Pastor’s Notes...Generation G: Leaving a Spiritual Legacy (or Hot Topics on Grandparenting)-by Gramma Pat Whisler I couldn’t help but think of Grandparents@Prayer when Pastor Tom

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GRACE PRESS Pastor ’s Notes“I lift up my eyes to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker

of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)

“The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:8

Amplified Bible)

It is with a sense of sadness, mixed with gratitude that I write these words. After serving Grace Presbyterian

Church for 21 years, God has called me to conclude my pastoral relationship with Grace and to accept a call

to Trinity Presbyterian Church in Camarillo, CA.

I know this news may come as a shock to many of you and for others you might have seen it coming. Through

prayer and discernment, I have concluded God is directing me to close the door here at Grace. Twenty-one

years is a long time for a pastor to serve a congregation, especially when the average stay is about seven

years. I believe in the direction we are headed and I ask that you continue to show your support and use

the gifts God has given you for the building up of the body of Christ as we seek to be a light for Jesus in this

community.

The relationships that God has blessed me with here at Grace, as well as in the community, have been such

an inspiration and encouragement to me over the years. As I look back, my heart overflows with joy. I still

remember the first message I gave at Grace. My hope for Grace Presbyterian Church was to be a “Welcoming”

church. If the church had a personalized license plate it would read W.L.C.O.M.G. (Worshipping, Loving, Christ

Centered. Missional Church, that Go’s). I believe we are exactly this, welcoming! I thank you for your support,

as well as your desire to be God’s instruments, telling others the night and day difference Jesus has made in

your life.

I have been in constant communication with Linda Therian (Presbytery’s Stated Clerk), Michael Williams

(Chair of Committee on Ministry), and Michael Mudgett (Presbytery Exec.), as I have moved through the pro-

cess of discerning God’s call. Michael Mudgett, as well as the Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry (COM), will

walk closely with Grace Church in the days ahead as we move forward. We will hold a congregational meet-

ing between services on Sunday, July 9th for the purpose of concluding the Pastoral relationship. My last day

at Grace will be Sunday, July 30th .

It is my sense that Grace needs a new person at the helm to meet the challenges that lie ahead. It is my ut-

most hope and prayer that God will bring the leadership necessary for Grace church to meet the needs of all

who attend. As the body of Christ we are to be both the salt and light of Christ in our multi-cultural commu-

nity in which we reside.

My family has been blessed over the years beyond what words can express in a letter. I want to thank you for

your prayers and support. Please know that I have been blessed to be your pastor.

God’s Grace and Peace,

Pastor

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JULY 2017

It was a joyful event to give the 15-member Costa Rica Mission Team a send off from Grace on Wednes-

day evening. We look forward to the program in July showing the completion of the work plan and

describing the relationships developed there.

This is a strong program coming from a church our size aimed at making a difference for Christian fel-

lows, and this $25,000 project has been made possible by generous gifts and ambitious fundraisers.

We have a wonderful way of reaching out with our many Mission gifts while taking care of necessities

of the home base. A refrigerator that went out and another generous gift made possible a new shining

replacement.

The deficits, shown below, were budgeted to be covered by funds from the generous bequest of the

Newby Estate. I’m happy to report we are nearly on track with that plan.

Seeing a vital need in our neighborhood, Grace began the development of what is proudly now our multi-cul-

tural English/Hispanic congregation. As members of both services participate and give together, we will proba-

bly surprise ourselves just answering God’s call – “to be his hands and feet on earth.”

It seems special needs continue to develop. We are now faced with the need to fight thousands of tiny termites

by tenting the entire church facility. The estimated cost is $15,000 and much of this cost will be covered by

funds set aside for completed projects; ie: Room 11 remodel, Education wing roofing, and others as mentioned

in an earlier column. This will take place in the beginning of August. Your patience during the three day closing

and help with this non-budgeted project will be appreciated.

Finance Committee Repor t

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GRACE PRESS Creciendo Juntos

We had a wonderful end of the year celebration with our volunteers and

our students. We shared words of encouragement to our students on

the last day of tutoring. You could see their eyes light up as they heard from the

tutors that have loved and cared for them each week this past year. We had our

volunteer appreciation lunch at the Barrantes family home. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and thanks

for those who serve each week. Finally, thanks to a generous donation from one of our volunteers, we were

able to take our students on an end of the year field trip to The San Diego Safari Park. It was a wonderful day!

The students, a few parents, and our volunteers enjoyed exploring and learning together. Thanks again to

everyone who makes this program possible!

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JULY 2017

Continued on Page 6...

This first time whole church and community bilingual event was so much fun for all

involved! To quote a participant commenting on our group picture from the last

night, “What I love about this picture is that it is a perfect snapshot of the church; multi-

cultural, multilingual, multigenerational, being the hands and feet of Jesus.”

AMEN and Glory to God for that! Thank you so much to all of those involved in making

this possible!

Fami ly Base Camp

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GRACE PRESS

Costa R ica M iss ion Tr ip 2017

Pray for the Costa Rica Team as they are in Costa Rica serving the Lord, through the 10th of July.

Fami ly Base Camp Continued. . .

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JULY 2017Grandparents@PrayerGeneration G: Leaving a Spiritual Legacy

(or Hot Topics on Grandparenting)

-by Gramma Pat Whisler

I couldn’t help but think of Grandparents@Prayer when Pastor Tom spoke to us in worship about Intentional Discipleship: About how our life might be different if we are intentional with our relationship to God. About how the awesomeness in fear of the Lord leads to wisdom. That is wisdom granted to us God-fearing grandmas and grandpas for our grandchildren to follow. That path however must be forged intentionally… Just like our relationship to our Lord.

God’s Word: Nana and Pappap, by being faithful you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path and then you can show these paths to your grandchildren. Based on Proverbs 2:8-9

This month’s GP Hot Topic: I N T E N T I O N A L G R A N D P A R E N T I N G

Courageous grandparents are intentional about things that are important because they are things

that make up our legacy.. . What can be more important in that legacy than how we represent

Christ and His Gospel to the next generation?.. . How intentional are we about the legacy of faith

and truth we are planting for them?... God bless you and give you the courage to l ive with inten-

tionality for the sake of the hearts, minds and souls of your grandchildren and their chi ldren after

them. -Lillian Penner, Grandparents@Prayer director

Taking Action: How to be an intentional grandparent• Tell your story – let your family know how you came to know the Lord. Your stag-

es, your struggles, your moments of wisdom. What has led you to the faith you hold today?

• Build memories – Do specific things that will remind them of you and God. Say “God and I love you” before hanging up the phone. Read them a bible story and put them in the story too. Play church. Pray with them and for them. Listen to their prayers. Let them bless the food. Do something that connects God, your grandchildren and you. Turn it into a tradition.

• Be a positive person. Even when complaining, say it in a way that if your grand-child repeats it later (and he/she will) it will make God smile.

• Make them feel good about themselves… even when they misbehave. “God and I love you but not what you’re doing.”

• Talk about God. Make him part of your regular conversation with your grandchildren.• Read the bible to/with them. Or talk about a particular verse you like. Tell them why it’s your favorite. Tell them

what it can mean to them.

Immediate Action: Close your eyes and offer a prayer to our Lord to put a hedge of protection around your grandchildren.

A thought: My young grandson called the other day to wish me a Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was. I said 62. My grandson was quiet for a moment and then asked, “Did you start at 1?” —from Cece Oliver, a godly grandmotherly friend.

Join our Grandparents@Prayer meeting on July 30 in room 10 a half hour before the traditional service begins.

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GRACE PRESS M iss ions : Ross & Mar y Hunter

Do you see the unseen?

When I look at the indigenous Quichua, I often wonder, “what do they see?”

Concepts of truth, justice, poverty and suffering are different here.... “Do I see what they

see?”

If we are not careful we can import a western gospel....”Of course they see what I see!”

Yet... if the power of God is placed in the broken.... Perhaps it is better to first sit with the

hurting and be present with them in their world.... For when we turn to the Lord in the

midst of our afflictions, we find an eternal weight of glory! “Do you see the unseen?”

Click link to see blogpost http://evmissiontalk.blogspot.com/2017/01/do-you-see-unseen-importance-of-

knowing.html

When Helping Helps through Deep Discipleship in Earthquake Recovery and Repair - Pederanles!

Praise God that a year after the earthquake, roughly 60% of the city has recovered! The Quichua church, Mon-

te Sinai, is one of three project sites we are working with in our Earthquake Response Project with Pioneers.

See Blogpost for update http://evmissiontalk.blogspot.com/2017/05/when-helping-helps-physical-and.html

In Cojimies, earthquake damage revealed the foundation of the church had been compromised, not only from

the quake, but by long term erosion. Praise God that a new building has been built through the joint efforts of

many Quichua believers in Ecuador and Quichua believers in the United States, as well as through the sacrifi-

cial giving and support of many of you who have supported our project through Pioneers.

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JULY 2017M iss ions : Ross & Mar y Hunter Cont .

The quake also shook the foundations of their faith, and revealed a long term “spiritual erosion” in their

hearts. Above, Ross teaches from Answers in Genesis on how to approach science from a Biblical worldview

with an indigenous twist! Praise God for the new church building, and a renewed thirst for a solid foundation

from God’s Word!

Chamanga Church Rebuild

* Land Purchase: 15 X 50 meters. (paperwork still in process)

* Church construction projected at 10 X 20 meters

* Project video link from our website (Sept 2016) https://www.evministry.org/earthquake

(Due to problems with the land title the project was extended into 2017)

Ross and Saul, the church leader in Chamanga, walk

through the landowners’ shrimp farm to meet with her

and encourage her to finish processing the land title for

their purchase back in Sept 2016! Praise God that two

weeks after our visit, the title was released by the coun-

ty seat. However, because the land was purchased by

multiple church members looking to re-settle around the

church, there is a second round of paperwork as the land

is subdivided into smaller lots. Pray now for new hurdles

in the subdivision process as well as the need for the church to register with the government for the title to

be given in the name of the church.

Please pray for our two special trips to the US as part of our 2017 Home Ministry Assignment (HMA). Each

trip will emphasize immediate needs and opportunities that will make a valuable impact to our ministry.

• June - focus on resources for national workers and Earthquake Project construction / repair phase.

*Mary arrived in Ohio on May 18 to prepare for the first leg of our Home Ministry Assignment.

• *I will arrive in Ohio on June 8th. In the meantime I have the privilege of hosting Tom Loyola, a

pastor from the Evangelical Free Church of Clinton IA, June 1-7.

• Please pray for safety and health as Tom and I visit remote Quichua churches in the Chimborazo

Province.

• Please pray the indigenous pastors and leaders will be encouraged and benefit from our teaching.

• Sept - October - Focus on recruiting North American couple (&/or single) to join our ministry team.

Please pray God will guide us to the connections he wants us to make that will strengthen our prayer and

ministry base.

Our warm and sincere THANKS to you for your prayer and/or financial support of our ministry. Thanks to you

who have dropped us notes of encouragement. Together we are part of the body of Christ, ministering to

other parts of His body, the Quichua in Ecuador.

Ross &/for Mary.

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GRACE PRESS

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23 24 25 26 27 28 29

12pm Telecare

If you have a birthday or anniversary in July and your name does not appear above, please contact the church office at 760-724-0077 to update our records. Thank you!

10:30am PWC Luncheon

6am Spanish Men’s Breakfast

SUN MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT

Congregational Mtg.

between Services

9am PWC Coord. 10am E & L

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

S U N D AY S9 & 10:30am: Worship Services 9 & 10:30am: Adult Studies10:30am: Spanish Service10:30am: Children’s Sunday School

M O N D AY S7pm: AA meeting

T U E S D AY S5:15pm: Soup Kitchen7pm: Men’s Bible Study (no 7/4)

W E D N E S D AY S9:30am: Staff Meeting1pm: Knitting Ladies

T H U R S D AY S10am: Bible Study6:30pm: Spanish Bible Study

FRIDAYS

10am E & L

6:30pm Spanish Leader Mtg.

9:30am PEO

12:30pm Finance Committee

11:30am Comm. Fellowship

8:30am Grand.@Prayer10am Comb. Worship 11:30am Comm. Fell.

30 31

9:30am PEO

OFFICE CLOSED

C o s t a R i c a M i s s i o n T r i p

F o r e s t H o m e

4 Tom & Sherry Straeter (30 years)

5 John & Michele Earnest (37 years)

11 Dick & Judy Woolsey (58 years)

12 Mrs. & Mr. Milka Romero (24 years)

13 Rick & Heidi Woolsey (26 years)

16 Jayne & Larry Parker (40 years)

24 William & Sylvia Dyer (33 years)

27 Will & Jackie Bynagte (43 years)

30 Ed & Jan Simpson (34 years)

31 Russ & Pat Whisler

1 Mary Becerra

2 Dorothy Willey

3 Dorothy Grigg

4 Lucy Dickson

Kim Robison

Jacques Weintre

6 Caralei Elliott

10 Douglas Barrie

11 Richard Yates

15 Lisa Mortimer

16 Chuck Enger

Julissa Romero

18 Ilse VanVianen

20 Elizabeth Johnson

28 Judy Black

29 Becca Allen

Larry Parker

Rose-Marie Wright

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JULY 2017

Alice Nolf

Andrea Stamm

Betty Haver

Bill Greenway

Black Family

Bob Wilson

Carol Lewis

Cathy Medlyn

Colbie Kelley

Charlotte Damon

Debbie Barrie

Denise Stockman

Dickson Family

Dodie Bumgardner

Dorothy Willy

Ed Neuman

Edna Murray

Elizabeth Johnson

Erin Eldridge

Fanny Aliaga

Grigorii Kirillov

Letty Calhoun

Marilyn Lee

Maxine Fox

Neil Kirkland

Pauline Whiting

Phil Damon

Rich Yates

Rita Sinatra

Shane Ogard

Shirley Robertson

Taryn Johnson

Terry-Jeanne Sawyer

Trisha Roast-Sinatra

William Story

Yvonne Jones

PLEASE PRAY FOR:

Punch/Coffee Flowers

July 2 Deacons Mary Becerra

July 9 Deacons Helen Frederick

July 16 Deacons Jayne Parker

July 23 Deacons Available

July 30 Deacons William & Sylvia Dyer

Punch/Coffee Ser vice and Flowers for July

C o s t a R i c a M i s s i o n T r i p

Church Staf f

G R A C E P R E S B Y T E R I A NC H U R C H

1450 E. Vista WayVista, CA 92084

Phone: 760-724-0077Fax: 760-724-2534

E-mail: [email protected]

Address Service Requested

W H E R E G O D ’ S F A M I L Y G R O W S

facebook.com/GPCVista

Pastor/Head of Staff Rev. Tom Straeter

Associate Pastor of Hispanic Ministries Rev. Eliecer Barrantes

Bridge Ministries Director Felipe Huguet

Children’s Ministries Director Abby Barrantes

Office Administrator Christie Elliott

Secretary/Receptionist Balinda Dickson

Bookkeeper Albina Lumetta

Chancel Choir Director Jayne Parker

Organist Frances Hummel

Hand Bell Choir Director Pat Sexton

Facilities Jim Aliaga

GRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IS A CONFESSING CHURCH, and we believe:

That Jesus Christ alone is Lord of all and the way of salvation.

That Holy Scripture is the triune God’s revealed Word, the Church’s only infallible rule of faith and life.

That God’s people are called to holiness in all aspects of life.