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Greetings GraceLife!

A quick list of events for this week and a little beyond… We hope this info is useful to you!  
Please note!! Daylight Savings Time begins this Sunday, Mar 8th, so remember to “spring forward” one hour! We don’t want you to miss anything!

Mar 3rd – Adult Bible Study at MB, 7pm, Room 105

Mar 4th – Sisters in Prayer (MB Fellowship Corner) and BLAZE Youth (MB Loft), 7pm

Mar 5th

  • Women’s Bible Study at MB, 10:15am - noon, Room 105
  • Deep End Dinner and Bible Study at ML, 7pm

Mar 7th – Saturday Men’s Bible Study at MB, Gym Classroom, 201C, 8-9am

Mar 8th– at MB

  • 8:15 – 8:45am – prayer time with our leadership
  • 9am worship service
  • 10:30am worship service
  • 10:15 – 11:30am -- Adult Christian Education (CE) and BLAZE Youth classes
  • 10:45 – 11:30am -- GL Kids -- infant-5th grade classes
  • 4:00 – 6:00pm – BLAZE Youth

Mar 15th – Monthly Prayer Meeting, 4-5pm, Auditorium/Sanctuary, MB

Mar 22nd – Easter Children’s Event, 2-4pm, Gym, at MB

Mar 29th – Palm Sunday & Baptisms at MB

Apr 3rd – Good Friday service at MB, 6:30pm

Apr 5th – Resurrection Sunday!

  • Easter sunrise service, 6:30am
  • Easter worship services at 9am and 10:30am

Now, for a little more detail... and we'll start by sharing a few thoughts.

Pastor Joe’s message this past Sunday, taken from 1 Samuel 23: 1-14, #16 in the series of the life of David, “A Sinner In Love With God”, “Access to God”, called us to remember that, unlike David’s reliance on a priest and ephod for access to God,  OUR access to God has been assured through His Son, Jesus Christ.  How?  He provides access through His Word, His Spirit, and His people.  By His Grace, His Word is provided in richness and clarity as He reveals His Truth, His Holy Spirit dwells within us to intercede for us and to guide us, and when we gather with His people, they love us relentlessly – exhorting, supporting, and comforting us in community.  This access through His people was celebrated as we partook of the Lord’s Table, together celebrating His Glory and Grace.

If you missed worshipping with us on Sunday OR if you’d just like to enjoy the message again, please access “Messages” from our website.

More event/activity details –

Mar 3rd – 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 attempt to cover the rest of Judges 6.  There are profound truths to be learned from the name of the Lord that Gideon sets aside to remember in worship.That name can be found in verse 24. Looking forward to fleshing out the implications for our lives.

Mar 4th

  • 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.

Mar 5th

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

Mar 7th – Saturday Men’s Bible Study at MB, Gym classroom 201C, 8-9am, led by Lewis Rosove.

Mar 8th – We’d love to have you with us this Sunday for a morning of prayer and praise, worship and fellowship!  More details provided in paragraphs below.

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 sign-ups, books, t-shirts and more. Visit the Connection Center with questions!
    • Please stop by our table in the lobby by the sitting area for more activity sign-ups!
    • 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 are 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!
  • Open prayer time with our leadership is available to you, Room 105, 8:15 – 8:45am
  • 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. Our Adult CE classes currently offered are:
    • Sermon on the Mount led by Mike Hamel (Gym classroom 201B)
    • Biblical Love led by Jeff Lawson (using Charity and its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards as a secondary source). (Gym classroom 201C)
  • 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.

Looking further ahead…

March 15th, 2026

Our next Monthly Prayer Meeting will be held on March 15th, from 4-5pm, in the MB Auditorium/Sanctuary. Please join us as we lift up praises and prayers to our Heavenly Father!  You may choose to offer prayers vocally or just pray silently with us. We would love to have you with us.

March 22nd, 2026

A fun Easter event for GLKids will happen on March 22nd, from 2-4pm, in the MB Gym! Parents and grandparents, mark your calendars!

March 29th, 2026 (Palm Sunday)

Baptisms will be celebrated at both the 9am and 10:30am services. We hope you will be able to join us to share in this amazing celebration of God’s Grace as His Kingdom grows at GraceLife!

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

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 on Easter Sunday as we normally do, we are not planning for a separate food event.

We continue to observe the season of Lent (a 40-day season of introspection, repentance, and spiritual discipline leading up to Easter). Pastor Keith is providing (through our website email) reflections during this season to help us ready our hearts for Easter.

More upcoming events, so mark your calendars!

April 14th-15th – Giving Challenge
July 18th – Day4Hope (D4H)
July 20th-24th – Vacation Bible School

Stewardship Thoughts

When we believe we have access to God, we see ourselves as living in relationship with Him.  This relationship is understood through Jesus Christ, who makes a close and personal relationship with God possible. Because of that relationship: life is viewed as a gift from God; the world is seen as God’s creation; and, talents and resources are understood as entrusted by God. This leads to stewardship, that is, caring responsibly for what God has given.

Ministry Spotlight

We, as believers, are assured access to God through Jesus Christ, enabling us to enjoy a personal relationship with our Creator. This relationship helps us grow in love for what God loves – including reaching others with the gospel. When we spend time with God, we develop compassion for people who do not know Him, we become aware of spiritual and physical needs around the world, and we feel called to participate in God’s work. That participation can happen by supporting our missionaries both financially and with prayer. We pray for their safety, for their boldness and wisdom, and for open hearts in the communities they serve.

GraceLife Food Pantry – Mondays at Mt. Lockwood

In partnership with All Faiths Food Bank, our faithful volunteers gather every week at 8:30 AM to begin receiving, sorting, and organizing donations in preparation for community distribution starting at 11:00 AM.

Community distribution takes place from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, serving families with practical support, dignity, prayer, and care.

We also serve our recovery community each Monday evening immediately following GraceLife Recovery at 7:00 PM.

If you or someone you know is in need, we are here to help. Please contact Briege Gish or James Horne, or simply come by on Monday at Mt. Lockwood.

Together, we are loving our community well.

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 10:15-11:30am
  • Sunday evenings 4-6pm
  • Wednesday evenings 7-8pm

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 do I request prayer for myself or others? 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 prayer 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 to pray for others? Just indicate to a member of our Admin Team that you’d like to be part of the prayer chain OR sign up at the lobby’s sign-up table (by the seating area) 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 now!) create beautiful greeting cards for various occasions. While Brenda and Betty usually meet for card-making on Tuesdays at 1:30pm 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.