Many churches across the world celebrate Homecoming every year. Some do it occasionally. Our church does it on special anniversaries of our founding.

Homecoming can happen every Sunday or every day. Don’t wait too long, or you may hear comments like the woman who spoke to the preacher at her Homecoming service and said, “"Preacher, since I last saw you, I had all my teeth pulled and a new refrigerator put in."

S p e a k i n g o f t e e t h , n o Homecoming is complete without a special meal. Dinner on the grounds, covered dishes, meals catered by a

local restaurant, whatever it is, there must be a time where people eat together and welcome visitors and family home.

The story of the prodigal son is front and center to this celebration. Whether there were difficult times in the past or not, Homecoming is a time when God invites us to step past our sins or the sins of others to be welcomed into His loving presence.

The image of the father running to meet the prodigal son, who has wasted his inheritance and is now coming home in humility and hope, with arms open wide and a smile on his face, is unmistakably full of joy and resolution.

“Kill the fatted calf! Let’s have a party! Let’s celebrate the return of my family!” This is what we do when we come home to people who have always loved us.

Whether we are the prodigal, the father, the jealous older brother or sister, the servants, the mom who is not even mentioned in Luke, or the know-it-all Pharisees to whom Jesus told this story, Homecoming is God’s aim for us. Our job, as the church, is to be the one who runs to welcome, our arms open wide to a heavenly hug that only God can make possible.

A recounting of the history of the people of God is also appropriate. The Bible is full of references to the times God works in the journey of his people. The exodus from slavery in Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the journey to Jerusalem, the arrival of the holy spirit in Jerusalem are just a few examples.

The time when Aunt Minnie had a bird land on her flowered hat in worship, the construction of the congregation’s first church, the

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October: A Month of Prayer, Remembrance, and Celebration

THE GRACE BEACON Vol. MMXVIII Issue No. 7 - October, 2018

Published by Grace Baptist Church of Germantown25 West Johnson Street

Philadelphia, PA 19144-1909

Rev. Dr. James H. Buck, Jr., Senior PastorDr. Clifford L. Stanley, Chair, Diaconate

“A Community of Baptized Believers Committed to the Faithfulness of God, Building Families of Fellowship in the Spirit of God, and Blessing the Fallen Through the

Forgiveness of God.”

p a s t o r s w h o b l e s s e d t h e congregation, the people who served f a i t h f u l l y a n d s o m e t i m e s humorously, the outreach moments in our churches’ histories, this is a time to recall and celebrate. Through words, picture, and music, let us not miss this opportunity to celebrate the divine journey which brought us here.

Another Homecoming moment in the Bible is when Jesus was 12 years old and his parents and friends missed him a few days later after they left the Temple in Jerusalem. They rushed back in a panic and found him amazing the scribes and the Pharisees there. “Did you not know I must be about my Father’s business,” he said?

Our Father’s business is the most important thing we do. We pray, we worship, we learn to love God and neighbor, we do all the things that the church is called to do.

Whether our church is large or small, we can all do the Father’s business between and during our homecoming celebrations. Whether we worship once a month or every Sunday, whether we can take care of one another or many outside the door, homecoming reminds us of the sacred task of discovering how God’s business becomes ours.

The ultimate homecoming is our passing through the pearly gates into h e a v e n . W h a t a g l o r i o u s homecoming, even greater than the preview of the prodigal son and his family! Jesus has already gone there to prepare a place for us, and will welcome all Christians there. What a wonderful moment of joy and wonder as we meet our God and Savior face to face!

In the time between then and now, dear reader, may we celebrate

the homecoming of family, of long-lost friends, of forgiving and being forgiven not because of us, but because of God. Every time holy tears or grateful moments happen because of what God has done through us, heaven smiles.

Let there be many days of coming home to God. Let there be homecomings galore because God has brought us together not because of our perfection, but precisely because of our failings, and the miracles God works to bring us home.

Holy homecomings are a little different from family reunions, but much the same. The point is we are family no matter what. And God’s constant efforts to bring us love and grace which transcend even life itself facilitate the homecoming of person after person back into our lives.

After all, God sent Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to him, and us to each other. So homecoming, in a word, is reconciliation.

There is a potential homecoming in every day. For Heaven’s sake, and yours, make sure you are there!

http://www.1stpres.cc/wp-content/uploads/2 0 1 2 / 0 3 /

ITCW12-9-7-Homecoming

Blessing and Peace

Peace and blessings to all of the Saints at the Church of Philadelphia, the Grace Baptist Church of Germantown. It is indeed a splendid opportunity to greet you in the name of the one who was, the one who is and the one who is surely to return again. I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. It is certainly a blessing t o b e i n t h i s s e a s o n o f “churchdom”.

Like the changing of the seasons and as the fall colors are beginning to paint the city with b e a u t i f u l s a m p l e s o f transformation, we too are in the midst of transformation. It is a wonderful experience to see the beautiful things that God is doing for this congregation. God has e n t r u s t e d u s w i t h N E W MEMBERS added to the body of Christ. God is preparing us for the licensing of our two MIT’s as they move forward in ministry. God blessed us to have a bus of members to travel to the Lott Carey Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. The children attending the convention had a marvelous time learning about the substance and sacrifice of Missions on a global level. They also got the chance to visit the Martin Luther King, Jr., Center for Non-Violence. We celebrated our annual “Grace Day Community Celebration” with many friends, businesses and community partners. We launched “Healthy

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Let’s Celebrate

<a href="https://clipartxtras.com/">clipartxtras.com</a>

Initiative”, our ZUMBA class for any and all who desire to become Faithful and Fit in the Kingdom of God. Our Drama Ministry presented a humorous play detailing the life of a strange marriage. It is one that I believe should go across the city, however that’s just my opinion. And now we are down to the recognizing and celebrating m a n y y e a r s o f h i s t o r i c a l r e f l e c t i o n , w i t h j u b i l a n t celebration in our Homecoming and Church Anniversary.

It is shaping up to be a good one and we certainly want to take this early opportunity to welcome the Rising Star Baptist Church to the Ci ty o f Ph i lade lph ia , Pennsylvania. The Rising Star family will be traveling from Denver, Colorado to share with us in our celebration. You do not want to miss this God ordained affair. Worship will be awesome and we know that they are coming with anticipation to par t ic ipa te in th is gospel explosion.

L e t m e c h a n g e t h e conversation a bit to encourage all of the Saints of the Grace Church to make sure that we take time to attend Bible Study and Prayer Meeting. We will also be looking to offer a study in the evening for those who are not able to make it during the day. However, let’s remember to be committed to our first duty and that is to “love God with all our soul, mind, body and spirit, and also remember that the second is liken unto it, Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Our Fall Revival is just taking place and we have had a

magnificent time. Pastor Keon Gerow, Pastor Derick Brennan, Pastor Leslie Callahan and Pastor Janel Dixon are helping us understand that CHANGE is necessary. We thank them in advance so much. In closing we want to make sure that we pray for one another and remember that ALL of God CREATION is made in God’s IMAGE AND LIKENESS.

Peace from Pastor.

I asked Champ and Jaida what they really enjoyed this summer. Lott Carey was BIG on their list, so I asked them to write about their trip for the Beacon.

Here’s what they had to say.

Champ: “I love Lott Carey. You can go to many states and c i t i e s . We l e a r n e d a b o u t missionaries. We go to different churches. We also have events. Sometimes people go to the pool to relax. You can invite family and friends. The children, teens and adults all hang out. You go and have the most ‘funnest’ day of your life. It’s amazing.”

Jaida: “Lott Carey was fun. We went to church. Then we went to the Coca-Cola factory and to the museum. We also went to the Martin Luther King Center. Then we had fun at the pool.”

Proverbs 22:6 at work here, Grace!

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Reverend Dr. James H. Buck, Jr., Senior Pastor

Out of the Mouths of Babes

A Note From The Editor on Having Events Published In

The Beacon I heard a complaint recently

about events not published by The Beacon. When I asked the person when the material had been submitted, she replied “I don’t think it was.” Well, how am I supposed to include it?

Each ministry should have a reporter who is responsible for reporting on ministry events.

The deadline for submitting events for the upcoming issue is the 10th of the previous month. That means if you want something published in the November issue, it should be submitted by October 10th.

You may send it directly to me as a pdf. file or in Microsoft Word or you may place it in the Beacon Mailbox in the first floor office. My email address is sej2442000@hotmail.com

I’m looking forward to hearing from more ministries real soon!

Lotus and Leo Got Married!

Did you attend the Blossom-Lomax wedding? Well, if you missed it, it might have been a good thing…well, not really! There was a whole lot of DRAMA at that wedding. I mean what would you call people

getting hit in the head with frying pans, gun totting Grandmas, “Shoobop Shoobooping” wedding vows, fake flowers, trust funds, amateur sleuths, Tango teachers, zookeepers, a hippie bride, and two dead people, if you don’t call it DRAMA?

The Drama Ministry proudly presented its fall production of ’Til Death Do Us Part on September 21st and 23rd.

The Cast included Trustee William Lucas as Herb Lomax, The wealthy father of the groom; Trustee Jacqueline Goodbar-Beamon as Eula Lomax: Herb’s domineering wife; Leola B.C. Highsmith as Betsy Crocker: Aunt of the bride and wedding caterer; William Butler, Jr. as Ramon Escobar:A dance instructor; W a r r e n R u s s e l l a s Howard: The Lomax family lawyer; Inez Henry as Aunt Hildy: A mysterious guest; Deaconess Camille Jones as Glinda: A bridesmaid and former soul mate of Howard; Deacon Sandie Jordan-Gordon as Rhoda: Another bridesmaid; Linda Gooding as Fanny

Fishburne: The Justice of the Peace, a friend of Eula; Dawn Wilson as Polly Peabody: A guest and amateur sleuth; Leslie Jackson as Cousin Etta: The bride’s cousin from “Big D”; Peter Custis as Leo Lomax: The groom, a zookeeper by trade ; Deacon Jace Jones as Newton Figg: Computer nerd who’s had a crush on the bride; Thelma Custis-Reed as Lulu Depew: Newton’s date; Paulette Reed as Mother Gearth: Eula Lomax’s domineering mother, and Murine Lusakweno as Lotus Blossom: The bride.

We welcomed three new actors to the ministry for this production:Trustee William Lucas, Mrs. Dawn Wilson and Ms. Leslie Jackson. We are blessed by their participation!

The Drama Ministry is open to all. We always have room for more eager people whether on stage or back stage. (Thank you Debbie Wake for volunteering to work behind the scenes!) See either Deacon Jace Jones, President or Sandi Johnson, Director to get involved. Our next

production is in Spring 2019. We will set the play in November, so if you want to be a p a r t o f o u r ministry, just let us know!

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A typical “let’s get this together

session.” The pressure is on!

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Spiritual Armor “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm119:105

Ephesians 5:1-2

T h e r e f o r e b e imitators of God, as b e l o v e d c h i l d r e n . 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and

gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

First Day of GirlTrek’s Prayer Trek at Grace Baptist

Church of Germantown October, 2018

“Today's Homecoming at my church...It's one of the highlights of the worship life of southern black churches.... Homecoming not only marked the return of family and friends that had moved from their ancestral homes, but in some instances also goes into end of summer revivals.... It mostly involves a church service that draws returning family along with other members of the community together...After this service, which generally commemorated the history of the church, prominent families and the community as a whole, there will be a dinner...Now these dinners ranged from the traditional church picnic where everyone contributed to the meal and socialized in an informal manner to a more formal meal in the fellowship hall of the church... Homecoming became a time of commemorating the past, reconnecting with family, and transmitting rituals and history to younger generations. Today many churches have moved away from the celebration of Homecoming, with the Church Anniversary now serving as the main day for celebrating church history and family relations.... Just like Joshua and the children of Israel marked their crossing of the Jordan River with a memorial, African Americans through the celebration of Homecomings and Church Anniversaries have marked the passage of historic events and their progression as a people.... Homecoming, which has its roots in southern/rural black churches, became increasingly important in the

twentieth century, as migration became a dominant theme in black families... In the years surrounding World War I, World II and the Korean War, southern blacks migrated in record numbers to the North and West.... These population shifts greatly affected families congregational and community ties.” http://theoldblackchurch.blogspot.com

On October 21, 2018, Grace Baptist will celebrate Homecoming and 126 years of ministry here in the Germantown Community. Our history is a one of which we are very proud because it shows the Lord working in the lives of His people.

The Grace Baptist Church of Germantown grew out of a small band of prayer warriors who gathered on the Keyser Estate in 1888. In 1892, the church was formally recognized as Grace Baptist Church of Germantown.

“Grace is situated in the historic Germantown section of Northwest Philadelphia, PA, an area which was very significant during the American Revolution and in the Anti-Slavery movement with at least one house in the area identified as a stop on the Underground Railroad. During the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries the area became a n i n d u s t r i a l c e n t e r. “ T h e significant changes that occurred in Philadelphia's demographics at the

start of the 20th century caused major shifts in Germantown's ethnic makeup as well. When the first wave of the Great Migration brought more than 140,000 African Americans to the city from the S o u t h , l o n g - e s t a b l i s h e d Philadelphians started to move to the outskirts. During this time, many German, Scots-Irish, and I r i s h f a m i l i e s m o v e d t o Germantown. During the 1940s, a second mass migration of African Americans from the South to Philadelphia occurred. While the majority of middle-class African American newcomers first settled in North Philadelphia, the housing shortages in this area that followed the end of World War II caused later arrivals to move instead to the Northwest. This led to a wave of new housing construction. To meet the housing needs of the growing numbers of African American families moving into southern Germantown, the Philadelphia R e d e v e l o p m e n t A u t h o r i t y allocated $10.6 million for the creation of public housing.”

This passage taken from our church profile is somewhat reflective of changes taking place in our community today. Our neighborhoods are changing. Caucasians are moving back into Germantown and Mt. Airy from the suburbs and other states. They are our new neighbors and we must reach out to them, invite them in, and share the “Good News” with those who may never have heard it.

As we celebrate our history this month, let us look forward to how God will move us into His newness for us, and celebrate! Remember, He has promised never

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From the Pen Of The Editor

to leave us or forsake us…and we stand on that promise!

Happy Anniversary! Welcome Home! Welcome to Grace!

Peace, SJ

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Beacon Staff Managing Editor

Sandi Johnson Associate Editor

Karol Mason Computer Specialist

William L. LucasAdvertising

Debra L. S. Wake Circulation Manager

Cheryl Johnson Reporters

Doris Collins-Terrell Jeanine Watson

StaffersMarcia Bass

Courtney Carter Priscilla E. Custis

Leedrester Jackson Jackie Johnson

Grace McCollum Lavida Royster Ellen Williams

Jonathan H. Williams

!

<a href="http://mariafresa.net/single/1939234.html">Homecoming Clipart #1939234</a>

Our Black History “The Statute of Liberty”

(Part 2 of 2)

As we conclude the “Statute of Liberty” commentary, we read quite an informative and fascinating history of migration to America from around the world and Lady Liberty’s relationship to it. And it is that determination and resolve of the various cultures seeking liberty and freedom on our shores that have, in fact, contributed to the unequaled greatness of our country.

Moreover, we will be forever grateful to the people of France for believing in the American system as the ideal of life,

liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the existence of slavery notwithstanding, but out of which grew the idea of the statute itself. The inspiration of the gift to America, called “Liberty Enlightening the

World,” was further due in part to commemorate the American Revolution, the signing of the Emancipation

Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 and his subsequent assassination in April 1865. Dedicated in 1886, Lady Liberty became a national monument in 1924. Read on! Enjoy!

Submitted byDoris Collins-TerrellOctober 2018

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October 1, 2018

TEL. NO. 215-438-3215/FAX NO. 215-438-3210 www.gracebaptistgtn.org

GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH OF GERMANTOWN

25 W. JOHNSON STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA 19144

REV. DR. JAMES H. BUCK, JR., SENIOR PASTOR

CLIFFORD L. STANLEY, CHAIRPERSON, DEACON BOARD JOHN S. WILLIAMS, CHAIRPERSON, TRUSTEE BOARD JACQUELINE GOODBAR- BEAMON, CHURCH TREASURER

LEOLA B. C. HIGHSMITH, CHURCH CLERK DARLENE D. MINTZ, CHURCH OPERATIONS MANAGER MICHELE L. TAYLOR, CHURCH SECRETARY

Greetings Members and Friends of Grace,

On Sunday, October 21, 2018, we will celebrate our 126th Church Anniversary, Homecoming and New Members Fellowship. The Men’s Ministry and Drama Ministry are taking the lead this year. Our theme is “Standing On The Promises.” The scripture references are 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLV)

“So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

and 1 Timothy 6:12-14 (NLV)“12Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. 13And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 14that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”

This year we will be joined by our special guests, members of the Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church of Denver, Colorado. Their Pastor, the Reverend Dr. Jules E. Smith, will be our guest preacher for the morning service. There will be no 7:30 a.m. service that day so that we may come together as one body at 10:15 a.m. and fellowship together after service.

The Lord continues to bless us as we honor Him through love for Him and one another; our sacrifices of time, talent, and treasure; and our service to His people. Pastor Buck has been focusing on our stewardship this fall, and he has reminded us that stewardship is about all of these things.

It has been our practice here at Grace, through the years, to give sacrificially on special days like Homecoming. This year, the suggested amount celebrates the years we have been in existence. Each adult member is being asked to give the sacrificial amount of $126.00 over and above their normal tithes and offerings. In an effort to teach our children about giving back to God, students, youth and children are encouraged to give as they are able. Please remember to designate “Homecoming” on your offering envelope.

We are looking forward to a day of glorious fellowship in the Lord celebrating Grace Baptist Church of Germantown!

Be blessed!

Jace Jones J.R. Wilson, II Deacon Jace Jones President, Men’s Ministry President, Drama Ministry Co-Chair Co-Chair

Rev. Dr. James H. Buck, Jr. Senior Pastor

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We’re Asked to give

$126 for the 126th Anniversary What For?

A new LED Marquee to help spread God’s Good News!

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/

https://www.signsplussigns.com/Church/LED-Church-Signs/Full-Color-LED-Signs

Signsational Graphics

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Every now and then we have space for a little something extra. I know many of you do the WordSearch puzzles that we have on the Kids Page. Here are a couple for the adults this month.

Codeword puzzles are like Cryptograms. Plug in the same letter every time you see a particular number. For example, every time you see the number 10, you’ll put an E in that space. Then figure out what the other letters needed to complete the word will be and write them on the grid so you can plug them into their proper spaces.

Adult Fun Page

Let’s Chuckle

Father: What did you learn in Sunday School today, Son? Son: We learned about how Moses went behind enemy lines to rescue the Jews from the Egyptians. Moses ordered the engineers to build a pontoon bridge. After the people crossed, he sent bombers back to blow up the bridge and the Egyptian tanks that were chasing them. And then ... Father: Did your teacher really tell it like that? Son: No, but if I told you what he really said, you would never believe it!

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Bible Verse for September

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the

LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

PLAY FOOTBALL I SPYFor each item listed under the “Find” box, try to find how many of those items are in the collage above. Just write the number on the blanks!http://simpleplayideas.com/football-spy-printable-game

http://billtab.co/christian-puzzles-for-kids/christian-puzzles-for-kids-our-printable-bible-game-christian-jigsaw-puzzles-for-kidsprintable/

HAPPY

FALL

KIDS’ PAGE

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SPECIAL EVENTS IN OCTOBER

DATE DAY TIME EVENT

1-3 Monday- Wednesday 7:00 pm Revival

5 Friday 6:00 pm Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Stephen Mack, II

7 Sunday 7:30 am Early MorningWorship Service World Communion

10:15 am Worship Service / World Communion 8 COLUMBUS DAY

14 Sunday 7:30 am Early MorningWorship Service

10:15 am Worship Service - Lott Carey Day; Pastor’s Aide Annual Day

21 Worship Service 10:15 am Worship Service Homecoming, Church 126th Anniversary, New Members’ Fellowship

23 Tuesday 7:00 pm Joint Board Meeting

27 Saturday 10:00 am Church Gathering

28 Sunday 7:30 am Early MorningWorship Service

10:15 am Worship Service - Ushers’ Annual Day

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