Category Archives: Christian life

Oct 19 2017
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Christian life, Church, Church activities, Church family, Fall, Uncategorized

Commitment Sunday at EBC!

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Hey EBC Family!

I pray this post finds God’s presence guiding you and His provisions meeting your every need!  Have you enjoyed our Stewardship Sundays so far?   For the past three Sundays we have been inspired to be totally committed stewards of God! God desires that we manage all He has entrusted us with the best way we can.  That includes our lives, time, talents, treasures, His truth—the Gospel, and life’s trials.  As we have learned God not only has given us the responsibility of stewardship He also has provided us with the supernatural ability and His resources to steward everything well, through the work of Jesus.

This Sunday we will have Commitment Sunday!  Together as a church family we will renew our spiritual and financial commitments.  Let me encourage you to join me and make or renew the top 3 commitments:

Commit to follow Jesus all the way and do what He wants you to do, go where He wants you to go, and be who he wants you to be!

Commit to pay your tithe (10% of your gross income) to the Lord here at EBC for the work of the ministry!

Commit to give your faith promise missions offering.  Missions is our responsibility as a church to steward the Gospel of Jesus in our church, community, county, country and beyond.  Faith promise missions offerings are given above and in addition to our tithes, for world missions. Missions offerings are used to financially support our missionaries, who have dedicated their lives to spread the Gospel of Jesus in our country (Church planting) and in foreign countries as well.  If you have not given your National Church Planting Month offering you can do so this Sunday!  Just mark your gift “Church Planting.”  You can also tithe and give offerings online at www.ebclife.org. by clicking the “online giving” menu.  Help steward the Gospel in our community, by inviting someone to Friend Day on November 5th!  You can use the invite card provided in this envelope!

Let me encourage you to fill out two commitment cards.  Keep one for your personal records and as a reminder of the commitments you have made! Turn the other card in this Sunday as an act of commitment to Jesus and the church.  We also use the commitments made to plan our mission’s budget for the next year.  So be sure to turn your commitment card in this Sunday!  Do you or a family member need to be baptized?  We will have baptisms on Sunday night!  There will be a brief meeting, after the morning service, for all who are interested in being baptized.

Jesus is totally committed to us!  He has saved us and has committed to provide all we need to follow Him as faithful stewards.  Let’s do our part, by totally committing to be faithful to Him, with all He has entrusted to us!

Committed to Jesus and His church,

Pastor Mike Ramondetta

Have you been blessed by the ministries of EBC recently?  Please share a comment!

Oct 03 2017
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Christian life, Church, Church activities, Church family, Fall, ministry, Uncategorized

Fall Preacher’s Post

Wow what a summer!  How did your summer go?  Like ours, I am sure you had some ups and downs—some challenges and victories you enjoyed as well!  Praise God fall is officially here—at least on the calendar! And as we head into the fall season here are some exciting things to both celebrate and participate in as we live out our faith as the EBC family!

What’s been happening at EBC?

Our VBS Summer Event—Operation Arctic:  God blessed us with an awesome VBS and VBS Sunday celebration in July!  Thank you everyone who dedicated their lives, and time, and love to minister to our kids!

Our Awana Kids Ministry Launched in August: our Awana ministry launch was a great success!  Thank you to our children’s leaders and workers for investing in our kids!  Awana kid’s ministry happens on Wednesday nights from 6:45 – 8:15 p.m. 

Our Kids Summer Musical: It was AWESOME to see our kids sing unto the Lord during the Unselfie musical, on September 24th! All of our kids sang out, both the younger and older ones! Thank you to the leaders who worked with the kids! It was such a blessing!

Our Senior Ladies Bible Study met this past Wednesday, October 25th: Our senior ladies gathered and enjoyed a sweet time of study, fellowship, and lunch!

We had a Men’s Restart Activity:  Our men met this past Friday, September 29th, for food, fellowship and solid bible teaching!  Twenty men gathered as Dr. Shoemaker taught the Word.  Brother Bobby Ray gave a testimony as well.  Overall it encouraged and strengthened the faith of the men of EBC!

We welcomed 2 newborns to the EBC family:  The Blizzard family welcomed baby girl Sadie and the Francis family welcomed baby boy Oliver!  We praise God for blessing them with healthy babies!

Our Sunday morning services can be viewed through livestream!  Now that our livestream has been set up our Sunday morning services can be viewed live on Facebook.  Just click on the banner on our Facebook page or our website. ebclife.org.  Livestream is an opportunity for those who are out of town, sick, immobile, or otherwise hindered to watch our services live online.  It is also a great evangelistic opportunity!  Others can also view the service online who may not know Jesus as Savior or have a home church.  A recorded video of the preaching during the service will also be available to view on our website, our Facebook page, and our YouTube channel, in case you miss the livestream.  We are praying that this new online option will bless our church family and reach others as well! Visit our website, ebclife.org. and click on the media menu to learn more.

What’s happening next at EBC?

2017 Stewardship Sundays! Our 2017 Stewardship Sundays begin this Sunday, October 1st!  Each Sunday and Wednesday we will receive practical Bible teaching and preaching that will empower us to steward and manage all we are and have been given by God in our homes and here at EBC!

This past Sunday Dr. Charles Shoemaker preached the Word, inspiring us to be faithful to our commitments to Jesus and our church. Visit our website ebclife.org for the full schedule.

Fall Ladies Night Out: Ladies, save the date!  A fun ladies night out event is coming on October 20th!  More information coming soon!

Fall Festival—November 4th! We will be having our fall festival on Saturday, November 4th at 5 p.m. at the church.  There will be games, good food, and plenty of fun! Please sign up to bring food, help with set-up, and games at the back table at the church! 

Baskets of Blessing–October 29th through November 12th! Hey EBC family and friends! Let me invite you to help fill our baskets of blessing.  This fall we will put Thanksgiving baskets together filled with non-perishable food items so we can bless other families with the love of Christ!  Just bring in your non-perishable food items and place them on the table in the fellowship hall.  November 12th will be the last Sunday to bring in your items. 

Friend Day—November 5th! On November 5th at 11:00 a.m. we will have Friend Day—a day where everyone is encouraged to bring at least one person to church with them.  Who do you know that needs Jesus, a church home, or both? Be a friend and bring a friend, on Friend Day! We will not have Sunday school on this day. 

Praise Service and Pie Fellowship–November 19th! We will be having our Thanksgiving praise service on Sunday, November 19th at 6:00 p.m.  Following the service, we will also have a pie fellowship.  Come and bring your favorite pie to share as we praise our great God and enjoy some great pie!  There will be no midweek service on Wednesday, November 22th. 

How can I be Committed this fall season at EBC?

Fall is here!  Let me encourage you to be committed church members as you follow Jesus with devotion this fall season! Be present at the services, attend the exciting services and activities, and be ready to take steps in your devotion to Jesus and the church.

Blessings to you,

Pastor Mike

Apr 19 2017
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Christian life, Church, Church activities, Church family, Easter, Holidays, Life, ministry

EBC Easter Flashback!

Hello EBC Family & Friends,

How was your Easter?  Can you believe that it is over and behind us?  That doesn’t mean we can’t take a moment to celebrate what God did on Easter and what He plans to do in our lives in the future as we follow Him!

So what happened on Easter Sunday at EBC?

Our church family served with both unity of spirit and anticipation to see God work!   All of the prayer, sacrifice, and your sweet and hopeful spirit made Easter Sunday special!

God blessed us with guest families!  We are grateful for the new families God brought to our church on Easter.  They said they received the post card invite and wanted to come and see what we were all about! They did! I am glad that our invite efforts were successful.  Let’s pray that they return this week!

The Holy Spirit of God worked in and through both the 9 & 11 a.m. services!  The music and the message were both encouraging and challenging as we gave witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Both services went smooth as well.

The refreshments between the services for our ministry teams were delicious!  Our fellowship was uplifting as well! All those serving during the services received a needed boost.  Thank you to all who helped with the food and refreshments!

Our attendance was solid!  We had a total attendance of 290, with returning guests and new families as well!

Our Easter offering total: So far, we have received close to $1500 for our Easter offering!  Your offering will help to purchase a new projector and enhance our overall worship experience at EBC!  If you have not yet given your Easter offering you can give your offering this Sunday or online!  Click here to give.

A special thank you: Thank you for all those who decided to serve on a ministry team on Easter Sunday!  Our welcome team, with all our ushers, greeters, and parking lot workers, our music leaders and singers, nursery and children’s church workers all served Jesus and EBC well!  Thank you!

What’s happening next at EBC?

We are so grateful to God for how He worked in and through us on Easter Sunday!  We are looking ahead, however, to see where God is leading us and to what He desires to do in the future at EBC!

Wednesday Adult Bible Study at 7:00 p.m:  Tonight, Dr. Shoemaker finishes his study, Spiritual Warfare, with the practical lesson called, “A Strategy for Victory!”  Come and bring your kids as we have AWANA kids ministry at 6:45 p.m. and teen ministry at 7:00 p.m. and acquire the Biblical tools you need to win during spiritual warfare.

New Sunday Morning Sermon Series, “Purpose Driven Family”!  On Sunday, April 23rd, at 11:00 a.m. we begin a new sermon series at EBC!  We will see how the right purpose, built on a solid foundation of Jesus, His Word, and healthy relationships, will help our families live out God’s purposes and thrive!  This Sunday, Dr. Shoemaker launches this new series with the message called, “Managing conflict in marriage!”  Come and see how to deal with and resolve family conflict the Bible way!

There is so much to celebrate and be engaged in at EBC!  Click here to visit our website.  Hope to see you soon!

Pastor Mike

P.S. Have you been blessed by the ministries of EBC lately?  Click on “Leave a comment” to share your experience!

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Apr 12 2017
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Christian life, Church, Church activities, Church family, Easter, Holidays

Easter at EBC!

Happy Easter,

How is your spring going?  Praise the Lord we are experiencing outstanding weather!  Spring is a great season for God to bring spiritual renewal and fresh hope to our lives! Why is spring so significant?  During the spring season, we celebrate the greatest event in our Christian faith: the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Because Jesus lives we can face tomorrow with hope and spend forever in heaven with Him one day.

Easter Sunday is coming at EBC and it’s going to be exciting!  We are having two Sunday morning worship services on April 16th: 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.!  (There will be no Sunday school or evening service on this day.)  You can visit our website here!

How can you help make Easter better than last year? Accept the Easter challenge and…

Decide to be present!  Be sure to worship at EBC this Easter.  You can have the family dinner at your house and invite and bring your family with you on Easter Sunday.

Pray for God to work!  Pray that your heart will be open to follow Jesus more than ever before and that God will use you to bless others on Easter.  Pray that guests will worship with us during both services: 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.!  And pray specifically that God will bring those without Jesus and that they will respond to the Gospel message and be saved, baptized, and added to the EBC family!

Bring someone! Use our invite tools to invite and bring guests with you!  People are more open to come to church on Easter Sunday than any other time of the year.

Give an Easter offering.  We have the opportunity to give an Easter offering each year, above our tithes and regular giving, to help grow a specific ministry of the church. Our Easter offering will help purchase a new projector to enhance our media and music ministry!  Your Easter envelope is enclosed!

Special Instructions: Help make Easter great participating in Operation Move-up!  Help us provide the best seating for guests by keeping the back row of seats open and simply moving up one row.  Let’s be ready to help others find a seat if need be.  You can also park in the grass to help save the best spots for our guests.

Expect Great Things!  Expect God to work in your life and in the life of your family!  Maybe that family member or friend will come to church with you on Easter!  It’s possible!  You do your part and God will do His!  God can also use you to bless someone else on Easter Sunday!  Let’s extend a warm welcome to our guests, and church family, and purpose to share the love of Jesus and God will do something awesome!

Looking forward to seeing you and your family on Easter!

Pastor Mike

Feb 05 2016
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Christian life, Church, Church activities, Church family, Uncategorized, vision

Breaking into the Future at EBC!

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Vision Night 2016 Update:

We are breaking into the future here at EBC! Our Vision Night service was this past Sunday night! It was monumental as we saw a picture of our preferred future as it can and must be!

Our vision is what our church is becoming.  It is what our church family will look like in the years to come as God blesses and directs us to fulfill His mission.  Our vision answers the question, how can we use all that we are and all that we have been given to help bring God the greatest glory and help more people become growing devoted disciples of Jesus in our church, community, country, and beyond?

On Vision Night we saw a snapshot of where God is leading us and what He wants us to become in the years ahead! And we were also challenged to help our vision become a reality.  Will you do your part?

Are you excited to help our vision become a reality at EBC? Let me know by leaving your comment or speaking with me in person!

Breaking into the future,

Pastor Mike

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Dec 16 2014
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Christian life, Church, Church activities, Church family, Holidays

Celebrate the Seasons with EBC!

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Are you enjoying the Christmas season yet? The Christmas season can overwhelm us and bring unusual amounts of stress in our lives. That’s why the EBC family desires to stay focused on Jesus our Savior and all He has done for us, especially during the holiday season. We have much to celebrate!

What’s been happening at EBC?

  •  We had a great Friend Day on November 16th!

We were blessed to have 117 in attendance!  Many of our friends and family worshipped with us for the first time, while others were returning guests. Let’s keep friending others and keep connecting them to Jesus and the church, during the holiday season.

  • We had an awesome Thanksgiving praise service and pie fellowship!

We had a great crowd of 80, the desserts were delicious, and the fellowship was meaningful. We had an awesome time—did you?

  • Thank you for bringing items for our Thanksgiving baskets of blessing!

Five beautiful baskets were put together and given to families in need. Thank you church for participating and thank you ladies for putting the baskets together! As we delivered the baskets God opened doors to meet new families and point others to Christ. Thank you for helping with the mission at EBC!

  • We had an awesome children’s Christmas program – 12/14!

I was thrilled to see our children’s Christmas program! It was awesome! Our kids sang out as they worshipped Jesus! I am thankful for all our children and our kids workers and leaders as well!

What’s happening next at EBC? 

  •  Special Christmas Wednesday Night Ministry at 7 p.m.

We will be watching part 2 of the movie, “The Christmas Experience” on December 17th, during our adult Bible study time. Come and see what really happened on Christmas and bring a friend! We will have a cocoa and cookie fellowship on the 17th as well. Just bring a plate of your favorite cookies to share. Milk and cocoa will be provided.

  •   Kids Zone Christmas party—December 17th at 7 p.m.

Our kids will enjoy pizza, games, and lots of fun!

  •  Resistance Teen Activities—December 19th & 21st

The teens will be going to St Augustine on December 19th. They will be leaving the church at 4 p.m. to ride the trolley, have dinner, and enjoy other fun activities. On December 21st the teens will be spreading holiday cheer, during our caroling activity.

  • Christmas service—December 21st at 11:00 a.m.

Celebrate Christmas with EBC during the morning service at 11:00 a.m. This is a great opportunity to bring family and friends! We will have Sunday school for all ages at 10 a.m., but no evening service on the 21st or the 28th. Please enjoy this time with your family!

The auditorium Sunday school class will be having a Christmas party, following the morning service on the 21st as well.

  •  Christmas Eve service—December 24th at 6 p.m. 
  • Holiday Young Adult Party—December 27th at 5 p.m.

Join our young adult Bible class and celebrate the holiday season. Lots of holiday food and fellowship will be happening on December 27th.

  •  New Years Eve service—December 31st at 6 p.m.

Mark your calendars and plan on being part of the holiday activities and services as we celebrate the seasons at EBC!

Been blessed recently at one of the services at EBC? Is God working in your life?  Let me know by leaving your comment!

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Nov 21 2014
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Christian life, Church, Fall, Holidays

Fantastic Fall at EBC!

News update1

 

WOW!  God is really working in and through us at EBC!

What’s been happening at EBC?

We had a great Friend Day on November 16th!  We were blessed to have 117 in attendance, with about 40 more people than usual—that’s great!  Many of those friends worshipped with us for the first time, while others were returning guests!  I thank God for all those at EBC, who invited their friends, made new friends, and for those who were blessed to bring their friends on Friend Day! It was great to see our church family engaged in our mission! Let’s keep friending others and keep connecting them to Jesus and the church! Sunday is coming!

What’s happening next at EBC? 

Celebrate the Holiday Season at EBC!  The holiday season can bring unwanted stress and over the top hustle and bustle, making it hard to celebrate the real reason for the season.  At EBC we want to stay focused on Jesus our Savior and all He has done for us.  We have much to be thankful for and celebrate.  So join me for each Sunday school hour (10 a.m.) and service (11 a.m. & 6 p.m.) and Wednesday night ministry (7 p.m.) and let’s celebrate the holiday seasons together.

Praise and Pie Fellowship—November 23rd! We will be having our Thanksgiving praise service this Sunday, November 23rd at 6 p.m. Following the service we will also have a pie fellowship. Come out and be a part as we praise our great God and enjoy some great pie! There will be no mid-week service on Wednesday, November 26th.

Baskets of Blessing—Now through November 23rd! We are putting Thanksgiving baskets together filled with non-perishable food items so we can be a blessing to other families! Just bring in your nonperishable items and place them on the table marked “Baskets of Blessing”, in the fellowship hall.

How have you been blessed recently at EBC?  Let us know by leaving your comment!

 

Aug 30 2014
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Christian life, Church, Church activities, Church family, ministry, Twins Image

Fall Is Here! And it’s gonna be exciting!

Did you enjoy your summer? Ours went great with some unexpected earth shattering news that comes in twos. Emily (my sweet wife) is pregnant with identical twins! Here’s a pic of Emily’s first sonogram–many more to go!  Ramondetta twinsOh…my…Word! We are truly grateful to God–kids are a heritage and reward from the Lord! All is great so far–please pray:) We are also thankful for our sweet church family (Emmanuel Baptist Church)! Your warm support and love we received this past Sunday was much appreciated!

What’s Happening this Fall at EBC?

Jonah is… Running from God—Sundays at 11 a.m.

This past Sunday we started a new Sunday morning sermon series out the Old Testament book of Jonah called “Jonah is…running from God. As we ended Jonah chapter one, Jonah is in the belly of the great fish! This week we will dive into chapter two and see how we can run to God instead of running away from God!

5th Sunday Fellowship—August 31st

After our 6 p.m. evening service, on August 31st , we will have a time of food and fellowship at Firehouse Subs. This is a great way to connect with others, build relationships, and eat some great food.

Revelation Revealed—Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

Be a part of our Wednesday night ministry at 7 p.m.! Dr. Charles Shoemaker will be leading our adult Bible study for the next 4 weeks with a great study from the book of Revelation!  The Resistance teen ministry (grades 7-12) and the Kids Zone kid’s ministry (K4-6th grade) also meet on Wednesday at 7 p.m. We have a loving nursery for children 0-3 years of age as well.

Teen Orlando Trip—September 5th & 6th

Thank you to all those who contributed to the Resistance youth fund raiser. They will be going to Disney’s Night of Joy on September 5th and 6th. Please pray for safety and that God will work in each heart.

Grandparents Day—September 7th

Be sure to tell your grandparents how much you love and appreciate them and bring them to church on this special day! There will be no Sunday evening service. We invite you to spend this time with family.

Men’s Prayer Breakfast—September 13th

The Men’s Prayer Breakfast will be Saturday, September 13th at 8:30 a.m. at Hardees. We will meet for a time of fellowship and prayer.

Communion—September 21st

We will be remembering the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross and His glorious resurrection during our communion service. Prepare your hearts and plan to attend, on September 21st at 6pm.

2014 Stewardship Sundays Begin October 5th

God richly blessed our Stewardship Sundays last year and I’m real excited about this year! Our Stewardship Sundays will be during the entire month of October: the 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th. Our theme will be “Giving My Best!” Each stewardship Sunday we will have a joint Sunday school class at 10 a.m. (teens and adults) and Sunday worship services at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Each time we meet together we will be inspired to give our best to God right here at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

God has been so faithful to us throughout this year! We praise Him for working and look forward with great anticipation for what he will do during our fall season at EBC! The good news is that you can participate and help make it the best fall season ever. Join me in taking steps to a closer devotion to Jesus and commitment as a church family member here at EBC. Let’s be faithful to pray, attend the services, serve, tithe and give, love one another, and do our part to help our church grow together!

I am looking forward to what God will do in you and me this fall!

Are you excited about the fall season?  Has God been working in your heart and life at EBC?  Let me know by leaving a comment!

Jun 04 2014
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Christian life, Church, ministry, Uncategorized

EBC News Update!

Are you ready for a new season?  We are getting close to entering the summer season and I know you are ready for a break.  Right?  All the hustle and bustle of the school year, and the relentless work schedule, and the changes in weather from moderate to hot, can bring us joy and challenge as well!

With all that new seasons bring, let’s praise God for what He has done and get involved with what will be happening next here at EBC!

We had a great Sunday!

God blessed our Sunday morning and evening services!  The music was a blessing and the message sure stirred our hearts to be blessed from Psalm 1!  So, will your life be blessed?

The graduation service was a blessing, too.  I believe they are ready to follow Jesus wherever He may lead them!  The fellowship, short message, and food was a hit.  Thank you to all the ladies who helped!

Can you help?

During the months of June and July we will be doing some recruiting of workers and teachers for our Children’s Church ministry.  Do you have a love for Jesus and for children?  Why not sign up to teach children’s church on Sunday mornings from 11:15-12:00 noon?  We are putting a monthly teacher’s rotation together now and will be having some brief training to explain all the details and what is expected.  Please contact the church office if you are interested in helping!

What About VBS?

Would you like to help with VBS this summer?  We are planning the details of vacation Bible school and would like your help.  We need a lady or 2 to organize and lead VBS this summer.  If you are interested in organizing and leading VBS or would like to serve in any way please contact the church office or Pastor Mike by June 18th.  We will be having a brief meeting coming up soon for all those who are interested in helping with VBS.

Volleyball Begins—June 10th

Volleyball season begins at 6:30 p.m. on June 10th! Games will be played Tuesdays and Fridays between 7 & 10 p.m. at the city volleyball courts.

Volleyball Kick Off Party—June 11th

We will have a combined service Wednesday night, June 11th at 7 p.m. There will be a short devotional, a pizza dinner, and volleyball. Please bring a drink and a dessert to share!

Keep praying, coming, worshipping, serving, tithing, and loving one another.  God will help us grow together if each one of us consistently does our part!

Have a wonderful week,

Pastor Mike

How have you been blessed recently at EBC?  Just leave a comment and share your experience!

Apr 10 2014
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Christian life, Church, Easter

Exciting Spring Schedule at EBC!

How about the awesome spring weather?  I hope you are having a great spring so far!  God is blessing EBC!  We had a great Sunday this past week.  We started a new sermon series called “Choose Joy” from the book of Philippians!  We saw how we can choose joy no matter our circumstances in chapter one. Don’t miss this Sunday as we see how we can choose joy from Philippians chapter two!

Here is what else is happening soon at EBC:

–        Spring Clean up: Saturday from 8 am – 12 noon

Plan to come and help make our church shine for Jesus—a place to call home.  Feel free to bring any supplies that you think can help us get stuff done.

–        Easter Services:  4/20 at 11 am & 6pm! (No Sunday school)

People are more open to come to church on Easter Sunday than any other time of the year.  So why not take the Easter Challenge!  Are you up for it?  Here is the three-part challenge for you and for me.

First of all pray! Please join me in praying for our Easter service.  Pray that God will prepare your heart and mine and that we will respond!

Secondly, invite and bring a guest.  Just use an invite card from our new sermon series “Choose joy.”  Tell them about our church and let them know they are personally invited.  Think about one person that you could invite and bring to our Easter Sunday service.  Write their name down.  Pray for them and then invite them to come.  Don’t except no for an answer!

Thirdly, give an Easter offering. We will be receiving an Easter offering, given above our tithes and regular giving, to help us finish the Kids zone play ground, and to help make needed enhancements to our sound and media ministry.

There are some exciting things to get involved with here at EBC!  As we get involved and do our part God will help our church family grow together upward, inward, and outward!

Excited about our Spring schedule?  Let me know which events you will be coming to by leaving a comment!

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