November 10th 2015

COMMUNITYFREE CHURCH WEEKLY

It has come to our attention there is a single mother in our community who works two jobs trying to love and serve her family in need of assistance. This is a practical way that we can make a difference. Please PRAY and ask God how He might lead you to help.

Shoe sizes: !14 mens shoes, 11 in mens shoes. ! ! 8.5 boys shoes, 2 in girls shoes.

Coats:! 14/16 boys winter coat, 10/2 boys ! ! winter coat, 6 girls winter coat - ! ! Plus they need hats and gloves.

Clothes:! 42x32 in jeans, XXL in shirts. ! ! 28x30 in jeans, XL in shirts. ! ! 12 in boys jeans, L in shirts. ! ! 6 in girls jeans, 6 in shirts.

Whatever you can supply please drop off at the church this week through Sunday. We will have a table in the foyer for the items we are collecting. If you are buying a winter coat or shoes please call the church ahead of time so we can check off that item to avoid duplicates.

Thanking God for Your Service to our CountryAs one who has proudly served in our nations military I know that freedom is never free. It is bought at a high price by through the sacrifice and service of brave young men, women and their families. I want to personally thank each of you for the sacrifices you have made to serve this nation. I count my freedom a blessing bought by your service!

“Jesus Christ is a Friend to Sinners!”That means

Every Sunday is

at CEFCM - Invite Someone today!

You can go to Facebook and "LIKE" and "FOLLOW" Trinity Lutheran Mission Trips.

Pray for Peggy MeierA tired but blessed group after the first day of serving people at a local Kenyan eye clinic!The numbers:Visits 450Distant glasses 97Readers 203Dr. only visits 147Prayer request 168Referrals 3

This has been a busy season in the life of our church family.

We launched a new AWANA program, remodeled the nursery, and we are also reworking all the processes involved from check-in to bibles and curriculum. We have been listening to Godʼs leading to be a church that is committed to the clear proclamation of the Gospel, seeing men and women transformed by the power of Jesus Christ. As always, we continue to be a church that wants to walk alongside people who are hurting in a real and powerful way.Recently, Tasha and I had a hard conversation about how, in this season of continually pouring ourselves out, our family has become a very dry place. Praise God that He not only showed us this early on, but also created a way for us to have a conversation together and with the Elders. Thank God for their grace, Godly wisdom and support. We are blessed to have such men.

This is why the last number of weeks I have been absent from places like men's breakfast, community group, and other things that happen around our church.Both Tasha and I wholeheartedly believe that a strong church needs a long pastorate, and we want to be here with you serving Jesus and seeing people saved for the sake of the Gospel for a long time. Therefore, going forward some of the things I do may look a little different, my passion has not waned, but instead desires to be sustained.

I am writing this to you, because I never want there to be questions about where we stand, our great love for Jesus, the church, and you. ! ~ Grace Always, !

! ! ! and the Schifo Family

It is our hope that this helps you in reflection on the work that God did through his Word during the sermon. “Stand With Boldness Pastor Jason Schifo 11/8/2015

Exposition:Acts 4:1-6 They Submitted! Luke 21:10-13

Acts 4:7-12 Were Spirit Led! Luke 12:11-12! James 1:5-6 ! 1 Corinthians 15:13-15

Acts 4:13 Were Bold! “Boldness is the issue”

Acts 4:15-18 Were Obedient! 1 Corinthians 9:16

Acts 4:19-22! John 3:11

Acts 4:21-22! Acts 5:40, 8:4

Acts 4:23-31 Were United! Persecution is not Not outside but inside the plans and purposes of God.

Monday ! 11/9 Menʼs Bible Study Fellowship! ! ! ! 6:45pm First Baptist Church Savoy

Tuesday ! 11/10! Womenʼs Bible Study Fellowship! ! ! ! 9:10am First Christian Church, Champaign

! ! ! ! EFCA One Day Conference! ! ! ! Lisle, Illinois

Wednesday 11/11! Youth Group 6:00pm

! ! ! ! Overseers Meeting 7:30pm! ! ! !Thursday ! 11/12! Worship Committee Mtg 6:45pm

! ! ! ! Worship Practice 7:30pm! ! !Saturday ! 11/14! Act Like Men Coffee 7:00am! ! !! ! ! ! Basketball 8:30am! ! ! !Sunday ! 11/15! Christian Education 9:30-10:30am! ! ! ! Adult Christian Education! ! ! ! Sr. High School Jake Barrett! ! ! ! Jr. High School Ronda Ekberg! ! ! !! ! ! ! Childrenʼs Church 10:45am! ! ! ! Worship Gathering 10:45am! ! ! !

! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! AWANA CLUBS 6:00pm

What is Expository Preaching and Teaching?At CEFCM we gather on Sunday morning around expository teaching. This involves reading the text, understanding the text, proclaiming the Text and not just preaching it, but explaining why the text matters to us as believers.We do this because we believe that the Bible has something greater to say over and above what we may want to say.

Save the Date - November 22nd!

The nursery remodel was just completed this past week, and the Christian Education team is now hard at work getting us ready with check-in procedures, setting up the space so that it can be effectively used, washing toys and preparing us to minister well to kids. One way they are doing this is by rolling out an exciting new curriculum for use in the nursery from The Gospel Project as part of our commitment that every age will grow to know Jesus Christ

For those of you who might not be familiar, The Gospel Project is a chronological plan that includes great visual aids, age appropriate videos, and worship cdʼs that takes a child through the entire Bible over the course of three years. There is also is a free app for the iPad/ iPhone/ Android device which parents can download to follow and help reinforce what the children are studying in the nursery. This allows parents to connect to what is happening on Sunday morning like never before!

This is something we are so excited about because if we get a child in Kidʼs Church at a young age by the time they transition to out of the Nursery Area they will have heard the entire Bible once AND the Gospel EVERY week. Long term we are hoping to offer this program to every age group up to and including adults! All we need are volunteers willing to follow Godʼs leading in leading other closer to Jesus!

This Advent season we are going to do something a little different in our 10:45am service. Starting November 29th, the first week of Advent, we will have the big kids (Kindergarten through 5th grade) at the start of service. We will open with traditional Christmas worship, and then we will have a short 5 minute childrenʼs time centered around the meaning and lighting of the Advent wreath. The kids will then be dismissed to Kidʼs Church and the adults will continue in worship.Our hope? In a season when the craziness wants to pull apart families, instead we would set aside time tol be blessed singing together. Also, we are serious about families taking time to read and understand Advent and Jesusʼ coming. This is a great time to share the Gospel with your kids EVERY night!

Because we want to offer every avenue possible for this, we have ordered 4 cases of Advent calendars (the kind with the little doors and chocolates) and reading plans available for free on November 29th.Plan now to be intentional to set aside the time to share Jesus with your children.

One of the things we love to do as a family (and donʼt do enough) is to set aside Friday night as a family movie night. When we do, we make a simple dinner and Tasha, the kids and I eat around the coffee table while watching a movie together. This past week friends loaned us the new Disney/Pixar film “Inside Out.” Here is a short synopsis of the film from a popular film website:“After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.” (© imdb.com)Throughout the movie Rileyʼs emotions: Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness act independently of one another as they guide her reactions to the crisis. In the climactic (and heart tugging) scene we find Joy and Sadness acting beautifully, for the first time, together for the first time in the reconciliation of Rileyʼs journey toward healing.

As I watched this. I was reminded how deeply Biblical and important the relationship of joy and sadness truly are. In the first chapter of the Book of James we are called to “Consider it pure joy when we face trials of various kinds” just as Riley did. Why? Because “trials of various kinds” make us stronger. James 1:2-4 says clearly that the

testing of our faith produces perseverance. But can we find joy in the midst of struggles and difficult circumstances?Friends, it is of the utmost importance that we understand that joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness ebbs and flows like a wave hitting the shore. Happiness is not a safe harbor you have lost a job, lost a loved one or are facing a difficult decision. Joy on the other hand transcends the moment because it is not reliant on the moment to sustain it, but something greater. Real joy is from God, and for the Christian it is bottomless and in abundant supply. Even in the hardest of days when sadness, grief, and loss may threaten to overwhelm you, an abounding abundant joy from God is available to sustain you. This is only possible when we realize that Godʼs joy cannot be taken away and that often that joy will find itself alongside sadness. Jesus Himself said: “20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” John 16:20-22 (ESV)A number of years ago I read Henri Nouwenʼs book, “Out of Solitude” and this quote has stuck with me all these years: “Joy and sadness are as close to each other as the splendid colored leaves of a New England fall to the soberness of the barren trees there after.”What Friday night movie night and a little Disney movie called “Inside Out” reminded me was that sadness is the human reality, but alongside it, sustaining us through it, is Joy - and that joy is the abundant and ever present hope we have in Jesus Christ.

! ! ~ Pastor Jason Schifo

Every week we are going to highlight the sacrificial efforts of one of our many many GREAT volunteers.This weekʼs volunteer is: Julie Rochester. Julie has been working behind the scenes with Michelle Shafer the Chair of the Christian Education team to put an amazing nursery experience in place. The vision has always been to not just have kids play or color, but to actually have them start learning about who Jesus Christ truly is. If anyone is familiar with traditional childrenʼs ministry this is out of the box. Praise God for great volunteers like Julie who want to lead kids to Jesus!

There are regularly scheduled Elderʼs Meeting every month. If you need prayer or an opportunity to discuss an issue with the Eldership please feel free to attend this meeting by emailing the Elders at: communityfreechurchofmahomet@gmail.com

The Armor of God with Pricilla Shirer Meeting every 3 weeks at 7:00pm at 1705 Oakwood Dr, Mahomet at Lois Reedʼs home. Meetings will be every 3 weeks, and the cost is $15 per book. The books will be available at the first meeting. Email Lois Reed at lreedtj@aol.com for dates and more information or to sign up for this GREAT study!

For the first time a study on the entire Book of Revelation will starting in mid September 2015 through May 2016. Menʼs Bible Study Fellowship will start September 14th, 6:45pm, at First Baptist Church of Savoy. There is a program for kids 1st grade through High School. Womenʼs Bible Study Fellowship will start September 15th, 9:10am, at First Christian Church in Champaign. There is a childrenʼs program birth through preschool. This is an excellent FREE opportunity for the whole family to study through a book of the Bible together every week!

There are regularly scheduled Overseers Meetings every six weeks. The next meeting is November 11th at 7:30pm. If you would like to attend a meeting to address a specific issue or need please email the Overseers at: communityfreechurchofmahomet@gmail.comso they can include your need in the evenings agenda items.

Did you know we have a Faith Community Nurse here at CEFC?Hi—my name is Lois Reed and I am the Faith Community Nurse here at CEFCM! What is that, you say? I am specially trained through a nationally recognized program and here to be a resource and support to you, yes, YOU! In all the stages of life there are challenges that come upon us; they can be financial, relational, spiritual and related to our physical and emotional health.  God has given me the privilege to have access to resources to help our congregation and community—to pray for you, to direct you to supports that can help. So far I have been blessed to give out resources to parents navigating adolescence, people facing new diagnoses, found resources for families who are impacted by substance or domestic abuse, sources of free health care for those without insurance…these are just a few things that can possibly help. Please, if I can aid you or your family in anyway, email me at LReedtj@aol.com. And PLEASE come up and say “Hi” on any given Sunday! I am excited to serve you and your family.

We need to paint the nursery bathrooms, the upstairs new hallway, and the downstairs hallway out the new nursery doors. These are simple small jobs that a few could make a big impact through. If you are able to help please contact Jan Piasecki in the office (217-586-5165).