Director of Youth Ministry - Isaac Milton

This is an exciting time for youth ministry at Grace. God is going to use a core group of students and leaders to build a youth program that will have kingdom impact in the Wilmington area. I would love to talk to you if you are interested in being a part of this adventure.


-Isaac Milton
imilton@grace.org

New Campus Gathering and Vision Luncheon

Join us on Sunday, December 5 at 12:30pm in Grace Chapel's Fellowship Hall for a New Campus Gathering and Vision Luncheon. This will be a chance for our the Wilmington congregation to meet once again! It will also be a time for others who are considering joining us to hear the vision and respond by joining us. In addition to this, several ministry leaders will be on hand to introduce themselves and invite others to be a part of their ministry team. It will be a very significant time together!

If you are interested in joining us, please RSVP by Wednesday, Dec. 1, to newcampus@grace.org.

Thanks!
Tom

A Very Good Meeting

I am very pleased to announce that today, November 7, 2010, the members of our congregation voted in favor of the motion to purchase the property at 128 West Street in Wilmington, to be developed as our new campus. This is an incredible milestone - marking the completion of one phase of work and the beginning of something new! With this important decision behind us, it is now time to turn our attention to readying ourselves and this building for the ministry ahead.

I look forward with great anticipation to the work ahead! Meeting details and the latest information and updates on the progress on our new campus development will be available online at the new campus webpage www.grace.org/newcampus.

Tom

Vote on Sunday!

These are exciting and momentous days in the life of our church! As we prepare to vote on the purchase of the property at 128 West St, Wilmington, I find myself feeling as if we are tangibly stepping into a vision that God has placed on our hearts for some time now. The realization that God has led us to this moment is both gratifying and humbling. We have a God who can do so much more than we can ask or imagine!

As Sunday approaches, I a reminded of our urgent responsibility to be fervently prayerful. And there is still much to pray about!

Please pray:

· That God would be glorified as we look to Him for confidence, faith, and wisdom.
· That our church would be strengthened by our vision to extend the reach of the gospel.
· That our love for each other will be evident through the process of making this decision.
· That each one of us would be ready to give of ourselves in the days ahead for the sake of the kingdom.

The vote will be held immediately after the 11:00 service, and there will be childcare available through for kids 0-preK. The meeting is primarily for voting purposes, so we expect that we will be voting shortly after the meeting is called to order. Remember, only members are able to cast a vote.

Thanks for your prayers, and I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday!

Tom

A Great Sunday Afternoon!

What a great day it was this past Sunday at the New Campus Open House! Thanks to all who came and for everyone who pitched in to provide warmth, hospitality, grace and fun! We hosted over 300 throughout the event, and everyone had a chance to see the building that we'll be voting on purchasing on Sunday, November 7.

A few highlights from the day:

• The event was hosted by our New Campus Team - it was the church being the church! Thanks team!
• People who have committed to the New Campus were able to meet one another - some for the first time!
• Many committed and engaged people came to see the building for the first time. It gave them a chance to see how their faithful vision and generosity will contribute to the forwarding of God's kingdom in metro-Boston.
• Cars in the parking lot and bodies in the rooms helped us envision what church would look like here. I had someone tell me that that they drove by on 93 and saw the full lot and prayed for us!
• 8 more people made a commitment to the New Campus - bringing our total now to 108!
• 50 more people indicated that they are considering the New Campus as their church home.

All in all, a very good day!

Don't forget the two upcoming Congregational Meetings after the 11am service on Sunday, October 31 and Sunday, November 7. The first will be for us to hear a full update on the building and to open the floor for discussion and the second will be for members to vote.

For current information, including a power point presentation that details the specifics of the purchase proposal of 128 West St. Wilmington, go to www.grace.org/newcampus

Tom

Join Us On Sunday!

This coming Sunday from 1-3pm, we are hosting an Open House at the 128 West St. property in Wilmington. (the Casa Di Fior property).

Our primary goal is to allow the congregation a chance to see the building before the upcoming vote (Sunday, November 7). A second goal is to give those who might have an interest in being a part of the new campus a chance to meet people who have already decided to worship and serve with us!

If you are able to come and join us, we'd love for you to be there! At the open house, I will be providing an overview of our plans and progress, we will offer site tours throughout the afternoon, and refreshments will be available as well! I encourage you to come to see this exciting place for yourself! (and besides, the Pats game doesn't start until 4:15!)

Expectantly,

Tom

Building Update!

After an extended process of due diligence on the 128 West St. Wilmington site which is nearly completed, we are ready to move forward with the process that will lead towards a congregational vote on the purchase of this property.

This Sunday, October 24 from 1pm-3pm we will be hosting an Open House at the property (128 West St. Wilmington, the former Casa Di Fior) which will include a light reception, informational sessions, and tour of the building. In addition to having many from Grace Chapel come, we would also love to have everyone who has made a commitment to the new campus to join us as well! It will be a wonderful time for you all to meet one another - maybe for the first time!!

In the weeks to follow, we will be holding two Congregational Meetings on two consecutive Sundays at the Grace Chapel sanctuary immediately following the 11am service:

The first will be held on Sunday, October 31 and it will be the Information and Q&A meeting where people can gather information, engage in discussion, and have questions answered about the property and the process.

The second meeting will be held on Sunday, November 7. The purpose of this meeting is for Grace Chapel members to vote on the purchase of this property.

We look forward to seeing many of you at these upcoming events!

Continue to pray for God's leading!

Tom

Youth Director Search is Underway

As we continue to move forward with the New Campus, we will be hiring staff to serve in the areas of Children, Youth, and Worship - with some administrative support as well. Currently, we are in the midst of a search for a full-time Youth Director. We view this position as a critical one in the early stages of our development, since so many people that are joining us have kids who are involved in the decision-making process in their families! The new Youth Director will jump into the current GC Youth Ministry programming for the purpose of cultivating relationships with kids whose families will be transitioning to the new campus. We've received over 70 resumes and have begun to interview some very good candidates. Pray for our search team as we continue this process!

Our First Prayer Meeting!

We had a wonderful time in the cool drizzly parking lot of 128 West St. last night. With about a dozen folks, we lifted the new campus before the Lord and asked for His power and guidance seeking His leading for Grace Chapel, the new campus, the current owners of Casa Di Fior, the people who lived in the surrounding towns that will be reached by the witness of our new campus, and each of us as we begin to form a new and vitally connected congregation.

It really felt like another first. . . the new campus’s first prayer meeting!!

I would ask your continued prayer for three things:

1. For the Grace Chapel Elders - as they continue to provide guidance and oversight of the New Campus process.
2. For our congregation - as it readies for a vote on the potential purchase of the building. Allow people to understand the vision for the new campus and respond favorably to God's leading.
3. For the New Campus leadership - as we begin to work to create a unified congregation from a variety of circles of people who are enthusastic about seeing God do a new work!

In Christ,

Tom

Come and pray with us!

We all know the importance of prayer, and we have A LOT to pray about as we move forward. There are some important meetings and major decisions in the weeks ahead and our hope and confidence is in God's guidance and the power of His Spirit. Join us at the Casa Di Fior parking lot (128 West St., Wilmington) from 5:00-5:30pm on Sunday night, September 26. Feel free to bring your kids if you’d like. This will be a simple and special time for all who can make it!

Open House and Vote Postponed

This Sunday at Grace, we announced that the congregatoinal vote on the purchase of the building in Wilmington has been postponed to a later date. The reason for the change is that we are getting reports back from our due diligence team - some of which require additional follow-up. Because we want to have all the necessary information to give to the congregation so that we can make an informed decision about the property, we're holding off for a bit until we have clarity on these issues.

This does mean that we will postpone the Open House that was scheduled for Sunday as well. We'll soon be letting people know when we will be rescheduling both of these.

In a recent email, Brooke Fowler sent me this encouraging word: "I read my daily devotional and it talked about God providing manna to the Israelites...no one ever had too much or too little. Reminded me that God is in control of all we are doing and He knows the perfect location, timing, etc...we just need to trust and obey."

Let's continue to pray that God brings the manna we need for each new day!

Sharing the Vision

Two dessert gatherings in two weeks! Thanks to Tim and Brooke Sulahian of Melrose and Kurt and Sharon Drescher of Reading for being such gracious hosts!! And thanks to the Ogburns of Reading for hosting their gathering back in June!

These conversations have been so encouraging to Richard and me because we're beginning to see face to face the people who represent the beginnings of the New Campus!

We have a few open spots at our next gathering on August 11th down in Melrose. If you are interested in hearing more about the vision on that night, feel free to email me at tomv@grace.org and we'll give you directions.

Tom

Could This Be the Place??!!

In a recent post, I mentioned that we feel that God may be leading us to a very promising new campus location. I want to share with you a bit more about what we believe God is doing!

The site we've been pursuing is pictured here. It is located right on Rt. 93, just off the Rt. 129 exit. It is the former home of Casa Di Fior - a very well known Function Hall just over the Reading line in Wilmington. It has great visibility and a lot of workable gathering space!

The owners have decided to sell the property, and a short time ago Grace Chapel began to pursue this property in earnest.

We still have a lot to pray for in the days ahead, however, as the any deal would be conditioned on two things.

First, we would have 90 days to do the ‘due diligence’ on the property – land surveys, the permitting process, environmental issues, etc. Continue to pray that all of this goes well!

Second, we would need congregational approval since this is a purchase rather than a lease. Pastor Bryan and I will be sharing this news with the congregation soon and we will be holding informational sessions this summer. If things continue to progress further, we would then hold a congregational meeting in the fall to vote on the purchase of the property. Pray for receptive hearts and clear leading from God. This may be the miracle we've been praying for!!

Tom

Dessert Gatherings This Summer

Throughout the summer, a number folks will host dessert gatherings for people who are interested in hearing more about the new campus. Richard and I will be sharing about the vision, our progress, and our hope to have 200 people committed to worship and serve in some area of ministry when we open the doors for our public launch. Are you interested in being one of those 200? Email me at tomv@grace.org if you'd like to join us at one of these gatherings!

Tom

New site possibility

Thank you for all your prayers! Can I ask for some more? Just recently we have stumbled across a very promising possible location for the new campus. While I can't get into all of the details at this point, I believe that there are some things about this site that would make it very desirable. Will you be praying with us during the next few weeks as we explore this further with those involved? Thanks, Tom

We are in full swing with the new campus development and I sense, more and more, the Lord’s presence in this entire vision. I look forward to seeing Him work and provide in ways that will just blow us away!!

There are many ways that we can be praying for God to intervene. Let’s commit to diligently lifting these matters to the Lord and then asking for listening hearts so that we can be aligned with His will for this campus.

Please be praying for:

• The new campus site. At this point, we are uncertain of the exact location, but know of a few potential spots that seem promising and would invite our presence as a new church body. Beyond these, we are praying for an ideal location right in Reading - however, many obstacles stand in our way. Keep in mind the account from Ezra and the building of the temple. The Lord can move and change hearts, like He did to the King of Persia, if this is His will. (Ezra 1:1)

• 200 serving leaders. Our goal in the next several months is to identify 200 people who will commit to serving with us at the new campus. Be thinking about people you know who might have a desire to be a part of the new campus as committed servants in various ministries. Pray that these servant-leaders will hear God whispering in their ear and step forward and commit to becoming key members of leadership teams at the new campus. May hearts be prepared and inclined towards the Lord’s leading.

• Summer gatherings. Praise God that people have volunteered to host groups of people that will be interested in committing to the new campus. We are thankful for your hospitality and heart for welcoming these people. Continue to pray that the Lord will enable us to work out the details of these gatherings with organization and structure so that the vision can be effectively shared and we can follow up in meaningful ways with these families. Pray that the community and fellowship will be rich and honoring to God. If you want to be a part of one of these gatherings, let Tom know by emailing him at tomv@grace.org.

It is a joy to be praying with you and experiencing God’s guidance together!

Kirsten McLaughlin

What a great day we had on Sunday! I loved all of it!! Watching people make their way forward to make their commitments; hearing Pastor Bryan cast a strong vision for the Reading Area Campus; hearing stories of lives transformed by God; introducing myself for the first time as the 'Reading Area Campus Pastor' (thanks to those of you who gave me a shout out!!) - it was an outstanding day!

After the service, I had the chance to meet a few of you for the first time in the Courtyard - the Doremuses, the Bennetts, and the Blumenshines - and hear some of your enthusiasm for what God is doing. I can't wait for us all to find time to gather and to get to know each other better soon!

On Monday, the pastors and ministry staff gathered all of the 'post it' notes that were placed on the walls. Each note represented names and places where people are asking God to fill with his grace. We poured over them and prayed for each one they represented. Two of my post-its had the new campus on them!

Let's continue to be praying for what God is doing. In particular, be prayerful about the location of our new campus. We have a team investigating some options, but if you have suggestions or know of available space, pass it along. We are looking for about 25-30,000 ft2 to inhabit together - families, kids, students, singles, and grandparents alike!!

Thanks for all your enthusiasm!!

Serving with you,

Tom

The power of a map!

For the last few weeks, I've been pouring over this map. Each placemark represents a family at Grace Chapel - can you find yourself? What I've found so intriguing about the map, is that I've known so many of these folks for years. We've shared conversations in the Lobby, met together in my office for counseling, worked on teams of various sorts, bumped into each other in Kidstown while dropping off our children on Sunday. But for most of these people, I have never known where they live - I mean exaclty where they live. For many, I have known what town they live in - but something changes when you see someone's house from an aerial view on Google Maps!

And so, for the past few weeks, I found myself thinking differently about each of you as I imagine you in your 'natural habitat'. Engaging with neighbors - bringing your kids to school in your town - driving out of your driveway every morning - eating dinner round your dinner tables at night - mowing your lawns in the evenings. (now don't worry, the sattelite image wasn't that good)

But what excites me most about this map is how it has enabled me to pray for the towns around us and for you with a greater insight and understanding. I'm praying that God will do a work among us and place on our hearts a collective desire to add more markers to our map as people join us in becoming followers of Jesus, for the sake of Christ, His kingdom, and the towns we live in!!

By the way - the green markers? They indicate people who have expressed an interest in joining the Reading Area campus!

Those that are green with a dot? These are folks who have told Richard or me that they are already committed to joining us at the new campus!!

Please continue to pray for the work that God has begun, and continue to pray for each family and person represented by the markers on the map!

Tom

Time to Pray!

Hi everyone! My name is Kirsten McLaughlin and I have been involved at Grace Chapel for 5 years, serving in the middle school ministry as well as on the drama team.


A couple of months ago, I shared with some of the pastors my excitement about the idea of starting a campus in Reading, MA. I knew this would be a huge step of faith, a way to trust in God’s provision, and a time where God could use our weaknesses and uncertainties to display his power! I told them that I had no idea how I could contribute, except through prayer. Since that time, I have been committed to praying for the development and unfolding of Grace Chapel’s vision; asking for humility, boldness, a group of people to be raised up as leaders in this endeavor, and most importantly, that GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED.

In the months to come, I would like to encourage you to faithfully join me in praying for our leaders and our church. My hope is to share specific ways we can be prayerful, moving forward in this “New Day of Grace”. Not only will we read of ways we need to seek the Lord, but I anticipate great joy in seeing God answer- displaying his faithfulness and goodness.

Let’s remember and put into action Paul’s words in Philippians 4:6-7:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.

- Kirsten McLaughlin

Networking

I spent some time today with about 40 pastors from the metro-Boston area.  The goal of the gathering was to enter into conversation about ministry in the New England context.  I was thrilled to be placed at a table right next to David Reid, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Reading!  Pastor Reid has been ministering in the town of Reading for over 32 years, and I am very eager to continue to glean from his experience and benefit from his partnership and friendship.  Praise God for the many dedicated pastors who have served our region for so many years!  And praise God for the things He will continue to do in the years ahead!! 

Tom

I join Tom in sharing my enthusiasm for this New Campus in the Reading Area! I am excited for lots of reasons but the primary one is that we have seen God's hand in all of this....from the very beginning. As we go along we will enjoy sharing some of these "God Moments" with you but for right now, suffice it to say that our confidence is very high in moving forward. For 2 years now, God has been guiding each step and opening each door towards launching a New Campus in the Reading Area. Some of the doors that He has opened have surprised us.....ones that we did not plan or expect. But each door has been clearly opened by Him. Tom and I have been keeping a list of these open doors...we are calling them "miracles" and the list is growing!

Even though we are confident He has led us to this point, there are many unknowns ahead and plenty of room for Him to continue to work...and plenty of room for us to be dependent on Him.

One Christian Leader that I admire once said, "Attempt things so great for God that if He is not in them, they are doomed to fail!" I believe this New Campus opportunity is just that kind of opportunity....an opportunity that God has clearly led us to but yet so clearly needs Him to bring it about. With that sense of confidence and dependency, we press forward with Him by our side!

Looking forward to the Journey with you and Him,

Richard

Just the Beginning!!

Well, here we go!! We stand at the beginning of what will certainly be an amazing adventure! The journey ahead will be both challenging and exhilarating; filled with joy and struggle; marked by both victory and setback.

To be honest, the idea of establishing a new Grace Chapel campus in the stony soil of New England seems a bit daunting to me. But my excitement and confidence levels rise as I think of of two things.

The first is the knowledge that our vision aligns with God's purposes. When we're involved in the building of the church, we're a part of the great work of God!! Listen to what the Bible says about this in Ephesians 3. "through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known . . . according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." Planting a campus is about joining God in his eternal purposes!!

The second confidence booster for me is the long (and prayerfully growing) list of people who will join us in this endeavor. I am constantly amazed at the giftedness and passion of Grace Chapel people who have it in their heart to be praying, leading, and serving with us as we go! I look forward to sharing this journey with so many of you!!

Along the way, Richard Rhodes and I will be sharing our thoughts and reflections - what we're hearing and seeing - what we're praying for - what progress is being made. We want you to be 'insiders' with us on this journey! That's why we are setting up this blog. Along the way, feel free to comment on the posts, send us emails, and pray with us as we seek God together in the days ahead!!

Let the journey begin!

Tom