Getting Out of the Weather

Trinity Evangelical Free Church in Ludington, MI, is one of many churches from the community signed up to be a home-base in the rotating homeless shelter plan coordinated by Hospitality, Inc.

Each week from November to April, a church will welcome homeless adults. Opening at 6 p.m. they'll serve dinner, offer a cot and blanket, breakfast and then close at 8 a.m. the next morning.

To learn more contact Hospitality, Inc. ministry coordinators Tim and Tammy Martin, at tammymartin2@verizon.net.

How is your church reaching out to the homeless and under-resourced?

Hey Soldier, Want Some Turkey?

Camarillo Evangelical Free Church knows the holidays can be lonely when you are far from home. So, the members and friends of the church are inviting invite troops home to share Thanksgiving with their families--sharing their love, homes and Thanksgiving meals; and saying “thank you” for the service to our country.

Contact an EFCA Chaplain in your community to find out how you can reach out to those serving our country.

Have Passport Will Travel

A few weeks ago EFC of the Congo (CECU) President Bosokpale obtained a passport opening the way now for him to come to the United States in the spring of 2010. Plans and fundraising have begun for this very special trip. Sunday visits to EFCA churches are pretty much committed, however, there are many weekdays still open on the calendar.

If you or your church would like to welcome President Bosokpale for a missions committee meeting and hear of the ministry efforts throughout the 971 EFC churches across the Congo, talk with your pastoral leadership and then contact Jim Snyder of EFCA ReachGlobal.

Pastors: GATEWAY to Learning

Since it's initial roll out, 22 EFCA GATEWAY training courses have happened across the U.S. in nine EFCA districts, (and more are coming!).

Designed for leaders who have a need for theological and pastoral training, (but lack the time and resources to access traditional seminary education), EFCA GATEWAY Theological Institute equips pastors and leaders for ministry within the larger EFCA movement. Offering language-specific, practical and accessible theological training, the course equips pastors for effective ministry in their current contexts.

Know a pastor that would love to attend? Point him to the EFCA GATEWAY web page for more information.

20 Down

Celebrating continued focus on creating a neighborhood in New Orleans where kids can ride their bikes to a home their family owns, a safe place to gather, a church that cares, and schools of excellence Urban Impact Ministries is celebrating their 20th year of ministry in New Orleans, LA. Started in 1989 by Glen Schrieber and carried forward in 1991 by Pastor John and Wendy Gerhardt much has happened in the past two decades to celebrate!

• Founding and complete renovation of Castle Rock Community Church
• Yellow House purchased and fully renovated to host visiting teams
• Education program started for neighborhood kids
• Land purchased for new ministry center
• Started partnership with EFCA TouchGlobal for Hurricane Katrina ministry and more
• Hosted over 12,000 volunteers from around the globe helping with Hurrican Katrina crisis response and more
• Completed over 20 work projects in the neighborhood (cosmetic repair to complete renovations)

Pray for their continued efforts and the changed community UIM, Castle Rock Community Church and EFCA TouchGlobal are working toward with the Lord's help!

New Shepherd Caring for the Flock

Three Rivers Community Church in San Marcos, TX, voted to call Adam Schindler as their Pastor.

Please pray for the transition for Adam and Stefanie Schlindler and TRCC. Ask God to grant them His favor.

Knocking on Neighbor's Doors

Sometimes all it takes for a neighbor to visit your church is to ask them. Knowing this, Kenyon Ross and others from Shades Valley Community Church in Birmingham, AL, are knocking on neighbor's doors to invite them to visit. As Kenyon stated recently:

(For) one couple the Lord's timing was just right, they've really needed a church community to be involved in--be praying for this couple, her sister passed away this summer and she said that they haven't had a close group of Christians to walk through that with.

To encourage others to get involved, Kenyon's mapping their progress. In the picture, the orange dots represent the homes they've visited and the green dots are where they've had the opportunity to share the gospel. Praise God!

Pray for more green dots (and neighbor visitors) for Shades Valley Community Church. If you'd like more information to start a similar effort at your church, email Kenyon Ross.

Will Preach for Bananas

At a recent fundraising event for FIRSTCHOICE Clinic, Matthew St. John, teaching pastor of Bethel EFC, Fargo, ND, was awarded the coveted, "Will Preach for Bananas" hat for being the pastor who secured the largest number of sponsors for the LIFE WALK.

Five of Bethel EFC's pastors, (including Pastor Matthew), along with many Bethel EFC members raised $6000 for FIRSTCHOICE Clinic, a caring and confidential clinic offering pregnancy options including post abortion support and services.

What local service or compassion agency is your church supporting?

To the Fields

EFCA EQUIP is hosting a Prefield Training (PT Live) event for new missionaries in Minneapolis to encourage and teach 22 new missionaries (15 adults and 7 children) who will be leaving for the field in the next 6 months. The new missionaries will be deployed to Japan, Indonesia, France, Italy, Congo, Costa Rica, Ukraine and Hungary.

Pray for these new disciples preparing to reach out to their respective fields--white for harvest.

Quilting: Piecing the Borders

A few years ago a group from Grace EFC, Jefferson City, Missouri hosted a week-long quilting camp which birthed a growing, Christ-focused, evangelistic quilting ministry in Hungary. With a vision for reaching Hungarian ladies with the gospel, this ministry has grown into 12 clubs throughout Hungary and Ukraine.

Hungarian women experience a sense of community and encouragement in the quilting clubs (one of the biggest needs in Eastern Europe today).In addition to having an outlet to create beauty for their lives, quilting clubs teach a skill and they include an evangelistic message. Churches in the U.S. partner to teach, provide supplies, share their testimonies and lend support as needed. In the past year, four to five ladies have accepted Christ at each quilting camp (totaling 12 new believers!) and five others rededicated their lives to the Lord.

The quilting club is just one of many ministries held at the Kelenföld Ministry Center (KMC) in Budapest, Hungary. Ten of the ministries at the KMC are led by Hungarians, including:

• KEGy (Kelenföld Evangelical Free Church)
• FEK (Youth at the Threshold of Life)
  
• Quilting club
  
• Bible school
  
• Free Saturday singles' group
  
• Film Club
  
• Apologia (apologetics for Hungary)
• Wycliffe-Hungary
  
• MEE (Hungarian Evangelical Free Church)
  
• Small group ministry
  
• Arts Café
  

Praise God for how He continues to bring many believers together for the sake of sharing the gospel!

Keys to Learning

Studying the persecuted church, the elementary program at First EFC Fullerton, CA, will be learning the "key" to helping the persecuted church is to pray. To unlock the student's potential, the teachers are looking for 1,000 keys--old/used/no longer needed metal keys, for a special craft project for the lesson.

Pray for all Sunday school teachers and their students and join FEFC's elementary classes in praying for the persecuted church.

Hungary for a Steer?

In Montana, God’s cows roam and ranchers raise calves that are then sold to support missionaries. Sporting a triangle brand with a cross on the top of it, the cows are part of the STEER Inc. brand.

Headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota. STEER facilitates a unique three-way partnership between donors, farmers or ranchers, and missions. A donor donates a cow, a farmer or rancher feeds and cares for it, and the proceeds from the sale of the calf each year goes to the designated mission.

If you, or someone you know is a farmer or rancher, there are cows immediately available at STEER Inc. for placement in support of EFCA ReachGlobal missionaries Brad and Kari Mullet who work in Hungary. STEER money to missions!

For more information read the full story at Brad Mullet's blog:
http://mulletsinhungary.blogspot.com/2009/10/magyar-mullets-september-2009.html

D.I.Y.

Reaching out to the city of Huntington, WV, two of the Crew Community Church small groups took to the streets to remove graffiti. The overall sentiment of the groups: if you want to see change in your community, DIY! (do it yourself!)

In what way is your small group reaching out to the community?

To read the full story check the Crew Community Church blog or their Facebook page.

7.6 on the Richter Scale

September 30 at 5:16 pm local time major shock from a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit Southern Sumatra, Indonesia. Thousands were trapped in collapsed buildings and under landslides. Two hospitals, several schools and over 200,000 houses have been severely damaged.

EFCA TouchGlobal Crisis Response is in the midst of assessing the situation to begin relief efforts. Pray. Give. Go (in teams).

Learn more.

S.A.C.K.ed

Two Rivers Church South Florida will be in the midst of their church outreach event October 10, 2009. SACK (Simple Act of Christian Kindess) is a 'serving their community' effort through the Adopt-A-Street program. Meeting first for short briefing and a continental breakfast (coffee, donuts and orange juice) the volunteers will be off into the community--being the hands and feet of Christ.

Pray for hearts touched, new relationships and safety for the many volunteers!

Focus on the EFCA in Europe

Ever wonder just how many EFCA ReachGlobal missionaries there are located in cities throughout Europe?

• 102 households


• 23 city teams


• In 28 ministry locations throughout Europe

The newest city teams for ReachGlobal Europe include London and Madrid which will open (with the Lord's blessing) in 2010.

Learn how to support an EFCA missionary or EFCA ReachGlobal!

More information

Geronimo!

Serving their community at the Geronimo Fire Department BBQ, Vista Community Church will be meeting earlier on Sunday, Oct. 11 for a modified service in order to reach out and "Be the Church"--pray for the church to represent Christ well!

Manila: Katrina-like Catastrophe

An EFCA ReachGlobal missionary outlines the situation in Manila, Philippines:

This week, Manila, Philippines suffered the worst flooding in 40 years. According to news reports, the water inundated 80% of the city, killed 246, and affected 1.9 million people, displacing almost 400,000. Most of those affected are among the poorest, and many are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Seventeen EFCs in Manila have been affected. Praise God, it appears that all of our church people are alive. But damage to buildings was severe. Homes were swept away. People lost family and friends. Possessions are gone. Food is in short supply. Livelihoods have been disrupted. People are stunned.

This is a Katrina-like catastrophe for the citizens of Manila. Pray for our pastors and their wives. Many of them have sustained major losses themselves, but they need to be strong to encourage their church members and others in the community. Pray for God’s grace to be their strength.

Check the TouchGlobal Crisis Response web page to give or learn more in the days to come. Meanwhile, you can call donor services (800) 745-2202 or mail donations. Make checks out to EFCA and send them to: EFCA, Attn: Philippines Relief, #21709-3973, 901 East 78th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55420-1300