Grace Gifts Updates

Thanksgiving of Grace UPDATE

Nearly 250 volunteers came out to serve hundreds of people at GracePoint’s first ever, “Thanksgiving of Grace”. The event, created to assist those who have been affected with the recent economic crisis, was hosted at Quincy’s Bar and Grill and corporate sponsors such as Texas Roadhouse, Dillons, Freddy’s Frozen Custard, Sams Club, and CityPrint made donations towards the event. Around 100 coats and jackets were given to families in need.

UNLEASH WICHITA featured in the Wichita Eagle

The UNLEASH WICHITA project was featured in the Wichita Eagle. We are grateful for what God is doing with this project and pray that He continues to bless this project and our community.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE.

UNLEASH WICHITA and GRACE GIFTS on KWCH

KWCH, the local CBS affiliate here in Wichita, aired a segment on how UNLEASH WICHITA and Grace Gifts are making an impact in our community. Because of that broadcast, we have been literally flooded with calls and letters requesting assistance. While, obviously, we would love to help as many people as we can, we are definitely unable to. We have realized that what we are doing is definitely God-inspired and very timely for our community. Please continue to pray for UNLEASH WICHITA and our community. If you would like to help, please contact GracePoint church at 316.773.1303.

HERE IS THE SEGMENT KWCH AIRED.

UNLEASH WICHITA gaining momentum

GRACE GIFTS
The Grace Gifts leg to the Unleash Wichita has been in full-swing with weekly updates of individuals and families being blessed. You will not want to miss the next two weeks at GracePoint to see the stories of people continually to be blessed.

THANKSGIVING OF GRACE
We have had over 150 volunteers sign up for our Thanksgiving of Grace meal and we are getting closer to the big day. THIS MEAL IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and anyone can come. Please invite your friends, family and coworkers to this ABSOLUTELY FREE THANKSGIVING MEAL at Quincy’s Bar and Grill (located at 21st and West St) on Thanksgiving Day from 11am-4pm. For transportation or questions about this event, please call GracePoint at 316.773.1303.

Grace Gifts week 2

Here is the latest Grace Gifts video.

Unleash Wichita promo

Thanksgiving of Grace

During this time of economic crisis, GracePoint is committing to not retreat and hunker down. God is leading us to one of the greatest opportunities our church has ever seen and we are not BACKING DOWN! We are forging ahead, believing that God knows how to protect His children, and knowing that He is going to use this church. We can’t back down because we have been called to build His kingdom. God is challenging GracePoint to step up. Will you join us?

People are more ready to embrace the certainty of Christ, as everything else that seemed so certain is failing them. Join others at GracePoint to provide HOPE for the HOPELESS. Don’t back down!

It’s going to take a large “army” of volunteers to make this Thanksgiving event successful and effective. A total of 230 spots need to be filled. Please consider how you will be able to serve. Below are brief descriptions of the volunteers needed. You’re invited to contact the church office for more information, fill out a connection card at church, or sign up at the Life Center on Sunday to get involved.

PRE-THANKSGIVING DAY
Packet/Administration team (10 people)
Shopping/Supplies team (10 people)
Marketing/street team (10 people)
Cooking team (100 people)

THANKSGIVING DAY (11/27)

Set-up team (20 people)
Tear-down team (20 people)
Host/Server team (60 people – 20 per shift)

If you have questions about this event you can contact Terry Johnson or Tricia Every at 773.1303.

With your help – we can shine the light of HOPE on this Thanksgiving Day.

UNLEASH WICHITA

Our Situation
The United States – and the world – is in the midst of the worst financial decline since the Great Depression. The Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University study that many at GracePoint are participating in has been so timely and is offering help and hope for the future. But even so, we know that many families are struggling to make ends meet.

GracePoint has been affected financially as well. While overall giving has increased, giving to the general fund is down from last year. It is the giving to the general fund that pays for our ministry expenses, rent, utilities, and staff salaries. We have actually had to temporarily borrow money from our building fund in order to cover our daily expenses. It’s a situation we absolutely will not allow to continue.

Currently we are not in the best situation to begin construction of a new building. The tightening in the credit market means that we cannot, at this time, borrow enough money to build.

Our Opportunity
These factors have caused us to re-examine the short-term direction of GracePoint. We can batten down the hatches and try to withstand this storm, or we can look at this as the best opportunity we have ever had to “Take great risks to reach people far from Christ.” People are hurting and we are called to make a difference in Wichita.

The simple truth is that when times are good, most people have little use for God. It’s often only when something goes wrong that people begin to turn to God. Things are going wrong right now for a lot of people and many will be ready to turn to God. We need a plan to reach them with the radical grace of Jesus Christ.

Our Plan
Beginning immediately, and lasting for a short season, 100% of all future contributions to the UNLEASH building project will be redirected to support missions and outreach projects. We are going to reach out to those in need and help UNLEASH generosity and compassion on this city like never before! It’s what we see the early church doing in the New Testament when there was a famine in Acts 11. They reached out to those in need and showed the world radical generosity, then experienced explosive growth in the number of people who became believers. That’s what can happen at GracePoint!

This change will only affect UNLEASH contributions from this point forward. Previous contributions will not be affected. This doesn’t mean that we are “giving up” on the building. We still intend to build; we just won’t be building as soon as we planned. We are going to finish our building design with the money that has been contributed for that purpose. After this season ends, we will re-launch our UNLEASH Building campaign. During these difficult economic times we will not back down. Our mantra is: “We will not sacrifice one moment of ministry for one dollar of building.”

The GracePoint Board of Directors met in a special session on October 8th and unanimously approved the framework of this plan. We ask for your support as well. You have experienced first-hand GracePoint’s success at turning the Sunday morning experience into something that is relevant, exciting and different. Can you imagine what GracePoint can do with the concept of radical generosity? We will be working out the details in the coming weeks and expect to launch the plan around Thanksgiving.

Frequently Asked Questions
How long do we expect the UNLEASH “redirect” season to last? We expect this season to last approximately six months. But the timing will depend on our circumstances and God’s direction.

What if I want to continue to financially support the building? You have the option to “opt out” of redirecting your UNLEASH money. All you need to do is contact the office (773-1303) or write a note on your offering envelope.

Can I choose to redirect my UNLEASH giving toward the general fund? Some of our members have indicated they intend to continue to give the same amount of UNLEASH money during this season, but split it between the general fund and UNLEASH. That way they help GracePoint out of its financial deficit and also support radical generosity. Our goal is to erase the deficit we currently have in the general fund by the end of 2008. In order to do that, we are asking you to tithe to the general fund of GP.

Am I still being held to my original Unleash commitment? UNLEASH commitments remain valid. It is likely though that GracePoint will extend the time period to fulfill the commitment. We may go to a three-year commitment period when we re-launch the campaign in 2009.

Will my redirected UNLEASH giving count toward my original commitment to the UNLEASH campaign? Yes. Any money given toward UNLEASH will still count toward your campaign pledge.

When does GracePoint expect to begin building construction? Given the current economic situation, it’s difficult to say. We remain committed to building this facility as soon as we can do so without putting undue financial stress on the church.

How long will GracePoint have to remain portable? With the delay of the start of construction, we are actively looking at options for leased space. We currently pay nearly $50,000 a year in rent for Maize South and the Student Center. We are exploring the possibility of leasing space (a big box store) and think we may be able to find something at around $120,000 per year. Improvement costs would be in addition to the lease costs.

How can I get involved in Unleashing radical generosity? We are working out details of the plan and expect to share the plan with GracePoint in early November. In the meantime, we are asking everyone to pray and get ready, because UNLEASH Wichita is going to be huge!