Honk if you love Jesus!

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-15 NIV

The older I get the more I appreciate lighting! “More lumens please.” I like well-lit spaces and bright rooms. It’s easier to see, read, and discern what’s going on.  Dark alleys and dimly lit restaurants make us wonder what is there out of our sight.  

The Christian life is to be like a welcoming beacon, a city on a hill.  There should be no dark corners and nothing hidden or shady.  The reason is so that we can expose the source of that light and that our Father in heaven is made known this way.  It seems like the world is growing darker in many ways. Let’s covenant together to let our light shine in the darkness with purposeful intention as we open our lives up to the cleansing power of the Spirit of God through faith in Christ.  Let’s ask ourselves how we can intentionally brighten up this place and help others to see more clearly. 

“More lumens please!”  

Pastor Rich

NDI - To make Christlike Disciples in the Nations

See what the kids are up to!

• Check out the kids' wish list on Amazon by clicking the image above. Thank you for all the ways you help our kids!
• We are in need of kids volunteers for Sunday School and Children's Church. Can you spare a couple hours a month to serve on this team? See Kara Purves or John Harris for more info

MEASURE UP: A 5-WEEK SERIES FROM THE GOSPELS ON JESUS' EARLY LIFE & MINISTRY

SERIES OVERVIEW:

“When I’m older!” “When I’m taller!” Every kid is excited to grow up — even if it’s just to finally ride that big kid roller coaster they’ve had their eye on. This five-week series is about another kid who grew up — Jesus! Through stories from Jesus’ early life and ministry, kids will learn five important truths to help them continue growing: God guides us to safety, we can love God with our actions, we can follow Jesus, God makes us ready at the right time, and God's words help us make wise choices.

See what the teens are up to!

• Click the image above to view the teens Amazon wish list
• The teens are also in need of some helpers for Sunday School and Youth Group on Sunday nights. If you could spare a couple hours to help lead our teens, see John Harris or Stephanie Dewey

One of our own teens is raising money to go to NYC this summer!

Hosted by the Church of the Nazarene, NYC is a powerful youth event that has been held in different locations over the past six decades. NYC takes place every four years and provides an opportunity for high school students from the USA and Canada to be united in a time of worship, teaching, and community service.

If you would like to give toward this opportunity, the teens are selling tickets for a Valentine's Spaghetti Dinner, or you can donate using our online giving by choosing the Nazarene Youth Conference (NYC) Fund.

Thank you for supporting our teens!

Our Life Groups will join to form one large group for a special time to watch and study The Chosen - Season 2 together. Starting Sunday, January 29th, we will meet at 5:00pm in the Fellowship Hall to share a dinner together then watch one episode per week.

If you haven't joined a Life Group yet, this is a great time to start! You can RSVP on the event below.

If you would like a study book, please let Brenda know.

A sign up sheet will be available to bring a side for the dinner.

See you then!

Coming soon - a 13 session GriefShare Support Group. Share this with your friends and family if you know someone who could benefit from GreifShare. See Richelle Martzke if you would like more information about this great group.

Would you like to take control of your money? See John or Darlene Harris for a one-on-one FPU class or sign up for a group class with others. We have 8 spots available, so let us know before they are gone

We are excited for our new partnership with Shared Pregnancy Women's Center. There are many ways we can give, donate, volunteer and pray for this ministry.

See the list below of items they can use. You can bring them in and drop them in the toy box in the kids hallway.

If you wish to donate money, you can drop change or bills in the baby bottle outside the kids room or give online at https://faithlife.com/glnaz/give and choosing the "Shared Pregnancy Women's Center" Fund

If you have any questions, see Kara Purves

Crisis Care Kits are a way we can help others in emergency situations. Receiving simple items like toothpaste, a comb, or band-aids become very helpful in a natural disaster, war or other crisis. Crisis Care Kits (CCKs) are designed to provide people with some of the essentials they may not have due to those scenarios.

Our NMI Council has set a goal for Grand Ledge to collect 12 boxes (72 CCK's) by July 2023. Each month or so, we will feature an item to collect. (Although you can always give any of the items at any time!)

See below for this month's featured item and the details on the specifics. Thank you for helping us work toward reaching our goal!

January - Hand Towels

We will be collecting these at the Missions corner in the foyer. Here is an idea of how many we will need by July 2023:

2 per CCK

12 per box

144 for all 12 boxes