Grace Community Church

Yesterday we worshiped at Grace Community Church, 9160 Marshall Road, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, 724.779.7997, www.mygcc.org, Matt Kaltenberger, Lead Pastor.

Scripture – NIV

Isaiah 59:2

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Galatians 4:4-5

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

Romans 10:9

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Bob’s thoughts:

With some obligations on Sunday, we looked to worship on Friday night or Saturday and remembered this church. We were invited to visit last year by a recovery room nurse whom we saw too often as patients.

We were greeted at the entry door, by the doorkeeper who let us into the sanctuary, and during the service by a woman we knew from another church. We had a delightful conversation with a pastor after the service.

I found a cross on the logo projected on the screen, but that was the only one I could find.

There was an occasional spotlight that panned over the crowd that was so blinding I had to sit down, but seeing the two female leads in the praise band projected onto the screen made me feel much more connected.

The message on loneliness was well delivered and meticulously supported by Scripture. Loneliness was the first thing in God’s creation that wasn’t good. We get so busy with our lives then find ourselves in a crowd of “strangers we happen to be related to.”

The take-away from the sermon: “Jesus left His home in heaven so we don’t have to be alone.”

The pastor seemed to relate well with the congregation by putting a lot of himself into the message.

I appreciated the rack of picture cards of the staff in the lobby. So often we are stuck trying to put a name with a face we remember.

It would be helpful if there was signage to the church that shows up in the dark from Route 19.

Jan’s thoughts:

With a commitment to spend Sunday afternoon at a funeral home, we chose to worship Saturday night.

The interior of this building is appealing, with a beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the entryway and a contained waterfall against the wall straight ahead. We got a cup of coffee (appreciating the decaf being available) and found seats, at which point I noticed something I think was new…cup holders! And from the number of folks with cups, I think it was a great idea.

Announcements were pre-recorded and delivered on the screens for the most part, but the campus pastor, Bob Zonts, made some comments also. They have a class of 60 people joining soon.

Apparently the lead pastor, who preached, was just returning after four weeks away, which had given him time to ponder many things. Thus he urged everyone to make it a point to return in January for the series he will present called “Roadwork” based on the premise that the Christian life is a journey. I suspect it will be pretty good, and I plan to download Grace’s app so I can listen to some messages on my commute. I guess I’ll also do some “roadwork…”

His message surprised me with its gravity, as he spoke of loneliness. He stated that loneliness is the first thing God saw in creation that He said was not good, and pointed out that Jesus left His home in heaven so we would not have to be alone.

He outlined the steps to overcoming loneliness:

1 – Invite Jesus into our lives and then actually let the walls down and let Him in;

2 – Live in relationship with Jesus;

3 – Learn to live in community with others.

He told the story of something I’ve done also, trying to navigate an unfamiliar room in the dark, and compared it to our attempts to navigate the darkness of life without the Light of the World, a superb analogy I thought. And he asked where we turn when the world caves in on us, as it surely does for most at some point. The only answers, of course: God, Jesus, and each other.

I loved the passion in his presentation; he was real and honest and open, which made me believe he knows whereof he spoke.

I appreciated the time the campus pastor took to talk with us after worship.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray You continue to send people here who need to connect in worship until we are all connected with You. Amen.