GROW AS A LEADER FOR THE GOOD OF OUR CHURCH

Identifying and equipping new leaders is always a high priority for the health of our church, fruitfulness in our life together, and the future of our gospel mission. For this reason, we’re eager to host our first-ever Leadership Development Cohort! Why should you sign-up? Because, in one way or another, we all have the experience of leading and being led. It’s our desire that God’s word would shape our expectations, expression, and reception of leadership wherever we encounter it in life - and especially within our church.

THE FIRST SESSION STARTS SOON

Who is it for?

• Anybody aspiring to leadership.

• Men with a sense of calling to the office of elder.

• Men who may be positioned as small group leaders.

• Men and women who may want to serve in the office of deacon.

• Anybody who wants to know what the Bible says about growing into a Christ-honoring leader and become more effective in offering biblical counsel and encouraging the church.

How will it run?

• We’ll read The Cross and Christian Ministry by D. A. Carson, learn how to articulate theological concepts and ideas, and become equipped to offer biblical counsel to one another. Each session will be a mixture of biblical teaching, group discussion, and evaluation of course assignments.

• Once a month, we’ll meet on a Saturday from 7am-9am. Dates subject to vary to ensure max attendance.

• Sessions will take place at the Cunningham home. Light snacks and coffee will be provided.

• All participants will need to purchase their own copy of the Carson book. Scholarships are available upon request.

REGISTER FOR THE Leadership Development COHORT HERE

ALL GUYS 15 AND OLDER ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND

After taking December off, our monthly Men’s Meeting is back! Every second Thursday of the month, the men of our church gather together to sit under God’s word and spur on each other’s walk with Christ. All guys, 15 years and older, are invited to participate in a conversation where "men talk like men" about God. Join in at the 4th Street Market patio at 7:00 pm and come ready to discuss how we can head into the new year “making the best use of the time,” we have, for the glory of God, the joy of our souls, and the good of our neighbors (Eph 5:16).

JANUARY 8 - JANUARY 14

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, JANUARY 11: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30am - French Park Grass Area

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11: MEN’S MEETING

• 7:00pm - Fourth Street Market Patio

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

JOIN US FOR RUN CLUB - EVERY THURSDAY AT 6:30AM

It’s a new year, and you likely have new goals you want to pursue and fresh patterns you want to create. We encourage you to add Run Club to the list. Each Thursday morning at 6:30am, you can start your day with Christian fellowship, build relationships French Park neighbors, and do your body some good in the process. Consider joining us in the center of French Park for a casual run in our community. Share this digital flyer to spread the word.

LIVE OUT YOUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST AT ALL TIMES, IN ALL PLACES, AROUND ALL PEOPLE

Are you a person of integrity? Better yet, how would you rate the integrity of your Christian life? If we’re honest, all of us experience a gap between what we believe to be true and who we believe ourselves to be in Christ and how we actually behave. God gives us Ephesians 5:15-21 to help us close that gap by his grace. Listen to the sermon and be encouraged to step into a new year making the best use of the time the Lord has given us.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

EVERY 1ST & 3RD FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

After taking a break for the month of December, we’re excited to resume our small group meetings! Every 1st & 3rd Friday of the month at 7pm, three different groups meet throughout our city to share in the joy of Jesus, encourage one another, and apply the gospel to each other’s lives. Outside of Sunday mornings, small groups are the most important moment in the life of our church. Make it a priority to attend one this Friday.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SMALL GROUPS, CLICK HERE

JANUARY 1 - JANUARY 7

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, JANUARY 4: FRENCH PARK RUN CLUB

• 6:30am - French Park Grass Area

FRIDAY, JANUARY 5: SMALL GROUPS

• 7:00pm - Houlton, Roenicke, & Erkelens homes

SUNDAY, JANUARY 7: SUNDAY GATHERING AT THE EBELL CLUB

• 10:00am - Meeting Room: Ballroom

YOU SHOULD HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF YOUR PASTOR

This past Sunday, marked a milestone moment in the life of our church. We commemorated the transition of Jeff Schlieder into the role of Senior Pastor of Cross of Grace Church. As we did, we heard God’s word proclaimed from 1 Pet 5:1-5 and learned what we should expect of our pastors and how we should respond to them. The picture of faithful pastoring that is offered by the Apostle Peter and the entire scope of the Scriptures is that of a shepherd. Pastors come into God’s own shepherding work and are called to model their ministry after Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd himself who lays down his life for the sheep. Pastors have been temporarily entrusted with the care, protection, and leadership of Christ’s sheep and their task is to direct them back to him, time and time again. Would we receive our pastors with gratitude and humility as an expression of our trust in the Chief Shepherd of our souls - rejoicing in the Christ who suffered once for our sins, and will return to receive us into glory with him.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

PARTICIPATE IN LOVING OUR FRENCH PARK NEIGHBORS

2024 is next week! We are excited to continue to build relationships, be a blessing, and bring the joy of Jesus to our neighbors in the new year. Please join us in prayer for these events and consider how you’d like to get involved as we go into our city and love our neighbors:

French Park Run Club - We’ll continue meeting every Thursday at 6:30am for a casual run in the middle of our community. A great way to get in shape and get to know our Santa Ana neighbors. In 2023, we were so excited to see the Lord bear fruit through the Run Club as it connected our neighbors to the Bridge Course and led to new guests joining us on Sunday mornings! Considering joining us Thursdays at the French Park grass area.

Picnic in the Park - We’ve got plans for a spring and a fall picnic in the center of our neighborhood. Right after church, we’ll grab our lunches and some games in order to be together in the midst of our French Park neighbors. We will use this time to invite our neighbors to have lunch with us and continue to build relationships within the community. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on when the next Picnic in the Park will be held.

Annual French Park Events - After 2 years of throwing a Block Party in French Park and hosting our first ever Carols in the Park, we're more committed than ever to being known by our French Park neighbors as a people who are for them. We want to be the kind of church our neighbors don’t want to go away. So we’re leaning in with creating annual special events in the center of our neighborhood. We're eager to meet, bless, and build relationships with our neighbors and these events are designed to do just that. Look forward to June of 2024 for the return of our Block Party & December 2024 for Carols in the Park!

Gospel Outreaches - During the first half of the year, we’re picking out 2 Saturday mornings to go into our city to have spiritual conversations, share the gospel with our neighbors, and become equipped and emboldened to make evangelism a part of our everyday lives. Love going out to do this sort of thing? Join us! Scared to death about striking up a spiritual conversation with someone you’ve just met? Join us as well! As the Lord works in and through us during these outreach opportunities, it will go a long way to help us build a culture of evangelism at Cross of Grace, keep mission at the center of our Christian lives, and give us the confidence we need to ask that co-worker to lunch, reach out to that family member about coming to church, or invite that friend to the Bridge Course. Watch the blog for more details. Dates TBA.

The Bridge Course - Last but certainly not least, the Bridge is back in 2024! After our first time running a condensed course of 6 meetings this fall (and seeing all the fruit it bore), we’re rolling out all 10 sessions of the Bridge next year. From early September through mid November, we’ll be exploring the Christian faith with our Santa Ana neighbors over the course of a meal, a Bible talk, and a conversation where all perspectives are welcomed. This will be an all-hands on deck initiative, but we believe it will be well-worth the work. Learn more about The Bridge Course here and stay tuned for more details.

The harvest is plentiful! Would the Lord lead us into a new year with fresh faith and eager expectation as we spread the joy of Jesus to our Santa Ana neighbors!

GET READY TO GO INTO OUR CITY IN 2O24!

GOD IS WORKING THROUGH OUR FAMILY OF CHURCHES

As we give ourselves to reaching our city, would we be encouraged by all the Lord is doing to spread the joy of Jesus across the globe! Watch this video update from Director of Global Missions, Dave Taylor, and learn more about how God is using our family of churches to plant and strengthen churches around the world here. What a privilege we have to play a part in what God is doing to save sinners, build his church, and advance his Kingdom!