Reverend Gary Grogan
Stone Creek Church
Urbana, IL
Sponsor: Rep. Rodney Davis, (R-IL)
Date of Prayer: 01/15/2014
One Minute Speech Given in Recognition of the Guest Chaplain:
The SPEAKER. Without objection, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) is recognized for 1 minute.
There was no objection.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Pastor Gary Grogan. Pastor Grogan has served as lead pastor of Stone Creek Church in Urbana, Illinois, for over 25 years, and today he is our pastor.
Thank you for leading the prayer .
Pastor Grogan and his lovely wife, Bonnie, have two children and five grandchildren. Both of his children also serve in local church ministry.
Under Pastor Grogan's leadership, Stone Creek has grown into a thriving, multiethnic congregation, leading many community outreach programs focused on justice and compassion.
Some of the many projects Pastor Grogan has led include fundraising to build educational community facilities, assisting those trapped in sex trafficking, support for returning war veterans from Afghanistan, and providing medical supplies and other necessities to victims of natural disasters.
The Bible says, in Proverbs 11:25: ‘‘Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.'' Pastor Grogan has spent a lifetime refreshing and encouraging those around him.
I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to Pastor Grogan and his entire congregation in Urbana, Illinois, for allowing him the opportunity to be here today.
Opening Prayer Given by the Guest Chaplain:
Reverend Gary Grogan, Stone Creek Church, Urbana, Illinois, offered the following prayer :
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the stewards of our government that are gathered here today, those who are willing to serve under grueling public scrutiny. I pray that You would grant them wisdom, grace, and the fortitude to execute their responsibilities.
Lord, You know, as a Nation, we are facing some of the biggest challenges in our young history. We ask for Your guiding hand. We seek Your guiding hand to do what we cannot do. We acknowledge Your ability to move us past our failures, our sins, and our humanity.
I pray that this session be a time of healing, humility, and laying down our differences to unite us, even as Your son, Jesus Christ, laid down his life for us, a greater purpose. Help our government officials to lay down their own agendas for the greater good: providing for the under–served, caring for the dis en fran chised, and fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves.
Bless and protect these men and women and their families from those who would be unreasonable and those who would try to harm them. We pray, Lord, that You would bless the United States of America. In Your name, we pray.
Amen.
To learn more about Members who have sponsored a Guest Chaplain, please visit the Congressional Biographical Directory