WinterGrace is an on-campus retreat for our whole congregation to experience renewal in God’s grace together. Our theme this year is The Grace of Prayer, and we are delighted to welcome Chad Scruggs, Douglas McKelvey, and Fernando Ortega as our featured guests. We hope you will set aside these two days, February 4 & 5, on your calendar as we anticipate the joyful fellowship, rich teaching, and beautiful worship God has provided.
For those who registered online, childcare is offered during the Saturday morning session for children three months through 4th grade and during the Saturday evening session for children three months through kindergarten. Childcare registration is now closed.
WinterGrace 2023 Schedule
Saturday, February 4
- Breakfast in Fellowship Hall (8:00-9:00 a.m.) - Registration is closed
- Large Group Session with Douglas McKelvey in Fellowship Hall (9:00-9:45 a.m.)
- Breakout Sessions (10:00-10:45 a.m. and 11:00-11:45 a.m.) see below
- Personal Prayer and Rest (2:00-4:00 p.m.)
- Evensong: Songs, Stories, and Supplications featuring Fernando Ortega, Chad Scruggs, and Douglas McKelvey in the PCPC Sanctuary (6:00-7:15 p.m.) [Order of Worship]
- Dessert Reception (7:15-8:00 p.m.)
Sunday, February 5
- Morning Worship with Fernando Ortega, Chad Scruggs, and Douglas McKelvey in the PCPC Sanctuary (9:30 and 11:00 a.m.) [Order of Worship]
- Personal Prayer and Rest (2:00-4:00 p.m.)
- Evening Worship with Fernando Ortega, Chad Scruggs, and Douglas McKelvey in the PCPC Sanctuary (6:00-7:15 p.m.) [Order of Worship]
Special Guests
Fernando Ortega
Fernando earned his bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of New Mexico. Fernando is one of Christian music’s most respected artists, his works encompassing modern hymns, liturgical songs, inspirational, and worship favorites.
Douglas McKelvey
Douglas has worked as an author (Every Moment Holy), song lyricist, scriptwriter, and video director. He and his wife Lise have three grown daughters and two sons-in-law. Douglas has served for the last four years as the sexton at St. John’s Anglican Church in Franklin, Tennessee.
Every Moment Holy brings new prayers for the practices and rhythms that form us. These prayers are ways of reminding us that our lives are shot through with sacred purpose even when, especially when, we are too busy or too caught up in our busyness to notice. The series features two volumes, the first contains prayers for the ordinary events of daily life — liturgies for "Feasting with Friends" or "Laundering" or "the First Hearthfire of the Season." The second volume contains prayers for seasons of dying and grieving – liturgies such as "A Liturgy for the Scattering of Ashes" or "A Liturgy for the Loss of a Spouse" or "A Liturgy for the Wake of a National Tragedy."
Chad Scruggs
Chad served for several years as RUF Campus Minister at Southern Methodist University before becoming a Pastor at Park Cities Presbyterian Church. He is currently the Lead Pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville. He and his wife, Jada, have four children.
Saturday Morning Keynote
Speaker: Douglas McKelvey
Saturday Morning Breakout Sessions
The Work of the People: Daily Life as Divine Conversation
In this interactive session, “Every Moment Holy” author Douglas McKelvey will lead participants through a series of exercises aimed at crafting a personal prayer—one that might serve to refocus the petitioner on the faithful stewarding of their gifts.
Leader: Douglas McKelvey
Location: The Chapel (Level One)
The Gift of Prayer for Anxious Hearts
We live in a world of increasing anxiety, and many of us are struggling to find tools to cope with it. Join counselor Pat Hobin he explores how God has designed prayer to be an indispensable tool for soothing our anxious hearts and entrusting all things to God’s perfect care.
Leader: Pat Hobin, Director of Care and Counseling
Location: Mezzanine A (Level Two)
Prayer is Mission
When we pray, we are mysteriously and directly engaging in God’s mission. We will touch on the biblical basis of the “prayer warrior” concept, highlight areas in the world that most need intercession, and provide fresh ideas for habits and practices that keep you awake and engaged in prayer.
Leader: Jerry Gibson, Ruling Elder and Central Hub Director at Mission to the World (MTW)
Location: Mezzanine B (Level Two)
Praying in Solitude and through Journaling
Join our Senior Pastor Mark Davis as he helps us reflect on the important biblical pattern of praying in silence and in solitude. He’ll also discuss how the practice of journaling can be a helpful way to focus on, remember, and recount God’s answers to our prayers.
Leader: Mark Davis, Senior Pastor
Location: Cambridge Hall (Level Two)
Prayer Walk
Join home church City Missionary, Annie Roberson, as she leads us through a prayer walk experience in the neighborhood surrounding our church. The practice of a prayer walk allows us to be physically present in our neighborhood as we pray for the Lord to use us there. Annie has been doing this in West Dallas for decades and will be helping us to consider how to do this in the Oak Lawn neighborhood as well as the places we live. We will meet at the fireplace in the Grand Hall and then go walk and pray!
Leaders: Annie Robertson, Home Church Missionary, and Anita Munoz, Coordinator for City Missions
Location: Grand Hall Fireplace (Level One)
Prayer in the Family: Praying With and For Your Children At a child’s baptism, parents take a vow to pray with and for their child, but for many of us, this isn’t as easy as it seems! If you’ve ever wondered how to better lead your family in prayer and how to teach your children to pray, come hear from several seasoned PCPC parents: Jay and Nancy Turner, John and Laurie Harper, Steve and Stephanie Greenwell, and Becky Ellerman. Each will encourage you by sharing their own practices in prayer (successes and failures!) throughout the various seasons of life while raising their children. There will be Q&A at the end so bring your most challenging questions!
Leader: Katherine Steinbrueck, Senior Director of Family Ministries
Location: The Loft (Level Two)
Evensong: Songs, Stories, and Supplications
The practice of closing the day in prayer is one that has a long history among Christians. Using the Bible’s story of redemptive history as the framework for our prayers, we will praise our Creator, lament our Fall, rejoice in the Redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ, and long for the Consummation to come. May we close this day grateful for what God has done, hopeful for what He has promised, and eager to return tomorrow on the Lord’s Day to worship Him together. Join us for this beautiful service on Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m.
