is a way for you to find out more about what's going on within the Sovereign Grace family of churches. Just scan the headlines below and click on any links that look interesting. We will update this page periodically, and we look forward to helping you stay current on what God is so graciously doing within Sovereign Grace Ministries.
Sovereign Grace Ministries Family News: Church Life Archives
Chesapeake, VA >> The year 2007 marked the twentieth anniversary of Sovereign Grace Church (SGC). Members new and old devoted an entire weekend in October to remembering God’s goodness. All the former pastors and the original church-planting team joined in the festivities. Highlights included a musical that took the audience on a “history tour,” a time to honor those who stepped out in faith to plant SGC, and a message from Steve Shank, the pastor who planted the church, envisioning the congregation for the next 20 years. You can read the story and see photos at the church's website.
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San Diego, CA >> Thank you for your prayers for Grace Church and their community during last week’s wildfires. Although many members’ homes were close to the fires, by the kindness of God none were lost. The building the church is preparing to move into also escaped damage. But there are many needs in the San Diego area, and Grace Church is already beginning to serve their community. Please pray for gospel opportunities, and for protection for the area as the dry, windy season continues.
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San Diego, CA >> As wildfires rage across San Diego county, members of Grace Church are among the thousands evacuating their homes. Also in danger is the new facility Grace Church is about to move into. Senior pastor Mark Lauterbach writes, “Grace Church is seeking to make sure our members are cared for and to represent our Savior to our neighbors. Would you pray for us in this time of need and opportunity?”
Mark has been posting occasional updates at his blog, Gospel Driven Life. Please join us in praying for Grace Church and their community.
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Philadelphia, PA >> On Saturday, August 11, 38 people from Grace Community Church (Souderton, PA) traveled to northeast Philadelphia to join with over 20 people from Grace Bible Church for a workday at GBC’s facility. Ed O’Mara, pastoral intern at Grace Community Church, sent this report.
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Roseville, MN >> Earlier this month, Sovereign Grace churches near Minneapolis and St. Paul hosted a marriage retreat. Over the weekend, couples learned how to apply the gospel to marriage, fight discontentment, and embrace God-given roles for men and women—plus how to swing your partner and do-si-do. Sovereign Grace Fellowship administrator Peter Thorpe sent this report.
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San Diego, CA >> Grace Church filed a lawsuit on March 8 against the City of San Diego, the San Diego Planning Commission, and the Rancho Bernardo Community Planning Board. This is the latest development in the church's efforts to secure a permit from the city to occupy a building that the church leased last summer. You can read the local news coverage at The North County Times' website.
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San Diego, CA >> After receiving a five-year permit to use a vacant building in an industrial park, Grace Church has begun construction of their rental space. Thanks to the work of many volunteers over three weeks, they have now completed demolition. You can see their progress in some lighthearted videos they are posting on YouTube. (For more about Grace Church and their building project, see their January 4 update.)
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Gainesville, FL>> Abundant Grace Community Church had reason to celebrate. After 18 months of delays, they received final approval from their Development Review Committee in December to move forward with construction on a new church building. To get things started, the church held a groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday, January 14. Pastor Mike Gilland, who has been overseeing the building project for the church, sent us this report on Abundant Grace's "Groundbreaking Sunday."
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San Diego, CA >> On December 7, after a year of applications, hearings, and appeals with local officials, Grace Church finally received a five-year permit to use a vacant building in an industrial park as their new home. Pastor-in-training Eric Turbedsky sent us an update, grateful for the good news but mindful of the challenges ahead.
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West Orlando, FL >> It’s flu shot season, and for the members of Grace Church, that’s another opportunity to spread the gospel in their community. Senior pastor Wayne Brooks sent us this update.
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San Diego, CA >> Grace Church has been working to get city approval to lease a vacant warehouse for almost a year. In September the city granted the church a seven-year permit to use the space, but a local planning agency is challenging that decision. Senior pastor Mark Lauterbach gave this update to his church on Sunday, October 8, and allowed us to publish it here.
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Frederick, MD >> The newly planted Sovereign Grace Church of Frederick, Maryland, launched public meetings last month after more than a year of praying, working, and planning. Tawn O’Connor, who with her family joined the church-planting team sent from Covenant Life Church (Gaithersburg, MD), talks about the meeting, the big picnic that followed, and the joys of church planting.
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New Orleans, LA >> Many of their homes are still unlivable, and their church building is planned for demolition to make way for a new one. But that hasn’t stopped the members of Lakeview Christian Center from serving their community in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One evening in late June, a cleanup team of more than 40 people from the church caravanned to their local police department (where, eleven months after the storm, traffic signals still don’t work) and blitzed the station grounds with lawnmowers and weed-whackers. Read on to see photos and find out why a volunteer coordinator called the evening “the best in my post-Katrina world”…
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Midland, TX >> Nine years after first learning of Sovereign Grace, Billy Raies saw the church he pastors, Christian Life Center, adopted into the Sovereign Grace family…
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Richfield, MN >> Most churches want to move out of schools and into their own building. Sovereign Grace Fellowship is going in the opposite direction. Pastor Rick Gamache explains…
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Apex, NC >> Sovereign Grace Church has been praying, brainstorming, and planning for months. The goal: enlarge their building to seat almost 600 people. The provision: an unexpected offering. Associate pastor Daniel Baker sent us this update…
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Middletown, DE >> Sovereign Grace Church in Middletown, Delaware, was planted in October 2004. Senior pastor Chris Patton sent us this update about the church’s growth and their upcoming “Commitment Sunday”…
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San Diego, CA >> Grace Church continues to wait and pray for city approval to lease a warehouse in their city. In the meantime, the church is preparing for a meeting with their local planning board on June 15. This weekend, the San Diego Union-Tribune featured Grace Church, its search for a building in a city where space is scarce, and the “interesting dilemma” their search raises. You can read the story at the Union-Tribune’s website.
For more information about Grace Church’s building project, read a prayer request from earlier this month.
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San Diego, CA >> An update from Grace Church: “As we continue to pursue the building we hope to lease, Grace Church is awaiting city approvals for all of our necessary building permits, as well as our conditional use permit. Please pray, as these next few weeks will prove to be very pivotal. On May 18 our plans go before the local planning board, who expressed initial opposition to having a church in this particular industrial park. We are trusting the Lord for His will to be done. We know that “the king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will” (Proverbs 21:1). Thank you for praying with us as we await God’s leading and provision!”
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New Orleans, LA >> It’s been several months since Hurricane Katrina crashed through this city, flooding Lakeview Christian Center’s church building and seriously damaging many members’ homes. What does it look like for a church to rebuild? Erik Schmaltz (on staff at Lakeview) and his wife, Erin, sent us this update.
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Richmond, VA >> Being deployed to Iraq for a year didn’t stop Capt. Hans Kirkman from serving his family. Hans and his wife, Margaret, are caring for each other and for their eight children with excellence and joy, even though she's in Virginia and he's at the Kirkush Military Training Base near the Iraq/Iran border. Today’s Richmond Times-Dispatch features the Kirkman family, and notes the enthusiastic service they receive from their church, KingsWay Community Church. “I commend Hans and Margaret for this testimony to their parenting,” says Gene Emerson, senior pastor of KingsWay.
Read the story and see a photo slideshow at the Richmond Times-Dispatch website.
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Ashburn, VA >> In December, two couples from Grace Community Church traveled to China to adopt orphan girls. Grace Community’s Kathy Swistock sent us the story…
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Corning, NY >> Three young singles spent a semester serving Sovereign Grace Church, planted in 2003. Senior pastor Allen Snapp told us the story....
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Denver, CO >> In October we reported on the renovations underway for Providence Community Church's new building. This week, senior pastor David Bendinelli writes, "The city where the building is located made some additional mandates to us during the renovation, which has slowed our process. We are now shooting for a late February or early March timeframe to be in the building. We are still very excited and grateful to God as the building is really coming along, just a bit slower than originally anticipated."
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New Orleans, LA >> Brian MacKay, an intern at Sovereign Grace Church of Gilbert, Arizona, traveled to New Orleans in September with a cleanup and demolition crew of men from Sovereign Grace Churches. Serving the members of Lakeview Christian Center, the team cleaned flooded homes, removed garbage and damaged furniture, painted homes, and more. Read his daily account and see photos of the team at work.
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New Orleans, LA >> Judy Luster, currently in the new members' class at Cornerstone Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, served with a cleanup crew at Lakeview Christian Center (New Orleans) in October. In a recent email, she described her experiences....
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Tucson, AZ >> October 8–9 was a big weekend for three churches. Jonathan Baird from Abundant Life Community Church (Pasadena, CA) married Nicole Lambros from Sovereign Grace Church (Tucson, AZ). Members of both churches celebrated together at the wedding on Saturday. On Sunday, Pasadena folks led worship at the Tucson church. And on both days, folks from Sovereign Grace Church of Gilbert (AZ) served in the sound booth. Nicole's dad, Tim Lambros (senior pastor of the Tucson church), sent us this email and photo:
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Richmond, VA >> In November, KingsWay Community Church celebrated the completion of their new church building. November 6 was the building dedication, with a special visit from Brent Detwiler (a member of the Sovereign Grace leadership team). On November 12–13, the church held a community fair and grand opening. Check out the photos!
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Gainesville, FL >> Back in September, Mike Gilland, pastor at Abundant Grace Community Church, emailed us about unexpected delays in their church building project. We're happy to report that the project is back on track. Read an update from Mike....
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Denver, CO >> Providence Community Church is renovating an old building, with hopes to move in this winter. Cindy Healey, a member of the church, sent us the story, along with photos.
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Daytona Beach, FL >> After three hurricanes delayed their progress, Sovereign Grace Church of Daytona Beach has almost finished their new building. Senior pastor Dan Walsh sent us the story, with photos.
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Toms River, NJ >> We are overjoyed to welcome a new church into the Sovereign Grace family: Trinity Fellowship Church, pastored by Tim Shorey. You can see photos of the church, their recent outreach, and their new building at their website (click on the church's "Photo Gallery" link).
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Richmond, VA >> Move-in day approaches for KingsWay Community Church, who purchased thirteen acres of land in 1999. Six years and many stories later, the church is planning the grand opening of their new building.
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New Orleans, LA >> Some ten years ago, the leadership of 600-member Lakeview Christian Center began attending Sovereign Grace conferences. When Hurricane Katrina hit, the former Assembles of God church was in the final stages of being adopted into the Sovereign Grace family....
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Knoxville, TN >> It's not just girls who read Girl Talk. Dave Willis, a small-group leader at Cornerstone Church of Knoxville, reads the blog too. So does Craig Cooper, also at Cornerstone Church. Here's what they have to say....
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Richmond, VA >> A church—and community—demonstrate practical love to a family with two disabled children needing a dual wheelchair-equipped van.
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Gainesville, FL >> The folks at Abundant Grace Community Church have been hard at work on their new building. Pastor Mike Gilland sent us this update and photo last week....
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Knoxville, TN >> Cornerstone Church of Knoxville is hard at work on their new building, with move-in planned for next month. Howard Varnedoe, a pastor at Cornerstone Church, emailed us an update with a photo of the building's almost-finished interior.
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