Growing in Grace

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8

Dear People of St. David’s,

A new year of life, mission, and ministry are upon us. New opportunities to worship God, share our gifts, make new friends, have a little fun, and to make a difference in the world.
With this new program year comes a theme to help us live into our mission of knowing God in Jesus Christ and making Christ known to others. The theme each year directs our focus to one aspect of the Christian faith, in the hope that we can grasp hold and deepen our commitment, and lives, in God.

This year, our theme is Growing in Grace. Grace is the defining gift of the Christian life. It is the promise revealed through Jesus’s birth, ministry, death, and resurrection that shows us the depth of God’s love for us. God loves us, just as we are – all of us. Grace is the gift of God’s love present in our lives to lift us out of our sorrow and sin. Grace is the gift that lifts us above our struggles and failing. Grace is receiving all the goodness God intends for our lives, even when we don’t deserve it. Grace is the power of God’s love that overcomes all obstacles and challenges. Grace is the gift that opens the way for us to know God’s love and to live our lives in all their fullness.

Our hope is that over the course of this year, we will come to know God’s grace more and more. We will be preaching and teaching to learn just what God’s grace means for us, as well as taking part in worship and activities that will help us grasp His grace. To help others learn this amazing gift of God for their lives, we will practice becoming persons and people of grace.

So let me invite you more deeply into the life of grace, so that you may know in your heart and soul the love God has for you. May God send His Spirit upon us and among us, so that we may grow in grace.
See you in church!

Grace and Peace,
The Rev. W. Frank Allen