November 15, 2025
HAPPY SATURDAY, Grace Vineyard Family and Friends.
Our Women’s Retreat is LIVE
At long last, the Grace Women’s Retreat is Live! About 60 of our women are at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center right now. Would you take a moment to pray for an outpouring of the Spirit on them as they spend this weekend together, growing more deeply in their relationship with the Lord and each other? These retreats are life changing for so many, so let’s hold our women in prayer for them to experience everything the Lord has prepared for them. This week we’ve experienced a fair amount of challenges around the retreat (the Bible teaches us to not be unaware of the enemy’s schemes), so we really do appreciate you all engaging in prayer for this weekend!
Return from Exile, Part 2
Last Sunday I introduced the topic, “Return from Exile”. You can listen for a little or a lot to pick up on the theme from our Youtube Channel or our Gracetalks.org podcast right here if you like:
We began exploring this repeated narrative in the Biblical story of exile – being taken away from our native home – and return, especially as the season of Advent is upon us, and the arrival of the Messiah is the fulfillment of the Exile-Return narrative for both the people of Israel and also for all of humanity. Our native home is described in the opening pages of the Bible where God places the first couple in the Garden of Eden, where the most wonderful aspect of this paradise is the Near Presence of God. Due to sin, Adam and Eve (and all of us with them) were exiled from that garden. In a similar way, the children of Israel were exiled from their “paradise”, the Promised Land where once again the Presence of God was near in the Temple. They were exiled due to sin, but were promised that God would bring them back after 70 years. As the 70 year mark approached, a new twist in the story emerged. We read about it in Daniel. Yes, the Israelites would return home from exile in a real way, but the complete fulfillment of all the promises that the prophets spoke about would take not just 70 years, but 70 “sevens”. Delayed Consummation of the Promise. We saw how Jesus’ arrival finally fulfills the exile-return story, but in the Gospels we discover another twist in the plot! With Jesus’ coming – His life, ministry, sacrificial death, resurrection, and outpoured Spirit – the Kingdom of God has indeed come…but not in consummated fulfilment. We find that the New Testament writers even use the language of “exile” to describe what it’s like living as a Christian, experiencing the Kingdom, but still longing for more, for the final consummation of all the promises that will come at Jesus’ second coming. There seems to be a consistent pattern in the big Biblical Story – God’s redemption arrives in stages: already begun, but not yet complete. That language will sound familiar to those of you who have been around the Vineyard. Understanding this reality helps make sense of much of what we experience in this life. Tomorrow I want to explore not just the reality of this experience, but what the Bible teaches us about how we are to live when fulfillment is delayed. I hope everyone that isn’t at the retreat will join me to tomorrow! 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.
Open Call for Grace Vineyard’s 2025 Christmas Eve Production
Check out this important message from Ammee Huzil for a brand new Christmas Eve Production:
WHAT:
“A New Star” is a traditional telling of the nativity story through the “not-so-traditional” eyes of two stars. It’s a play (interspersed with music) and I am looking for actors and actresses (all ages) and support for set design, stage hands, costume, and sound and light production. If this makes you excited, and you would like to be involved — auditions will be the first two weeks of November.
TIME COMMITMENT:
We’ll have an open reading with those who are interested, and there will be rehearsing once a week up until Christmas Eve, you must be available for at least 60% of readings and rehearsals. I will also need stagehands, creative people, and sound support.
Please EMAIL Amy Huzil, Worship Director at: ammeepearl@gmail.com for information and audition/reading information.
I cannot wait to see how we can make this season special and create something beautiful together!
Operation Shoebox
Also with Advent in mind, we are in Operation Christmas Child season! If you don’t know much about this, please take a moment to click on this link: samaritanspurse.org/occ We’re creating Christmas Gift Shoeboxes for boys and girls all over the world. There’s a table in the lobby at church with all the info you’ll need, including boxes. This weekend is the Deadline!
Help Serve a Meal In the Park for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is almost here, and we’re going to be joining Convicted For Christ ministries to put on a Thanksgiving Dinner with all the fixings in Fireside Park on Friday of Thanksgiving week for our unsheltered neighbors. That means we’ll need Turkeys, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetables, rolls, pies, etc, and especially we’ll need people who can help serve the meal. It will be at 1PM on Friday, November 28th, at Fireside Park in Oceanside. (Please note: you may have seen a previous announcement for 2pm, but the correct time is 1pm) Michael and Brandi will be in the lobby on Sunday to help you get all signed up for what you’ll be bringing.
Mom 2 Mom is November 21
Are you a mom in need of support from other moms? Or are you a mom who has been there and wants to lend your support to others? Then you are welcome to Mom 2 Mom, a peer to peer and mentoring group designed to uplift, enrich, share and connect moms. We’ll gather Friday, November 21st at 6pm at Grace Vineyard on the terrace for a program that will include sharing a meal, connecting, inspiration and resources. Childcare will be provided- please let Sheri know how many kids/what ages. To find out more, call Sheri Winter at 760.208.8403.
I better end this Weekly Update right here so I can send it off to you all before it gets any later tonight!
With love and blessings to each of you,
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. If you’re giving to a specific fund (like benevolence or missions), just be sure to say that when you are given an option to add a note with your donation.