Online Registration Begins January 18!

This Spring, Grace will be offering a great diversity of Life Groups—topical groups, Bible study groups, men’s groups, women’s groups, post-college-aged groups—and groups for everyone. Life Groups are a place where relationships can grow, and we can become the community that Christ is calling us to be. Online registration begins January 18 and Sunday registration begins January 22. Spring Life Groups will begin the week of February 14th.

Read the Bible!

Make Bible reading part of your daily life with easy-to-follow reading plans. YouVersion has hundreds of different plans, with options for customization and support to help you stay on track. See what God reveals to you when you spend time in Scripture each day. This site also contains mobile apps for your phone.  It’s not too late to get started and read through the Bible this year!

Church Giving Tax Information

Tax return info – IRS regulations indicate that donors should not file their income tax return prior to receiving their charitable contributions receipt from the church – otherwise some donors may not be able to deduct their church contributions. FYI, GBC Long Beach contributions receipts should be in the mail by January 20.

e-Giving at Grace

You can now directly set up your own secure, hassle-free, on-line account, for your giving to Grace. You’ll never have to remember the check book or try to find the packet of giving envelopes again.  Easy. Secure. e-Giving.  Simply click here to set up your personal online giving account.

Elder Care in the Home

Grace Senior Adult Ministry is excited to sponsor a special senior adult care seminar on Saturday, January 28, from 9:00 AM to noon at Parkcrest Church.  The seminar is called “Elder Care in the Home”, and will be led by Alexa Thompson, Director of Community Relations at Attentive Home Care.  This is a FREE seminar!  Questions?  Contact Pastor Jerry Giles.

January Drink at Seka Coffee House
The featured drink for the month of January is a salted caramel latte, made with creamy Ghiradelli caramel and smoked sea salt. Seka also offers a variety of hot and cold, coffee and non-coffee drinks, and delicious baked goods. Seka is open from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM.

January Men’s Breakfast

The next Men’s Breakfast will be on Saturday, January 14, at 8:00 AM in the Social Hall.  Enjoy a hot pancake breakfast, conversations, and a message by Grace elder, John Moore.

Peacemaker Video Series Begins This Sunday
9:30 AM, Room 205

Peacemaker Ministries was founded in 1982 by a group of pastors, lawyers, and business people who wanted to encourage and assist Christians to respond to conflict biblically.  The 12-part video series provides guidance on biblical conflict resolution that you can use to resolve disputes in your family, marriage, workplace, church, or community.  The New Creations Adult Bible Fellowship will be hosting this series beginning this Sunday, January 8, at 9:30 AM in Room 205.  If you want to grow in your ability to handle conflict in a biblical way, and learn how to help others do the same, this series will be a valuable resource.  The founder of Peacemaker Ministries, Ken Sande, has also written a book called Resolving Everyday Conflict, which is available in the Family Resource Center for $7.50 plus tax.

Recommended Reading at the Family Resource Center
Getting Involved with God, by Ellen Davis

This is a book about getting, and staying, involved with God—what it takes, what it costs, what it looks and feels like, why anyone would want to do it anyway. It is at the same time a book about reading the Old Testament as a source of Good News and guidance for our life with God. The key piece of Good News that the Old Testament communicates over and over again is that God is involved with us, deeply and irrevocably.  With sound scholarship and her own vivid translations from the Hebrew, Old Testament professor Ellen Davis teaches us a spiritually engaged method of reading scripture. Beginning with the Psalms, whose frank prayers can be a model for our own, Davis reflects on the stories of the patriarchs and the pastoral wisdom of the book of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs in helping us cultivate those habits of the heart that lead to a rich relationship with God.  This book can be purchased at the Family Resource Center for $13.50 plus tax.

Grace Fellowship Lunch Resumes

The first lunch of the new year will be on Tuesday, January 10, at noon in the Social Hall.  The cost is $7 for a delicious catered meal for you to enjoy in the company of others at Grace.  Invite a friend and plan to come!