Dear Grace City family and friends,
The one word that best describes 2018 for me is the word transition. God faithfully led us through some major changes this year, and I’m so grateful for all the ways you’ve embraced unity, curiosity, and sacrifice through the midst of this season of change.
Some have characterized this year as taking a little step backward so we can make a giant leap forward next year. And maybe that’s true. I like to think of it as taking the time to lay a solid foundation before we go vertical. Or, to use the Boot Camp analogy, making the effort to get in shape and build camaraderie before we find ourselves on the front lines.
Numbers never do a good job of telling the whole story. So let me share with you a few highlights of how God was at work over this past year:
- We fully funded another new well in Liberia in partnership with LWI
- We partnered to help lead the Fellowship of Christians Athletes group at DU
- We tripled our missions and church planting budget over the previous year
- We commissioned and sent two of our own families to serve as full-time missionaries in their homelands of Liberia and Kenya – in addition to existing missions’ support in the Dominican Republic, Lebanon, Syria, India, and Taiwan
- We located the building downtown where our church will meet beginning in 2019, and renovations have begun on that space: Asterisk Denver
- In connection with our re-plant downtown, we partnered with Redeemer City to City, Acts 29 West, The Denver Institute for Faith & Work, and other gospel-driven groups
Even though we’ve accomplished much together over this past year, there’s so much more to be done on our mission of making and maturing disciples of Jesus Christ. To that end I invite you to help us finish the year strong and prepare ourselves for an exciting 2019, filled with many new opportunities for advancing the Gospel together.
We are still looking to secure a new, more permanent “base of operation” – a place downtown that will serve as a central hub to reach more of our city and metro area for Christ. Our prayer is that God provides offices, classrooms, and flex space in which – and out of which – we can grow our team and serve the needs of our city.
In order to accomplish these goals and leave an even greater Gospel footprint in 2019, I’m asking you to prayerfully consider both a generous year-end gift and a commitment to joyful giving in the year ahead.
If you’d like to contribute before year’s end, you may do so in person at our final worship service of the year, you may give online or by text, or you may mail a gift to Grace City at P.O. Box 202316, Denver, CO 80220 on or before 12/31.
In closing, remember that your gift of any amount magnifies Jesus Christ and transforms lives through the hope of the Gospel. Thank you for being a part of Grace City and sharing in the mission and vision God has given us. The best is yet to come!
Together in His service,
Matt