City of Grace Mesa

There have been many requests to provide timely notification to our church body when people who are part of our church have passed away or are hospitalized, or when there has been a birth. I hear from many people who would like to know when funerals/memorials are and too often have found out after the services have occurred.

Now with City of Grace’s new website and the ability to post a blog (Web Log) immediately, with the family’s permission, we will post updated information when someone has passed away and the details of the funeral/memorial service. If you would like this information, check back frequently, it will be updated daily. Under Congregational Care, the blog’s name will be “Congregational Care Announcements.” We will leave new information on the blog for one week. This is also true for hospitalizations and births. With the family’s permission, we will post the information on the blog when we receive it.

When a death occurs, many times there have been no arrangements made and there are many questions. We want to help you and your family with referrals to mortuaries and walk alongside you to help with all aspects of the funeral/memorial service planning.

We also have an email prayer line for those on our Prayer Team. If you are not on this team, this new blog will allow you to pray for those who need comfort or pray for those who are excited at the birth of a new child. I’d also like to ask you to contact me if you hear of one of our church family who needs a hospital visit or if there has been a birth or death. We have many ways we can minister to a family.

Also, I strongly encourage you to become part of a small group, whether it is a LifeGroup or support group, because this is a great way for our City of Grace church family to be very effective in ministering to one another. It is important that we care for one another and pray for one another. God calls us into community with one another. Many times I hear, “I don’t know what I would have done without the support of my LifeGroup.”

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us (1John 4:11-12).

We have a Pastor on call 24 hours a day for emergencies. The pager number is 480-837-4050. The Pastor on call will return your call within 30 minutes. If you have a non-emergency that you would like to list on our prayer line please call 480-464-3984.

God’s Word tells us many times about the importance of prayer and praying for one another.

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed (James 5:13-16).

So check back often. Again, the blog will be named “Congregational Care Announcements” and we will update it daily.

If you would be interested in serving in the Congregational Care Ministry, please contact me at the email below or 480-464-3916.

Linda Rinzel

Pastor of Congregational Care