Are you feeling dry?

· Chris Thompson

We all come to points where we are tired, worn down or sick of people. It is a normal part of life, but for people who follow Jesus we need to remember to have patterns in our lives that renew and revive us. It is easy for us to keep trying to soldier on, put on a brave face and try harder. It is more important however that we recognize our dependence on God. That we need to come to him and ask to be refilled, renewed, restored. God wants us not our deeds, God want us not what we can do for him. We have a God that is unlike any other. Read this passage from Micah chapter 7: 18-19
“Who is a God like you?
Who forgives sin
and pardons the rebellion
of those who remain among his people?
Who does not stay angry forever,
but delights in showing loyal love?
Who will once again have mercy on us?
Who will conquer our evil deeds?
Who will hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea?”

We have a God who delights in forgiving, showing mercy and compassion. We have a God who takes the worst parts of us and refines them. His love is described as loyal, unrelenting, boundless. It is a well that we must ensure we are continually drawing from. It is the source of life that enables and empowers us to live as his children. It is the strength we need to overcome our struggles and the courage to proclaim his love to everyone. If we are not regularly returning to the well, we will dry out, become weak, fall apart. We must recognize that God does not want or expect us to be strong enough. He is the one who deals with our sins, and he is the one who transforms us to be more like him. We must therefore learn to rely upon him and come the well where he refreshes and restores us.
So how do we come to the well? In many ways and no one way is the only way. Most common is to spend time reading the bible and praying. Allowing his word to saturate your spirit and wash over you. Music and praise is another key component to this. If we are joining in worship of God with other people we recognize that God is at work in us, his church, and that we rely on him. Serving is one of the most overlooked ways we draw near to God, but as we lay aside our own wants and needs and engage in service of others we begin to gain greater awareness of the value and dignity of others. We express in tangible action that we desire God to use us to lavish his love on others.
So, make sure you are returning to the well, the source of life. Find time and create spaces where you can be renewed and restored in God’s presence. Understand anew that we have a God who loves to show mercy to us, who will not let anything stand in the way of us coming to him. Come to the well and be refreshed.

Does It Change Anything?

· Chris Thompson

I have been thinking about how is my day to day life impacted by my relationship with Jesus? It is one thing for us to acknowledge that we need Jesus in order for our debt of sin to be paid, but there is so much more to a relationship with Jesus than that.
It is about transformation and restoration. What God wants is for us to be whole, to be complete and we cannot have that apart from him. If you look at the biblical story, the entire narrative is about God seeking to restore all of creation to its proper state. I know for myself I often lose sight of the bigger picture and get too focused only on myself and my own shortcomings. Jesus calls us to take part in the restoration of all things. We are called to be peacemakers, advocates, servants, and leaders. We are called to be agents of change. So the question remains, how does Jesus change how I live? How does he transform and shape every aspect of my life? How do I treat the homeless person I walk by, the grumpy cashier, the annoying co-worker? How does the fact that I know I am loved by the king of the universe affect how I treat people? My challenge is to ask God to have his love drench every fibre of my being so much so that it spills out over everyone I meet. Will I have dry and crusty days? Sure, but I will acknowledge them and pray for God’s love and grace to move through me despite them.
I believe that we can take a hold of God’s love and hold tight then he will show us what restoration looks like. Restoration of our hearts and lives, restoration of our friends and families, restoration of this world. This question remains, do we want this?

“The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”
Isaiah 58:11-12

Upcoming Camps!

· Chris Thompson

Family Camp again July 15-17th. A great time to hang out, eat and worship together. For more details check out the event here: Family Camp Info Kids Day Camp July 18-20th For kids ages 6 to 12 and will run from 830-4 each day. Kids will need to bring a lunch but we will be […]

AGM & Ice Cream Social

· Chris Thompson

Whether you think of it as the Annual Meeting or as the Ice Cream Social, this is an important time for our church family. We get to hear about the state of various ministries as well as there is opportunity to ask questions and discuss the plans and direction of the church for the upcoming […]

Meet David

· Chris Thompson

Take a minute to get to know more about our shiny, new Director of Children and Family Ministries, David Haugan.

Great Resource!

· Chris Thompson

Here is another great growth resource we have access to! There are bible studies, devotionals, life resources and so much more available. They also focus on all age groups so it is great for anyone looking to grow in their faith. Check it out here: https://www.rightnowmedia.org/ If you don’t already have an account, email Chris […]

We Need Your Input

· Chris Thompson

It’s that time of year where we prepare for our Annual General Meeting in which we vote in new leaders for the church. We need your help in finding people who can help provide leadership and direction. If you know someone or many people who you think would be a great person to step up […]

God Called & You Responded

· Chris Thompson

God provided an opportunity to directly support Ukrainian refugees in Poland, and you were faithful to answer his call! Let us continue praying for Ukraine. Let us also be praying for God to open our eyes and hearts for the next way he wants to use us.

Let’s Do This!

· Chris Thompson

We Want to Raise $10000!
This is considered a Tax Deductible donation as well!

We have the opportunity to make a difference for refuges from Ukraine. Through Graceland Canada (an organization working in Poland) we can help them meet the needs of the many Ukrainian refuges in their country.

Graceland Canada and USA and Poland are currently helping in the following ways. . .
1) Taking financial donations from Canadians/Americans and forwarding them to frontline workers here in Poland (we’re acting as the middleman)
2) Supporting a church just a few km from the border who are sleeping 200 and feeding 300+ per day (they impress us because they moved their worship services to the cultural centre in order to house refugees)
3) Financially supporting the extended family of a Graceland student family who had to flee and leave husbands behind. These women left with nothing but a suitcase and their kids. We are providing them with cash for purchasing necessities. It is our plan to support this family longer term. They are currently looking for an apartment, and it’s our hope to provide rent for them for a few months until they get settled.
4) Financially supporting women and children refugees currently “living” in the train station refugee shelter by giving them envelopes with cash. We are using this as a teaching opportunity for a young woman we are mentoring. She goes to the train station to hand out food and supplies with her youth group, and we are entrusting her with these envelopes. She is so excited to do this and is blown away by how the Lord is moving — this is simply a gift of love.
5) We have a student who is taking people into her home and we are helping with finances if/when she needs it. She had a couple of women with her for 2 weeks, they have now moved on to Germany.
6) Once our intern leaves, we will make our small Annex apartment available to a refugees as a transitional place—it’s not suitable for long-term living, or for families and it can only be used until the end of summer when we have more teachers who need housing (which is now at a premium).

After April 10th:
Donations for refugees from Ukraine can be sent via Interac email transfer to: treasurer@gracelandministries.com, designated Project 94. The only administrative cost is the bank transfer fees. Our treasurers, Bonnie Eadle and Susan LaCount are forwarding the refugee money with the money they usually transfer to Graceland, so the bank fees are coming out of our General Fund thereby leaving 100% of the funds donated available for the relief effort.