Remember God's Past Faithfulness

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Deuteronomy 7:6-9

Deuteronomy 7:6–9 (ESV)
“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,
but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
This is what I want to look at today as we start this service, and a new part of our history. We cannot think we will succeed in the future if we forget where we came from. how we got here.
Granted that we were not called out of Egyptian slavery, but the principle is the same.
So how did we get here?
Back in 2009 a group of people started meeting in Barb’s living room to pray and seek God’s face for the possibility of starting a new church in Pottstown.
From prayer gatherings there and at the home of Rick and Laura Jo Ely the initial nucleus of Grace Covenant Church was established.
Charter members Dave and Diana Swenk, Rick and Laura Jo, Greg and Jill, Koreen, Rick and Barb were united in their purpose.
Elders Randy Schultz, Dave Frame and Rick Ely formed the first Elder Team to work with Pastor Rick as the leadership of GCC was formed.
God did not call them because they were a large, powerful group of people. But because they were praying and God is faithful.
It was also obvious that a church can’t stay in a living room. So there was a need to find a place to meet as a congregation.
On Aug 30 2009 the first service was held at West Mont. They were gracious to provide the space and accepted whatever donation we could give.
From here a new ministry was birthed.
A worship team was formed with people and equipment borrowed, bought and donated from others
Children’s and youth Ministry started
Men’s Bible Study and Ladies Bible Study started
New people started joining
Prayer meetings and prayer dinners happened.
Breakfasts, Dinners, games nights started
There were efforts to reach out to the community. A yearly back pack picnic.
A monthly prayer walk through Pottstown.
We partnered with the North Coventry food pantry. Donated food, provide volunteers. Collected Christmas presents for the families of Nor Co Food pantry.
We had a food table that sent out a lot of food to the church and neighbors
We began supporting CCI
There were retreats for youth, men, ladies and we started partnering with other churches for these retreats.
If there was something that characterized GCC it was generosity
It sounds great doesn’t it? And it is.
God blessed us with godly leadership, generous givers, a worship team, and a place to meet, ministry volunteers.
But if we are going to remember how we got here we have to remember there are down times
Lamentations 3:1-8 ESV
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace.
There were and are hard times
Some ministries ran their course
We had some lean times and had to reduce some of our missionary support (we have restored and increased thanks to your generosity adding tHe Bowdens and Scholls.
We had people move away
Some left due to differences in biblical belief and practice
Sometimes the Elders had to excercise discipline. Some folks were restored and others walked away
Some were called home
Jenn Grub
Geralyn Hagan
Nancy Mace
Sam Mace
Mary Ann Knarr
We survived a pandemic and like most churches not everyone came back
All this to say that there are seasons. In our personal lives, in our spiritual lives and even in church. It would be nice if our lives were a perfect 45 degree trajectory of constant growth and progress. But as someone once said the Christian life is like playing with a yo yo while walking up a flight of stairs
In the end God has preserved and protected us through any and every season
And we can never forget it is not about how much money, or activity, it is about the ministry to people
Fran
Koreen
In the end, it is God who has formed us, guided us and been part of every step forward, sideways even backwards. Moving us farther along
Lamentations 3:22–24 (ESV)
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
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