More Pics...

We have some more great photos of the week, thanks to the Darst and Schippert families, but for some reason they're coming up looking kind of strange.  So, I'm going to post them on Facebook and you'll be able to get the link when I post it on Grace Church's page. 
They'll be up soon!

Days 4, 5, & 6 ~ March 2-4, 2012

Friday's Lunch4Ladies Potluck with Speakers Pat Wright and Denise Courtright.



Pat Wright shares on the topic 7 Critical Points in a Missionaries Life.



Denise Courtright talks about her times of ministry at River of Life in Romania.



The Family Prayer Walk guided us through the regions of the world, learning and praying as we went.



Friday night Pizza Fund Raiser for our Greater Things Youth Challenge to raise money for  goats for impoverished families through World Vision.

Raj and Elijah "visit" Europe on the Prayer Walk and Elijah gets his passport for having visited.  :)



Dave Dawson shares with the congregation during a testimony time about the work of Equipping the Saints globally.



Ben Rice leads the Mini Morning Missions Trip with the 1st-6th grade participants.

Terry Martin shares about the very challenging spiritual climate in England during the Greater Things Symposium on Saturday morning.



Jim Rinella of Navigators in Colorado speaks on his topic Making Disciples in a Facebook World.



Cameron Parks reads to one of our younger conference participants.  :)



Daniel Kamaraj begins sharing on The Unfinished Task in India.



The kids give their best Indonesian photo face...no smiling!!!

Dave Noden and Ashley Schippert converse about the pathway to the mission field.



Pastor Aurel and his daughter (and translator), Teodora, talk about their life and ministry in Romania.



Sunday Morning, March 4, in our conference finale and recommissioning, Megan Schwenk gives an update on our goal of purchasing 15 goats.  We made it!!!  In fact, we surpassed it, and thus far have enough for about 20 goats!

Jim Rinella during his testimony time on Sunday morning.



Daren Courtright sings an amazing song for the offertory about our willingness to GO!



The Conference Band gets everyone up and grooving with 'Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe' (There's No God Like You/There's No One Like Jesus) in Swahili. 

Clean up after our 2012 World's Fare, lunch which featured foods from the US, Romania, Papua New Guinea, India, and Britain.



Megan, our fearless shepherdess.  :)



Bob and Pat Wright chat with Amanda Meredith and swap emails before the Wrights head home to the Wheaton area.



Lea Scearce, Aurel and Teodora Rodean talk before parting ways after the conference and World's Fare.



Lin Marie Carey and Jim Rinella having a dicussion before Jim takes off for home in Colorado.



Days 2 and Day 3 - Feb 27 & 28, 2012

Garry Hendricks uses a coconut to teach an important missions principle: sometimes it takes many years of waiting and growing something to produce the fruit that is desired...but in the end, it was worth the wait, and the toil it took to produce it.



Terry Martin preaches from II Corinthians 5 on Monday night.  "Whatever we do, it is because Christ's love controls us."  (nlt II Cor. 5:14)




Lunchtime after our morning session Tuesday.  You can see some of our great missionary display tables in the background. 




Pastor Ed teaching Tuesday morning.  These have been great times of encouragement and exhortation.



Ben Rice gets the kids at the Children's Conference involved as he talks about language and the barriers that missionaries sometimes face.

Our missionary Panel Discussion on Tuesday evening was a GREAT time for all as we got to hear from our visiting missionaries' hearts.

John Berger (International Students, Inc.) answers a question as Joyce Coulter and Terry Martin look on.

February 26, 2012 - Day 1

Determining Our Steps

Who is that who determines our steps?  We make all our plans, but WHO is it that is sovereign over every circumstance?  Ah, yes.  It's the Lord God Almighty, Lover of our souls, Maker of heaven and earth.  We can rest easy.  So friends, we have some announcements to make and changes to know.  Remember, the missions mindset requires flexibility! 

Some of you know that Dr. Bob Alderman, who was going to be our Keynote Speaker for Sunday morning and evening and Monday evening, is now unable to join us.  Pastor Bob's older brother has been nearing Glory for some time now, and on Wednesday night, Pastor Ed called him to relieve him of his commitment here with us.  This was certainly the right thing to do and Pastor Bob was thankful for it. 

But we are so grateful that Dr. Daniel Kamaraj, who was going to be our Keynote for next Friday evening and Sunday morning, will be bringing his messages on Advancing the Gospel in a Hostile Environment  on this coming Sunday morning (9:00 and 10:45) and evening (6:30-8:00).  Then, on Monday evening, Terry Martin, one of our esteemed visiting missionaries, will be opening the Word for us.  Please keep these men in your prayers as they will be preparing and making changes in their plans. 

Also, one more announcement!  We will be having childcare available for anyone who would like to come to Monday, Tuesday, or Friday morning's sessions at church from 9:30 to 11:00.  So please, if you're a Mom who could come, but needed somewhere for your kids to go, please come and bring them!  Thanks so much, and tell your friends!!!

And lastly, I just want to thank everyone for coming out last night to help set-up the church and make it beautiful for the conference!  We all sooooo appreciate it!  THANK YOU!!!

Goats for Greater Things!

HELLO, GRACE!!!
Well, I want to know!  Have you ever bought a goat?  Being here in central IL, I'm sure there are some of you who have, LOL!  This photo is of a sweet one down in the Champaign area.  Megan Schwenk is heading up our initiative to raise funds to buy GOATS through World Vision from NOW through the end of the Conference (March 4).  The goats will be given to impoverished families in developing world countries.  If you didn't see the video on Sunday at church to see just how much a goat can impact a family's life, you can see it here: 

 http://www.worldvision.org/news/video-how-goat-can-help-change-lives.

 
We hope you'll be a part!  Here's the pertinent information about the Goats and the Youth Challenge from Megan:
*Our GOAL is 15 goats! (I think we've got 1 or 2 already!)
*The total amount of money is $1,125 which is $75 per goat.
*If you would like to donate you can write a check to Grace Church with "goats"
on the memo line. Or you can donate throughout the week at the Goat table in the church foyer.
*Donations from the Pizza Night (Friday night, Fireside Room, 4:45-6:30) will go to the goats!  Come and Eat, and Help buy a goat for a family that will help provide their meals for years to come!!!

Walking...Right Into His Presence

Hi Grace!  J  As our conference quickly approaches, I want to highlight a wonderful opportunity we will have to really go deeper, learning more about the Lord and the people He has made and then listening to Him share His heart for us concerning them.

The Family Prayer Walk is going to open at 5:00pm on Friday, March 2^nd.  It will be in the lower level of the church, where some of our ABFs normally happen.  It will remain available for the rest of the weekend whenever the church is open.  Please make a point to go through the Prayer Walk.  There will be Little Caesar's Pizza available to buy at that time before or after you go through the Walk to give you some sustenence before the evening session!  (And the proceeds of that will go to our Goat Initiative!  More on that later!)  There will be eight stations to visit with videos, activities and things to read to help you in the journey, including some fun activities for children.  At the end, there will be a place for you to respond.  But the main goal is that we would take time in the midst of a busy conference, to pray, to ask the Lord of the Harvest to do a great work and stir His people to action, to plead for the souls of the lost, to hear His still small voice. 

Join us.  Come and pray.