Sunday, October 31: THIS SUNDAY!

10:15 a.m. Sunday Worship at Imagine Church (In-Person at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Chapel, 14542 Choate Circle, Charlotte, or Online on Imagine Church Facebook Page)

Message:  "My Church Is Kind of a Big Deal, Part 2" by Pastor Bruce

10:15 a.m. Sunday Worship at Imagine Church (In-Person at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Chapel, 14542 Choate Circle, Charlotte, or Online on Imagine Church Facebook Page)

Message:  "My Church Is Kind of a Big Deal, Part 3" by Pastor Bruce

The disciple John tells a remarkable story (John, chapter 6) of when Jesus fed the multitude on a hillside one day. There is one person in the story whose vision and faith go unsung by John; as the disciples worry about how they are going to find food for all these people, one small solution steps forward. As an answer to the food question, a little child offers a new possibility: five barley loaves and two fish. With childlike trust, the boy offers all that he has to Jesus and the disciples.

Can it be that a church can have two homes? It feels that way for Imagine Church after a memorable series of outdoor services on our new Lake Wylie site. However, we also have a warm, inviting indoor space at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary! Imagine Church returns to indoor worship at 10:15 a.m. this Sunday, October 31, in the GCTS Chapel. Bruce will continue our new series with part two of "My Church Is Kind of a Big Deal," and another new member of the church will share some of her family's experiences and impressions from the months they have been with us. Gregory will present the award-winners from last week's Trunk-or-Treat. You will not want to miss this Sunday -- in person or online on the Imagine Church Facebook Page. We hope to greet you on Sunday morning!

Was it the 42 cars that pulled up on our large field, or the large number of kids and youth, or the families from surrounding neighborhoods that made our 2021 Trunk-or-Treat so memorable? Maybe it was all three! We are grateful to Gregory Roberts and Cameron Hurst who organized this year's event, and to all the households -- especially a number of our newer ones -- who decorated their trunks or tailgates and gave away candy. We will award prizes this Sunday, October 31, during worship. We are here for the community around us, and we look forward to more such events as our successful Trunk-or-Treat.

We've just begun our fall commitment emphasis we're calling, "My Church Is Kind of a Big Deal," and in early November, each household will receive a packet of information about our church's ministry goals for 2022. It all culminates with a free brunch at GCTS on Sunday, November 14. The day will have a different feel to it as we will begin serving waffles & bacon and coffee & juices at 9:00 a.m. and will continue serving until all have been fed! After brunch in the banquet room, we will all move down to the Chapel for an abbreviated time of worship. At the end, we will all have the privilege of bringing our commitment cards forward and placing them on the communion table. This is always a moving, memorable time for Imagine Church, and this year's brunch will make it even more so! So look for the food trucks to be providing the waffles, bacon, your choice of coffee, and other items that morning; and it's for everyone -- kids, youth, and adults!

We are finishing up the requirements to receive the building permit for construction to begin, though the Leadership Team must meet to approve the funding plan for our new church facility. Once this work is complete, the entire project will be presented to the church family on an upcoming Sunday. The Leadership Team is reminded of an important meeting on Sunday, November 7, at 6:00 p.m. at Gordon-Conwell. Dinner will be included, and we ask all team members to be present.

Imagine Church's second SERVE DAY is set for Saturday, November 6, 2021, and we still need half-a-dozen adults or older youth to lend a hand beautifying the grounds of the Clover Area Assistance Center (CAAC). Since we'll be trimming bushes and trees, cutting back brush, and hauling all of the brush and trimmings to the back of the property, volunteers are asked to bring their own gloves and wear long sleeve apparel.

9 AM on Saturday, November 6 

Thank you in advance for serving! Questions? Contact Kari DiDonato, Church Administrator, at her church email address: [email protected]

Tickets are available online for the 8th Annual Give Hope Gala and Auction on November 6th at the Westin Charlotte. Join Give Hope for an elegant evening including seated dinner, entertainment, and stories of impact. This is a great opportunity to hear more about Give Hope, get a true understanding of what they do, and meet some of the children from Haiti.

We'll be back indoors at Gordon-Conwell this Sunday, October 31, and we invite Imagine Kids of ALL ages (nursery through 5th grade) to join us when Gregory will share his message titled: "Jesus Said, 'I Am the True Vine.'"

What an amazing turnout from our Imagine Kids at this past Sunday's TRUNK-or-TREAT! We loved seeing such creative costumes, and it warmed our hearts to see kids partaking in the various activities with other kids and with their families. Thank you for attending, and HUGE THANKS to Gregory Roberts and Cameron Hurst for coordinating the event and to those Imagine Kids families who decorated their trunks and distributed treats -- YOU helped make this year's TRUNK-or-TREAT a great success!

CentriKid Camp will be at Ridgecrest Conference Center in Ridgecrest, NC from July 22-24, 2022. The cost is $199, and a deposit of $75 is required. Please use this link to register your child and pay the $75 deposit: CentriKid Camp - REGISTER HERE

(Jesus is speaking) "I am the true vine. My father is the gardener." (John 15:1 NIrV)

Gregory Roberts | 704-502-3107 | [email protected]

It was truly wonderful to see so many of our youth so engaged and having fun at this past Sunday's TRUNK-or-TREAT! Thank you for attending, and we give BIG THANKS to those Imagine Youth families who decorated their trunks and handed out treats -- YOU helped make this year's TRUNK-or-TREAT a huge success! We invite all middle school and high school aged Imagine Nation Youth to join us back indoors at Gordon-Conwell for worship this Sunday, October 31, when you will break away with Tim after praise and worship for a message and engaging activities.

We're excited for Winter Xtreme in Gatlinburg this December 28-30! For those youth who are registered, please use this link (click on 'Profile' and then 'My Registrations') to ensure your $75 deposit is paid: Winter Xtreme 2021

Get push notifications on your smartphone by going to the following link(s): rmd.at/imagineyg

Sign-up to receive text notifications by texting @imagineyg to the number 81010.

Tim Gunn | 803-322-1113 | [email protected]

There are so many opportunities that exist for our church to be the hands and feet of Jesus by helping others through various means of service right here in our community and around the world. If you have a heart for missions, you are invited to join the Missions Team or simply support its initiatives. For more information about the Missions Team, please email Kari DiDonato at her Imagine Church email: [email protected]

~ James 2:14-17 (NLT)

Last year we purchased and delivered 50 boxed meals within the Clover/Lake Wylie/York community, and we've asked to help serve even more families this year -- upwards of 60 or more!

In order to carry on this meaningful tradition, we need to ask you, our church family, to contribute financially toward this initiative. If you are led to contribute any amount of money toward this important community outreach, you can bring your cash or check donation to an upcoming worship service or mail it to our church address at:

ONLINE: Use this link to access our Church Center online giving platform:

MOBILE: Make a donation from your smart phone using the mobile Church Center app. Search for Imagine Church in Lake Wylie to create your account:

ZELLE: Use Zelle to send donations to Imagine Church via the following email address: [email protected]

Please mark all donations for "Thanksgiving Meals" either on a check memo line or as an online comment field or drop-down selection.

We will deliver the boxed meals to all designated recipients in the Clover/Lake Wylie/York community on Wednesday, November 24, so please stay tuned for more details pertaining to the delivery of these meals.

It is a true blessing to receive the contributions that members of the Imagine Church family faithfully provide, thus keeping this ministry alive and vital. The church Leadership Team, church staff, and your pastor are all deeply grateful for your continued prayerful support and for the incredible record of faithfulness and sacrifice you continue to write. If you are led to make a tithe, offering, or gift, we offer you these safe and convenient giving options:

MAIL: Cash or check donations can be mailed directly to our church office at:

WORSHIP: Cash or check donations can be placed in one of the collection baskets at our Sunday in-person worships at GCTS.

ONLINE: Use this link to access our Church Center online giving platform:

MOBILE: Make a donation from your smart phone using the mobile Church Center app. Search for Imagine Church in Lake Wylie to create your account:

Or, text the amount of your offering (ex: $123) to 84321.

RECURRING: Make a recurring donation using Church Center:

*** (NEW) ZELLE: Now you can setup Zelle to send donations to Imagine Church via the following email address: [email protected]

The Ladies Life Group continues to meet on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. You can join them at Debra Tadlock's beautiful home (117 Shimmerlake Ln, Belmont, NC) as they study the books of Daniel and Revelation.

Debra Tadlock | 704-460-9075 | [email protected]

Jim Gilkeson | 803-627-6637 | [email protected]

Paula Davis | 704-906-0101 | [email protected]

"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."

~ Colossians 3:16 (NIV)

We are grateful to Michael Hurst who has faithfully kept the church property mowed throughout the summer and especially for all our uses across the last several weeks. Thank you, Michael, for serving our church in this way!

We are glad to see that Covid cases are declining in many cities and communities. We pray this trend continues in the coming days and weeks.

Let's continue to pray for Dick Penman (father of Kathy Imrick and Kelly Linck), Henry Freitag (brother of Bonita Nugent), and Mary Jo Shannon (Director of Admissions at Walnut Grove Christian School where Savannah Brown and Joshua Jones attend), each of whom is receiving cancer treatments.

We are also praying for Sean, Lydia, and Logan Smith as Logan recovers from an accident-related broken collarbone and as Lydia's father, Jerry Brownlee, faces illness at home.

If you are wanting your name added to our birthday list, simply send us a quick email at [email protected]. We want to celebrate with you!

Children and youth are very important to us at Imagine Church and we are committed to their safety and to providing an environment where we share God's amazing love and grace so that they may grow in faith. That's what we do at Imagine Church!