Dear friends,
A lot of exciting and encouraging things are going on at Emmanuel right now. Thanks for your involvement as part of the family, the Body of Christ !
New Church Officers
Thanks to those willing to serve as church officers in 2015. Our Steward Committee, responsible for finances and physical property, is now composed of …
- Darryl Heck
- Paul Houston
- Al Gaus
- Mary Owens
- Al Traub
- Rebecca Gaus continues to serve as Church Treasurer (along with doing many other tasks in the church office – thank you, Rebecca !).
Our Elder Board now has the following members :
- Alex Grieshaber
- Mike Horstmann
- Mike Mahoney
- Chris Neale
- Tom Rea
- Larry Shoemaker
Let’s support these ones through our prayers and through our commitment with them to ministry. Thanks to all of you in the Emmanuel family !
Important Congregational Meeting this Sunday
We will have a short congregational meeting this Sunday immediately following worship for the purpose of confirming the five members of the Pastor Search Team. Because of the recent changes in our church by-laws, it is imperative that there be a quorum at the meeting, and that at least 56 votes be cast. If you are a voting member at Emmanuel but will not be physically present at Sunday’s meeting, it is very important that we receive an absentee ballot from you. You may fill out one of the absentee ballots at the church, or you may email an absentee ballot to me. We need a “yes” or “no” vote on each of the five nominees for this team : Becky Aldrich, Rich Brune, Laura Maddox, Allison Roth, and Lucas Schneider. Thank you for your participation in this important step toward seeking God’s new senior pastor for Emmanuel.
This Weekend :
Sticky Group Leaders Vision & Encouragement Breakfast, Saturday, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. This is a carry-in breakfast at the church for Sticky Group leaders. Brian and Anna Azevedo will lead us in a time of sharing and encouragement for our Sticky Groups. If you’re a leader of a group, or if you think you might be interested in leading a group some day, please come ! We plan to sticky closely to the timeframe, so you will be out no later than 10:30.
JAM Breakfast Fundraiser & Bake Sale, Sunday, 9:00 a.m. Come join the JAM group on their trip to Iowa for Winter Blast ! Meet the kids and families that are going to Winter Blast and enjoy a delicious baked item in the dining room at church this Sunday at 9:00. There will be an opportunity to contribute to a freewill offering for the trip to Winter Blast, and to enjoy some good fellowship and prayer. See you Sunday morning !
Staff Meeting, with David Viland, of Christian Investors, January 26 :
David Viland is a friend of Emmanuel and a consultant with Christian Investors Financial group, an arm of the Evangelical Free Church of America that helps local churches better understand the biblical concepts of stewardship and generosity. David will be meeting with all our Ministry Team leaders – and anyone else who would like to join the meeting – Monday, January 26, at 6:00 pm at the church to discuss ministry vision for Emmanuel, how we can set better financial goals for the church, and steps we can take to increase our giving toward God’s work. I believe this meeting together will be a powerful time of sharpening our focus going forward and of discovering some of the next steps God wants us to take. Please mark your calendars. A light meal will be provided. If you are in need of childcare, please let me know. Also, if you or your ministry team would like to meet individually with David prior to the meeting (for example, between 4:00 and 6:00 pm), please let me know and I will arrange that with David. Thank you !
A Joy
One of my greatest joys in the past couple years at Emmanuel has been leading an Ignite group of young men in 9th grade. What’s an Ignite group ? An Ignite group is basically a small Bible study and fellowship group for young people. Our large Seedling, JAM, and Overflow groups are bursting with kids and energy on Wednesday nights. Ignite is a chance for those in the large group who want to take further steps in spiritual life to do so in a smaller setting under the leadership of an mature follower of Christ.
Our 9th-grade men’s group is very simple : We meet for about an hour-and-a-half every other week for food (of course !), a short time of study and prayer, and usually a game or two. For the first year or so, Pastor Jeff provided us with a study guide that led us through some themes concerning God and faith. Most recently, we’ve started a study in the Gospel of John using the very simple “Discovery Bible Study” method. Last week we covered just eight verses of John’s gospel. I never cease to be amazed at the insights, good questions, and genuine praying that comes from these guys as they share life and God’s Word together. Occasionally, we do something “fun” together (like play UNO at my house. Fun ?).
There are other good Ignite groups meeting too – about six all together. But Pastor Jeff needs additional leaders because additional groups are waiting to be started. If you have time and a calling to serve young people in this way, why don’t you check it out with Pastor Jeff ? You might be surprised at how much your own spiritual walk is impacted !
What is Discovery Bible Study ?
Discovery Bible Study is a very simple Bible study method meant to immerse people in God’s Word and provide them with an excellent tool for leading a group with their own network of friends and acquaintances. The study itself is basically a series of about ten questions that are used week after week designed to cause participants to interact personally and practically with the Word. It’s a tool for discovery, growth, and accountability. A really good video explaining the concept behind Discovery Bible Study can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jrok2GE8I8.
Discovery Bible Study is the method currently being used by our Sunday night men’s group (2nd & 4th Sunday nights at 5:30 pm). In addition, I will start a Discovery Bible Study for any interested adults, men and women, Sunday, February 1, during the 9:00 hour. If you’re interested in good study and a tool for taking the Word of God to folks in your own social network, plan on joining me starting February 1. David Kiser’s study in the Book of Acts will continue at the 9:00 hour as well, so there will be two choices for adults in that pre-worship hour on Sundays.
See you this Sunday !
JAM bake sale & fundraiser – 9:00.
101 class, Discovering Christ & the Church – 9:00
Bible study in the Book of Acts – 9:00
activities and classes for children – 9:00
worship — 10:15 (We’ll continue our series in “Becoming a Contagious Christian.”)
congregational meeting immediately following worship
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