Our Wish List

We hope that you are enjoying the Christmas season and keeping your focus on the real reason for the celebration.

Just about everybody is out shopping for somebody that has given them a wish list. At Grace Falls we have a wish list as well. Things that we need to help us to continue to make a difference in the lives of the people that we touch each day.

Grace Falls Wish List:

• New computer workstation for office
• Awnings that cover windows and help with cooling our building are damaged beyond repair and need to be replaced
• More tables for our gathering and seating options
• Purchase VBS material and Bible Study materials for 2017
• Flooring for our Gathering area and tile for the shower room
• New monthly supporters

Our number one wish is for new monthly supporters. We are losing some big sources of support this year and we need to have new ministry partners that will step up with monthly contributions to help us with ministry, discipleship and operations cost.

Will you consider partnering with us?

If you would like to make a year end financial contribution there are several easy and convenient ways to make a one time gift or set-up a recurring contribution.

Give by Mail

Make your check payable to Grace Falls Church and send it to:

[box title=""][icon id="envelope"]  Grace Falls Church 306 N. Shore Rd. Absecon, NJ 08201 [/box]

Text To Give

Our newest way for you to give is quick, easy and secure. All you need to do is text the amount you would like to donate to Grace Falls Church to 609-900-7771

As an example: For a $10 donation you would send the number 10 to the phone number 609-900-7771

[box title=""][icon id="mobile"]   More Text To Give information [/box]

Give Online

For convenient online giving visit our secure donation website. Indicate the donation amount of your choice, how often you want to give and your payment method. Click to confirm and you are all set. [box title=""][icon id="gift"]   Click To Give Online [/box]

Give by Automatic Bill Pay

Automatic Bill Pay is a great way to give regularly and consistently to Grace Falls Church. In addition, it eliminates the transaction and credit card fees! That means 100% of your donation goes to fund the operation and mission of Grace Falls.

Use your bank's online bill pay service to set up your donation from your checking or savings account and schedule recurring or a one-time gift. Use your name and phone number as your account number and use the following address as the payee address:

[box title=""][icon id="gift"]  Grace Falls Church 306 N. Shore Rd. Absecon, NJ 08201[/box]

Welcome Our Mission Partners

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Oct. 15–18: First Baptist, Albertville Mission Team

We are so excited to welcome the Student Mission Team from Albertville, Alabama! They will help to host our third annual Neighborhood Fall Party. By helping to manage the games and activities, our Grace Falls family will be free to interact with our guests. They will also travel to the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia to strengthen the partnership we have with Ziegler Neighborhood School. They will also serve at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission and help meet needs of the homeless.

Oct. 18–20: Heritage Mission Team, Cantonment, FL

This church has partnered with fellow Church Plant Pastor Alonzo Johnson of Northeast Community Outreach. Their team will provide helping hands to assist with the first Dad and Me Night at Ziegler Neighborhood School in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia. Heritage Pastor Jeff Howard has graciously agreed be a part of a panel discussion to pose ideas of how we can all take a step to help racial and cultural healing within our community and nation.

Oct. 20–25: Calvary Mission Team, Shreveport, LA

This team will be very busy as they provide assistance to three church plants during their visit. They will be helping to host Neighborhood Fall Parties for the Northeast Community Outreach in the Frankford neighborhood on Saturday, as well as for the Neighbor-HOOD Church event on Sunday afternoon, both in the Philadelphia area.

Check out the opportunities to work with these teams to help live "Life On Mission"

Learning To Bring The Better Wine

Since arriving in June 2013, Pastor Buff and his wife Cissy have worked diligently to encourage the Grace Falls family to stretch their faith. Buff has encouraged us to step out and apply the gospel to our daily lives. He has always encouraged us to represent the Lord throughout the community and to learn that every obedient believer is a missionary who has been sent to carry the light and love of the Lord into our individual circles of influence.

As the Grace Falls family began to understand this responsibility and put it into practice, the Lord brought Pastor Alonzo and Rhonda Johnson and the Northeast Bible Fellowship church into our lives. We have partnered with them several times to help their ministry get established in Northeast Philadelphia.

We have another opportunity to bless a new church plant coming up on September 18th. This time we will work with Pastor Brennan Coughlin and his wife Kathleen to host the launch of their new church, Fellowship Capital City in Trenton. Check out the details and sign-up to go on our Facebook event page.

We want to be living on mission, learning to follow the example of Jesus in our everyday encounters with people, we have a purpose that should affect everybody in our realm of influence. Jesus never brought anything but the best, like the water that he turned into the best wine, we are always striving to bring our best.

Why? So when they come and ask why we would bring the best to every ministry opportunity we can tell them that its because that is what Jesus does in any and every situation and we simply want to be like Him.

We pray that every believer will begin to see their neighbors the way that God sees them. We are called to share His love by serving others. God wants a relationship with us and with everyone around us. It is our responsibility to help everyone in our circle of influence to experience His love for them!

So, how will you bring the “better wine” this week? Who will ask you why?

Ziegler Spirit Week

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Our God is awesome and yet we are continually dumbstruck by His power as He prepares the path before us! We praise God for His goodness.

Grace Falls’ Pastor Buff McNickle and Pastor Alonzo Johnson of Northeast Community Outreach continue to partner together to reach the hurting of the northeast as they combine their experience, gifting and resources to spread the Light and love of Jesus Christ.

This has been a tremendous week as we have been invited to host School Spirit Week activities at William H. Ziegler School in the Frankford neighborhood in North Philadelphia. Principal Spina and the teaching staff have graciously adjusted their schedule to accommodate us as our team helps students to celebrate the end of the school year through fun activities, while teaching valuable life-lessons.

We recognized that God was preparing our steps when we discovered that the ThinkOrange.org materials that we subscribe to for the Children’s Gatherings at Grace Falls also have materials that have been developed for use in the public school system!

Using this valuable resource this week, we have been featuring a character trait, animal and color of the day. Activities and discussion-stimulating opportunities have been developed to build on the traits of Hope, Individuality, Self-Control and Friendship.

With the help of summer interns Taylor and Jenn, plus volunteers Kyleen and Toby of Kentucky, Ed of Florida, and Vallie, Allison, & Catherine of Alabama, the students have been allowed to take a break from their school work, appreciation has been shown to the teachers and support staff, and everyone has seemed to have a good time!

Principal Spina indicated that he would love for the team to paint a mural of the United States in the school’s recreation area. Members of our crew prepared the outline and then each teacher selected a student to represent their class who would participate in the painting process. Principal Spina explained that “ownership” eludes most residents in this community, so it will be important for these students to feel that they own this artwork and will treasure the investment they have made by contributing.

Early in the week, the Student Leader Team was invited to a pizza lunch. When asked what their greatest concerns for their neighborhood were, comments included:

• Graffiti on the walls and the dirty streets made their neighborhood feel depressing.
• Because it is not safe to play outside, one boy told how his father has set up a basketball hoop in the basement so his dad could have a safe place to teach him to how to play.
• At least seven of the 15 students had witnessed a shooting.

Yet, through simple activities such as bouncing a beach ball to one another, several students expressed that they had never had such an exciting time at school! They also cheered and laughed as teachers were invited to participate in a dance-off!

• Please continue to pray for this team during the remainder of the week.
• Pray that the students will remember the valuable life-lessons being presented.
• That trust will be established and deeper relationships can be built in the future.
• Pray especially for the activities on Friday as the team meets with 8th grade students and cast a vision for their future as they prepare to enter high school.
• Pray for provision as we have incurred greater expenses than anticipated.

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See the entire album here.

Building The Kingdom Together

I have been praying that the Lord would allow me to have a collaborating partnership with a man who has a Kingdom mindset. The Lord answered my prayer by sending Buff McNickle and the Grace Falls family into our lives at exactly the right time. He is truly an answer to our prayers.

Although I am indigenous to the city of Philadelphia, growing up in the projects of North Philadelphia, it was not until I met my wife that my heart began to understand God’s heart for diversity.

When I first heard Buff McNickle’s vision I knew that God had placed him in my life. We began to pray about serving the Lord together and when I went to visit him in Atlantic City, I knew that we would be working together in some capacity for Kingdom impact.

Whenever I stand next to him I am convinced that when people see a little black guy stand next to this brother from Alabama they will see a clear tangible expression of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Buff has helped me to see that God is already on mission and we just need to join Him where He is already at work.

The following is one example of us living out the gospel and being intentional where we exist. Recently we had a group of students from University of Mobile come to Philly to serve our city. We had a gathering and invited several of our neighbors over for dinner. We ended up having 18 children in our basement and 12 adults sitting around the table having conversations with each other. The group included black, white, Hatian, Jamacian, bi-ethnic, and Canadian. Two of our other neighbors, Egyptian and Albanian were unable to attend. We are blessed to live on a block that is rich with ethnic diversity.

We covet your prayers for on-going contact with these and other neighbors. We had the Grace Falls family join us in hosting a community gathering at our house this past Sunday. It was once again incredible to see the hand of God move. Rhonda, my wife has started a Friday morning gathering for coffee and getting to know the ladies on our block. She already has 10 coming and gathering.  Pray that they will come and be open to gospel conversations. Also, as we seek to host several missions teams this summer, please pray for receptive hearts.

I am learning to see things from a Kingdom perspective and not a traditional church perspective. Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” We are convinced that if we plant the gospel and make disciples then Jesus Christ will build His church.

I am reminded of the children of Israel when Moses led them to the Red Sea. They were surrounded by the Egyptians and did not know which way to turn and they were afraid. Exodus 14:13-15 states “Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still, Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” The Lord had affirmed in my heart that He will fight for us. That we fight from victory, not for victory as we move on.

Pastor Alonzo Johnson

Grace Falls Partners - Meet The Johnsons

It didn't take long for me to realize that I need help. I realized in just a short time of church planting how lonely, how hard, and how intense the spiritual warfare is when you seek to be on mission for God. I asked many of you to pray with me that God would send a partner to be like the partners that the Apostle Paul had on his missionary journeys.

I asked our friends to pray that God would send me a Timothy, John Mark, or a James. What I was asking for was for a partner to physically be here and walk out this journey of church planting here. Somebody that can relate to the struggle and the adversity that Satan can throw your way.

I laugh now as I think of how I thought my prayers might be answered and how I thought God could do it. Yet, just like so many other things on this journey, I can make my plans but God orders the steps. His ways truly are higher than my ways. This is where I get the privilege to introduce you to what I believe is not only God’s answer to our prayer but as it is with everything that God does he does it  better than I could have ever asked for.

I met Alonzo and his lovely wife Rhonda at a dinner hosted by the North American Mission Board last year. Alonzo is a native of Philadelphia and there is no one I know nor have met so far that loves and knows this city better than he does.

Alonzo has an incredible story of redemption from a earlier life of a crack addiction that led to a broken dream of being the next Major League Baseball superstar to a life that is radically changed because of the transforming work of the gospel. Now he is a loving husband, father, and the next church-planting superstar in Philly.

Alonzo and Rhonda both have a similar calling and commitment to planting the gospel here and around Philadelphia with the goal of making disciples who make disciples so that they can plant the gospel. We know that this is how God will build His church. This calling and a commitment to God’s leading has led us to a partnership to plant the Gospel in North Philadelphia so that God can build His church there.

This is our first opportunity to launch the Grace Falls Church Planting Network. It has been clear to both the Johnsons and the McNickle’s that God is and has been working in and around us long before we met. God’s timing is perfect and we know that this is His will. We will work alongside Alonzo & Rhonda as they plant the gospel there in North Philadelphia. We will coach, assist, and provide support in a variety of ways as they plant a church there.

Our first event as partners will be this Sunday morning as Grace Falls Church goes to Northeast Bible Fellowship to support their Memorial weekend neighborhood barbecue as they strive to connect with their neighbors on Sunday afternoon starting at three.

Join us in celebrating this great news and praying for God’s will to be done.