Another Pastoral Epistle 5/22/19

Christians are “memorial people.” The entire Bible is a memorial. Israel’s feast days were memorials. Each Lord’s supper is a memorial. Our weekly gathering on Sundays is a memorial to Christ’s resurrection. Our faith depends upon remembering.

As we move forward as a church, we continually look back to remember our Lord Jesus Christ and the good news of God’s grace that has rescued us from God’s wrath being poured out on us. We mustn’t ever forget what the Lord has done. We are to even remember our church history of our early church fathers, events like the great awakening, and successes and failures within the evangelical church in our lifetime. It is usually right here that the verse in Philippians is quoted- “One thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” Anything that would paralyze us in our pursuit of God should be forgotten, but anything that can push us forward in our faith and deepen our walk with Christ should be remembered.

Church, remember God’s past grace! Remember what you have been saved from. Remember the lessons learned in the trials of life. Remember when you have tasted the goodness of God. Remember the greatest sacrifice of all when Jesus willingly took on our sin that we might have the righteousness of Christ.

And I would add, as we go into this weekend when we enjoy cookouts or a restful day off or a sense of accomplishment for the yard work we get done, remember the extraordinary sacrifice of men and women who laid down their lives for our freedom and survival as a nation.

I want to remind you of a few things on the church’s calendar. There is workday here at the church on June 1. A task list is available at the back of the worship center. Stop by and check it out.

There has been a good response to On-goal Sunday and would ask that you stop by at the table this Sunday to see how you can help with this outreach ministry. There are still plenty of ways you can be involved.

I remind you that the “What’s Next” campaign has started out strong with over $88,000 coming in!! There are two major projects being tackled presently. One is the HVAC system being installed within the next month and the completion of the new gym floor. The “hold-up” with the floor has been addressing the aged roof. The hope is that the gym will be ready to use again this fall for its outreach ministries and full use for Momentum ministry. Keep praying!

I would ask for your prayers for the upcoming budget as it lines up with our ministry plans for the coming fiscal year. A ministry plan is being developed, so pray for God’s direction and wisdom for what is next for EBC as we look to our future. You will hear more on this at another time. And pray for your church family as several are going through hard times, changes, remembering past losses, interpersonal struggles, and so on. If you aren’t sure how to pray, pray Philippians 1:9-11; Colossians 1:9-10; 4:3-6 or many other beautiful prayers in Scripture.

You are in my prayers! Remember our Jesus Christ!
Pastor Brian

Looking Forward

Sermon Direction

“Last Words of Jesus”
Revelation 22:6-21

Last Sunday’s Sermon

New Sermon Series

Coming this summer
“Through It All”
Beginning June 2, our sermon series will travel with Moses to see how God is with us through all the seasons of life.

Mystery of the Holy Spirit Bible Study

Many wonder, “I have Jesus, why do I need the Holy Spirit?”
Beginning May 12 at 9am, this class will not only study the Holy Spirit, but look at the difference He makes in our lives.

On Goal Sign Up Sunday

This Sunday is On Goal Sign Up Sunday! 3 ways that you can participate:
1. Sign Up: Register for camp and help spread the word.
2. Volunteer: Help serve during the camp week.
3. Donate: Give towards the scholarship fund or donate food and supplies.
Come prepared to join the fun!

 

Church Work Day

Saturday June 1st we will have a Church work day and beautification day. Please join us as we work together to maintain the beautiful campus the Lord has given to us. A Project List and Sign-Up Sheet will be available at the back of the church on Sunday, May 19th.

Lakes Region Vineyard Church Food Pantry

The LR Vineyard Food Bank is in need of personal care and personal items for their food bank. We will be collecting items to help supply the need. 
Items can be placed in the box located by the Ministry Counter on Sunday May 12 and 19.
Toothpaste * Toothbrushes * Toilet paper * Shampoo * Conditioner * Bar soap 
Liquid Dish soap * Laundry soap * Deodorant * Feminine Hygiene Items
Wipes * Child diapers all sizes * Adult diapers all sizes * Socks all sizes

Women’s Ministry Social Media Site

On June 1st, the Women’s Ministry will be launching a Face Book page to announce upcoming events and Bible Studies, as well as, share Intentional Living articles. For women who prefer to receive this information by email, please contact the office to provide your name and email address.

Mission Trip to Honduras

July 20, four people from EBC will be heading to Honduras on a short term missions trip (Becky Kneuer, Steve Forbes, Ethan Brown and Victoria Brown). They will join Rick Odess, an EBC supported missionary, as they assist with a church building project and minister to the people of Tocoa, Colon. Please pray for their ministry and for their safety. If you are interested in supporting themfinancially, please write “Missions Door” in the memo of your check and put in the offering plate by May 26, or reach out to a member of the Global Outreach Team.

Franklin Graham
Decision America

Franklin Graham (president of Samaritan’s Purse) is conducting a Decision Northeast tour and he will be speaking in Manchester, NH Thursday, May 23 @ 7:30pm in Gill Stadium. Please be in prayer for this entire tour which includes Franklin Graham speaking in six major cities in the Northeast in the last two weeks of May. Also, please seek the LORD about whether He would have you be attending one of the events (and invite family and friends!). We desperately need God to bring revival to our land — and particularly our state and the others in the Northeast. It is a very needy place and only God can change hearts and lives, and society as a whole. For more information, please visit:  https://northeast.billygraham.org/event/manchester/.