By Joyce Wachsmuth -- On April 10, as part of the blog, Greg shared an e-mail that Lee Ballard wrote to the worship team. With Lee’s permission, the story was shared with us all. Lee, you touched my heart as you candidly shared about your encounter with a homeless man. It truly is the...
By Wayne Williams -- Well, these are certainly historic days we are living through! This COVID-19 crisis is more world-wide than either of the world wars of the last century. Our grandchildren will be telling their grandchildren about it. But would you mind terribly if I didn’t say too...
By Greg Lunsford -- We cannot express how much we are missing gathering with you all. I am blown away by how well you are staying connected with one another and the missional hearts you have during this time. Last Saturday, our Food Pantry kicked off again to serve those in need of food. If...
By Sara Bettinger -- Hello church family! How are you? We miss seeing you face-to-face. When we finally get to be together again, it will feel like a reunion, with so many things to catch up on. I really hope that you are all well and finding little bits of richness in this unusual season of...
By Joyce Wachsmuth -- Aloha GPBC Ohana! (ohana means “family” in Hawaiian), In general “Aloha” means love. I send my love to each one of you. I must admit that I have taken for granted the opportunity to gather in groups and be a part of worship gatherings every Sunday...
By Mitch Lea -- All of us at Stephen Ministries hope and pray that you, your loved ones, and the people you care for are healthy and safe. I hope you receive comfort in God’s words from Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will...
By Sally Bland -- WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON!?! Our lives have drastically changed in the last week due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are adjusting to a new normal, and we don’t know how long this new normal will last. Kids don’t have school, people are isolating themselves...
By Joyce Wachsmuth -- My husband Doug and I first heard about the coronavirus while we were on vacation in Hawaii about four weeks ago. At that time we had a lot of questions, such as, “Will this affect our travel back to the mainland? How do I protect myself from catching the virus?...
By Wayne Williams -- I caught the virus last week. No, no, no, not the new and potentially fatal coronavirus (COVID-19), but the much more common and not dangerous GKID-5 virus. Paulette and I spent the week caring for five of our grandchildren while their parents were traveling and I came home...
By Greg Lunsford -- At the beginning of February, Caris and I gathered a team of creatives at Greater Portland, and we began to dream for the coming Lent season that leads us to Good Friday and Easter. A recurring theme kept speaking to our collective hearts. That theme was...