Ambassador
July 2025
“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
Hello church Family, an update from our advisory team who met again on July 25th. Our Elder Board recognized the need to request District guidance and support in clarifying and carrying out God’s vision for our church and the greater Grand Rapids area. We are working on four areas - renewing our shared vision, creating healthy leadership structures, restoring relationships and supporting ongoing ministry. The Advisory Board welcomes questions and suggestions. We are committed to providing regular updates to the congregation in person, in the bulletin and the newsletter and via email. Please pray for clarity and wisdom for the team as we work to glorify God through the renewal of our church.”
Together in Christ,
Advisory Board
Jesus taught in Luke 6:45. “The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.
Hundreds of years before Jesus spoke of the heart, in Proverbs 4:23 we read “Guard over your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. The heart is powerful and telling.
ay our God who is rich in grace help us transform our tongues into His instruments of His grace.
Amen!
NEW MAILING ADDRESS
Grand Rapids Alliance Church
1705 SE 7th Avenue
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Prayer Chain – Grand Rapids Alliance Church
Melissa Monroe -------- 218-256-6498
Diane Major --------- 612-860-3806
Pastor Erik Kling-------- 218-256-5992
If you have a prayer request, please contact one of the above prayer team members and they will get the word out.
JUNE SERMON SCHEDULE
July 6th
· Malcum Walker Preaching
· Erik is at Life
July 13th
· Luke 12:1-21 Warnings and Encouragements
July 20th
· Luke 12:22-34 Do not Worry
July 27th
· Luke 12:35-13:8 Be Watchful of the TimeJune 1st
· Luke 9:51-10:23 The Cost of following Jesus
OPERATION CHIRSTMAS CHILD
Share the News!!!
We will have a full circle speaker from Venezuela at Grand Rapids Alliance on Saturday, October 11th at 1:00.
You may ask? What is a full circle speaker?
A full circle speaker is a person that received a shoebox and is now sharing how it changed their life. Dioany from Venezuela couldn’t believe she had a friend on the other side of the world with a BIG, BIG heart that would share a shoebox full of gifts for her.
More information coming later.
WATCH for Summer sales……
NO Children’s & Youth Sunday School Classes until fall
Children _____________ Location Teacher
Adult Classes
Women of the Bible Library Bernie W
Churches of Welcome Class rm by Kitchen Frank L & Pastor Erik
Global Refugee crisis – what is our responsibility to those who are displaced and have no home. What is a Biblically informed opinion concerning refugees and forced immigration.
Prime Timers Potluck Luncheon - after the church service. 1st Sun every month – everyone welcome. Good food & fellowship.
Come to the Table – Sun 6:30 – Fellowship, prayer & support!
Missions Report - Jim Marshall
This article is taken from the ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism) blog
Three Reasons to Keep Supporting Western Missionaries “From the West to the rest.” Once upon a time, this statement in some way accurately described the missionary movement. Not so long ago, biblical Protestantism was, to no small degree, a predominantly North American and European export.
Now, a different moniker might better describe the current state of Christendom: every nation a sending nation. As evangelicalism recedes in the West, it’s surging in the Global South. Nations like Brazil, South Korea, and India are sending out missionaries in numbers that dwarf those of the US, and, for the first time, the gravitational center of the world Christian movement is corkscrewing southeast. The Spirit of God is doing something new and historically
unprecedented. Questions thus arise: Why keep sending Western missionaries? Haven’t we got enough of our own problems? Shouldn’t we just support indigenous workers and leave the thriving Christian movements in South America, Africa, and Asia alone? To fully support an American missionary might easily cost well into the five- or six-digit range; compared to the brave national missionaries who venture by bicycle or foot dozens of miles weekly to preach the gospel—all
while living on mere dollars or even cents per day—it seems not only inefficient to support Western workers overseas but almost unethical.
These concerns are understandable. Financial bloat and robust mission, after all, pair together as well as oil and water. However, the underlying logic of these questions—particularly the financial concern—are skewed. We tend to prize thrift as the paramount virtue in foreign missions, yet Scripture reminds us that the worker must be thoroughly equipped (2 Timothy 2:15) and is worthy of his wages (Luke 10:7), especially if he labors in preaching and teaching (1 Timothy 5:17-18). Instead of asking how we can get the most “bang” for our missional bucks, we ought to ask how we can most generously lavish blessings on sacrificial, long-term cross- cultural workers. We “ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth” (3 John 8). This often means pursuing maximal (not minimal) preparation, support, and prayer. That aside, what other practical reasons might there be to continue sending Western missionaries, even when national missionaries might be able to do the work less expensively?
1. Planting the Gospel Where It Isn’t
When missions’ mobilizers, fundraisers, and national workers advocate the withdrawal of Western workers, they often embrace the subtle myth that every people group has national believers or near-neighbor believers capable of carrying on the work of evangelism. That simply isn’t the case. IMB statistics indicate some 3,152 unreached and unengaged people groups (UUPGs), meaning that there is no doctrinally sound evangelism or church planting happening among such peoples
at all. Indigenous missions depend upon the presence of national believers, but there are virtually no such believers among most UUPGs. Any ministry to UUPGs and groups like them will be of a pioneering nature. Unless missionaries enter in from a foreign context, UUPGs are unlikely to be reached at all. Someone must reach them, and it is foolish to eliminate Western workers from the mobilization equation.
2. Providing Theological Education
Another faulty assumption often imbibed by indigenous-missions-only advocates is that Western missionaries should seek to withdraw as soon as a remotely healthy baseline of believers or churches has been established. This is driven by a well-meaning desire to avoid dependence upon foreign missionaries or, worse, outright paternalism or colonialism. The “three self” principle also informs such concerns.
“Unless missionaries enter in from a foreign context, UUPGs are unlikely to be reached at all. Someone must reach them[.]” We must remember, however, that the Great Commission is not just an evangelistic mandate. Jesus instructs his people to disciple all nations, teaching them to observe all that he commanded (Matthew 28:19-20). This process begins with conversion but stops at nothing
short of all-of-life submission to the lordship of Christ. The effects of early withdrawal from an untrained, untaught body of new believers can be
frighteningly detrimental. In a panel during a major conference, one expert on theological education recounted the story of a pastor he met in South America asking, “Remind me when Jesus was born again—was it before or after his resurrection?” Similar accounts abound, reporting untrained pastors preaching on the contents of dreams and visions instead of Scripture, accepting as elders’ men practicing polygamy in tribal contexts, and more. While the church in the developing world has much to teach the West on the topics of materialism, boldness, and community, we in North America and Europe are undeniably
privileged with a plethora of theological resources that must not be kept to ourselves. Rather than leaving under-discipled converts vulnerable to damnable heresy, we, like the apostle, should be in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in them (cf. Galatians 4:19).
3. Seizing Upon the “Foreigner Effect”
The third myth subtly embraced by those advocating the withdrawal of Western workers is that nationals (or near neighbors) are always more effective than American, Canadian, or European missionaries. After all, national missionaries do not (generally) need to surmount obstacles in language, culture, standard of living, and understanding local worldviews. “[T]he Great Commission… begins with conversion but stops at nothing short of all-of-life submission to the lordship of Christ.” Any of us who have ministered in our own localities, however, know that sometimes nationals are uniquely disadvantaged. After all, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household” (Mark 6:4). Conversely, the “foreigner effect” occurs when a foreign missionary gains a hearing because of the sheer mystique of their presence. For a foreigner, “So, what religion are you?” can often become an acceptable conversation-starter. In parts of China and Indonesia, locals are fascinated to meet Americans. And as an honored guest in the host culture, a missionary is sometimes able to “get away” with a higher degree of forthrightness in evangelism than a local, due to cultural values associated with hospitality and honor. These doors are simply not always open to national believers, in spite of their faithfulness and zeal.
While it would be a mistake to equate fascination with Westerners with openness to the foolish message of the cross (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18), we would also be remiss if we did not take advantage of the unique evangelistic platforms afforded to us by the foreigner effect.
Conclusion
God is moving in powerful ways across the globe, and Western churches should avoid any ethnocentric attitudes that avoid faithful partnership with indigenous workers. If we try and reinvent the wheel in contexts where solid ministry is already happening, we’re simply building atop the foundation of another (cf. Romans 15:20). However, we cannot throw the baby out with the bathwater. God is still calling missionaries from our midst to perform such vital ministries as pioneering new works, providing theological education, and taking advantage of their unique status as foreigners to prevail in evangelism. Let us seek the Lord’s help in discerning how Western workers can still be a blessing to the
nations in the midst of a truly tectonic shift in the global Christian movement.
Church LIBRARY NEWS - Jessica Johnson
Hello, church family. Things have been quiet in the library so far this summer as I've been on vacation the past three Sundays, but that is about to change. With the sad news that Inspirations bookstore is closing, I've already made 3 trips there, not only to help them clear out their inventory, but also to add new books to our shelves. Hopefully next month's update will be more exciting. For now, we have these new books:
Joel Rosenberg, "The Beijing Betrayal"
Gabrielle Meyer, "Every Hour Until Then"
Susan May Warren's 4-book Alaska Air One Rescue Series
Also, several very nice Bible studies (books with study guides) have been donated. If you're looking to do a book study, check out the shelf behind the library desk!
Several weeks ago, Pastor Erik did a series on hospitality. If this topic interests you, we have a recently donated book called “The Gospel Comes with a House Key” that you might want to check out in the inspirational/Christian living section.
Thanks, and happy reading!
Jessica Johnson, GRAC Librarian
Staying Connected
Wed Activities
Women’s Prayer Group 9:30a - Library
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Bible Studies
Single Ladies Bible Study – Mon 10a-12:30p - conf rm. Pauline Wirtz
Alpha Bible Study – Tue 7p in Youth Room
Mom’s Group. Join us for a 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.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to make coffee on Sunday morning – signup sheet at CC
Thurs Sept 18th Attention QUILTERS – 16th annual Itasca Community Connect Event - make a difference for the homeless or impoverished. Some of the most appreciated gifts received by families is new homemade quilts. Flyer (CC) Connection Center.
Community Outreach Opportunities: Circle of Support & North Homes Children & Family Services - need deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, soap, hand sanitizer & wipes, socks. NO ADULT DIAPERS. Drop off container is in GRAC foyer. Thank you! 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.
Diaconate Meeting - 3rd Thurs of every month
Kingdom Builders (MEN) - 1st Sat each month – BREAKFAST, Bible talk & prayer - 7:30am at Triumphant Life Church
Circle of Support – needs warm coats, hats, mittens and socks for homeless. Please ask friends and family to help! Drop off container in GRAC foyer. Thank you!
July 30th-Aug 3rd – Annual Church Campout – sign up at connection center and more information.
Mon July 7th Men’s Softball League
Field 1 – 7pm Alliance vs Believers
Field 4 – 6pm Alliance vs New Song
Mon July 14th
Field 2 – 8pm Alliance vs CL2
Field 4 – 9pm Alliance vs Grace
Tues July 8th 6:30p Tanzania Missions’ trip – sharing with pictures & videos. Hopkins home 33533 N Shoal Lake Rd, Grand Rapids
Wed July 9th & 23rd Bible Quiz Root Beer Float Party 1-3 pm. Bring a water bottle for outside fun summer practice. Bring a friend. Mature 9 yr old - 12th grade can quiz and anyone older can help!
Tues July 15th Hospitality Dinner for 6 - Signup at CC for a dinner as a host or a guest. Childcare provided if needed at church. Great way to meet others & enjoy an evening of good food & fellowship.
Sat Aug 2nd Tall Timber Days – See Frank Lobosco if you want to work at our church booth. Prayers that we are able to show others Christian Love. Signup at CC
Aug 4th - 8th Quiz Camp 9-noon.
Tues Aug 5th Bridge Builders Potluck Picnic & Sing-a-Long with Emily LaPlant & Friends & table conversation. 5-7pm at Gunn Park. Please sign up at CC.
Sun Aug 10th Annual Church Picnic and Baptism after the service. If you want to be Baptized, please see Pastor Erik.
Fri-Sat Aug 22nd & 23rd 10am-6pm Youth SMASH BURGER Fundraiser & Community Outreach. Signup sheet in foyer for volunteers.
Tues Aug 19th Hospitality Dinner for 6 - Signup at CC for a dinner as a host or a guest. Childcare provided if needed at church. Great way to meet others & enjoy an evening of good food & fellowship.