July 2020

BEYOND NEWS

Here’s an update from our field worker from the Middle East II focus area. The location and the names are undisclosed for security purposes. Please pray for our workers in the Middle East to be protected from any harm and to be used by God to advance His kingdom.

I believe this year, God is teaching us to be ready for unexpected changes. In the spring, most of my scheduled work was cancelled due to the Coronavirus. It was disappointing because I am used to being busy and I enjoy it that way. Little did I know that God had plans to fill some of my free time. As a member of the Mercy Team I was presented with an opportunity to assist with providing care for people in the church and local community. I accepted the invitation to serve and it has been an unexpected blessing beyond belief. Primarily my responsibilities have been with the Beyond Local ministry and Care Team.

2020 Impact Trips // Ready to serve in 2021?

We are grateful to Grace members that applied for 2020 Impact Trips. The decision was made to cancel all trips. The safety of our partners and church members is a top priority. We have begun to plan and dream about 2021 Impact Trips. Would you join us in praying for God’s plan to be made clear and for God to prepare the hearts of our partners and church members that will take part in these experiences?

God gives all of us unique gifts, and these gifts can be used in amazing ways to further God’s Kingdom. Sherrill Kuc, an artist at Grace, recounts how God used her artistic gifts to serve our ESL students: “I had been sending daily devotionals since the Fall of 2019 to a few friends, which always included an illustration. And when I started the study for Psalm 23, my devotionals included a prayer about what I was learning from Him, and I would include a doodle or thumbnail or a snippet of an illustration I was preparing for Psalm 23. 

Good Neighbor Initiative

Invitation to Incarnational Ministry

The COVID-19 pandemic has both illuminated and increased the needs of many families in our community. For our vulnerable neighbors, sickness, unemployment, or a mixture of both has left them with immense financial need, food insecurity being a particularly troubling burden. As the Church, we are called to mirror the Good Samaritan, who was mirroring Jesus, in his “neighborliness” to the man beaten and left on the side of the road. Instead of leaving the vulnerable behind, Christ compels us to meet them where they are and treat them as beloved friends.

Book Recommendation

Carl Medearis is an international expert in Arab-American and Muslim-Christian relations. He acts as a catalyst for movements in the Middle East to promote peace-making and cultural, political and religious dialog for reconciliation. He works with leaders in the West and in the Arab world with the hope of seeing them experience full and fruitful relationships through the life and teachings of Jesus.

Carl is the author of multiple resources designed to help Christians talk about Jesus and relate to their Muslin neighbors including: Muslims, Christians, and Jesus: Gaining Understanding and Building Relationships.

Muslims, Christians, and Jesus is based on the author’s 25 years of first-hand experience. This engaging book reveals what Islam really teaches and how today’s Muslims live and think. With practical information and personal stories, Carl shows readers how they can build life-changing bridges between the world’s two largest religions.

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