Lanse Link – 27 June 2021

Lanse Link

Sunday, June 27, 2021
Lanse Evangelical Free Church

From the Pastor

Dear Church Family,

We made it!

As of Monday, the state-wide mask mandate will be lifted which marks the end of the COVID restrictions that, for the last year, directly affected how we operate on Sundays. It’s been a long, twisty, wearying, and often uncomfortable road, and it feels really good to cross that particular finish line.

I am so relieved, pleased, and excited that masks will now be completely optional for everyone at Lanse Free Church! I don’t mind wearing one myself when necessary, but I have strongly disliked having to ask others to wear one. It feels really good to be able to say again, “That’s up to you.”

Of course, we don’t know the future. Perhaps a variant will break through or a new virus will attack us, and we will be called upon to submit to further government strictures in the interest of public health. But for now, we no longer have to keep our distances or require face coverings. We made it!

I am especially looking forward to preaching without a mask or a face-shield any longer!

It’s also important to remember that while these COVID restrictions have ended, the virus has not gone away. Many are still in danger. We all need to continue to weigh risks and make informed choices. Some families will need to remain extra vigilant and more careful especially those who have members who are immuno-compromised or have younger children who cannot be vaccinated. Many will probably choose to continue to wear masks to protect themselves and others for some time.

We understand that families in our church will still have varying levels of comfort, and so we will continue to provide options for safe participation on Sundays including FM transmission and outdoor seating. We are also going to continue to ease into closer fellowship. For the time being, we will continue to offer two worship times with the first one (9:00am) designed for those with more health concerns who will intentionally sit at spaced seating.

But that second service (10:30am) should feel a whole lot like church before COVID. We will still have lots of fans and ventilation and a number of people sitting outside, but there will be no restrictions! I can guarantee that there will be lots of hugs, handshakes, holding and passing around babies, sitting where you like, and singing praise to our Lord shoulder to shoulder.

And in between the two services (10:00am), there will be coffee and fellowship! If you are comfortable, plan to stay after the first service or come early for the second to see everybody in the whole church family. We have a lot of new folks attending, and I’m looking forward to everybody getting to know one another better.

Praise the Lord! We made it. This weekend, let’s make sure that every person in this precious church family worships Him.

See you at church!

– Pastor Matt

P.S. Sing it with me! “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! / Let the earth hear his voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord / Let the people rejoice! / O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son / And give Him the glory–great things He hath done!” (Fanny Crosby)

**NOTE: As the state-wide mask mandate ends tomorrow and we now have multiple options for participating safely in on-campus worship, we are no longer planning to provide a weekly guide to worship at home. We hope to see each of our families return to on-campus worship soon as the Lord leads.

Church Family News

Additional Outdoor Seating Options

We are now broadcasting audio of both worship times into the church parking lot on 89.5 FM. We also have a tent seating section available with a sound system transmitting the words and music outside when weather allows. Outdoor worship resources are available on tables near the entrances.

Follow the Lord in Water Baptism

We are planning a baptism service later this Summer. Classes will be set up to meet individual scheduling needs. If you would like to learn more about what it means to follow Christ in water baptism, talk to Pastor Matt about options that fit your schedule.

Family Bible Week – Help Needed

Join us for Family Bible Week July 19-22 & 25. Our first priority this year will be the children and youth classes and remind them that Jesus is our strong foundation. Currently we are looking for craft leaders, game leaders, and helpers for all classes. There are signup sheets in the foyer, or you can contact Misty Michaels to get involved.

Disciples Under Construction

Calling all adults: Mark your calendar and join us for Family Bible Week! Kerry Doyal, our Allegheny District Superintendent, will be teaching classes Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening. Spend some time learning how to be a disciple, who makes disciples, who make disciples.

Family Bible Week Finale Picnic

Our Hospitality Team is finalizing plans for our FBW finale picnic to be held July 25 immediately following our Worship time. The team will be providing meatball subs and drinks for meal and is asking for side dishes, salads, fruit, and desserts. RSVP sheets will be included in next week’s bulletin. This will be our first full fellowship meal since January 2020. Join us!

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 Explore the Bible: Job; Ecclesiastes. and complete Session 4: Wisdom Gained.

Family Fridays @ CSA

Christian Servant Academy invites you to Family Fridays. Each Friday at 6:30 they are hosting an evening of family-focused fun. Check out their flyer on the Community Bulletin Board for more information.

On-Campus Prayer Meeting

Join us Wednesdays at 7:00pm in the Fellowship Hall as Joel Michaels leads us in a brief Bible study, praising God through song, and praying with other believers. Reminder: Bring a jacket along. Now that the weather is warming up, we will sometimes meet outdoors.

New Here?

Thanks for joining us today! Newcomer cards are on the Welcome Tables in the foyer. If you have not received one yet, please ask one of our greeters where they are. We appreciate you joining us and would like to know more about you. Please take some time to fill it out then drop it in the offering plate when you leave. Thanks!

Children’s Church

All children (ages 3 – 3rd grade) are invited to Children’s Church at our 10:30 worship time. Parents, when indicated in the service, please drop your kids off with a volunteer in the ABC Room. If outside, bring them around to the back yard. When the weather allows the children will meet in the Sonshine tent in our back yard (masks optional outdoors). Please dress the kids for the possibility of being outside. Ministry workers will bring the children back to the ABC room at the conclusion of our program time. All ministry workers have their child protection clearances.

Need Prayer?

Our church and our pastor love to pray for you. If you have a need for prayer, you can email us at prayer@lansefree.org. 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.

Designated Giving – Picnic Pavilion

A designated giving fund for a future picnic pavilion remains open. You can donate to this by marking your gift “pavilion” and placing it in the offering.

Designated Giving – Miracle Mountain Ranch

Miracle Mountain Ranch lost Fort Wilderness to a fire. This remote location was home to their overnight adventures for Summer Camp. We have opened a designated giving fund to help them begin the rebuilding process. Mark your gift “MMR Fire” and place it in the offering plate. A designated giving fund remains open to offset the registration for the seven kids attending church camp this year. If you would like to give to this need, mark your gift “Camp Fund.”

Continuing to Give

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.

Prayer Items

Contact the church office for this week’s prayer requests from the bulletin.

Lanse Free Church

255 Cotohisc Road
Lanse, PA 16849
Phone: 814.345.6500

Social Connections

Worship Service: Sunday, 10:00am

Prayer Meeting: Wednesday, 7:00pm

Broadcasting to the parking lot on 89.5FM.