Serve
In the coming weeks people from the Branch will be gathering together to serve people locally and beyond. For details of how you can get involved, click on the “We ‘Heart’ GR” link below. Then shoot us an email: chris@thebranchonline.org
Valentine’s Day Brunch
Just to be clear: this is not a brunch you need a date for. No romantic candles or heart shaped candy. Instead, this meal is a chance for the Branch and New Life (the church who owns the building we meet in) to connect with one another and build relationships (it just so happens it falls on Valentines Day :).
There are two ways you can participate (and your participation matters!):
- Simply show up! Eat some food. Meet someone from New Life. Doing this alone will have a significant impact.
- Help prepare food. We’re keeping the menu simple, but we could still use help getting things ready. Email chris@thebranchonline.org if you’ve got 30 minutes to spare.
Brunch starts at 10:20AM and will end a few minutes before 11AM. We hope to see you there!
Meal Night – February 5th
When people sit around a table and share food together something happens. Laughs are shared. Appetites are satisfied. Relationships begin. That’s why we regularly gather together for ‘meal nights’: a simple evening of food and conversation.
Our next gathering is Friday, February 5th at the Navis’ home. For a map, click here. It all starts at 6PM, but come as your schedule allows — stay for three hours or five minutes. We hope to see you!
30 Days to Live
What if you learned you had just 30 days to live? How would your life be different? Is it possible to make the most of every day, right now?
January 17: Living in the Moment
January 24: Focusing On What Matters
January 31: Leaving a Godly Legacy
February 7: Fighting for Peace
SMALL GROUPS will be a central part of this series — helping the Scripture move from our head to our heart. So whether you’re new to the Branch or a long-timer, we hope you’ll dive in. Everyone is invited.
These short-term small groups will begin meeting the week of January 17, and will gather for five consecutive weeks. If you’re interested in joining a group, click on the “Contact Us” tab at the top of the page and put “30 Days to Live SG” in the subject line. Also, let us know what group you’d prefer joining. It’s that simple. We’ll e-mail you details.
Sunday evening: couples (with or without kids)
Sunday evening: women’s group
Sunday evening: singles & couples (i.e. everyone!)
Tuesday morning: men’s group
Wednesday evening: men’s group
To find out more about what Sunday mornings look like, click here.
she::gathers
All women are invited to the next she::gathers — an evening out to meet other women, share life, and build relationships. We’re meeting at the Sparrow coffee/tea house — 1035 Wealthy St. Wednesday, January 13, 8PM.
Meal Night: January 22nd
One of our strongest desires and values at the Branch is to see people connected in meaningful, life-giving relationships. Meal nights are one of the ways that we live out this value. As we gather for a meal, names are learned, stories are shared and relationships are deepened.
Our next gathering is Friday, January 22, 6:00PM. Come whenever you’re able – stay for 5 minutes or three hours. For a map to the Stoke’s home, click here:
3576 Arbor Chase Ct.
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Hope to see you there (oh….and bring a sled 🙂
Christmas Eve
Dirty straw. Cold air. Foul smells. It wasn’t much of a beginning. But somehow, in the most humble of ways, the EPIC story of redemption was finding its climax. Love had broken in. The world would never be the same.
Join us at 5PM as we enter into the peace and hope of Jesus Christ. Kids will start off the night with a short program, childcare will follow for birth-5th grade.
Mission
Mission is at the heart of the Branch. Every month we’re reaching out to serve and love. We hope you’ll join us. This month we’re focusing our energies on….
ANGEL TREE
This week over 50 gifts, bags of personal care items and holiday meals are headed out to families in the surrounding neighborhoods. It gives us joy to be a part of extending God’s love in this way!
In January, February and March we’re planning on locking arms with Alger Middle School again, as well as reaching out to the homeless and helping a refugee family get settled to a new life in Grand Rapids. Details coming soon.
