International Graduate Student Ministry - Gracepoint Berkeley

Winter Retreat Recap

mborja — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:19:16 +0000

Praise God for an amazing winter retreat! Click to expand!

We went up to Sierra Lodge for a time of drawing closer to God through listening to message, fellowship over meals, and a night bonfire while singing praise songs. Our speaker, Pastor Jonathan, presented the core gospel message, and along with testimonies from many different people, we were challenged to seek God with greater passion and fervor. We also experienced the first major snowstorm of the year, and overnight Sierra Lodge was transformed into a winter wonderland with fresh, fluffy snow. Check out the photos!

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Picnic and Sports in January!

mborja — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:08:59 +0000

Usually we wouldn’t think of having a picnic and sports day in January, but this past Saturday, the weather was just PERFECT at 70 degrees, and so we were able to enjoy BBQ and soccer, frisbee, volleyball and even football (American football, that is =) at Cordonices Park in Berkeley. Click to expand!

Now the weather has done a 180 and it’s freezing outside, but we’re looking forward to the snow at Sierra Lodge at the retreat this weekend. Check out the photos!

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IGSM FF Podcast — Matthew 14:22-36 & Luke 5:1-11 (1/13/2012)

howardlei82 — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 06:42:11 +0000

To listen to the podcast, click the link below:

January 13 Friday Forum

irenekwan — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 07:31:50 +0000

Friday Forum is back at Barrows! Chul gave a refreshing message on “walking on water” experiences that help to increase our faith. To assist in illustrating some of these experiences, some of our students performed two skits: a funny one that showed how Peter walked on water, and a dramatic skit that shows the crucifixion of Jesus and our roles in his death.

Come join us at the 2012 Winter Retreat to hear more and to experience God!

Click for photos and to read more!

After the Bible study, Nghia briefly shared with us about his experience being the sole grad student from our church to join the week-long mission trip to UC Riverside. We are very happy to have him back with us! We also celebrated Irene Zhang’s birthday with a cake, and then many of us went over to Durant Loft to play some board games and ping-pong. The evening concluded after an epic round of “Bang!” which went on until shortly past midnight.

Picnic & Sports this Saturday

jonyen — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:31:35 +0000

Get out of winter hibernation and join us for sports and good food at Codornices Park this Saturday! See you there!

Where: Codornices Park (1201 Euclid Ave, Berkeley, CA); Rides will be provided from Barrows Hall on campus, beginning at 11:30
When: 11:30am-3pm
What: Picnic & Sports (volleyball, soccer, frisbee)

First Friday Forum of the New Year!

mborja — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:45:05 +0000

Friday Forum is back! We kicked off the new year with a bang, with Chul bringing a bible study about how to enjoy God. Afterward, we had a time of groups games, which was nothing short of fun and crazy! Click to expand!

First, we tied balloons to our ankles, with different teams each having a different color. The objective was to eliminate the other teams by popping their balloons. Then different people submitted themselves to being blind-folded, spun around, and attempted to pick up tennis balls on pedestals with their team’s direction. Others tried to use a tape measure to deliver a ping-pong ball into a vase. These weren’t as easy as they look! Check out the photos.

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IGSM FF Podcast — Mark 14:3-9 & Luke 7:36-50 (1/6/2012)

Brian — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:02:43 +0000

To listen to the podcast, click the link below:

Christmas Eve Potluck

irenekwan — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:24:39 +0000

The night before Christmas, we ate a delicious potluck dinner at Joseph & Carolyn’s new home, and ended the night by watching “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Click to expand!

We had a fun time together with friends who are staying here for Christmas in the Bay Area – many of whom we haven’t seen for awhile! The classic movie was perfect for this Christmas time, even reminding us of the wonderful lives we have and that each one of us can have a great impact on others’ lives. Check out the photos. Looking forward to the New Year!

Christmas Party & Gift Exchange Photos

mborja — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:45:10 +0000

Finals are finally over and people are starting to head home. We brought the year to a close with our annual Christmas party and gift exchange. Click to expand!

We began with a wonderful potluck dinner and many people brought festive and tasty dishes (Travis’ homemade cheesecake was a hit). Then we had a time of singing some traditional Christmas carols and came to appreciate them more deeply when Josiah explained their meaning based on the Bible’s account of the first Christmas. We ended with a rousing gift exchange with some ingenious games, including drawing cats blindfolded and competing for gifts by playing Jenga. It was pretty loud and exciting. Check out the photos. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

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Ben’s Graduation

irenekwan — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:25:08 +0000

This past Sunday, we celebrated our brother Ben’s graduation at Haas Pavilion. Though we weren’t able to make it in time to cheer for Ben (sorry, Ben!), we took some pictures together over at the Alumni House. Afterwards, Ben’s parents treated us out for lunch at Sun Hong Kong restaurant (thank you!).

Check out the photos below (and the nice fall colors)!