Weekly Reminders

Love is a big deal in biblical thought. John quotes Jesus’ teaching, “They will know you are my disciples if you love one another” (Jn 13:35). Paul wrote, “Now these 3 remain: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13). And again, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Gal. 5:6). And again, “The fruit of the spirit is LOVE….” (Gal. 5:22) And “Over all these virtues put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity.” (Col. 3:14).” And “Keep on loving each other as brothers (Hb 13:1) So when Jesus is asked about what command was the most important to God, it is no surprise that the answer had to do with love. We are going to look at Jesus answer more closely this week, as recorded in the gospel of Mark 12:28-34, NIV -- particularly the question, how do we love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength?

Blessings,
Pastor John

It will be an evening filled with fun for children and families, including games, cakewalk, face painting, a costume contest, food, and more.

This is a fundraiser for the church, with proceeds benefiting our First Youth ministry. Come enjoy a great evening together while supporting our youth!

We are accepting candy donations for prizes. If you are willing to bring a cake/dessert for the cake walk, please let Bryce know.

We’re excited to host a Trunk or Treat for our community on Saturday, October 31, from 4:30–7:00 p.m. in the front parking lot of the church!

We’d love for you to be part of this fun evening by hosting a trunk! This is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a church family and share some joy with the children and families in our community.

If you’re interested in hosting a trunk and would like more info, please reply to this email or contact the church office and let us know! We hope you’ll join us in making this a fun evening for everyone!

EFMC will have a booth at the Granite City Fall Festival on Saturday, November 7th, and we are looking for volunteers to help greet visitors and share information about our church!

The festival runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and we would like to have at least two volunteers at our booth during each one-hour shift.

If you are interested in helping, please contact the church office and let us know what time you are available. We appreciate your willingness to help us connect with our community!

In addition to the church's booth...
Middle schoolers, high schoolers, and older active adults, if you would like to have some fun and volunteer at the same time, come help out with the children’s games in the Kiwanis Kids Alley at this year’s “Granite City Fall Festival & Tractor Show,” Saturday, November 7. Volunteers are mostly needed between 10:30 am – 1:30 pm. For more information see Judge Tom Hodges, our local Kiwanis Club President.

Part of the power of Christianity is that we can both grieve and have hope at the same time. On November 1, at both the 9 am and the 11 am Worship services, we will remember our loved ones and affirm the promise of eternal life and the hope of a heavenly reunion.

It’s time to pack a shoebox!

Boxes for Operation Christmas Child are now available in the Crossroads Connection Center and Sanctuary. Inside the boxes, you will find gift suggestions along with a label to place on the outside. Please check the appropriate box based on whether the child is a boy or a girl and the age range the box is intended for.

When returning the box, please include a $10 donation to cover the shipping cost. You can place your donation inside the box (on top of all other included items) or in the offering plate.

All boxes are due back to the church on or before SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15. Thank you for participating in this wonderful ministry providing Christmas gifts to children around the world.

We love the yearly church directories! And what makes them great are all the pictures of our church families! We will be set up in the Fellowship Hall on Wednesday night, November 4th, and Sunday morning, November 8th. Please take a few minutes and have your pictures taken!

Bible Study is a team sport - meaning, we get more out of it as we do it together! In addition to your Sunday School Class or Connect Group, you might enjoy joining a Bible, Study group. Here are the current offerings:

Soul Sisters
Sunday Nights at 6:30 pm: an 8-week study on Galatians, facilitated by Linnette Heydinger, using resources from Elizabeth Woodson, open to all the women of the church.

Breaking Bread
Wednesday mornings at 10:30 am in the Fellowship Hall. This is a new group! Currently looking at favorite psalms, Open to all, led by Pastor John

Lumberjacks
Thursday mornings at 7:30 am, a men’s only study, looking at passages from the common lectionary. Bojangles Biscuits and Coffee are available, the group meets in the Conference Room, with different people taking turns leading the discussion.

Rooted in the Word
Thursday at 6 pm in the Conference Room. This is an ongoing study group led by Pastor John, currently studying the Book of Acts. All are welcome, and participants can join in person or via Zoom.

We are once again hosting a Meal Packing Event with Rise Against Hunger! The event will be on Sunday, November 15, following a 10 a.m. Combined Worship Service. Following the service, we will move over to the Crossroads Connection Center to pack boxes. We are very excited for this opportunity to provide 10,152 meals for those in need around the world.

This year, everyone volunteering is encouraged to register before the event to ensure an on-time start. If you need assistance registering, we will have a station set up at both services beginning Sunday, October 18 to help you register.

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