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By Jeff Webb Not long ago I planted a few tomato plants in the backyard. Now, I’ll be honest with you— when it comes to gardening, I approach it with the same level of confidence I bring to assembling furniture from IKEA. Which is to say, I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing, but I’m hopeful something will come out looking roughly like the picture on the box.
So, I bought the plants, dug the holes, watered them faithfully, and waited.
And waited. And waited.
For a while, nothing happened. No tomatoes. No flowers. Just leaves. Lots of leaves. At one point I began to wonder if I had accidentally planted decorative greenery instead of vegetables. I was beginning to suspect the tomatoes had unionized and gone on strike.
Then one morning I walked outside and there it was—one small, green tomato. It wasn’t impressive. It looked like a marble that had wandered into the wrong part of the yard. But it was proof that something had been happening the whole time beneath the surface.
The seed had been alive long before I ever saw the fruit.
Faith works a lot like that. | | Congregational Meeting This Sunday | | | | |
On March 15, a brief congregational meeting will be held in the fellowship hall following the morning worship service. There will be no lunch, and all are welcome to attend. | | | | | |
Child Evangelism Fellowship of Illinois is bringing a special Easter Party Club to the kids of Grace Bible Church this Sunday, March 15! Join us for an exciting time filled with fun games, lively songs, and a meaningful Easter Bible story. Most importantly, children will hear the life-changing message of the Gospel and have the opportunity to respond to an invitation to trust in Christ. Parents are welcome to join the celebration if they would like to be part of the fun! All Child Evangelism Fellowship workers serving at this event have been carefully approved through CEF leadership and have completed background checks and thorough screening processes to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for every child. It’s going to be a joyful and memorable time—we can’t wait to celebrate Easter together! | | | | | |
Easter Week is just around the corner, beginning March 29 with Palm Sunday! We invite you to join us as we celebrate this special season together. You can view all Easter Week events and additional church activities at gbcwa.org/events including: - Palm Sunday | March 29 | 10:30 AM
- Lord's Supper & Potluck | Thursday | April 2 | 6:00 PM
- Good Friday Candlelight Vigil | April 3 | 7:00 PM
- Sunrise Service & Breakfast | April 5 | 6:35 AM
- Easter Service | April 5 | 10:30 AM
If you’re planning to attend the Lord’s Supper & Potluck, please consider bringing a dish to share. You can also sign up to bring a breakfast item for the Sunrise Service & Breakfast by VISITING THE WEBSITE HERE or by adding your name to the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the foyer. We look forward to celebrating the hope and joy of Easter with you! | | | |
One of the great joys of being a child of God is that we get to manage his money. Whether you are tithing or giving an offering, Grace Bible Church online giving is now available multiple ways. - Through the Church website under the "GIVE" TAB (drop down menu) on the HOME page.
- By simply CLICKING HERE and then choosing the fund you would like to give to.
- By activating the GBC QR code (below) by using your camera.
As always, you can give cash or check by placing it into the offering plates in the back of the sanctuary; or, by mailing it to: Grace Bible Church Attn: Treasurer, 1109 S. Main Street, Washington, IL. 61571. 
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You won't believe how much fun Hot Soup Lunch is until you come see for yourself! We have a fabulous time together and mingle around two steaming pots of hot soup. We'll be looking for volunteers to cook a soup each week. This week we are having a Sharon Goebel Special and a Muriel Madsen Special. You can bring a side or just come. And as usual, the church will supply crackers, cutlery, bowls, and such. This is a great opportunity for our church to get together and invite friends and family to join us in fellowship. There is a short prayer and opportunities given by God for us to encourage one another and lift others up. We'll meet on Thursdays at noon until March 26. We hope to see you there! | | | | | | | | COMING MARCH 29! Christianity 103, the third of three multi-session classes, is designed to equip serious Christians for an authentic, fruitful walk with Christ. SIGN-UP HERE. Don't miss out on this invaluable opportunity to learn and share. | | | | | |
Get those secret family recipes ready and fire up the stove—it’s time for our 2nd annual Chili & Pie Cook-Off! Bring your boldest chili. Bake your flakiest pie. Claim your bragging rights! Join us Sunday, March 29, from 5:00–8:30 PM for a night packed with flavor, fun, and friendly competition. A panel of judges will award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes for both chili and pie—so bring your A-game! Not feeling competitive? We still need you! Be part of the action by serving in the kitchen or bringing tasty extras like cornbread, soup crackers, sour cream, and onions. The judges may keep it simple, but the rest of us love piling on the fixin’s! Sign up on the bulletin board this Sunday—or skip the line and SIGN UP TO BRING CHILI HERE or SIGN UP TO BRING PIE HERE. Let the cooking begin! | | | | | |
True Conference is a women’s conference hosted by Connect Church right here in town (1750 Washington Rd., Washington, IL 61571). It will take place Friday, April 17, from 6:00–9:30 PM, and continue Saturday, April 18, from 9:00 AM–4:00 PM.
You can attend Friday evening, Saturday, or the full conference experience—whatever works best for your schedule!
This will be a meaningful time of encouragement, connection, and spiritual growth with other women in our community.
If you are interested or want more info sign up HERE.
If you have decided to come SIGN UP HERE. You will have a choice of what you want for lunch. When prompted, please select “Grace Bible Church” as your seating option.
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Save the date for this year's Bike Rodeo: Thursday, May 21! | | | | | |
The VBS Planning Team is looking for volunteers to help with KINGDOM QUEST VBS! VBS will be June 14 -18 6:15 -8:30 pm. Please see the Volunteer Roster on the bulletin board in the foyer to sign-up. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Maureen Isenberg. | | | | | |
These items are to be considered for sale, given away, or disposed of. The Trustees and the Official Board have decided to offer these items to the congregation as a first step. The following is a list of all the items available: - 3 Black Rolling Stands
- Electric Organ Including Speakers
- 2 2x6 Wood Tables
- 8 Five Foot Round Wood Tables
- Wood Old Style Pulpit
- 2 Wood Straight Back Chairs
If you are interested, please contact one of the trustees: Dan Beutel, Eric Glaser, Ray Cheek, or Chuck McDonough.
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Join the Elders for weekly prayer at Grace Bible Church every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM. This time together is the foundation of our ministry at GBC. All are welcome, and we hope you’ll come for this special service. | |
How would you like to read scripture for the congregation on Sunday morning? It is a small service with great empowerment by the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword." The reader is supplied with the scripture in ESV. Please let Pastor Jeff Webb or Lisa Collins know if you are interested, or CLICK HERE to sign up! | | | | | |
The GBC elders are asking you to join them in praying for our pastor. Pastor Jeff sends out a brief summary of his day's prayer needs throughout the week. If you are willing to commit to praying for him, email Lisa at lcollins@gbcwa.org and let her know to put you on the email list. Thank you in advance for your sacrifice. | | | | | | | | | |
Our Website is: gbcwa.org
Our address is: Grace Bible Church 1109 S Main St Washington, IL 61571-2506
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