Global Grace, Inc. | a ministry of Morning Star Baptist Church

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New address

Global Grace, Inc. has its own address now:
      Global Grace, Inc.
      3430 Colony Bay Drive
      Rockford IL 61109

Helping in Jamaica

Hurricane Dean's effects were devastating to a population that is already struggling to make ends meet. Global Grace has begun to partner with Southeast Valley Baptist Church in Arizona to provide aid to a couple of local assemblies in Jamaica. Travel costs to Jamaica are affordable, and we are convinced that several work teams could do a lot of good in a couple of needy communities. Chris Metras, Global Grace's director, has made two trips to Jamaica to assess the damages and determine priority projects.

HANNAH'S HEART adoption-financing efforts

Hannah's Heart is the brainchild and burden of the singles fellowship at Morning Star Baptist Church. Learn more about it here. Although it was actually launched just days before Hurricane Katrina hit (August 2005), Hannah's Heart now operates under the auspices of Global Grace Missions. In keeping with the aims of Global Grace Missions, Hannah's Heart strives to facilitate adoptions for Christian families. We've been able to help several families, already, and now we would like to help a Russian orphan stay in the USA with a family who wants to make him their own. Read more about Lyosha's hope here.

Special delivery!

The team is planning to stop in Tennessee on the trip down south, so that they can give Jerrod and Amy Hawkins a large financial gift in person. The men hope to be an encouragement to the Hawkins family, who just moved in to a beautiful new home that was built for them.

Work and survey team

John Iversen, Chris Metras, and Ben Walsh left on Thursday, Sept. 14th, to work on a couple of houses in Bay St. Louis, MS, and to survey the surrounding areas for future ministry opportunities. Please be in prayer for them as they travel and work and seek the Lord's will.

Global Grace has a new director

Chris Metras is planning to stop in Tennessee on the trip down south, so that they can give Jerrod and Amy Hawkins a large financial gift in person. The men hope to be an encouragement to the Hawkins family, who just moved in to a beautiful new home that was built for them.

Donate to the "Thank God for Motherhood" Fund

Alpine Bank is joining efforts with us to help the family of Amy Hawkins, a Rockford native who was seriously injured recently during a tornado because she chose to protect her children. Amy's husband Jerrod is from Byron, and they have lived in Tennessee now for about 7 years. Their sons Jair (6) and Cole (3) were spared when Amy used herself to shield them. A wall fell on her, and she is paralyzed now from the waist down. The Hawkins family have lost their home, and Amy's life will never be the same.

This Mother's Day, we want to honor mothers, and helping and honoring Amy is one small token of our appreciation for the constant sacrificing spirit exhibited by so many mothers. To give toward this fund, you can walk into any Alpine Bank branch location and ask to make a donation to the "Thank God for Motherhood" fund; or you could mail a donation care of Global Grace, or Morning Star Baptist Church (PO Box 71, Winnebago IL 61088).

About Global Grace, Inc.

As a part of God's global Church, the people of Morning Star Baptist Church desire to serve as His hands and feet. Especially in light of the recent hurricane damage in the Gulf Coast area, we have been burdened to organize, fund, and man relief efforts. While we note the importance of emergency supplies and want to help financially, we are also struck with the needs for hospitality (possibly longterm) and pastoral care after a crisis of this magnitude.

This website represents Global Grace, a ministry of Morning Star Baptist Church in Rockford, Illinois. As a local church body, we feel the burden of God's commands to care for the poor in their affliction and know that we ought to be directing our God-given resources to worthwhile, eternally valuable causes.

  "The desperate need here is for mature
  Christians to put their arms around the
  shoulders of these people and weep with
  them. The need here is for mature Christians
  to sit down with victims and let them talk, then
  offer words of comfort, prayer and a witness
  for Jesus Christ. We have a horrible crisis
  on our hands. We also have a tremendous
  opportunity to point multitudes to Jesus
  Christ as their Lord and Savior."~ Roger Price, pastor in Lafayette, Louisiana

Our hope

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the current disaster conditions in Mississippi and Louisiana, we have a main focus: We hope to raise the finances necessary to help displaced families relocate to Rockford and other places where they can get back on their feet spiritually, physically, and emotionally. We want them to know safety, provision, and interaction with a community of believers. We want to help fund their transportation, housing, and necessities. We want to address the needs of the whole person, for the Gospel's sake.

Other ideas

We are planning to host a blood drive at our meeting place this week. We are attempting to raise money for air mattresses and other urgent requests. We are seeking other ways to get personally involved, whether through traveling and pastoral care ("counseling"), and/or hosting families in our homes.

Rationale

We consider helping the needy in a crisis situation to be both a biblical responsibility and a redemptive investment. We trust that God will bless and multiply the results of this project as He wills, both for His glory and for our good. [Read more: Why help us?]