July 17, 2019
We look forward to seeing you at Yearly Meeting this weekend!
Please note: there will not be an edition of the Weekly Encourager next week.
The Evangelical Friends Headquarters will be closed July 24-26, 2019.
Yearly Meeting 2019
Yearly Meeting will be July 20-22, 2019, at First Friends Church in Canton, OH. The theme for this year is "Kingdom Disciples" based on Luke 4:43. Guest speaker Keas Keasler will explore the terms "kingdom" and "disciple," and unpack them in life-changing ways.

Special events include:

  • Christian Law Association Seminar with Dr. David Gibbs on Saturday morning;
  • Celebrate the Kingdom service on Saturday when we will worship together and celebrate what God is doing in EFC-ER churches;
  • Worship services featuring Keas Keasler on Saturday evening, Sunday morning, and Monday evening;
  • Worship service featuring the EFC-ER Executive Director, followed by a dessert reception on Sunday evening;
  • Equipping Workshops presented by the EFC-ER Ministry Teams on Monday morning.

Delegates will participate in business sessions on Saturday and Monday afternoons.
Hospitality Team Members Still Needed
We can still use people to join our hospitality team for Yearly Meeting. The list of specific needs and times is available at www.efcer.org/ym19/volunteer.

If you are serving as a delegate and want to help, contact Julia McDonald (330-493-1660 ext. 2) for ways you can be involved too.
EFC-Jamaica - Pray for our 11 Jamaican churches and pastors as they began initial steps to establish an independent Yearly Meeting. Pray for their leadership team and elected officers. Also pray for the team from Jackson Friends Church who is ministering soon (July 22-26) that the light of Christ shines brightly through their service. “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon them and establish the work of their hands” (Psalm 90:17).
1) Yearly Meeting  - Pray for grace, peace, and love as we gather together to celebrate God’s goodness. May we come with thankful and humble hearts seeking the mind of Christ in unity as we consider Kingdom Discipleship and God’s call to living with the Master (Mark 8:34-38).

2) We extend our sympathy and prayers for the family of William "Bill" H. Waltz , who passed away on Friday, July 12, 2019. Bill served as the pastor of Goshen Friends Church, Sebring Friends Church, Ypsilanti Friends Church, and Smithfield Friends Church. A celebration of life service will be held August 3 at 11:00am at First Church of the Nazarene in New Philadelphia, OH. Read the obituary here.
Women's Missionary Fellowship Gathering - July 20, 2019
Ladies, Yearly Meeting is the perfect opportunity to gather to hear about what our Friends missionaries are doing around the world. The Women’s Missionary Fellowship will host an informal gathering on Saturday, July 20, at 9:00am in E-101 at First Friends Church in Canton, OH. Find out what’s new with WMF, hear from our EFC-ER missionaries, and enjoy light refreshments. The cost is $5.00 per person, which will be collected at the door. See you there! RSVP to attend here .
Yearly Meeting Travel
What's orange and white and everywhere in Canton?
Construction cones!

We want to give everyone a heads up that there is a lot of road construction in Canton right now. Please be careful and plan extra time when traveling from the hotels/Malone University to First Friends Church for Yearly Meeting.
Visit the events calendar on our website at www.efcer.org/events .
Camp Gideon summer events are available here .

* July 19 - Cultivating Generous Congregations Seminar at First Friends, Canton from 9:00am-4:00pm.
* July 20-22 - Yearly Meeting at First Friends Church in Canton, OH. Details available in the brochure and at www.efcer.org/ym19 . Download the printable bulletin insert here .
* July 22-26 - Friends Youth United at Camp Muskingum in Carrollton, OH. Download the brochure and flyer here. Contact Justin Hendershott with questions.
* July 26-29 - Junior Camp at Indian Cave Youth Camp in Virginia. Contact: Zonya Ledyard (276-521-3711).
* September 13-15 - Men's Retreat at Camp Gideon in Mechanicstown, OH. Info here .
* September 20-22 - Southern Women's Retreat in Kitty Hawk, NC. Event info available here . Download the brochure here .
* October 11-13 - Northern Women's Retreat in Sugarcreek, OH. Info here .
Quotes for the Week

"Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: 'Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the Kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in you it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.' "
 - 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 (ESV)