Grace is so foundational in the Christian life.  One definition declares that grace is God the Father in love doing good for ill-deserving sinners through God the Son by God the Spirit.  Grace encourages, enables, saves, sanctifies, provides, and empowers.  Grace, too, is persevering.

God does not give up on us.  He is the Author and Perfector/Finisher/Completer of our faith.  He finishes what He starts.  When we sin or mess up, no matter how small or large the mistake, God does not throw His hands in the air and turn his back on us.  No!  The Lord is faithful.  He will never abandon us –not because we are awesome, but because He is.

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.” -Philippians 1:3-7

We’re all in this together.  All of us need God’s grace.  We need it just as much today as we did on the day we first said “yes” to Jesus.  God is just as willing to give us His grace today as He was then.  His grace perseveres.  Do not lose heart.  God has not given up on you.  He will never give up on you.

Thank you for sharing in God’s grace with f2fmi.  Grace and peace be yours in abundance!

Serving with you,

Dave White
f2fmi Prayer Coordinator

This fall, Overtime will celebrate its 5th birthday. And our plans for this fall will not dissapoint! We will have all the great activities that have made Overtime the success it is today: bowling, skating, open gym, inflatables, great music, good news, and so much more!

If you were at Soul Bowl (see pics here) this past May, you might remember that I issued a challenge: over the summer, commit to praying for five of your friends to come to know Jesus Christ as their savior this fall at Overtime. Isn’t this a fitting birthday present for Overtime’s 5th anniversary?

So here’s five easy steps to take the 5 Friend Challenge:

Step 1. Identify 5 friends you go to school with who don’t know Christ.
Step 2. Write their names on the 5 Friends Challenge Worksheet.
Step 3. Commit to praying for them each week this summer leading up to the Overtime Pre-event rally on Sept. 18th.
Step 4. Sign and date the pledge.
Step 5. This fall, invite them to Overtime!
Step 6. Tell your youth pastor that you are taking the challenge!

Download the 5 Friends Challenge Worksheet here.

TNT Store Hours for the 4th of July Season 2009:

June 11/12: 4-8 p.m.

Sat June 13: 11-8 p.m.
Sun June 14: 12-8 p.m.

June 15-19: 4-9 p.m.

Sat June 20: 11-9 p.m.
Sun June 21: 12-9 p.m.

Jun 22-25: 11-9 p.m.

Fri & Sat June 26/27: 9-9 p.m.
Sun June 28: 12-10 p.m.

Jun 29-July 2: 9-10 p.m.

Fri & Sat July 3/4: 7-11 p.m.
Sun July 5: 12-8 p.m.
Mon July 6: 4-8 p.m.

For the last few years, f2fmi has successfully run a TNT Fireworks tent as a fundraiser for our ministry. Usually, the store is open for two weeks and we make a couple of grand to support the work. This year, it’s a different ball game. This year, we are really going for it!

On June 10, our product will be delivered at 835 Boston Post Rd. Old Saybrook, CT. We will have 24 hours to set up our location and then we’re off. Our new location is… (as you may have guessed from the title of this post) A STORE!! That’s right, baby! We are running our very own store. And we have loads of ideas about how to make this not only a lucrative time for our ministry, but to actually DO MINISTRY with the space God has given us!

ADVANTAGES TO RUNNING A STORE:
1. No more night shifts! At the end of the day, we can just lock up and go home.
2. The store is located somewhere near the beach. We should be able to pick up some holiday traffic here…
3. There’s a bathroom on site! In the past, we either had to walk down to Walmart or worse yet, find a place in the woods at night. What a relief!
4. Can I get an AMEN for air-conditioning?
5. Did I mention we don’t have to do nights anymore???

We have so many needs – the biggest of these is volunteers! With the store being open until July 6th and then returning unsold July 7th, we could really use some support to cover all the hours between now and then. Could you come down and volunteer for an hour or two here in the next month? We sure could use your help. Setting the schedule is the first step in the process. There’s more to say, but we are not there yet.

If you would like to come hang with us at the store, please leave a comment here and let us know you want to get involved!!