EMILY IS GOING TO SANTANDER, SPAIN!

This past Sunday, we celebrated, we prayed, we cried, and we sent Emily Jones into the harvest that awaits in Santander, Spain. She’s off to join our recently planted sister church, Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Santander in order to advance their gospel mission.

What a privilege a little church like ours has to be a part of what God is doing across the globe. Spreading the joy of Jesus all the way from Santa Ana to Santander!

Check out the full photo album here.

PRAY EARNESTLY TO THE LORD OF THE HARVEST (MT 9:38)

As we heard this past Sunday, there are specific ways we can be praying for Emily and Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Santander. Please join us as we pray for the following:

• Pray for Emily’s travel as she gets on the plane this Friday and crosses the ocean for the sake of Christ.

• Pray that the Lord would use her and the other members of IGSS to spread the aroma of Christ wherever they go and fuel them with faith for what he’ll do among them.

• Pray for Pastor Norman Pedd and his wife Barbara, as they give their lives away so that the people of Spain might be saved.

• Pray for the towns around the church location in Renedo - Soto de la Marina, Santa Cruz de Bean, Camargo, Parbayon, and the whole region of Cantabria in Northern Spain. As the church goes out on Saturdays to evangelize her neighbors and invite them to church, please pray this may bring fruit to the glory of God. 

• Pray for the building where they gather, that they would find favor in the owner of their building so they can continue to meet for the long term.

• Pray for the people that are being added to the church, that they might grow in the Lord and may use their gifts and ministry to the edification of others and glory of God.

• Pray for the church as her adoption into Sovereign Grace Churches is formalized in the year ahead. 

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT EMILY’S MISSION TO SPAIN HERE

EVERY SUNDAY IS “SEND-OFF SUNDAY”

Every week, God gathers us to himself in order to bless us with his presence, equip us for ministry, and fuel us with fresh faith to be sent out into the mission field. 2 Corinthians 2:12-17 prepares the gathered church to scatter well. Because these verses make us confident that the mission we've been given will move forward, no matter what. King Jesus will lead us through the setbacks, disappointments, and difficulties we'll no doubt face. He'll use the weak and ordinary people we are to share a message that's a matter of life and death. And he'll cause us to be a band of happy captives, walking down the road that leads to life, marching along wherever he takes us, and inviting our neighbors to come and join his victorious parade. 

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

LADIES, SEE YOU AT 6:30PM

Every summer, our women’s ministry takes a break from its usual monthly meetings to enjoy a series of potlucks. For the second time this summer, the ladies of our church will gather together to share meals and stories of God’s grace. This is a great event to invite your friends, regardless of what they believe or where they’re at with church.

Each potluck is hosted at a different member’s household. This time around the ladies of Cross of Grace will be gathering at the Oda home. See you tonight for encouraging testimonies and a buffet of picnic foods!

CONTACT US HERE FOR LOCATION DETAILS

WE’RE SENDING A LABORER INTO THE HARVEST

This Sunday is a big one. After 3+ years with us, over a decade of dreaming, and hours upon hours of praying, planning, and preparing, our own Emily Jones is finally going to Spain! She’s joining our recently planted sister church, Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Santander in order to advance their gospel mission. And we have the privilege of sending her into the harvest that awaits.

So come ready to say “goodbye” to our dear friend, entrust her next steps to the Lord, and play your part in commissioning her to this missionary work. We’ll pray for her as she leaves for Santander and send her off in style.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT EMILY’S MISSION TO SPAIN HERE

PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY OF CHURCHES

From Mark Prater, Executive Director of Sovereign Grace Churches:

In his timeless classic, “The Christian Ministry” Charles Bridges writes, “Prayer implies the renunciation of all dependence upon our best preparations, ministerial gifts, or spiritual habits; an acknowledgement of their insufficiency to qualify us for the discharge of our commission; and a simple dependence upon our Glorious Head for his present influence.”

Why do we pray for one another as a family of churches? Because prayer is a renunciation of our self-dependence and an expression of our complete dependence on God for His present influence, provision, help, and power. Prayer is a regular reminder that we cannot accomplish all that God has called us to do without asking for His "present influence.” 

God loves to hear are desperate, dependent prayers for one another and for our shared mission. 

Third Quarter Prayer Requests

▪    Pray that God would give the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace churches opportunities to share the gospel with unbelievers in our communities, workplaces and on our campuses. Pray for the saving grace of God to reach many. 

▪    Pray for the 5 U.S. church plants that are launching this fall in Coatesville, PA,  Galloway, NJ, North Knoxville, TN, Springhill, TN and North Manchester, IN asking God to draw unbelievers and the unchurched to those churches, and to bless the labors of the church planting teams. 

▪    Pray for the first Sovereign Grace Latin America Pastors Retreat in Santa Marta,  Colombia this summer, which is the first of its kind outside of Mexico, when pastors from Colombia, Bolivia and Costa Rica will gather to build relationally, give updates, and pray about building Sovereign Grace Churches in Latin America in the future. 

▪    Pray for Jeff and Julie Purswell as they travel to Sydney, Australia to serve at the Sovereign Grace Churches-Australia Together 2025 event, August 8-10, 2025, when the pastors and members of our 2 churches in that nation will gather for worship, teaching, and fellowship. Pray for Dave Taylor and Riley Spring asking God to give them grace to lead this important gathering.  

▪    Pray for our new 2025-2026 Pastors College students and their families from 3 different nations who will be moving to Louisville, KY before classes start at the end of August, asking God to provide for them and to give them grace to grow over the next year while at the PC. 

▪    Pray for the Sovereign Grace Music West Coast Conference, “Your Gathering and the Gospel” in Santa Clarita, CA, October 1-4, 2025, asking God to use this conference to equip and strengthen pastors, worship leaders, and all who serve in music and sound ministry. Pray for Bob Kauflin asking God to give him grace to lead in a way that gives God glory. 

▪    Pray for the Sovereign Grace Churches Executive Committee retreat in Glen Mills, PA, August 19-22, 2025, asking God to give the 9 men on this committee wisdom and help in fulfilling their responsibility of overseeing and evaluating the Leadership Team. 

▪    Pray that God would continue to provide financially for Sovereign Grace Churches so that we can fund the gospel opportunities He is giving us throughout the world.

JULY 21 - JULY 27

Every Tuesday we publish a blog post to lay out in one place what’s going in the life of the church for the upcoming week. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:

THURSDAY, JULY 24

• French Park Run Club

  • 6:30am - French Park Grass Area

• Women’s Summer Potluck

  • 6:30pm - Oda Home

SUNDAY, JULY 27

• Sunday Gathering at the Ebell Club

  • 10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

• Emily’s Send-off Party

  • 1:00pm - Madrigal Home

CALLING ALL YOUNG ADULTS

Registration for the 2026 RELAY Conference is open! This year’s theme is The Church: The Dearest Place on Earth.

If you’re a young adult (age 16-30), we encourage you to attend the 3rd-annual RELAY Conference taking place in Glen Mills, PA, January, 5-7. You’ll be encouraged to live for the glory of Christ. You’ll be inspired to make your own and carry forward the doctrine, values, and mission that we hold so dear as Sovereign Grace Churches. You’ll experience a rich time of teaching, singing, and relational building designed to strengthen us for decades to come. Whether you’re new to our family of churches or you’ve been around a while, don’t miss this opportunity get to enjoy what God is doing among us and form relationships with brothers and sisters dedicated to the same mission across the globe!

Sign up HERE before JULY 31 for A discounted rate

Planning on attending? RSVP with Pastor Jeff.

AND WE ALL NEED JESUS

Pastoral ministry is serious business. Refuting error. Promoting and protecting the truth of the gospel. Shepherding God’s redeemed people and keeping watch over their very souls. The letter of 1 Timothy has made it clear that people need pastors to perform this serious and weighty work. But Paul’s instructions in 1 Tim 5:17-25 reveal that while people need pastors, pastors need people too. The leaders of the church are weak, ordinary, and imperfect men. Beggars telling other beggars where to find bread! For this reason, Jesus - the true Senior Pastor of any church - has positioned his people to serve as instruments of grace in the lives of those who lead her. Calling them to support the work of pastors by honoring them (5:17-18) and holding them accountable (5:19-25).

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

A CLASS TO EXPLORE CROSS OF GRACE CHURCH

If you’ve been visiting for any length of time and would like to learn more about who we are, what we’re like, and what we believe as a church, this class is for you. Starting Point is a two-hour class designed to help you to get to know us, ask any questions you have, and take the next step in discerning whether or not the Lord is calling you to become part of the Cross of Grace family.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

AUGUST 17 IMMEDIATELY AFTER CHURCH AT THE SCHLIEDER HOME

LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED

JULY 14 - JULY 20

Every Tuesday we publish a blog post to lay out in one place what’s going in the life of the church for the upcoming week. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:

THURSDAY, JULY 17

• French Park Run Club

  • 6:30am - French Park Grass Area

SUNDAY, JULY 20

• Sunday Gathering at the Ebell Club

  • 10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom