Ambassador
Newsletter - December 2024
“Pray also for me whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an AMBASSADOR…” Ephesians 6:19, 20
DECEMBER SERMON SCHEDULE - Pastor Erik Kling
December 1st
Genesis 34-35:15 The Incident with the Shechemites
December 8th
December 15th
December 22nd
December 29th
Sunday School Classes - 9:00am - 10:00am
Children (ages) Location Teacher
2-3 years old & Kindergarten PreK Rm 1 upstairs Mike W
1st, 2nd & 3rd grades Accordion door rm upstairs Frances K
4th, 5th & 6th grades SS rm by upstairs door Jody S
Youth Class – 7-12th Youth Room Cody E
Adult Classes
Soul Class Conference rm Gretchen H
Thessalonians 1 & 2 Prayer Room Upstairs Eric M
Revelations Library Bernie W
Truth Over Tribe Class Rm by Kitchen Erik, Chad, Frank
Pledging Allegiance to to the “Lamb not the donkey or the elephant”.
Prime Timers potluck luncheons right after morning service (noon) the first Sunday of each month in the youth room. All are welcome to join us in sharing good food and fellowship.
Come to the Table gathers every Sunday at 6:30pm for prayer, testimonies, and worship. Please come and join us in this special time!
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD - National Collection Week November 18-25
Have you packed your shoeboxes(s) yet?? Hurry, go shopping, start packing. Time is running out!!!
Only 18 days until people start dropping off shoeboxes at our doors!!!
How To Pack a Quality Shoebox
1. Shoebox: girl / boy
2. Fun: “wow” item
3. Full: pack toys, personal items, school supplies
4. Personalized: include a note / photo
5. PRAY: for child receiving your box
6. Donate $10 / shoebox: helps cover shipping, training & other costs.
Empty shoeboxes are available in the foyer
2023 Shoebox totals….
National totals: 11.3 million delivered.
North Central MN totals: 13,449 packed
Grand Rapids drop off totals: 2770 packed.
Grand Rapids Alliance Church: 609 packed
Will you help us surpass last year’s numbers???
Remember, shoebox gifts are an open door for evangelism, discipleship, multiplication.
We will pack the shoeboxes (dropped off by various churches & individuals) into cartons so they can continue their journey to children around the world.
If you are free and can help during the Collection Week, please sign up to help! Fellowship, food, fun.
Staying Connected
Wed Activities
Women’s Prayer Group 9:30a - Library
Bible Quizzing 3:00-5:30p
Soup Dinner 5:30p-6:00p – Fellowship Hall
Awana 6:00-7:30p
Youth Group 6:30p – 8:30p – Youth Room
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Bible Studies
Single Ladies Bible Study – Mon 10a-12p - conf rm. Pauline Wirtz
Alliance Young Adult Bible Study - Mon 7-9p – Youth Room
Women’s Bible Study - Tues 10-12p - Book of James. (Hill City – Barb Kempainen) 218-360-2061
Youth Bible Study – Tues - 7 – 8:30p – Youth Rm.
Soul Care Women’s Bible Study -Thurs 10-noon for 9 weeks. Contact Lynn Wilde
New Small Group: Faith Over Fear - Thurs 5:30p - 3rd Thurs ea month at Hager’s. Dinner and childcare provided. Sign up at Connection Center or text Mike at 303-895-9929.
Sunday School Classes @ 9:00am
Children _____________ Location Teacher
2-3 yr thru Kindergarten PreK rm 1 upstairs. Mike W
1st, 2nd, 3rd grades Accordion door rm upstairs Frances K
4th, 5th & 6th grades SS rm by upstairs door Jody S
Youth Class – 7-12th Youth Room Pastor Cody E
Adult Classes
Thessalonians 1 & 2 Prayer Room (upstairs) Eric M
Psalms Library Bernie W
Soul Care (8:45a) Conference Room Gretchen
Truth Over Tribe Class rm by Kitchen Erik K, Chad M, Frank L
Pledging Allegiance to the lamb not the donkey or the elephant.” book study. Led by Chad Martin, Pastor Erik and Frank Lobosco. In the Prayer Room. Sign up at the connection center for a book.
Mom’s Group. Join us for a fall bible study Mon 6-7:30p in the Fellowship Classroom. This study will be open to the community as we want to welcome new moms to our church community. Childcare will be provided if needed. Please sign up at the connection center contact Erika Menzel or Frances Kling.
2024 GRAC Directories are now available. Books are $20, insert pages $5. Sign up at the connection center.
Nursery Workers needed for Sunday morning services. IF you are interested in this ministry, please sign up at the connection center or talk to Naesa Myers for more information. Nursery is for infants up to 3 years old.
Coffee Servers needed - Sunday mornings. Don’t know how, no problem, Nancy Farris, Jody or Colleen Schussman will show you. Sign-up sheet at Connection Center.
Missions Committee Meeting – 6:30 pm – Tues,
Food Bank Second Harvest - Second Thurs each month - 9-11 am. Everyone invited to help in this ministry.
Diaconate Meeting - 3rd Thurs of every month
Kingdom Builders (MEN) - 1st Sat each month – BREAKFAST, Bible talk & prayer - 7:30am at Triumphant Life Church
MN Family Council - Save the date! Nov 4th 6p-8p @ Grand Rapids Alliance Church. Discussion: Biblical citizenship & Prayer for elections. You will want to join in on this time of fellowship before the actual elections so you can make Biblical choices. ELECTION DAY – Tues - Nov 5th
Honoring our VETERANS after – Sun Nov 10th service.
NEXT Conference – Nov 15th - 16th – Pray for our youth and leaders as they take this trip to Crown University.
Sun Nov 24th – 9a - 2:00p Youth Spaghetti Fundraiser LUNCH - Stay and enjoy good food & fellowship. Proceeds will go to the Impact Alliance Youth Group 2025 LIFE Conference.
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD – Nov 18 – No 25th “Collection Week” Contact Jocelyn Schimpp to sign up to help in sorting & packing boxes. Everyone is encouraged to help in this very important Children’s Ministry.
Tues Dec 3rd - 6-8p WOMEN’S CHRISTMAS GET TOGETHER - Food, Fellowship & Fun….. Bring a $10 gift & small appetizer or dessert to share. Naesa Myer’s home. Signup sheet at the Connection Center. Church Van will be available for those who need a ride.
Soul Care Sunday School Class - GR Alliance Church - Conference Room for 8 weeks
The class will be based on Rob Reimer’s book, “Soul Care”. We will discuss a chapter each week along with watching a video. Here are some points that will be covered:
We are broken – body, soul and spirit – and we need the healing touch of Jesus.
We get used to our garbage and after a while we can’t smell it anymore.
What are your root fears? God cannot cleanse that which we will not confess. Be set free from shame.
We need to pray through our negative emotions as they take our focus off Jesus
There are 3 core lies about our identity: Your value is dependent on whether certain people love or like you; on your performance; and on whether you are in control.
Whatever you agree with you give power to in your life and it will shape your life.
Pay attention to being defensive as it is from being insecure.
Overcome family sin patterns. Recognize the, admit them and BREAK THE CYCLE!
We are called to be passionate pursuers of Christ.
We usually seek God’s hands and not His intimacy. Seek His face!
The biggest problem with the church is that we are making it too much about us and not enough about Jesus.
Humble yourself if you want life change. Own 100% of your part.
Abide in the Lord. Then Jesus shows up and brings His power. Encounters bring transformation. God isn’t trying to fix us; He wants a relationship with us.
Choose forgiveness and offer it at the level of offense.
Only the light of God can purge, cleanse, heal, restore, and set you free.
Books will be available soon from Gretchen Hyink if you would like to start reading!
We will meet in the conference room
Mission Article for November 2024 Ambassador
Hello Church family,
We had visitors from a distant country this past summer, and I guess many of you were not aware. So let me relate a few things about one of our own, Jennifer Anne Haig Osoinach, who attended here at Grand Rapids Alliance a few years back. She and her husband Ben left for several years of schooling and work in Louisiana, and are raising three children: Tate, Mila and Cade.
This family now lives and works in a country in south Asia, where they are sharing the love of Jesus daily, crossing all the cultural, religious and racial boundaries you can imagine. It is a life they have chosen because of their passion for serving people and sharing the Good News!
In one note, Ben shares that the monsoon season is especially challenging, as the infrastructure in their local neighborhood is centuries old. “After a hard rain, the narrow alleys of our neighborhood transform into swiftly flowing canals snaking through apartment buildings and collecting in deep pools in low points. As often as not, intrepid drivers plunge into the flow without hesitation, fording the waters and sending pedestrians running for shelter from the wake. As the monsoon rains fall and cover the roads around us, we’re reminded of the faithful love our Father has poured into our lives, filling us to the brim and more.”
Having lived in their country for over two years, they are experiencing a few “firsts”. Mila convinced her parents to buy a sweet kitten they named Magnolia (Nola for short); a first broken bone—in fact both boy’s broke bones in their left arms a few weeks apart, which entailed a first hospital stay and first surgery. The kitten remains a great pet, and the bones are healing.
Ben and Jen and family continue to work on deepening their language skills. Becoming fluent in
language and culture is one of the best ways to build trust and communicate the Gospel. Exhausting as
it can be, operating in a second language bears’ good fruit: seeing people connect with them more
deeply, and understand the gospel message more clearly.
Jen continues to serve in a government orphanage, which began two years ago. She demonstrates
affection for every baby she meets, and has progressed from a newcomer to a familiar face and trusted
friend in their community. One special little girl there is named Glory, who arrived when she was just
two days old. Jen has visited her, held her, played with her, and sung songs to her for as long as Glory
can remember. Upon the Osoinach family’s return from the States in July, Jen hurried to the orphanage
to see Glory and the other babies. At first Glory withdrew, acting as if Jen were a stranger. Undeterred,
Jen sat on the floor near her, gently speaking to her, then singing some of her favorite songs. Slowly,
Glory began inching closer, not making eye contact yet, but put a foot in Jen’s lap, and then allowed Jen
to pick her up. Within minutes, Glory was asleep, safe in the arms of a friend.
Isn’t this a picture of the Father’s love for us and the work He has called us to do? He draws us gently,
patiently, pursuing us out of the depth of His kindness, leading us to repentance and a new life. As we
walk with Him, He calls us to look around and share His love with others.