Back in the Stone Age, when I was a kid, there was no Internet. You couldn’t stream a TV show anytime you wanted. Instead, a show would run an episode on a certain day at a certain time. If you missed it, you’d have to wait for summer reruns. And you only had three channels to choose from (four if you had PBS).

New seasons and new shows all started in the fall. So, the TV channels would often have a big reveal TV special to roll out their fall lineup. That way, viewers would know when and on what night their favorite shows would be running. It was also a way to entice people to consider new shows.

So, consider this post as a kind of GCC Fall Lineup. It will let you know what events and activities are coming up in the next couple of months, so you can plan accordingly. So here we go!

Every Sunday at 9:30 am - Corporate Worship.  The most important part of our schedule is our weekly gathering. This Sunday, we will pick up in chapter 3 of the Gospel of Luke. Of everything in this lineup, this is the one I encourage you to make the highest priority.

August 27th - Congregational Meeting and Ice Cream Social. We will have a brief meeting after morning worship for the purpose of holding an election to approve Mike Sanda as a deacon. Then, at 5 pm, come on back to enjoy some ice cream as we fellowship together and pray for our students and teachers as the new school year begins.

September 10th - Some classics ramp up this day as our Sunday School classes resume as well as Crossroads for our youth on Sunday afternoons at 4. We will also be spotlighting our small group ministries. I will also be starting a communicants class for children who may be ready to make a profession of faith and join the church as communing members. It is three-week mini-series, if you will, which covers the gospel, the means of grace, and the meaning of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

September 17th - A special treat as one of Don Ward’s pastor friends from Malawi will be preaching during the worship service as well as sharing about his ministry during Adult Sunday School

September 30th – Women’s event. Ladies are invited to gather at the church for fellowship, mutual encouragement, and an activity. The focus will be on scripture memorization. Stay tuned for more details.

October 8th - This is our annual picnic. Come and worship together and then stay for lunch and fellowship. Bounce houses for the kids as well as cornhole and volleyball for all. One of the best days of the year in my opinion.

October 22nd - Missions Sunday. Mark this date on your calendar. On this Sunday, we will be setting our focus on the grand reality that our God is at work “Across the Street, Across the World”. A number of our missionaries will be here on this day. Dan Iverson (MTW Japan) will be preaching and our other missionaries will be speaking during Sunday School, including in our children and youth classes. There will be a catered lunch so that we can spend time getting to know and learn about our mission partners. Again, mark this day on your calendars.

Saints, this is a taste of what’s ahead. So, I ask you to do three things.  

• Plan. Again, get these dates on your calendar. We will be reminding you of these events in our announcements, on our Facebook page, and our weekly newsletter (contact the office if you want to be put on the list). However, even with all the reminders we give, the best way to remind yourself is to write it down wherever your schedule is (refrigerator, online calendar, etc.)
• Participate. These events help us grow in relationship to God and with each other. We are called to live in community and these events help to facilitate that. This is especially important given that we are geographically scattered during the week.
• Pray. Pray that the Lord would bless our times together. Particularly pray for our Missions Sunday, that the Lord would grant us individually and as a church, a vision for participating in the Great Commission of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.