Emanuel Happenings

“What’s in it for me?” It’s easy to look at life through the lens of that question, to make decisions based on perceived personal benefit. Perhaps at times we look at Christianity through that lens, wondering what we will gain from following Christ. “What’s in it for me?” Jesus first disciples asked that question. They hoped that following Christ would bring prestige and honor. They assumed following Christ would make life easier. But it doesn’t work like that. Followers of Christ are called to sacrifice for the well-being of others. “What’s in it for me?” Everything! Because of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, followers of Christ have the peace of his forgiveness. Followers of Christ have the joy of meaningful purpose. Followers of Christ look forward to an eternity of glory in Christ’s heavenly kingdom. In Spirit-wrought gratitude, followers of Christ make selfless sacrifices with joy. Want to hear more? See you this weekend: Saturday at 5:15 p.m. • Sunday at 8 a.m. • Sunday at 10:30 a.m

This December, our renovation project will be complete and many will be eager to return to Emanuel’s new worship space! As a result, we are recruiting many new volunteers to make our church warm and welcoming and to help services run smoothly. Volunteering is flexible to fit your schedule. Please consider which opportunity below fits your spiritual gifts and CLICK HERE to register for a training session.  We are also asking all RETURNING VOLUNTEERS to attend training to get oriented to the new sanctuary. Thank you for serving our church family! Usher/Greeter Training: Wed, Nov. 13, 7:00 pm Sun, Nov. 17, 9:15 am Worship Tech Training: Wed, Nov. 6, 7:00 pm Sun, Nov. 10, 9:15 am GREETERS - Greeters present a friendly face to all who come to worship. Greeters stand near church entrances, holding a door and welcoming everyone who enters. This is a great opportunity for families to serve together! Children of all ages are invited to serve. If you are blessed with an outgoing personality, ha

People think that establishing priorities is about ranking things in order of importance. But it is more than that. We do not have unlimited time and energy. So, establishing priorities enables us to say “no” to things that might be good yet not truly important. Without proper priorities, one inevitably will pursue that which is nice while downplaying that which is needed. Throughout Scripture, believers are urged to prioritize. It is the heart of the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Jesus calls for prioritization when he says, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Good news: followers of Christ maintain proper priorities. Even better news: followers of Christ receive his forgiveness for all the times their priorities have been improper. Want to hear more? See you this weekend: Saturday at 5:15 p.m. • Sunday at 8 a.m. • Sunday at 10:30 a.m. **Please remember that during renovation, worship is held in the school commons.

Love can cause harm. Consider the wife whose husband wants little to do with church. She loves him and does not want to upset him. So, when her husband wants her and the children to stay home Sunday morning, she complies without protest. That wife’s love for her husband hurts him, her children, and herself. Or consider the father who loves his child so much that he gives the child everything that the child asks for. That father’s love is toxic. It is shaping that child to be a selfish, entitled adult. In our families, it is not enough that there is love. We need to rightly love, to love in a way that leads to blessings for those we claim to love. This illustrates the need for followership. In Jesus, we see perfect, self-sacrificial love. Jesus loves us as we are. He also loved us too much to leave us as we are. So, in love, he gave his life up so that we might be holy and blameless. His love for us shapes the way we love our spouse, our children, our parents. Today we see that follower

Green Berets. Rangers. SEALs. Delta Force. These special forces groups are part of the United States military. They are elite: highly trained with unique skill sets. Many of their important missions are carried out in total secrecy. Two weeks ago, we acknowledged that we are in the middle of a massive spiritual war. Today, we thank God that we fight this war with the protection of special forces. Since the fifth century, Christians have observed the Festival of St. Michael and All Angels. We commemorate that God has sent Michael, one of the great archangels described in Scripture, and countless of his fellow angels to protect and serve mankind. Let us rejoice that followers of Christ have powerful allies! Want to hear more? See you this weekend: Saturday at 5:15 p.m. • Sunday at 8 a.m. • Sunday at 10:30 a.m. **Please remember that during renovation, worship is held in the school commons. If you have questions, visit  www.emanuelnl.org/worship-relocation .

Join us for a fun-filled Trunk or Treat event! Enjoy candy, hot dogs, and more in our east parking lot. Bring the whole family for a safe and enjoyable evening—Thursday, October 31, 4-7 PM. We're excited to see you there! Don't forget to come back for worship on Saturday at 5:15 p.m., Sunday at 8 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. https://www.emanuelnl.org/events