Grace Valley and World Renew: Hunger for Good Christmas Outreach

This year for Grace Valley's Christmas outreach, we will be supporting the ministry of World Renew: Hunger for Good with a "Christmas Giving Tree".


During times of adjustment to a COVID-19 world, Christmas gifts for World Renew will be even more lasting and effective. The Christian Reformed Church has partnered with World Renew in sharing the light of Christ with those who experience poverty and hunger.
Step 1: Choose your gift from the gift catalog provided on the table to the right of the tree at church. (The tree is located just outside the office door).

Step 2: Find the card that matches the gift you have decided to give to a family in need in the gift catalog provided on the table to the right of the tree. There are cards available to write in your choice of gift. Gifts range from $3 to $400. You may also look up gifts at https://worldrenew.net/gift-catalog

Step 3: Write a check for the amount of your gift to Grace Valley CRC and place it in the Christmas box under marked "MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: GRACE VALLEY CRC". We will order your gift for you. There is an option to pay online at https://worldrenew.net/gift-catalog

Step 4: Hang your card on the tree!

The Gift Catalog gives you the opportunity to choose how you want to support families around the world to achieve sustainable, healthy lives. Whether it be a goat, a chicken, a handwashing station, or an empowerment training for at-risk youth, your gift could be just what someone needs to move forward with hope.

Congratulations to our Graduates!

This year’s College graduates are Amanda Anderson, daughter of Dale & Rebecca Anderson.  Amanda will graduate December 2021 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with an emphasis in Health Science from the University of Wisconsin - Platteville; and Mary Wilson.  Mary graduated with a Degree in Medical Coding and Billing from Rasmussen College.

Our High School graduates include Isaac Charbonneau, son of Chris Charbonneau and Melinda Charbonneau. Isaac plans to attend Kishwaukee College for their Diesel Power Technology program. Ethan Greenfield, son of Jeff & Erin Greenfield.  Ethan plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in the fall and will be majoring in civil engineering.  Ben Harland and Kait Harland, son and daughter of Chris & Laura Harland.  Ben plans to attend Rock Valley College with a Computer Science major and Kait plans to attend College of DuPage to study English. Sam Rummel, son of Ryan & Lynette Rummel.  Sam will be attending Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, IA to play football and get his associates degree to move on to a four year college.

Our 8th Grade graduates are Kayla Buisker, daughter of Erich & Jannelle Buisker; Caden De Jong, son of Nathan & Jennifer De Jong; Anna Viel, daughter of Tom & Jen Viel and Kaden Williams son of Chris & Kathryn Williams.

 

Our Kindergarten graduates are Olivia Coy, daughter of Eric & Cassie Coy; Grant Hundertmark, son of Jeremy & Sarah Hundertmark and Alexis Patch, daughter of Jay & Jaime Patch.

We ask our church family to please pray for them as they continue their journey in life.

 

Restarting Worship inside our building

Hi everyone,

We are looking forward to returning to worship inside our building on June 28.  We know that many of you have different opinions and concerns around personal and community risk factors regarding COVID-19, so we wanted to let you know what guidelines we will be following as we move indoors so that you can make the best decisions for you and your family.

-We will be removing every other row of chairs in the sanctuary.

-We ask that you please sit with your immediate family.

If you have to sit in a row with another family, please leave 2-3 seats between family groups.  

-Masks are suggested but not required.  This is especially true when entering and leaving the sanctuary

-We will not have childcare available.  We will also not have the worship bags available for children.  Please feel free to bring some of your own materials for your children, so we are not sharing the materials.

-We will not have a fellowship/greeting time during the service, and we will not have coffee/ snacks after the service.

-Weather permitting we are asking that fellowship before or after the worship service take place outside.  We are asking that you remain outside until at least 9:50.

-After the service ends, we ask that you leave the sanctuary and building using the nearest exit door while maintaining 6 feet of distance between family groups. 

-We will also have some seating available in the gym, and will be playing the livestream from the sanctuary in there if that is a more comfortable environment for you.  

-If you or someone in your family is not feeling well, we ask that you exercise an abundance of caution and do not attend the worship service in person.  

-We will also continue to livestream the worship service on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC392LK9Q0OZGD7sqjeVkSbQ)

We are planning on celebrating the Lord’s Supper together on June 28th.  We will have prepackaged communion elements so we can have a contactless distribution.  We do not have a prepackaged gluten free option.  If you require that, please bring your own elements so that you can participate with us.  If you are watching online, we encourage you to prepare communion elements for your family at home.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Pastor Eric, or a member of the council.  

The Grace Valley CRC Council 

Grace Valley Gardens-- Summer 2020

One of the things I have been thinking about this Spring, is how can the church be more than just reactive, but proactive in the face of the current pandemic.  

We want to be ready and available as best we can to help and serve as issues arise, but sometimes if we are watchful, we can anticipate needs, and be ready to fill in the gaps when the time arrives.

The pandemic hit hard in the middle of March.  We are now two months into a shelter in place order in Illinois, which has kept many business shut down, and resulted in many, many people laid off.  

Even as things begin to reopen, the financial impact for many will be long lasting.  

Our idea for a way to bless our communities this summer is this:

Grace Valley Gardens

  • Plant- The Outreach team would like to invite and encourage all of our families to that are able to garden this summer with the intention of giving away the excess in our communities.

  • Grow together— work together as needed to help tend and grow the gardens.  Social distancing is pretty easy in a garden.  Being together outside is best.  

  • Give- Have a mobile veggie cart that we move from place to place, offering free produce to our communities.  This gives Grace Valley an opportunity to serve in several different communities each week.  We can meet many residents and neighbors, we can hear their stories, and potentially share the gospel with them.  

This will of course require lots of participation.   If you would like to help, please fill out this form so that we can work together to make this happen.  

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRzPU595xW2ioVX-Rnwe2kDXv9qWU13xZQGLZ_3uRWayZlkQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

The Outreach Team

PS if you have friends, family or neighbors that would like to participate, we'd love to have them join us as well.  Feel free to forward this to them.  

Grace Valley Covid-19 Response for Sunday March 15, 2019

Dear Grace Valley Family

The council met this morning to discuss our response as a church to the Coronavirus pandemic.  We want to be practical, and wise.  We want to respond out of love, out of a desire to worship God as a church, but also be diligent in protecting those who are most vulnerable to this disease.  

In an effort to try and balance all of these concerns here is the plan for tomorrow at Grace Valley.  We will still have our regular 10:00 worship service as well as our 9:00 Sunday School, however, the Sunday School hour will take place in the sanctuary.  We feel it is better to not do more mixing of people in small confined spaces with many surfaces.  Our desire in the Sunday School hour will be to take some time to process all of this together, to share our concerns and to hear yours, and most of all to pray.  In times like this, the most powerful thing we can do is pray!

With all of that said, here are some additional precautions that we are taking.

  • Our greeters will not be shaking hands as you enter the church• We will not have coffee service

  • We will have doors propped open as much as possible.  

  • • We will continue to sanitize the toys in the children’s areas

  • • We strongly recommend that everyone limit physical contact (handshakes, hugs, etc.)

  • • We will not be passing the offering plates during the services. Instead – the deacons will be holding the collection plates at the exits at the end of the services. If you wish to avoid the offering plates altogether, we do have direct debit options available to you.  Please contact a deacon if you need help with this.  

  • We had previously planned a celebration in response to the capital campaign, and cake was already here, so we will still have that, but precautions are being made so that there need not be any cross contamination.  

  • We do ask the following of You:

  •  please stay home if you are sick, feel unsafe going out in public, or are older and want to err on the side of caution. The CDC is recommending people older than 60 stay home for a few weeks. 

  • • If you are sick or do not feel comfortable attending the Sunday services– we should have a livestream happening on facebook.  You can find this at https://www.facebook.com/GraceValleyCRC

Obviously, things have been rapidly changing this week, and things could continue to change.  The council is committed to serving our church and the kingdom through this.  We will continue to evaluate things as often as need be, and do our best to lead well through very uncertain times.    We are exploring alternative ways to worship together with technology in homes and small groups.  We will also be exploring ways that we can be the body of Christ to our members and the greater community.  Please let us know if you or someone you know has a need that we may be able to help with.   

Please also feel free to reach out to Pastor Eric or the council if you have questions or concerns.  We are available, and we are happy to talk to you.  

Lastly, Paul’s words to the Philippians-

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In Him

The Grace Valley Council