Getting Close Archive

  • Back to Life

    Back to Life

    Submitted by Jenny…I hurt by back a couple weeks ago and wasn’t able to do much. Initially, it was a little embarrassing to answer the question at the doctor’s appointment about whether i experienced any trauma to my back…because the only real “trauma” I could...

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  • True Love on Valentine’s Day

    True Love on Valentine’s Day

    Submitted by Sarah…Ministering to the children at the Salvation Army on Valentine’s Day was like a breath of fresh air to me – I was in the midst of struggling with pitying myself for some issues I’ve been facing at home and work, but I...

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  • Finals and Fellowship

    Finals and Fellowship

    Submitted by Linda…After our bible study last Friday we invited the students over to Hackamore (the place Steve and Eunice live) and Black Oak (where the brothers live) for a night of intense studying. When everyone arrived, the placed was filled with students studying for...

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  • Giving Thanks for Thanksgiving Retreat

    Giving Thanks for Thanksgiving Retreat

    Submitted by Judy…This year’s Thanksgiving Retreat was really special because we had every Gracepoint church represented, including Austin, Hsinchu, and the new church plants!  From the perspective of someone coming from one of the new church plants, it felt like a big homecoming reunion and...

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  • A New Sense of Community

    A New Sense of Community

    Submitted by Francisca… These past few days I meditated on what’s the most drastic way my life has changed because of God and it would be becoming part of His community.  Coming into college I was very withdrawn from the world, I was so used...

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  • 700 aunties and uncles

    700 aunties and uncles

    I was really touched by Nathan’s sharing yesterday, on the part 3 video of the grumpy old men talk show (to be posted soon on gracepointvideo.org), when he said that he has about 700 aunties and uncles who love him and take care of him. ...

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  • Go Longhorns!

    Go Longhorns!

    Submitted by David… Coming from California (Go Bears!), I knew football was big in Texas. However, what I experienced on Saturday for Koinonia’s UT vs. Texas Tech game viewing was simply incredible. The 605 house which was purchased just this year was jam-packed with over...

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  • Doing LIFE in Texas

    Doing LIFE in Texas

    Submitted by Jackie… I can’t believe it’s only been about two months since Daryl and I moved to Austin. It’s been a whirlwind with Welcome Week, NSWN, DC outreach, Tex-Connect, LIFE groups…and just when I think we have some down time, we’re gearing up for...

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  • My 15th NSWN

    My 15th NSWN

    Wanted to share this with NSWN right around the corner….     This past weekend (Sept 2008), I attended Gracepoint Fellowship Church’s New Student Welcome Night for the 15th time since I graduated college! And it never gets old. We do the same skit every year, but...

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  • Contending as one man

    Contending as one man

    Submitted by Wilson… One consistent lesson I receive from mission trips that never ceases to amaze me is the lesson of how much a team of like-minded soldiers of Christ can accomplish in such a short amount of time. Even though we were only there...

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  • True bonding

    True bonding

    Submitted by Helen… I had a really good time at the interns retreat this past weekend. I was so thankful that I was able to go last minute. I was personally really blessed and challenged by the retreat (even though it wasn’t for me). The...

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  • Carried by others

    Carried by others

    Submitted by Christine… The three years before my father’s death in 2007 were the most difficult years of my life as I experienced two deaths in my family. However difficult it was though, I felt loved and cared for by people in this community. As...

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  • Living out a vision

    Living out a vision

    Submitted by Eunice… Last summer, we held the first annual Sophomore Discipleship Retreat at Sierra Lodge, led by Pastor Ed and Kelly Kang. It had only been a year since we first met these sophomores as wide-eyed frosh, and many of them didn’t really know...

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  • On the mat

    On the mat

    Submitted by Jiseon…. I am so so very grateful that we were able to get the surgery this past Friday and that it went successfully. I was so grateful for many provisions we experienced since Kenny’s dramatic turn of events this Friday. I was grateful...

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  • Graduating from law school

    Graduating from law school

    Submitted by Andrea…  (who just got married to Will Sam today by the way!  Congratulations!!) Graduating from law school last May was an important milestone and such a clear reminder of God’s goodness and faithfulness in my life. I remembered coming to Hastings and SF...

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  • Facing trials together

    Facing trials together

    Submitted by Joe… As Annie, my wife, went through chemotherapy almost a year ago, I had a chance to reflect on how this experience of her battle with cancer, while frightening, also enabled me to experience God’s blessing of love and encouragement from many people...

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  • Youth days to wedding day

    Youth days to wedding day

    Submitted by Jin…   For those who I’ve talked with, no one told me that preparing for their wedding was stress-free. They always talk about how stressful it was. And for us, this was no exception. What I do find as the exception, though, is the...

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  • Sophomore discipleship retreat

    Sophomore discipleship retreat

    Submitted by Tim…    Don’t miss out on this year’s retreat sophomores!  I think one of the best parts of the retreat was the atmosphere. It was eye opening and thought provoking while still being fun and relaxed. Some people expected another winter retreat with all...

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  • First Sunday

    First Sunday

    Yesterday was a full day wasn’t it?  So busy!  First home worship services for 18 groups, the smallest being about 10 and the largest about 50.  Wow! Because our home services didn’t start until 1pm, Helen and I met with a World Vision representative in...

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  • Camping closeness

    Camping closeness

    Submitted by Jason…   As Gracepoint Berkeley is about to enter a summer of times spent in home church, smaller group outings, I hope we can experience getting closer to one another… Catching 18 rainbow trout, devouring mounds of food around a campfire, taking four college...

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  • G-Live with the seniors

    G-Live with the seniors

    Submitted by Frances… One of the biggest sources of joy for me in the past two months was the G-Live (Gracepoint-Live) experience. Something about this time around stands out much more than the previous experiences. Though it started off a bit slow and late in...

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  • Mom’s Getaway

    Mom’s Getaway

    I had so much fun at Gracepoint Fellowship’s first Mom’s Getaway a few weeks ago, when over 40 mothers and mothers to be gathered at our Sierra Lodge to have a time to de-stress and just simply enjoy one another’s company. It was so easy...

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