Community Connection

Inside this issue

From Pastor Josh ........................ 2

Eagles Min/Visitation .................. 2

SERVE Team Update ................... 3

Benevolence, Worship ............... 4

Student Min, Young Adults ......... 4

Kidz Harvest, Women’s Min ........ 5

From Pastor David ...................... 6

LAEFC Online Services Easter Weekend

Join us in your home on Good Friday, April 10 at 6:30pm for a “Premiere Video” as we remember Jesus’ sacrifice. This service of reflection will include music and four “stations,” including communion.

Join us on EASTER Sunday, April 12 at 10:45am at we celebrate our risen and victorious King Jesus!

YouTube: “LAEFC Church”

From Pastor Ken

Last Sunday, we ended our service with the song “I Speak Jesus.” Now is your opportunity to “Speak Jesus” into the lives of people, right where God has planted you. Easter Sunday is notoriously the day that an unchurched person is most likely to end up in church. Add to this, the fact that God has been cultivating hearts through our current pandemic, and it’s clear that a great opportunity has been placed before us. People are longing to know why they don’t have to be afraid - longing to be encouraged by a message of Hope - Restoration - Healing and New Life. Jesus wants to use you to reach your world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we approach Easter Sunday, I encourage you to make calls, text, or use e-mail or social media to invite people to our online services. (on YouTube - “LAEFC Church”) Church Family, let’s join together to spread the Hope of the Gospel to our world in these desperate times.

So glad we’re in this together, Pastor Ken

An Easter Prayer “Lord, thank you for loving us more than life itself. God, life is hard and uncer-tain. So much pain, hurt, and heartache seems to surround us. And yet, knowing this, You still willingly gave up Your life and became God with us and the God who rescues us. Thank you.

Because of Your sacrifice, we can spend eternity with You. There is no pain you cannot conquer, no hurt You cannot heal, and no life You cannot transform. Your death and resurrection proved that nothing is impossible for You, and that we are more than conquerors because of You.

Today and every day, help us to fix our hearts and our minds on You. And as we do, please give us more of Your joy, hope, and peace. We love You, and we want to worship You.” -YouVersion

April 2020

“Knowing, Living, Sharing… the Heart of Jesus”

Lebanon Area Evangelical Free Church

A Prayer for Our World YouVersion

“God, You alone are worthy of

honor, glory and praise. With

You, we can overcome every

storm—including the global

impact COVID-19 is having on

our world.

Right now, we are asking You to:

Heal those who are sick and

protect those who are not. Give

our leaders extra wisdom as they

navigate this pandemic and eco-

nomic uncertainty. Strengthen

Your global Church.

Reveal to us how we can partner

together to reach the needs of

those around us. Calm our fears.

Fill us with Your hope, joy, and

peace as we continue to trust in

You. Use this pandemic to pave

the way for spiritual renewal. We

want Your glory, power, and

healing to be on display. Come,

Lord Jesus, come.”

Honestly and truly this is an exciting time of ministry! In the midst of fear, isolation, inconvenience and sickness, the Lord offers a great opportunity to be especially close to Him, His people and to others that need Him. Within the Eagles 55+ and Visitation Minis-tries, I am seeing a great work of the Lord as folks express their hope and foundation in God. In the midst of isolation, some saints are even able to “go to church” online, that otherwise would have been homebound. Our thoughts have been turned to those in isola-tion and some of those mature saints report greater communica-tion through phone calls than they had been having. Here is a simple suggestion for some phone time communica-tion to the your older friends- - ask questions! Ask what they are doing with their time. If a need is expressed in the reply, let them know they are heard by you and by the Lord, and maybe take that opportunity to pray for them right on the phone. Perhaps you can then share what God is doing in your life through this time. The doors of communication might be cracked open more than they ever before. As you think of the Eagles (Enthusiastic And Grateful Life-Experienced Saints), pray for health, strength and encouragement. Some might be putting off medical procedures to allow others to deal with the virus issues, etc. Pray that the Lord would be especial-ly precious to all of us as our routines have changed and that the One Constant, our Loving Lord, is clearly seen. - Pastor Gary

“It has been amazing to see your hearts of service and outreach on display…”

Sharing the Heart of Jesus

I am so grateful to be a part of the LAEFC family during this important season! It has been a blessing to see unity developing through online interactions with the devotional videos and livestream services, and regular reports of phone call and texts being used for encouragement. It has also been amazing to see your hearts of service and outreach on display through signing up for encouragement ministries, and consistent posts on social media of hope-filled,

honoring messages. One of those encouragement ministries was organized by the LAEFC Serve Team which offered any of you an oppor-tunity to be paired with a member of our church family who may be having a difficult time, and to write cards and make connections through phone calls. We had 44 families sign up! Keep it up, and well done, Church! (See page 3.)

- Pastor Josh

2

Expressions of Thanks

“We can’t thank you

enough for all that you do.

From praying for us, loving

on us, giving gifts to us…

it’s all so very appreciated!

We hope you know just

how much you mean to us.

Thank you for being a

bright positive light during

these days of unknown!

You so gracefully redirect

us back to Who is in

control and carries it all.”

Thank you,

Church Family,

for Sharing the

Heart of Jesus!

I have had the privilege of hearing back from the many folks who are participating in the LAEFC SERVE team’s initiative to reach out to folks who might be in special need during this time of isolation. These re-sponses have so encouraged me as I watch the body of Christ function in the way the Lord intended, with warmth and love. First, it was an encouragement that there were instantly so many volunteers to take part in the program. Then I got to hear back how the Lord was working in these one-on-one relationships. I’ll simply give some quotes below to give you the feel. I’ll leave out the names of those ministering as well as those ministered to, in order to respect their privacy and use the pronouns such as “him” and “her.” I think you’ll get the sense of what a great thing the Lord is doing through these difficult times...

- "I appreciate hearing the joy in his voice even though he has no idea who I am...” - “During the week my kids and I put together a written letter, pic-tures, and a coloring page and chocolate to send to her. She says she feels better knowing that we are here and ready to help in whatever way she needs.” -“We had a lovely phone conversation the other day… I feel that after this she and I will get to know each other better. I plan on weekly drop-offs of something to her home.” - “ I called and ..she seemed very appreciative of the kindness.” - “ I have reached out 3 times by phone and by card… we had a nice conversation… she knows she will hear from me weekly… we are both looking forward to meeting each other in church when we finally can.” - “We dropped off some baked goods and a card on Sunday… We offered to run errands if she needs anything…” - “ I sent a card and my cell number… I’ll keep checking in on them.” - “I sent her a card with a note, some scripture and my contact info…she said she was so happy to not be going through this alone.” - "I called.. sent a card.. asked if there were any errands we could run.. She was so thrilled that someone from church was reaching out...” To God be the Glory, Pastor Gary

3

Benevolence Fund

Today’s COVID-19

pandemic has changed

so many lives and liveli-

hoods. LAEFC has had a

Benevolence Fund for

many years to help

those individuals and

families that are experi-

encing short-term finan-

cial hardships due to a

variety of circumstanc-

es, including being out

of work. Thanks to many

recent generous dona-

tions, at the present

time our Benevolence

Fund is at its highest

level in about a year!

If you have a short-term

financial need right now

and you want us to con-

sider your request,

please contact Pastor

David at 717-865-9900

to begin the process.

All requests are kept

strictly confidential.

The committee strives

to make all decisions in

a very short time peri-

od. This is a powerful

way for brothers and

sisters in Christ at LAEFC

to help each other.

- Tom Kotay

We Need Each Other -Phil Burns, Elder Chair

Music ministry is continuing at LAEFC! Each weekend, a handful of lay volunteers have stepped up to help Pastor Josh and myself in leading the church family in worship. Add in the tech talents of guys like Pastor Daryl, Kyle M, and Brendan M (who are all putting in crazy amounts of time to make livestream possible), and the team is learning by leaps and bounds! Meanwhile, Dan's worship commission has been brainstorming ideas (through "Zoom" meetings!) for interactive wor-ship moments for our Good Friday and Easter services. Some worship team members are calling each other on cell phones to sing hymns and spiritual songs together. Church, be sure to worship the Lord in your homes and in your hearts. The enemy has to flee at the sound of His great name---JESUS! -Dan Hess

A hand shake, a fist bump, a high five, a hug, a pat on the back, a nudge on the shoulder. I miss them all. It might be a while, though. For very good reason, we are being asked to separate ourselves--something we have learned to call “social distancing.”

Social distancing is exacerbating a problem which has existed in our society long before COVID-19. Most people already live their lives in isola-tion. In these busy times, they sel-dom make time for each other. They get up in the morning, go to work, drive home at night and pull directly into the garage--no time for others. Throw in our device-centric habits, and it’s easy to see why many stud-ies report loneliness is linked to increased stress, loss of sleep and

even health issues. Our society is struggling. The reality is that we need each other.

So let’s get creative. How can we impact those inside the Church who need encouragement? What about those in our community? Here are some ideas:

▫ Ask yourself, “How can I encourage someone?”

▫ Ask questions like “What can I do to help?“

▫ Use technology like Zoom to reach out

▫ Watch for opportunities to get plugged into Life Groups

Let's continue to build authentic com-munity at Lebanon Free. Let’s be Christ's light here in Lebanon County and beyond!

4

Student Ministries and Young Adults

Worship - In our homes and in our hearts

RISE MS Life Group leaders have been reaching out to teens and making beautiful connections. We released our YouTube Bible Study in Philippians. Our chp 1 video included a fun game led by volunteers, Katie B and Kyle M.

Our High School Ministry leaders had virtual prayer meetings through Zoom and lifted up the teens before the Lord together, although apart. High School Min has navigated having video youth group and Zoom youth group. Many high schoolers and leaders are joining in. We are encouraged and have begun virtual community building.

Young Adults—Our Wed night Bible Study is called “Fresh Mug Devos” and we had a great time worshipping Jesus through music and studying Mark 5. This was done through Facebook Live on our YA page. We’ve also had suc-cessful prayer meetings, led by Brendan M. -Pastor Marc & Pastor Jaime

“You are shining your light and showing the love of Jesus in your

world! And it matters.”

In the midst of all the stress and unknowns that surround us, please take a moment and praise God for some cool things that have been going on in Kidz Harvest.

During our Elementary Winterblast Retreat at the end of February, there were four kids who gave their lives to Christ!

A week later, another little girl accepted Jesus into her heart.

This virus threat has made us think way outside the box of how to stay con-nected as a Kidz Ministry, and God has opened some really cool doors including: AWANA AT HOME … a time when kids and their parents can connect with their Awana Shepherds and say verses and ask for prayer during the week. Bedtime Stories with Pastor Daryl … a weeknight video where kids can listen to a story before bedtime and hear encouraging words from their pastor. Sunday AM Shepherd Connections … connecting with their kiddos through e-mail, texts, snail mail, phone calls, and prepared Bible lessons.

God is good all the time and all the time God is God … Let’s PRAISE HIM!!!

I have been incredibly blessed by reading the

many posts that you ladies have shared on social

media these past weeks - filled with Scripture,

encouraging words, offers to help those in need,

stories and pictures that bring laughter and joy

(because A cheerful heart is good medicine! Prov-

erbs 17:22) And the SONGS – they have been

powerful and filled w/ the Truths of God! YOU all

are such great blessings! You are a source of

great help to one another – Love on the Move,

the Power of the Church! You are shining your

light and showing the love of Jesus in your world!

And it matters. You are making a difference, each

and every day. Carry on, dear friends! WE are

MORE THAN CONQUERERS through Him who

loves us! Romans 8:37

Pray for one another – that we will choose

FAITH OVER FEAR; that we will continue to

encourage each other in God’s Truth; that we

will keep our eyes on Jesus – not our circum-

stances.

Simulcast NEWS: The Going Beyond LIVE Simul-

cast is still happening on Saturday, April 25, 2020!

Due to the pandemic, the large EVENT in Florida

has been cancelled. HOWEVER, those who have

tickets for this event can watch the LIVESTREAM

with Priscilla Shirer from your own home on April

25. If you can’t watch the LIVE Simulcast on April

25, you will have access to view the event

through May 25, 2020. If you have purchased a

ticket, you will receive an e-mail from Karen

Higley with details and instructions in how to

access the Simulcast from your own home.

If you would still like to purchase a ticket for $30,

registration remains open through Monday, April

13th . Contact Karen@lebefree.org for ticket/

registration.

We are thrilled to be able to look forward to this

wonderful time in worship (w/ Anthony Evans)

and hearing God’s Word from Priscilla Shirer!

Direct any questions to Karen@lebefree.org

5

Kidz Harvest News - Pastor Daryl

From Karen’s Heart Simulcast Update!

We want you to know that the pastoral staff loves you and we are praying for you! Because you may have questions or concerns about how things are going with our church, here’s a brief update.

How is church staff doing during this time? Overall, our staff has remained healthy. There are certainly challeng-es, but like everyone else, we are finding ways to live life and work differently. The pastors and ministry leaders have weekly Zoom meetings. As you may have heard, Pastor Jaime’s great aunt recently passed away with Coronavirus and his dad is working directly with COVID-19 patients. Because of this, Jaime is self-quarantined and we miss him on the worship team.

Status of the church throughout the week: To honor our governmental leaders’ directions, we are only having one pastor at the church each day. The first door to the church office is open and the second door is locked. You can drop off your tithe in there, if that is convenient for you. If you need to speak to the pastor on duty at the church, you can call 717-865-9900 (which is directed to Sue Kreider) and she will let the pastor know that you are there. Please be mindful of all social distancing rules. Financially, we have been blessed by many of you who have continued to give. Thank you for allowing us to continue to minister to our church family and community.

Staying Connected: Our livestream services have been well-attended and well-received. There were around 350 units watching with us last Sunday! It has been so encouraging to see the comments you post in the chat section and the connections we make during the virtual service. Speaking of our live 10:45 service, if you haven’t joined us, there are several ways you can access our service. On your computer, Smart TV, or phone’s internet browser … Go to “YouTube” and use the search tool to type in “LAEFC Church.” You can also follow the link that is posted on the church Facebook page and is also sent out in a text mes-sage around 9am on Sunday mornings. The text message goes out to everyone that receives the community life emails, prayer/concerns email, and/or the needs email. If you are not currently receiving that text and would like to, please email your cell phone number to sue@lebefree.org and she will add you to the list! Our livestream pre-service begins at 10:35am. “God is good all the time and all the time God is good.” We are going to get through these hard times, and we are going to be a stronger and closer family as God grows us for His Kingdom! We love you, church family!

From Pastor David Please continue with your

tithes and offerings to

support LAEFC. If you

want to transition to

on-line giving, please

view the instructional

video on our church's

YouTube channel,

LAEFC Church. You may

also drop off your contri-

butions inside the church

office doorway, (M-F,

9am-4pm), or you can

mail your contribution to

LAEFC, with “Attn Cheryl”

on the lower left corner of

the envelope. Thank you

for your generosity during

these uncertain times!

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you

trust in Him. Then you will overflow with

confident hope through the power of the Holy

Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

Lebanon Area E Free Church

600 Shepherd Street

Jonestown, PA

17038

717-865-9900

info@lebefree.org

www.lebefree.org