Hi Church

Last Sunday was a big weekend of ministry and connection and celebration, with Church in the morning and then Volunteers Thank you dinner in the evening . A vison without people implementing it is just a dream for a later day. But with nearly 100 volunteers in our Church across multiple different ministries, we have a place for everyone in the family to express their gifts and move our Grace community forward. So, thank you Grace Church family. 

Our Executive Leader Paul Betenson brought the word to us as we continued our journey through Matthew’s Gospel, listening again to Jesus’ call to live life His Kingdom way. In Matthew 5:13 onwards , Jesus shows us that the Kingdom of Heaven is very different from the kingdom of this world. The world often teaches us to put ourselves first, but Jesus invites us into a better way: a life centred on God, shaped by love, humility, integrity, forgiveness, purity, and grace toward others.

Jesus reminds us that we are called to be salt and light—people whose lives preserve what is good, shine with hope, and point others to the goodness of God. Yet this calling is not about earning God’s favour. Our righteousness comes through faith in Jesus, who has fulfilled what we never could. From that secure place, the Holy Spirit helps us become more like Christ in our thoughts, relationships, words, and actions.

As we follow Jesus, we are invited to choose reconciliation over resentment, honesty over empty promises, generosity over retaliation, and love even toward those who hurt us. This is doing life the Jesus way: becoming mature and perfecting our actions from a place of His completion and wholeness within us so we become like our heavenly Father.

On Sunday we took up our “Love the house offering” which was a good start but short of the $25,000 needed to complete our proposed works. If you are still deciding, can I encourage you to be prayerful and generous and make a deposit or a pledge as soon as possible. 

Finally thank you for the cake and applause on Sunday to recognise Amanda and Myself completing 10 years as Senior Pastors of Grace Church. We feel so blessed to be part of the Grace Church family and we know God will continue to work through us all for His glory for many more years to come.

Love 

Ps Greg and Amanda