Christmas Gifts for Foster Children

We are a people called to defend the fatherless…to care for the child that has no family…to visit orphans in their distress. On November 6, Orphan Sunday, churches around the world will focus on this issue.

There are currently over 1,000 children in the greater Long Beach foster care system. In our on-going commitment to serve our city and care for children at risk, Grace has committed to providing Christmas presents for 300 of these foster children.

This Sunday, stop by the table in the courtyard and pick up a card with a white ribbon with the name and age of a child in foster care. Purchase a small gift and bring it back to Grace on Sunday, November 13, 20, or 27. Questions? Contact Paula Tripp.

The End of Daylight Savings Time is This Weekend!

It’s time to change those clocks again.  The good news is that we GAIN an hour this weekend so be sure to set your clocks BACK by one hour on Saturday night!

If You Like to Bring Your Coffee Into the Morning Service…

Please remember that you can only bring coffee into the morning service in a Contigo brand spill-proof container.  The mugs are available below retail price at Seka (or are available at other retail establishments) and, upon purchase, you’ll receive a free drink!  They even come in a wonderful variety of colors.  Please help us keep our facility in good shape by observing these guidelines.  This will be of even greater importance when we move back into our newly refurbished sanctuary!  Thank you for your cooperation.

College Fall Retreat this Weekend!

Our Fall Retreat is from November 4-6, and will be in beautiful Santa Barbara. Aside from praying for good weather (though that’s important!), I really want this to be a time in which we are able to slow down and be present to God (and to each other). We’re going to be spending a lot of time praying and meditating on Scripture – and it’s always difficult to do this in a text-messaging, facebooking culture. — Ryan Bestelmeyer, College Pastor

Do You Like to Put Good Books in People’s Hands?
The Family Resource Center is a wonderful on-campus resource that provides thought-provoking books and resources for our church family that stimulate our Christian imaginations and challenge us to live the gospel in every area of life. If you are interested in volunteering in the Family Resource Center on Sunday mornings, please contact Diana Steenbergen.

Men’s Breakfast
The next monthly men’s breakfast will be on Saturday, November 13, at 8:00 AM in the school lunch room.  Enjoy a hot pancake breakfast with other men at Grace, with guest speaker Kurt Victor and testimony by Joe McGuire.

Fellowship Lunch
The next all-church Fellowship Lunch will be on Tuesday, November 8, at noon in the Social Hall.  Enjoy a delicious catered meal and some great conversation with others at Grace for just $7.  Invite a friend and plan to come.

Featured November Drink at Seka Coffee House

Coffee…chocolate…BACON! That’s right, we’re introducing a new Savory Bacon Mocha at Seka Coffee House this month. If you’ve ever had a bacon chocolate-chip cookie or a bacon chocolate bar, you know how magical this combination really is. Stop by and check it out this Sunday morning!

We Did It!

Thank you to all who contributed in any way to making our 16th annual Community Carnival a huge success.

•  We welcomed approximately 3,500 people to our campus.

•  We gave out a TON of candy ($1,800 toward candy came in last Sunday alone!).

•  Over 275 volunteered at the carnival.

•  20 foster families and 100 foster kids were our guests from 5-6 PM.

•  The event ran smoothly and safely, for which we are grateful!

Click here to view carnival photos.

Next Sunday:  International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP)

There are many countries in the world today where Christians are martyred for their faith. Believers in Afghanistan are facing death threats; Christians in Uzbekistan, Nigeria and many other countries all around the world face violence, imprisonment and even death.  There are other places in the world, such as North Korea, where acts of persecution take place, but we don’t see or hear of it. Next Sunday, November 13, a special information and prayer focus will be held at 11:10 AM in Room 213 for our Christian brothers and sisters around the world who suffer persecution, simply because they confess Jesus Christ as Lord. Click here to watch the IDOP ’11 promotional video.

StorySLAM: An Evening of Storytelling

WHAT:  StorySLAM*, a handful of our finest tale tellers, entertaining us with their (true) stories around the theme of ‘Vacation.’

WHEN:  This Saturday, November 5

WHERE:  Seka Coffee House (and yes, the coffee bar will be open!).

WHO:  All are welcome.  This is a family-friendly event but, if you plan to bring small children, please keep in mind that this is a performance event.

Invite a friend!  This is an especially ideal forum for connecting non-churched friends and family to the Grace community.

*Our StorySLAM is based on a popular and spontaneous story telling event called The Moth (founded in new York in 1997), where a handful of storytellers will be sharing their 10 minute true stories based on predetermined theme.

This Sunday’s Message

Pastor Jesse Krohmer continues in our current series this Sunday, “Living in God’s Presence:  The Exodus Journey” with a message titled “They saw God, and they ate and drank.”  (Exodus 24).  Missed a previous message? Click here.