Evers
Road
Christian
Church
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November 2022
Volume 29
Issue 11
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A Message From Pastor Wright
Giving God thanks is a spiritual act of worship that touches the very heart of God. Paul writes: “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:18)
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Why does it touch the heart of God? Think about it. When you give God thanks, you are recognizing that you are not self-sufficient, and that He is your source. You are humbling yourself and trusting in Him. You are depending on Him and not on yourself. You are placing faith in the God you cannot see, and faith pleases God. You are acknowledging that everything good you have in your life comes from Him. These are the attitudes and thoughts that touch God’s heart. They are also the exact opposite of the attitudes and thoughts of the ungodly.
Sadly, sometimes we take things for granted and we fail to give thanks. Too often, we have to come close to losing something precious to us before we can become grateful for it. Two years ago, I lost my vision in one eye. All of a sudden I was freshly reminded of just how important and precious the gift of sight is. Yet, how often do we thank God for sight?
When my oldest son was deployed into harm’s way in a combat platoon in Iraq in the US Marine Core, all of a sudden I was more concerned about him than ever before. I prayed for him more than ever before. I thought about him continually.
When we are in danger of losing something precious to us, too often that is when we value it the most. Don’t let this happen in your life.
Stop. Slow down. Acknowledge all that God has done for you, and all that He has provided. Write a list of things you are thankful for. Recognize that you wouldn’t have these things without His blessing. When you give thanks with a sincere heart, you touch the very heart of God. Your heart connects with God’s heart. Giving thanks to the Father is a spiritual act of worship.
Thanksgiving is a holiday we share together. But it must start in our own heart. You, as an individual, need to practice thanksgiving in your own life. Then the holiday is filled with meaning.
- Pastor Mark Wright
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Annual Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner
On Sunday, November 13th, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving together as a church family. At 6:00 pm we will gather in the fellowship hall for a giant potluck dinner. Several turkeys and hams are needed, as well as lots of side dishes, desserts or other fixin’s, so please sign up on the board in the foyer outside the auditorium. Please bring enough food to share with your brothers and sisters. Join us for this time of thanksgiving, fellowship and great food.
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Friends in Harmony and Harmony Bells Choirs
To Perform at ERCC on Nov 13
We are blessed to be hosting the Friends in Harmony Choir on Sunday morning, November 13th. Our dear sister Lenora Burkholder was a member of the Harmony Bells Choir. So, the choir is coming to minister to the ERCC family. We rejoice because Lenora is present with the Lord, and we can imagine that she is singing along in harmony with the heavenly hosts, and also with the Harmony Bells Choir at ERCC on November 13th. You do not want to miss this very special occasion. The choirs will be performing 3 songs during the 10:00 am worship service
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Operation Christmas Child
"Shoebox Ministry"
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You can give a child in a distant land joy for Christmas. Now is the time to participate in the Samaritan’s Purse "Operation Christmas Child". We invite each of our members and attendees to take one of the empty boxes and fill it with goodies, and then return it to ERCC by the deadline of November 20th. Please include $10 at the top of the box to cover shipping costs. You can also donate the $10 on the Samaritans' Purse website (www.samaritanspurse.org) which will also allow you to track your box to discover the country it was delivered to for a precious, needy child. ERCC will deliver all the filled boxes to the designated drop off point.
Remember, the deadline for returning your filled box to ERCC is Sunday morning, November 20th.
We thank Wendy Gideon for leading this ministry at ERCC!
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BAPTISMS
Praise God. On Sunday, October 30th 2022, two were baptized into Christ after placing their faith in Jesus. Please be in prayer for Lilo Elizardo and Anthony Guerra as they live for Jesus. They are pictured below:
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Anthony Guerra and Lilo Elizardo | |
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Neff M.S. Outreach through Youth for Christ (YFC) | |
Both Pastor Wright and our Youth Ministry Intern Jonathan are actively involved with the Youth for Christ weekly outreach across the street at Neff Middle School. This year, however, the weekly meetings with the kids are in the library of the Middle School early on Wednesdays before classes start. We have been having approximately 70 middle-schoolers attend and participate. It is our prayer that many Neff kids will be saved through this ministry and added to our youth group at ERCC.
Last Summer ERCC committed to provide partial financial support to Gabriela Mojica, the YFC site leader for the Neff outreach. Gabriella is a wonderful and impressive Christian young lady, and she is a very effective leader of this ministry. Notice how the roles change. At the Neff outreach, Gabriella is the leader, and Pastor Wright is the follower. We are very pleased to be a part of this ministry.
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Thanks to God for a Very Effective Parking Lot Outreach | Smiling faces after receiving goody bags during the ERCC parking lot outreach. | |
The regular football season is over for Neff Middle School across the street from ERCC. As we look back, we thank God for this very innovative ministry idea. Who says that the lost world will not come to the church. If they need a place to park in order to attend their kids’ football game, then they will gladly use our parking lot at ERCC. When they park in our parking lot and then get out of their cars, we greet them with a goodie bag. The bag is filled with snacks and a bottle of water for the game. Even more important, the goodie bag also has a gospel tract in it and an invitation to worship at ERCC. During the football season on Wednesdays we worked together to hand out hundreds of these bags. Let’s pray for those who received our bags and tracts. Let’s trust God that lives will be touched, and that we will soon see them come to ERCC for worship.
Thanks to all of you who
participated in this outreach!
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2023 is quickly approaching. This is an important time for our leadership team to seek God’s guidance. We ask for your prayers and for your input. We will prayerfully seek God’s wisdom and direction as we write a ministry plan for 2023. Do not hesitate to make suggestions or comments. We pray for God’s guidance to answer this simple question: How can we as a congregation serve God and do His will more effectively in the coming year? Our areas of focus are: (1) outreach to the community with the good news of salvation; (2) the discipleship and spiritual growth of our faithful attendees; (3) youth and children; (4) prayer; (5) missions; (6) fellowship; and (7) communication by the elders with the communication. Please pray that God will guide us. | | |
Jonathan Valadez Ministering at Neff Middle School | |
The elders have extended the internship of Jonathan Valadez. Jonathan will continue working with the youth and children at ERCC. Getting to know Jonathan has been a pleasure. He is a very pleasant and kind young man and he loves the Lord. He is involved with youth ministry both through ERCC and with Youth for Christ.
Please pray for Jonathan and for our youth at ERCC.
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Marshall Teaching A Sunday Morning Bible Study Class | |
Marshall Pierce Preaches at ERCC on November 6th
Marshall Pierce, who serves as an ERCC Elder and Sunday Morning Bible Study teacher, will bless us and challenge us from God's word in the 10:00 am Worship Service during Pastor Wright's absence on November 6th. Don’t miss it!
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Wee Church Leaders
Adalia Kyrish has accepted the role of Wee Church leader. Her husband Jim will assist her as needed. Wee Church begins at 10:00 am and is for 3+ year old toddlers through kindergarten age. We are committed to providing teaching and learning for all ages. Do not hesitate to bring your toddlers to ERCC.
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Thanksgiving Meal Play by ERCC Youth | |
In this season of gratitude, at the end of the Annual Thanksgiving dinner on November 14th, the ERCC youth will reenact the book of Nehemiah as a short play.
With this, we hope to deliver a message of thankfulness for God’s love and joy. (Neh 8: 6, 10)
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Shooting Practice
For ERCC Youth
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Mac Biggs has invited all ERCC kids to have shooting instruction and practice at his Hill Country property on Saturday, November 19th. We will carpool and depart from the church at noon and return at 4 pm.
Mac is a former long time member of ERCC and is enthusiastic about teaching youth gun safety. Together with the chaperones, we will ensure that all participants have a fun, safe time. For more information, see Jonathan Valadez.
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We are thrilled by how God has blessed the newly launched ministry of Sunday Morning Bible Study (SMBS). The most important outcome is that all ages are receiving the Word of God. This is at the heart of what the church exists to do.
Please invite your adult friends and family. We have three adult classes to choose from.
Please invite children to SMBS. Invite your nephews and nieces. Invite the children of your neighbors. Bring your grandchildren. We envision SMBS to be a tool of God to reach the next generation.
We will continue to provide donuts, juices, and coffee. The spiritual food, however, is even more important. Fellowship and ministering to each other are what God’s church is all about.
Here's the current list of the classes we offer:
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Classes start promptly at 9:00 am and finish at 9:45 am.
Come with an appetite for God’s Word!
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Millie's Adult Women Class | |
Pictured below are 12 children who had perfect attendance for Sunday Morning Bible Study during the month of October. Congratulations to these kids who have set the example for the congregation to follow when it comes to a desire to learn about the Bible and Jesus. They'll each receive a gift card to Peter Piper Pizza to help celebrate this accomplishment for the opening month of Sunday Morning Bible Study. | |
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Pastor Wright on Mission Trip to Mexico
October 30th through November 10th
Pastor Wright departed for Mexico City on Sunday evening, October 30th. He will be teaching a Bible seminar in Spanish at the Mexican Christian University in Queretaro. He taught at this same institution for 5 years in the late 80’s and early 90's. Pastor Wright and his wife Linda also planted churches in Mexico. He will be preaching in Puebla at one of these churches that he and Linda planted; and he will also be visiting many dear friends across Queretaro, Mexico City, and the State of Mexico. Pastor Wright will also spend some time visiting the Niños de México children’s home, one of the ministries supported by ERCC. Pastor Wright returns home on November 10th. Please pray for Pastor Wright’s safety and protection as he travels in Mexico.
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Today’s “Clown” ministry to children in the church in Puebla planted in 1993 by Mark and Linda Wright. Pastor Wright will be preaching in Spanish at this church on November 6th. No, he won’t be dressed as a clown! | | | |
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We are revamping our ministry of intercessory prayer. Each Sunday morning, many attending worship with us place their prayer requests in the offering plate. We are committed to praying earnestly for these needs, and we are asking our church family to join us in intercession. If you would like to form part of this ministry, you will receive these prayer requests each week by email. You will also receive a text notifying you that the email is in your inbox. Then your role will be to cover these requests in prayer throughout the week. Please contact Sandie Ramones (210-689-9775) or Pastor Wright if you wish to be added to the distribution lists.
Participating members agree to a code of conduct regarding the use of the text message conversations of the prayer warriors’ ministry. This code basically states that you will be kind and respectful; that you will not disclose confidential information without permission; and that you will be submissive to the oversight of the elders. We will send the code of conduct to all participating in this ministry. We want to make this a positive atmosphere focused on prayer.
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On Sunday evenings we have been participating in an outstanding study by David Barton entitled Foundations of Freedom.
Starting Sunday evening November 27th, we will take a break from the Foundations of Freedom series, and we'll begin a series entitled “The Christmas Experience” by Pastor Kyle Idleman. It is both a Bible study and a dramatization of the Christmas story. Please join us!
The series will be viewed on Sunday evenings through December at 6 pm.
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Thank you, Linda Guerra, for volunteering in the church office and for your beautiful and yummy food creations.
You are a blessing!
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Balaam’s donkey created by Linda Guerra From a Watermelon | | |
Sunday Night (6:00 pm) Schedule | |
Nov 6th: Foundations of Freedom
Nov 13th: Annual Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner
Nov 20th: No activities-Happy Thanksgiving!
Nov 27th: The Christmas Experience
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7th: Viki Cunningham
9th: Izzabella Navejas
10th; Fred Archer
14th: Jean Fairbrother
15th: Ken Workman
20th: Lucille Burkholder
23rd: Anthony Lopez
23rd: Linda Wright
28th: Patricia Clay
29th: Morelia Ramirez
30th: Tristan Walton
If you are new to ERCC, please send your birthday (day and month) to Pastor Wright. We want to celebrate with you!
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"For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving"
~ 1 Timothy 4:4 ~
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"Even when life may be difficult, we should thank God for all He does for us--which we do not deserve"
~ Billy Graham ~
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Deaf Missions
Evers Road Christian Church is pleased to provide regular monthly financial support to Deaf Missions based in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
The following information is from their website.
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After 50 years of Deaf Ministry, we keep our focus narrow. Here's what we do:
We create epic video content in sign language, like the Jesus movie. Our vision is to clearly communicate the Gospel with our video content to the 70 million Deaf people worldwide.
We build Gospel communities. We help facilitators build groups to encourage Deaf people in their journey with Jesus.
We equip Deaf leaders by providing access to resources and training in their heart language.
https://www.deafmissions.com/
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SERMON CD'S FOR SHUT-INS
If you are a “shut-in”, unable to attend ERCC on Sundays for medical reasons, we want to offer you the CD of each Sunday’s sermon. It will be mailed to you on Monday. If you wish to receive the CDs, please call or text Sandie Ramones at 210-689-9775, and she will add you to the mailing list.
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Mark Wright
Jonathan Valadez
Chris Engstrom
Jerry Kline
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ERCC Text Messages are used to send out important short-notice news and reminders to your smart phone. | | | |
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If you would like to give to ERCC as a direct bank transfer, use a credit card or debit card, you can use the safe and secure Tithely app. You can also setup your account to make your gift recurring on any schedule you want. Questions? Ask Jerry or send an email HERE
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