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Gratia Easter Service: Joy of Resurrection

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On April 17, 2022, Gratia Church held a graceful Easter service to celebrate the joy of the resurrection and the victory of the Lord. The service began with a special Easter song that young members of Gratia had prepared.

The sermon delivered by Pastor Walker Tzeng, was on John 21:1-14 entitled, “Palm Sun It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn”. The sermon focused on the Lord’s grace in guiding us from the cross towards the resurrection. He encourages us to be fishers of men with a new net and boat, which is the Word and belongs to Church. We are a living sacrifice in living communion with God through the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Following the baptism, members had communion together with the service of bread and wine, which Sister Kellie organized. It was a beautiful time when the body of Christ could celebrate the Lord’s love and life that he gave to all of us.

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Gratia Holds Graceful Easter Retreat 

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Gratia held a graceful Easter retreat on April 16, 2022. During the Easter Retreat, Pastor Walker preached on John 20 over two Bible Studies. The first Bible study focused on Mary, John, and Peter’s witness of the empty tomb. The second Bible Study focused on the receiving of the Holy Spirit and doubting Thomas. Members were exhorted to go beyond the cross and live a life of resurrection.

After the Bible studies in the morning members hiked Mt Davidson where there is a big cross on top of the mountain and enjoyed the beautiful nature. Everyone received abundant grace through this time and wants to celebrate the risen Christ.

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Gratia Spring Retreat Concludes with Overflowing Grace 

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Gratia Church concluded spring retreat with overflowing grace from God. They gathered in the mountains of Yosemite and the theme of the retreat is “The Path of the Cross” studying through the recording of the path of the cross from John 18-19.

During breaking bread fellowship time, many of the newer Bible Study students testified to understanding the suffering of Jesus more deeply. Meal times were full of grace because retreat attendees had spent a long two days with one another and now know each other more deeply as a spiritual family and could share grace in fellowship together.

As retreat attendees parted ways, many spoke about wanting to gather again more frequently. Please pray for all retreat attendees take a leap of faith towards God’s glory and Kingdom through the grace of God given at this spring retreat.

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Christmas Retreat : The Birth of Jesus, Fellowship, Prayer

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On December 19, 2021, Gratia Church continued its Christmas Retreat and members and Bible Study students from all these regions are gathering in the mountains of Lake Tahoe to enjoy God’s Word, fellowship, and prayer together.  

Day 2 of this graceful retreat featured the opening services, Sunday service, and multiple Bible Studies.  The opening services was delivered by Pastor Nancy who spoke about spiritual blindness and the importance of opening our eyes and heart to Jesus Christ. 

Pastor Walker and Julia Tzeng did several Bible Studies on Matthew 1-3.  Pastor Walker’s message on Matthew 1 was also the Sunday service and focused on the birth of Jesus as the coming of infinite eternal God into our limited and finite world.  Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.  Pastor Julia message on Matthew 2 emphasized this fallen world in which Jesus came.  Whereas many want to just leave this fallen world, Jesus came to save this world with amazing love and grace.  

Following a full day of Bible Studies, the retreat featured fellowship games where the members to celebrate in laughter and joy.  Also, in between Bible Studies, were plenty of time to take walks, sit in fellowship, and have meals.  Through these times, members could speak deeply about faith and understand a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

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Gratia Family Celebrates Thanksgiving with Students

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On November 25, 2021, Gratia Church family celebrated Thanksgiving with Bible study students who were not able to go home for Thanksgiving. Moses and Levi both said it was their first ever Thanksgiving celebration, since they do not celebrate Thanksgiving in their home countries. Other members of Gratia celebrated Thanksgiving with their families. Gratia members are so thankful for God’s grace upon the church in this year.

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Thanksgiving Retreat Overflowing in Grace, Gratitude

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On November 20, 2021, Gratia held a Thanksgiving mini-retreat that was overflowing in grace and gratitude to God. The mini-retreat Bible Studies were led by Pastor Walker Tzeng who preached two messages on Joseph from Genesis 37-50. Through the stories of Joseph, Pastor Tzeng emphasized important aspects of faith such as purity, receiving the love of God, focusing on the Word, and receiving the dream of the Kingdom of God.

The mini-retreat also featured time of praise and prayer. Following the Bible Studies, students had breaking bread to reflect on the message.  Members testified overflowing grace of God through the Thanksgiving retreat.  After the retreat, some members had further fellowship by going to the San Francisco beach together.

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Monday Group Bible Study

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Gratia church held a Monday group Bible study on October 25 and they studied Romans 8. There were two newcomers who joined it along with regular attendees and the sharing after the Bible study was very touching and graceful.

“ This Bible study is really deep and touched me so much. When I think about the comparison mind governed by the flesh versus the mind governed by the spirit, it hits me how I am living. I obey God in order to get things from God versus I obey God to get God and to delight and resemble him in love is a huge difference. I want to find back my original relationship with God by reflecting this message.” shared Alice.

We pray that all members can continue to grow deeper in the Word of God and experience God’s grace every moment.

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Gratia Graceful Joint Retreat with Berkeley Students

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Gratia church and Berkeley students had a very graceful joint retreat on October 9. They studied Genesis 6-9, the story of Noah. There were two Bible studies in the morning and had an outdoor fellowship in the afternoon.

“We learned about Fall of Adam and how sin spread in Cain and see results in the time of Noah. How is history? It is divided; a fallen history of sin in the world and a righteous history of God building the Kingdom of God. We learn the history of God through Noah how God judges the evilness of the world but He continues the history through the righteous ones. There’s time for judgment and all evil will be judged precisely, sin always has its limit. The God of love is also God of justice, in love, there is justice and evilness is not just forgiven but judged.” said pastor Walker in the Bible study.

Students received lots of grace through the time of retreat and held the sharing time one by one and prayed for each other. After lunch, they hiked a short trail near Berkeley and members were able to get to know each other deeply through talking and sharing their life.

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Gratia Continues on Teaching and Evangelism

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Gratia church had graceful individual and group Bible studies. Ivan, Kellie and Bill had individual Bible studies with pastor Walker and Julia. Each of them continues to learn the Sermon on the Mount, Galatians and Romans and every time they receive lots of grace and deepen their understanding on the Word of God.

In the late afternoon, there was group Bible study with regular students and studied Romans 6. Afterward, they shared their struggles in their sins honestly and openly and prayed for each other.

Pastor Walker and Julia went out for the campus evangelism in the afternoon and made  appointments who wants to join the Bible study this week. They want to continue on teaching and evangelism and pray that God can let them grow in His grace.

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Gratia Holds Dedication Service at New Location

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On September 26, 2021, Gratia Church held a dedication service for its new location where it will hold Wednesday Service, Friday Prayer Meeting, Bible studies, and other fellowship activities. Gratia will continue to hold Sunday service at its chapel location which was previously dedicated, but held a special Sunday service for this day.

In the sermon, Pastor Tzeng spoke about rebuilding which was the situation of Nehemiah and the Israelite nation.  In the same way, we are relocation and building a new location after a pandemic.  All of us are also rebuilding our lives after the pandemic.  

What we see from Nehemiah is concern after hearing about the devastation from his brothers that came back from Jerusalem.  Nehemiah could have easily ignored it being around the grand palace, but he had a deep concern.   For us, nothing will ever change if we don’t begin with concern for this fallen world and the restoration of God’s Kingdom.  

Also, Nehemiah had conviction for God’s greatness, who is higher than even the kings of the world.  In the face of God’s greatness, he humbly confessed his own sinfulness.  This is the honesty of Nehemiah that it wasn’t someone else’s sin, but it is all of our sin.  He didn’t try to blame anyone, but owned up to the problem.

In the final part of Nehemiah’s prayer, we see the confidence he has in God’s promise that God will do what He has already said.  At the same time, Nehemiah was personally committed to God using him to complete His work.  He didn’t pray for someone else to do it, but he prayed for himself to be used by God. May this prayer of Nehemiah strengthen us and may Gratia Church be a place of great prayer.