Giving Letter (July 2005)

July 29, 2005

Dear Family of Friends,

I am so thrilled to be a part of Grace Church. God’s hand is on us and many are being blessed by the multi-faceted ministry here and around the world. You are a part of this wonderful five-fold purpose of:

• Seeking worshipers for our Father in heaven (Magnification)
• Enjoying the fellowship of encouragement in the body (Membership)
• Building up believers to spiritual maturity (Maturity)
• Helping believers hone their talents and gifts to minister to each other (Ministry)
• Focusing our daily lives on the task of evangelism (Mission)

The enclosed report of giving and expenditures marks the halfway point for 2005. I want you to know that your faithful giving helps us make Christ known here and around the world. Your giving is keeping our wonderful staff of “home missionaries” on the job here and it keeps more than 50 missionary families on their fields to carry out the worldwide Great Commission that our Lord gave us. I know that financial support is not the only way to help, but it is a very important one. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of this ministry team, keeping the gospel light on here in Iowa and in many foreign lands.

I am always reading, and I read this last week an article by Rick Warren. Let his thoughts centered in God’s word speak to your heart:

At the end of your life on earth you will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well you handled what God entrusted to you. That means everything you do, even simple daily chores, has eternal implications. If you treat everything as a trust, God promises three rewards in eternity. First, you will be given God's affirmation: he will say, "Good job! Well done!" Next, you will receive a promotion and be given greater responsibility in eternity: "I will put you in charge of many things." Then you will be honored with a celebration: "Come and share your Master's happiness."

Most people fail to realize that money is both a test and a trust from God. God uses finances to teach us to trust him, and for many people, money is the greatest test of all. God watches how we use money to test how trustworthy we are. The Bible says, "If you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?" (Luke 16:11, NLT)

This is a very important truth. God says there is a direct relationship between how I use my money and the quality of my spiritual life! How I manage my money ("worldly wealth") determines how much God can trust me with spiritual blessings ("true riches").  Let me ask you: Is the way you manage your money preventing God from doing more in your life? Can you be trusted with spiritual riches?

Jesus said, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" (Luke 12:48b, NIV). Life is a trust, and the more God gives you, the more responsible he expects you to be.

The responsibility test concerning our possessions is real and so are the rewards for trusting God with them. God even invites us to test him concerning our giving. Malachi 3:10 says, “‘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.’”

God will pass the test. But will I pass it? May God’s richest blessing be on you dear friend as we together faithfully give our best to the Master.

In Christ where it is safe,

Phil Winfield
Senior Pastor

P.S. Enclosed is a copy of our 2^nd Quarter Financial Report. If, after reviewing it, you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact one of our Finance & Personnel Team members: Terry Anderson, Chris Eller, Larry Jatho, Ron Jean, or Dan Klopfer.

Grace Church Strategic Planning Document

Strategic Objectives

Our world today is like a herd of sheep running for the cliff. Jesus called these people “his little lambs” and commanded us to “tend his sheep.” As a church we must take this very seriously. Our dream is to become a church that exhibits God’s unconditional love to hurting people; a church that doesn’t shoot the wounded, but helps them back to full health. We desire to be a welcoming, loving church that is ready, willing and able to put up with the mess of working with broken people.

Not only do we need to help the sheep that have fallen off the cliff, but we need to help families build fences that protect our little lambs from reaching the cliff. The Next Generation Ministry must protect our kids from the wolves that want to push them over the cliff. We must teach the truth and we must model the truth for our children and grandchildren. Kids model what they see.

How do we accomplish these things? We believe God has positioned Grace Church in a unique area of influence. Below are the strategic objectives that guide our ministry. Each is founded in what we believe to be the mandate for a true New Testament Church. While our ministry goals and emphasis may change from year-to-year, these objectives–along with our Core Values–will provide the compass for our planning.

A Regional, Flagship Church–Based on the principle that “to whom much is given, much is required,” we believe God is leading Grace Church to take on more leadership responsibility to the many smaller churches in our community. Clearly, God has given Grace many resources and opportunities that smaller congregations do not enjoy. We want to be a resource to these ministries and provide more training and fellowship opportunities for pastors within the Central Iowa region. We believe God is leading us to impact not just East Des Moines, but all of Polk, Dallas, Warren, Jasper and Story counties for His Kingdom.

To Continue as a Church-planting Church–God has given us the privilege of planting two new churches in the last ten years, Fellowship Community Church of Norwalk and Grace West Church in West Des Moines and assisting with the planting of Easter Lake Church last year. We believe the Lord is leading us to continue planting new churches within the Central Iowa region. Some of these churches will be new, independent bodies that will function completely autonomous from Grace Church, while others will serve as new satellite locations that will remain a permanent part of our church body.

A Mission-minded Church with a Strategic Focus–We believe God has given us a very unique opportunity to have a dynamic impact in a specific foreign field–Peru. Pastor Phil and Bonnie are career missionaries in Peru and know the language fluently and are at home in the culture. At the center of our Peru Missions Strategy is The Bridge, a property located just outside Lima, Peru. In addition to a host family (Greg and Sherry Davidson), The Bridge provides short- and long-term housing for both short-term missionaries and potential missionary candidates for full-time service. From this base we can operate a growing and expanding mission ministry in the Lima area and in the entire country of Peru. During the next several years we will seek increasing opportunities to train and deploy our own people in both short-term and long-term ministries in Peru.

Preparing Leaders for the Next Generation–We are fully aware of the impact American culture is having on the family in the 21st Century. Children growing up in our church today will face a new world where technology reigns supreme, values are anything anyone chooses to believe, and the church struggles to stay relevant. We believe God has given us a tremendous responsibility to raise our children to be true believers in the Lord God of Israel. This will not happen without the direct, active involvement of the entire church family. It is our intention to focus more of our resources on the Next Generation and to seek specific, Christ-centered objectives in our Christian Education approach.

A Balanced Approach to Church Ministry–We believe God’s approach to ministry is balanced on five specific purposes found in Scripture: membership, maturity, ministry, mission and magnification. As we pray and plan for the future at Grace Church, these five purposes will resonate in all that we do and say. Our desire is to become a church of balanced believers, bringing glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ in our individual lives, our homes, our schools, and our workplace.

Every Member a Minister–We want this to be more than just a cute catch phrase. It is our prayer that every man, woman and child at Grace Church will realize their unique calling as a believer and will seek to discover and pursue their specific ministry in this world. We realize, however, that effective ministers must be trained and equipped! It is our desire offer a multitude of training tools so that each member can be an effective minister.

Strategy of Ministry

Grace Church is a purpose-driven church. Our ministry is designed to “…present every man complete in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). There are several ways to be equipped with the Word of God at Grace Church. We offer the following…

Weekend Services–We have two Sunday worship services to choose from at 8:30 or 10:30 a.m. Our worship services include praise and worship with our choir and orchestra and praise teams. Pastor Phil teaches from God’s Word.

Family of Friends Connection Hour–Each Sunday morning starting at 9:45 a.m. we host the Family of Friends Connection Hour in the FLC. This is a great opportunity for you to grab a cup of coffee, a roll or bagel and visit with your friends here at Grace and to meet new friends.

Bible Fellowships–Bible Fellowships are offered on Sunday evenings at 6 p.m. This is an opportunity to connect with the small church within the big church. You will study the Word, pray, and fellowship with others from Grace. A detailed class listing is available on-line, or by visiting the Info Center in the Atrium.

Life Development Institute Classes–Life Development Institute Classes are on Wednesdays evenings at 7 p.m. There are several classes from which to choose. They are designed to intentionally focus on the needs of our people. Classes are 1 hour and 15 minutes unless noted differently. We offer fall, spring, and summer LDI classes.

Conferences–Each year we offer a variety of different conferences with a different focus at each. Our conferences are typically 1-3 days in length with sessions in the morning and evenings. Guest speakers highlight the events.

Online Connection–Our Web Site (www.gracehome.com) is your 24/7 connection to Grace Church and all that is happening here. You can listen to any of our teaching series, read the weekly Worship Folder, get advanced notice of upcoming events and concerts, give your tithe online, access the church database and much more!

Small Groups–Small groups will be a great atmosphere in which we may promote spiritual maturity through the exercise of the “one another’s” of the New Testament and building community. These groups will meet primarily off campus throughout the city at various times and places. Many of them will gather by affinities, specific interests or by geography as they engage in interactive Bible study and ministry. Small groups are intentional in building relationships that last forever. New Small Groups will form throughout 2005.

Grace Church Purpose Statement

Grace Church exists to bring people to Jesus and membership in His family, develop them to Christlike maturity, and equip them for their ministry in the church and life mission in the world, in order to magnify God’s name.

Statement of Faith

We Believe In:

• The Bible as the inspired, infallible Word of God, and the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
• The Genesis account of creation. (Genesis 1:1)
• One God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)
• Jesus Christ, His deity, virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious death, burial and bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father and His personal future return in power and glory. (John 1:1; Matthew 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 1:9,11)
• The sinfulness of man and salvation by grace through faith in Christ who shed His blood. (Romans 3:23-25)
• The Holy Spirit that indwells and enables the Christian to live a godly life. (John 14:26)
• Salvation is eternally secure in Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:38-39)
• The resurrection of the dead; the believer to life everlasting and the unbeliever to the resurrection of judgment. (John 5:28-29)
• The church as the body of Christ, which is composed of all believers who have accepted Christ as Savior. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)

Grace Church Core Values

Jesus Is Our Lord–Jesus is our Lord, and because of this everything else is peripheral.  Jesus Christ alone is the only real and lasting hope (John 14:6).  We love Him and, for this reason, we place our relationship with Him first above all others.  We strive to respond faithfully to the call of Jesus- to follow Him above all the distractions of this world, which so often compete for our time, energy, and attention (Luke 14:15-24).  If God is pleased with us, nothing else matters.

People Matter–Since people matter to God, they matter to us.  All people are made in God’s image and have worth.  Therefore, we strive to obey both the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) by reaching out to the world around us and sharing the everlasting love of Jesus Christ (John 20:21).

We Worship God–We invite the Holy Spirit to control us and lead us in our worship of Him.  God is the object of our worship and the recipient of our praise.  We live to honor Him, both with holy lives and adoring lips.  Where tradition helps to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, and further the mission of our church, we embrace it.  Where tradition becomes a wall between God and His people, we seek to tear it down (Matthew 23:13-36; John 9:1-41).

The Bible Is Foundational–We believe the Bible is God’s Holy, Inspired Word.  The Scriptures are our final authority in all matters.  The Holy Spirit- who is our Teacher- uses the Scriptures to daily guide us (Psalm 119:105; Acts 2:42-47).

We Are Called To Serve–We believe each member is called to be a minister (Ephesians 2:8-10; 4:11-12).  Our God is a great God who deserves to be served by faithful stewards.  It is a privilege to give our time, money and resources to Him.  In fact, anything less than our very best is an insult to His Holy, Awesome Name.  In response to His grace, how can we be less than fully devoted followers of the cross?

We Are one Body–We are a church of individuals, different in many ways, yet called together by God to be one in ministry and mission.  As members of the same body and family, we become more effective when we work in harmony as a unified whole (John 17:20-23).  Among us, love for one another is the norm (John 13:34; Romans 13:8), conflicts are resolved according to the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 18:15-17), and we seek to build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  We rejoice together and we suffer together (1 Corinthians 12:25-27).  We pray for each other (James 5:16), accept each other (Romans 15:7) and serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).

We Are A Family of Friends–We do something unusual at Grace.  Despite being a larger church, we prioritize the importance of people knowing each other by name- to the point that we provide name tags for the entire church.  We know that you want a friendly church, but even more important, a church where you can make friends.

We Are Committed to The Next Generation–We believe children are a gift from the Lord and that it is our responsibility as a church to partner with parents in raising a next generation fully committed to the Lord. Regardless of what we accomplish during our life time, it is the faithfulness of our children and grandchildren that will be our significant heritage. As individuals and as a church we must take seriously the training and equipping of the Next Generation (Deut. 6).

We Agree to Disagree–There are some disputable matters on which two Christians may agree to disagree, even though they are in the same local church and part of the same leadership team.  We may state the case for our position, but will also acknowledge that sincere and intelligent Christians hold different views.  We are committed to nurturing the unity we share as the family of God and to obeying His command to “love one another” (Romans 14:1-15; 2 Timothy 2:23-24; Titus 3:9; John 13:35).

A Biblical Model for a Deacon Ministry

Grace Church

Deacon Ministry

Purpose:

The purpose of the deacon ministry at Grace Church is two-fold.  First, the deacons will serve the congregation through a comprehensive ministry of helping meet needs; physical, material, financial, and legal.  Second, the deacons will assist the pastors/elders by allowing them to concentrate of the ministries of the Word, prayer, and spiritual oversight and direction of the church.

Deacon Ministry Structure and Procedures:

• DEACON SELECTION: Each year, the elders of Grace Church will compile a list of deacon candidates to serve in the ministry, and the membership will vote the candidates into office with a simple majority.  Deacons will serve for a term of two years.  After that term, they must wait one year before being considered for the office of deacon.

All eligibility requirements specified in the constitution and bylaws of Grace Church for the office of deacon will be enforced during the compilation of the list of deacon candidates.  The following 12 qualifications must be met by each candidate, without exception, in order for the candidate to be brought before the church membership for vote:

1)    He must be worthy of respect. (I Timothy 3:8)

2)    He must be sincere. (I Timothy 3:8)

3)    He must not be one that indulges in much wine. (I Timothy 3:8)

4)    He must not be one that pursues dishonest gain. (I Timothy 3:8)

5)    He must be committed to the truths of the faith. (I Timothy 3:9)

6)    He must live with a clear conscience. (I Timothy 3:9)

7)    He must be tested with other responsibilities and shown capable. (I Timothy 3:10)

8)    His wife must be worthy of respect. (I Timothy 3:11)

9)    His wife must not be a malicious talker. (I Timothy 3:11)

10) His wife must be temperate and trustworthy in everything. (I Timothy 3:11)

11) He must be the husband of one wife; a “one-woman man”. (I Timothy 3:12)

12) He must manage his children and household well. (I Timothy 3:12)

• DEACON CHAIRMAN: Each year, the deacons will select a man from among the newly elected deacons to serve as assistant deacon chairman.  During his first year, this man will serve as assistant to the deacon chairman, and, the following year, he will serve as deacon chairman.  The deacon chairman and assistant chairman will work along side a lay-elder liaison from the elder body to maintain communication and coordination between the two groups.  The elder body will give direction to the deacon body through the lay-elder liaison and deacon chairman.

The deacon chairman will have the following responsibilities and duties:

1)    He will serve as the leader of the deacons; leading and facilitating deacons’ meetings, coordinating the deacon ministry, assigning tasks to deacons, etc.

2)    He will monitor the skills and availability of each active deacon.

3)    He will handle difficult situations where help must be denied or ended.

• BENEVOLENCE TEAM: Each year, the deacons will select no fewer than 4 men from among them to serve on the Benevolence Team.  This team will have the specific duty of meeting weekly to review the financial assistance requests that are submitted.  They will make decisions on the distribution of benevolence funds for amounts greater than $75.

 The Benevolence Team will make decisions on requests for only the following needs:

• Utility delinquent shut off notices
• Eviction notices
• Unpaid rent or mortgages (due to illness, loss of job, etc.)
• Some needs pertaining to vehicles/transportation

The Benevolence Team will have the following responsibilities and duties: 

1)    Meet once a week on Friday or Saturday to review requests for assistance.

2)    Make a decision regarding the approval/denial and amount of the request.

3)    Coordinate with the Executive Director in the distribution and recording of benevolence fund expenditures.

4)    Communicate the decision back to the requestor.

Categories of Need:

Grace Church acknowledges that the day-to-day needs of people extend to several categories.  The following is a list of needs that will be addressed by the deacon ministry:

• Physical – A physical need includes anything that diminishes a person’s ability to perform essential daily tasks due to illness, disability, or injury.

• Material – A material need includes any lack of provision that is essential for survival including food, shelter, and clothing.

• Financial – A financial need includes a lack of funds and/or poor management of funds required to care for common financial obligations.  The Benevolence Team and/or the elder body will address these needs greater than $75.

Guiding Principles:

Given the limited time and resources available, Grace Church must be a careful steward of that which God has entrusted to us.  The church has a responsibility to balance financial responsibility with compassion and generosity.  Therefore, the deacons will use the following guiding principles regarding requests for help:

1)    Is the person in need a faithful member of our local fellowship of believers?  The local church cannot care for all of the needs present in their community, but it should care for the needs present in its own congregation.  Paul instructed the church to take special care of those who are part of the family of believers (Galatians 6:10) and have a faithful testimony (I Timothy 5:5).  Therefore, although Grace Church will not refuse to help anyone who is truly in need (as resources allow), the deacons and elders will give top priority and special consideration to the members of our church.

2)    Does the person in need have family who can/should care for their needs?  Paul instructs the church in I Timothy 5:4 that, if a widow has relatives, the family should care for her so that the church can use its resources to care for others who have no help.  Therefore, if the person in need has family members who could help, the  deacons and/or elders will encourage the family to care for their relative’s need before providing assistance.

 3)    Is the person willing and able to work?  Believers are instructed to work with our hands so as not to be dependent on anybody (I Thessalonians 4:11,12).  Paul ordered the church not to support those who are lazy and refuse to work (II Thessalonians 3:6-12).  Therefore, Grace Church will only help those members who are willing to work but, for reasons beyond their control, cannot earn wages enough to supply for the basic needs of their household.  Also, if monetary assistance is provided, the person will be asked to provide a voluntary service to the church if they are physically able.

Harvest Offering Letter (2004)

September 13, 2004

Dear Family of Friends,

Let’s do something significant. Let’s do something that lasts forever. Sound like a good investment of your efforts? It is a perfect employment of your effort and money. There are two ways I want to emphasize that we can all do something that will help lost people come to know Jesus and to grow to maturity in Him. Just read this:

Bill Fay is coming back! By the time you get this letter Bill Fay will have come and gone. I know you were moved. The last time he was here was in 2002, and we simply had to stop and do business with God concerning the great opportunity we have to make a difference in our world of influence. Well, Bill is coming back September 26 to speak to us again. This time he will simply tell his story of amazing grace and salvation from a world of mafia mystery and bad choices. Bill is going to draw the net for salvation for those people we have prayed for and shared Jesus with and bring with us to that service. I am anticipating a wonderful gospel harvest of souls. Would you trust the Lord to give you the courage to share Jesus by inviting them to come hear Evangelist Bill Fay? Listen, you are the best person and the one strategically planted by God to zero in on the people that surround you through prayer, a witness and an invitation to hear a simple gospel message. But will you do it? Will you open up and be the Salt and Light that we are appointed to be. I know you can do it and will do it because you want your many relationships to come to Jesus. Pray for them using the 360 degree relationship survey we passed out at church. Approach them and invite them to come. God will move in response to your faith. I will pray for all of you in this wonderful effort.

Secondly, this Sunday we will give our annual Harvest offering. Sometimes we designate this offering to a particular project or need. Well, let me be perfectly honest with you--our need is to catch up. We are going into the prime time of the year for ministry and for reaping a harvest of souls and we need to simply be faithful to throw out the nets for a bountiful catch. We need to plant the seeds of the gospel for a wonderful harvest of new people coming to Jesus. We need to make sure we are not withholding the gospel message both here and around the world by being tight fisted with our material blessing. Let me share a verse or two with you:

“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.” (Luke 6:38)

Don’t get the idea that if you give you will have to do with less and less. No the Bible teaches that if you give it will come back to you so you can give again. God is not interested in making you a beggar by your giving. It is more probable that you will become impoverished by not trusting God with you finances than by giving too much.

Listen to this passage:

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. …¹⁰Now 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. ¹¹You 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. (2 Corinthians 9:7-11)

We want to throw out the lifeline and draw in the gospel nets this fall and we need your help. Notice that God’s grace is able to supply “all you need,” and “make you rich in every way.” He does that all the time. He has blessed all of us but not to spend it only on ourselves and to hoard it for ourselves. He wants us to be “generous on every occasion.”

Dear Brother and sister in Christ: please pray diligently about what the Lord would have you to do on this Sunday. A good starting place is a “double tithe.” But let God show you what to do. So let’s do something significant spiritually in September. Let’s bring in the searching soul and let’s bring in a bountiful offering. I’ll be praying for you and giving with you.

In Christ Where It Is Safe,

Phil Winfield

Keeping Your Kids & Teens Safe in Cyberspace

Basic Rules of Online Safety for Teens

• Keep your identity private (screen names / profile information)
• Never get together with someone you “meet” online
• Never respond to e-mail, chat comments, or newsgroup messages that are hostile, belligerent, inappropriate, or in any way make you feel uncomfortable
• Talk with your parents about their expectations and ground rules for going online; tell them if someone is bothering you

DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE A PARENT!

• You Bought The Computer
• You Pay The Internet Service Provider
• You Control The Master Screen Name
• You Control The Passwords

Guidelines / Resources for Parents

• Be open with your teens and encourage them to come to you if they encounter a problem online
• Clear, simple, and easy to read rules should be posted on or near the computer monitor
• Placing the computer in a common area, instead of the child / teens room, allows easier supervision by parents and might make it less tempting to access off-limit areas of the Internet
• Consider using parental controls, filtering or monitoring software for your computer
• Be aware of any other computers your child may be using
• Internet accounts should be in the parent’s name with the parents having the primary screen name, controlling passwords, and using blocking and / or filtering devices
• Let your children show you what they can do online, and visit their favorite sites or chatrooms
• Report suspected “stalking” or sexual exploitation of a child to your local law enforcement or the Cyber Tipline ( HYPERLINK "http://www.cybertipline.com/" \t "_parent" www.cybertipline.com)

My Rules for Online Safety

• I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents’ work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents’ permission.  I will not give out my Internet password(s) to anyone – even my best friends – other than my parents.
• I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.
• I will never agree to get together with someone I “meet” online without first checking with my parents.  If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father along.
• I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.
• I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable.  It is not my fault if I get a message like that.  If I do I will tell a trusted adult right away so that they can contact the online service.
• I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online.  We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, and appropriate areas for me to visit.  I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.
• I will practice good “netiquette” and not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law.

 ResourcesNational Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)  HYPERLINK "http://www.missingkids.com/" \t "_parent" www.missingkids.comFree safety pamphletsFree & legal to download, print and distributeOther great safety topics for kids & teens Other Web Sites

• Netparents.org
• Smartparents.org
• Getnetwise.org
• Familypc.com
• Safesurfin.com
• Cyberangels.org
• Netsmartz.com
• Childrenspartnership.org
• pcmag.com
• Safekids.com
• Safetyed.org
• icra.org