GRACE NOTES

October 2016 Pastor’s Notes:

You’ll be hearing a bit about money this month.

Or, more precisely, you’ll be hearing about the church and money.

The time of year that churches love to dread is upon us. It’s time to seek from you, the congregation, what you are ready to pledge in time and talents and, yes, finances, so that this church can go out and do the work God puts us here to do.

You’ll see things presented slightly differently this year. Dorothy Nevill has worked tirelessly to reframe our stewardship campaign not as a terse request for dollars, but as a presentation of what the church – this church, Grace Presbyterian Church – is doing in our community and of how this church is being used to minister to those around us.

In one of the final scripture readings of last month, Jeremiah told the strange story of being called by God to buy a tract of land, even at the point where the besieging Babylonian army was about to conquer Jerusalem. This odd transaction was no less than a sign from God; no matter how bleak the immediate moment seemed, God alone would be the final author of the story, and God would indeed restore in due time that which

was about to be destroyed.

By no measure is our situation as bleak as Jeremiah’s. Nonetheless it’s not a stretch to see a simple stewardship campaign for the church as a bet on God’s restoration – God will restore and rebuild what seems lost and ruined, and our call is to be part of that restoration and rebuilding as God calls us to serve.

2

October Birthdays

Please call the church

office, 352-376-5654, if your

special day is NOT listed.

October

Anniversaries

Elders on Call

for October

Dorothy Nevill (352) 375-4954

Karen Russ (352) 377-7996

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN

Our study text for the fall is "Who is Jesus-

What a Difference a Lens Makes"

All women are invited to join in fellowship

and study, Tuesday morning 10/11/16 at 10

am in the Grace Fellowship Hall. Karen will

lead the study this month and refreshments

will be served.

http://www.pwpcusahorizons.com/#!bible-

study/ckra will give you more information on

the study text.

Oct 6 Victor Hernandez-Sanches

Oct 8 Bob Franks

Oct 18 Aidan Collins

Oct 19 Judy Wingate

Oct 20 Sabrina Wagner

Oct 21 Mohan Raizada

Oct 31 David Hughes

Oct 1 Harold & Mickey Wallace

Oct 27 Ray & Lois Ferguson

Oct 31 Doug & Katie Hackett

3

FALL FESTIVAL

Fall Festival was held Saturday October 1st.

Everyone had a wonderful time.

WORSHIP COMMITTEE

Holy Communion will be served on October 2nd.

Session meets October 10th.

Worship committee meets 10/16/16 after worship service in the library .

Hymn sing and dedication of the new hymnals is scheduled for October 30th at 3PM. Watch the bulletin or our website for more details.

4

Compilation of Core Competencies Survey Stewardship and Finance Committee

Thanks to all of you who contributed to the Core Competencies Survey which asked you to list what you thought were the strengths of Grace Presbyterian Church. More than a majority of members participated. Your responses will be used in the formation of a Narrative Budget which is different from our usual Line Item budget (which will still be used by the Session and available to anyone who wants a copy).

A Narrative Budget seeks to reflect not only the cost behind what it takes to run our mission and ministry, but also the story behind the success of our programs and the difference that they make in our church and commu-nity. A Line Item budget is an accounting tool, but a Narrative Budget is a visioning tool which shows the pro-grams of the church having a positive impact and helps us to see that our gifts are really making a difference.

Your comments were easily divided into the five factors below: The first three are budgetary and will show, through the use of a pie chart, the way our operating budget is divided by category. The last two factors show the social and spiritual atmosphere of our congregation and will be used extensively in the content and wordage of the descriptive text.

Missions (Local and Global)

Facility Use

Acorn Clinic

Jamaican Outreach and other Presbytery giving

Gainesville Community Ministry

St. Francis House

Spring Flings

Family Promise

Missions

Mission trips

Supporting the needy within the city

Donating to local needs and those on the Presbytery level

Member Care and Education

Follow up on calling people

Helping people

Presbyterian Women’s Group

Elder Care

Men’s Group

Visiting the sick

We give a lot to local food banks

Bible studies

Card Ministry

Very supportive

5

Very good about visiting the sick

Visiting the people that need it at hospitals and others

Keeping in touch with members in need assistance

A woman’s circle continues to function

Praying for people who need care

Worship and Music

Good theology from the pupil

Passing Peace of Christ

Interesting new music

Good sermons

Have a great music program for our size

Relevancy and humor from the pulpit

Innovative music

Music is great

Good message from the pulpit

Charles makes interesting sermons

Coordinated morning service

Sermons are well thought out

Warm, welcoming attitude

Visiting people at Fellowship Hall

Are loving, friendly and welcoming to visitors

Hugs

Friendly

Congregation is very loving

Welcome/embrace diversity

Genuinely friendly to visitor

A very friendly church

Close, Involved Membership

Fellowship

Work together well

We believe in our future and are willing to work hard for it

Try to do what’s best for the church

Praying together as one, working with one another

For a small congregation the monetary giving is good

There is a group who constantly works at what needs to be done.

6

STEWARDSHIP AND FINANCE COMMITTEE

Our annual Stewardship Season begins on Sunday, October 2nd with Pledge Sunday being held on

October 30th. On each Sunday between those two dates brief presentations will be made to demonstrate

some of the many ways in which Grace carries out the mission and ministry to which we have been called.

This series of talks entitled, Grace in the World, will seek to reflect the success of these programs and the

difference they make in our church, the community and to that individual. Sherry Crane will speak on Acorn

Clinic; Varian Osteen on the Youth Mission Trip to Hebron Presbyterian Church in Georgia; Kathy Franks on

Family Promise, and Hazel Williamson on St. Francis House. In addition, Nancy Niblack will introduce us to the

many ways in which financial giving can now occur such as your bank’s online bill pay system, or electronic

funds transfer. Of course, the tried and true method of cash or checks in the offering plate is always wel-

come.

During the week of October 10th a letter will be sent out to each member of the congregation.

Enclosed with this letter is a copy of the “asking budget” for 2017. We want to emphasize the words “asking

budget” because as you know our final budget is determined by your pledge. We don’t budget more than

you pledge!

This year the “asking budget will not be in the form of a line-item budget, but as a Narrative budget

which is based upon that line-item budget. The Narrative Budget which seeks to reflect not only the costs

behind what it takes to run our mission and ministry, but also describes the story behind the success of our

programs

. How did we create a Narrative Budget? First, we defined our “Ministry Areas” (please see the

accompanying article on “Compilation of Core Competencies Survey”) Second, we allocated staff time

proportionally to each area. Third, we allocated each line-item proportionally to each area. What resulted is

a pie-chart which shows the operating budget by category. Ours factored out into three categories:

1) Missions (Global and Local), 2) Worship and Music, and 3) Member Care and Education. Lastly we wrote

about the success of the past year in each area. If you wish to see a detailed line-item budget, copies are

available upon request in the church office. Please see Karen Jennings.

Ways to Support Grace Presbyterian Church:

1. Place cash or check in the offering plate.

2. Use your bank’s online bill pay system.

3. Use the electronic funds transfer from your savings or checking account or use a debit/credit card with this link

to our online form or scan the QR code below.

4. Make a gift of stock or other appreciated securities. And, remember the church in your will and

estate plans. Contact the church office for more information on these types of gifts.

For More information on Giving to Grace

check out our Giving page on our website.

https://gpconline.org/giving/

7

Announcing a simple, easy way to help raise funds for Grace Presbyterian Church!

We are now participating in AmazonSmile, a program that donates 0.5% of the price of your

eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. If you are a

regular or even just occasional Amazon shopper, you’ll find the exact same low prices, the

same products, and the same service. Support Grace Presbyterian Church by starting your

shopping at smile.amazon.com.

Our unique charity link

This link will take you directly to smile.amazon.com in support of our organization so you

won’t have to search for our charity among almost a million other organizations. This is the

easiest way for you to find and support Grace Presbyterian Church on SmileAmazon.

https://smile.amazon.com/ch/59-1744453

Can I receive a tax deduction for amounts donated from my purchases on

AmazonSmile?

Donations are made by the AmazonSmile Foundation and are not tax deductible by you.

For more information on the program go to smile.amazon.com/about

8

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost—

October 2

Lamentations 1:1–6

Lamentations 3:19–26

2 Timothy 1:1–14 Luke 17:11–19

Twenty–first Sunday after

Pentecost—October 9

Jeremiah 29:1,4–7

Psalm 66:1-12

2 Timothy 2:8–15

Luke 17:11–19

Twenty–second Sunday after

Pentecost—October 16

Jeremiah 31:27-34

Psalm 119:97-104

2 Timothy 3:14–4:5

Luke 18:1–8

Twenty–third Sunday after

Pentecost—October 23

Joel 2:23–32

Psalm 65

2 Timothy 4:6–8, 16-18

Luke 18:9-14

Twenty–fourth Sunday after

Pentecost—October 30

Habakkuk 1:1–4 2:1-4

Psalm 119:137-144

2 Thessalonians 1:1–4, 11-12

Luke 19:1-10

Liturgy Passages for October

OCTOBER 2016

Phone: 352-376-5654 Fax: 352-376-1319

Email: office@gpconline.org

Address Service Requested

Grace Presbyterian Church 3146 NW 13th St.

Gainesville, FL 32609-2175