So Long, Farewell

Today is officially my final day here at Grace Chapel. There's so much that can be said, but I did my best to put it all in my farewell sermon on Sunday. If you missed that message, check it out here. Suzy, Ian, Maisie, and I have been truly blessed to call Grace Chapel home for the last four plus years. I'm going to miss Quest classes and Life Groups with you. I pray that you continue to be involved in those ministries as participants and leaders moving forward. I'm grateful for the team I've been a part of, the fun we've had, and the opportunity to pursue God's mission for Grace Chapel together. We're grateful to continue to call Grace Chapel our family and will look forward to many future connections.

If you'd like to receive regular updates on our journey to Germany and our ministry there, you can sign up for our newsletter at this link.

You can reach us by email at seanmmclain@gmail.com and suzannekmclain@gmail.com

Sean's Picks

Over the past couple years, I've suggested a lot of things for you to engage with. For my last day of "picks" I want to offer you a top 10 list of those resources. These are loosely in the order of how impactful they've been to me in my journey. Enjoy!

1. Soul Care by Rob Reimer - This is the resource I recommend more than any other. Rob's biblical principles of a healthy soul have set thousands free from spiritual bondage, brought healing to deep soul wounds, and have certainly led me to a deeper sense of my identity in Christ.
2. With by Skye Jethani - This book deeply challenged me on how I relate to God and has led me to a deeper communion with him, help me to overcome a lot of the barriers of guilt and doubt I carried for so long.
3. Futureville by Skye Jethani - If With is Skye's reflection on Jesus' command to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength, Futureville is his reflection on loving your neighbor as yourself. This teaching on end-times theology has fundamentally shaped my own.
4. Mission 119 -  Available on the web or in the app store, this is a daily devotional program put together by Pastor John Soper that walks you through the Bible. Each day you read a portion of scripture and then listen to a 10-minute audio commentary. This helped me greatly to have a broader understanding of the story of scripture. 
5. God Has a Name by John Mark Comer - This book walks the reader through Exodus 34:6-7, the most quoted passage of scripture by scripture, looking at God's own answer to the fundamental question of what God is like. It will forever impact your understanding of scripture and your perspective on who God is. 
6. The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller - When I knew that Suzy and I were headed toward marriage, I began to ask questions about the purpose of this age-old institution I had always taken for granted. Tim Keller's teaching in this book played a huge part in setting us on the right course. 
7. The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Believer - This two part video teaching by Ron Walborn, the dean of Alliance Theological Seminary, is really powerful for understanding the Holy Spirit. Ron is an excellent, funny, engaging, and empowered teacher. Click here for Part 1 and click here for part 2.
8. Crazy Love by Francis Chan - I first read this when I was in college and in many ways it shook my faith to the core, challenging me to a much deeper pursuit of God than I'd ever had before. 
9. Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelly - If you want to understand how Christianity has unfolded in the western world since the time of Christ, especially on the Catholic-Orthodox split and the Protestant Reformation, look no further than Shelly's excellent book on the subject. 
10. Theology in the Context of World Christianity by Timothy Tennent -  Global Christianity has changed! This textbook by the president of Asbury Theological Seminary does an excellent job of explaining the shift and showing how the gospel has come alive in different cultures all around the world.

*Bonus for kids (and parents) - The Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids by Phil Vischer - the creator of VeggieTales does more than just tell Bible stories, he lays out the story of Scripture in a way kids and grasp. It's a pretty good summary for grownups too. 

Missions Spotlight:
Patrick and Rose Hanks

Suzy and I are both so excited to see Patrick and Rose embrace the role of Missions Directors at Grace Chapel. They've been good friends to us and have such a great passion for missions. I encourage you to get to know them along with their three kids (Amelia, Austin, and Colleen) and see if you can find ways to be engaged with our missions partners at Grace. If you want to reach out to the Hanks, send an email to missions@gfcnj.com

To find out about all our different missions partners locally and globally, check out this link.

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