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Through the week –

Feb 10th – Our Adult Bible Study at MB meets on TUESDAY nights, 7pm, in Room 105! Study leader Jeff Lawson’s focus is the book of Judges, using Tim Keller’s “Judges for You” as a secondary source. Tonight we will cover, Deborah’s (the Lord’s appointed Judge) song that can be found in chapter 5 of Judges. Once again if you are following along utilizing Tim Keller’s book as a help then you should read pages 61-65.  One question we will consider is “How does Deborah’s song  jive with Luke 6:27-28?”   Looking forward to seeing you all!

Feb 11th – Our Sisters in Prayer and BLAZE Youth continue to meet on Wednesday nights at MB, 7pm. SIP meets in the Fellowship Corner; Youth meets in the Gym Loft. 

Feb 12th  

  • Women’s Bible Study at MB, 10-15am - noon.  This study of Ephesians will be led by Beth Lawson and will meet in Room 105.  No need to sign up, just join us!  
  • Deep End Dinner and Bible Study at ML, 7pm.

Feb 14th – Saturday Men’s Bible Study at MB, Room 105, 8-9am, led by Lewis Rosove. 

Feb 15th 

  • Please come join us this Sunday for a morning of prayer and praise, worship and fellowship!  Details in paragraphs below.  
  • Note:  this will be the last Sunday of printed bulletins.  However, the bulletin contents will be included in this Newsletter and available at our website (gracelifesarasota.com).  

Sunday Mornings at Mount Beneva

  • Parking – Please let us know of any parking issues you may have.  
  • Lobby
    • Greeters are available to assist you with bulletins/programs, sign-ups, books, t-shirts and more. Visit the Connection Center with questions!
    • New nametag requests continue to be processed. Nametags can be located in the drawers by the sitting area.
    • Coffee, snacks and pastries are provided for your enjoyment and refreshed throughout the morning by our hospitality team. Please enjoy your food in the lobby and bring only lidded beverages into the auditorium/ sanctuary.  Thank you!
  • Worship Services are held in the auditorium/sanctuary at 9 and 10:30 am. 
  • Christian Education classes are held from 10:15-11:30am for Adults in the Gym classrooms and our BLAZE Youth in the Loft;  and from 10:45-11:30am for Children in the children’s wing in the main building.
  • Connect Cards can be found under the seats in the auditorium/sanctuary. Use these to provide contact information, request contact from us, or ask for prayer.  If you're new to GraceLife and would like to receive our Newsletters, there is a sign-up sheet in our table (near the sitting area) for you to enter just your name and email address.  

Sunday Morning Adult Christian Education

We have two adult CE classes currently available. We’d love to have you join us from 10:15-11:30am in the Gym classrooms for a deeper dive into God’s Word.  We speak to God in prayer; He speaks to us through His Word.  You may participate in either of these classes; no registration or qualification needed; just “show up”! 

  • Sermon on the Mount led by Mike Hamel
  • Biblical Love led by Jeff Lawson (using Charity and its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards as a secondary source).

Looking further ahead…

February 22nd, 2026 (Monthly Prayer Meeting)

Our February Monthly Prayer Meeting will be held at MB on February 22nd, from 4-5pm in our Auditorium/Sanctuary.  No sign-up needed, just come join us to raise our praise and petitions to our magnificent Creator and Redeemer!  

March 1st, 2026 (Lord's Table and First Sunday Luncheon)

We will celebrate the Lord's Table at both our 9am and 10:30am worship services.  Following our 10:30am service, we will gather in the Gym for our First Sunday Luncheon at MB.   Please sign up for the luncheon online at gracelifesarasota.com or at the sign-up table in our lobby on Sunday morning.  We ask that you plan to bring a side dish to share if you can.   

March 29th, 2026 (Palm Sunday Baptisms)

SIgn-ups for our Palm Sunday Baptisms are on stand-by status for now due to the number of requests we've received.  Praise the Lord!  However, please do sign up on our list in the lobby if you'd like to be baptized on Palm Sunday.  As plans for some may change as we get closer to the date, we'll reach out to you as space permits.  For those of you whom we are unable to include in this Palm Sunday Baptism, you will be placed at the top of the list for our next baptisms planned for sometime this summer or early fall.    

April 3rd, 2026 (Good Friday) and April 5th, 2026 (Resurrection Sunday – Easter!)

It’s not too early to begin to prepare our hearts for the celebration of our Lord’s victory on the cross.  We are planning a Good Friday service for April 3rd, starting at 6:30pm at MB.  Then, on Easter Sunday at MB, we will offer a sunrise service at 6:30am in addition to our 9am and 10:30am worship services.  While our Hospitality team will be providing pastries/coffee as we normally do, we are not planning for a separate food event.

Our Lobby Sign-up Table

On Sunday mornings, please come by our lobby sign-up table near the sitting area.  While you'll also want to visit our Connection Center, there are more ways to get connected at GraceLife than we can accommodate at the Connection Center!  So, at the sign-up table, you'll have a chance to view upcoming events/activities and indicate your interest so that we can follow up with you.  

Stewardship Thoughts 

Biblical stewardship is the recognition that God owns everything and that we, as Christians, are entrusted as managers of His gifts rather than owners of them. What matters most is not the size of what we possess, but our faithfulness in using what God has given—our resources, abilities, time, and opportunities—for His purposes. Scripture consistently teaches that stewards are accountable to God for how they manage these trusts, reminding believers that stewardship is a serious spiritual responsibility. Ultimately, stewardship is an act of worship, expressing gratitude, obedience, and trust in God as the true provider and Lord of all.

Ministry Spotlight

This week our Ministry Spotlight encourages you to visit our website (gracelifesarasota.com) and have a look at “Ministries”, then “Our Missions” for information about both regional and global missions and missionaries we support, some originating at Mt Lockwood, some at Mt Beneva, now “better together”.   For each of the featured ministries, we at GraceLife support through financial contributions, by providing volunteers, with our prayers, or responding to surge needs as they arise.  As you learn more about each of these ministries, please prayerfully consider how your spiritual gifts might further God’s kingdom by your service to one or more of these ministries.  Please contact John Shelton, leader of our Missions Committee at John.Shelton@bbrown.com, to explore opportunities for your service/support.  

Blaze Youth Student Ministry

Students in grade 6-12 are invited to join us in the Loft (upstairs MB Gym) during our weekly meeting times.

  • Sunday mornings 10:30-11:30am
  • Sunday evenings 4-6pm
  • Wednesday evenings 7-8pm

Use this link to join the group so you don’t miss out on any of the fun!

Weekly Prayer Meetings

We are a praying church!  Each Sunday, from 8:15-8:45am, at MB, there is an opportunity to gather in prayer with our leadership in Room 105.  No sign-up is required, just come join us as we prepare our hearts to worship Him.  

Other Group Prayer Opportunities

In addition to our Weekly Prayer Meetings on Sunday mornings and Monthly Prayer Meetings, we also have a prayer chain here at GraceLife, a way for many to pray for the needs of those in our GraceLife family.  How does it work?  You may submit your requests for prayer through our Connect Cards, email, note, text, or verbal request to our leadership or member of our Admin Team, or to Cindy Lanoue-Foster or to me (Dreama).  We’ll then post your request for distribution to those who have indicated their desire to be part of our prayer chain.  How do I become part of the prayer chain?  Just indicate to a member of our Admin Team that you’d like to be part of the prayer chain and we’ll make that happen.  Prayer is powerful and we are privileged to pray for one another.    

Greeting Card Ministry

Brenda Castleyoung and Betty Tucker (with others welcome) create beautiful greeting cards for various occasions. While Brenda and Betty usually meet for card-making on Tuesdays at 11am at MB, Room 105, the day/time is flexible. If you’d like to participate in some card-making and fellowship, please call Brenda (443-254-5422) for meeting times and days. 

Also, if you have cards you’d like to donate for repurposing, you may leave them at the Beneva office in a bag/container marked for Brenda. Thank you to those who continue to donate cards!!

Ride Share Ministry

We have identified a few Sunday morning transportation needs within our GraceLife family and  now seek those would consider providing a ride to those in need.  Some ride needs could be met by multiple people, while others could be met by a single provider.  A sign-up sheet is available in our lobby at MB for your information.   

If you have a current need for or ability to provide for transportation, please email dreama@gracelifesrq.com.  Thank you.  

Hospitality Ministry

Volunteers are needed for the hospitality team! Please respond to this email if you are interested in helping prepare/serve food for our fellowship times!  

Children’s Ministry (Nursery)

Volunteers are also needed for our growing Nursery on Sunday mornings! We’re looking for volunteers with servant hearts to help care for our youngest members of the GraceLife family. If you’re interested in serving in the Nursery, stop by the Connection Center or contact Jackie. 

Reminder

Please identify your giving recipient as “GraceLife Sarasota”. If you have questions, please contact Randy Coryell or Dan Deems.