Lanse Link :: September 7, 2025

Sunday, September 7, 2025

Church Family News

Communion Sunday
Today we will be passing communion plates for those partaking in the auditorium. There are pre-packaged communion elements for anyone, inside or outside, who would prefer to use them as we worship together at the Lord’s Table. We have a gluten free option for those with special dietary needs.

Our Preacher Today
Keith Hurley, one of our Elders and many other roles in the church, is preaching today.

Free Fridge Volunteers Needed
The Lanse Free Fridge operates 7 days a week, 24 hours a day for food pickup and dropoff. That means it’s important that the fridge and pantry shelves are checked for cleanliness and safety multiple times a week. We need a few more volunteers to commit to checking the Fridge one day a week. Seasonal or temporary help is also welcome! Please see Holly Crumrine with questions or to commit to a day. Thank you!

Volunteers for Apple Fest
Holly Crumrine is looking for volunteers to work at the LEFC booth during the apple fest on Saturday, October 4^th. The event is from 10:00am – 3:00pm, so two shifts of volunteers from 9:30am – 12:30pm and then 12:30pm – 3:00pm would work, or the whole time! We’re having a giant connect 4 game for kids and a basket raffle for adults – no special skills needed except welcoming people on behalf of LEFC!

Missionary Christmas in September
Each year we collect a special offering aimed to bless the missionaries we support and give them some extra money to use in whatever way they like. Donations will be accepted throughout the month of September. There are envelopes in the foyer on the resources tables or you can mark your gift “Christmas” and drop it in the offering plate.

West Branch Ministerium Food Bank
The West Branch Area Food Bank Committee is seeking donations during the months of October, November and December of the following items; boxed mashed potatoes, boxed stuffing mixes, noodles and canned gravy. These items will help us provide meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas to our food bank recipients.

See You At The Pole
All are invited to join West Branch’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes for a time of prayer at the school’s flagpole. Students will meet at 7:15am on Wednesday, September 24^th. Adults, please park at Gethsemane, walk to the flagpole, and join the kids as they pray for their school.

Celebration Sunday
Join us on Sunday, September 21^st to celebrate LEFC’s 133^rd birthday! Caleb and Debbie Lucien will be joining us, as well as the hospitality team providing cake. We will take our annual church family photo outside around the Ark Park Pavilion.

Photographer Needed
We are looking for a volunteer to take the Church Family Photo on September 21^st  for Celebration Sunday. See Pastor Matt or Jenni English if interested.

Books in the Foyer
The Kephart’s have generously donated many books to LEFC. The books on the table in the foyer are looking for new homes, please take one (or a few) home with you to enjoy.

Chess Fellowship
Do you enjoy playing Chess? Do you want to learn how to play Chess? Curtis Quick is looking to start a Chess Fellowship where he will relate the game of Chess to the Bible. He will begin each fellowship with a Bible Study and spend time in prayer. Then play chess and fellowship. Talk with Curtis Quick if you are interested.

Fall Retreat
Join us for a weekend of rich fellowship, faith-building sessions, a missions spotlight, delicious food, and plenty of fun for all ages and families. Register using the QR code or in person in the church foyer. If you have any questions, please see Jordyn Skacel.

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Growing Together

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 Cody & Holly Crumrine.

Adult Pop-Up Class
Keith Hurley leads the adult class on Sunday evenings at 6:30pm here at LEFC. For the next 6 weeks, they are covering Tactics: A Guide to Effectively Discussing Your Christian Convictions and learning to communicate the compelling truth about Christianity with confidence and grace. See Keith Hurley if you have any questions.

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

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. 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 Joshua. 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 Pick up your free copy of Numbers & Deuteronomy and join as we study this week with Session 1: The Journey. Fall resources are available in the foyer.  resources are available in the foyer.

This Week in Kids Bible Class
Today, the Little Learners and Bible Explorers will be studying 1 Kings 11-13 about The Kingdom Divided. Resources for family worship and conversation 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 which your child will receive at the end of class to bring home. If you are not currently receiving “The Family Table” or need assistance with accessing the family resources, please see Jenni English, Jordyn Skacel or Vicky Albert.

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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, and a future updates/additions to the Ark Park Pavilion. 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: churchoffice@lansefree.org.

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 9:00am – 3:00pm. 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]