Note From Pastor Jonathan

Your “trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.” 1 Timothy 6:17b

To all the Moms, including the special moms in my life, Happy Mother’s Day! We deeply love and appreciate you.

Moms have a huge part in creating a healthy atmosphere of calm and growth in our homes. That calls for strategic choices—and a helping of creativity! The following list, excerpted from Little House on the Freeway by Tim Kimmel, might provide some cloud-seeding for a brainstorm or two of your own. Have some fun with your family this summer…and create a healthier environment at home.

1. Eat dinner together as a family for seven days in a row.

2. Pay off a credit card(s).

3. Take off ten pounds or accept where you are without any more complaints.

4. Take your spouse on a dialogue date (no movies).

5. Read your kids a classic book (Mark Twain is a good start).

6. Memorize the Twenty-third Psalm as a family.

7. Give each family member a hug for twenty-one days in a row (that’s how long the experts say it takes to develop a habit).

8. Pick a night of the week in which the television will remain unplugged.

9. Go out for a non-fast-food dinner as a family.

10. Pray for your spouse and children every day.

P.S. Just a reminder that our Annual Meeting is this Tuesday night (7 pm). In addition to highlights from the past year (including a written annual report) and leadership elections, we’ll have a time of Q & A. Everyone is welcome to join us here in Room 204.

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People who study churches generally recommend that a church have one pastor for every 150 people. Currently, our ratio is 1:269 (13 Ministry Staff and an average Sunday attendance of 3500). A ratio like that puts a strain on our staff, who love what they do but can also get overwhelmed by the weight of increasing responsibility.

Several months ago, the Elders made the strategic decision to add two pastors to our staff team during 2012, which would bring the ratio down to 1:233 (at our current size).

Today we can announce the first pastor! Steven “BB” Taylor is a recent graduate of Wheaton College (IL) and will begin his role in our youth ministry at Grace about June 1st. We think you’ll love him! BB, a nickname from his older brother when they were young, has a deep love for God and receives high marks on character and integrity. One reference described BB as a “great listener” and said he is “built for mentoring and discipling others.” Another person calls BB “super fun” and notes that he has a great sense of humor. He called BB a “kid magnet.”

BB is good communicator and has been involved on the leadership team for youth ministry at Wheaton Bible Church the last few years. He was also a camp administrator at Honey Rock (WI), where he mentored college students. At the camp, BB taught Bible lessons to over 300 students ranging in ages from 3rd grade to college seniors. He has a heart for discipling students, helping them to grow and live out their faith.

Why another youth pastor to serve alongside Pastors Ryan (Middle School) and Steve (High School)? Because we average a weekly attendance of about 300 Middle & Senior High students. And, since they don’t all come at the same time, there are actually about 500-600 individuals who comprise our youth group—a mid-size church! BB will help with discipleship, shepherding, and teaching…sharing the leadership load.

We appreciate your prayers for BB and our youth ministry; our desire is that the Lord will continue to do a great work in the lives of hundreds of students!

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How well do you tip? Do you reflect Jesus in that area of your life?

I read a news release recently that saddened me. Michael Lynn of Cornell University conducted a study and found that Christians give an average of 17.3% in restaurant tips (that’s the good news), well inside the 15% to 20% norm. However, 13% of Christians left less than 15% for good service, a small minority but still almost double the percentage of religiously unaffiliated diners who left that amount (that’s the sad news).

Perhaps worse than a small tip is a fake tip. The article I read told how a waiter went to retrieve what looked like a $10 bill from under a diner's plate. It was fake. When opened up, the “$10 bill” had a message on back that read, “Some things are better than money, like your eternal salvation, that was brought and paid for by Jesus going to the cross."

Is the message true? Absolutely. Is it a smart witnessing tool? Absolutely not! Here’s my advice: never use such fake bills, as they actually push people away from Christ. One waiter who received such a “bill” wrote in an online post: "I have never been more atheist.”

Another queried, "What do you think it feels like to pick up what you thought was a great tip, only to find out that it was not real, and that the patron had actually been a cheapskate, after you served them well?"

"Christians don't tip very well," Justin Wise wrote for The Lutheran magazine. "As a matter of fact, we're pretty cheap. What makes this worse is that we paint 'cheap' with a religious-sounding veneer and call it 'being a good steward.' Nothing like hiding behind the Bible to camouflage your stinginess."

A decent tip to your server can go a long way toward showing the love and grace of Jesus. Let’s be among those who change the reputation of Christians, and live with generosity in this area of life as well.

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In Jeremiah 29:7 we read, “Work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you…” God has placed us in the wonderful metropolis of Cleveland, and our heart is to do just what the Lord instructs through Jeremiah: to work for the good of our city.

There are a variety of ways that folks at Grace are making a difference in the community. Here are 7 avenues for involvement, plus the contact info for taking the next step. Whether in our work, our neighborhood involvement, or our community service, may the Lord shine through us and bring about good in our city (see last week’s note for the first 3 opportunities).

4. Isaiah Project...Mosaic Singles Ministry The Isaiah Project ministers with inner city youth and their families by encouraging them to follow Christ while empowering them to live out His purpose for their lives. Kids’ Church and Youth Church are methods of ministry used by The Isaiah Project to help urban churches reach their neighborhoods for Christ. Mosaic Singles helps the 2nd Sat. of each month. Contact Candice Ely (cmely01@yahoo.com) or Rachel.Helgeson@gracecma.org.

5. International Outreach at The Islander Melanie Allum has been sharing the love of Christ by practicing simple English with women who come from some of the most unreached areas of the world! English as a Second Language classes meet each week. No prior experience is necessary. If you have a desire to share Jesus' love with others, contact Melanie at IslanderESL@gmail.com.

6. International Friends Students from all over the world are coming to study in our local colleges, but many never have a chance to see the inside of an American home. You can become a "friendship partner" to an international student and develop a relationship with them simply by inviting them over for the holidays or offering to spend some time together. Contact Lucille Hicks at 216-362-7968.

7. Ministry in Nursing Homes Grace Church has 7 ministries in area Nursing Homes, plus 3 more Homes that would like us to start a ministry if we can recruit enough volunteers. The residents love our encouragement! Volunteers can serve in any of these ways: general helpers; preparing Bible devotionals; lead singing. A variety of times are available. For weekday availability call Gail Cataldo at 440-356-0420 or weekend availability call Marc Filipkowski at 440-283-5031 , or for reaching a new Nursing Home call Rachel at 440-243-4885, x171.

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In Jeremiah 29:7 we read, “Work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you…” God has placed us in the wonderful metropolis of Cleveland, and our heart is to do just what the Lord instructs through Jeremiah: to work for the good of our city.

There are a variety of ways that folks at Grace are making a difference in the community. Here are 7 avenues for involvement (part 2 next week will explain #4-7), plus the contact info for taking the next step. Whether in our work, our neighborhood involvement, or our community service, may the Lord shine through us and bring about good in our city.

1. Catching a vision through "Grace in the City" Next weekend, another group of 20 folks will spend their weekend on a "vision trip" into inner city Cleveland. The group will partner with BHITC (see #2), exposing participants to several ministry opportunities within our city in hopes that some will get plugged in. The next event is scheduled for Sept. 21-23, 2012. Call Lucille Hicks (216-362-7968) and Eileen Wilson (216-513-4762).

2. Reaching Refugees & Immigrants through Building Hope In The City Grace member Eileen Wilson currently serves with BHITC in a key leadership role. The Lord is bringing people from around the globe to our city, many of them from creative access countries. There are many opportunities to develop relationships by teaching English and by mentoring refugee families in how to navigate our culture. BHITC also offers an "Urban Bootcamp" for people who are interested in city ministry, highly recommended for those who really want to get plugged in. The next bootcamp is Saturday, June 30, at Trinity Lutheran Church at 9:00am (216-513-4762).

3. Tutoring at George Washington Carver School George Washington Carver Elementary School, located in Cleveland, serves grades Pre-K to 8th. Based on its state test results, it has received a GreatSchools Rating of 1 (10 being the highest) and is currently under Academic Emergency status. Currently, 61 tutors (half of which are from Grace) invest time there each week to individually tutor kids who need remedial help. Call Richard King at 440-572-2026.

4. Isaiah Project

5. International Outreach at The Islander

6. International Friends

7. Ministry in Nursing Homes

You’re welcome to participate in any of these opportunities. Also, pray that we will have a lasting positive impact on our surrounding communities.

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