Lanse Link – 2 October 2022

Sunday, October 2, 2022

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

Church Family News

Communion Sunday

Today we will be passing communion plates for those partaking in the auditorium. The deaconesses will have 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.

Celebration Choir

Are you interested in singing with the LEFC Celebration Choir? Now is your chance!  The next choir rehearsal is scheduled for Thursday, October 6th at 7:00 pm. The choir will be singing on October 9th for Celebration Sunday. Here is your opportunity to praise God through song. Please contact Amy Jo Belko with any questions.

Celebration Sunday Fellowship Meal

Our Hospitality Team is organizing a dinner to celebrate our 130th anniversary on Sunday, October 9th following the worship service. Planning to stay after church for this meal? Please fill out the RSVP form in the Lanse Link or fill out the insert in the bulletin and drop it off in the offering plate TODAY.

Sunday Seminar Childcare

Interested in attending the history seminar October 9th at 8:30am with Greg Strand but need childcare? Let Pastor Matt know by Monday, October 3rd and arrangements can be made.

Special Youth Group Meeting

Teens, make plans now come out and join us on Sunday, October 9th at 6:30pm for a pizza party and special youth seminar “Why Theology Matters” with Greg Strand. Parents are invited too.

130th Anniversary Celebration

Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 8th and Sunday, October 9th as we celebrate our 130th anniversary. Joining us will be guest speaker Greg Strand from our EFCA national office. There will be a theology seminar on Saturday evening at 6:30pm and a history seminar Sunday morning at 8:30am followed by our celebration service, church family photo and meal.

Ladies’ Fellowship Hour

Ladies, are you interested in meeting with other women for a time of fellowship with one another and supporting each other in your faith? During the Ladies’ Fellowship Hour, women will enjoy visiting with each other, praying for one another and missionaries, reading Scripture, and enjoying occasional snacks. The first Ladies’ Hour will be Wednesday, October 12th at 10:30am. If you have questions or ideas, see Judy Carlson or Ruth Murray. All ladies are invited to attend.

Fellowship Hall in Use

The fellowship hall will be in use Saturday, October 15th from 1:00-5:00pm.

Missionary Christmas

Thank you for your generous giving. We have been given almost enough money to send each missionary family $100. We will continue collecting donations through Sunday, October 9th. There are envelopes in the foyer on the resources tables or you can place it in the offering plate marked “Christmas.”

100th Anniversary Commemorative Tiles

There are several commemorative tiles left over from our 100th anniversary in the foyer available for your family to enjoy. Copies of the church history book also available.

Lost and Found Table

There is a table in the foyer with items left over from the Good News Cruise and other events. Please stop by the table in the foyer today and pick up anything that belongs to you. Items left will be disposed of this week. Thank you!

Pastor Appreciation Month

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Remember to thank Pastor Matt & Heather for their hard work, sacrificial dedication, and multiple blessings they have provided to us by serving our Lord here at LEFC. As our gift of appreciation to Pastor Matt & Heather, we are sending them to the Allegheny District Pastors and Wives retreat October 21-23.

LEFC Book Club – Praying the Bible

Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney is our newest book to read as a church family. There are multiple copies on the table next to the church office door–one per participating family. Pick up yours and start reading today! Are you interested in participating in a pop-up class to discuss what the book teaches in a group setting? See Abe Skacel who is our new coordinator of adult discipleship pop-up classes to find out more.

Red Cross Blood Drive

On Tuesday, October 25th, our church will host the Morrisdale Community Blood Drive from 1:00-6:30pm. If you are eligible to donate, consider making an appointment at redcrossblood.org.

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 Fellowship Hall. Some who attend find it to be one of the most heartening hours of their week. Starting this week, Pastor Matt will start a new series 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.

Mission To Malawi?

The Missions Ministry Team is prayerfully exploring the possibility of a short-term missions trip to Malawi in the future to work with our missionaries, Fred & Cindy Cressman. If this is something you may be interested in, see Curtis Quick for more information.

“Blessed to Be a Blessing” Offering

The West Branch Ministerium will be holding a “Blessed to Be a Blessing” generosity fair today from 2pm-4pm at Gethsemane UMC.  In advance of this event, they are raising funds for the WB Ministerium Compassion Fund and the local Salvation Army Service Unit. These organizations help people in our community that have financial difficulty. You can donate by marking your gift “Blessing” and dropping it in the offering plate.

This Week in Children’s Church

What is God like? God is holy, good, and loving. Today, the Little Learners and Bible Explorers will be studying Numbers 13-14 and learning about when the people of Israel didn’t go into the land. Parents, reinforce today’s lesson by asking your kids what they learned in class and talking about how it might apply to their lives in the week ahead. Make sure to pick up their take-home sheet to spark your family’s discussions. For more information about this week’s lesson, check out The Gospel Project Big Picture Card for Volume 2, Unit 6, Lesson 1 which your family received in your foyer mailbox this summer.

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 Amos; Jonah; Hosea; Micah and join as we start our study this week with Session 5: No Escape. The Fall quarter resources are now available in the foyer.

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.

Continue 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

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.

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

Worship Service: Sunday, 10:00am

Prayer Meeting: Wednesday, 7:00pm