Gathering the Graces

Every autumn, we find ourselves surrounded by reminders of gathering. The fields are full, the trees are turning loose what they’ve carried all summer, and the air carries that crisp sense that something is coming to completion.

In the life of the church, this is also our season of gathering — of gathering the graces.

When we gather for our fall congregational meeting, it’s more than just business. It’s a time to look around and see what God has done. It’s a moment to name the ways grace has taken root and grown among us.

This year, we’ve witnessed the grace of new life — in the baptisms of children and adults, in laughter and tears by the water. We’ve celebrated the grace of belonging, as new members have joined our community and found a spiritual home here and we have found the Evangelical Covenant Church to be the family we belong to. We’ve seen the grace of thriving ministry — programs flourishing, leaders stepping up, hearts and hands being offered in love.

Each of these moments is a grace gathered. Each is a reminder that the Spirit of God is still moving through this church, building us up for witness and service.

In Acts 20, the Apostle Paul tells the church leaders in Ephesus,

“I do not account my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus — to testify to the good news of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24)

Paul’s words remind us that we are not called to preserve what is safe or familiar. We are called to witness — to testify to the good news of God’s grace through the way we live, give, and serve.

That’s why, when we gather to approve our 2026 Ministry Investment Plan (which we’re calling Called to Witness), it’s not just about numbers. It’s about mission. It’s about gratitude. It’s about saying, “We have seen what God has done — and we want to be part of what God will do next.”

When Paul commended the church to God, he said,

“I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up.” (Acts 20:32)

That’s what this moment is for us — an act of commending. We commend ourselves, our plans, and our resources to the grace that builds up.

We give not out of obligation, but out of gratitude. We plan not out of fear, but out of faith. We invest not in structures, but in stories — stories of changed lives, renewed hope, and deepened discipleship.

As we step into this next season, may we keep gathering the graces — every baptism, every prayer, every act of generosity, every moment of faithfulness.

Each one tells the story of God’s grace still at work in us. Each one testifies that we are Called to Witness. Witnessing is a spiritual practice. Pray about what you might share out of the graces you have gathered in the last year. How have you encountered God?

Let’s continue to gather, grow and go with joy as we gather the graces — and offer them back to God for the work still ahead.

Called to Witness with You,

Pastor T