June 9th 2015

COMMUNITY
FREE CHURCH

WEEKLY
-Big AWANA Updates!
-Missions Meeting
Minutes!
-Christian Education!
-VBS is Coming!

Bruce Henrikson will be

serving as our 2015/16
AWANA Commander!
If you attended the final AWANA
ceremony, Bruce helped to share the
vision of AWANA for the coming year.
It is only fitting that this vision, coupled
with his character, integrity, and
leadership would serve to take us into
this new season of AWANA ministry.

2015/16 AWANA Directors:

Amy Krutsinger
with Pastor Jason

Ronda Ekberg

The Church Grounds Team

needs help landscaping the
church sign area on June
13th from 9am - noon.
We will be weeding,
planting, as well as laying
bricks and stone. Come for
as little or as long as you
can, and help us spruce up
the sign area!

Lori Stalter

Tasha Schifo
Katie McCue
(Dependent on attendance)

This past week, the AWANA committee had a super meeting led
by the Holy Spirit and attended by many! Here are just a few
updates (along with the announcement of the Commander and
Directors on the front page):
Discussed sending out postcards to kids to keep them
connected to AWANA. Suggested that leaders write a
personal message to their kids - Great idea Donna Smith!
We will utilize bracelets, postcards, and information
bags to help promote the program. We also talked about
getting into the neighborhoods to share AWANA.
Move bulletin board from stairs down by other boards to
serve as an AWANA board. Great Idea Deb Henrikson!
Discussed having an AWANA float at the RiverFest
parade, along with a booth handing out ice cream!
Great Idea Mark Thompson!
There were so many more great things said and shared
that will be implemented in the weeks and months to
come that will make this the best year of AWANA ever!
What is most important is that we minister the Gospel to
every boy and girl that we can, so that they have the
chance to grow to know Jesus Christ as their Lord AND
Savior!

PRAY RIGHT NOW!

Pray for the AWANA committee planning
for the next years program.
Pray for how God might use you to help
make AWANA amazing!
Pray that God would prepare hearts to
answer the call to serve.
Pray for boldness in going out into the
community to share about AWANA.
Pray that God would open doors to reach
kids who have never heard the Gospel.
Pray for wisdom, clarity, and direction for the
AWANA committee.
Are you interested in helping with AWANA?
Email Michelle Shafer: shafer5@mchsi.com
or see Pastor Jason

Whats Happening This

Week at Your Church?
Tuesday

6/9

Wednesday 6/10

Community Groups
No Schifo Home 6:00pm
True Woman 101 Bible Study 8:30am
With Tasha Schifo
Youth Ministry 6:00-8:00pm

Thursday

6/11

Parking Lot Prayer 7:00-7:20am

Worship Practice 7:30pm

Saturday

6/13

Act Like Men 7:00-8:15am

**Basketball will Resume in the Fall

Sunday

6/14

Christian Education 9:30-10:30am

Ladies Bible Study Donna Smith
Gods Prophets
Demand Justice
Bruce Henrikson
Counter Culture
Pastor Jason
Praying with Paul
Jim Sackett
Senior High
Jake Barrett
Junior High
Ronda Ekberg
Childrens Sunday School
9:30-10:30am
Childrens Church 10:45am
Worship Service 10:45am

Committee Meeting
On 6/3 the Missions Committee held
a meeting led by Skip Doval. Thanks
for all who attended, especially new
members of the Committee: Mark
Thompson, Shellie Christman, and
Deb Henrikson.
The Committee voted to sponsor
Jaymi Nettleton for $400.00 towards
her summer mission as a Project
Director with Summer Mountain
Project in Pigeon Forge, TN. As a
Project Director she oversees the
discipleship of all the girls on the
project - A huge responsibility.
The Committee voted to approve
$275.00 towards bringing the
Christian Musical group: Sidewalk
Prophets to the Sangamon River
Festival.
The Committee had a discussion
about providing ice cream for the
Sangamon River Festival booth to
bless and encourage people in the
heat. Mark and Skip are checking on
Ice cream pricing and Pastor Jason is
looking into a freezer unit.
The Committee discussed changing
the bulletin board to better connect
you to missions. Stay tuned!
We are going to start sending out our
weekly newsletters to every
missionary.

Monday

6/8

Church Office closed

Martial Arts 6:00pm

We are looking to start a ministry that

sends birthday and encouragement
cards monthly to missionaries.
Deb Henrikson is spearheading an
initiative to help us engage the
persecuted church worldwide. This is
exciting as it is Debs passion!
Stay tuned!
Next Meeting: Aug 5th 7:00pm in the
upstairs conference room. Join us!

Over the next 12 issues

of this newsletter we will
celebrate Summer by
looking at parts and
pieces of the EFCA
Statement of Faith.
The goal is to ask the
question: Do we know
what we believe?
We believe in one God, Creator of all things,
holy, infinitely perfect.
The low view of God entertained almost
universally among Christians is the cause of a
hundred lesser evils among us. A whole new
philosophy of the Christian life has resulted from
this one basic error in thinking. A.W. Tozer
We believe in one God.
Believe (From Dictionary.com)
1. To accept as true or real
2. To credit with veracity
3. To expect or suppose; think
4. To have firm faith, especially religious faith.
5. To have faith, confidence, or trust
We believe is the heart of the EFCA Statement
of Faith, and is repeated once for each of the 10
doctrinal distinctives.
Saying I believe is the personal proclamation
that what we believe is absolutely true.
God is immutable, meaning that He is
unchanging. He is the same yesterday, today,
tomorrow, and he is one with everything as
creator.
Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is
one.
We believe God is the Creator of all things
In the order of things, God is above us, because
he created us. This statement gives us a picture of
Gods place as creator of all things. He,
therefore, has a special knowledge that knows all
things.
In a much lesser way it is like when my wife
makes a special dish, and I say, what is that
flavor I taste? Since she created that dish, and
knows all the ingredients that went into it, she
has a special knowledge of it.

In a much greater way, God is Omnicient,

meaning that He is all-knowing at all times.
God knows everything, because, all things were
created through Him (Colossians 1:16).
Psalm 33:6
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
We believe God is Holy
The idea of holiness is a common description of
God's unique power and position as the
sovereign Lord of the universe.He is distinct
from all that is evil, impotent, and impure.
By definition God's holiness means that He is set
apart. He is distinct and separate from all created
beings and false gods. There is no one like him
in any way, any place, or any form.
His righteousness and his power show us that
there is no one like Him. He is not sinful and
impure as people are, or as the false gods are;
neither is He powerless as people and pagan
deities are.This is why Moses can say:
Exodus 15:11
Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who
is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in
glorious deeds, doing wonders?
We believe that God is infinitely perfect
Infinite means that God is immeasurably or
inconceivably great or extensive. Subject to no
limitation or external determination. Perfect
means that He is absolute and complete. having
all the required or desirable elements, qualities,
or characteristics; free from fault.
You will never catch God doing anything
wrong. Even though we often make mistakes and
do wrong things (sin), God never makes
mistakes. He never sins. He is holy, which means
He is perfectly good and above us. If you could
race against God, He would always beat you. If
you could give God a really hard test, He would
always answer every question correctly. If you
tried to trick God, youd fail because He knows
your thoughts. He is omnipotent, which means
all-powerful. God is not like us. He knows
everything, can do anything, and is everywhere
at once. Adventures in Odyssey
Pastor Jason Schifo for upcoming work published on the
EFCA Statement of Faith.

June 29th through July 3rd

11:00 - 1:00pm

at Candlewood Estates
Interested? Email Tasha at: tschifo@gmail.com

Each of the movements in Hebrews 11 is marked by the phrase by faith.

What we learn as we read each verse weekly, is that the people of God live
by faith at every turn. What we notice is the events dont always appear to
bless them, but they, by faith, serve as a blessing in Gods bigger plan.
Likewise, you are a blessing in His greater purposes.
Read Hebrews 11:27 - Moses left Egypt unafraid of the anger of earthly
kings, but instead he was driven by the invisible call of the King of all things,
God Himself. What might it take for us to forsake the fear of those things
seen, that we might not live by the allure of sight, and move as Moses did,
by faith?
In honesty, though, let us not romanticize Moses actions too much. The
Bible tells us he endured, which means it wasnt easy. There were good days
and bad days, but everyday was a God day - and thats what mattered most.

Weekly Bible Reading

June
June
June
June

7th
8th
9th
10th

Galatians 4
Galatians 5
Galatians 6
Ephesians 1

June
June
June
June

11th
12th
13th
14th

Ephesians 2
Ephesians 3
Ephesians 4
Ephesians 5

Donna Smith
Kay Arthur
The Book of Numbers
Join the Ladies as they dig
deeper into this great
book!
Bruce Henrikson
Gods Prophets
Demand Justice
June 7
June 14
June 21
June 28

Amos 2:4-8
Amos 5:14-15, 18-27
Amos 6:4-8, 11-14
Amos 8:1-6, 9-10

Senior High

Jake Barrett

Junior High

Ronda Ekberg
Jim Sackett
God doesn't demand
hectic church programs
and frenetic schedules.
He only wants his people
to know him more
intimately, says top-selling
author D. A. Carson.
Suggested donation $14

Pastor Jason:
We are going to be looking
at some of the toughest
issues Christians are facing:
Marriage, Poverty, Racism,
Sex Slavery, Persecution,
Abortion, Pornography, and
Orphans.
Suggested Donation $14

Join Tasha Schifo this Summer as she launches into an 8

week study on biblical womanhood through True
Woman 101: Divine Design Wednesdays: June 10th ,
17th, 24th and July 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd from
8:30am-10:00am.
If youre tired of the worlds cheap imitations and
knock-offs - or if youre tired of clichd advice, shallow
caricatures - then this foundational teaching and insight
from Gods Word is for you!
Find out why...
Email Tasha at
tschifo@gmail.com
or call her at
309-857-2693
to sign up for this
study.
$15 Suggested
Donation