FEBRuaRy 2014 Lexington Campuswww.grace.org

Inside GraceG r a c e c h a p e l

Transforming Lives With the Surprising Message of God’s Grace

59 Worthen Road, Lexington, MA 02421 MINISTRY OFFICES: 3 Militia Drive, Lexington, MA 02421Tel 781.862.6499 Fax 781.674.2824 TTY 781.674.2825 www.grace.org www.facebook.com/gracechapellexington

Grace Chapel is a nondenominational church that welcomes people from all backgrounds.

Deaf Interpretation: American Sign Language is available at the 9:15am service.

Translation Services into Korean are available at the 9:15am service; Spanish and Mandarin trans-lation services are available at the 11:00am service. For more information, please visit our Trans-lation Services desk in the lobby.

radio: Weekly radio broadcast (one-week delay) each Sunday morning at 9:30 on WEZE 590AM.

Sunday programs for children at Kidstown 9:15am and 11:00am: Kidstown programs for kids from birth to Grade 5 5:00pm: Kidstown programs for kids from birth to Grade 5

There is a Mothers’ room for nursing mothers and crying babies in the Infant/Toddler Wing of Kidstown outfitted with comfortable chairs and closed-circuit television broadcast of the service.

Middle School Fusion meets in the Gymnasium off the upstairs lobby at 9:15am high School Gravity meets in the High School room off the upstairs lobby at 9:15am

We offer a number of courses on Sunday mornings at our adult learning center, at #2 Militia Drive, a short walk across the parking lot (next to the funeral home).

Shuttle Bus Service: Buses pick up and drop off at the Lexington High School (front lot only) from 7:30am to 1:00pm.

Welcome to Grace Chapel!

If you’re a first-time guest, be sure to stop by our Visitor Center in the main lobby, where you will find a team of friendly, helpful people who can answer

your questions about Grace Chapel and the ministries we offer.

If you would like to talk or pray with someone about a spiritual need, please come to the chapel off the main lobby, where prayer ministers will be happy

to meet with you.

It’s a whale of a tale. A man on the run wrestles with God, his calling, and the fate of an entire city. This is Jonah’s story. And it doesn’t end with the fish.

Our next teaching series, “Jonah: Called to go,” begins February 9.

Printed on 50% post-consumer recycled, FSC-certified paper

SERmon notES

Grace chapel is more than just church on Sunday. In addition to the 4,000 or so people that come to services across three campuses, over 1,000 participate in the dozens of ministries we offer the other days of the week, such as Celebrate Recovery, Fire Young Adults Ministry, Joy Bible Study, and Student Ministries, to name a few.

About 10% of total giving goes towards operating and maintaining the spaces that we use for all that ministry activity, including expenses like utilities (electricity, heat, phone, wi-fi, water, etc.), general repairs and maintenance, cleaning, parking lots, security, grounds keeping, and insurances.

Your giving also affords us the ability to show hospitality to the many local community groups, schools, and organizations that use our space. Thank you!

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing, some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2

G I V E : w w w . g r a c e . o r g / g i v e

current YTD Giving through 1/26/14, all campuses:

Receipts to date: $5,068,394 Budgeted Need YTD: $5,069,955Over/(Under) $ (1,561)

Total giving to A New Day of Grace: $9,332,364 More info is available at www.grace.org/newday.

N E W S A N D E V E N T S : w w w . g r a c e . o r g / i n f oC O N N E C T : w w w . g r a c e . o r g / g r o u p s

lIFe communities are Grace Chapel’s network of small groups that meet outside of church for a time of connection - caring for each other, growing in faith, and making an impact on the world around them. To learn more about LIFE Commu-nities, stop by the Community Corner by the stairs in the lobby after the service, visit www.grace.org/groups, or contact our LIFE Communities Coordinator Elsie Kitchen at 781-862-8351x222 or ekitchen@grace.org.

Family connection is for those who want to be in a LIFE Community but also face the reality of finding childcare. Each Wednesday, from 5:30-6:30pm, it’s BYOM (Bring Your Own Meal) in the Courtyard where we gather as families and casually eat and catch up with one another. Then from 6:30-8:00pm our Family Connection ministries meet, consisting of LIFE communities, K-2 Kids Nite Out, Stockade and Breakout for kids in 3rd-5th grade, Fusion for Middle Schoolers, and Gravity for High Schoolers. We invite you to be part of a community of people in similar life situations and trying to draw closer to God as a family. Questions? Contact Tim Ghali at tghali@grace.org.

Welcome to Grace reception, Feb. 23 after the second service in the upstairs lobby. Maybe today is your first day at Grace Chapel; maybe you’ve been coming here for a while, but just don’t feel connected yet. Either way, our informal Welcome to Grace reception is a great way to learn more about Grace Chapel, meet some of our pastors and staff, and hear about ways to get involved. We’ll offer some light refreshments, too! Can’t make it, but want more info? Contact Val McGowan at (781)862-8351x143 or vmcgowan@grace.org.

Don’t just come to church; get involved, and be the church. From outside on our parking team, to welcoming visitors, to behind the scenes on our tech team, there are many great ways to have fun, get to know people, and contribute here at Grace. Find one at www.grace.org/serve, or at the info desk in the lobby.

Baptism is an outward expression of an inward decision to follow christ, and a powerful act of obedience. It doesn’t mean you have faith all figured out; it just means you’ve committed to following Jesus, and seek to honor Him with your life. It’s an amazing chance to get up in front of family, friends and the local church to say “Yes! I’ve decided! I will follow Christ!” Our next in-service baptisms are on March 16.

We ask that anyone interested in being baptized attend one of our pre-baptism info sessions; our next sessions are on February 9 at 11:00am, and February 16 at 9:15am. More details can be found at www.grace.org/baptism. Contact Luisa O’Toole with questions: lotoole@grace.org, (781)862-8351x149.

S E R V E : w w w . g r a c e . o r g / s e r v e

C A R E A N D S U p p O R T : w w w . g r a c e . o r g / c a r e

celebrate recovery is for anyone dealing with hurts, habits, or hang-ups that are keeping them from discovering and living God’s best plan for their life. We meet every Monday night of the year, including holidays that fall on a Monday, in the Courtyard at our Lexington campus. The CR Monday night schedule includes dinner, large group sessions, breakout groups, and fellowship. For more info, call 781-862-8351x2246, visit www.grace.org/cr, or email cr@grace.org.

Deeper, closer, Wider: Grace chapel’s staff blog. Did you know that the pastors and staff at Grace Chapel contribute to a shared blog? The content varies widely, and provides an interesting perspective on a number of topics. www.deepercloserwider.org.

We’re on Facebook. Each of Grace Chapel’s campuses have their own Facebook page. “Like” us - it’s a great way to connect with others here at church, hear about upcoming events and programs, and see photos from campus activities. Find us at www.facebook.com/gracechapellexington.

We’re on Twitter. We don’t tweet often, but when we do, it’s usually something in-formative. Follow us: twitter.com/gracechapel.

Over 1900 people subscribe to our e-Newsletter. The latest info about what’s hap-pening here at Grace, in your inbox every Friday. Signing up won’t add you to any other lists, and you can opt out at any time. www.grace.org/info.

The Marriage course will be held again this winter in Lexington. Whether your mar-riage is strong, struggling, or somewhere in between, these seven “date nights” will be a great relationship investment for you and your spouse. The course will be held on Thursday nights here at the Lexington campus, beginning Feb 6. We expect it to fill up fast, so be sure to register at www.grace.org/marriage.

Justice conference Simulcast February 21-22nd We are thrilled to be a simulcast partner site for The Justice Conference this year which will fea-ture speakers like Bernice King (daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King), N.T. Wright, Donald Miller, Stephen Bauman, Jenny Yang, Rich Stearns and

many more including local pre-conference presenters. You can register for only $34 at http://thejusticeconference.com.

plug In is a 10-week course that helps you to connect more deeply with God, other people at Grace Chapel, and your life’s purpose. If you are serious about growing in your Christian life then plug In is for you, whether you are a new

or a long-time Christian. The winter/spring session begins Sunday, Feb 2. More info is available at www.grace.org/plugin.

The alpha course is a practical introduction to the christian faith. For over 25 years, Alpha has been helping thousands of people worldwide answer questions about life and faith in a relaxed, fun, non-threatening environment. Ask your tough-est questions without fear of feeling judged or pressured. The Alpha Course is free. Meets Sunday mornings here at the Lexington campus at 9:15am beginning Feb. 2. For more info, including Alpha in English for those whose primary language isn’t English, contact Valerie McGowan at vmcgowan@grace.org or (781)862-8351x143.

Grace chapel offers a wide range of courses for adults on Sunday mornings; our winter/spring session begins February 2. While some of our courses require pre-reg-istration, many of them can be joined at any time. This session’s topics include, “pre-paring for Marriage,” “Grace-Based parenting,” and “Freed-Up Financial Living.” For a complete list of all of our offerings, stop by the info desk and pick up a brochure, or visit www.grace.org/discipleshipcourses.

The 2014 Nominating Committee is in session, and interested in receiving nomina-tions from the congregation for elected church offices. Candidates will be voted on at the Annual Meeting in June. Nominations can be sent to the Committee via nomi-nations@grace.org.

Divorce care starts February 5, 7:00pm-8:30pm in the Adult Learning Center at 2 Militia Drive. Most of us never think separation or divorce will ever show up along our life journey, but for many of us, it has. Those navigat-ing the uncertainties of separation and divorce are invited to join DivorceCare, a uniquely designed, 13-week video-based program for anyone wrestling with the challenges that come from divorce. On-site registration is available, with the group remaining open through February 19. The workbook is $15, which includes specially tailored in-meeting and at-home support. For more information or to preregister call (781)862-8351x2218. More info: www.grace.org/care.

Special Celebrate Recovery Musical Presentation, Monday, Feb. 24, at 6:15pm in the Lexington Campus Sanctuary. Celebrate Recovery invites you to attend JONAH in the Land Down Under, written and performed by Donny Woodbridge. Join us for this dramatic presentation of one man’s on-and-off-again attempt to live on mission. www.grace.org/events.

Positions to be filled:

• Elder - 3 (four year term)• Audit Committee - 3 (one year term)• Clerk - 1 (one year term)• Moderator - 1 (one year term)• Nominating Committee - 4 (one year

term)

This years Nominating Committee:

• paul Bodet – Elder Chair• Kevin Johnson – Elder Vice Chair • Bill Aiken – At Large• Sarah Blumenshine – At large• Andrea Dacayanan – At Large• Denis Lin – At Large

The Marriage Course