Dear Springs of Grace Church Family,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I have prayed for each of us this week that we might live lives that demonstrate that we are abiding in Jesus’ love by practicing love for one another – remembering and acting on the reality of friendship with Jesus – striving to see that Jesus is getting all the glory in whatever we do, big or small; and living a life of fruitfulness – lives that look more and more like Jesus and lives that testify to those around us that Jesus is the real hope. If you have had those things on your heart this week, then praise God for His work – if you haven’t consciously, know that I’ve been praying that for you and take some time to pray it for others in our church family.

I am excited about tomorrow. I get the awesome privilege of gathering together with other people who have the Lord Jesus in their lives and I look forward to being encouraged by your worship and your greetings and words and your help in carrying burdens and in celebrating joys. You have that opportunity as well and I hope you are planning on joining us at 9:15 for our outdoor service, if you can. I am also excited that we get to hang around together after the service and share some great food and more fellowship. The Calaveras Food Truck will be serving street tacos, burritos, or quesadillas for our church family. Springs of Grace will be picking up the cost – so it’s free for you. If you want to donate something you can – but you don’t need to. We would love to provide this for you. The Food Truck will start serving by 11:00 and we will set up so that we can have plenty of time and shade to visit and encourage and get to know each other better. Calaveras is some of my favorite food, but I assure you that I was planning on coming tomorrow anyway! ?

It continues to be challenging days for our nation – with a lot of hurt and division. Please continue to pray that we can make a difference as God’s people, by the way we love and lay down our lives for one another. Pray for those who are grieving because of loss of life through the pandemic, injustice, and other sorrows. Pray for those who are in positions to particularly make a difference as judges and political leaders and police officers and community leaders. And pray for all of us to be light in the darkness.

This is the fourth Sunday, so check with your community group about when and where they are meeting and consider joining them. Each of the groups will be hosting an elder candidate who normally attends a different community group so that you will have an opportunity to dialogue with them. Our community groups are also going to begin reading the book “Side by Side: Walking with Others in Wisdom and Love”. Books will be available for you to pick up Sunday morning. I look forward to the fruit that comes as we read this together as a church family in our community groups.

Continue to pray for our elder candidates and their families: Nate Boone, Tim Condie, Gabe Graham, Ryan McNeill, and Fred Sabatini.

We will have a church family meeting on Sunday night, October 4th at 6:00 pm at the church yard – where we will have an opportunity to ask questions and hear from the elder candidates. You are free to ask them questions individually or as they visit different community groups over the next weeks.
Join us for our outdoor service this Sunday morning at 9:15. The livestream service will begin at 10:45. You can find the link to tomorrow’s livestream service at our website – www.springsofgrace.church

Pray that God would meet with us tomorrow and pray that we would give ourselves to the great joy of loving one another well and so demonstrating that we are the disciples of Jesus.

If you have questions or needs, please let us know. Striving to be His church, by His grace, for His glory.
Love you very much,

Pastor Joe