Reviewing 2023 While Looking Ahead to 2024
On Sunday, December 31st, in the morning service Pastor Dan shared many of the highlights of the year of 2023 for Grace Fellowship Church:
Beginning with activities and events:
We had a contest for those who enjoy being creative, where anyone could create a Peep Diorama for Easter and they were displayed in the hallway for everyone to see.
We had a 70th Anniversary Celebration because Grace Fellowship Church turned 70 years old in 2023!
We had our annual church picnic, but had our morning church service at the retreat where we have our picnic, so that we had our worship service, lunch, and fun activities all at the same place.
We had a Fast Car Event
Our Grace For Moms ministry has grown
Tyler took the youth on a Winter Retreat and a Youth Christmas Bowling activity.
There were a couple Men’s Trivia Nights where the men participated in some friendly competition.
We had Backyard Church events several Sunday evenings over the Summer where we learned more about some of the local ministries GFC supports, as well as learned about some local ministries we weren’t aware of.
Men’s Prayer Breakfasts
We had a Christmas Breakfast in 2023 and 105 people attended!
We also had a Christmas Eve service and 111 people attended!
Five of our Men went on a short-term missions trip to the Dominican Republic.
During Ephrata Fair week, we had “Prayer at the Fair” on Tuesday night.
In addition to these great events and activities, the BIG NEWS is that in 2023, Grace Fellowship Church had 3 people come to Christ and become New Christians, 2 people were baptized, and Grace Fellowship received 5 New Members!
Pastor Dan taught us how to Live Beyond Our Limits through all of his sermons in 2023, all of which was based on Ephesians 3:20-21: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Pastor Dan wanted each of us to do something to grow our faith, because if we aren’t doing that, we are stagnant, and stagnancy leads to death. As a church and as individuals, Pastor Dan says, “we need to be finding opportunities to grow in our faith.” Therefore, we talked about: how to love people who, maybe, make you feel uncomfortable, how to share Jesus with them. We talked about Prodigals and praying for the prodigals in our life. We also talked about praying great prayers.
And, Looking ahead to 2024, here’s a few things GFC has planned:
In April, Servant Stage will be performing one of their shows at GFC!
July 4th, we’ll be doing something for the Firecracker 5-Mile Run, since we’re right along their route
Since we’re right along the rail trail, we’ll be doing something to let people who use the trail know that we’re there
During Ephrata Fair Week, we’ll very likely do Prayer at the Fair again, and maybe something in addition to that
Pastor Dan is teaching us that it’s important to “Love Where You Live”.
Jeremiah 29: 4-7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters — that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”
Pastor Dan said, “Citizenship is an exercise of stewardship. When you love where you live, you feel responsible for it.”