Author: GPCC

“We have a unique ability in AV to enhance the church experience for everyone in attendance.”

~ Stace Massengill, AV Director (GPCC)

JOIN OUR TEAM!

Yes, we are looking for a few good people willing to serve in the exciting world of audio visual! If you’re looking for a place where you can contribute to the ministry, this is it. And don’t worry if you are intimidated by all the knobs and buttons – we’ll have you mastering them in no time!

On-the-job training is available for the inexperienced, and we’re also gladly accepting help from those who already have some experience. So whether you have AV in your blood, or you still own a VCR that’s flashing 12:00 – you CAN be a part of our Audio Visual Ministry!

How Do You Join AV?

If you are even a LITTLE bit interested in joining the AV crew, all you need to do is contact Stace Massengill or Peggy Aldridge. Come by the AV booth after the next service and talk to one of us. Or shoot an email to Stace at this address: avdept.gpcc@gmail.com

We will work with your schedule to find a good time to meet, train, and prepare you for service in the Audio Visual Department. If you need to be gone on a given Sunday, we’ll make sure every position is covered. You will NOT be expected to work AV every single week. But the more people we have on board, the better we can accommodate everyone’s time off needs. So, help us spread the word and build our crew!

There is Just ONE Important Requirement

Again, no experience is necessary – we can train you. But there is one important requirement for serving in any capacity at Grace Pointe. Becoming part of a team means depending on your teammates, and they need to be able to depend on you. A certain level of commitment is necessary, as is a basic understanding that what we do is a service to God.

As with any other ministry, it’s not about us. It’s not about our talents or abilities. It’s about the God we serve. It’s about striving for excellence every week because He deserves no less than our best. So we must take our roles in AV seriously. Everything we do is for Him. If this sounds like something you’d like to be part of, let us know right away.

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written by Stace Massengill

During the past year or so, we’ve had two or three bass players on stage during our worship services. This week, our main bassist (Mitch Phillips) was out of town. Occasional stand-in, Dionne “Gideon” Oliver, had another commitment. We were looking at the possibility of being without a bass player at all, and that’s when I turned to my brother and – almost jokingly – asked if he was ready to play.

Back Story

On October 21, 2018, while on stage playing bass guitar, my brother (Stan Massengill) was not feeling well at all. He’d been having some dizziness and symptoms of vertigo. Being the kind of guy who never wanted to let the praise team down, he decided to go ahead and play that Sunday morning anyway. He sat in a chair rather than stand as usual since he was feeling bad. What we didn’t realize at the time… Stan was about to have a major stroke.

He finished the worship set with us and very slowly and carefully made his way off the stage. After the service, I found him sitting in our office at the church. He was obviously not well, but we still didn’t know yet what was happening. It wasn’t until later that afternoon/evening that we finally went to the hospital.

By the time night fell, it became clear that this was not a simple case of vertigo. Stan had a major bilateral stroke that caused him to lose the use of his left side completely, and his right side was noticeably impaired. This was a catastrophic life-altering event, and his life would not be the same for the foreseeable future.

Rehab and Setback

Never in my life have I seen anyone so determined to regain what he’d lost. My amazing brother utilized every means of help available, working hard over the next several weeks to recover. He showed huge improvement within a short period of time, and even his therapists were impressed. The weeks turned into months, but he kept getting better in every way. Family and friends were all very excited for him.

Then, six months into his recovery, Stan hit another big bump in the road. A peculiar sensation in his chest prompted another visit to the ER. We soon learned what the likely reason was for his stroke – he had severe arterial blockages and required open-heart surgery.

This would be a huge blow to most people. But I watched Stan take the news almost in stride, and he simply resigned himself to the fact that it had to be done. It was certainly disappointing, knowing that such a major surgery would cause him to lose much of the ground he had just regained. But he faced it like a champ, with faith as big as any I’ve ever seen.

So MORE rehab, MORE time, and MORE hard work at recovery was in Stan’s future. Though there were a few moments of frustration, he never gave up. Once he was able, he would occasionally pick up his bass guitar and try to play a little. It was great therapy for the fingers on his left hand, as that was where he still struggled most.

Present Day

So, I asked him with a grin, “You wanna play bass this Sunday?” Stan smiled and replied, “I can certainly try.” The time came, and we began to rehearse with the rest of the band. I have so many responsibilities on Sunday mornings that the reality of what was happening didn’t hit me until during the worship service. There he was… My brother… On stage playing bass again… For the first time in more than a year!

People, we serve and incredibly awesome God. He deserves all the praise, and Stan would be the first to agree. THANK YOU, JESUS!

As we head into the holiday season, we have much to be thankful for. We also have much to look forward to, Thanksgiving and beyond…

This week, all of us at Grace Pointe want to send out blessings to you and yours for a most happy Thanksgiving! May you enjoy a peaceful time with family and loved ones, along with plenty of opportunities to share with others the things for which you are truly grateful. Remember to pray for those who don’t have families or enjoy the blessings that you do, and ask God to show you how you can make someone’s holiday a bit brighter. It will surely brighten yours, as well.

Of course, we are thankful for the blessings God has given us here at GPCC. We have a building that’s paid for and many amazing workers who give their time to teach classes, play instruments, sing and lead worship, and more. We’re grateful for the volunteers who mow the lawn, clean the church, and make sure there’s hot coffee on Sunday mornings. We have a security team that helps keep us safe while we gather together each weekend, folks who lead and host life groups at their own homes, caring individuals who handle our prayer request emails and rally the prayer warriors together, and loving members who feel like family.

And let’s not forget those behind the scenes! We appreciate our board of elders and the leadership of the church. We are thankful for the Audio Visual team that keeps things looking and sounding good during the services, and all the work that goes into our website and social media. And, of course, we are so grateful for visitors who come, and especially those who decide to make Grace Pointe their home church. The fellowship of the saints is glorious!

Finally, we want to thank God again for the Zielinske family. We praise God for bringing them to us, and we are thrilled to have Pastor Aaron as our shepherd. We pray all the richest blessings be upon them as they prepare to move here and as they serve each week among this body of believers.

Coming up during the month of December, we will be celebrating each week of Advent. The Sunday sermons will deal with the importance of Advent and what each week signifies. And naturally, we will be celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Don’t miss a message during this exciting time of Advent and Christmas joy! More to come…

For now, God bless you! Have a terrific Thanksgiving, and we’ll see you back at the Pointe soon!

The fourth Sunday of each month is our designated Missions Sunday, and it’s coming up this weekend. Please remember on November 24th to give a little extra in the tithe and offering, and mark it as “Missions” so it gets appropriated correctly.

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These are some of the missionaries that we support through our giving at Grace Pointe. Please join us today in helping shine God’s light into some otherwise dark places of the world, as well as right here in our local community. Because we also support some great local causes like CAM, or Come Alive Ministries – a local pregnancy care center that provides help for women facing unplanned pregnancies, equipping them to succeed. We’ve worked with The Quinn House – providing food, shelter, and care for those who struggle with addiction, helping them get back on their feet. We also assist Wellspring Living, a local organization devoted to safeguarding and empowering those at risk or victims of sexual trafficking and exploitation.

Give to Our Missions Programs Today!

You can help us in all these endeavors simply by designating an amount on your check or giving envelope this Sunday for “Missions.” OR, you can go ahead and give online TODAY by following the link below and designating your gift as “Missions” on the PushPay form…

The week we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived, and we couldn’t possibly be more excited!

Welcoming Our New Shepherd

Saturday, Nov. 16th, we will have a “meet & greet” with the Zielinske family at the church. Join us at 2pm as we get to know our new pastor, his wife, and their children. Dessert and sodas will be served.

Then on Sunday, Nov. 17th, Pastor Aaron will be preaching the Word. After the service, we’ll have our monthly Fellowship Meal together. This will be yet another opportunity for us to welcome, get to know, and just generally love on the Zielinske family. Be here!

All In The Family

Our fellowship at Grace Pointe has long been known for its warm and welcoming atmosphere. When you come here, you are treated as family. As Christians, we believe strongly in the concept of LOVE as Jesus taught it to His disciples. There are no strangers in the body of Christ, so it is no wonder that we recognize that “kindred spirit” even when new members come into the fold.

This week, we are beyond thrilled to grow our family even more as we welcome the Zielinske family with open arms! Get to know them with us:

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

We are grateful to God for His many blessings on our GPCC family this year. All glory belongs to Him! So let us give thanks…

Heavenly Father, we exalt Your Name on high! We, who are Your children, are so very grateful that we can come into Your Most Holy Presence and bring You our offerings of praise and thanksgiving. In 2019, as in years past, You have always been faithful to provide for our every need. You brought new workers into this fellowship of believers who enhanced various areas of this church’s ministry. You provided wisdom and guidance among our leadership during a time of transition, Lord. And now, You have once again opened up the floodgates of Heaven with the blessing of a new shepherd and his family. O God, we cannot praise nor thank You enough for all You have done and continue to do! But we offer up this sincere prayer as a mere token of our gratitude. And we will continue to give You the glory, for You alone are worthy! Thank You for hearing our prayer, for meeting our needs, and for just being the Great God that You are! AMEN.

Special Thanks

We also want to express our thanks to everyone who has been contributing to the success of our worship team. Susan Shewbridge and her family have been invaluable! Her husband, Eric, and her musically-gifted children are all incredible assets. Austin (drummer) has been a blessing as well. More recently, Beth Brockmeyer Ruhkamp and her son, Noah, have greatly enhanced the music with their talent. So many to thank – including our amazing saxophonist, John, and occasional singer and bass guitarist, Dionne (Gideon) Oliver. And let us not take for granted the steadfast faithfulness of the team’s veteran members: Adam Martin, Mitch Phillips, and Stace Massengill. This church body is blessed each week by these people who honor God by offering their gifts for His glory.

Women’s Group Takes Off!

Okay, Men of Honor…time to step up your game a bit. No, it’s not a competition, but our women’s ministry has seriously been busy lately! The group’s growing success has been greatly influenced by a small committee in charge of activities and various events. That committee consists of: Gale Lowe, Sheryl Phillips, Laurie Pruett, Denise Langabeer, & Karen Martin.

Currently, they are planning a Christmas caroling event to take place on December 8th – among other things. Any ladies in the church who want to be part of this group or learn more about upcoming activities should contact Karen Martin, lead spokesperson for Women of Grace.

Welcoming Our New Shepherd

Saturday, Nov. 16th, we will have a “meet & greet” with the Zielinske family at the church. Join us at 2pm as we get to know our new pastor, his wife, and their children. Dessert and sodas will be served.

Then on Sunday, Nov. 17th, Pastor Aaron will be preaching the Word. After the service, we’ll have our monthly Fellowship Meal together. This will be yet another opportunity for us to welcome, get to know, and just generally love on the Zielinske family. Be here!

After a long and difficult journey through the search process, our Transition Team has finally whittled down the list of potential candidates to the one man they believe God has chosen to lead Grace Pointe Community Church in its next chapter…

The team charged with finding our new lead pastor spent months sorting through resumès, listening to sermons, discussing pros and cons, and of course praying for God’s guidance. Getting the list down to the final two candidates was grueling enough, but then choosing between those last two was even more difficult. Still, in the end, the team’s decision was indeed unanimous.

Meet the Zielinskes

Aaron Zielinske was born in Beaver Falls, PA. He served his country as a United States Marine, met and married Gina who was serving as a youth pastor, had a couple of kids and then moved to Springfield, MO. He attended Central Bible College (now called Evangel Bible College), where he got his degree. The family went to Meeker, Colorado – where Aaron was Meeker Assembly’s lead pastor – and later moved to McDonough, GA.

Aaron and Gina’s three children are Jordan, Aaliyah, and Josiah. Another member of the family, Krista, is also pictured above. Their servant-hearts will no doubt be a wonderful addition to our church family.

Mark Your Calendars

We are looking forward to welcoming them in person at a special meet and greet event from 2 to 4pm on Saturday, November 16. Snacks and refreshments will be served. Then on Sunday morning, November 17, Pastor Aaron will preach his first message at GPCC. Afterwards, we will have our monthly Fellowship Meal.

Join us as we welcome the Zielinske family into the Grace Pointe family!

From the time that former pastor Mike Kofahl announced his intention to resign and retire to be with his family, the leadership of Grace Pointe Community Church knew there was a huge task ahead – finding the right person to assume the role of senior pastor. It is a task that has not been taken lightly. Almost immediately, our Transition Team was formed by the Board of Elders and included trusted members of the church. Their work was cut out for them, and they have approached it with the utmost professionalism.

Early on in the process, the team began meeting regularly and carefully considered the procedures to follow. They discussed the qualities and characteristics a potential pastor should possess (see photo below), and began the search.

Periodically, elder Rob Protasewich (pictured above) has presented the church body with progress reports. The fact that, to many people, this process appears to be taking a long time is actually a testament to how seriously the Transition Team is taking it. Being methodical about locating the right new pastor for our fellowship is crucially important. It’s not a matter to be rushed.

Please continue to pray for all those who are charged with this monumental effort. When you pray, ask God to guide our Transition Team directly to the person whom He has chosen. May God’s will be done, and blessings on you all!