Dear Church Family,

Stay ready to change again as the Lord leads.

I’m relieved, pleased, and excited for our whole congregation to return to gathering together at our old familiar worship time of 10:00am. This is a moment we’ve all be waiting for, and it sometimes seemed like it would never come. But, praise God, here we are!

I’m especially looking forward to not feeling so rushed on Sunday mornings. With this change, we should have more unhurried time to linger in worship and fellowship together. I hope it helps us to better fulfill our mission of making disciples who grow in a life-changing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

And I’m also hopeful that we won’t have to make big changes again. Personally, I’m more than ready for a break from constant, rapid, and exhausting change. However, we certainly don’t know the future, and it’s important for us to remain ready to do things differently as needed as we follow our King.

The United States Marines are known for their motto “Semper Fidelis” which is Latin for always faithful. I have often said that “Semper Fi” would be a good motto for disciples of Jesus Christ and that we should also live out the (not so Latin) motto, “Semper Gumbi,” – always flexible. The Apostle Paul gave us a wonderful example of ministry flexibility in 1 Corinthians saying, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (see especially 9:19-27). We would do well to learn from his “whatever it takes” attitude to gospel ministry. To stay faithful, we need to stay flexible.

The only way for us to stay faithful and flexible is to stay focused on Jesus whose heart never changes. Hebrews 13:8 does say, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” May every single person in this precious church family worship Him with all of our hearts this weekend!

In His Grip,

– Pastor Matt

P.S. This will be my last pastoral letter for a while. I’ll write more when I feel that they are needed again. In the meantime, I want to encourage you and your family, once again, to keep singing. Consider the great love of the LORD and raise your praise accordingly! He is worthy.

Prepackaged communion elements are available with the worship bulletins in the foyer. Be sure get yours before we worship at the Lord’s Table this morning.

Church Staff Vacation

Pastor Matt will be taking vacation August 2-16. If you need any assistance while he is away, please contact any of our elders (Keith Folmar, Bob Gisewhite, Todd Dobo or Joel Michaels). Marilynn will be on vacation August 4-10. All items for the bulletin need to be turned into the church office by 2pm on Tuesday.

Good News Cruise 2021

Good News Cruise 2021 is just around the corner, and we are looking for a bunch of people willing to work just a few hours helping us spread the GOOD NEWS! We do that so many ways: You can help by registering our guests, parking cars, helping stock our food and coffee tables, or simply roaming around and greeting people that day. Our cruise is all about people, not just their cars! We want to be sure to focus on the guests to our church campus and begin building relationships with as many of them as possible. Sign up today to help make this event a success.

Door Prize Donations & Sweet Treats

An easy way to help with our Good News Cruise is to support our door prize donations. You can either go out and buy some car-related items or make a donation to the church and we will purchase these give-away items. Thank you to Scout Troop #46 for the donation of all the car care products from their truckload sale last weekend. It is a great start for our door prizes. Another way to help is through a “Sweet Treat.” This year we are providing soda/water/coffee, prepackaged chips, and baked goods. If you are willing to bake something sweet for this year’s event, please sign up in the foyer. We ask that all items arrive pre-packaged (think bake sale) so we can set them on the table for self-service grab-and-go. Thanks!

Follow the Lord in Water Baptism

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

Church Family Meal & Meeting

Mark your calendars and make plans to join us for our next church family meal on August 29^th. There will be a brief business meeting following the meal.

Every Believer Confident

Are you ready to face the challenges to the Christian faith that arise all around us? On September 11th, you can gain the confidence to defend and share your faith confidently. The “Every Believer Confident” conference is coming to First Baptist Church in Clearfield PA.  More information can be found in the foyer.

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 9: What time is it?

Prayer Meeting

Join us Wednesdays at 7:00pm as Joel Michaels leads us in a brief Bible study, praising God through song, and praying with other believers.

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.

Designated Giving

Thank you for your generous giving. Two designated giving funds remain open here at church. To give to a future picnic pavilion, mark your gift “Pavilion” and placing it in the offering. To give to the rebuilding efforts following the fire at Miracle Mountain Ranch’s Fort Wilderness, mark your gift “MMR Fire.”

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 an elder during Pastor Matt’s vacation. Please indicate if this is a private request for the Elder Board or public request for sharing on Sunday. We will resume sending out prayer emails once Marilynn returns from vacation.

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