May, 2022
To our SWAP friends,
What a difference a year makes! Masks – no masks. Plastic chairs – comfy chairs. Limited number of people gathering together – social life once again.
On Sunday, April 24, several of you – 55 to be exact - were able to attend our first official indoor social gathering since 2020. Although I personally couldn’t join you (due to hip replacement surgery – an event that happens in our Senior group!), I have heard wonderful reviews of your time spent together. Here are a few quotes:
- I felt there was a lot of interaction with folks and everyone enjoying themselves.
- Music was OUTSTANDING!
- Numbers were over our expectations!
- Visited with several people I didn’t know
- Kudos to Helene Hughitt and Marsha Pierpoint for their organizational skills
- Social time well thought out and well planned.
- (You can think about your own response and share that with others!)
Your SWAP Committee is planning many opportunities for meeting together in the coming months. In fact, we have ideas for the next YEAR, both socially and educationally! So….read your newsletter every month and also emails from GCF. We’re working with the office for improved and more frequent communication.
SAVE THE DATE:
(Stop here and go get your pen/calendar.)
(Ready??)
First opportunity for Seniors…help our youth attend Camp Hume and Camp Tadmor this summer.
We’re raising 5k to send students to Summer Camp and need your help! At the gathering on Sunday we brought in $850.00! What a great start! $4150.00 to go! We are only accepting checks made out to GCF (we’re very old school!). Please be sure to add “Youth Summer Camp donations – SWAP” to the memo line when donating. Bring your contribution to church (perhaps in an envelope with ‘For Youth from SWAP’ on front?) or cash with a detailed note enclosed or mail your contribution to GCF, Youth Camp Fund, 989 Country Club Road, Eugene, OR 97401. What a wonderful way for our youth to realize how much the ‘grandma and grandpa’s’ of their church family value them!
Senior Seminar (open to entire church body and the public) – May 24 – 6:00pm @ GCF
“Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia”
Presented by the Alzheimer’s Association
It will be appreciated if you would register online here: https://gcfweb.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/517/responses/new or you may leave us a message with how many will attend at (541) 683-9205 or email info@gcfweb.org
Senior Seminar (open to entire church body) – June date TBA
“Estate Planning”
Presented by June and Justice McCann
Summer Event – July 24 – Time TBA @ GCF Lawn
“Gathering on a Sunday”
‘Under the Tent’ Outdoor Post-Covid Potluck
Service Project – August 27-28 – details TBA
“Project Hope”
Before retirement we are often told by retirees that they have no idea how they ever had time to work! I, for one, find this very true. However, I also find for God’s children the reason behind this is because we commit our retirement time to our Lord’s service and He gives us opportunities to learn, share, and serve in all the right areas for our growth, when we ask and are willing. Plus we also have the privilege of gathering together. These dates above are opportunities your SWAP Team has prayed about before filling your calendar and we truly believe God has led us in this direction for our growth. We look forward to gathering with you each month.
Tracy Sims – Operations Pastor
Tracy Sims attended Grace while going to college sometime around 1990. I personally remember Tracy and his wife, Stacey, having their first baby – a little girl. I was new to Grace at that time and when the call went out for meals, I thought “I can do that”. I consider it my first service opportunity at Grace! I was blessed!
Tracy and Stacey now have four kiddos – Caitlyn – that baby girl (married to Josh Hill), Josh (married to Ashley), Jacob, and Ethan. Tracy says, “We have had the opportunity to experience a wide variety of life journeys in the past 25 years. 😊
He goes on to tell us:
“I started (employment) at GCF in 2005 when, for the third time, Pastor Steve asked me to lead the Small Groups and served in that capacity until 2020 when I moved into the role of Operations Pastor. I enjoy the people and the atmosphere that no question is off limits.
I grew up going to church and probably made some decision to follow Jesus early on – I really don’t remember. 😊 I do remember that in high school I decided I either had to be all-in or not-in my allegiance to Jesus. It was at that point that I became more serious about following Him. This may sound simple, but it seems my calling has been to love the unlovable – to embrace the messiness of people’s lives.
When I asked Tracy for a bit of advice to Seniors, he said he wasn’t sure he would have advice. “I would be more prone to be quiet and listen to the advice of the Seniors! If you pushed me on the question, I would say don’t stop investing relationally with the generations behind you.”
When visiting with Steve Hill many years ago he said to me, “I couldn’t do my job properly if I didn’t have Tracy to support me.” Good job, Tracy! Keep working for the Lord and for us at GCF!!
I, for one, think Tracy’s advice to us is most important. We need to continue to invest our time, energy, and chocolate chips cookies in our family, neighbors, and even those strangers we haven’t met yet, especially the children and teens. Everyone needs grandparents! After all, we are the grandparents of the world! Perhaps we could start today by writing our check and sending a kid to camp.
Hope you plan to join us at the next event – May 24th!
SEE ATTACHED FLYER
Perhaps you can print and share the flyer with your friends and neighbors.
If not, please share the information.
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