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Greetings GraceLife!

We hope you were able to worship with us this past Sunday, May 24th, during Memorial Day weekend.  That day is also celebrated as Pentecost Sunday marking 50 days since Easter, the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit into the Apostles, and the birth of the Christian Church.  We also hope that you and your family celebrated a meaningful Memorial Day, a day of remembrance of those who gave their lives to protect and defend this nation.   

Pastor Joe’s message, #27 in the series “A Sinner in Love with God”, this one called “Silence from God”, based on 1 Samuel 28-3-11, offered us a sobering description of Saul’s habitual rebellion and what it brought him.  Over the years, Saul had sought God’s deliverance in troubled times and had received it through the prophet Samuel.  Yet, he treated God’s direction as “one available option” and chose his own path, over and over.  When faced with an overwhelming Philistine army, Saul appealed to God for deliverance, but God was silent.  Then, Saul looked for answers from an ungodly source.  Silence from God can be a judgement, as was the case with Saul.  Yet to the Christian, God’s “silence” can be transformative, leading us to repent, return to Him, and seek His Presence.  Please listen (or re-listen) to this important  message in its entirety through our website (select “Messages”). 

Please note…

Our updated GraceLife Sarasota app is now available for your use!  Just download the app and enjoy our new features!  We’re excited to provide you with this connectivity option! 

Also check out the most recent episode of our GraceLife podcasts, this one featuring an interview with our worship director, Chris Hicks!   Access “Living the GraceLife Podcast" with Spotify or Apple Podcasts or even more simply, through our new GraceLife Sarasota app.

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

May 26th – Tuesday evening Adult Bible Study at MB, 7-8pm, Room 105.  Tonight, we will continue our study of the book of Judges.  In preparation for the study, please read Judges 14:1-3.  Samson saw what he wanted, desired what he saw, and resisted wise counsel.  What voices are shaping our desires – God’s Word, the culture around us, just simply our own desires?  Come join us as we address this question and more! 

 May 27th 

  • Sisters in Prayer at MB, 7pm, Fellowship Corner; no meeting of BLAZE Youth, but new Student Ministry schedule coming!  
  • Our new Women’s home-based Bible Study, “Captivating”, will meet this week!  See Connie Daidone for details.   

May 28th – Deep End Dinner/Bible Study at ML will NOT meet this week, but will reconvene soon.  We’ll keep you posted!  

May 30th – Saturday Men’s Bible Study at MB, Gym Classroom, 201C, 8-9am

May 31st  at MB

  • 8:15 – 8:30am – prayer time with our leadership in Room 105
  • 9am worship service in Auditorium/Sanctuary
  • 10:30am worship service in Auditorium/Sanctuary
  • 10:15 – 11:30am -- Adult Christian Education (CE) merged class in the Gym classrooms; BLAZE Youth classes in the Gym Loft
  • 10:45 – 11:30am -- GL Kids -- infant-5th grade classes
  • 4:00 – 5:00pm – Monthly Prayer Meeting in the Auditorium/Sanctuary   

Looking a little further ahead…!   

June 7th – 

  • We will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper (Communion) at both worship services.  Don’t miss this special worship opportunity!  
  • First Sunday Luncheon; you are encouraged to sign-up for the luncheon (sign-ups available in the MB Lobby as well as online) AND you are encouraged to bring a side dish to share.  We will be supplying the main dish (which is Mexican-inspired), but we’ll need your accompanying side dishes to offer as well!   

July 18th – Day4Hope (D4H) – We need volunteers to support this event, both in the planning leading up to July 18th as well as the “day of”.  Please reach out to Cean Cerny or speak with someone at the Connection Center if you’ll be able to help.  You can sign up to help through the following link Day4HopeVolunteers2026

July 20th-24th – Vacation Bible School!  This summer, we will be offering an exciting VBS to GLKids AND children of Living Hope Church!  Of course, we need YOUR help!  Volunteer sign-up sheets are now available in our MB Lobby, along with a flyer providing more details about this wonderful opportunity to serve.  (Sign-ups are also available online – see just below.)  Volunteers are needed from 8am - 1pm.  

August 9th – Our Next Baptisms!  We are excited to bring you another opportunity to make a public profession of your decision to accept Jesus as Lord of your life!  Sign-ups are available through our website or through sign-up sheets in our Lobby on Sunday mornings.  Preparation for your baptism will include meeting with Pastor Joe, so please sign up early so that we may begin the process!

Stewardship Thoughts 

Stewardship during God’s silence is the practice of faithfully managing your obedience, character, responsibilities, and hope while waiting without clarity.  Anyone can obey when guidance feels clear and emotionally rewarding.  Silence reveals whether faith is rooted in God Himself or only in visible results.  In quiet seasons, stewardship looks like: continuing to pray even when prayers feel unanswered; serving without recognition; maintaining integrity when no outcome is obvious; and, caring for responsibilities already given. 

Ministry Spotlight

Can our ministries experience seasons of God’s silence? God’s silence can uncover whether the ministry trusts God Himself, or visible outcomes associated with God.   How do we remain faithful without constant reassurance?  In many cases, silent seasons become invitations to us or our ministries to grow our relationship with God:  from performance to dependence; from expansion to depth; from activity to discernment; and, from self-sufficiency to prayer.  In all cases, let us return to God.  

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 4-5pm

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.

In addition to seeking volunteers for upcoming events, we also have on-going needs for volunteers in the following ministries…

  • 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 – 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.  

More about our 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 have been merged into one (Better Together!) and are continuing the “Biblical Love” study.  The merged class meets in Gym classroom 201B/C.  Jeff Lawson and Mike Hamel share in teaching the class.

Connect Cards can be found 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.)

Reminder

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