The New Toronto Raptors!!!

What an offseason! The Toronto Raptors have gotten better and we have added depth. This is probably the best team that we've had in years! We've added 7 new faces to the roster!

DeMar DeRozan

Jarett Jack

Antoine Wright

Hedo Turkoglu

Rasho Nesterovic

Marco Bellinelli

Reggie Evans

We've added athleticism, toughness, grit and defense

So our Starting lineup should look like this:

PG: Jose Calderon

SG: Demar DeRozan

SF: Hedo Turkoglu

PF: Chris Bosh

C: Andrea Bargnani

Backups:

PG: Jarrett Jack

SG: Marco Bellinelli

SF: Antoine Wright

PF: Reggie Evans

C: Rasho Nesterovic

Bench Warmers:

Patrick Obryant

Quincy Douby

Roko Ukic

Marcus Banks

That is a pretty great lineup. I predict 4th in the East!!

We need to get rid of Ukic and Marcus Banks. Get some veterans on this team!! I'm excited for the season! I cannot wait!! GO RAPTORS!!!

What a week!

Hey Friends

That was a pretty hectic week! We got a lot done! We had our first GGC event "BBQ in the Park" and we also had our very first service! Yay!

The week started with the monster job of cleaning my basement! The basement was a dusty mess! We had to sweep the whole basement; wipe the walls; mop the floor and then paint it. It took two days to complete! Thanks to everyone who helped out!

On Saturday, we had a BBQ in the Park. Check out the pictures on the website! A lot of people came out- 41 people to be exact. We BBQ'd burgers and Hot Dogs! The Burgers were a hit! Unfortunately, the beautiful Jumbo Hot Dogs were not =( Oh well I guess more for me! Yay!

On Saturday Night, Shaula and I moved couches and chairs (bought from Wal-Mart) to the basement for the service that would happen on Sunday. It was quite the workout! I broke a sweat and probably lost some weight, only to be gained back again after a nice mid-night

snack- a precious Hot Dog!

On Sunday, we had our very first GGC Worship Service in my basement. 26 people came out for our very first service! Thanks to all that came! I was pretty nervous for some reason, I wonder if it showed? But I really want to thank God for being my friend and blessing us with this great week. All the Glory should go to Him!

David

Best of Chuck Video Tribute!

Just Plain Awesome!

Expecting BIG things

Wow! How time flies..lol..our first official service is this Sunday (Aug. 2)! That was a quick 7 months! Now we are here and to be honest I don't really know what to expect. I have my ideas, I have my dreams but I'm not quite sure what will happen. In some cases I don't want to know, I want to be surprised- I want to be kept in suspense!

Whenever God did something in the Bible it was always something amazing- something impossible! It was never anything small, it was always something great! Something BIG! I have learned along the way to always expect something big and majestic from God. To not settle for anything less. To not doubt but have faith in the great things our God can do. My mentality has changed to the extent that God really does want to show his power. He really does what to do great things!

BUT our lack of faith, our doubts and the fact we like to put God in a box has made it harder for us to experience all that God has for us. We have chosen to settle for mediocrity- expecting less than what God wants to give!

What if we had faith like a mustard seed- faith that can move mountains? What if we expected only great and powerful things from God and not settle for less?

Ask God to show up! Ask Him to reveal His power! Ask till your blue in the face- ask to the point that you won't accept mediocre results! Believe that God is capable of doing the impossible! If the Bible is any indication to what God can do- then my friends we are in for a treat!

Are you excited? Are you nervous? Maybe it's both.

It has only begun- greater things are yet to come.

Grace Generation Meeting Minutues- July 2, 2009

GRACE GENERATION CHURCH MEETING MINUTES

July 2,2009

Announcements

• We are finally beginning! How do you feel?

Organization

• Core will be meeting at 4pm for the month of July
• Thursday night GGC bible study – officially starts in July
• Format: eat, devotion, discussion, hang (start right on time 7pm)
• For future reference – possibly 2 bible studies a week?
• Not just a bible study; can be time where we go out and volunteer in the community; fundraising
• Official service starting in August; time? TBA
• Thursday bible study resumes as usual
• Core to meet Sunday mornings before worship service for discipleship/training

Fundraising Letter

• Now completed.
• Waiting on letterhead and then it is ready to be distributed
• Suggestion for an email template, so its easier to give the letter to family/friends abroad.

Evangelism Program

• We have none; we are the program!
• Desire is to engage in intelligent conversations with non-believers
• Sharing through relationships
• Invite them into a community – e.g movies, shopping, concerts, clubbing haha!
• We ARE the CHURCH. Must not gravitate to one another. This is the church entrusted to us. We are the frontline. DO NOT BE AFRAID

Final Thought

• THIS IS OUR TIME!
• There’s a dream in your heart that God wants you to pursue

Challenge

• Seek, pray, and discover that dream and desire that God has placed in your heart and let David know.

The Glory of God is man fully ALIVE

Closing Prayer.

Welcome Demar DeRozan!!!

With the 9th pick the Toronto Raptors select Demar DeRozan!!! I am so excited! This was my pick. I'm just glad Toronto got it right this time! This guy is going to be very special- I just know it!

Now we need to resign Shawn Marion! Our lineup can possibly consist of:

Calderon

Derozan

Marion

Bosh

Bargnani

That is a solid lineup! We just need to get better defensively! I'm thinking through trades, free agency, and our mid-level exception- we need to bolster the bench and get deeper. So far our bench consists of:

PG: Ukic/Douby/Banks

SG: Delfino?

SF: ?

PF: Evans/Humphries

C: O'Bryant

I think we need to trade Humphries, Jawai and Banks and get rid of their contracts. Maybe even get rid of Ukic and get a veteran PG.

Use our free agent money and resign Marion and Delfino..and maybe even Parker. If not Parker, maybe sign someone like Grant Hill or Matt Barnes??

Use the mid-level on Chris Anderson and the LLE on Rasho.

Our lineup would be:

Calderon/Dooling?/Douby

Derozan/Parker?/Hill?

Marion/Delfino/ Barnes?

Bosh/Evans/

Bargnani/Anderson?/Rasho?/Obryant

I'm excited for next season! YAY Derozan!

Proposed Plan for July and August 2009

Hey guys

Here is a proposed plan- please critique and ask any questions that you may have. Thanks!

The Plan:

July:

Start an official GGC Bible Study on Thursdays
- invite friends
- eat together
- talk about Jesus
- targetted for new people, but will also go deep for the ones that are already walking with Jesus; won't be entirely basic.

Be intentional- Be the Church
- hang out with friends
- invite people into a community (going to movies; playing video games; watching sports etc.)

Sundays- Meet with Core only
- pray together
- sing together
- equipping- just like how we are doing CNC bs right now

August:

Start an official GGC Sunday Worship Service
- invite friends

Sunday Mornings before the service- meet with Core
- equipping time (just like how we are doing CNC bs right now)

Official GGC Bible Study on Thursdays will continue

Be intentional- Be the Church
- hang out with friends
- invite people into a community (going to movies; playing poker; watching sports etc.)

Community Events- let's get out there!