One of the primary goals of Emmanuel Fellowship is to be a church designed with the family in mind. We have set our focus to develop a ministry that provides vibrant opportunities for the entire family.
I am very excited about the opportunity our youth will have to lead us in worship this Sunday morning, April 22. From the Welcome Team, to the Worship Team, and all of the ministries in between, our youth will be leading us in both the 9:00 and 11:00 services and learning just how many details go into a Sunday morning.
This Sunday will be more than a showcase of young faces, it will be a wonderful morning of worship. Our youth ministry team has worked hard to put together a great service full of artistic expression, powerful worship, and a great message from our youth pastor. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as our youth take the lead!
For details of our other family ministry events, check out the “On the Radar” section below.
Spiritual Freedom Weekend coming April 27-28. For more information, or to sign up to attend, click here!
Baptism Service coming Sunday, May 6, at 6:30 pm. If you are interested in being baptized, please email Pastor Mindy at mindy@efcsweetwater.com and she will get your more information.
Parents, you can inquire about camp registrations for your children and teens by emailing Pastor Loran (loran@efcsweetwater.com) and Pastor Lolo (lolo@efcsweetwater.com), or calling the church offices at 236-9200.
You Heard it at EFC
“Deep Cries Out” by Bethel Live
“Father of Lights” by Jesus Culture
“I Will Exalt” by Amanda Faulk
“One Thing Remains” by Bethel Live
Sunday Preview
Next Sunday, April 22, our youth will lead us in worship during both the 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM service.
As I sat on the front row of the church Sunday morning, cup of coffee in hand, I was amazed by the ministry that was happening around me. As part of our Family Foundation month, our youth were leading us in worship, and lead us they did.
Last Sunday morning was more than a token nod at our teenagers. It was a picture of ministry in action. It was the evidence of hours spent in prayer, planning, and discipleship. It was the fruit of hard work and love.
I was blessed by the excellence with which our youth served and led our service Sunday morning. From ushering to art, from worship to the preaching of the Word, their love for Jesus and the church was evidenced.
My appreciation and respect go out to Loran and Tiffany Rule and their youth ministry team for the powerful weekend they put together encouraging our youth toward purity, for the dynamic church service they led Sunday, and for the mission trips and other adventures they are planning for the youth of our community. Thank you for your loving hearts and hard work.
Links
Parents check out Plugged In to get a taste of what is occurring in the culture of your teenager’s life.
Know a family with a teen in distress? Heartlight Ministries provides great resources to recommend for families and teens experiencing a variety of needs. Heartlight Ministries is recommended by many, many Christian family organizations.
Emmanuel Fellowship is now in TWO SERVICES. Our Sunday morning worship times are 9:00 and 11:00. A pre-school nursery only is available during the 9:00 service, and full children’s ministry is offered in the 11:00 service.
Sermon Series – Each Sunday, during the month of February, we will be looking at different aspects of healthy Family Foundations. From marriage to parenting to grandparenting, there’s something for everyone.
Kingdom Principles for Raising Children Seminar – All parents are invited to attend our parenting seminar, Sunday, February 27 at 6 pm and Monday, February 28 at 7 pm. Session 1 will cover how to discipline effectively and speak your child’s love language. Session 2 will cover how to impart Godly principles into your child’s life.
Family Connection
Check out these resources to connect with our ministry to children and youth.
Worldchangers – Discussion starters from Sunday’s Kids’ Church lesson.
Been trying to remember one of those awesome songs we sang? Here is our worship list from yesterday for those of you who just absolutely need a copy for yourself. You can usually find them for purchase on itunes.com.
“Counting on God” by Desperation Band
“From the Inside Out” by Hillsong
“Revelation Song” Kari Jobe version
“Desert Song” by Hillsong
Sunday Preview
Join us next Sunday as we conclude our Family Foundations Series with a Biblical picture of happiness in the home.
Emmanuel Fellowship Church and The Salvage Yard are excited to host the “Take Everything” tour featuring Seventh Day Slumber, KJ52, and The Letter Black!
Mindy and I and the children were able to relax, play, and enjoy one another. It was the deep breath before jumping back into the start of a new school year.
As the start of school approaches and church life begins to pick up in pace, I want to take a second to remind you of some important events that are quickly approaching.
Been trying to remember one of those awesome songs we sang? Here is our worship list from yesterday, for those of you who just absolutely need a copy for yourself. You can usually find them for purchase on itunes.com.
“Your Love Never Fails” by Jesus Culture
“Blessed Be Your Name” by Matt Redman
“Savior King” by Hillsong
“How He Loves” by John Mark McMillan
Sunday Preview
Next Sunday, August 1, we dive into a new sermon series “Experiencing the Spirit.” Through this series we will explore the power and purpose of the Holy Spirit in our life and how we can walk in daily relationship with Him.
“If I had known I was going to live here so long, I would have planted better trees.”
It was just an off handed comment from a friend in the middle of a conversation, but it stuck in my head, or possibly my heart, and made a lasting impression.
Planting a tree requires vision. Planting an expensive tree requires vision and faith. When you plant a tree, you make an investment into the future. You plant in hopes of the shade it will provide, the fruit it will bear, or, if you have great vision, the tire swing your grandchildren will swing from some day.
The key to planting a tree is the start it gets in the early years. You condition the soil to give the roots room to take hold. You keep it watered and fertilized. And, those of you here in West Texas know full well, you hold that newly planted tree in place with guide wires. Those guide wires protect the young tree from the wind and provide a steady and consistent pressure that trains the tree in the direction it should grow.
In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon uses the analogy of a young tree as a picture of how to raise our children. Every praying parent is familiar with those wise words.
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” –Proverbs 22:6
This little proverb has given parents much hope over the years, but it has also been a source of frustration for those dealing with a child in rebellion, as many a mom and dad have questioned the future of their child.
Much like the planting of a tree, the raising of a child requires vision, faith, hard work, and strong guide wires. But, understanding the truth of those guide wires is the key to the promise of the Proverb.
In which direction are we to train the child? “In the way he should go.”
The responsibility of a parent is not to attempt to pour their child into a mold of what they want their child to become. We have been called by God to discover the gifts and desires He has placed in our children and create an atmosphere that will allow them to grow in that direction. We are to provide the kind of nurturing environment that will empower our children to follow their hearts in the grace of God.
I believe this promise and principle applies to the training we do in every area of our life. At home, when wives are training their husbands, remember the direction of their hearts in the process of “domesticating” them. At work, when we are training employees, do not let the personality of your workers get lost in the pursuit of productivity. In the mirror, when you are giving yourself the pep talk about the person you want to become, remember to listen to your heart, to listen to your body, as you train yourself in the direction God has designed you to go.
Determine today to live your life with a vision for the future. Plant trees that will last. Invest in those you love in a way that doesn’t just provide convenience for the moment, but in a way that will bear fruit in the days and years to come.
Podcast
Did you miss yesterday’s message? Do you need to hear it one more time? You can find yesterday’s message from Pastor Eric von Atzigen on the church web site. Click to listen.
Links
We are so excited to announce the return of Loran and Tiffany Rule, back to Sweetwater and to EFC! Visit the website to learn more about this awesome couple who will be ministering to our youth in Sweetwater.
On the Radar
Make plans to join in the after church Fellowship Meal this Sunday, January 31. It’ll be a great day of fun and family time. More info (and even recipes!) at www.efcsweetwater.com. Click the FELLOWSHIP MEAL icon.
Revelation Bible study this Tuesday from 12:00 – 1:00 pm in my office. Everyone is welcome to join in, just bring your Bible and a lunch box. Keep up with the progress at The Watchman’s Gaze.
A Membership Dessert is just around the corner for those of you who are new to EFC, or are interested in joining. Come let us feed you yummy treats as we share with you the vision of this Spirit-filled church in Sweetwater!
Family Connection
Parents, be sure to check out the Worldchangers website. We align our Bible curriculum from the nursery all the way up to our youth. Access the Family Connection page on the website to bring you children’s Bible lesson home to the kitchen table.
You Heard it at EFC
Been trying to remember one of those awesome songs we sang? Here is our worship list from yesterday, for those of you who just absolutely need a copy for yourself. You can usually find them for purchase on itunes.com.
“Beautiful One” by Tim Hughes
“I Adore You” Chris Quilala version
“A Little Longer” by Jenn Johnson
“Your Love Never Fails” Chris Quilala version
Sunday Preview
Next Sunday, January 31, 2010, is the last Sunday in January, a time we set aside for the annual State of the Church Address. We look forward to sharing a report from 2009 and looking ahead to 2010 as a congregation. We will conclude our Vision 2010 series with a look at the mission of the church to “Send.” Make plans to stay for the fellowship meal after church and get to know our new Youth Pastors, Loran and Tiffany Rule.
So, we’re preparing to teach our youth about the Ten Commandments last night, and my wife comes up with the brilliant thought of letting them phrase each commandment as a text message. What a cool idea!
Seeing as how I still try to text using proper grammar and punctuation, this one was a stretch for me. But, our High School guys had a blast with it and punched out some pretty cool commandment codes.
And then, I jumped online to upload our creative commandments and discovered we’re not the only ones to come up with such a witty concept. Someone has beat us to the send button — and did a pretty good job with it, too.
So in addition to our little Wednesday project, here’s another texted interpretation of the Law of Moses as found in Exodus 20. These come from a website called McSweeney’s.
God Texts the Ten Commandments
By Jamie Quatro
no1 b4 me. srsly.
dnt wrshp pix/idols
no omg’s
no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)
pos ok – ur m&d r cool
dnt kill ppl
:-X only w/ m8
dnt steal
dnt lie re: bf
dnt ogle ur bf’s m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.
M, pls rite on tabs and give 2 ppl.
ttyl, JHWH.
ps. wwjd?
Hope you enjoy them. Hope you text them on. Hope you honor them.
Every Sunday a pastor preaches three sermons:
the one he planned, the one he preached, and the one he wished he had planned to preach. This blog is dedicated to that third sermon.
So, we’re preparing to teach our youth about the Ten Commandments last night, and my wife comes up with the brilliant thought of letting them phrase each commandment as a text message. What a cool idea!
