Writing & Editing
IT’S GO TIME Vision Series 2023
We are witnesses to how God has moved in this journey.
How through the detours…
Through the chaos…
It’s changing us.
No one said this would be easy.
We CAN’T stop now.
It’s time.
Time for daring, for endurance.
WE have been CALLED to act.
To GO… For our neighbors, our community, the generations to come.
To take the wheel and forge on.
It’s time for the next leg of the journey.
It’s time to put in the hard work, so get in.
We are going places.
IT’S GO TIME.
Community Series Bumper Video
In all of us, exists a longing for community, for real, deep relationships. We desire to become known, to belong, to drop the façade and let others into our lives and in turn be invited into theirs. But being in close community with others isn’t always easy.
For some of us, we are simply too busy, cramming our lives with plans and activities that there is little to no room to form deep connections. We simply check the box of showing up and move on with the rest of our week or forsake gathering altogether, relegating it to an optional part of our lives and discipleship to Jesus.
For others, there exists hurt or painful previous experiences, leaving scars and anxieties about letting others into our lives, to know us intimately. Wounded, we keep others at bay or never really engage authentically.
Regardless of our experience, without community, without leaning into the tension that comes with intertwining our lives with those who may not be like us, without slowing down enough to build those roots; we will remain stunted and stagnant in our journey into becoming more like Jesus.
As followers of Jesus, we are not merely a gathering of friends or like-minded Christians; rather, we are called to transform into a new family. Our journey involves embracing the beautiful chaos of genuinely living life together, standing side-by-side in deeply rooted relationship, with Jesus guiding us every step of the way.
Grace Church MEC 10 Year Celebration
This door used to serve as the entrance to Medina East when it was first planted, painted red so those who were coming for the first time would know which door to enter. Since moving to where we gather now, it served as an emergency exit and eventually removed as part of the ongoing construction from HERE WE GO. Now, it’s been painted red again to remember and celebrate the past decade of Grace Church Medina East Campus.
Since being planted 10 years ago and even before that as Shepherds Grace Church, countless people have walked through the doors of Medina East and have been forever impacted and changed as a result. While we want to celebrate the physical birthday of Medina East, we want to go one step farther and give thanks and credit to God for how he has used His Church to bring about life change into so many lives. One way to honor and give thanks to God is to share our story of how God has changed and impacted our lives as a result of making the decision to walk through the door and see what it might look like to experience Jesus. So, we want to invite you to share your story of how God has transformed your life in two simple words, one word reflecting who you were before Jesus and another reflecting who you are now in Jesus. We want this door to be a physical reminder of the work God has and will continue to do in the lives of all who may enter our church building, our homes or our lives.
Christmas Eve 2022
Christmas.
Year after year, it’s a season of joy, warmth, hope and nostalgia. We gather with those closest to us to share a meal and exchange gifts. To remember years past, to honor traditions and to make new ones. To recall memories long ago and loved ones gone.
If we’re honest, it’s a season, at times, that comes with mixed emotions. We’re surrounded by all this wonder and hopeful longings, yet we can’t escape the grasp of the brokenness we might feel in our lives, in our relationships, and deep down in our very being. Sometimes we ignore it, filling our schedules to the brim with activities and holiday gatherings, to avoid the dark. Sometimes, we allow ourselves to be pulled in, closing out any and all light that might try to rescue us. No matter what we do, we can’t avoid the feeling the day after Christmas brings, when it’s time to return to our normal day-to-day.
Christmas.
It’s a season that marks the arrival of a greater and truer hope. It’s a season to define the darkness we might feel honestly, to realize our “great and only hope is in Jesus’ final and victorious coming.” Make no mistake, Christmas is a season full of good and joyful things, so allow yourself to enjoy it, celebrate it, take it in.
But this Christmas season and beyond, reflect on where your hope may lie. Has anything ever truly satisfied that desire? What if the hope we feel that seems so allusive can truly be satisfied? Consider the hope and rest Jesus has for you, for your tired soul. He says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”