10/1/01 10/1/01

Missions Support Guidelines

GRACE CHURCH

Missions Support Guidelines

Grace Church places a high priority on world missions. It is our desire as a church family to help missionaries spread the gospel in Central Iowa, the State of Iowa, the United States, and on foreign fields throughout the world. At the same time, however, it is our desire to be strategic with our missions dollar and to place our resources in areas we believe will have the greatest impact.

DEFINITION OF A MISSIONARY

For the purposes of our Missions Ministry, we define a missionary as a man or woman who, sensing the specific call of the Lord on their life, surrenders to the ministry in a foreign field or within the United States to another culture.

PRIORITY ONE: Local Church Planting

It is also our belief that the local church is the key instrument in building up the body of believers and in energizing them towards evangelism. We believe the New Testament clearly defines the role of the local church in this effort and more importantly, the role of the pastor in equipping the saints for service and doing the work of an evangelist. It is our desire, therefore, to support missionaries who are directly involved with the ministry of church planting and serving as either the pastor of a local church plant or a support staff person to this pastor. This will be the first criteria new missionary prospects must pass before being considered for regular monthly support from Grace Church.

PRIORITY TWO: Peru

As a church we stand in a unique situation with Pastor Phil Winfield as our pastor. Pastor Phil is a missionary to Peru, and the Lord has used him greatly to build a network of churches and Peruvian Nationals. We are committed to this work in Peru and it is our desire to place top priority on continually building the ministry in Peru. This will be reflected in our missions budget.

PRIORITY THREE: Missionaries from Grace

We also recognize that some from within our own body have surrendered to missions and are today serving on both foreign fields and at home. It is our desire to continue to support these existing ministries and to encourage future missionaries from our church. It is the desire of our pastor and our elders to assist couples however possible in reaching the field. Part of this process will involve a careful examination of the life and ministry of a prospective couple and the specific call to missions. It is our desire to send men and women who will be effective for the cause of Christ and who are confident in their abilities to minister and of their call to missions. When our elders are in complete agreement on a man or woman’s call to missions and of their spiritual qualifications, we will encourage that person to seek the necessary professional training (through GEMS) and to begin the process of application to a missions board.

LEVELS OF SUPPORT

How much we support individuals or ministry organizations depends on many criteria:

What is the specific ministry of the individual or organization? If it directly involves the planting of a local church, this will receive our highest level of support.
What are the specific skills or gifts of the individual in question? We realize that not everyone on the field can be a D. L. Moody or Billy Graham. However, there are men serving on the field today who are extremely capable and are impacting entire nations for Christ. It is our desire to support these individuals with the highest level of support our budget will allow.
What are the specific needs of the individual? Not every missionary leaves the U.S. with the same needs. Some countries by their very nature are more costly to live in and do ministry than others, this must be considered.

Our missions support is divided into the following categories:

Missionaries

Missions / Ministry Organizations

Mission Trips

Missions Projects

Level of Support for Missionaries:

Grace Missionaries. If a missionary couple meets the qualifications defined above and is accepted as a missionary candidate by our elders, Grace Church commits to support this missionary couple at an amount not to exceed $6,000 per year. This support will be added in proportion to the amount of support they are raising through deputation. Grace Church will also commit to a one-time gift of $5,000 towards a missionary families outfit and passage when all support has been raised and the missionary family is ready to depart for the foreign field.
Non-Grace Missionaries. Missionary couples who come to Grace Church seeking support must meet the qualifications defined above and accepted as a missionary candidate by our missions team. Grace Church commits to support this missionary couple at an amount not to exceed $2,400 per year.
Highly Effective Missionaries. In an effort to be strategic with our missions dollar, Grace Church is looking for missionaries who are highly effective in their efforts to impact a nation for Christ. The fruits of this ministry include the planting of several church, a strong emphasis on evangelism and discipleship and the equipping and training of national pastors through the establishment of training centers, Bible colleges and seminaries. Grace Church desires to support these men without limitations as the Lord leads. Grace also desires to develop long-term relationships with these men through the sending of missions teams and funding for specific missions projects.

Level of Support for Missions / Ministry Organizations

In an effort to have an influence within our community, Grace Church will support a limited number of parachurch organizations whose missions is not church planting. The maximum level of support for these organizations is $1,200 per year.

Level of Support for Missions Trips

Grace Church places a high priority on short-term missions opportunities and we encourage our church family to participate in the church-sponsored missions trips. Our missions team will make every effort to offer a variety of trips to both foreign and home locations and to provide a variety of trips with varying costs. We also encourage our church family to consider the experience of raising the funds for a trip a faith-building matter. There are, however, from time-to-time individuals who desire to go on a trip but are unable to raise the total amount needed. Grace Church will provide limited funds to assist those in need. The level of support will not exceed 25 percent of the total cost of the trip.

Level of Support for Missions Projects

We encourage missionaries to support requests for special projects within their field of ministry. Priority will be given to projects that are focused on church planting, evangelistic campaigns, or the establishment of training centers for national pastors.

DISCLAIMER

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide general direction in future funding through our missions budget. We recognize, however, that the Holy Spirit may present us with opportunities that fall outside of these guidelines or in some way contradict a guideline. The elders reserve the right, at the direction and encouragement of the pastor, to provide funding to individuals or organizations that the elders deem worthy of an exception.

8/31/01 8/31/01

Dedication Invitation Letter

August 31, 2001

Dear :

On behalf of the leadership team here at Grace Church, I would like to invite you and your employees to a special Dedication Service for our new worship center on Sunday, Sept. 9 at 9 a.m.

As part of the team of workers who built this building, we would like the opportunity during this service to recognize your contribution and to thank you for the excellent workmanship that has made the Grace Church worship center a beautiful, state-of-the art facility.

We would also like to invite you to a free concert Saturday evening as we celebrate the completion of the worship center. We have invited pianist Enoch to be our guest artist. Enoch is known internationally as a Christian pianist who uses both acoustic and electronic instruments to produce a first-class, multimedia event. Enoch’s skills will truly demonstrate the quality and ability of the new worship center.

I look forward to seeing you next weekend. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact me at 265-0199.

Sincerely,

8/17/01 8/17/01

Announcement: First Service in New Worship Center

This Sunday, August 19, is one of the most significant days in Grace Church's history. From our first service with only a handful of people, Grace has met in basements, rented facilities, old, converted warehouses, and for the past ten years, a gymnasium. This Sunday, that all changes...it's the beginning of a New Era!

We have a beautiful, state-of-the-art worship center ready to greet a church family excited about Praise & Worship the Lord whom we serve. Moreover, we have the unique privilege of installing Pastor Phil Winfield as our new senior pastor. Plan now to be a part of this historic day at Grace.

Please note the changes in our service schedule starting this Sunday:

    ** Worship Service at 9 a.m. **
    ** Bible Fellowship Hour at 10:45 a.m. **

Note: In addition, starting this Sunday the children will begin the worship service in the Worship Center with their parents and will then be dismissed right before Pastor's message.

Finally, to finish the day in Iowa Style, we will host a Neighborhood Celebration and Hog Roast. You can come between 6 and 7:30 p.m., enjoy a BBQ pork dinner and tour the new facility.

** This weekend is a GREAT OPPORTUNITY to INVITE your friends and family. Pastor Phil will preach on Jesus, and the salvation message will be clear.

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7/3/01 7/3/01

Giving Letter (7/2001)

July 3, 2001

Dear Church Family:

One year ago, in July of 2000, we stood in absolute frustration. After several months of “construction” our new worship center was nothing more than a well-formed pile of dirt. The steel, which had been promised in mid-July was still months away from delivery. The construction timeline with January 4, 2001 as the completion date hung as a joke on the wall in Larry Jatho’s office.

Yes, we had our timelines, but God had his own timeline. In fact, the Lord had an entirely different plan than any of us could have possible foreseen. One year ago, without realizing it, we were on the threshold of a great faith-building experience. Never before have the Lord’s words in Isaiah 55:8-9 seemed so appropriate: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

In September, as the first pieces of steel finally arrived, Pastor Nelms began a month-long process of discerning God’s will for his life. A church in Florida had issued him a call to become their pastor. After many tearful meetings with the elders, Pastor Nelms accepted the call and in October bid farewell to Grace Church after 17 years of ministry.

Not by coincidence, the theme we chose for 2001 was God for Us! It was as if the Lord was saying to us “take your eyes off the pastor, keep your eyes on the Master!” Whenever we would start to doubt, and fear would creep in we were reminded “Keep Your Eyes on the Master!” When the weather turned harsh and the building seemed stalled we were reminded “Keep Your Eyes on the Master!” This is the lesson we have learned the past 12 months: “Keep Your Eyes on the Master!”

In January the first completion date passed; in April the second came and went. It was evident to everyone involved with the construction process that our timelines were meaningless. God had His own timeline!

In early March it became clear to our elders that Pastor Phil Winfield was the man God had chosen to serve as our next senior pastor. (Many were convinced of this during a brief meeting March 12, when Pastor Phil and Bonnie flew to Des Moines for a one-night visit.) On March 25 we formally extended an invitation to Pastor Phil to candidate at Grace Church.

That same week we began a series of intense meetings with our builder. It was clear that we would not meet our April deadline and now the June deadline was impossible to meet. We asked our builder to return to the plans, redo the timeline and give us a hard deadline. A week later our builder faxed us a hard deadline with some financial teeth in it. The date he gave us: August 17, 2001.

On April 22 the Grace Church family formally extended a call to Pastor Phil to become their new senior pastor. After accepting the call Pastor Phil explained to our elders the commitments he already had in Peru. The date Pastor Phil gave us for his start date: August 12, 2001.

We began the process of planning our new worship center in 1997. We formally agreed to move ahead with our building plans in March of 1999. In December 1999 our builder presented us with a timeline calling for a late 2000 completion date. But God had His own plan!

What are the odds (if you were a betting person) of these two great events in our church’s history concluding against the best-laid plans of man within one week of each other?

Why do we doubt God? Why do we doubt His sovereignty? Why do we worry and fret about the details of life when God clearly has us in the firm, solid grip of His had?

Within the next few weeks we will see our worship center come to completion. Already we have people stopping by the church just to see the “Church by the Freeway”.

This fall begins a new era at Grace. On Sunday, August 19 we will hold our first service in our new worship center. At the same time we will have the honor of installing Pastor Phil Winfield as our new senior pastor.

On Saturday, September 8, we have invited Enoc, a Christian Concert Pianist to give a concert using our new 15-foot grand piano and state-of-the art sound and media system. And on September 9, we will formally dedicate our new worship center to the Lord and for use in expanding His Kingdom in Central Iowa and beyond. Pastor David will be with us that day and will preach during the morning worship service.

Two weeks later, we will host our annual World Missions Conference, September 19-23. Our guest speaker this year is Dr. Wendell Kempton, president emeritus of ABWE. Many hundreds of men and women, including our own Pastor Marty and Sheila, accepted the call to ministry under the preaching of Dr. Kempton.

In December, our Praise & Worship Ministries will present Bethlehem’s Star, an outstanding Christmas Pageant featuring the Grace Church Choir, Orchestra, Grace Singers, Children’s & Youth Choirs, and Drama ministries. Bethlehem’s Star is a mixture of old-time, familiar Christmas songs coupled with a powerful, heart-touching message.

Through it all, we want Central Iowa to hear one message from Grace Church: God is Good, All the Time God is Good! Yes, God is for us!

Enclosed with this letter is a year-to-date report of your giving. We are so thankful for the many who give sacrificially every week to faithfully support the ministries and outreach of Grace Church. Be assured that we, the elders, are working diligently to be wise and frugal stewards of the resources entrusted here at Grace.

Towards this end, we have appointed a sub-committee from our elder body to pay special attention to our church’s finances and personnel needs. The men on this committee include: Terry Anderson, Chris Eller, Larry Jatho, Ron Jean, and Jay McFarling. If you have any questions or concerns about our church’s financial condition, please contact any of these men.

Finally, we want to encourage you to continue your faithful giving during the summer months. Upon the completion of our worship center we will have the privilege of paying for it! Watch your bulletin for weekly updates on our giving status.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Yours sincerely in Christ,

The Elders of Grace Church

6/6/01 6/6/01

First Impressions Survey

Every Sunday we are honored have 2 or 3 dozen guests with us. First impressions often mean everything. As an elder, or elder’s wife, please take a couple of minutes and complete this brief survey to help us improve our first impression.

1. How would you rate the exterior of our building, landscaping, parking lot and grounds?