December 12, 2025
Hello Grace Vineyard Family and friends of Grace,
Happy Friday to you all. I hope you are having a great week. This will be a fun weekend at Grace Vineyard – for the ladies, it’s our annual Women’s Christmas Luncheon Saturday at 11am.
The church is decorated so beautifully. A bunch of people were at the building today setting the tables and preparing the venue for an elegant luncheon. Shannon Frye will be the special guest speaker for this event, sharing on the topic “Expect the Unexpected”. I was talking with her about it earlier this week in our morning online prayer meeting, and it sounds like it it’s going to be very inspirational.
Earlier in the morning, our men will be at our monthly men’s breakfast. Please note, men – we are meeting in the Upper Room as the ladies will be meeting in the back of the church for their luncheon.
We men meet at 8am for a great breakfast, fellowship, worship, and an inspirational message. This month our speaker is Steve Pittman. If you’ve never gotten to know Steve, guys, you really out to come on out. He has a rich life experience, have grown up in Bolivia as a missionary kid, and then having done lots of international travel with his career. He has a deep love and motivation to minister to men and help us become everything Jesus intends for a man of God to be. It’s going to be a great time, and I hope to see you there.
Prayer This Sunday After Church
This Sunday is our monthly after church prayer meeting. You can stay as long or as short as you like. We’ll be there about an hour, moving from station to station where we focus on specific prayer needs for about 15 minutes at each station. It’s a great way to spend time with the Lord and bring our requests to Him. One thing I know: God answers prayer!
Mom 2 Mom Goes to Jingle Terrace Friday, December 19th
Mom 2 Mom will meet Friday, December 19th at 6pm at Grace Vineyard to carpool to Jingle Terrace for a picnic dinner and all the festivities. You can also meet us there! Here’s a link to see what to expect: Jingle Terrace Nights | Moonlight Stage Productions This is an event for moms to enjoy with their kids. To find out more, call Sheri Winter at 760-208-8403.
Coat, Sweater and Shoe Collection for Mom 2 Mom kids and moms
Christmas Party Potluck on December 21st
Please mark your calendars for Sunday, December 21, at 5pm. Our church seems to LOVE potlucks, and we do them really well. We are planning on having a Christmas Party Potluck at 5pm on Sunday, December 21. Susan Franke will be in the lobby this Sunday to help us Sign up and let her know what deliciouis dish we’ll be bringing. Some Christmas baking would be nice in addition to the main and side dishes!
Christmas Eve – The New Star
Join us on Christmas Eve, December 24th, at 5pm for “The New Star – The story of the first Christmas”, a traditional telling of the nativity story through the “not-so-traditional” eyes of two stars. We’ll end the program singing “Silent Night” by candle light, and then we’ll share some delicious hot apple cidar and home baked Christmas cookies.
Starting in January, Sign up Now – Financial Study
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). Jason will be in the lobby on Sunday to answer your questions and take signups. 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 we’ll get to come to this one. Look for Jason in the lobby after church this Sunday for more info.
Cultivating Joy
We are in the third week of Advent, and this week’s theme is Joy. This year for Advent, we are looking at the 4 themes of Advent – Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love – with the perspective that these are the blessings that describe abundant living in the Kingdom of God. In Romans 14:17 the Bible teaches us that The Kingdom of God is a matter of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The Bible has so much to say about joy and rejoicing, and I’m really looking forward to exploring with you how we can cultivate joy for a lifetime of abundant living! I hope to see you Sunday 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.
Last week we were blessed with a message on Peace brought be chaplain Jason DiPinto. If you’d like to hear it again (which I would heartily recommend!) here it is on our YouTube channel and our Gracetalks.org podcast:
And that’s it for this Weekly Update. Have a GREAT weekend, and I’ll see you on Sunday.
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. 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.