Sexuality is not the easiest topic to talk about with my children. It is certainly not the most comfortable conversation to have, but it is essential....

17 October, 2013

This weekend we heard from the Espinosas on their time in Allendale. Their family has lived in Allendale for the past two and a half years and will be looking to transition out the area the summer of 2014. Though their time in Allendale is...

14 October, 2013

If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? We often speak of missions as something we do, go on, or experience. Many a college counselor has read the dreaded my-summer-mission-trip-experience-changed-my-life essay from high school seniors. ...

02 October, 2013

I am desperate for the Holy Spirit in my life. I daily feel the tension of the spirit and flesh waging war in my soul. I deeply desire to serve the Lord....

02 October, 2013

A lot of times, I think the goal of my story is to be as clean and perfect and put-together as possible. That’s the kind of story, my pride thinks, that will leave a lasting impact. I couldn’t be more wrong. Those stories don’t resonate...

16 September, 2013

Women sitting around talking about sex. Sounds kind of weird. It may make you feel uncomfortable as that aspect of your life is very private. I understand....

09 September, 2013

I’ve been married for 26 years now. I used to think that our sex life would be forever broken; broken because of misconceptions we both had from our childhood and broken because of sexual mistakes we each made, separately and together. Sex was...

05 September, 2013

I love the energy, rush, and excitement of big cities. I love the people, cultures, languages, and ideas that constantly buzz around a city. Recently, I went to Starbucks and in the first 5 minutes I heard no less than 4 languages, the last of...

04 September, 2013

Ten years ago if you had invited me to a Bible study on sexuality, I probably would’ve thought that was weird. Growing up, the extent of information I was given from the Church about sex was that I didn’t need to have it. ...

02 September, 2013

To say that Kairos had an impact on my life is an understatement. These 10 weeks have matured me in areas of my life that I wasn’t expecting, and even changed the way I think in some respects. Throughout each week, I was constantly reminded...

07 August, 2013

I spent the first ten years of my life in a Southern Baptist church. Wednesday nights were G.A.’s. Although I never really understood the point of bible drills and I wasn’t sure who Lottie Moon was, I did look forward to those nights...

31 July, 2013

“I think God wants us to sell the house.” That wasn’t exactly what I expected to come out of my husband’s mouth on a Sunday afternoon about a year ago. We had purchased our first home with the idea that it might just be our...

24 July, 2013

This week we had the opportunity to hear the stories of several Lapilo men as they share their testimony of the work God has done in their lives and the lives of their families through Joseph Osborn. We are honored and excited to be a...

23 July, 2013

Morgan Pitman is a rising junior at Anderson University studying elementary education. Last summer she interned at Grace Church through the Kairos Summer program and came face-to-face with her own pride. Morgan learned a lot about humility, community, and redemption during her internship, and after...

10 July, 2013

The idea of “seasons” in a woman’s life was a concept that really resonated the first time I walked through the Ezer curriculum. The idea resonated because I knew personally how true it was....

09 July, 2013

In my Ezer group, one lady said that comparison is a thief of joy. I thought long and hard about how comparison is beneficial for me since I compare all the time....

24 June, 2013

Lending strength. When we think of this aspect of being an ezer, the unspoken assumption can be that, out of our surplus we, “the strong ones,” strengthen others, “the weak ones.”...

20 June, 2013

Kelly Swift has been attending Grace Church with her husband John for seven years. Mother of three, she has always had a special heart for those around her who are in need....

13 June, 2013

I was treated to a pedicure recently, and it got me thinking about this verse and the beautiful feet that Isaiah speaks of. Obviously the Scripture is not speaking of soft skin and painted nails!...

10 June, 2013

Our Kairos Summer Internship program is one of the key tools Grace Church uses to equip the next generation to live life on mission. As a new set of interns arrive for the summer, we've taken some time to catch up with previous interns to...

03 June, 2013

Ok, I admit it- I like to read about celebrities. On one site I frequent, typical headlines include, “XYZ Celeb Debuts Incredible Post-Baby Body” or “ABC Reality Star Shows Off Slim Bikini Body.” Upon closer inspection, I’ve noticed that these articles make me...

28 May, 2013

I understand that I am made in God’s image and I believe that he sees me as his beautiful child, but sometimes I feel like I could better embrace that idea if I were just ten pounds lighter....

23 May, 2013

As someone who has battled being overweight since childhood, pregnancy brings unique challenges to how I handle body image. Shifting my thinking to accept weight gain as necessary and even good becomes a consistent struggle....

20 May, 2013

That’s what I thought. In the weeks leading up to the Body Matters conference I read the blog posts detailing the struggles women were having with the issues of weight and shape and appearance....

09 May, 2013

Social media channels like Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and the like provide a window into what our country’s populace finds worthy of note. Interestingly, we are hearing from newscasters such as John King, formerly of CNN, and from renowned author on leadership Steven B. Sample...

08 May, 2013