Greetings Friends!

As we step into the new year, we hope it brings new opportunities, happiness, and growth. It’s a time to leave behind the challenges of the past and look forward to fresh beginnings. May this year be filled with moments of joy, success, and the warmth of loved ones, and may we all find the strength to overcome any obstacles that come our way. Here’s to making this year the best one yet!

Sunday morning worship at 9 and 11 will feature the Message titled A New Year and a New Plan.  The Scripture Lesson is from John 3:1-8.   Holy Communion will be celebrated at both services.

Congratulations to all who finished reading the Bible in 2024.   If you were unable to start and finish in one year, the Bookmarks are available on carousel in the Welcome Center.  Start at the beginning or pick up where you left off!

Several folks have mentioned that while reading through the Bible, questions arose that need clarification.  On January 26 at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary, our pastors will try to shed light on any questions raised during your yearlong reading.  You may submit questions by placing them in the offering boxes prior to the 26th or bring questions to the microphone that evening.

Youth Sunday School will begin on January 12th during the Sunday School Hour between services (10:10am). We will meet upstairs in the Growth Center (Youth Room). Our first lesson series is going to walk us through Sunday School Stories. We will start in Genesis with Adam and Eve, working our way through the rest of the Bible. Please be aware that this is going to be a Bible Study. We will spend the majority of our time reading the Bible and studying the events told within.

 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNERS RESUME ON JANUARY 8

Menu:  Spaghetti & Meatballs, Caesar Salad, Garlic Bread, Dessert and Beverage.

Reservations are required and may be made be made by signing up in the Welcome Center,

Calling the Church Office or by emailing bmcanulty@indianagrace.org

Join the Campus Ministry Team!  Are you passionate about ministering to IUP students? Do you want to serve college students at Grace? Join the Campus Ministry Team! The Campus Ministry Team serves college students through ministries like Midnight Mission, Sunday lunches, and other college outreaches. The Campus Ministry Team meets on the first Monday evening of each month to brainstorm and execute college ministry at the church. Reach out to Pastor Mollie (college outreach pastor) if you are interested in joining the Campus Ministry Team. You can email Pastor Mollie at meisenhuth@indianagrace.org <mailto:meisenhuth@indianagrace.org>

 

A New Members Class will begin on Sunday, January 19 during the Sunday School hour at 10:10 a.m.  Subsequent classes will be on January 26, February 2, and February 9.  The class will be accepted into membership on Sunday, February 16.  Please call or email Jeannette at jlemmon@indianagrace.org <mailto:jlemmon@indianagrace.org>  if you wish to join with this class.

 

A NEW GRIEFSHARE session will be held on Sundays at 1 PM beginning on February 16.  GriefShare is a support group for those experiencing grief.  For anyone who has lost a loved one and is experiencing grief and loneliness, we hope you will consider joining the group as we walk this journey together.  Others who have taken the classes have been blessed and are encouraging others to join.  GriefShare will meet in the Grace in Ministries Building at 728 Church Street.  You may register online at griefshare.org.  Please note that the group is offered to the community.   Affiliation with Grace Church is not required.

 

SENIOR ADULT MINISTRY for those aged 55+ will have a luncheon on January 13 at Noon in Fellowship Hall.  After lunch, we’ll play some board games.  The cost is $5.   Please submit the payment when you make a reservation.  If paying by check or using an offering envelope for cash payments, please note SENIOR LUNCH on the memo line.   Payments may be placed in the offering, dropped off at the office, or outside the mail slot at the office door.  January 5th is the deadline for reservations.

 

The next Mission Thursday is on January 23 in the GIM Building from 4 – 7 p.m.   Please sign up in the Welcome Center if you plan to join others in this life-changing project.

 

UPCOMING STUDIES AND CLASSES:  The new year is a perfect time to start a new class or study.   We have many new and existing opportunities to become part of a group or class from which to choose.

 

  1. FORWARD. Better days are just ahead!   God is ready to take you there so Pastor Bill will lead a six-week course to help you with the six topics:  Dream, Focus, Risk, Pursue, Believe, and Finish God’s best for you.  The class will be based on Dr David Jeremiah’s book Forward.   Classes begin on Jan 8th at 6:15 PM in Room 101.   Study guides will be provided. Sign up in the Welcome Center or on our website.  The class will meet in the GIM Building across the street from the parking lot.  Books will be available at the first session where a free-will offering to the Book Fund may be made if you wish to help defray the cost.
  1. MINOR PROPHETS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. Dawn Woodland will lead a six-week study on the minor prophets of the Old Testament.  The class begins on February 3 at 5 p.m. in Room 101.
  1. GET MOVING! GET FIT!  GAIN BALANCE!   Join Linda Maruca and your Grace Church friends each Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in Room 208 beginning January 6 for a free exercise program for all Senior Adults.  The program focuses on strength and balance and is suitable for participants who are able-bodied or who may need to be seated.  Wheelchairs and walkers are accommodated.  Sign up and fill out a liability form to take to the first class.
  1. THE MOUNTAIN MEN. Jon Price leads a men’s group that focuses on scripture applied to outdoor activities.  Contact Jon for details at 724-543-9361.  ALL men of the church are encouraged to join.
  1. MEN’S BIBLE STUDY is held each Tuesday at Noon in Room 103. You don’t need to sign up—just walk in and join them.   On your lunch hour??? Feel free to bring your lunch with you!
  1. HOUR OF PRAYER is held every Tuesday in the Prayer Room (206). We pray for families, Grace Church, our community, and our world.  All are welcome to join us.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS WITH THE PASTORS.  Have questions about the Bible?  Perhaps you have questions about the Global Methodist Church or our own Grace Church.  Pastors Bill and Kathy will be holding the first quarterly Q&A with the Pastors on Sunday, January 12 in the Welcome Center between services.  There are no wrong questions!  Future Q&A sessions will be on April 14, July 13, and October 12.

 

The Boy Scout Troop we sponsor will host a Pancake Breakfast that will be held in Fellowship Hall on Sunday, March 2 from 8 am – 1 pm.  Mark your calendars!

 

Part-time Employment Opportunity:   We are seeking a helper in our Pre-School Program on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  Please contact the church office for more information or submit a letter of interest with your resume.

 

JUST FOR LAUGHS:

A church member went to the butcher shop one afternoon to pick up some salmon.  “I want four big ones,” the man said.  “Just toss them over the counter to me.”

The butcher looked strangely at the man.  “Can’t I just wrap them up for you?”

“No,” the customer replied.  “If anyone from church asks me if I caught any fish today, I can truthfully tell them, “Yes, I caught four big ones!”