“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”  –2 Peter 3:18

Growing churches are made up of growing people.  As God continues to bless and expand the impact of Emmanuel Fellowship, we believe it is essential for us to grow together in  understanding His Word!

You are invited to grow with us through the New Testament Challenge.  Beginning this Easter, we will embark on a journey through the pages of the New Testament.  Our journey will be marked by three points of contact:

• Daily Personal reading
• Weekly Lifegroup discussion
• Sunday morning teaching 

Through this journey, you will have an opportunity to grow in faith and apply God’s Word to your life.

 This Challenge is not for the faint of heart.  It will require dedication and perseverance, but the benefits will far outweigh the cost as we grow together and bring faith to life!

Day #00 – Sunday, March 24

• Message: The Challenge of the New Testament (Click to listen.)

Day #00 – Wednesday, March 27

• Lifegroup: Overview

Week #2: Week of March 31 – Easter!

Day #00 – Sunday, March 31

• Message: The Challenge of Radical Love

Day #1 – Monday, April 1

• Read Matthew 1-2, Acts 1-3

Day #2 – Tuesday, April 2

• Read Matthew 3-4, Acts 4-6

Day #3 – Wednesday, April 3

• Lifegroup Discussion
• Read Matthew 5-6, Acts 7-9

Day #4 – Thursday, April 4

• Read Matthew 7-8, Acts 10-12

Day #5 – Friday, April 5

• Read Matthew 9-10, Acts 13-15

 Day #6 – Saturday, April 6

• Read Matthew 11-12, Acts 16-18

Week #3: Week of April 7

Day #7 – Sunday, April 7

• Message: The Challenge of Forgiveness
• Read Matthew 13-14, Acts 19-21

Day #8 – Monday, April 8

• Read Matthew 15-16, Acts 22-24

Day #9 – Tuesday, April 9

• Read Matthew 17-18, Acts 25-27

Day #10 – Wednesday, April 10

• Lifegroup Discussion
• Read Matthew 19-20, Acts 28

Day #11 – Thursday, April 11

• Read Matthew 21-22, Romans 1-3

Day #12 – Friday, April 12

• Read Matthew 23-24, Romans 4-6

Day #13 – Saturday, April 13

• Read Matthew 25-26, Romans 7-9

Week #4: Week of April 14

Day #14 – Sunday, April 14

• Message: The Challenge of Perseverance
• Read Matthew 27-28, Romans 10-12

Day #15 – Monday, April 15

• Read Mark 1-2, Romans 13-15

Day #16 – Tuesday, April 16

• Read Mark 3-4, Romans 16

Day #17 – Wednesday, April 17

• Lifegroup Discussion
• Read Mark 5-6, 1 Corinthians 1-2

Day #18 – Thursday, April 18

• Read Mark 7-8, 1 Corinthians 3-4

Day #19 – Friday, April 19

• Read Mark 9-10, 1 Corinthians 5-7

Day #20 – Saturday, April 20

• Read Mark 11-12, 1 Corinthians 8-10
  

Week #5: Week of April 21

Day #21 – Sunday, April 21

• Message: The Challenge of Servanthood
• Read Mark 13-14, 1 Corinthians 11-13

Day #22 – Monday, April 22

• Read Mark 15-16, 1 Corinthians 14-16

Day #23 – Tuesday, April 23

• Read Luke 1-2, 2 Corinthians 1-3

Day #24 – Wednesday, April 24

• Read Luke 3, 2 Corinthians 4-6

Day #25 – Thursday, April 25

• Read Luke 4, 2 Corinthians 7-9

Day #26 – Friday, April 26

• Read Luke 5, 2 Corinthians 10-11

Day #27 – Saturday, April 27

• Read Luke 6, 2 Corinthians 12-13

Week #6: Week of April 28

Day #28 – Sunday, April 28

• Message: The Challenge of Generosity
• Read Luke 7, Galatians 1-3

Day #29 – Monday, April 29

• Read Luke 8, Galatians 4-6

Day #30 – Tuesday, April 30

• Read Luke 9, Ephesians 1-3

Day #31 – Wednesday, May 1

• Lifegroup Discussion
• Read Luke 10, Ephesians 4-6

Day #32 – Thursday, May 2

• Read Luke 11, Philippians 1-2

Day #33 – Friday, May 3

• Read Luke 12, Philippians 3-4

Day #34 – Saturday, May 4

• Read Luke 13, Colossians 1-2

Week #7: Week of May 5

Day #35 – Sunday, May 5

• Message: The Challenge of Obedience
• Read Luke 14, Colossians 3-4

Day #36 – Monday, May 6

• Read Luke 15, 1 Thessalonians 1-3

Day #37 – Tuesday, May 7

• Read Luke 16, 1 Thessalonians 4-6

Day #38 – Wednesday, May 8

• Lifegroup Discussion
• Read Luke 17, 2 Thessalonians 1-3

Day #39 – Thursday, May 9

• Read Luke 18, 1 Timothy 1-3

Day #40 – Friday, May 10

• Read Luke 19, 1 Timothy 4-6

Day #41 – Saturday, May 11

• Read Luke 20, 2 Timothy 1-2

Week #8: Week of May 12

Day #42 – Sunday, May 12 – Mother’s Day

• Message: The Challenge of Godliness
• Read Luke 21, 2 Timothy 3-4

Day #43 – Monday, May 13

• Read Luke 22, Titus 1-3

Day #44 – Tuesday, May 14

• Read Luke 23, Philemon 1

Day #45 – Wednesday, May 15

• Lifegroup Discussion
• Read Luke 24, Hebrews 1-2

Day #46 – Thursday, May 16

• Read John 1-2, Hebrews 3-4

Day #47 – Friday, May 17

• Read John 3-4, Hebrews 5-7

Day #48 – Saturday, May 18

• Read John 5-6, Hebrews 8-10

Week #9: Week of May 19

Day #49 – Sunday, May 19 – Pentecost

• Message: The Challenge of Eternity
• Read John 7-8, Hebrews 11-13

Day #50 – Monday, May 20

• Read John 9-10, Hebrews 14-16

Day #51 – Tuesday, May 21

• Read John 11-12, James 1-3

Day #52 – Wednesday, May 22

• Lifegroup Fellowship
• Read John 13-14, James 4-5

Day #53 – Thursday, May 23

• Read John 15-16, 1 Peter 1-2

Day #54 – Friday, May 24

• Read John 17-18, 1 Peter 3-5

Day #55 – Saturday, May 25

• Read John 19-20, 2 Peter 1-3

Week #10: Week of May 26

Day #56 – Sunday, May 26

• Message: Challenge Conclusion
• 1 John 1-5

Day #57 – Monday, May 27

• 2 John 1, 3 John 1, Jude 1

Day #58 – Tuesday, May 28

• Revelation 1-4

Day #59 – Wednesday, May 29

• Church-wide Fellowship
• Revelation 5-8

Day #60 – Thursday, May 30

• Revelation 9-12

Day #61 – Friday, May 31

• Revelation 13-16

Day #62 – Saturday, June 1

• Revelation 16-19

Day #63 – Sunday, June 2

• Revelation 20-22

You are invited to grow with us through the New Testament Challenge.  Beginning this Easter, we will embark on a journey through the pages of the New Testament.  Our journey will be marked by three points of contact:

• Daily Personal Reading
• Weekly Lifegroup Discussion
• Sunday Morning teaching

Find out more this Sunday at Emmanuel Fellowship Church of Sweetwater!

• Sunday, March 10 – TIME CHANGE! Don’t forget to set your clocks to Spring Forward!
• Sunday, March 10 – Worship at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM
• Tuesday, March 12 – Celebrate Recovery, 7:00 PM
• Wednesday, March 13 – No church activities
• Friday, March 15 – Church Garage Sale in The Salvage Yard (Missions Fundraiser)
• Saturday, March 16 – Church Garage Sale in The Salvage Yard (Missions Fundraiser)
• Sunday, March 17 – Worship at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM
• Wednesday, March 20 – Faith Factory Open House from 6-7 PM! Grand opening of new children’s room.  Come visit the new space!
• Wednesday, March 20 – Lifegroups, Youth, and Children’s Ministry, 7:00 PM

And as a special Spring Break bonus, check out: A Pep Talk From the Kid President!  Click to watch this fun, humorous, and encouraging video!

• Marriage Coach Sermon Series: Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM.  Dive deeper at www.themarriagecoach.us!
• Membership Class: Sunday, February 10, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.  A vibrant church connection is a key ingredient to a healthy family.  You are invited to discover how your family can connect with the ministry and vision of EFC!
• Valentine Banquet: Wednesday, February 13.  Enjoy an evening of laughter, fun, and fine dining at the Annual EFC Valentine Banquet.  Seating is limited, tickets are on sale in the church foyer while supplies last!
• “Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage” DVD Seminar: Sunday evening February 17 & 24, at 6:00 PM.  Mark Gungor will have you rolling on the floor laughing as he equips couples with the tools necessary to engage in life-giving conversations and strengthen marriages. 
• Family Skate Night: Friday, February 15.  The big yellow bus will depart from EFC at 5:00 PM, as we head to the First Baptist Church of Abilene’s Family Life Center for an evening of bowling and skating.  The cost of $10 per family covers transportation, pizza, and all the family fun you can handle!

Podcast

Each week of January’s “Bringing Faith to Life” sermon series is now available online!  Click here to listen.

Video Intro

What does Sunday morning like around your house?  Click here to catch the video introduction from the February 3, Marriage Coach message.

You Heard it at EFC

1. “Your Love Never Fails” by Bethel Music
2. “I’ve Found A Love” Jenn Johnson version
3. “Draw Near” by Matt Stinton
4. “One Thing Remains” by Bethel Music

Sunday Preview

Next Sunday, February 10, we continue the Marriage Coach with a look at the impact of healthy finances on healthy families.  Our youth, grades 6-12, will continue to meet in the Salvage Yard for both services during the Marriage Coach Series, and quality children’s ministry is available every Sunday morning in both the 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM services.

The Marriage Coach: Real Talk for Real Marriages

Sundays in February at Emmanuel Fellowship Church, Sweetwater

Services at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM

Get the details at www.themarriagecoach.us

Here’s an excerpt:

About 55,000 tourists visit Liechtenstein every year. This blog was viewed about 180,000 times in 2012. If it were Liechtenstein, it would take about 3 years for that many people to see it. Your blog had more visits than a small country in Europe!

Click here to see the complete report.

As I sat with my family Monday night in an Emmaus community meeting at First Presbyterian Church, I was amazed again by the theological beauty of Christmas songs.  We sang of the incarnate deity, born that we might experience a second birth. 

Christmas places the love of God on display for the whole world to see.

I invite you to join us Wednesday evening, December 19, at 7:00 pm for our annual Christmas Party and Live Nativity.  We will meet this year at the Lake Sweetwater Campground.  Hot chocolate and warm fellowship will be available, as well as a hay ride, which will lead us through the highlights of the Christmas story. 

Bundle up, bring a snack, and experience the beauty of Christmas with your church family!

On the Radar

• 2013 Pathways for Pilgrims Calendars for Sale in the church bookstore.  These beautiful calendars have been published by the artists of EFC and are filled with original art.  All proceeds support EFC mission trips!
• All Things New – New Year’s Celebration for all students grades 6-12.  Our youth will bring in 2013 with a an incredible electronic dance party with guest DJ, Alejandro Cesar.

Sunday Preview

This Sunday, December 23, is the last Sunday before Christmas.  We will continue our Scarlet Thread sermon series with a look at the teenage girl who received the message that she would be the mother of the Messiah. 

“When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.” But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said,“So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.^” - Genesis 38:27-30

What a bizarre story found in this tucked away corner of the Scripture. One son waves hello, gets a scarlet thread tied around his wrist, and then disappears. The other son… (continue reading at www.treasuretheordinary.blogspot.com)

On the Radar

• Children’s Christmas Pageant this Sunday, December 16, in both the 9:00 and 11:00 service. This special retelling of the both of Jesus is always a highlight of the Christmas season at Emmanuel Fellowship!
• All Church Christmas Party, Hayride, & LiveNativity Wednesday, December 19, at 7:00 pm, at the Sweetwater Lake Campground.  Dress warm and bring a snack as we celebrate Christmas together!
• 2013 Pathways for Pilgrims Calendars for Sale in the church bookstore.  These beautiful calendars have been published by the artists of EFC and are filled with original art.  All proceeds support EFC mission trips!

Sunday Preview

This Sunday, December 16, we continue our Scarlet Thread sermon series with a look at Rahab, a citizen of Jericho who became part of the bloodline of Jesus.  Our children will also present their Christmas pageant in both the 9:00 and 11:00 service this Sunday morning.

Sunday mornings at Emmanuel Fellowship Church

9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

1418 Hailey Street

Sweetwater, Texas

All of the activities for the evening are free.  A concession stand will also be available for those who would like to purchase a meal.

Emmanuel Fellowship Church is located at 1418 Hailey Street in Sweetwater, Texas.  Light the Night is always a packed event with hundreds of children and their parents enjoying the evening.  Make plans to arrive early so your children can enjoy all Light the Night has to offer.  Follow the signs to our Kid’s Space entrance where you will receive your welcome bag and free tickets for all of the fun activities.

We look forward to Lighting the Night with you!