For Week of September 17

What is the most unusual place you have prayed?

Activity: Each family member takes a turn to share a joke. Vote for the best one.

Everyone takes a turn and laughs. What do you think makes God laugh?

For Families with Preschoolers:

What do you think is God’s favorite color and why?

What did Jesus eat when He was a little boy?

Celebrating 2018 Picnic

Wow! Our worship service was close to 400 and we served approximately 355 meals! Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s picnic as we enjoyed time with each other by sharing a meal and having good fun & fellowship together.

The planning team extends a big, big Thank You to all of the One Another Groups, Ministry teams and countless individuals who stepped up and helped our team to accomplish  all the work details to ensure a wonderful time together.

Judy and I want to recognize and thank those from the Picnic Planning Team, Deb Tinstman, Regina Hapner, Brenda Hamilton, Leah & Bill Jennings, Walt & Tina Locker, and all who worked so hard to make this event a success.

WHY NOT TAKE TURNS?

Some people ask, why not just have people take turns caring for our littlest ones in the nursery?  It’s the easiest for us grown-ups – that’s what is CONVENIENT for us.  But that is not what is easiest for the children.

When children have a different care-giver every week, they have to go through the pain of separation anxiety yet again.  Instead of getting to know a caregiver and becoming comfortable with that person, they have to get used to a new person every week.   Children thrive best when a caregiver knows them as individuals, when the caregiver knows the needs and uniquenesses of each child, what calms a specific baby, or what each child responds to best.

So, for our Wednesday night programs this year, we are looking to hire a caregiver, a paid person who will be there every Wednesday.  That person will come to know each little one deeply and provide a high quality of care for them.  If you know a caring, committed Christian who would love serving God in this way, and perhaps could be helped by a small remuneration, invite them to contact Miss Coleen.

The front entrance/sidewalk is being repaired today.  Please use the north door (at the end of the kid’s hall) if you are coming to ECOB today or this evening.

Update:

Etch Kick-off: Food, Connection and Dodge Ball Fun

2nd Saturday – September 8

One strategy at ECOB is to make an Impact with the love of Christ by serving others. Join us as we do home repair projects for Senior Adults in our community.

• Meet in the ECOB parking lot at 8:30am
• Tools provided

Sunday, September 9

• 9am: Gather for Donuts and Coffee
• 10am: One Service
• Noon: Lunch
• 1pm: Games and Activities

A few weeks ago several members of ECOB attended an appreciation lunch hosted by the H.I.T. Foundation where we received an award for our contribution to this community. As Susan and I sat with many volunteers from this church, I was full of joy and appreciation for how so many have taken seriously our values of “Generous Living” and “Community Engagement”.  Way to go church!

I’d like to give a special shout out of thanks to a few individuals from this congregation who have gone above and beyond to provide opportunities for all of us to serve in the community.  They are:

• Ginger Roth – H.I.T. Project Coordinator
• Rudy Roth – One Another Group Leader
• Keith and Cherie Reece – 2nd Saturday Leaders
• Steve and Doris Simmons – 2nd Saturday Leaders
• Jerry Deaton – Mission and Outreach Team
• Donna Deaton – 2nd Saturday Team
• Bill Wilson – H.I.T. Foundation Volunteer Handyman
• April Wilson – ECOB Volunteer

We received the following letter from the H.I.T. Foundation:

“We could not think of any one person, church, or organization that has had a greater Impact on the HIT Foundation’s programs and the people we serve as the Eaton Church of the Brethren.

• The Christmas Project – giving over $2,000 in money, gas cards, and supplies for the Cold Shelter
• Delivering 108 hot meals (1080 individual dinners) over the last year to the Homeless Shelter
• Hosting Game Nights at the Homeless Shelter
• 2^nd Saturday completing 7 Senior Home Repair (49 hours) projects and landscaping at the Homeless Shelter
• John 3:16 bags provided to homeless children by the One Another Groups
• A Volunteer familiar with the Social Security process regularly helps homeless clients through the application process.
• Completing 14 Senior Home Repair projects on Impact Day (144 hours)
• The countless individual donations to HIT: paper products, clothing, personal hygiene products, etc. 
• The Church’s ability to move past the stained glass windows, showing Christ by serving others is a bright light in the lives of so many consumed by darkness.”

Thank you church for tangibly carrying out our mission to “Share Life and Share Christ” in beautiful ways.

Pastor Dan

Etch launches on September 5th with our first community night of the Fall Sessions, which will be the last night to register for Session 1 electives. Then beginning on the 12th we will begin Session 1 electives.

Register for electives and your children this Sundays at the kiosk in the Gathering Area or here.

Opportunities to Serve – Children’s Ministry

OUR TWO AND THREE YEAR OLDS are looking for four fun-loving, caring people to become their teachers on Sunday mornings. If God’s love for little ones fills your heart, come talk to Miss Coleen.

CARE ABOUT KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE? We’re NOT looking for “Captain America” but for people with a heart to serve who care about protecting others, especially on Wednesday nights. Find out more by contacting Miss Coleen. (This is open to both men and women over age 20.)

Children’s Ministry:

MEN: If you are a daddy or a grandpa who loves little ones, come join our team in the nursery and our babies who settle down for men can love their nursery experience. Contact Miss Coleen for more details.

SNACK TIME: You can serve by gathering and delivering snacks to children’s rooms before church, then collecting and cleaning them up after church.  Contact Miss Coleen for more details.

What are the top seven things that hold people back from serving God in children’s ministry?

We as Christians know that it’s the right thing to serve God in some way – to be a part of His eternal work and not just focused on our own lives.  But sometimes people worry about various aspects of serving, and that holds them back from getting involved.  Here are some answers to those common worries:

1. I have to be out of town some weekends.

Answer – That’s what God made substitutes for!  There are people who feel called to serve as substitutes.  They are always on stand-by, ready to fill in when you need to leave town!

2. I’m really busy – I’m not sure I have the time.

Answer – And you never will if you are looking for extra time in your schedule.  But if you truly seek God and ask Him to show you, God will show you how to realign your schedule so you can make serving Him a priority and thus have the time to give. 

3. I don’t know anything about working with children but I do like them.

Answer – Great!  That means we don’t have to UN-train you before we train you how to do it well!

4. What if the children won’t listen to me?

Answer – If a child misbehaves and doesn’t listen, you get to call “Miss Coleen” and she will handle them.  Your get to focus on your ministry – not behavior problems! 

5. What if they ask me a Bible question I can’t answer?

Answer  – You don’t have to know all the answers because our pastors do!  (JK!)  Seriously we don’t want our children growing up thinking that we as Christians have all the answers to all the hard questions.  So it’s okay to say “We don’t know!”

6. But I don’t LIKE working with children!

Answer – That’s okay because there are ways to serve God where you’re not teaching or working directly with children but in ways that are so valuable to the ministry.

7. What if I don’t enjoy the area where I end up serving?

Answer – We want everyone to love how they serve God!  And we don’t want anyone to be stuck doing a piece of ministry that is not a match for them.  So if you find that something is not a fit for you, just come let us know and we’ll help you find a place to serve that truly fits what God created you to do!

When you find the right place to serve, not only do you love it, but you begin to grow exponentially in your relationship with God and others in the church.   IT HELPS YOU even as you are serving others.   So…ready to serve?   Call us to explore the choices for you!

Sunday, September 9 at Noon following One Service under the tent at 10am

Sign-up at the table in the Gathering Area so we have a count for seating/food. Also, sign-up to bring a dessert.

ETCH COMMUNITY KICK-OFF

• Wednesday, September 5. Meal begins at 5:45pm.
• Etch Electives: Register at the kiosk Sunday or at eatoncob.org/connect/etch by September 5.

CELEBRATING BAPTISM

Cami McCloud was baptized Sunday, August 5.

Why do people choose to serve God when life is so BUSY?

Sometimes we look at people who serve in the various church ministries and think to ourselves that they must have all kinds of spare time. But they actually don’t. Almost all of the people who serve are people who are crazy busy – but they choose to serve anyway. Why? Here’s what some of them might say:

• It’s a great way to get to know people and make friends.
• It helps give life meaning and purpose. What you do impacts other’s lives.
• It lets you be part of a Team – you can feel like you belong.
• It helps you grow spiritually AND get closer to God.
• You know that what you are doing makes a difference, not just in this life, but for ETERNITY.

Everyone is busy – everyone has a lot to do. People who serve – in spite of being busy – have learned what a difference it makes in their own lives when they serve. In spite of all the things going on in their own lives, they created margin in their lives, re-prioritized how they spent their time, and made room in their lives so they had time to serve God. Their focus is not just on the “now”, but on eternity. What about you? What will you do to make a difference for eternity this next year?