January 25, 2025

Happy Saturday, Grace Vineyard Family and Friends!

Looks like it’s going to be another beautiful day in paradise!  We are finishing off a wonderful January this weekend with plans for a very special Sunday at Grace Vineyard.  Last Sunday was unusually wonderful for my family as we watched Charissa and Stephen get married.  It was a perfect day in every way.  The happy couple had a short “mini-moon” to the Grand Canyon and are already back, ready to jump into their new life together.  They’ll be enjoying a full honeymoon in Italy in May.  Here’s a photo that Michelle Ertel snapped of them dancing at the reception.

While we were getting dressed for the wedding, Grace Vineyard got to hear stories from the team that just got back from their trip to Cambodia, and I heard it was pretty awesome.

Following them, Christian Twombly brought a timely message he called “IGY6”,  on the importance and the blessing of authentic fellowship and community in the body of Christ.  We have that sermon available on our YouTube channel, and I’ll drop a copy for you right here:

Grace Vineyard Welcomes Mauricio Villamizar

On Sunday we’ll bring the Grand Finale to our “Enlarging Our Hearts” series with a very special guest. Mauricio Villamizar is the pastor of the La Viña church in Laguna Niguel and the leader of Missions La Viña USA.  I have shared several meals with Mauricio over the last several years and had a wonderful time getting to know him and his lovely wife Johanna.  Mao is planning on talking with us about how a compassionate, missionary heart is developed in us, with stories of his own journey.  It’s going to be great.  I hope you’ll be able to be with us on Sunday morning in person, but if you can’t be with us in person, here’s the link for the Zoom channel: Zoom Meeting ID  153 112 432, Passcode 684814, and here’s where you would go for the Facebook Live channel: facebook.com/gracevcf.

International Potluck

Immediately after the service we are going to enjoy food and fellowship together with an International Potluck. I’m looking forward to sampling all those international foods our congregation is bringing.  If you haven’t let Sharon Evans know what  you’re bringing, you might want to text her right now so she can finish her planning!  Here’s Sharon’s number:  ‪(760) 805-3335.

Renewing our Commitment to Missions

While I’m on the topic of Global Missions, I want to remind you that it is time to renew our individual commitments for 2025. We partner with brothers and sisters around the world to do the work of evangelism and disciple making.  We support those workers spiritually and practically by helping finance their work, sending teams to visit and join them in their work, praying for them consistently, encouraging them in regular communications, and inviting them to come in person and share their journey with us.  All of this is in fulfillment of the Great Commission of Jesus.  My dream is that every person who calls Grace Vineyard their home will have some connection to missions including a financial commitment. Even if it has to be very small, giving a monthly donation to missions points our hearts toward missions.  I know this is true because Jesus said that where our treasure is there our heart will also be.   So PLEASE, everyone of you who calls Grace Vineyard your home click on this link – 2025 Grace Missions Pledge Form – and let us know how you will be partnering with our missions ministry in 2025.  Please note that even if you were part of our missions ministry in 2024, we need you to fill out this form if you plan on renewing your commitment for 2025.  THANK YOU in advance for partnering in this vital ministry.

The Men’s Retreat Is On the Calendar!

Men, I want to let you know that we are going to have a Men’s Retreat at Palomar Christian Conference Center on Palomar Mountain March 14-16.

Men, do me a favor and put this in your phone’s calendar right now – Men’s Retreat, March 14-16, 2025.  We’ve booked the coolest retreat center in San Diego.  The photo above is from Palomar Christian Conference Center’s webpage, and show’s somebody on the zip line.  There’s also skeet shooting with shot guns, horseback riding, hiking trails, rifle range, archery, paintball, and more.  And it’s in a beautiful mountain retreat.  If you’ve never been, check out their webpage at palomar.camp. And that’s just the location.  We’ll also have amazing times of worship, teaching, prayer….oh yeah, can’t forget that their food is the best.  Our men’s retreats at PCCC have always been awesome, and I’m so glad we’ll be returning in the Spring.  They having 2 styles of housing accommodations – dorm rooms and hotel style. We’ve been able to drop the prices  a bit, so now, the Dorm Rooms will cost $225, and the Hotel Style rooms will cost $280.  This will include all the food for the weekend too.  See Snake for more more information. You can contact him via text at ‪(760) 622-4572, email him at rertel777@gmail.com , or better yet, find him on Sunday morning.  And to make it easy to pay, our church office will let us pay monthly – if you pay $35/week starting this Sunday, you’ll be able to pay for the entire registration by the first week in March. (That’s 7 weeks, so you’d save $245 by the first week in March…you get the idea).  When you put money in the offering or give online, just put “Men’s Retreat” on the memo line of your check, or on the offering envelope, or in the online giving where you can specify what the payment is for.  This is going to be an AWESOME Spring!

Night of Worship with CJ Orndorff

CJ’s in town!  CJ Orndorff has been a great friend of Grace Vineyard for many years, and before there was a Grace Vineyard, CJ’s family and my family were already close friends – I’m talking friends before Kim and I were even married, so we go back three decades!  CJ leads a prison ministry called 2nd Chance Outreach Ministries, and several people from our worship band frequently tour with him.  He’s an outstanding Musician and singer and worshipper.  He happens to be in town this week, so we are thrilled to host him for a night of worship next Sunday night, February 2nd.  I hope you will make plans to join us!

And with that, I’ll sign off for this week’s Weekly Update.  I don’t know how you’re going to spend your Saturday, but I’m on my way to watch my son play some Rugby, and then prepping for worshipping with you tomorrow.  Have a great Saturday, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

with blessings and love,

Ron Ohst


Tithes and Offerings Online

THANKS for taking ownership in the life and ministry of Grace Vineyard!  And thanks to all of you who are stepping into a lifestyle of generosity with your tithes and offerings.  It really does take all of us doing our part with the income God has entrusted to us for His church. If you’d like to give your tithe or offering online, click the donate button below.