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Showing posts from January, 2016

It's Always Difficult

The privilege of planting and pastoring the same church for 11 years brings with it some hard good-byes. Literally, from the first month, January 2005, people have come, joined and left. This is just part of church life. But, at the same time God has brought many new people in these 11 years, people committed to serve and worship at Grace Community Presbyterian Church, PCA.  We always rejoice when we receive new members. This too, by God's grace, has been a wonderful part of church life. We've lost valuable servants and members because their jobs have taken them out of Fort Worth. I don't like it, but am grateful that another church in another part of the country will be blessed with these former members. But then there are the others who simply transfer their membership to another church in our area. I've heard a whole host of reasons why these former members have decided to leave. Here are just a few: 1. The preaching is bad and getting worse. 2. The churc

Why Do You Make Your Bulletins Available Before Sunday?

I'm glad you asked. Corporate worship at Grace Community Presbyterian Church , where I serve, lasts anywhere from 70 to 90 minutes each Lord's Day morning. The Order of Service (the Bulletin) will contain 3-5 hymns and/or psalms from the psalter (printed with the melody) [ UPDATE: Because of the faithfulness of one of our church members, we now provide a YouTube playlist of the hymns and songs we will be singing each week as well. You can find out why here . ]. It will also contain the doxology which we sing every week, 3-5 additional songs/hymns that we sing during communion (which we celebrate every week), prayers of adoration, invocation, confession and consecration. An Offertory during the Offering is provided as well as a page of "Communion Reflections", which are quotes from Christians that help us focus on the work and worth of Jesus and our desperate need for Him. There is a Call to Worship and a Confession of Faith as well as a reading from the Old Testam