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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.
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News from the office:
* The apportionment for 2015 is $74. Yearly Meeting will be held at Malone University on July 18-21, 2015.
* Please send your apportionments and GCB Pledges for 2014 as soon as possible so we can close out the year.
* We welcome Anthony Green as the new pastor at West Mansfield Friends and Ken Perdue as the interim pastor at Somersville. Tom Kipp will conclude his role at Morningside at the end of December.
* Please be aware that several churches have received scam phone calls from people posing as our missionaries. If you receive similar calls, please do not send money or give out phone numbers until contacting the World Outreach Center.
* Due to the holidays, and year-end vacations, our office hours may vary. Be assured we will still be available at the office, with slight time adjustments.
Upcoming Events to keep in your prayers:
* Dec. 12 & 13 - Christmas Drive-Thru at Sebring Friends from 6 to 8pm. More information below to the right.
* 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. The brochure can be downloaded here.
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Keeping Prayer a High Priority
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We trust that every church is sharing these prayer requests within their local prayer community. Here are this week's requests:
1 - Jaime Herrera received a heart stent last Friday, so please pray for his recovery.
2 - Continue to pray for Dane and Sally Ruff in the passing of Sally's sister, Madeline, a couple weeks ago. Pastor Dane and Sally pastored churches in the Eastern Region for over fifty years.
3 - Please pray for Mary Evelyn Moore as she recovers from knee surgery.
4 - Keep Ken Perdue and Somersville Friends Church in your prayers as he transitions into his role as Interim Pastor.
5 - Keep Elizabeth Reich in your prayers as she recovers from surgery and goes to a follow-up appointment on Dec. 11.
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Welcoming the Aufrances!
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We are pleased to welcome Dave and Cindy Aufrance back to the States from Hong Kong. Julie Jenkins is scheduling them to speak in our churches beginning in January. Dave will be available through May 24 and Cindy will remain in the States through the first part of September.
When requesting the Aufrances, please consider the following:
- April 19 - 29 they will be in our Virginia and Piedmont districts. Dates are still available for those regions during this time.
- If you are scheduling a Sunday morning, including them in the Sunday school hour for an informal time would allow your congregation and the Aufrances to get to know each other better.
- There are many ways to have your congregation welcome and interact with Dave and Cindy. Consider mid-week Bible studies, VBS programs, missionary meetings, youth groups, home meals, or coffee get-togethers, or a weekend missions emphasis.
- Keep in mind that they can speak on specific topics. Along with outreach with the Gospel, they could address specific areas such as intercultural ministry, adjusting to a foreign culture, prayer, church-planting, refugee life, or hospitality, just to name a few.
If you would like to schedule the Aufrances, please contact Julie Jenkins at [email protected].
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Our new Weekly Encourager Editor is Julia McDonald.
Announcements, pictures, and stories for the Weekly Encourager may be sent to her at ([email protected]) by 3pm on Tuesdays. Also, please add her email to your email contacts so you will be sure to receive it.
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Weekly Encourager for December 10, 2014
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Attention Churches:
We have begun to receive ornaments for our special witness Christmas tree! We are asking each church to give a nativity scene ornament - possibly one that is unique to your area or special to your church. You may send your ornament to the World Outreach Center (5350 Broadmoor Circle NW, Canton, OH 44709). Thank you for your help in being a special witness this Christmas season!
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Church Treasurer's & Pastors:
As you are finalizing your budgets, please email your GCB and Faith Promise Budgets to Debbie Entwistle at [email protected] as soon as possible. Thank you!
Also, be watching your mail for the church annual apportionment letter stating how much you have paid for apportionments in 2014, and your projected amount to send in for 2015.
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What is your church doing for Christmas in your community?
Please let us know! We would like to report an EFC-ER total shoebox ministry and post photos and short reports on community outreaches across the Eastern Region. Please send Donna Neff [email protected] a quick update on what your church is doing for Christmas.
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Sebring Friends Church
Presents a Christmas Drive-Thru
December 12th & 13th from 6-8pm.
"Please join us as we celebrate the reason for Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior." For more information, download the flyer here or visit www.facebook.com/sebringfriends. |
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The Website Task force is hard at work creating new areas for our website. Early in the new year, we plan on adding a new area, "Our Stories," which will provide a place to share good things that are happening in our churches. We plan to post stories within specific categories such as church anniversary celebrations, new church starts, local community outreach ideas, local or international mission trips and pictures, etc. Please email or call Donna with any questions.
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The 2014 Evangelical Friends Mission Christmas Catalog has been sent to our churches. The online store is also available at friendsmission.com/Christmas. |
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CONTACT US
World Outreach Center
5350 Broadmoor Cir., NW
Canton, OH 44709
1-800-334-8863
Julia McDonald, Editor
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A Little Extra.... QUOTES FOR THE WEEK:
"What story are you writing as God's instrument in a world that needs His blessing?
Let's make our lives count!" - David C. Byrne, Director of the Coalition for Hispanic Ministries
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk into them." - Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV)
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 any of your suggestions and/or ideas for this weekly encouragement.
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