting a women’s gathering, a monthly event where these hard working women can sit together under the tree and talk with each other in peace, play games and laugh together, listen to a story, and share a simple meal together. These women, many the second or third wife of a shared husband, have been coming to our team to learn how to read and write, to make simple crafts like peanut butter, or jewelry from beads, to sew ethnic crafts for the market, or to find help when their children are in need.  On mornings like this, though, they come to be with us, to sit and enjoy each other where the smiles come quickly.

Just over fifty women sat close together dressed in brightly colored head coverings and wraps, adding color to the drab sandy landscape. Laughing all morning through the games and food, they listened quietly to the story of the Ustadz (Teacher) and of his message to two women we know as Mary and Martha.

The listening turned into energetic discussion about the story told by Lina.  The women sitting with us in the shade connected well to these sisters as they struggled to both feed and listen to this great teacher. A deep spiritual longing became evident as key women in our circle began to share of their deep desire to listen to the stories of the Ustadz and to seek to worship God.

We love being a presence of Jesus among these beautiful people, and strive for the opportunity to find people here with a longing to know God. Pray for our team as we bring the message of the Great Teacher.

Men’s Prayer

1 Thesalonians 5:25 “Brethren, pray for us!” Just a reminder that at 6:30 a.m. every Friday, the men of Grace Bible Church are invited to attend a prayer meeting held in Room 203. This meeting is a time where we pray for the needs of the church and each other.

All-Church Retreat

Last month, about 175 people from GBC gathered in the mountains of Santa Cruz and were encouraged to answer the following question: “What is our purpose?” Our speaker, John Fernandez, reminded us that how we answer this question is important because if we aim at the wrong target we can hit the bull’s eye but miss the point entirely. John shared that the Christian’s goal in life is about living out the gospel, which translates into a Christian striving to know Christ and then making Him known to a world that so desperately needs Him.

If you missed this year’s retreat, please plan to attend next year’s. It always falls on the weekend after Mother’s Day.

What’s Going On at Grace? Missions Update

GBC’s church planting efforts continue to move forward Churches with whom we are partnering are working to establish a formal networking agreement and leadership team. March 30th was a second church planting seminar. Many gathered together to hear Ray Ortlund Jr. share his experiences. There is a lot more work to do, but progress is happening.

Construction in San Quintin has begun for 2009. Men from Pablo’s church have started work on the foundation for the parsonage. Plans are for them to complete the foundation and the external walls. Then a GBC team will go help with the roof and internal walls during June or July. Funding for this and other missions trips is still needed.

Adrian Donato, missionary in Honduras with MEDA seminary, was invited to bring a seminar to the Kachin Baptist Convention in Myanmar, about 50 miles from the China border.  He was there the first half of February teaching from the book of Titus. The message of Titus was a great encouragement to the local pastors, and Adrian was asked to return next year. While Adrian was there, the secret police interviewed hotel staff about his presence and also spoke to the Baptist convention leaders.  It is a challenge for the pastors to live under such tight scrutiny from their government about contact with westerners. Pray for them.

-The Missions Ministry

What’s the deal with the ropes?

Well we’re glad you asked. In an effort to be more hospitable to visitors who may show up late for the service we’ve roped off the last 3 rows on the far left and far right sections in the Worship Center. Since most of the seats available are in front once service has started this can create an awkward and uneasy moment if a visitor shows up late and has to walk toward the front of the church. We’re aware that some of you have your favorite seats in these sections and would ask that you would in the interest of others (Philippians 2:3-4) move a row or two forward to accommodate our guests.

Hospitality Room

In an effort to be more hospitable to our visitors each week, we’ve started to use the new room in the Fellowship Hall as a place where visitors can meet our pastors after each service.  Should you meet new folks on Sunday, please feel free to invite them and even escort them over to the Hospitality Room. Also, we want to do our best to make the pastors available each Sunday for our visitors so please allow them to make their way into the Fellowship Hall to greet our guests.