GRACE GOSPEL To be known as a people...who LOVE their God...who SERVE their community...who GROW in their relationship with Jesus Christ Our Values We believe that how we pursue our mission is as important as the mission itself; and so, in prayerful dependaence on God, we value... GOD FIRST: We live in response to God s transforming love, entrusting ourselves, our marriages, families, talents, time, finances and plans to His control. TRUTH: We trust in God s word, the Bible, as the final authority on all matters of faith and morality, speaking with relevance to all life issues. PEOPLE: We share the good news of hope in Jesus Christ and other because all people matter to God and to us. COMMUNITY: We practise grace, forgiveness and respect, sharing a commonunity of the Holy Spirit. By serving others in our family, church, city and world, helping them encounter Christ s love and salvation, we seek to draw people into God s family. GROWING: We journey together as disciples of Jesus Christ, learning, training and empowering others to passionately serve God in ways they are shaped by the Holy Spirit, growing in obedience to God, in size as a congregation, and in impact on our city for the glory of God. OUR FUTURE: We promote a faith-filled excitement about what God is doing in and through our church, transforming individuals and families, and preparing the next generation to take ownership and leadership of ministry to ensure its vitality and growth.
Dear Grace Family, A Word from Pastor Martin Goode God is faithful, unchanging,...but He is always doing new things. For over 75 years God has richly blessed us. Faithful men and women have been used of God to establish a strong ministry in our city, bringing the life changing message of Jesus Christ to people. 70 years ago our first ministry center was built on Simcoe Street. Our current facilities were built in 1959, then added to in 1969 to expand ministry to children and families. These projects required great vision and hope, and great faith and financial commitment. Now, we believe He wants to grow Grace to reach more people and expand our ministry for future families in our city. Building on our existing strong core of ministries, we want to see everything we do flourish in renewed and expanded facilities, made possible through this IMAGINE Campaign. This is not a bricks & mortar campaign, but rather one that is all about the people and ministry space needed to help people grow in a meaningful relationship with God and each other here in Niagara Falls. For many years we have made accessibility limited and awkward, we have squeezed through our foyers, we have needed space in Children s Ministry; we ve limited our library resources and maxed out our kitchen...and we now believe it is time to take this big step to take care of these and other facility issues. Ministry is our priority, and ministry is about people: but we need ministry space to do that. We believe God wants to grow Grace more than we can imagine... Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us... Ephesians 3:20 We will have to trust God--personally and collectively--for resources we do not have right now. IMAGINE is about asking God to help us, guide us, and provide for the needs of our ministry so that we can continue to fulfill the mission He has given us to reach this community. Imagine what God can do if we sacrifice together. Imagine what He will do in each of our lives in the process. And pray that God will grow Grace in surprising ways and for His glory......to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:21 Because of Grace, Martin Goode Senior Pastor
Celebrating Our Past... Our Story Over 75 years ago, a number of people had a vision. They believed God for a church that did not yet exist, and shared a dream to uphold the Word of God and the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ. Moved by the Holy Spirit, they began Grace Gospel Church. 70 years ago our first ministry center was built on Simcoe Street, and then our current sanctuary and ministry site was built in 1959, adding on a gym and meeting space in 1969 to expand ministry to children and families.
These projects came about as Grace families saw what God was doing, and they trusted God to grow Grace in even greater ways than they had seen. These projects require great vision and hope, as well as great faith in God as they made financial commitments to see it happen. We stand in that place again. Almost 45 years later we believe God wants to grow Grace to reach more people, and to expand our ministry space to better serve the needs of more families in our city.
Our Ministries Children & Family Ministries: There is always something exciting happening here for kids! Our mid-weekly Power Connection program as well as large annual events like our Noah s Ark Party, March Break Madness, VBS, and summer KIDMO engage church kids and many children from the community with the stories and truths of the Bible. Babies and toddlers are cared for on Sunday while age 2 to Grade 5 have fun, age-appropriate learning. Our Faith at Home sessions provide support to the parents, who will have the greatest impact on the spiritual development of their children. Youth Ministries: Our junior high and senior high students call the youth ministry the Underground. Weekly at the Underground we want to see students encounter Christ, and to grow in their relationship with Him. Through fun, interactive activities and media, teaching that is Bible-based, and sharing with each other through small groups, Underground is designed to encourage youth in a safe environment. Sunday morning discipleship classes and leadership & service opportunities give many of our youth a place to learn, grow and work with adult leaders while learning Bible truths and applying it to their lives. Grace Growth Groups: Life Groups, Target Groups and Support Groups are core to our church s adult discipleship ministries. Over half of Grace adults of all ages are part of Life Groups each year, designed to help followers of Christ dig deeper into God s Word, pray together, and encourage one another in living out our faith. Target Group seminars on various topics are scheduled to enhance our teaching ministry. Support groups such as DivorceCare and DC4K, and our Moms Time Out enable our church to minister to a variety of people in our community who appreciate the care and fellowship they find at Grace.
Grace Missions: We actively support an ongoing Missionary program through prayer and through regular financial investment. Missions giving comprises about 20% of the church s annual giving in support of our missionary families as well as the work of global missions. Beyond these, we engage in local ministry to students in a local public school each week, provide care, outreach and Bible study to seniors in several nursing homes, and partner with other community outreaches and agencies, serving our community with Christ s love. Seniors at Grace: A very active schedule engages seniors in weekly fellowship. Seniors are active in Sr. Men s Fellowship, monthly lunch programs through Overcomers, weekly Hymn-Sing fellowship, senior home ministry, visitation and care. While seniors remain active in many of the ministries at Grace, their wisdom, support, prayer and faithfulness is valued at every level of our church programming. And Much More: Our weekly Sunday services are led by vocal, instrumental and technical teams who blend worship styles to engage the whole church family in worship together, and extend our ministry through our church website. Hospitality teams, Library team, various committees and project teams function under the oversight of our Elders, Deacons and ministry staff to serve the needs of the church family, and to accomplish the mission before us: Loving God, serving our community, and growing healthy Christian disciples. We imagine room to grow! In 1997 I was invited by a co-worker to attend a ladies bible study led by Debra Teakle which took place in Pastor Dave s office, next to the gym. As the group increased in size, we moved to the lower level not once but twice, each time to bigger rooms. God was growing Grace. I was hungry for The Word and enjoyed learning week after week. After a number of years I felt God leading me to facilitate a group. Marj Andres and I started leading a wonderful group of ladies and the number of participants continues to increase each year. God is growing Grace. Our group loves digging into The Word, we love being connected to each other, supporting each other and we know the importance of staying connected to Jesus through The Word. Cathy Bruno
Imagine the Impact we imagine planning with vision The part of this whole Building project that excites me the most is that we have a long term plan, a focused plan and vision to work towards. Whether done in a year or ten, we know what we are aiming for. This is so refreshing and gives repair and maintenance a direction. Ian LeSurf God has helped us; in spite of often limited space and facility issues, we continue to use these facilities to the max! But this Imagine campaign is about removing those obstacles to ministry within our own building. just imagine: full accessibility - Three handicap washrooms over two levels - Ground level Sanctuary access - Relief of congestion in access points - Removing barriers for our Church family and community just imagine: larger Children s area - expanded lower levels - expanded nursery, toddler space and multi-use rooms just imagine: expanded common areas - Two new enlarged entrances with access to new library, offices and washrooms - providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere for visitors and regular attendees
just imagine: a more efficient Kitchen - a fully renovated, modernized and expanded kitchen - serving a variety of fellowship and outreach functions - new storage area for supplies and disposables just imagine: an expanded Sanctuary - seating for 350 people for worship and special events - allowing us to continue to reach out and serve our community just imagine: a new library - comfortable seating and natural lighting - books, resources and a visitor welcome center - central gathering place for coffee and fellowship just imagine: Impacting lives - our current development is about impacting more families in our community - serving others in our family, church, and Niagara Falls we imagine...meeting our Spiritual needs This is MY church. It has been for the last 34 years. Why? Because Grace is a church that has a well-rounded program for all ages from the youngest to the oldest. As a senior it meets my spiritual needs as well as the need for fellowship. The program for senior men is outstanding in the way it attracts men from the Christian community to have fellowship with us. Grace is a growing church. Our facilities are becoming inadequate for our leaders to operate as efficiently as they would like. As our congregation grows, it is evident that we must enlarge our church building. My prayer is that we will seek God s guidance and blessing in building and in supplying the funds to enlarge MY church to better serve Niagara Falls for God s honor and glory. Cliff House
Imagine...God growing our ministry to those who require...accessibility...a new foyer with street level access, as well as an elevator in a new expanded entry from the parking area. Larger vestibules in the central area of the building will house handicap accessible washrooms, wider doorways, and a corridor around the sanctuary. Imagine...God growing our fellowship and care...foyer and seating...larger breakout spaces where we can do more than rush in and rush out; increasing our capacity for worship attendance, and providing more space to nurture friendships and to promote the many good things God does in our church.. 1 A.3 MAIN FLOOR PLAN SCALE : 1/8"=1'-0"
Imagine God growing our family ministries...more multi-use rooms...to better support parents in the spiritual nurture of children through increased and updated nursery and toddler space, and more multi-use Sunday School and meeting rooms. Imagine God growing our hospitality ministry...kitchen...to better serve the diverse and growing food-service needs within our varied ministries through an up-to-date, flexible kitchen space with new storage for supplies.
Let s go The time is now. We want to increase our Impact as a church that is seeking to follow God s direction by Helping people grow in a meaningful relationship with God and each other. It will take all of us. This is the biggest financial challenge we have ever faced! Raising $2.5 million over two or more phases will require sacrifice from all of us. The cost is too great for only a few to carry. Together, we can make it happen. What can I do? Equal Sacrifice, Not Equal Gifts is what it will require. We cannot all give the same amount, but we can all sacrifice in some way.to sacrifice is to willingly give up what we value in order to give to a greater purpose. We need to prayerfully commit to give what God impresses on our hearts, not out of a spirit of guilt or coercion, but out of a genuine desire to please Him. God is pleased when we give by faith. Giving by faith means giving an amount that relies on God s help to fulfill. It s saying I can t wait to see how God miraculously provides what I ve committed to give to Him in faith! instead of How can I afford this? we imagine Sharing the Good News I have been a member of Grace Gospel for about 37 years and have come to consider Grace my home for Christian fellowship. One thing that I was looking for in a church was an active children and youth ministry and a worship ministry. Grace has supplied all these needs and more. When you come into a church as a new participant you need to become a part of a small group so you can learn more and develop relationships. Our building needs to grow as we are growing to fit the needs of a growing family, from infants, toddlers, children, youth, adults, seniors, and special needs. The new expansion will cover all of these groups. Our growth is not for our own pride but to share the GOOD NEWS with our neighbors, friends, and family. This is all for God s glory. Marg Beckett This is your opportunity. To do something significant that will outlast your lifetime To leave a legacy to future generations To make a permanent difference with your money When we invest in God s work, we are investing for eternity.
we imagine...next generation impact It is a joy for me to be a part of and to serve with such a loving and supportive church family. It is a blessing to see the enthusiasm that our children have when it comes to spiritual matters. Through regular weekly ministries as well asour large, high energy outreaches, we have the opportunity to pour into the lives of our next generation and to help them develop and grow within their spiritual walk. I am also thrilled to see our junior youth having opportunities to develop their leadership skills as they serve our God and share His love with others. The way our church supports and reaches the entire family is very unique and something my young family cherishes. As our church expands its building, being able to increase the number of people we are able to reach and serve, this will help us to continue to effectively minster to our growing church family for future generations. Michelle Miller What s My Part? How do I decide what my gift should be? Begin Praying about it. Lord I want to give sacrifically in a way that stretches my faith. Please show me how. Consider giving by revelation rather than reason. Giving by reason involves calculating an amount based on what I know I have. Giving by revelation means the amount of the gift is determined by prayer. Lord, what do you want to give through me? This kind of giving requires us to stretch our faith and to rely on God to provide. Be patient. After we have made our request known to God, allow Him to show us what and how to give. Discuss it with your family. Ask family members to suggest creative ideas. Be sure to involve children; this is a great opportunity to teach generosity and faith.
Planting the Seeds to Reach Your Commitment Consistant Giving Makes all the Difference Weekly Monthly 3 Year Total $250 $1,083.33 $39,000 $200 $866.67 $31,200 $150 $650.00 $23,400 $100 $433.33 $15,600 $75 $325.00 $11,700 $50 $216.67 $7,800 $35 $151.67 $5,460 $25 $108.33 $3,900 $15 $65.00 $2,340 $10 $43.33 $1,560 $5 $21.66 $780 How important is my gift? Through faith, each contribution, whether large or small, becomes a significant part of the God Growing Grace campaign. Every gift counts! How do I give? 1. Cash Gift 2. Commitment over three years (weekly, monthly, annually) 3. Other: donating stocks, securities or other assets When do I give? Commitment cards (see sample at right) will be distributed and collected between October 29th and November 11th.
just imagine: God Growing Grace Imagine Steering Committee For 37 years my family and I have attended Grace Gospel Church. For the last 35 years I have been blessed with the privilege to serve my Lord by teaching His Word. Also, I have served for many years as a Deacon and Elder and now as a Trustee. During this time I have always been thankful for those men and women who went ahead of us and through sacrifice, built the church which we all enjoy. Now it is our turn. I believe God is leading us to improve these facilities in order that we can not only continue our present ministry but to improve it and increase it. We can do this by reaching out to our community with love, service and helping God s children grow in their knowledge and walk with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Be in much prayer as we move forward. Murray Johnston, Chairman, Building & Development Committee Dates to Remember 2012 October 1st to 21st Information Sessions October 27th, 2012 All-Church Celebration Event October 29th to November 11th Commitment Card and Response Period November 25th Announce Campaign Total
Grace Gospel Church 5855 Valley Way Niagara Falls, ON L2E 1X9 Phone: 905-354-2811 Email: imagine@graceniagara.ca www.graceniagara.ca