Welcome to EFC-ER's Weekly Encourager. We trust that this will become a bright spot each week in your emails. The purpose of the Weekly Encourager is to provide up-to-date information about region-wide events, prayer requests, and helpful resources from the local churches. We will close each email with a quick quote and/or survey to gather helpful resources from leaders to share with our wider Friends family.

News from the office:

* Pastors: We are more frequently using email to communicate information. Please update your email addresses so we can be sure to send it to you. You may send your correct contact information to [email protected].

* Statisticians: Please return the 2014 Annual Family Life (CE) and Year-End Statistical reports to Julia McDonald [email protected] by this Friday, January 30, 2015.

Upcoming Events to keep in your prayers:

* February 11 - Grand Board Meeting
held at Canton First Friends. Details below.

*March 20-22 - Reconnect Youth Leader Training hosted by Orange Friends Church. Reconnect is a weekend event for youth leaders hosted in Columbus, Ohio. The registration brochure and more information may be downloaded from our website: http://www.efcer.org/boards/friends-youth. NOTE: There are new hotel arrangements this year. See brochure for details. Also, the Youth Board will meet beforehand on Thursday at the church.

* March 21 - Taking Your Church to the Next Level: One-day seminar with Dr. Gary McIntosh from 8:30am-2:15pm at North Olmsted Friends Church. Details to the right.

Keeping Prayer a High Priority

We trust that every church is sharing these prayer requests within their local prayer community. Here are this week's requests:

1 - John and Sangi Vanlal have gone to India to be with their family while one of their sons, Josef, is battling pneumonia. He is in the hospital with a swollen heart and lung, and is receiving oxygen. Please pray for Josef's quick recovery.

Grand Board Meeting

We have received several questions about the dates for the Grand Board Meeting. All boards who have chosen to participate will meet on (Wednesday) February 11th at Canton First Friends at 9am. There will be group chapel at 9:30am. The Executive Board will meet at the World Outreach Center on (Thursday) February 12th. We have included both dates because all board members were invited to come to the Executive Board meeting if interested. We need to know who will be attending the meetings so we are able to plan accordingly. Please continue to RSVP to Julia McDonald [email protected] or (330) 493-1660.

Walk for Life in Washington, DC

The 42nd Annual March for Life was held on Thursday, January 22, 2015, in Washington DC. Since 1993, Connie Bancroft has hosted an over-night bus trip to attend the event. This year, 46 individuals traveled from Alliance to Washington DC. 18 of the 46 were from Friends Churches. 7 adults with 5 teens traveled from Van Wert Friends Church to participate and 3 adults with 3 teens, from Alliance First Friends Church joined the trip. "It was a beautiful day with a great rally and thousands of individuals from across the nation that participated in this event. What a privilege it is to stand for the Sanctity of Life in this way, but more importantly is the need for Christians to stand for the Sanctity of Life every day through the various possibilities locally."

- Picture and information submitted by Connie Bancroft

Like surveys?

Every so often, we receive requests from organizations and universities asking for volunteers to take various surveys and questionnaires. If you would like to be placed on a list to receive the links to the surveys, please email [email protected].

Weekly Encourager for January 28, 2015

News from the Office

Grand Board Meeting

Walk for Life Update

2014 Apportionments & GCB Giving

Schedule the Aufrances

Treasurers:

We need the remaining 2014 apportionment payments and GCB giving as soon as possible to close out 2014. Thank you!

Yearbook Pages

The church Yearbook page and list of congregational addresses have been sent to each church. Please have the Yearbook page hand-corrected and returned to Regina Evans at the World Outreach Center or [email protected] by February 1st, 2015. Thank you for your help!

Aufrances' Schedule Update

The Aufrances' schedule is filling up for the remainder of their deputation. They will be in the Michigan District from May 13 through May 24 and in our Virginia and Piedmont Districts from April 19 - April 29. There are still available times for them to speak at your church. Please email Julie Jenkins ([email protected]) or call the World Outreach Center (1-800-334-8863) to schedule.

Church Leaders,

Looking to unleash your church's ministry potential in 2015?

The brochure can be downloaded here.

World Outreach Center

5350 Broadmoor Cir., NW

Canton, OH 44709

1-800-334-8863

Julia McDonald, Editor

[email protected]

A Little Extra.... QUOTE FOR THE WEEK:

"Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ,

so that whether I come and see you or am absent,
I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit,

with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that is from God." - Philippians 1:27-28

We hope you've enjoyed catching up with news from the EFC-ER office.

More information and news will be coming each week.

Please send Julia ([email protected]) any of your suggestions, quotes,

and/or ideas for weekly encouragement.