Weekly Update 01-03-2026

Janury 3, 2026

Happy New Year Grace Vineyard Family and Friends!

I’m excited to kick off a new year together with you. What a great Decemeber we had together! We have some great things in store for us for January, so let me get started telling you all about it.

Compelled By His Love

Our theme for the month of January is “Compelled by His Love”, and we have an, dare I say, incredible lineup of speakers for the month.  We will be focusing outward this month as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Grace Missions!

We start tomorrow with our own Sharon M.  What does it mean to be so saturated with the love of God that we can’t help but serve others? We will look at how that is played out in the lives of some who have given everything to serve others. We will then look at what is means to be filled to overflowing with the love of God ourselves”

Tomorrow morning we’ll give you a preview of the lineup for the rest of the month, but I can tell you, it’s going to be awesome.  In addition to our in-person guest speakers, we’ll also be hearing from a bunch of international friends via video.  I really think you won’t want to miss a single service.  I hope to see you in the morning, but if you can’t be with us in person for worship tomorrow morning you can join us online on Zoom with this link Zoom Meeting ID  153 112 432, Passcode 684814 and you can also find our livestream on Facebook Live at facebook.com/gracevcf.

Every year we refresh our commitment to Global Missions both as a corporate congregation and individually.  A number of you committed last year to pray for our missionaries and a number of you commited to participate financially in supporting our missionaries around the globe.  That commitment is now complete, so we are asking everybody to pray about committing to missions for 2026.  That means that we hope but do NOT assume that you will be  continuing your commitment from last year.  We are collecting new commitments for financial support this month.  At the end of the month we will see what the individual commitments are and then we will inform the missionaries we support what we plan on sending every month to support their work.  Now, as a pastor of a missions focused church, I want  you to know that it is my hope and vision for every person who calls Grace Vineyard their home to join the team, no matter how small or large your commitment.  I know from experience that if you commit to only, say, $10 per month, your heart will follow your money (as Jesus said it would), and you will be thinking about and praying for our missionaries.

We’ll have a paper form like the one you see in this graphic available Sunday morning, and we also have a digital version that you can get to by clicking here: Missions Pledge Form or you can use the QR code in the graphic above.  I already filled out my family’s pledge form online, and I hope you’ll consider doing that right now.

Noel Isaacs – Sunday NIGHT, January 18

Several months ago I was at a Vineyard Pastors meeting where we had a special guest from Nepal sharing with us.  He was fascinating.  I learned that there is a region in the Himalayas that is for the first time in history right now the center of a church planting movement, and can you believe it — it’s primarily a movement of Vineyard church plants.  The guy speaking was from Nepal and his name is Noel Isaacs. I asked the leader of the meeting if Noel would be back in the U.S. in January cuz we’d love to have him speak at Grace Vineyard, and a few weeks ago I found out he is going to be here, and we do get to host him on January 18th for an evening meeting.  I would recommend you purchase his book Ordinary People, Exraordinary God, to hear about his amazing story.  Even more, please make plans to join us on Sunday Night, January 18th, at 6pm!

North County Gospel Choir, Friday January 9th

The next event I want to tell you about is also really exciting for me.  I have long wanted to see a community Gospel Choir in North County, and that dream has become a reality.  The brand new North County Gospel Choir will be putting on a night of worship right here in our beautiful building next Friday, January 9th, at 6pm.  I’m in my office right now, and as I type these words, they are downstairs in the theater rehearsing.  It is going to be so good.  Here’s a promotional video one of them put together:

The Gospel Choir begins at 6pm, but the doors open at 5pm with food vendors available (I’m told there’ll be a Taco Truck and more).  A request – the NCGC is asking if any of us would like to assist with ushering that night.  If you’d like to help, please you us at 760-754-2974 with a text or phone call or voice message?  Thanks!

Just a couple more things to note before I send this update out.

“Navigating Your Finances God’s Way” Begins January 11th

Starting on Sunday, January 11th, Chaplain Jason DiPinto is going to lead a financial study called “Navigating Your Finances God’s Way” from Compass Finances (A Financial Discipleship Ministry).  It’s a six chapter, video-driven study and we’ll be meeting on Sundays at 11:30 after church.   Space is limited – there is a 15 person maximum, so the first 15 people to sign up will get to come to this one.  The fee for the materials for this class is $20.  We have already ordered the materials for the people that have signed up so far, but we ordered a couple extra, so if you haven’t signed up yet, I believe we can still fit in a couple more.

You can click here to register.

Click on this button to pay the Materials Fee:

Last Sunday’s Message

I’m told a number of you look to these weekly messages to find the link to the GraceTalks.org podcast or YouTube video of the previous week’s message.  So here you go:

Okay.  I think I’ve covered everything.  God bless each of you richly this with all His Abundance!

with blessings and love,

Ron Ohst