Ekklesia Church News

A NEW CHURCH FOR NEW PEOPLE IN A NEW COMMUNITY
January 21st, 2016

Donate online at:  www.ekklesiakitsap.org
January 21st, 2015 - In This Issue:
Service Sunday- Planned Projects
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Up Coming Dates
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Prayer Needs
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Ekklesia Family Retreat at Ocean Shores
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House Churches You Can Join


Ekklesia: a new church for new people
Ekklesia- Service Sunday  Gathering
  
Sunday, January 24th
701 Bay St. Port Orchard

10:00 am Coffee & Juice
10:25 am Worship Time
11:30 am Service Projects

There will be no teaching time this Sunday as we will be sending out service groups to work in several areas. 
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Youth Activity This Saturday Night
  
Saturday, January 23rd- at 6:30

All youth are invited to the home of Ryan Pyke next Saturday evening to experience a spiritual encounter. There will be a special activity planned that will teach a spiritual message! 

Pyke home:  1260 1/2  Pottery Ave. Port Orchard
Bring a health snack
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Up Coming Dates
Jan. 23rd   Youth Activity
Jan. 24th Service Projects
Jan. 25th  Bell/Hanson group
Jan. 27th  Kenady group
Jan. 28th  Ehlert group
Jan. 30th Youth Activity
Jan. 31st  Family Sunday
Feb. 27th Rend Collective Concert
Mar. 26th  Easter Picnic
Mar. 27th  Easter program
May 27-29th Family Retreat- Ocean
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Prayer Needs
Monique Parry's friend-
prayer for friend Mindy and daughter- Mallory who was diagnosed with cancer
Ron Weeks-  wife (Pam) who has been blessed with great news following her cancer surgeries!
Francene and Lee Criswell's neighbor- Ron-A father of 4 children dealing with cancer 
Elizabeth Herrera - the passing of her father a few months ago in Arizona
Conrad and Chanda Hanson  -who were married a few months ago.
Seth and Sarah Cartwright- who were married a few weeks ago on Jan. 3rd!
Ekklesia House - pray for a new opportunity that has presented itself for us to build a new homeless shelter community in South Kitsap.
The Pavilion-  as they consider their business options.
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House Churches You Can Join
Mon. 6:30pm Bell/Hanson
Wed. 6:30pm Kenady/Bedford
Wed. 3:30pm Ladies- Grandma Bobbie
Thurs. 6:30pm Ehlert/Blair
Sat. 6:30pm Youth group
 
For further information call: 
360-801-0012 or e-mail us at 

Ekklesia's New Sunday Rhythms
Everyone needs a rhythm of life to maintain growth and health. The leadership team at Ekklesia also desires our church to maintain a rhythm regarding our Sunday morning gatherings. We will continue to be meeting at the Pavilion on Sunday mornings but will be changing a few things each month. 
The first and third Sundays will be our "Teaching Sundays." On these Sundays we will provide teaching for all ages. We will have one of our leaders teach the adults, Sarah Blair and Ryan Pyke will teach our youth and Katy Stefanoff and Lisa Blair will teach our children.  
The second and forth Sundays will be our "Service Sundays." On these Sundays Ekklesia will send out teams of people to serve all over the county. This is the time where we implement what we have been learning from the life and teachings of Jesus. We will attempt to connect with people in our community and seek ways to serve them better. Some groups will ask for food for the Helpline Food Bank, others may have a construction project, some may collect firewood for the food bank, some may also visit people who may be sick or elderly. On these Sundays our worship time will be abbreviated lasting from forty five minutes to an hour. 
On fifth Sundays we will have "Family Sundays" and encourage our church to meet in homes either with each other individually or as house churches. We will not be meeting as a group at the Pavilion but will encourage our people to seeks ways to connect on the individual level with family and friends. In May the fifth Sunday will be over the Memorial Day weekend and Ekklesia will also have a family retreat at Ocean Shores. So, on that Sunday in May some of our Ekklesia people will be out at the ocean and others may gather with their family and friends. 
The Ekklesia web site now has an up-dated calendar reflecting these rhythms for the next several months. Check it out!
New Sunday rhythms
1st & 3rd Sundays- Teaching Sundays
2nd & 4th Sundays- Service Sundays
5th Sundays- Family Sundays

Service Sunday- Planned Projects 
There are several planned projects for this Sunday following our abbreviated gathering. Please come dressed to be outside and possibly to do some work. 
1. Helpline Food Drive: Some Ekklesia workers are being asked to serve at the Helpline Food Bank food drive we will be holding at the Sedgwick Rd. Albertsons market. We will be passing out food donation fliers and receiving their food donations as shoppers leave the store.  
2. Firewood project: We will again be loading up firewood from a home in Port Orchard and delivering it to the Helpline Food Bank on Mitchell Rd. Trucks will be needed.
3. Encouragement Groups: some people will visit the elderly and the sick

Ekklesia volunteers at an Albertson's food drive last Spring

  Ekklesia workers unloading firewood at Helpline Food Bank
The following letter was received a few weeks ago from the Helpline Food Bank director, Jennifer Hardison, regarding a previous firewood delivery.

Hi friends at Ekklesia,
I just wanted to let you know how grateful so many people in need have been to be blessed with the gift of dry wood to heat their homes over these past few cold weeks. Thank you so much for taking the time to go and pick that up for us. I had a woman in tears this morning when she saw the full cart of wood we were able to supply her family with. She said they have had no heat (in this bitterly freezing weather!) and have been so very cold. She was just ecstatic and said it would help her family so much. Each person I have loaded wood up for has been so tremendously grateful.
Thank you all for everything you do to make a positive difference in the lives of so many. We appreciate your partnership and all of your efforts to help us and our community so very much.
Happy New Year from all of us at the South Kitsap Helpline!
Regards,
Jennifer

Contact: Tim Blair or the Ekklesia Church at -  360-801-0012

Donations may be made online at:  www.ekklesiakitsap.org

or mailed to:  P.O. Box 601, Burley, WA 98322

A new year to reach new people!
Thank you to all our friends and supporters for your constant prayers and financial support. We know that our efforts in Port Orchard are because of you! 
Tim and Lisa Blair