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