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Greetings GraceLife!

Last Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, was celebrated at GraceLife with such joy!  From our 6:30am sunrise (or as I like to think, “son-rise”) to our 9:30am and 10:30am worship services, we were overcome with gratitude for the unthinkable sacrifice Jesus made and the “unspeakable joy” of His Resurrection without which we all would be still dead in our sin!  However, He arose and changed everything!  He is Risen, indeed!  

Pastor Joe’s message, #20 in the series “A Sinner in Love with God”, this one called “Tomb Songs”, led us to consider the season of David’s life when he was hiding from Saul in caves to preserve his life and the “tomb songs” David offered during this dark time as reflected in Psalm 16.  This Psalm (song), however, transcends the darkness and expresses David’s faith and trust in God despite his circumstances and even prophetically announces the coming Messiah. You are encouraged to listen to this message again (and again! perhaps) through our website.          

Here is our quick look at events coming up this week and a look ahead as well.  

Apr 7th  – Adult Bible Study at MB, 7pm, Room 105

Apr 8th – Sisters in Prayer (MB Fellowship Corner) and BLAZE Youth (MB Loft), 7pm

Apr 9th  

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

Apr 11th – Saturday Men’s Bible Study at MB, Gym Classroom, 201C, 8-9am

Apr 12th at MB

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

– Elisha Fowler, our Youth Director, and his wife, Kylee, will soon be departing the area in order for Elisha to begin his seminary training.  This Sunday, Apr 12th, will be their last Sunday with us for awhile.  Please take this opportunity to thank the Fowlers for all they’ve done for our GL Youth Ministry! 

– Also on April 12th, our GL’s new bowling season will begin with sign-up and setup and bowling, too!  Please contact Cindy Lanoue-Foster for more info!   

Apr 15th/16th (noon to noon) – Giving Challenge (email exchange) for Day4Hope (July 18th)

Apr 19th through May 10th (Mother’s Day) – Diaper Drive for Food Pantry 

Apr 23th through 26th – Local support to Kairos Prison Ministry (cookies due Apr 21st)

Apr 28th – New Hope Girls Ministry Visit – 7pm - 8:30pm, at MB, Auditorium/Sanctuary

May 3rd – First Sunday Luncheon at MB, Gym    

More event/activity details –

April 7th – Our Adult Bible Study at MB meets on Tuesday nights, 7pm, in Room 105!  Our study focus is the book of Judges, using Tim Keller’s “Judges for You” as a secondary source. Tonight, our study lead, Jeff Lawson, will begin Judges, Chapter 9, referencing "Judges for You", Chapter 7, part 2.  We will consider the following:  How has God saved you from yourself? and How does this make you feel about Him?  You are invited to join us! 

Apr 8th -- Our Sisters in Prayer and BLAZE Youth meet on Wednesday nights at MB, 7pm. SIP meets in the Fellowship Corner; Youth meets in the Gym Loft. 

Apr 9th  

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

Apr 11th – Saturday Men’s Bible Study at MB, Gym classroom 201C, 8-9am, led by Lewis Rosove.  

Apr 12th – Here’s what happening at MB!

  • 8:15 – 8:30am – prayer time with our leadership (Room 105)
  • 9am worship service (Auditorium/Sanctuary)
  • 10:30am worship service (Auditorium/Sanctuary)
  • 10:15 – 11:30am  
    • Adult Christian Education (CE) classes in Gym 201B/C;  
    • BLAZE Youth classes in Gym Loft
  • 10:45 – 11:30am -- GL Kids -- infant-5th grade classes
  • 4-6pm -- BLAZE Youth, Gym Loft

– Elisha Fowler, our Youth Director, and his wife, Kylee, will soon be departing the area in order for Elisha to begin his seminary training.  This Sunday, Apr 12th, will be their last Sunday with us for awhile.  Please take this opportunity to thank the Fowlers for all they’ve done for our GL Youth Ministry! 

– Also on April 12th, our GL’s new bowling season will begin with sign-up and setup and bowling, too!  Please contact Cindy Lanoue-Foster for more info!   

More details of our Sunday mornings are 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 welcome and assist you.  (As you’ll see later in this post, we need more Greeters and Connection Center volunteers!!  If you would like to serve in this way, please speak with someone at our Connection Center.)  Also,  visit the Connection Center with questions, or for sign-ups, books, t-shirts and more!  
    • 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 – 8:30am.
  • 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 (Gym classroom 201C)
  • Connect Cards can be found under the seats in the auditorium/sanctuary and at the Connection Center.  Use these to provide contact information, request contact from us, or ask for prayer.  (An online version of the Connect Card is also available through our website.)

Looking a little further ahead…!  

April 15th-16th (noon to noon) – Giving Challenge –This Giving Challenge will be an email campaign to raise funds to support this year’s Day4Hope (July 18th).  

April 19th-May 10th (Mother’s Day) –  Diaper Drive for Food Pantry  – In response to regular requests for diapers at our Food Pantry (at ML), we, in honor of Mother’s Day, are asking for donations of disposable diapers that we can supply to our Food Pantry for distribution over the four Sundays (Apr 19th, 26th, and May 3rd, 10th).  A bin will be placed in our Lobby for collection.

April 23-26 – Support to our Kairos Prison Ministry – We’ll be seeking support for this 4-day event to be held at the Zephyrhills Correctional Institute.  Your support may include: participating in a prayer chain; writing notes/cards of encouragement for those in attendance at the event; coloring placemats that will be given to the attendees; praying for all (attendees and volunteers) involved; and, of course, baking cookies for the attendees.  (We ask that you donate your baked cookies by Wednesday, Apr 21st.  Remember, no raisins or nut products, please.)  We’ll have sign-up sheets this Sunday in the lobby.  

April 28th – New Hope Girls – The leadership and team from New Hope Girls will be visiting us, from 7-8:30pm, Tuesday evening at MB, in our Auditorium/Sanctuary to share their ministry of hope to girls and their mothers in the Dominican Republic!!  Please feel free to visit their website at  newhopegirls.com.  Created and led by Joy Reyes, hers is a remarkable story of God’s calling and His work through Joy and her team as they rescue girls from exploitation and abuse.  You won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear what great things our God is accomplishing through our missionaries in the Dominican Republic!

May 3 – First Sunday Luncheon

May 13 – New Women’s Bible Study coming up, Wednesday evenings – watch for details!

July 18th – Day4Hope (D4H)

July 20th-24th – Vacation Bible School

Stewardship Prayer 
Lord, when my heart feels heavy and hope seems far away, help me remain faithful in what You’ve entrusted to me. Give me strength for small acts of obedience and courage to keep caring. Remind me that even in this season, You are at work. Amen.
Ministry Spotlight Prayer

Lord, strengthen those who are serving in difficult places and in seasons of desperation. Help me to be faithful in supporting them—with my prayers, my words, and my resources. Let my encouragement bring light where there is discouragement, and hope where there is despair. Amen.

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?  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.
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 

We are so blessed that our Children’s Ministry continues to welcome more and more children to GraceLife!  That means that more and more volunteers are also needed for 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 our Children’s Ministry, please stop by the Connection Center or contact Jackie. 

Greeters and Connection Center Volunteers Needed!

We are seeking more volunteers to serve as Greeters and at the Connection Center for both the 9am and 10:30am Sunday morning worship services.  Whether it’s a first-time visitor to GraceLife or a member of our GraceLife family, we want each person who enters our Lord’s house on Sunday morning to be warmly welcomed, to be assisted as needed, and to be, frankly, surprised at the evidence of abundant love at GraceLife.  If you are interested in serving in this way, please stop by the Connection Center and let us know.

Reminder

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