"God wants a child's heart...

Looking through the sliding glass doors I could see a beautiful snowy scene. White-dusted trees and a serene pond surrounded by a sleepy quiet meadow.  It was peaceful.  Inside, at the hospice facility, it was warm and cozy.  Inside was a reminder that the winters of life always come.  But winters never have the final say.  I was drawn to Revelation twenty-one.  A vision of the Holy City was shown to the Apostle John; a new heaven and a new earth.  The old things were done and the new have come.  He shares these words: 

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

Winter is a reality for now but certainly the time is coming where each person who puts their trust in the Lord will experience new life and a new home that is beyond what we might ever imagine. No tears. No pain. No conflict. Only the joy of perfect fellowship with the Lord and our brothers and sisters. Winter can be beautiful, but I really am anxious to experience the new life that comes with spring.  

Pastor Rich

Luncheon Help:

There will be a Memorial Service & Luncheon in the Fellowship Hall for Judy Barclay on Saturday, February 4th at 2:00pm. We are looking for a few people who could make a dish or two to pass (salads, vegetable dishes, desserts, etc.) The main dish is being provided - pulled pork sandwiches and smoked turkey sandwiches. There will be a sign up sheet available at church on Sunday. If you can bring a dish, please let Richelle know (517-282-2653). Thanks!

Kitchen Help:

We have an abundance of plastic silverware that we are looking for a few people who could help us wrap 'restaurant style' to keep in the pantry in preparation for future funeral dinners, potlucks, etc. If this is something you'd be able to help with, please let us know!

Transportation Help:

We are in need of help with getting Kevin Maxwell to and from church on Sunday mornings.

• Pick up at his house at 10:20am to get him to church for morning service
• Take him home after service

If this is something you could do, please let Pastor Rich know.

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

HOW TO...: A 4-WEEK SERIES FROM MATTHEW ON JESUS' TEACHINGS

SERIES OVERVIEW:

The internet helps us learn how to do so many things! From new skate tricks and viral recipes to helpful hacks, there’s a “how-to” for almost everything. But is there a tutorial video for how to follow God? This four-week series is kind of like that — thanks to some tutorials from Jesus! Each week, we’ll focus on one of Jesus’ teachings from the Sermon on the Mount as we learn "how to" make a difference, love our enemies, share with others, and pray.

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.

See you then!

All meetings are held from 6:30-8:30 PM at Grand Ledge Church of

the Nazarene in the overflow room off of the sanctuary. Meetings

are on Thursday unless otherwise indicated.

Cost of 13 sessions are free.

Book is $15 (If this is a hardship, scholarships are available.)

1. Thursday, February 16

2. Thursday, February 23

3. Thursday, March 2

4. Thursday, March 9

5. *Friday, March 17

6. Thursday, March 23

7. Thursday, March 30

8. Thursday, April 6

9. Thursday, April 13

10.*Tuesday, April 18

11.Thursday, April 27

12.Thursday, May 4

13.Thursday, May 11

* indicates a different day of the week than Thursday

See Richelle for more information or if you would like to join

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

We will collect our bi-annual Alabaster Offering on Sunday, March 5th during our morning worship service. Alabaster boxes are available at the Missions Corner at the back of the foyer. Be sure to grab an "Alabaster Love Offering Challenge" sheet from anyone on the NMI Council for more information on this offering. You can also give by marking your envelope "Alabaster" or by choosing the "Alabaster" fund on Faithlife.

Thank you for your generous giving to support the mission worldwide!

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!

February - Beanie Baby Sized Stuffed Animals

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:

1 per CCK

6 per box

72 for all 12 boxes