Lanse Link :: February 16, 2025

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Church Family News

Facilities Team Meeting
The Facilities Team will be meeting with the Elders on Tuesday at the beginning of their meeting to discuss the pavilion project. If you have any questions, please see Randy Albert.

Jenni Out Of Office
Jenni will be out of the office beginning Thursday, February 20^th through Monday, February 24^th. If you need immediate assistance, please contact Pastor Matt.

LEFC Family Night
Join us for Family Night on February 21^st from 6-8pm here at the church! Come enjoy a provided dinner as well as a game night with fellow LEFC families! We’ll have a fun time of fellowship together. We’re currently looking for someone to help provide a simple meal for the evening with funds provided by the Family Ministries Team. Interested in helping in this way? See Jordyn Skacel.

Men’s Breakfast & Fellowship
On Saturday, February 22^nd there will be a men’s breakfast at 8:00am in the fellowship hall at LEFC. All men (and boys) are invited to come out, bring something to share for breakfast, enjoy some time with men sharing, and hear one of the LEFC men will share their testimony! This is a  great way to learn more about some of the guys here at the church and their history. Please see Keith Folmar or John Forcey if you have any questions.

Community Group
Community Group will be starting up again on Sunday, February 23^rd at 7:00pm at the Skacel home for fellowship and Bible Study. Adults, as well as kids, are invited to attend. If you have never attended before, see Abe or Jordyn Skacel to get their address. They look forward to welcoming you back into their home!

Tech Team Volunteers
Maria Jackson is looking for a few more volunteers to help with sound on Sunday mornings during service. If you are interested, please let Maria or Jenni know and we will get you some training!

Explore The Bible At Home
Many adults in our church are utilizing the Explore the Bible resources to dig deeper into God’s Word. Pick up your free copy of 1, 2 Peter & Jude and join as we study this through the Spring Quarter, which is starting in March. These booklets are available in the foyer.

Register for Summer Camp!
Don’t forget to register for camp at Miracle Mountain Ranch! Camps are available starting at age 6. See Marilynn Kristofits to get registered for a discount, with questions, or for more information!

Pop-Up Classes
Need some tips and tricks to share your faith? Are you looking to learn more about the EFCA and what we believe in? To better understand what our needs are for pop-up classes, we are asking you to take the time to fill out the “Adult Class Survey.” We want to know what you are interested in learning, and when the best times to gather would be. How can we better serve your discipleship needs? Completed surveys and questions can be directed to Keith Hurley.

Winter Jam ‘25
Are you headed to Winter Jam this year? Want to go as a group? Several people from the church are going to meet at the College Buffet at 1631 North Atherton in State College for dinner from 4pm-5pm and then leave as a group to arrive at the BJC together and sit together. Do you need a ride? Would you want to offer a ride? There is a sign-up sheet in foyer to help make connections. There is also a flyer in the foyer with information about the concert. Contact Jenni English or Cody & Holly Crumrine with any questions.

Baby Bottle Blessings
Our church is participating in The Pregnancy Resource Clinic’s Baby Bottle Blessing campaign. Please fill your bottle with your extra change and bills. If your bottles are filled, please place them inside the church office. Bottles are due back by the end of February.

Directory Final Update
We have a lot of missing families for the directory! Please check out the big, printed directory and place a checkmark if your information is accurate before we go to print. If you are not in the directory and would like to be, please fill out a form and give to Pastor Matt or Jenni English.

Pictures for the Directory
We want your family’s picture in the church directory, there are still a lot of families that we don’t have a picture of. Help your brothers and sisters to know who everybody is. Please email all photos to [email protected] or see Jenni to get your picture taken!

Save The Date – Stay Sharp
Our annual Stay Sharp theology conference will be held March 10^th-11^th at Waterdam Church. The theme this year is “True Spiritual Warfare.” Register online by February 24^th. The cost of lodging this year is $60/each, and there are scholarships available if that is a hardship. For more information, pick up a flyer in the foyer, and see Pastor Matt.

Lenten Worship Services
Each year the ministers of the West Branch Churches plan Lenten Services on Sundays throughout our area. A schedule of this location and speakers for these services is located on the community bulletin board in the foyer.

 

Growing Together

Youth Group
The youth group meets on Sunday evenings from 7:00-9:00pm. All students in grades 7 and up are invited to come for games, snacks, and fun while studying the book of Acts in our Bibles together. See Cody & Holly Crumrine for more information.

Snack and Yack
Directly after service, kids in grades 3-7 who heard the sermon are invited to meet in Pastor Matt’s office for a snack and a brief interactive conversation about today’s message. To help listen closely, kids can fill out a “Snack n’ Yack Notes” handout that are in the foyer. Parents are always welcome to join in, too! Leading this week is Pastor Matt & Heather Mitchell.

Ladies’ Fellowship Hour
Ladies, join us on Wednesday mornings at 10:30am for a time of fellowship with one another, praying for one another and missionaries, and reading Scripture. They are currently studying Resisting Gossip written by our own Pastor, Matt Mitchell. All ladies are invited to attend.

Join Us at Prayer Meeting
Wednesdays at 7:00pm, a group of Christians meet to pray and to study God’s Word in the Prayer Room. We are going through a study of the book of Numbers. Nobody is put on the spot to pray out loud, but all are encouraged to attend and help lift up the needs of our church, community, nation, and world.

Explore the Bible at Home
Many adults in our church are utilizing the Explore the Bible resources to dig deeper into God’s Word. Pick up your free copy of Exodus; Leviticus and join as we study this week with Session 12: Atonement. The Winter resources are available in the foyer.

This Week in Kids Bible Class
God Guides His People. Today, the Little Learners and Bible Explorers will be studying Numbers 20-21 learning about The People Complained. Resources for family worship centered on this lesson are available through the link you will receive in “The Family Table” email arriving this afternoon. For more information about this week’s lesson, check out The Gospel Project Big Picture Card for Volume 1, Unit 6, Session 3 which your family received in your mailbox.

 

Additional Resources

Lanse Free Fridge
Our community fridge and pantry is open 24/7. Contributions may include fresh or frozen foods, dairy products, canned or dried goods, cereals, or prepared foods. Anyone is welcome to donate or rehome food.

Need Prayer?
Our church and our pastor love to pray for you. If you have a need for prayer, you can email us at [email protected]. All emails being sent to this address will be seen by Pastor Matt. Please indicate if this is a private request (for Pastor Matt and the Elder Board) or public request for the prayer chain. Want to join this list? Send an email to [email protected] and we will add you.

Email Subscriptions
We want everyone to know what is happening at LEFC! Are you on the “All Church Notifications” email list to get key announcements such as cancelations and other schedule changes? Subscribers also receive “The Lanse Link,” our weekly news bulletin. In addition, parents can subscribe to “The Family Table,” a Sunday newsletter filled with useful resources for family discipleship. Subscribe on the church website or send your email address to the church office and we will add you to the list.

Library
We offer many free resources in our church library, located to the right as you leave the auditorium. Our catalog of books is now online! www.librarycat.org/lib/LanseFreeChurch. Check something out today.

Sermon Publications
Missed a Sunday? You can read, listen to, or watch the message online in multiple ways throughout the week (YouTube, Facebook, Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pastor Matt’s blog, or the LEFC website [audio, video]). Need help subscribing or finding a particular sermon? See Jenni English.

Fellowship Hall Reservations
If you would like to use the Fellowship Hall for your event, please contact Jenni English in the office to check availability and get approval.

Offering
Thank you for continuing to support our ministries and missionaries. The offering plates are available at the back of the auditorium. Gifts can also be mailed to the church or given electronically through your bank’s bill pay program or through online platforms: PayPal and Venmo. Our account is [email protected]. Questions? Contact Jenni English.

Giving Opportunities

Designated giving funds are open for the deaconess compassion fund to help those in need within our church family, summer camp to pay for registration fees, and a future pavilion for the Ark Park here at the church. Please mark your gifts and drop them in the offering plate.

Thank you for continuing to support our ministries and missionaries. Ways to give:

Mail your offering check to us at PO BOX 114, Lanse, PA 16849.

• Cash or Check in person. Drop off your offering at the church during office hours in the offering plate right inside the  office door.
• E-banking – Check with your financial institution about using their bill pay programs to have the bank send us a check directly at no cost.
• Online Payments – PayPal and Venmo are our current e-giving options. Our account address is our email: [email protected].

Opportunities for Service
Become a part of our ministries! To get started serving in our church, contact the following people: Attendance (Jenni English), Coffee Ministry (The Crumrines), Greeting Ministry (Katie Kerlin & Haylee Simler), Kids Bible Classes (Vicky Albert), Nursery (Becky Schiefer), Prayer Corners (Jenni English),  and Worship Team (Pastor Matt Mitchell).

Church Office
Our church office is open every week, Tuesday – Friday from 8:45am – 2:15pm. You can reach Jenni in the office by phone (814-345-6500) or email at [email protected]. If you would like information to be in next week’s bulletin, please have it in by 1:00pm Thursday. Last minute prayer requests need to be submitted to the office by 9:00am on Friday.

Director of Family Ministry
Jordyn Skacel serves as our Director of Family Ministry. She is happy to meet with you at the church, in her home, in your home, or in public, with or without kids! Catch her at church or contact her via phone, text, or email, (814) 592-9280 or [email protected] to schedule a time to meet. She’d love to hear your ideas, how you’d like to be involved, and to be a resource for your family.

Church Elders
Keith Folmar [814-345-5980]      Cody Crumrine [724-787-8351]
Abe Skacel [717-606-9344]        Keith Hurley [814-553-5624]
Curtis Quick [814-404-3798]       Pastor Matt Mitchell [814-762-7336]