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