In my office hangs a print of the painting “In His Image” by William Zdinak.  The painting is a collection of faces, when viewed together make up the head and shoulders of Christ.  The story behind the painting is inspiring.  … Continue reading →

The new year begins with the month of January.  January is named after the Roman God Janus.  Janus, in Roman mythology, is the God of beginnings and transitions.  He is often depicted as having two faces— one looking back to … Continue reading →

When I was a kid growing up in Southern California, my family always went way out of its way to decorate our house.  We would put up life size Santa and his reindeer, a full-blown Santa’s workshop, complete with numerous … Continue reading →

Over the next several weeks there are some important events which will be taking place in the life of our church.  Beginning this Sunday, we are starting our stewardship drive for the 2012 budget.  You will be receiving commitment cards … Continue reading →

Here’s an interesting question:  When does a person stop changing?  The answer is: When he/she dies.  We, as human organisms, are organic beings, which means we are in a constant state of change.  We are not the same from moment … Continue reading →

A couple of months ago, while discussing our worship service with Church Life, I made the decision to remove the order of worship from the Sunday morning bulletin.  I have heard, mostly through Beth, our church secretary, that there are … Continue reading →

I have been reading a fascinating, thought provoking book entitled, Missional Church:  A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America.  In this book, the authors make the following observation about the church’s ministry and mission, “…the church … Continue reading →

Ecclesiology is what we believe about the church.  Ecclesiology answers such questions as: “What is the purpose of the church?”, “What is the most important task of the church?” and, “How should the church relate to the world?”  Whether we … Continue reading →

Grace Baptist Church came into being in 1893 and has been located on the same site since its inception.  I can’t imagine what this part of Portland looked like in 1893, but I know the Montavilla neighborhood has changed a … Continue reading →