10/24/00 10/24/00

Pastoral Search Letter

November 14, 2000

Dear Pastor _______,

Thank you for taking the time to carefully and prayerfully consider the role of senior pastor of Grace Church. Our one and only objective through this search process is to identify the man God has preordained to serve as our new senior pastor.

Enclosed with this letter is a Candidate Survey we are asking each man to complete. We are also asking each man to send four consecutive weeks of sermons from the month of August, September or October.

Also enclosed is a packet of information about Grace Church. We have included a copy of our Grace 101 booklet, which is presented to all potential new members during our Grace 101 class, a copy of our 2000 Budget and a copy of our recent missions booklet.

Our intention as a pastoral search team is to narrow our field of potential candidates down to one candidate whom we believe God is leading us to extend a call. We will only pursue one candidate at a time.

If you have any questions about Grace or about the process we are following as a search team, don’t hesitate to call me. My home telephone (515) or you can reach me during the day at (515) . Again, thank you for praying with us about our next senior pastor.

Sincerely,

Chairman
Pastoral Search Team

10/16/00 10/16/00

Farewell Committee

FAREWELL COMMITTEE

Pastor David and Loretta have given 17 years of their lives to Grace Church. It is only fitting we give them the biggest, best send-off we can. It is recommended we appoint the following people to lead a committee to plan and carryout this important task:

Pastor Marty (Chairman) and Sheila Kelly
Pastor Don and Brenda Long
Judie Colyer
Joni Deever
Mike Huff
Kathy Jatho
Sue Morris
Sharon Stubbs
Patty Van Cleave

It will be the responsibility of this committee to plan the events for Sunday, October 22, Pastor’s last Sunday with us. Some suggestions include:

A gift for Pastor and Loretta from the church (budget $1,500)
Written Testimonies from the church family and put into an album to create a “Memories Journal”
A video highlighting Pastor’s ministry in Des Moines
A request to the Pastor for him to return to Grace next year and preach at our dedication service for the new Worship Center.
Food / Fellowship for Sunday evening.
A letter from the Grace Church family to Berean Baptist Church letting them know we are praying for them and praying that God will use Pastor David in a mighty way in South Florida
The elders have authorized $1,000 for any expenses related to this day. (Note: See Larry if more money is needed)

10/13/00 10/13/00

Farewell Letter from Pastor David

October 13, 2000

Dear Church Family,

By the time many of you read this letter I will have shared with you the tremendous journey Loretta and I have been on the last few months. Saying good-bye is never easy, but understanding that this is God’s will not only for me, but also for Grace Church, eases the pain a little. If you did not have the opportunity to hear this Sunday’s message (Oct. 15), you can pick up a free cassette copy of it at the Welcome Center.

I want to thank you, again, for your prayers, cards and letters to my family and me during this past month. Your love and kindness have given me the courage and strength to follow God’s will. I also want to thank the elders and the pastoral staff for their friendship and support during the last three weeks. I’ve always known we have a great group of men leading this church, but I stand amazed at their integrity and devotion to pursuing God’s will. Clearly, these men are filled with the Holy Spirit. It has been one of the great privileges in my life to have served along side this group of men.

This November would have marked the anniversary of my 17th year in Des Moines. When I close my eyes my mind floods with the memories of those years. Without question I can look at my experience with you and realize that this has been a “Spirit-thing,” not a man-thing. I give all glory, honor and praise to God who started this work and will finish it without me. I thank God for the privilege of leading you for 17 years. You are a pastor’s “dream” church. You have received the Word preached weekly with joy, you have followed our leadership under God, and you have learned to worship Him in song and in the Spirit. You, my dear church family, have become imitators of God in the truest sense.

This Sunday, when we see each other again, it will be time to say good-bye. Yes, I will have a tear in my eye, but there is peace and joy in my heart because I know that God is going to use me in Florida for His Kingdom, and He will continue to use you for His Kingdom! Our journey together will be finished, but I am excited to see how God will use you in the future. Remember to love the people around you and strive for unity within the body; stay close to God and be sensitive to His Spirit; pray daily for your pastors and elders and for the man God is preparing right now to become your senior pastor. Finally, remember dear church family that I love you all in Christ, and that my address may change, but my destination is still the same–I’ll be waiting for you at the Eastern Gate.

To God Be the Glory!

David Nelms

8/1/00 8/1/00

E-Mail Newsletter (8/1/2000)

GRACE CHURCH’S E-MAIL NEWSLETTER

Tuesday, August 1, 2000

------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: You are receiving this newsletter as a service from Grace Church. If you wish to unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line to [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------

CONTENTS:

1. This Month at Grace

2. Higher Power Concert a Great Success

3. Worship Center Update

4. Grace West update

Greetings friends across the Internet! Have you started making your Christmas list yet? I know, it’s August 1, but based on all the catalogs flowing into the Eller home, Christmas must be just around the corner. (Question: do you think there will be junk mail in heaven? Where do telemarketers go when they die?)

From a church staff perspective, we are hot and heavy into fall planning. September is going to be a great month at Grace Church! Starting Sept. 10 we will return to our regular Sunday evening service (that’s Cecil Cooper you hear cheering in the background). To kick-off our return to Sunday evening services, we will have Rick Amato with us for three weeks. I believe the focus of his messages will be prayer.

Also, the Grace Singers are scheduled to release their first recording project in September. It’s called “Into His Presence,” and it is a CD guaranteed to lead you into worship. The cost of the CD is $12 and the tape is $10. You can reserve your copy today by contacting Sherry Vanderploeg.

September is also Missions Month at Grace. Our featured speaker this year will be our former co-pastor and missionary to Peru, Phil Winfield. Our conference begins on Wednesday, September 20 and concludes on Sunday, September 24.

Enjoy the final month of Summer! Below is a summary of events happening at Grace during the month of August.

–Chris Eller

THIS MONTH AT GRACE

Dr. James Flanagan, guest speaker … August 6

Grace 301 Class (Serving) at Grace Church … August 6

Grace 101 Class (Belonging) at Grace West … August 6

Men’s Rally, 7 a.m., Room 201, Grace Church … August 12

Grace 201 Class (Growing) at Grace West … August 20

Praise & Worship Ministry Picnic at Big Creek … August 26

Baptism (following both morning services at Grace) … August 27

WOW! If you missed the Higher Power concert last Sunday night, YOU MISSED IT! Nate, Dave, Tim and the guys did a great job. You can catch Higher Power at their next concert. Visit their web site at www.hpquartet.com for more information.

WORSHIP CENTER UPDATE. This morning we met with officials of Myler Church Builders and the City of Des Moines. We anticipate a preliminary permit to begin erecting the steel by the middle to the end of next week. KEY PRAYER REQUEST: Pray for wisdom and patience as we work with our builder.

GRACE WEST. Excitement is building as we anticipate moving into our permanent building in late October. There will be a lot of work getting the building ready, so any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated. To volunteer, or for more information, please contact Bob Deever, 265-0199. Also, remember to pray for Lutheran Church of Hope and their building project (located at the corner of 74th and Ashworth Road).

HELP SPREAD THE WORD about Grace Church’s Weekly Newsletter. If you know of anyone who would like to receive our Update, please forward this to them and encourage them to subscribe. To subscribe, click on the following link: http://www.gracehome.com/mlm/mlm.cgi

------------------------------------------------------------

This newsletter is provided as a free service from Grace Church in Des Moines, Iowa. If you know of someone you think might enjoy staying informed about Grace Church, please forward this newsletter to them. If you would like to subscribe, please send an e-mail with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to [email protected].

6/30/00 6/30/00

E-mail Newsletter (6/30/2000)

GRACE CHURCH’S E-MAIL NEWSLETTER

Friday, June 30, 2000

------------------------------------------------------------

Please note: You are receiving this newsletter as a service from Grace Church. If you wish to unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line to [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------

CONTENTS:

1. Food for Thought by Colleen Wipperman

2. This Month at Grace

3. Worship Center Update

4. Grace West update

5. David Ring / Church Picnic

6. Vacation Bible School

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

By Colleen Wipperman

The Jesus movie that was on TV a few weeks ago was a real eye-opener for me. Normally, I am opposed to watching movies like that because they make so many technical errors that it really upsets me. However, I decided to take off my technical eye glasses that night and put on a different pair of glasses. Let me explain.

About a year ago I went through a Bible study called “Breaking Out” by Bob Mumford. In that study I learned a very valuable insight that has benefited me immensely this past year—it was learning about love with a hook. That love defined is: conditional, self-referential, it loves as long as there is an advantage, it seeks to use others for its own pleasure, it is demanding, urgent, in a hurry, and it seeks to conquer and to possess. The hook is described as “I will love you if I can get something out of it.” It comes with a selfish motive. It uses people to its own advantage. It always wants to control, in fact, it HAS to control! It comes at you with hidden agendas. It has to look good and would rather lie than look bad. It has to feel good and cannot stand to feel bad. Much of our addictive nature lies in this particular “feel good” giant. It has to be right. It does not like to be disturbed by others. This love is defined as love with a hook because it always sends it out with a hook so it can pull something back in for itself.

Love without a hook is defined as love that seeks for nothing in return. It seeks only voluntary love. It doesn’t use anyone. It gives value and time rather than being demanding and in a hurry. It is not kindled by the attractiveness nor quenched by the unattractiveness of its object. It is love that is not determined by the worthiness nor the unworthiness of those whom it loves, but rather by His own nature of love. This love is defined as a straight arrow because it is sent out without expectation of every bringing anything back to itself.

When I sat down to watch the Jesus movie I took off my technical glasses and put on my glasses to see if they showed Jesus with a hook. I was floored at how I viewed the movie. They showed him as a man with love, emotions, relationships and trials. He danced at the wedding in Cana and splashed his disciples with water when they were at the well. He was God. And he was man. And they made a lot of technical mistakes!!! More than I could count. But they only showed him with a hook one time that I spotted.

When Joseph died they showed Jesus praying to the Father and saying something to the effect that “I can’t do this without him. I’m asking you to bring him back NOW.” That was definitely a hook. They showed him as demanding and in a hurry. But it was the only hook I saw.

If memory serves me correctly, I heard Joseph say to Jesus, “You could help your fellow Jews.” That could possibly have happened but Jesus didn’t respond with a hook. He could have fixed the immediate problem. He could have been demanding and in a hurry. He could have decided to feel good himself or help his father feel good. But He didn’t. Instead he waited on God and surrendered to His plan and His timing. That’s love with a straight arrow. At the same time as he was forced to watch every single day the intense suffering of the Jewish people, His people. That must have been hard for him. My heart began to soften.

Then I remember how I felt sitting at home in my living room when he went to the tomb of Lazarus. The crowd was heckling him. It was apparent that his disciples felt uncomfortable. He said “Lazarus, come out” one time and then waited. It never occurred to me up until this time how much time actually elapsed before Lazarus came out of the grave. It could have been 20 minutes for all we know. One thing I can tell you was I felt uncomfortable in my own home. I was starting to squirm. Jesus definitely didn’t look good right then, nor did his disciples. It was almost like I felt embarrassed for them all. But Jesus responded without a hook—he didn’t have to look good, nor did he have to feel good. He just waited on His Father. Wow! I think I would have at least started explaining or something!!

When He hung on the cross He certainly didn’t look good or feel good. And, you know, He was right when he stood before Pilate but he didn’t have to be right. Did they show him staying in control? Not that I could see. I surely wouldn’t have hung on the cross if I were in control! Nor did they ever show him coming at Mary Magdalene with a hidden agenda. He could have. He certainly didn’t do anything that was to his own personal advantage. Marrying Mary would have been a decision he could have made that would have been to his own advantage. He didn’t. And his life was surely disturbed. Was he demanding? Was he in a hurry? If they portrayed him that way, I sure didn’t pick up on it.

Do you see what I mean? I saw an entirely different movie than I would have otherwise seen. The problem is, I was left to think about one haunting question in my own life when the movie was over—Do you suppose the Pharisees looked at Jesus through technical eye glasses or did they watch to see if he loved the world without a hook? Somehow I think God was showing me how much of a Pharisee I have been. He wants me to love as He loved—without a hook, with an arrow sent out straight that doesn’t draw things back to myself. Instead, I have been busy viewing the world through my technical colored glasses!

THIS MONTH AT GRACE

** David Ring / Church Picnic…July 2

Holiday, Church Office Closed … July 4

Foundations Class Begins … July 5

Jamaica Mission Trip … July 7-14

High School Mission Trip … July 7-14

Men’s Rally, 7 a.m. … July 8

Deacon’s Meeting … July 12

Grace 301 (Serving) … July 16 & 23

France Student Mission Trip … July 16-27

Ireland Mission Trip … July 21-29

** Vacation Bible School … July 24-28

** Fifth Sunday At Grace

with Higher Power in Concert … July 30

WORSHIP CENTER UPDATE. If you are like most of us, the progress seems to be slow on the Worship Center. Believe it or not, work is progressing on schedule. Much of the work right now centers on preparation of the foundation. During the month of July we should see the plumbing and electrical conduit placed in the floor. The steel is the next major step. At this time we are still anticipating a completion date of next March.

GRACE WEST. Our new satellite church in West Des Moines is off with a bang. Attendance has hovered around the 150 mark even in the summer months. We fully anticipate attendance to increase to 200 and above this fall. Remember to pray for Lutheran Church of Hope and their building project (located at the corner of 74th and Ashworth Road).

DAVID RING / CHURCH PICNIC, is Sunday, July 2 at Grace Church. Evangelist David Ring is a victim of Cerebral Palsy, but a victor in Jesus Christ! His powerful message will encourage and challenge you to live your life victoriously regardless of life’s challenges. Following the service we will have our annual Church Picnic. There’s tons of food, games, a Kidz Carnival and more! Remember to dress casual and come prepared for a great time! The service schedule for July 2 only is ABF at 9 a.m., Worship at 10 a.m., the picnic at 11:30 a.m. and no evening classes.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is just around the corner (July 24-28) for Kidz preschool through 5th grade. Registration will begin Sunday, July 9 in the Atrium. We still need adult helpers. If you’re interested, you can contact John Colyer at [email protected] .

HELP SPREAD THE WORD about Grace Church’s Weekly Newsletter. Our subscriber base in currently approaching 400 and growing. If you know of anyone who would like to receive our Update, please forward this to them and encourage them to subscribe.

------------------------------------------------------------