Grace Abounding

Starting Sunday, January 29, 2012, an Adult Bible Class will be held on Sundays from 9:25 AM –10:10 AM at Grace Church of Alexandria, prior to the 10:30 AM worship service. This year’s theme is “Christian Beliefs: 20 Life Transforming Truths.” Yes, for you folks who are sleepy on Sundays at that time, coffee will be served.

The new Sunday schedule at Grace Church of Alexandria:

• 9:25 AM – Adult Bible Class (childcare isn’t provided at this time)
• 10:30 AM – Corporate Worship Service (childcare is provided)

Grace Church of Alexandria is hosting a seminar on Parenting With Faith and Wisdom on Saturday, February 4 from 9:30 am–3:30 pm, which you can register for here. The speaker is Rodney Pearce, father of four and Pastor of Families at Calvary Bible Church in York, PA. Everyone who attends Grace Church is welcome to come, and anyone from the community too. Please invite friends from the community to attend with you!

Parenting With Faith & Wisdom
When: February 4, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
(if you can’t make the whole seminar, sign up and note what part you can attend.)
Where: at Franconia Baptist Church, 5912 Franconia Road, Alexandria 22310
Who: For parents, aspiring parents, GraceKids workers, and anyone wanting to learn about helping children treasure God
Kids: Childcare provided by screened childcare workers
Book Table: GraceBooks will have a selection of parenting books and kids books available at the seminar by donation.
Free Gift! Every couple/individual will receive a free book from the GraceBooks Table
Lunch: Catered by Panera Bread (parents, please bring lunch for your child)
Cost: $9 per adult / $18 per couple

REGISTER HERE Please register by Sunday, January 29th.

Pastor Rodney Pearce and his family

 Topics for discussion include:

• The Source of Parenting Wisdom and the Goal of Parenting
• Getting to The Heart of Behavior
• Temperament and Development
• Salvation, Faith and Repentance, and Discipline
• Roles in Parenting
• A Smorgasbord for Further Reflection

Winter Sermon Series
This winter our theme for Sunday sermons at Grace Church of Alexandria is The Psalms: Where Truth and Beauty Meet. Our pastors are preaching a series of expository sermons that focus on the psalms. Take a look at the invite poster below:

Series Goals
Here are several goals we have for this series of sermons–

• Familiarizing you with the book of Psalms so you can study it on your own;
• Show how many of the psalms point to the person and work of Christ;
• Equipping you to get the most out of from the different kinds of psalms (thanksgiving psalms, ascent psalms, imprecatory psalms, wisdom psalms, psalms of repentance);
• Help you incorporate the psalms into your prayer life so you pray the psalms;
• Guide you to encouragement and hope in God from the psalms.

Hey, folks! Grace Church of Alexandria‘s Christmas service will be at a different time and location on Sunday, December 25. We’ll meet for worship at 11:00 AM at a church members’ home in Alexandria. For the address, please contact GCA here, or call 703.639.4077 and choose extension 500.

Christmas-themed snacks and beverages will be served, and we’ll meet from 11 am to 12 pm, no childcare provided this time. Park at the Huntington Metro station parking garage and walk across the street to our meeting place. Why the location change? Our location is different on December 25 because the public school where we normally meet is not open on Christmas Day.

Sunday Worship on December 25

Time: 11:00 am –12:00 pm
Location: Huntington neighborhood of Alexandria.
Contact GCA here for the address.
Parking: Park at the Huntington Metro Station garage.
Childcare: none

This past Sunday, November 6, 2011, marked the fourth anniversary of our church’s founding. In our four years, by God’s gracious hand, we’ve seen sinners converted, believers repentant over their sin, Christians taking the next step in maturity, and members serving and loving one another in amazing ways. And so we give thanks to our gracious God for establishing our church and gathering worshipers for his name here in Alexandria, Virginia.

Enjoy this visual history of Grace Church of Alexandria that was shown during the celebration service last Sunday. You can also read about our church’s story here.

The Story of Grace Church of Alexandria

This weekend marks the third visit made by leaders from our sending church to us as a church plant. For three days, Pastor of Community Will Arndt and Deacon William Jana are meeting with me and our elders and deacons for prayer, assessment, idea-sharing, and to serve as a sounding board. And on Sunday, I’m delighted that Will will be delivering the sermon on the Sunday that marks the fourth anniversary of Grace Church of Alexandria’s very first meeting.

I’m amazed how much Heritage Bible Church continually invests in us as a daughter church. You’d think after four years of faithfully getting behind our efforts of establishing a local church that Heritage would concentrate their work elsewhere. Yet this is the 3rd visit by their officers this year to shore up our leadership and help us wisely lead the church. Heritage has continually supported us with finances, by sending new team members to Alexandria every year since 2005, and by listening and advising all along the way.

Aspiring church planters, one the most important ingredients for a thriving church plant is a sending church that is thoroughly committed to preparing, equipping, and encouraging your church plant from start to finish. We have been blessed with the best sending church I can imagine. Paul’s expression of thanks in Philippians 1:3–5 is an appropriate expression of thanks from Grace Church to Heritage:

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

Here’s my blog post about the 2nd visit from Heritage leaders to our church in June 2011.

This Sunday, November 6, stick around after the service for a free fellowship lunch!

In honor of Grace Church’s four year anniversary, the service will end a bit early so we can enjoy fellowship together over pizza, chips, and dessert. Lunch is free and is provided by our sponsoring church, Heritage Bible Church, in honor of Grace Church being planted four years ago this weekend. In addition, this coming Sunday Heritage’s Pastor of Community, Will Arndt, will be preaching to us from the Scriptures.

Join us for a special baptism service this Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm. We’ll meet at Franconia Baptist Church, 5912 Franconia Road, Alexandria 22310, for songs, Scripture readings, testimonies, and a baptism.

So, looking for a place to go after our morning service, while you wait for the baptism service? Come to either of these restaurants where Grace Church attenders will be having lunch:

• East Moon Asian Bistro in Kingstowne
• Fuddruckers on Duke Street

Enjoy these photos of our last baptism service, which was outdoor in a hot tub.

Join us this Sunday, October 23, as we observe the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Our Sunday service at Grace Church of Alexandria will feature Scripture, prayers, a video, resources, and a sermon from Hebrews 13:3 to highlight the needs of oppressed Christians throughout the world and how we can serve them.

You may notice we’re observing this important day on October 23 instead of November 13, as the poster suggests. Since a special speaker is already lined up for that Sunday in November at Grace Church, this coming Sunday we’re taking the whole service to draw attention to the persecuted church.

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church from Christian Freedom International on Vimeo.

Also, here’s a recent blog post I wrote on how to pray for the persecuted church.

Our friends at Alexandria Presybterian Church have invited our congregation and the community to a free sacred concert with Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace, musicians who put old forgotten hymns to new music.

• Who: Matthew Smith & Indelible Grace
• When: Tuesday, October 18, 7:30 pm
• Where: Alexandria Presybterian Church
  2405 Russell Road, Alexandria, VA
• Cost: free

Many of the hymns sung at Grace Church of Alexandria are written by Indelible Grace. The concert includes a full band, and the musicians invite the congregation to sing along. This concert is a great chance to lift up our voices in praise to God, singing hymns often sung at Grace Church.

In lieu of Wednesday Community Group on 10/19, all Grace Church attenders are invited to attend the concert instead. I hope to see you there. Invite friends with this Facebook event!