Dominican Report

The following came from Tim Wolfe:

A couple weeks ago, SCORE had it's first baptisims in the new church in Juan Dolio. There were eight young people in all. Attendance has been running in the 90's each week. Pray that we will find a permanent home for the new church. We have been meeting at the SCORE compound but that will become increasingly difficult as the large number of teams start coming this next month through August.

You should find some pictures attached of Aby doing the baptisims in the SCORE pool.

Announcements for Feb. 23-Mar. 1

YOUTH DISTRICT BOWLING--Youth come join the fun at Timber Lanes in Clayton on Sunday, March 1 from 7-9pm. The cost is $5 per person for bowling and shoes. If you want to buy snacks and drinks, you will need to bring additional money. The theme is “Pick a Decade.” You can dress according to that decade.

MOM’S GROUP--Mom’s please join us March 11 at 9:30am here at Grace for a time of fellowship.

WEEKEND TO REMEMBER--Another Family Life Conference is coming to Cincinnati this March 6-8. Many people in our church can vouch for the benefit of these conferences. Every marriage, regardless of its condition, can benefit from some intentional focus. We'd highly recommend you check out the table in the narthex to receive more information. Also, see Dan or Jeni Berger for information about a church discount.

QUIET TIME SEMINAR--If you are like many other believers, establishing and keeping a disciplined, effective quiet-time is a real struggle. Bible Fellowship Church is offering a four-hour seminar on Saturday morning, March 28 from 8:30am to 12:30pm. Pastor Chris Cobb will be teaching how to have an effective, personal quiet time. Bring your Bible, a pen and a heart ready to hear the Word. For more information, contact Pastor Cobb at pastorchris@biblefellowship.com or the church office, 937-547-1952.

UPCOMING BLOOD DRIVE--Plan now to donate blood on April 13, 2009 (more details to follow)

ATTENTION LADIES--Space still available to attend the Unbreakable Bonds Retreat, April 17-18 but all overnight accommodations have been filled.

GRACE BLOG--To keep informed about happenings here at Grace, check out our church blog (ggbcnews.blogspot.com) for special announcements, missionary updates, baptism testimonies and much more.

LIFE GROUPS--If you have not yet joined a LIFEGroup, now would be the perfect time to sign up. Information cards are available on wooden table in Narthex.

ELDER LEADERSHIP--The elder team would like to present Marshall Gipe to the church body as one who desires to be an elder. While Scripture says it is an honorable thing to desire the office of an elder (1 Timothy 3:1), the chapter goes on to lay out very specific guidelines for elder leadership (3:1-7). We would encourage you to examine this passage (along with Titus 1 and 1 Peter 5, among others) and also Marshall’s testimony. As elders, we desire to know if you can affirm Marshall’s qualifications for elder leadership. Would you please consider these texts, examine Marshall’s life and then share your confirmations or concerns with a current elder?

SERMONEUTICS--"Sermoneutics" is two things: 1) a made up word. 2) an upcoming men's study exploring the "why, how and what" of preaching. If you would like to refine your gifts in preaching/teaching, would like to explore whether God has called you to preach/teach, would like to know how to evaluate preaching/teaching, or would simply like to dive into some Scriptures with other men in order to grow closer to God...then this class if for you. We will meet every other Monday night starting March 16th. For more information, see Danny or the table in the narthex (sign up is also on the table).

VBS--June 14th – 19th
Mark your calendars now. The dates for this year’s VBS have been set.

Internet Saga 6.0

Just in case you are wondering....

Our website is down right now.

The staff elders cannot email anyone.

Your email to the staff elders will bounce back to you.

This is all further difficulties with our domain host allowing people to make it look like we were all selling pharmaceuticals. Hopefully, this is all simply the "storm before the calm."

And probably, this is just God reminding me to spend more time in the Word and less in email!

Update: We're back on line. If you sent an email to us while we were down, you'll probably need to send it again.

Nilsen's Update

Received the following via email from Bob:

Dear Friends and Family,

Our Lord has been doing great things these past couple of months. January saw great faith expressed from the northern parts of the States. The Chapel from Buffalo, NY sent down, not one, but two medical teams. Each team included an evangelistic team as well. This group of believers has really caught the vision of our medical evangelism ministry here in the DR. Although we are trying to bring good medical care to the people here in the DR, our primary purpose is to bring the Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ to the needy people here. We visited many new locations for our ministry. There are now multiple new church partners in and around San Pedro de Macoris that we will be ministering with in the future. These churches were very encouraged by the inclusion of spiritual ministry along with the physical ministry we are bringing.

Our long time friends from Antioch Baptist of WV also came and helped us open up some of these new ministry areas. They re-enforced our important ministry of encouraging the saints and reaching the lost for Jesus in towns and villages.

Steve and Jan Brazeau brought a small but powerful group of believers to minister with their dental/medical team in locations from Santo Domingo (the capital) to small villages in the eastern part of the country. Steve and Jan also bring a Spanish pastor who leads in evangelism every day. What a blessing to see the people respond to the straight forward preaching of the Word of God.

Grace Chapel from NC comes the same time every year. Their faithfulness brings healing to many through their surgical team and village medical team. Union University also partnered with the Brazeau's and Grace Chapel to make for a dynamic week of ministry. One day at the San Pedro Fire Dept.'s new building the chief of all the fireman in the DR showed up to thank us for our ministry both spiritually and physically. (I'm actually an honorary Lt. Coronel in the San Pedro Fire Dept.!!) Pastor Aby (another Score missionary here) and I attended the dedication of the building the first week of January with a couple of other members of The Chapel from Buffalo, NY. We were able to share the riches of Christ with the entire Fire Dept! Grace also brought 'a wandering evangelist' with them. This dear brother walked the streets and went house to house with a translator preaching Jesus.

All in all we saw 4,435 patients. This does not include approximately 40 surgeries at the hospital in La Romana! We have also been able to partner with 20 churches so far this year!! Spiritually we saw 802 persons profess faith in Christ. All with a local pastor to follow them up!

Aby Prado and family have come from Costa Rica to plant churches here with Score in the DR. Anna and I are teaming up with them to cooperate in his evangelistic efforts and draw crowds to preach to! Aby is pastoring our new bi-lingual church in Juan Dolio and I am teaching the English Bible Class.

Anna continues to give direction to the pharmacy and thus is an invaluable aid to me in clinic and ministry operations. She has also begun distance learning classes and is enjoying them immensely.

Praise the Lord for our ministry partners Tim and Evelyn Wolfe and their faithful ministry to the Lord here.

What a joy to see our Lord saving souls and building churches.

In Christ,

Bob and Anna Nilsen

For more information, see: SCORE

Announcements for Feb. 16-22

WELCOME MATT & KATI STEPHENS
It is our great joy to announce Matt and Kati Stephens' membership to Grace today. Matt and Kati have been a faithful part of Greenville Grace for quite some time, but it is a joy to "make it official" and we praise God for their family and for the joy of having them be a part of our family.

LIFE GROUPS--If you have not yet joined a LIFEGroup, now would be the perfect time to sign up. Information cards are available on wooden table in Narthex.

ELDER LEADERSHIP--The elder team would like to present Marshall Gipe to the church body as one who desires to be an elder. While Scripture says it is an honorable thing to desire the office of an elder (1 Timothy 3:1), the chapter goes on to lay out very specific guidelines for elder leadership (3:1-7). We would encourage you to examine this passage (along with Titus 1 and 1 Peter 5, among others) and also Marshall’s testimony. As elders, we desire to know if you can affirm Marshall’s qualifications for elder leadership. Would you please consider these texts, examine Marshall’s life and then share your confirmations or concerns with a current elder?

WOMENS STUDY--Women’s Study begins Thursday, February 19. Books need to be paid for and picked up.

WORSHIP WORKSHOP- On February 21, the Music Ministry will be providing a Worship Workshop for all those interested in musical worship. In the past, this time has been particularly directed at our music team members, but now is open to anyone in the church interested in learning about a Biblical basis for musical worship in the Scripture or how to better perform music in the church setting. Former Grace Music Intern Jeff Capps ( http://www.jeffcapps.com/) will also be coming to provide additional instruction. If interested, please fill out a registration form found at the table in the narthex and leave it in the offering plate before Sunday morning, February 15.

Youth District Bowling--Youth come join the fun at Timber Lanes in Clayton on Sunday, March 1 from 7-9pm. The cost is $5 per person for bowling and shoes. If you want to buy snacks and drinks, you will need to bring additional money. The theme is “Pick a Decade.” You can dress according to that decade.

WEEKEND TO REMEMBER--Another Family Life Conference is coming to Cincinnati this March 6-8. Many people in our church can vouch for the benefit of these conferences. Every marriage, regardless of its condition, can benefit from some intentional focus. We'd highly recommend you check out the table in the narthex to receive more information. Also, see Dan or Jeni Berger for information about a church discount.

SERMONEUTICS--"Sermoneutics" is two things: 1) a made up word. 2) an upcoming men's study exploring the "why, how and what" of preaching. If you would like to refine your gifts in preaching/teaching, would like to explore whether God has called you to preach/teach, would like to know how to evaluate preaching/teaching, or would simply like to dive into some Scriptures with other men in order to grow closer to God...then this class if for you. We will meet every other Monday night starting March 16th. For more information, see Danny or the table in the narthex (sign up is also on the table).

ATTENTION LADIES--Space still available to attend the Unbreakable Bonds Retreat, April 17-18 but all overnight accommodations have been filled.

VBS--June 14th – 19th
Mark your calendars now. The dates for this year’s VBS have been set.

From Pastor Nick Philiposian...

(we gave this announcement Sunday in the service, but it was not found in the bulletin)

You Are Invited. . . .

To a showing of Pakistani carpets & crafts!

You'll enjoy the selection of decorative crafts, hand embrodered shawls, baskets, wall hangings (all homemade)

Silk and Wool carpets in a variety of sizes & colors.

You can splurge on yourself or get started on some early spring shopping! We hope that you can come! Please bring a friend!

Hosted by: Carpet Ministry
Where: Art & Railroad Depot (115 North Howard Street Union City, IN)
Date: Saturday, February 14th, 2009
Time: 10:00AM - 5:00 PM

The proceeds will provide employment and education opportunities to the families of persecuted families in Pakistan.

Jeff Capps Concert

We mentioned this briefly Sunday morning, but its best to get these details out now. Friday, February 20 we will be having Jeff Capps at Grace for an evening of music. If you are unfamiliar with Jeff you can hear some samples of his music here.

Jeff Capps did an internship at our church while he was in college. He also happens to be Daniel and Teresa Pierce's nephew. Jeff's connection with Grace is more than biological, however. Jeff also has a passion to see Christ glorified in all the earth and I'm excited to finally be able to have him here to minister to our body. Jeff is a dear brother uniquely gifted as a musician with a pastoral heart. I think you will find this concert to be an evening well spent. All of this is to say, set aside the evening of Feb. 20.

By the way, if you're interested, Jeff will also be at our Worship Workshop the following day (Feb. 21). If you would like to sign up to attend the workshop, registration forms can be found in the narthex on the wooden table. This will be the last weekend to sign up.

Announcements for February 9-15

MEN’S TRAINING--Starting tomorrow night, Men's ministry will be offering a new class which will seek to equip men to think and live Biblically in various contexts. From 7:00 to 7:30 pm we will be having an in-depth study of the Book of Romans led by various facilitators. From 7:30 to 8:00 pm, our attention will be drawn to a specific topic which will help equip us to be better fathers, husbands, etc.

JOY CLUB MEETING--Have the winter blahs? Time to get out! Come out and have lunch and fellowship with our great group.

WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 15......directly after late church.

WHERE: Cathy's Restaurant on Martin St.

Everyone bring one OLD picture of yourself and we'll have some fun with it. Also, bring a smile and a heart full of thankfulness for our loving Father who makes all things possible through His Son. We are looking for some new faces to join us this year!! Questions? Call: Dale and Lois Jones at 548-6965.

ELDER STUDY--We will be offering another "Biblical Eldership Class" every other Monday night. Class will begin February 16th @ 7pm and will run through August 3rd. If you are interested, please go by the table in narthex to sign up.

WOMENS STUDY--Women’s Study begins Thursday, February 19. Books need to be paid for and picked up by Sunday, Feb. 15.

WORSHIP WORKSHOP- On February 21, the Music Ministry will be providing a Worship Workshop for all those interested in musical worship. In the past, this time has been particularly directed at our music team members, but now is open to anyone in the church interested in learning about a Biblical basis for musical worship in the Scripture or how to better perform music in the church setting. Former Grace Music Intern Jeff Capps ( http://www.jeffcapps.com/) will also be coming to provide additional instruction. If interested, please fill out a registration form found at the table in the narthex and leave it in the offering plate before Sunday morning, February 15.

WEEKEND TO REMEMBER--Another Family Life Conference is coming to Cincinnati this March 6-8. Many people in our church can vouch for the benefit of these conferences. Every marriage, regardless of its condition, can benefit from some intentional focus. We'd highly recommend you check out the table in the narthex to receive more information. Also, see Dan or Jeni Berger for information about potential discounts.

ATTENTION LADIES--Space still available to attend the Unbreakable Bonds Retreat, April 17-18 but all overnight accommodations have been filled.

VISION NIGHT--On February 15th @ 6pm, we will be having our “Vision Night.” This night is designed to review the previous year and share general direction of the year ahead. As elders, we consider this a critical time to gather together and share with one another. We encourage you to be able to make this meeting.

LIFE GROUPS--If you have not yet joined a LIFEGroup, now would be the perfect time to sign up. Information cards are available on wooden table in Narthex.

ELDER LEADERSHIP--As we mentioned in Sunday School about a month ago, the Scripture does not teach a distinction between elder and pastor. Therefore, it is our desire as elders to serve the church body as a team of pastors. Also, we realize that having two pastors (Jason Bradshaw & Matt Strader) who are not considered elders is probably inconsistent too. In order to be more Biblically consistent, we are presenting Matt and Jason before the church for “elder review.” Please examine 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 in light of their lives. Then, speak to an elder about their shepherding.

VBS – June 14th – 19th
Mark your calendars now. The dates for this year’s VBS have been set.

Announcements for Feb. 2-8

JOY CLUB MEETING--Have the winter blahs? Time to get out! Come out and have lunch and fellowship with our great group.

WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 15......directly after late church. WHERE: Cathy's Restaurant on Martin St.

Everyone bring one OLD picture of yourself and we'll have some fun with it. Also, bring a smile and a heart full of thankfulness for our loving Father who makes all things possible through His Son. We are looking for some new faces to join us this year!! Questions? Call: Dale and Lois Jones at 548-6965.

MEN’S TRAINING--Starting February 9, Men's ministry will be offering a new class which will seek to equip men to think and live Biblically in various contexts. From 7:00 to 7:30 pm we will be having an in-depth study of the Book of Romans led by various facilitators. From 7:30 to 8:00 pm, our attention will be drawn to a specific topic which will help equip us to be better fathers, husbands, etc. Please be sure to mark Feb. 9 on your calendar to come and hear about these changes and how they will be relevant to you and your ministry.

ELDER STUDY--We will be offering another "Biblical Eldership Class" every other Monday night. Class will begin February 16th @ 7pm and will run through August 3rd. If you are interested, please go by the table in narthex to sign up.

WORSHIP WORKSHOP- On February 21, the Music Ministry will be providing a Worship Workshop for all those interested in musical worship. In the past, this time has been particularly directed at our music team members, but now is open to anyone in the church interested in learning about a Biblical basis for musical worship in the Scripture or how to better perform music in the church setting. Former Grace Music Intern Jeff Capps ( http://www.jeffcapps.com/) will also be coming to provide additional instruction. If interested, please fill out a registration form found at the table in the narthex and leave it in the offering plate before Sunday morning, February 15.

WEEKEND TO REMEMBER--Another Family Life Conference is coming to Cincinnati this March 6-8. Many people in our church can vouch for the benefit of these conferences. Every marriage, regardless of its condition, can benefit from some intentional focus. We'd highly recommend you check out the table in the narthex to receive more information. Also, see Dan or Jeni Berger for information about potential discounts.

ATTENTION LADIES--Reservations to the Unbreakable Bonds Retreat, April 17-18 are available with or without the overnight stay. The cost of the retreat is the same. There are only a few overnight reservations remaining. Register today to guarantee your place.

VBS – June 14th – 19th
Mark your calendars now. The dates for this year’s VBS have been set.

VISION NIGHT--On February 15th @ 6pm, we will be having our “Vision Night.” This night is designed to review the previous year and share general direction of the year ahead. As elders, we consider this a critical time to gather together and share with one another. We encourage you to be able to make this meeting.

LIFE GROUPS--If you have not yet joined a LIFEGroup, now would be the perfect time to sign up. Information cards are available on wooden table in Narthex.

ELDER LEADERSHIP--As we mentioned in Sunday School about a month ago, the Scripture does not teach a distinction between elder and pastor. Therefore, it is our desire as elders to serve the church body as a team of pastors. Also, we realize that having two pastors (Jason Bradshaw & Matt Strader) who are not considered elders is probably inconsistent too. In order to be more Biblically consistent, we are presenting Matt and Jason before the church for “elder review.” Please examine 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 in light of their lives. Then, speak to an elder about their shepherding.