PAVE a yard... it isn’t hard!
Our “Pave a Yard – It Isn’t
Hard” capital campaign is going well. We are over half-way to our
goal of raising $30,000 to fix our parking lot and prepare an office
for the associate pastor. The work has been done on the parking lot and
the bill will soon come due.
To help up get across the goal line, I invite you
to take the “Hundred-Yard Challenge.” Paying for one yard
of parking lot repair costs $3.50, so paying for 100 yards costs $350.
If 40 of us accept the challenge, we will meet our goal for the entire
project. Join Sue Ann and me in taking this faith-step. Say
“Yes!” to the “Hundred-Yard Challenge.” -
Pastor Tom
On September 5th, make plans to join us at 9:30
for a breakfast fellowship and preview of the fall study groups.
This fellowship time is for all ages and will give
you a chance to meet the teachers and hear an overview of the classes
offered so that you can make an informed decision about which class
you’d like to attend beginning September 12th.
Reminders...
The staff meets daily for prayer around 9:15 and on
Thursday’s for their weekly staff meeting at 1:30. We are
unavailable to answer the phone or accept visitors during prayer time
and we will only handle emergencies during staff meeting time. Thank
you for your understanding.
AWANA will have their annual Registration Night
on September 8th at 6:15pm. Make plans to
come and sign up your clubbers grades K-6. AWANA is also scheduling a
leader training and lunch for Septem-ber 26th after 2nd service.
Leaders, make sure to mark it on your calendar.
E-Free and Me
On September 19th there will be an E-Free & Me
class offered for anyone interested in joining Clinton Evangelical Free
Church or in learning more about our Church. The class meets after 2nd
service and includes lunch and child care if needed. Sign up on the pew
card and indicate if you need child care, or call the office during the
week at 243-4164. Deadline to sign up is September 10th.
Dinners for Eight
If you would like to be part of the next round,
sign up on the pew card and provide your phone number or call the
church office 243-4164. Groups will be assigned after September 12th
and the assignment will be mailed to you. If you’ve never
participated, this is a great way for you to get to know others in the
church. You are assigned to 3 other couples and each month take turns
meeting in one of your homes for a meal.
A Baptism is being planned for Sunday, October 17
If you have never had the chance to publicly
declare your faith thru baptism and would like to be baptized, sign up
on the pew or call the church office by September 19th.
Nursing Home ministry
Every five weeks a team from our church ministers
to the residents of the Alverno nursing home on 13th Avenue North. We
provide a half-hour worship service at 1:30 p.m. on our designated
Sundays. Before and after the service we greet the residents. Would you
like to join the team? There are many ways in which you could serve:
• Up front during the service: lead singing,
read scripture, pray, give a devotional from God’s Word, give a
personal testimony, play the piano (or other instrument), sing a song.
• One-on-one with the residents: talk, pray,
hug, hold a hand, help.
Our goal is to extend the love and truth of Jesus
to the residents and to put into practice God’s challenge to
“look after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:
27). Please contact Pastor Tom if you would like to be a part of this
ministry.
The Victory Center is opening a Thrift Store downtown next to Corner Deli and they need your help!
They are looking for volunteers who are will-ing to give up an hour or
more of their time to help:
- Sort
- Price
- Cashier
No experience necessary. The store hours will be
Tuesday—Saturday 10am- 5pm. Call Pastor Ray at 563-357-2459 to
volunteer.
Information Display
There is an information display on the wall in the
foyer outside the library. This display has information on our church
and the different ministries offered as well as extra church
directories and copies of our last newsletter. Feel free to take
whatever information you find useful.
Search for an Associate Pastor
We have begun our search for an Associate Pastor!
Ever since our Pastor of Ministry Development (Troy Rife) followed
God’s lead to become Senior Pastor of City Chapel in South Bend
in 2007, our many ministries have
needed the crucial support he provided. Our hope is
that God will bring to us a godly man with proven experience in
ministry leadership who can effectively support our ministries and
volunteer leaders as well as develop new ministries—especially a
ministry to integrate new attendees into the life and care of the
congregation (assimilation ministry).
After having discussed this need with the church
body at our two town hall meetings last July and August, the
elders were confirmed in their sense that it was
time to begin looking for this third pastor … who is actually our
“second” pastor since Pastor John was
being pursued as our “third” pastor while Pastor Troy was
still here! We announced this important decision at our annual meeting
in November and the congregation approved the budget for that search.
We have now begun!
What does that mean? We have publicized our
position through select avenues, beginning with personal networking,
our denomination and district, and seminary placement services. Pastor
Tom and Pastor John, in consultation with the elders, will lead the
search, culling through resumes for good fits. Promising candidates
will be interviewed by a team including elders, staff, and
spouses—first by phone and then, if “making the cut,”
in person. References will be checked. Finally, one candidate will be
introduced to the church family and opportunity will be provided to
become acquainted with him and his family. If God continues to so lead,
the elders will then extend an invitation for that man to come serve at
CEFC!
Update
We had onsite interviews with two prospective
candidates for our associate pastor position. Some of our ministry
leaders and our search team talked with these men
and their families. After prayer and reflection, we have decided to
narrow our search to one of these men. We will continue talking with
him and, if God so leads, invite him back for a candidating visit. This
visit would include presenting him and his family to the church and
giving the church family opportunity to get acquainted with them.
Please pray for God’s clear guidance in this
faith step. The associate will be responsible to help our ministry
leaders in their ministries, to design new ministries, to attend to
administrative aspects of the church, and to share in pastoral duties.
We would like him to implement an assimilation strategy to help folks,
especially new people, tie in to our church. If you would like a fuller
explanation of his role, pick up a copy of the job description at the
Connection Point. Both an abbreviated version and a complete one are
available.
Prayer Chain
Would you like to be on our prayer chain? Please
indicate on your pew card if you would like to be included. If you
would like to be called, include your phone number; if you would like
the prayer requests via email, include your email address. We also need
an Iowa and an Illinois coordinator. If you are interested, please put
coordinator next to your name.
