Church Communications Policy (2002)

GRACE CHURCH

Communications Policies

Bulletin and PowerPoint Information: Requests for information to be included in the Weekly Bulletin or PowerPoint should be submitted using the promotion request form no later than noon on the Friday for the following week’s bulletin (nine days ahead of publication). All requests for bulletin announcements will go through the pastoral staff meeting on Mondays prior to the requested publication Sunday. It is the church’s practice to begin promoting events only three Sundays in advance of an activity.

Flyers/Inserts: It is the policy of Grace Church not to accept flyers/inserts for the Weekly Bulletin from outside organizations (announcements are acceptable). The number of inserts for the Weekly Bulletin is limited. Requests for flyers/inserts need to be submitted at least two weeks prior to the Sunday of publication. Submission of a draft flyer/insert does not mean it will automatically be published. All submissions must be approved by the pastoral staff.

Pulpit Announcements: Requests for pulpit announcements must be submitted to Kathy Jatho ([email protected]) in writing no later than noon on the Tuesday preceding the Sunday of the anticipated announcements. Pulpit time is given only to items of church-wide interest and of the highest priority.

Internal Communications: There are separate boxes for each of the church’s staff members in the church office. Please use these for the internal/staff routing of information or requests.

Posters: All posters placed on church property must be approved and initialed by a member of the pastoral staff prior to placement. Any posters not approved and initialed by a pastoral staff member can be taken down and discarded.

Sign-up Tables in the Atrium: Requests for tables in the Atrium must be made through the church office. A Facilities Request Form should be used.

Giving Letter (3/2002)

March 20, 2002

Dear Family of Friends:

Greetings in the name of Jesus! I am looking forward to the next two Sundays with great anticipation. Or course Easter is a highlight every year, and this year will be no different. This year’s drama, The Borrowed Tomb, promises to be a wonderful blessing and a great evangelism opportunity. Remember, there is a Friday night Dress Rehearsal/Performance on Friday, March 30 at 7 p.m. On Easter Sunday there will be two performances at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. (Remember, there is no ABF hour or Evening Service on Easter Sunday.)

This Sunday, March 24, is Palm Sunday. This is the day we celebrate our Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. This is also your opportunity to participate in our annual Celebration Offering. In past opportunities the purpose for this offering was for steel, bricks and mortar to build a place of worship. We have that now and are working hard to pay off the debt.

This year our offering is not for building materials of this world but to build the kingdom of God. We are designating the entire offering to ministry expansion. We are intentionally expanding our outreach through the Community Life pastor’s outreach and evangelism; we are giving great emphasis on equipping the saints for the work of the ministry; and we are seeking God’s man and wife to head up and lead our Senior High Student Ministries. We intend to use this offering to help us PREACH, TEACH AND REACH THE LOST here in Des Moines like never before.

Will you ask the Lord what he would have you to do and what sacrifice to make in order to reach our goal of $150,000 to the glory of God?

Prayerfully,

Pastor Phil

Giving Letter (3/14/2002)

March 14, 2002

Dear Family of Friends,

On the road to Damascus, Saul, an enemy of the gospel, met Jesus Christ in a personal way. It was such an encounter that Saul was changed into another person so much so that his name had to be changed to reflect the difference. He was now Paul. Paul’s response to his Damascus Road encounter was to ask the question, “Lord, what would you have me to do?” Of course the answer to that question was to become the apostle to the gentiles.

I want to speak to each of you concerning asking that question to the Lord. It should be a natural response to Jesus to ask him what he would have each of us to do. When we consider his love and his sacrifice on the cross to take our sins away we should want to know his desires for us. One thing he wants us to do is to tell others of the “good news”. It should be our priority that others know that Jesus died for them.

This week we celebrate Palm Sunday together. We will celebrate with songs of praise and shouts of joy as we say “Hosanna” or “save now” to our Lord. We will also celebrate with an offering representing a sacrifice. I wonder if you would ask the Lord the question, “Lord what would you have me to give?” This year’s offering is dedicated to ministry expansion. Included is opening the way for a pastor to be fully dedicated to the evangelism and assimilation effort. Also we are looking to bring in God’s special man and wife to work with our Sr. High teen-age ministries. The time is now for outreach and evangelism in this, our Jerusalem. You play a very important part. You testimony and your ministry are irreplaceable. As well each of us can seek the Lord’s guidance as to what sacrifice we will make. Think of the cross and the sacrifice of our Savior and then pray asking him Lord, what should I give? Will you do that? Please seek the Lord in prayer and ask him how much you should give toward our goal of $150,000. May God bless you as you seek his will in prayer.

Thinking of Calvary,

Pastor Phil

Grace Lao Church Begins Road to Autonomy

Thirteen years ago Grace Church started the Grace Lao Church in response to the hundreds of Southeast Asian refugees flooding into Central Iowa. By the mid-1990s, this influx had diminished to a trickle, and eventually ceased all together. During its infancy, Grace Church fully subsidized the Laotian Church and its pastors, first Pastor Rick Davis and then Pastor Bounkeo Bounma.

The Laotian Church has now matured and many of its members are fully vested in American culture…many of whom are now American citizens. The members of the Laotian Church hold regular, full-time jobs, own their own homes and automobiles.

After many months of prayerful consideration, the Elders of Grace Church made the decision to end the subsidy for the Laotian Church beginning July 1, 2002 and encourage the Laotians to strive for an autonomous Lao church. It is the belief of the Elders that the Laotian Congregation is fully capable of supporting the ministries of the Laotian Church through their regular tithes and offerings.

The Grace Lao Church will continue to have free use of the facilities and the Laotian children and teens are welcome to attend our regular Sunday school classes at their will.

This is a faith-building step for the Laotian Church. Please uphold the Lao Family in prayer as they take their first steps towards becoming an autonomous church. Uphold Pastor Keo and his co-leaders as they work to bring about the smooth transition of the Laotian Church and to encourage the Lao people to faithfully give to support the work of the Lord through the Lao Church.

If you have any questions about the Grace Lao Church, please contact one of the following Elders: Chris Eller, Terry Anderson, Jay McFarling or Ron Jean. 

Giving Letter (2/2002)

February 25, 2002

Dear Family of Friends,

As I quickly glance at my March calendar, I see one word written across it: opportunity! March is perhaps the best time of year to reach people with the powerful message of the cross. Easter has a universal appeal to people of all ages, and is a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel. We have two specific vehicles planned during the month of March to share the gospel:

First, I will preach a series of messages I am calling “Great Themes of the Bible.” Each week we will look at one of the five “greats” of the Bible: The Great Commandment, The Great Commission, A Great Mystery, The Great Sacrifice, and The Great Decision (The Judge). Throughout this series the gospel will be presented in clear, uncompromising language. Please invite your lost loved ones, friends and co-workers during the month of March, and pray for the Lord to use our church to reach them with the saving grace of the gospel.

Second, Pastor Marty and the Praise & Worship Ministry are working hard to prepare a powerful musical and dramatic presentation of the gospel called The Borrowed Tomb. There will be two performances Easter Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11 a.m. and a special “Dress Rehearsal / Performance” on Good Friday, March 29 at 7 p.m. Please commit yourself to praying daily for the message of The Borrowed Tomb and ask the Lord to use this powerful drama to save many, many people.

These are two important opportunities to reach people during the month of March, and on Palm Sunday, March 24, we also have the opportunity as a church family to give sacrificially towards the work of the Kingdom. This year our annual Celebration Offering has been designated towards Ministry Expansion. As I look forward to the next 12-18 months, I see a great door of opportunity in front of us to expand the ministries and outreach of Grace Church. We want to strengthen the children’s and youth ministries of our church and expand our G.E.M.S. school; we also want to add a new pastoral position to our staff with the specific responsibility of outreach and evangelism. This new pastor would work with our visitors and newcomers to Grace, helping them find their place and connect within the various ministries of Grace Church.

We are asking the Lord for $150,000 to be used towards Ministry Expansion. Our desire is to keep pressing towards the mark, to stay on the offensive and to continually spread the gospel in Central Iowa and to the ends of the earth.

Let me conclude with a challenge: first, pray! Please pray that many will come to know Christ as their personal savior during the month of March; pray that God will use me in the pulpit and the men and women of the Praise and Worship Ministry through the Easter Musical to communicate the simple message of the cross. Second, invite! Ask the Lord to open your eyes to the opportunities around you and to invite those who need Christ to church with you this month. Finally, give! Ask the Lord to show you the amount He would have you give to our Celebration Offering to advance the Kingdom of God through the ministries of Grace Church. I challenge you, my dear friend, to try our God and see if He will not bless you in your personal effort. I am praying for you all. I give you my love and prayers continually.

In Christ,

Pastor Phil