I've been attending Gracepoint now for over 14 years. I know I look like I just stepped foot on this campus =). Well, over the years our ministry has changed, matured and grown in many ways. 14 years ago, we were mainly doing ministry on just the Berkeley campus and there was just one college group. But now, we have a2f, koinonia and kairos on the Berkeley campus and we have koinonia's all over the bay area - from CSUEB to SFSU. And this of course, doesn't include our sister ministries like Bridgeway and Waypoint.
Over the years people have said to me that gracepoint seems so large and it's hard to know everyone. And it's true that there are more people now than before and more ministries. But I personally learned that getting to know others requires one to be pro-active. It means getting to know someone else's name and remembering that person and saying hi the next time you see him/her in line at the ASUC or at the DC or RSF. Building community takes effort, no doubt, and I know I myself need to be pro-active to get to know others.
And that's why I also really love the Annual Thanksgiving Retreat. It's a time for me and for our whole church to "get to know each other" better. You get to hear testimonies, stories, and facts of how God has been working in many people's lives right in our midst. It can be learning about what's happening in Impact or Joyland or ISM. And it's also a time to hear how one person struggled to grow in his/her relationship with God. And especially those stories have really helped me to grow myself. So I hope that everyone can take a day out and come to the Thanksgiving Retreat.
oh, and here's our trailer:
