Ministry Leaders, Pastors, Elders, and Staff,



The EFC-ER Church Health Team would like to invite you to a one-day workshop that will help our churches, ministries and each of us individually to begin thinking and living missionally . The term "missional" has been a hot-button word in the church for the last ten or more years and, quite frankly, it’s difficult to pin down an actual definition for it. For our purposes, we are working toward ministry events and initiatives that reach in to the greatest mission field God has given us: the communities within which we worship, live, work and play. 

The day will include practical, hands-on teaching and sharing about the things that are working well in our churches, so your participation is greatly valued! 

Please consider joining us and bringing along anyone in your church who could benefit from an event like this, especially elders and ministry leaders! 

The lists of break-out sessions for each location are now available!

Visit www.efcer.org/oneday to see the schedule and register.

A Lilly Grant was recently received by Everence to launch a Pastoral Financial Wellness Program .

The initiative assists pastors in several different ways, including:

 

Visit www.efcer.org/everence for more information and to apply for this assistance.

Youth Awakening Update from Youth Pastor Jacelyn Jones: " To God be all glory as His faithful presence and working in hearts deeply impacted our Youth Awakening participants at New Life Community Church (VA) on January 25-27, 2019. Speaker Jon Delker (Hughesvile EFC) and Living180 band powerfully-led our "Take A Knee" theme."

Several dates remain open for booking Jonathan and David Howell:

Contact Julie Jenkins ([email protected]) to take advantage of this opportunity to hear about what the Lord is doing through the Howells' ministry in Ireland.

Our sympathy and prayers are with the family of former pastor Jim Chess (Urbana Friends Church) who passed away last week.  

Prayers for the Church (5/7) - A prayer for maturity (Dan Reiland)

" Heavenly Father, in the same breath that we ask for your favor in redemption, we know that it’s your desire for every believer to mature in their faith. Thank you that you provide your Word, the Holy Spirit and the Church to help that take place. The pull of the world is strong, temptation is ever present, and the spiritual battle is real. Yet we know that you are with us and provide a way for us to grow, mature and live a life that is pleasing to you. We especially pray that we may serve our children and students in such a way that our growing faith inspires them to follow in the same footsteps."

Mutual of Omaha is hosting a conference call this Thursday, February 7, at 2:00 and 6:00pm to answer questions from our pastors and staff. Check your email for details.

Invitation to EFC-ER Pastors, Leaders, and General Public:

The Malone University “General Questions Task Force” (LGBT+ Awareness), invites you to hear Dr. Mark Yarhouse on Thursday, February 7, at 7:00pm in the Stewart Room of the Randall Campus Center (the Barn) at Malone University. As part of the campus community's ongoing learning about faith and sexual identity, Dr. Mark Yarhouse will discuss research and insights from his book "Listening to Sexual Minorities".

Dr. Yarhouse is Chair of the Department of Psychology at Regent University and Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity. "There is arguably no other author and researcher whose work more directly and thoroughly addresses Malone’s task of balancing a traditional, biblical understanding of sexual morality with the parallel task of helping and supporting students who identify as sexual minorities."

Contact Randy Heckert ([email protected]) for more information about the task force and/or this event.

Visit the events calendar on our website at www.efcer.org/events .

* February 8-9 - Malone University Board of Trustees meetings at Malone University.

* February 12-13 -  Oversight Board meeting at the Evangelical Friends Headquarters.

* March 2 - One-Day Equipping Workshop at New Life Community Church. Info here .

* March 9 - One-Day Equipping Workshop at Shiloh Chapel Friends Church. Info here .

* April 8-9 - Church Health Team and Multiplication Team meetings at the EF HQ.

* April 10-11 - Leadership Development Team and Finance & Administration Team meetings at the EF HQ.

* May 6-10 - Pastors Conference in Gatlinburg, TN.

* July 20-23 - Yearly Meeting at First Friends Church in Canton, OH.