You asked for it, and it's finally here!
If you're interested in signing up to join our fabulous new book club, follow the link below to give us your name and contact information. We plan on reading through Christian classics and classic literature, but we've included a space on the form for your suggestions. (After all, this is your book club!)
Alright, ladies. We've been hard at work this past week making sure that our pages are a little more up-to-date on the blog. Take a look around and tell us what you think!
As always, we'd love to hear from you, so don't be shy about leaving a comment, sending an email, or giving us a call!
Beginning in the month of February, we're encouraging the wives in our congregation to take the 30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge, a program designed by Revive Our Hearts. The challenge boils down to two main ideas:
1. For thirty days, don't say anything negative about your husband to your husband or to anyone else.
2. Say something that you admire or appreciate about your husband to your husband and to someone else.
Each of the thirty days looks at a different aspect of one of these ideas. We've put together challenge packets with the material from all thirty days (plus a pencil and note paper, so you can journal the experience), so stop by our booth in the Welcome Center and sign out one of the folders today!
Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him but help him all her life. — Proverbs 31:11-12 (NLT)
P.S. If stopping by the church isn't an option for you right now, click here to download a copy of the material directly from Revive Our Hearts.
Woo! Women's Ministries has been on a roll ever since the end of August! We hosted 230 women at the Beth Moore simulcast, an event that was a huge encouragement to all who attended. The next week, we put out sign-up sheets at the church-wide Ministry Fair to announce our fall Bible studies and to open registration for our Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group. The week after that, MOPS and morning Bible studies launched, followed by the launch of the Tuesday evening Bible study on September 22.
Now that things are humming along nicely with our current ministry opportunities, we wanted to give you a heads-up about some upcoming events through December!
October Hiker Chicks Schedule: The weather is threatening to turn foul, but that's no excuse to stay indoors! Get off your couch and join our Hiker Chicks group on Sunday, October 25 at 12:30 p.m. for a picnic lunch followed by a two-hour hike at Prairieview Nature Trail. (RSVP if you plan to attend, need a ride, or have room for passengers.) We also invite you to join us for a one-hour prairie trail walk (departing from Martha Schuelke's house) on Friday, October 30 at 5:30 p.m.
Holiday Craftathon: Last year, we featured a fabric gingerbread house as a display item while we advertised the Mix It Up baking events. So many women stopped by to comment on it that we've decided to dedicate three nights in November to this one-of-a-kind craft project! Kits with all the needed materials (fabric, decorations, etc.) will be available for purchase, or you can bring your own materials and get creative!
Mix It Up: This was one of our favorite events last year, and we're happy to bring it back in November 2009. We will dedicate one night to learning about Christmas breads and the second night to a Christmas cookie exchange! If you want to get a head start on the baking, last year's recipe books are still available for $2 a piece!
His Princess: Christmas Tea: Our annual tea has been moved to December, and we're looking forward to starting a new Christmas tradition! Ladies of all ages are invited to this princess-themed event based on the words of John 15:16. We are currently on the look-out for table hostesses, but this does not have to be as scary as it sounds! You can provide a set of china and fine linens for a table of ten or start a paper plate table, complete with sporks and mismatched tea cups.
If you're interested in more information about any of these events, shoot us an email at womensblog[at]efccl.org, leave a comment on this entry, give us a call (815.459.1095), or keep checking back on the blog for more details!
Beth Moore's Living Proof Live conference is just around the corner, but we're still accepting registrations for our simulcast event! Join us August 28 and 29!
Friday, August 28:
Registration • 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Dinner • 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Conference • 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 29:
Registration • 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
Conference • 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Coffee Break • 10:30 a.m.
Registration • Tickets cost $25 for the weekend. We are no longer mailing out tickets, but we are accepting payment all the way through Friday and Saturday! (Note: we cannot accept credit cards, so please bring cash or checks.) We'd appreciate if you called or emailed with your name and phone number, just so we have an idea of how many people to expect. Contact Rachel Sankey at 815.459.1095 or rsankey[at]efccl.org.
Dining • An optional dinner will be available on Friday evening, since many of our women are coming directly from work or other responsibilities. The cost for this dinner will be $6. This is available on a first-come, first-serve basis, as we are anticipating late registrations and will not be able to accommodate everyone. Concessions will also be available for purchase on Friday night and Saturday morning. (Note: we cannot accept credit cards, so please bring cash or checks.) Coffee, bagels, and donuts will be provided free of charge during the scheduled break on Saturday morning.
Childcare • We will not be providing childcare for this event.
Topic / Featured Guests • Beth Moore, the featured speaker of the conference, will be speaking on "Coming Home to the Heart of Your Desires" from Psalm 37. Travis Cottrell and his band will lead us in songs of worship. (Although our event will be a simulcast of the live conference, we will be joining with the women in Green Bay and women from hundreds of other simulcast host churches in fellowship and praise.)
For more information about this event, leave a comment on this entry, email us, or call us!
Do you ever ask, "God, where are you when I need you?" I have often asked that question, but like the disciples, I have been slow to learn.
My son-in-law is in the last stages of ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The brain cannot get messages to the muscles telling them to function. Gradually over the course of several years, the body loses the ability to move, leaving the person trapped in his body. Making matters worse, the individual still has a sound mind and can understand his surroundings.
During my time in God's Word this morning, He once again spoke His precious Word to me. It was as if He knew exactly what I needed to hear. "I am here! Don't be afraid" (John 6:20). These words were spoken to the disciples as they traveled across the Sea of Galilee on their way to Capernaum. They had been with Jesus the day before and witnessed the feeding of the five-thousand. That evening Jesus was alone praying when they started out across the sea. Four miles out to sea, a gale swept down upon them and the sea grew very rough. During the storm Jesus came to them walking on the water. Seeing that they were terrified, He called out to them, "I am here! Don't be afraid."
Jesus knew they were in the boat, and He knew the storm would occur. He called out to them in their distress reassuring them of His presence. Job says, "If He sends death to snatch someone away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, 'What are You doing?'" (Job 9:12,13)
We do not know God's purposes in suffering. Charles Spurgeon wisely stated, "I venture to say that the greatest earthly blessing that God can give to any of us is health, with the exception of sickness. Sickness has frequently been of more use to the saints of God than health has." The nineteenth-century Scottish pastor David Dickson wrote, "On the bed of sickness the Lord ripens his people for glory . . ." God will not only sanctify the sick through sickness, but He will also teach and encourage the healthy through the same means.
God works His purpose for the good of His people and the glory of Himself. One thing that He is teaching me is that He is sovereign over sickness and healing, and that God calls His people to care for the needy and afflicted.
It has been a busy summer already! We've been busy preparing for the Amazin' Blazin' Race and for Beth Moore's Living Proof Live simulcast. The summer Bible study (Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed) started today, and our book studies (How to Thrive from 9 to 5 and The Feminist Mistake) start this Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Even in the midst of all that, we've been getting questions about MOPS and Bible studies for next fall! We're so excited that the women of our church and community are already looking forward at new ways to get involved!
That said, if you're looking for even more up-to-date news than what we offer on the blog, follow our updates on Twitter! (If you're not sure how to do that, just call or email us! We'd be happy to help.) It's just one more way to connect what's going on with the church with what's going on in your life. If you're already a Twitter user, feel free to add us a friend and ask questions, send prayer requests, or just say hello!
Meanwhile, leave a comment to tell us how your summer has been going or how we can pray for you this week!
Thanks to all who joined us for the Girlville event last Saturday! We hope you were blessed by all that Kim Bolton had to share, and we pray that God used that time together to touch your hearts.
Although it seems like spring just arrived, we're already getting ready for summer plans. Here's a look at what's ahead so far:
Stay tuned by subscribing to the email updates of our blog entries. As always, feel free to send us an email if you have any questions!
Sonshine Scrappers: Ladies, come out to the church at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 16 to scrapbook, make cards, and enjoy some friendly conversation. Card kits are available for a small fee, or you can bring your own projects from home.
Hiker Chicks: Our first hike is coming up on Saturday, April 18! We'll depart from the church at 10 a.m. and head over to Crabtree Nature Center for a few hours of hiking.
For more information on either of these groups, send us an email or give us a call!
LYDIA Home Association is a Christian organization based in Chicago that focuses on serving children and families in need. They offer foster care, counseling, parenting classes, and many other services to the community. Members of the Evangelical Free Church of Crystal Lake support this vital group with donations of school supplies and other items throughout the year and with our Giving Tree ministry during the holidays.
Kelcey Gropp recently contacted us with some new opportunities for people to support the work of LYDIA through their online searching and shopping. GoodSearch is a search engine (like Google) that donates 50% of its revenue to listed charities, one of which is now LYDIA Home! GoodShop also supports charities, giving a percentage of your online purchases to the organization of your choice. Just visit the website and select "LYDIA Home Association" as your charity before you begin shopping at places like iTunes, Barnes & Noble, eBay, Expedia.com, Home Depot, and many others.
Learn more about this ministry by visiting www.lydiahome.org or by searching for LYDIA Home Association on Facebook.
