August 2, 2024
Dear Grace Vineyard Family and Friends,
Hello from somewhere over the ocean. Right now I am in an airplane with Ted Lawler’s grandson, Judah, on our way from Zambia to Doha, a 7 hour flight. We’ll have about an hour and a half layover and then get on our flight to Los Angeles, which is a 16 hour flight. If all goes well, We’ll land in Los Angeles at 7:25 on Saturday morning.
It’s been a great trip. Thank you for all of your financial and prayer support. Here’s a cool development: a few days ago I put up a post on Facebook to raise funds to leave with pastors in Zambia who are doing food distribution programs in their churches to help people who are not getting enough food due to the ongoing drought and high inflation in Zambia. In just a couple of days people gave over $3,000! That’s going to provide a lot of food for a bunch of hungry people. I am dividing that money up among 5 different churches located in different spots around the country. It’s great to do this through local, trusted churches, because they will be best able to meet emotional, spiritual, and physical needs for people in their communities beyond food distribution. If you missed that post and would like to jump in to help, please use this link to donate: gracevcf.org/Zambia-Famine-Relief.
Check out this God Story: Our friend Don Jarrell who used to be part of our congregation but has moved to Tennessee some time ago now was in prayer and heard the Lord whisper to him that he was to help feed Zambians. He had no idea where to begin, then he saw my facebook post about raising money to feed Zambians! I love that. God is alive and well and is talking to people in our day. So cool!
This Sunday: Willie Register
I’m excited to let you know that our dear friend Willie Register will be bringing the message this coming Sunday. It’s called “Enlarging Our Imaginations”. What if we are so caught up in our lives that we miss what God is up to around us? Join us as we seek to find out what happens if we enlarge our imagination and see the world through Kingdom Lenses!
This is going to be a great Sunday! Willie Register is a dear friend of Grace Vineyard. Some years ago he was one of our staff pastors, leading Youth ministries and also overseeing worship. He’s a gifted worship leader and speaker., and just an amazing human being. You’re going to love him. If his last name sounds familiar, you might remember when his wife Jane Register spoke at our church about how we can welcome and minister to the international refugees in San Diego.
I hope to see you Sunday morning, but if you are not able to be with us in person this Sunday, you can always join online via the Zoom app with this info: Zoom Meeting ID 153 112 432, Passcode 684814. You may also join us on Facebook Live at facebook.com/gracevcf.
Vineyard USA Day of Giving, August 4
This Sunday, August 4th, we will be joining with Vineyard churches all over the United States for our first annual Day of Giving. Here’s part of what Jay Pathak our national director wrote: “On August 4, 2024, we invite you to celebrate 50 years of the Vineyard with us through your prayers and giving for two simple reasons. First, we want to express our gratitude in a tangible way to God for the fruit borne through this movement since our first church service in 1974. Second, we want to invest by sowing seeds in the soil of our communities that will lead to building healthy churches that continue to reflect the goodness of God to all people for generations to come. All proceeds from the Day of Giving will support the essential functions of the Vineyard USA national movement. Sixty percent of the money raised will move toward the daily operations of Vineyard USA and forty percent will be devoted to funding important initiatives and programs:15% to Pastoral Health Initiatives, 15% to Church Health and Development, and 10% to Vineyard USA Associations”. So this Sunday we’ll be taking a 2nd offering for Vineyard USA. Please check out https://vineyardusa.org/give/for all the details and for 2 video messages, one from Jay Pathak, and one from Jason George, Vineyard USA’s chief development officer.
After Church Potluck August 11
We’re having another potluck fellowship after church on August 11th. It’ll be great to all be together again for fun, food, and fellowship. There will be sign up sheets in the lobby after church this Sunday for food, setup and clean up. Please sign up! These times are such a great way to grow in relationship together.
Make and Bake Sale August 25 for Women’s Retreat
We’ll have a Make and Bake Sale for Retreat costs and scholarships on August 25th. If you need a scholarship for the women’s retreat please contact Kim Ohst at kimohst@gmail.com or call/text at 760-519-4558
True Valor Men’s Conference
Here’s something cool for the men to put on their calendars. On August 23-24 we are joining with Men from all over North County for a Men’s Conference at Oceanside Calvary Chapel. If you don’t know, we live in a county that has unusual levels of unity and relationship amongst churches. In fact I was just with a pastor from New York who is working with a multi-church outreach we are planning for July, and he mentioned how unique it is here in San Diego. So men, we’re going to get together with men from churches all over our county for a conference designed to help us confront the deadliest manslayers of our times. Here’s the details from the webpage for the conference:
North County Men’s Conference
August 23-24, 2024
Friday 5:00pm- 9:30pm (Includes Dinner)
Saturday 8:00am – 3:00pm (Includes Lunch)
The Men of North County will be rallying for a two-day conference called True Valor: Confronting the Deadliest Manslayers of Our Times. This conference will intentionally address the most common vices and evils that attack men, while offering an armory of practical tools and weapons to equip you to be the Priest, Provider and Protector you are called to be.
This conference will be many churches, but one brotherhood. This is a charge to every man, and to neighboring and local churches to confront these manslayers with us as a united force. This is a call for men to stand and fight. This is a call for True Valor.
On top of all those opportunities, I want to make sure you know about the annual Marriage Getaway coming up.
Come away with your spouse for a weekend of encouragement, relaxation, and worship!
Our 14th annual Marriage Getaway returns in 2024, August 23-25, to the gorgeous La Quinta Resort & Club. The 45 lush acres of the La Quinta Resort feature 7 restaurants, 41 climate-controlled pools, 21 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts, and a spa. Your Couple Weekend Ticket includes a two-night stay in a King Bed Casita, self-parking, resort fees & taxes, Marriage Getaway event admission for all three days, and Saturday & Sunday continental breakfast. Each couple has the opportunity to extend their stay up to 3 nights prior and 3 nights post the Marriage Getaway Weekend for an additional cost.
For more information, please go to https://www.therelationshipresource.org/marriage-getaway
Mexico Vineyard National Conference
This next event I want to tell you about is for our Spanish speaking sisters and brothers. Did you know that there is a Mexico Vineyard association of churches just like there is one in the U.S.? There are actually 15 associations of Vineyard churches in various countries and regions around the world (check out our international Vineyard family at https://vineyard.org). Well, Steve Rogers and I were able to go to our U.S. Vineyard national conference in Denver last month, and it was so wonderful! I was super excited to learn that the Mexico Vineyard National Conference is coming up October 16-18, and it’s very close – MexiCali. Right now I am planning on going and I want to take as many Spanish speakers from Grace Vineyard as possible to go with me. The good news for me is that they’ll have English translation available to help me out. The worship from our Mexican Vineyard family is AWESOME! Please check out the details right here: http://vinamexico.com/ Here’s an excerpt (in Spanish, of course):
Estimados Pastores y Líderes,
Estamos tan emocionados por lo que Dios ha preparado para el movimiento Viña este año. Creemos, y hemos visto, como Dios ha estado construyendo a través de una de las temporadas más difíciles en el país y en la iglesia. En Su carácter como Constructor, el Espíritu Santo ha traído sanidad y unidad a un movimiento que muchos pensaron sería deshecho. Pero Dios . . . pero Dios, es Quien edificó la casa y Quien la ha sostenido.
Este año, celebramos Su fidelidad y Su amor por construir uniéndonos a lo que está haciendo en México: Construyendo. Seguimos el modelo de Jesús cuando dijo en Juan 5:19, “Les digo la verdad, el Hijo no puede hacer nada por su propia cuenta; solo hace lo que ve que el Padre hace. Todo lo que hace el Padre, también lo hace el Hijo . . .” Y si Dios está CONSTRUYENDO . . . nosotros construiremos también.
Invitados y Sesiones
Te invitamos a ti y a tu congregación a acompañarnos en Mexicali, B.C. del miércoles 16 al viernes 18 de octubre para nuestra Conferencia Nacional Viña 2024: Una Reunión de Constructores.Registro
Te puedes registrar en www.vinamexico.com por solo $150 M.N./persona depositado en BBVA BANCOMER a la cuenta 4555-1130-1242-4125 a Nombre de NOEMI GONZALEZ RUIZ. Les pedimos que una vez hecho el deposito manden por favor una imagen con la ficha de deposito a NAOMY
And that’s it for this week’s email update.
Sorry for any typos. It’s not easy to proof read with the internet on an airplane!
Blessings and love to each of you,
Ron Ohst
P.S.
I wrote the email while flying and then lost internet capabilities for finishing sending the email to you. I am now home, it’s Saturday afternoon, and I’ll finally be able to send this email out! Had a great flight home, though, I was traveling for over 24 hours, so I’m a bit tired. 🙂 I’ll see you all tomorrow.
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.