Weekly Update 12-6-2024

Isn’t that awesome!?

We have another opportunity coming up on December 21st. This time Venita Ibarra is leading us as we provide

Here’s the details:  We are providing Christmas dinner at San Diego Rescue Mission at 3131 Oceanside blvd, Oceanside on December 21st.

• Check in / drop off 3:00-3:30pm
• We will be providing sides for the meal and deserts
• Hot chocolate bar
• Craft- decorating stocking’s and filling stockings with candy
• Door prizes- gift baskets
• Aprox. 55 people
• We need cups for hot chocolate
• Some more sides
• Deserts
• Monetary donations welcome
• Sign up we’ll be at the table in back
• Also to drop off any of the commitments for the above

Venita will be at a table in the lobby this Sunday to give you all the details you need and to sign you up for how you’ll participate.

I LOVE THIS!

Ladies Christmas Luncheon December 14

Women of Grace, you are invited to celebrate Christmas with a beautiful luncheon beginning at 11am on Saturday, December 14th.  Margy Hill will be our speaker.  The menu is soup, salad and dessert.  If you’d like to bring a soup or dessert or host a table, please sign up in the lobby.  Tickets are $15.  For more information, please call Jeannie Isbell 760.419.1887.  It takes many hands to set up this luncheon — everyone is welcome to help set up on Friday from 2-6 pm at the church.  Call Jeannie if you plan to help at the number above.

Men’s Breakfast December 14

Men, this will be our last Men of Grace breakfast for 2024!  Join us on Saturday, December 14th, at 8am, at Ty’s Burger House, 515 Mission Ave, just around the corner from the church.  This month our special speaker is our own Kent Franke.

All Church Christmas Party Potluck – December 22, 5pm

We’re gonna have an all church Christmas Party Potluck on Sunday night, December 22nd.  Kathy Green will be in the lobby after church to organize signups for food and drinks.  You can also text her at 760-583-1779.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

We are all in for a special treat this Christmas Eve with a brand new Christmas Eve program called “Christmas Letters”.  Join us at 5pm on December 24 as we read, sing and celebrate the many “letters” that have been written over the years about Christmas: through poetry, the Bible and songs, leading us into an experience of the promise of a Savior and the presence of His Spirit which today still shines.  For many years, Christmas Eve at Grace Vineyard has been a highlight of the Christmas season for hundreds of people inside and outside our Grace Vineyard family, so be sure to invite everyone you know.

We always finish out our Christmas Eve service with Christmas baked treats and hot apple cider.  Start thinking now about which of your family’s favorite recipes you’ll want to make and bring.  We’ll do signups for Christmas cookies starting on December 15th.

Money Matters

I’m using the phrase “Money Matters” as a play on words, since “matters” is both a noun and a verb.  I want to talk about both for a moment.  Money matters, as in “money is important”, because the Bible gives us instructions along with promises regarding money.  The consistent message is that everything we have, including our money, comes from God; that He wants us to generously use His money to support people in need, missionaries, and His church; that what we do with our money is a reflection of what’s in our hearts; and that  if we trust Him – that is, exercise faith – regarding generosity and His provision, His financial blessing will always be greater than our generosity.  Here’s some scriptures that tell the story:

Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

Proverbs 19:17 New Living Translation If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord — and he will repay you!

Proverbs 28:27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Philippians 4:15-19 (re: supporting missionaries) Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. 17 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord  Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

Proverbs 11:24-25 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.  25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

There are many, many more places in scripture that teach us about God’s plan for money, but you can see the pattern of generosity and blessing repeated over and over.  As we end our year, there are several money “matters” that we need to attend to: helping those in need, supporting our missionaries, taking care of our local church, and a specific building project.  When we have financial needs, our practice is to bring our needs to God in prayer, and to share our needs with our brothers and sisters, so they have the opportunity to give as they feel led by the Lord.  We are asking that all of us pray and think about giving generously to take care of these needs.  Here are those four areas of need along with online links we can use for giving our special end of the year donations to the specific areas:

• Christmas Benevolence — helping those in need, especially single moms and widows this Christmas. Our benevolence fund is empty! Click here – Christmas Benevolence Gifts – to donate.
• Missions — Every year we invite people to commit to give monthly for one year to support our missionaries. We add up those commitments and set a budget for missions (with a reserve pad), letting our missionaries know how much they can expect to receive from us. The commitments have fallen short and our missions fund has run dry. Click here – Missions Donations – to donate to our missionaries.
• Special Building Project – our giant GRACE sign is in serious need of refurbishing.  We have a team who has spent a lot of time researching the best and most cost-effective ways to address the sign project. We have already received one large donation for the project, but we still need about $12,000 to complete the job.  Click here – Building Fund – to donate to our building fund so we can refurbish the sign.
• Taking care of our local church – this is where the tithe (giving 10% of our income) comes in.  Tithing pays for ongoing operational costs like insurance, electricity, gas, water, mortgage, staff salary (3 full time and 2 part time), office supplies, etc. Our general fund is also very low right now. To give general tithes and offerings click here – General Donations

The Deuteronomy passage reminds us that it is the Lord who gives us the power to make money, so let’s start by praying that the Lord will bless each of us with the ability to make money so that all our needs our met. Then lets follow that request with a prayer that we will each grow in generosity with the money that God has blessed us with. And then let’s pray that God will meet every one of these needs out of His endless resources.

I do want to say a giant THANK YOU to the many of you who generously give your resources month after month.  You are a great blessing. These words of blessing Paul the apostle wrote to the Christians in Corinth in response to their generosity are very fitting for you:  “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.”  (2 Corinthians 9:10-13)