40 Days of Amazing Grace

DATE: February 6th to March 22nd, 2008
CONTACT: Andrew McHenry, Pastor (785) 256-4277

The Maple Hill Community Congregational Church will be launching the "40 Days of Amazing Grace" campaign on Ash Wednesday. Members and friends of the church will be learning about God's grace, in studying the popular book "What's So Amazing About Grace?" by Philip Yancey.
The study will go on through the Christian season of Lent - which consists of the forty days preceding Easter, and runs from February 6th to March 22nd.

At least seven new small groups will be started with this endeavor, meeting mostly on weeknights and weekends - though there may be some groups held
during daytime hours if there is interest. Six of the groups will be in Maple Hill, and one will be in St. Marys. All groups will look at DVDs with
commentary from Yancey and a number of other Christian leaders. Persons interested in participating are encouraged to call the church at (785)
256-4277 to sign up. Books and materials will be provided at no charge.

Yancey's book is a must-read for serious Christians. It has been described as "beyond a doubt the very best book I have read from a Christian author in
my life," by Dr. Robert Seiple, the former president of World Vision. Philip Yancey was awarded the Gold Medallion Christian Book of the Year award for this book by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Readers have concurred, making this book an immediate bestseller.

During the 40 Days of Amazing Grace, participants will explore the powerful truths about God's grace as the church's great distinctive, how it operates
at ground level in life, how we can overcome the destructive cycles of "ungrace" that we face, how there is a need for grace in various "culture war" battles, and other related themes. The content will be communicated repeatedly in several ways:
1. A weekly message by the pastor.
2. Common daily readings in Yancey's book.
3. Weekly small groups.
4. Regular e-mails of encouragement.

"People will hear about God's grace for their lives in many different formats," Pastor McHenry said. "This will allow for the truths to sink deeper into hearts, which is important for any permanent life change. Philip Yancey has said, 'There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.' People are yearning for grace, and this is a great opportunity to learn and grow together."