Lanse Link – 19 March 2023

Sunday, March 19, 2023

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

• • Church Family News
  • Prayer Items

Church Family News

Baptism Class for Young People

Pastor Matt will be teaching a baptism class for LEFC young people beginning this Thursday at 6:30pm. Find out what baptism means in the life of a follower of Christ. Parents are invited to participate with their children. See Pastor Matt for more details.

Volunteer Needed for Outdoor Floral Display

For Resurrection Sunday this year, we’d like to set up a floral display outside to celebrate the resurrection and provide a place for families to take a picture together after the worship gathering. If you have ideas for creating that display, see Pastor Matt.

Snack and Yack – NEW!

When the auditorium empties after worship, young people 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 with Pastor Matt or one of the other elders. To help kids listen closely, they can fill out a “Snack n’ Yack Notes” handout found on the welcome tables in the foyer. Parents are always welcome to join in, too! This new family ministry will occur each Sunday in March during the “coffee fellowship” time.

“Cold Case Christianity”

How do I answer the questions that my unbelieving friends and family have?  Is there evidence that the things we believe are true?  Join us next Sunday at 8:30am for week two of our adult pop-up class as we investigate the Gospels, study the evidence, and examine the witnesses from a detective’s perspective. If childcare is required, it can be arranged, let Abe Skacel or Keith Hurley know.

Church Family Meal

March 26th is our next family meal and meeting. Please help the Hospitality Team prepare by filling out the form in the bulletin or the Lanse Link and putting it in the offering plate or giving it to Linda Carlson, Heather Mitchell, Renee Mostyn, or Judy Owens. Be thinking now about what tasty dish your family might bring to share with everyone. A main dish, side dish, or dessert are all fair game!

Church Family Meeting

Next Sunday is our quarterly church family meeting. Members, please plan to stay after the fellowship meal to learn about the plans for ministry this summer during Pastor Matt’s sabbatical, find out about upcoming facilities improvement projects, be updated on the future Malawi Missions Trip, and make more decisions together about Family Ministry including by-law revisions and the proposed Director of Family Ministry position. See Church Chairman Keith Folmar with any questions.

Cemetery Care Bids

The Facilities Team is now accepting bids through the month of March to mow the cemetery April through the end of September. You are responsible to provide your own gas and equipment. Send your bids to George Leathers at 814-496-5615 or geoleathers63@gmail.com by Sunday, March 26^th.

Red Cross Blood Drive

On Tuesday, March 28^th, our church will host the Morrisdale Community Blood Drive from 12:30-6:00pm. If you are eligible to donate, consider making an appointment at redcrossblood.org. We are also looking for people willing to work in the canteen. See Misty Michaels if you can help.

Help Needed – Decorating Project

A volunteer or two is needed to reorganize the church family photos in the hallway to fit in another decade of photographs. If you have an eye for decoration or love hanging pictures, see Pastor Matt to find out what all is involved.

2023 Church Directory Updates

It is time to gather all the details for our next church family directory. Please stop by the table in the foyer and update your personal contact information. If you are new to Lanse Free, we want to help you to connect to our church family. Fill out an information sheet so we can add you to the directory. If you would like to update or submit a digital picture to be included in the directory, please email it to Misty at churchoffice@lansefree.org.

Follow the Lord in Water Baptism

We are planning for more baptisms again soon. 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 your scheduling needs.

PRC Banquet

On Tuesday, April 18^th you are invited to join PRC for their Annual Fundraising Banquet. There is no cost to attend this event, however, an opportunity to make a financial investment will be extended during the evening. A reservation is required for each person planning to attend. Please RSVP by April 4^th.  You can register online at scprc.com. Lonnie & Valerie Kovalick are hosting a table or two for this event. Anyone interested in attending the PRC banquet and sitting at their table(s) can contact Val (preferred) or Lonnie.

Easter Dinner Food Bank Donations

The West Branch Food Bank is preparing supplies for Easter Dinner for between one hundred to two hundred families in our area. Supplies are running low for canned fruits, vegetables, or cereals. Donations can be dropped off at Gethsemane United Methodist Church office Monday thru Thursday between 9:00am – 12:00pm. If you have any questions, call 814-345-6860.

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. This year, the services will each be at 3:00 in the afternoon.

Worldview Training for Youth

Youth, join us each Sunday evening at 7:00pm as we study TACTICS: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christians Convictions. All youth (grades 7-12) are invited to attend. Questions? See Keith Hurley.

Ladies’ Fellowship Hour

Ladies, join us Wednesday, March 22^nd at 10:30am for a time of fellowship with one another, praying for one another and missionaries, reading Scripture, and enjoying occasional snacks. This week’s leader will be Judy Owens. All ladies are invited to attend.

Join Us at Prayer Meeting

Each Wednesday at 7:00pm, a group of Christians meet to pray and to study God’s Word in the Prayer Room. Pastor Matt is leading us through a study in Exodus. 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.

This Week in Children’s Church

What is grace? Grace is when God gives us something good even when we do not deserve it. Today, the Little Learners and Bible Explorers will be studying 1 Samuel 16 learning how God chose David to be king of Israel. 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 4, Unit 11, Lesson 3 which your family received in your mailbox.

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 John 12-21 and join as we study this week with Session 3: I Will Come Again. The Spring quarter resources are available in the foyer.

Solar Generator Giving

Due to skyrocketing costs and diesel fuel shortages in Haiti, Vision of Hope Ministries are raising funds for a solar generator for their school/church in Cap Haitian. You can give to help them with this project by marking your gift “Solar Panel” and dropping it off in the offering plate.

Giving Opportunities

Designated giving funds remain open for our deaconess compassion fund to help those in need within our church family and a future pavilion here at the church. Please mark your gifts and drop them in the offering plate.

Sermon Publications

Missed a Sunday? You can read, listen to, or watch the message online in multiple ways throughout the week (YouTube, Facebook, Apple & Google Podcasts, Pastor Matt’s blog, or the LEFC website [audio, video]). Audio CDs are also available in the foyer under the community bulletin board. Need help subscribing or finding a particular sermon? See Pastor Matt or Misty Michaels.

All Church Notification Email List

Do you receive our weekly news bulletin (Lanse Link) and notifications from the church? We use this list to keep you up to date on any key announcements and changes to our regular worship service. To be added, send your email address to the church office (churchoffice@lansefree.org) and Misty will include you.

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