May 24th, 2023

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Acts 2:21

Yesterday evening, after a meeting at the local high school, I was walking to my car in the parking lot, when I noticed a young man standing next to his car with the hood up staring at the engine.  I stopped and asked if he needed anything.  I thought maybe he needed a ride somewhere to get assistance,  but he told me he was fine, and the engine was running. Then I thought perhaps he just needed some encouragement, but he didn't need that either; he seemed content and cheerful. But he did need something, he needed mechanical advice….  

“The engine is making a clicking noise,” said the young man, “It gets much worse when I accelerate. Maybe it is a belt or something I am not sure.”  Then, to my dismay, he looked at me.   Our eyes met as he awaited my diagnosis.  He didn’t audibly say it, but I knew he was asking “What do you think?”  I know why he looked to me for advice.  First of all, I am a dad, and dads should know how to fix cars. Secondly, I am a dad who has gray hair, surely age has brought mechanical wisdom?  Sadly, anyone who knows me knows that I have NO IDEA how to fix a car.  I didn’t even pretend to know, I just looked down at the engine avoiding all eye contact, and sheepishly admitted,  

“Oh man I am so sorry, I have no idea what I am doing, so I don’t think you want advice from me.” In an effort to salvage my masculinity, I said “but… but you don’t need a ride, do you?”  

“No thanks though, I’m good.”  His tone was kind and appreciative, but laced with disappointment.  He was looking for someone to help fix his car, and I was no help whatsoever.  

The disciples were looking for help, guidance, and direction, which is exactly what God gave them.  They were not standing over an open car hood in a high school parking lot, they were sitting in a room in Jerusalem waiting for direction and guidance.  Suddenly, they were filled with the Holy Spirit poured out by God just as promised in what we know as Pentecost. The disciples had direction, guidance, and power for God’s mission.  

At Pentecost, our Lord stomped out the language barrier that had been set up long ago at the Tower of Babel and included all people speaking all languages in the NEW Covenant fulfilled by Christ and joined together in baptism. 

Though we are sinners, God knew what to fix and how to fix it.  In baptism we are claimed by Christ, filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel to all people. We proclaim with confidence that in Christ, God forgave sins and did the fixing for all eternity. 

On our own, we are left standing in the parking lot of life unable to fix the consequences of our sins.  But God sent his son Jesus to die for you, for me, and for EVERYONE who believes in Him.  He fixed our brokenness and gives us The Holy Spirit to guide us and  comfort us along the way.  

Sunday, we rejoice in the Church, united with one message... “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  What a blessing it is to share this promise with others.   

Join us Sunday as we celebrate the birth of the Church. I can’t wait.

Pastor Austin

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Connection Section

Getting to know the people of Grace Fellowship

Meet the Gould Family:

Blake, Becca, Blakely, & Bennett

I have known the Gould family for a couple of years now, meeting them for the first time when I was Blakely's first-grade teacher at Brush Creek Elementary. Right away, I could tell they were a special family, one that I could relate well with and form a friendship that would go beyond the classroom.

They signed Blakely up for VBS last summer, and since then have been faithful attendees at our 9 am service. Pastor Austin had the privilege of baptizing Blakely shortly thereafter. Blake and Blakely jumped in quickly to being on Sunday donut duty and greeting people at the door with joyful smiles. Becca was so gracious to offer their newborn baby, Bennett, to be Baby Jesus in our children's Christmas program and looks forward to joining our worship team in the near future.

What a wonderful addition the Gould family has been to our church family here at Grace Fellowship! Please keep their family in your prayers as Blake is beginning a new journey as a Vail Police Officer.

How long have you lived in the valley?

Blake and Becca moved to the Vail Valley from Austin, Texas back in 2014. We had been married for 18 months when a job opportunity for Blake persuaded us to move here. Little did we know what God had in store for us. We had a challenging start as most couples face with housing moving in January and having two little dogs. We faced many struggles during our first year here, but through our faith, we learned to lean on each other and trust in God's plan for us. Almost 10 years later we love calling this beautiful valley our home and feel so blessed to be thriving and raising our family here.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

We love to be outdoors and enjoy going camping. We purchased our first camper last spring and look forward to exploring the many sites to see in Colorado. We bring our kayaks along and Blake is out on the lake fishing any chance he gets. Our favorite thing to do as a family is our nightly bike rides around Eagle, family date nights, and traveling to Montana and Nebraska to visit our families.

Share something fun about yourself that we might not already know.

One fun fact that you may not know about us is that we were set up on a blind date back in 2010. Blake was a strength coach at the time and even appeared on the MTV show True Life, as a coach. Becca was nannying for an ABC news reporter at the time, a client of Blake's, that insisted that we meet each other. We were inseparable after our first date and Blake proposed six months later. We like to celebrate the day we met each year and last year Becca surprised Blake with the news that they were finally expecting a baby after over five years of infertility. We later that day shared the news with Blakely and our family is now complete!

Congratulations to our

Grace Fellowship High School Graduates! Join us in celebrating them Sunday,

May 28th @ 9 am

Ladies, mark your calendars for June 7th @ 6:30 pm!

Let's UNWIND together! Bring a friend and an appetizer if you wish. Monica will provide wine and snacks.

Connect Hour Groups continue for all ages

THIS Sunday, May 28th, from 10:15–10:45 am!

Missy will be meeting with all the Vacation Bible School Volunteers after church on June 4th. A HUGE thank you to those who have signed up to help! There is always room for more! The meeting shouldn't last long! See you then!

• Sign Up to Volunteer by Clicking HERE
• Register Your Child to Participate
• Invite Your Friends
• Pray for the Lives that will be Changed by this Experience
• Contribute Financially with a Special Offering for our VBS Programming by clicking HERE
• Purchase an item/s from our Amazon Supply Wish List by clicking HERE

Thank you for blessing the children of our church and our community! It makes an eternal difference!

Vacation Bible School

Registration is NOW OPEN!

Click HERE to Register

Kids and adults alike will have a blast shining Jesus' light into the world! Stellar VBS launches kids on an out-of-this-world experience that will build their faith to last light years to come!

Join in the fun of worship, games, discovery lessons, and more!

You don't want to miss out! Tell your friends!

Grace Fellowship's Annual Church Camping Trip!

Mark your calendars for this fun summer event!!

• Group campsite booked
• Paddleboarding, fishing, hiking, and more
• Connect with others around the campfire
• Fellowship Picnic at Sylvan on Sunday, July 9th
• Don't miss out!

The Chosen Bible Study will resume with

Season 2 in June.

Stay tuned for further details!

The Calendar at a Glance 

• May 28th, Pentecost Sunday Services, Connect Groups Meet, High School Graduates Celebrated at 9 am, Memorial Day Weekend

• June 4th, Sunday Services, Connect Groups Meet, VBS Volunteer Meeting at 12 pm

• June 7th, Grace Women's Gathering at Monica's @ 6:30pm. Details are above.

• June 11th, Sunday Services, Connect Groups Meet, VBS decorating at 12 pm. We'd love your help! Stay for pizza and help set up for Vacation Bible School

• June 13th, 14th, 15th, VBS from 9 am to Noon

• June 18th, Father's Day Worship Services, Fellowship Sunday

• June 25th, Sunday Services, Connect Groups Meet

Sunday Services

May 28th, 2023

9:00 or 11:00

-or-

ONLINE

KIDS' CHURCH at 9:00 am service

(Ages 3 through 5th grade)

Kids' Church follows the kid's sermon. They will further explore the day's sermon theme with their group. We can’t wait to see them!

NURSERY

Nursery for Newborns – 2 year olds.

Nursery is open during our 9:00 am service and during Connect Hour from 10:15-10:45!

Join us on Facebook this Sunday morning at approximately 9:15 AM, or view the recording anytime on Facebook, Vimeo or YouTube.

Click the image below to connect.

LORD JESUS, HEAL OUR LAND, OUR BODIES, AND OUR HEARTS.

Please pray for. . .

• High School and College Graduates, as they embark on a new chapter of life.

• Vacation Bible School, that Jesus will be proclaimed and glorified, that He will provide all that is needed, and that hearts and lives will be changed forever.

• John Kirchner, who was diagnosed with cancer. Lord, we ask that you surround him and Doris with an amazing and caring medical team and the love of those around them to support them on this journey. We ask that you heal John's body according to your will.

• Oliver, who is coming home after a long stay at the hospital to continue his recovery and therapy. Praise God for His provision, mercy, and grace for this little boy and his family!

• Rachel's unborn baby who is very small at this stage of development. Lord, we pray for the baby to continue to grow and for he or she to be born healthy and strong.

• Hope in Jesus to rise within our valley and our world for the many hurting people out there. Help us to continue to shine the Light in the darkness, share the Good News with others, and minister to those around us.



• Carol Proffitt, who has been sick and is homebound, and her daughter Pam who is caring for her. Grant them peace and comfort.

• everyone in our congregation and their families who are dealing with the pains and trials of cancer and other illnesses including Todd Purse; Connie Kerr; Keith; Chris; Sharon Hlavinka; Rance Ketterling; Darlee, Amanda; Jerry Wiisanen; Rosemarie; April; Suzanne, Mary's sister-in-law; Bonnie Lamotta; Mark Von Soosten, Aaron, and Ryan.

GOD'S WILL BE DONE