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GLB Church September Newsletter!
Life can feel a lot like the changing seasons—bright and full of beauty, yet unpredictable at times. As we step into September, we’re focusing on what it means to stay anchored in hope—not in shifting circumstances, but in the steady promises of God.
To be anchored is to be secure, even when the winds of life push against us. Biblical hope isn’t just optimism; it’s a confident trust in who God is and what He has said.
This month is an opportunity to pause and ask: where is your hope anchored? Together, let’s grow in a faith that is steady, rooted, and unshakable.
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
Waiting is not necessarily a value in our society. The other day, I went to the barbershop and it was the busiest I had ever seen it. Since I didn’t have an appointment, I had to wait for almost an hour for the haircut. Usually I would just leave but this time I decided to calm myself down and wait patiently. As much as I wanted to storm off or was tempted to be rude to the barber, I decided to calmly speak and be cordial to those working there. In the moment, though, I realized how impatience is a default setting for me emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. In our fast-paced, urban, digital, Uber Eats, Amazon Prime world, I would venture to say that we all battle with waiting patiently in some way or form.
Psalm 130 talks about crying out to the Lord and asking forgiveness. In the middle of the psalm, we find this statement about waiting for the Lord and putting our hope in his word. The psalmist says, ‘my whole being waits’. Something happens to our bodies when we surrender and stop grasping for and controlling outcomes. There is a calmness that sets in, a slowness, an ability to be present in the moment and not rushed. And through this waiting, we can hear God, sense God, notice God.
As school has started and many families and students are in a renewed structure of daily routines- school, work, extracurricular activities, etc., our call as followers of Jesus is to prayerfully wait on God in the middle of the chaos and busyness. To trust God’s way and God’s Word. As we pray, we wait. As we meditate on God’s Word, we wait. And as we wait, we find hope in God. As a church community, it’s so easy to be busy with events and programs and classes and meetings that we could possibly neglect the lessons God may have for us when we don’t have clarity on something or we have to wait a bit longer for an answer from God on a certain decision we’re trying to make. I don’t think God wants us to be doing more and having more things on our calendars as a church. I think God is inviting us to be a patient church; a church that waits prayerfully for God’s direction; a church with space in the calendar and in our gatherings to be silent and be still and put our hope in God’s Word. Hopefully our monthly prayer gatherings have provided a way for us to be expectantly faithful and patiently waiting. Hopefully this season in our ‘Equipping the Saints’ classes, we can nurture our attentiveness to God’s work and be strengthened in God’s Word so our faith will be built and we can ‘relax in Christ.’ As we develop our vision of what kind of church do we want to be or do we sense God calling us to be, I hope that rhythms of creating margin and space in our times together would be a part of that and we would cultivate the spiritual discipline of ‘waiting’ with our whole being.
Looking forward to a great September!
Get Involved!
This month is full of chances to stay rooted and connected — in community and in purpose. Whether you’re new or have been around for a while, there’s a place for you here!
Want to help but not sure where you fit? Send an email to hello@glbchurch.com
Text JOIN to (562) 561-2020
Stay connected! Join our communication list to receive the latest updates, events, and news straight to your phone. Don’t miss out on all that’s happening!
Weekly contributions for February and March.
Cristian Outreach in Action
This month, we’re partnering with Christian Outreach in Action (COA) in Long Beach — a powerful ministry that meets real needs with real love. They serve meals daily, offer clothing and hygiene items, and provide support for individuals and families facing homelessness or hardship.
How you can help:
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Donate Items: Bring hygiene kits, canned goods, or gently used clothes to the lobby drop-off bin.
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Serve with Us: Sign up to make lunches on the second Saturday of the month. Please call Erica Burch 562-787-4626 for more info or organize with your group and sign up here.
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Pray: Lift up this ministry and the people they serve in your daily prayers.
COA gives us an opportunity to live out the love of Christ in our city. Let’s be the hands and feet of Jesus together.
Love Our City ’25 – SAVE THE DATE
Join us for a morning of connection and encouragement at Parkcrest Church, Long Beach (3936 Woodruff Ave, Long Beach, CA 90808) on Saturday, October 11, 2025. Breakfast will be served at 7:30am, followed by a rally and gathering from 8:00am–12:00pm. Come hungry, come expectant, and be part of a powerful time together!
We are happy to pray for your prayer requests, or have you join us to pray at our Hilltop Signal Hill prayer May 3 at 8am or our GLB Prayer Night at 7:30pm on May 28.
You can email prayer requests to glbprayerministry@gmail.com or enter them here.
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
September is a season of new rhythms and responsibilities, which can leave us feeling tired or stretched thin. Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that true strength doesn’t come from pushing harder but from anchoring ourselves in the Lord. As we wait on Him, He renews us—lifting us above the chaos and giving us endurance for the journey.
Reflection Questions:
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In what areas of life do I feel weary or worn out right now
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What would it look like for me to “wait on the Lord” instead of relying only on my own strength
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How have I experienced God’s renewal in past seasons, and how can I lean on that hope again this month?
