Wednesday Workshop, August 5 - 10am (PDT), 11am (MDT)
Minding the Drift - Helping Our Congregations Stay Focused on Jesus
While a lot of our churches are reporting stable and even better than average giving, we have been hearing growing concerns about a lessening of overall engagement on the part of our congregations. Where are they at? What is taking up their attention? Are they starting to drift? Join us as we hear from each other about what we’re doing and how it's going. Let’s share some ideas and gain some encouragement together!
|
|
EFCA West Latest Podcast: Don't Die a Poor Pastor with Ric Stanghelle and Jerry Rich of FCMM
If you have not subscribed to the EFCA West Podcast we'd like to encourage you to do so. You can now subscribe on iTunes. The latest episode can be found HERE. Please feel free to download and share!
|
|
EFCA West "All People"
Recommended Reading List
There’s so much being written these days about bridging that which divides us – where do I start?
EFCA West has published the EFCA West “All People” Recommended Reading List on the EFCA West Website (click here). The reading list includes only works read by EFCA West team members. The list is divided into five topic areas for easy browsing.
· Understanding other cultures and multi-cultural ministries
· Racial issues
· Gender-related issues
· Victims of abuse
· Disabled persons
Inclusion of a book on the list does not mean that EFCA West or EFCA agrees with all or any of its content. It just means that the staff reader believes the book is worth reading for the purposes of learning about others’ perspectives on the topic, broadening our understanding of the issues, and helping to broaden or strengthen Christian conviction regarding what it means to make disciples among “all nations,” to love your neighbor as yourself and to carry out EFCA’s mission to “multiply transformational churches among all people.”
|
|
EFCA West District Conference
The EFCA West District Conference will be on January 21 and 22, 2021, at North Coast Church in Vista, California. We are hopeful that this will be an exciting time for leaders and members of EFCA West churches to gather together again to celebrate, collaborate, learn and look to the future together.
Please mark these dates on your calendar and let other leaders in your congregation know as well. To register ahead of time please visit our website efcawest2021.com
|
|
Rest: Our Most Accepted Negligence
Three practical tips for resting in a busy world
|
|
Christians are called to rest. It’s a rich theological theme found throughout Scripture. The command to rest was literally etched in stone (Ex 31:12–18), and the Exile was partly a punishment for dishonoring the Sabbath (Jer 17:21–27; Ezek 20:10–26). In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews defines rest as the very essence of our salvation, inaugurated in Christ’s work, awaiting its final consummation (Heb 4:1–13). Yet, despite how important the Sabbath is to God, very few of us would define our lives as restful. Why? To read the rest of Pastor Ric's article please click HERE.
|
|
SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT
Who Gets to Sit at the Grownup Table?
|
|
The grownup table is the place or places where significant leadership decisions are crafted. It does not have to be limited to board members or senior staff nor does it need to be restricted to the group by whom final decisions or approvals are made. My thesis in this article is that in many churches too few people are involved in the significant discussions and decisions that church leaders make and that we do so to the detriment of quality decisions, development and engagement of other leaders, and the future health and longevity of the church family we serve. This is something to talk about.
Bob Osborne
Director of Church Health
|
|
Start-Up Grant Opportunity
|
|
Immigrant Hope is a ministry of the Evangelical Free Church of America with the mission to equip churches to provide immigrants with the hope of the gospel, help finding a pathway to legal residency, and a home in a church that cares for them.
If your church is interested in opening an Immigrant Hope Resource Center you can apply for the $15,000 Start-Up Grant. It is time sensitive. The application will be available August 1st. You can find more information HERE.
|
|
Thank you so much for your faithful giving during this pandemic.
To give online: Visit our website at EFCA West.
To give by check: Please make the check payable to EFCA West, 901 E. 78th St. Minneapolis, MN 55420
|
|
|
|
Have you joined us on Facebook and Instagram? |
We'd love for you to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and we welcome your comments. If you'd like to share a story with us please contact our administrator Xochitl.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
