HOST A CONNECTION GROUP!
Our spring Emmanuel Connection Groups (ECGs) will begin the week of March 9. We want you to serve as a Connection Group host!
WHAT ARE EMMANUEL CONNECTION GROUPS?
Connection Groups are essential to our spiritual growth. They are small groups that allow us to grow deeper in our faith through community, fellowship, and Bible study.
WHEN AND WHERE DO THEY MEET?
Groups meet once a week at the host’s home, at the church, or at another location that the host arranges. Our spring study will last eight weeks, and groups are encouraged to continue meeting after that!
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN A GROUP?
It depends on the group and the space constraints of the location where they meet. Most groups are about ten to fifteen people—some are larger, some smaller.
WHAT WILL THE CONTENT OF THE BIBLE STUDY BE?
This spring, you will get to choose your Bible study material. RightNow Media has tons of video studies that come with discussion questions!
WHAT WILL I DO AS A GROUP HOST?
As a host, you will provide your home or another location for the group to meet, provide or coordinate snacks, and facilitate discussion of the Bible studies.
CAN I HOST A CONNECTION GROUP IF I HAVE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE?
Of course! The requirements for Connection Group hosts are completion of 1st Base and church membership.
HOW DO I SIGN UP TO BE A HOST?
Sign up here. We will be in touch with you soon!
I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT BEING A HOST.
Please contact the church office! We are happy to help.
HOW DO I SIGN UP TO JOIN A GROUP AS A PARTICIPANT?
Group sign-ups will begin in February. Look for more info soon!
NIGHT TO SHINE
Friday, February 7, 6:00–9:00pm
Night To Shine is coming up soon!
Night To Shine is an unforgettable prom night experience, centered on God’s love, designed for people with special needs ages 14 and older. If you would like to learn more or register as a guest or volunteer, scan the QR code, visit
somdnts.com, or check the Emmanuel app. Please consider serving as a buddy at this amazing event to make an impact in the lives of our honored guests—your life will be changed too!
ITEMS NEEDED FOR NIGHT TO SHINE
We are in need of a few donated items to help make Night To Shine an amazing night for our guests. If you would like your items returned after the event, please mark them with your name.
• Blue lights
• Fake snow rolls/polyester fiberfill
• Pine cones for centerpieces
• Faux or real greenery garland for centerpieces (if you’re bringing real greenery, please wait till the week of the event)
VALENTINE’S BANQUET
Saturday, February 15, 6:00–9:00pm | Emmanuel Life Center gym
Enjoy an evening with your spouse with a delicious dinner at our Marriage Ministry’s Second Annual Valentine’s Banquet! The cost is $20 per couple. Childcare is available for an additional $5 (pizza provided for the kids). Please register here.
2024 CHRISTMAS OFFERING
Goal: $40,000
The Emmanuel 2024 Annual Christmas Offering is all about ministry, makeovers, and more!
God is actively working in three specific areas of ministry, and we want to join Him there. The women’s ministry, young adult ministry, and discipleship foundations ministry are showing great progress even without budgeted resources. This year’s Christmas offering will fund these strategic areas of ministry as God does even more than we could ever expect.
God is also at work in our children’s ministry even during a season of leadership transition. The children’s wing desperately needs a makeover from floor to ceiling. The current decor has served its purpose for more than a decade. Your generous offering will help refresh this vital ministry space for our children.
But that’s not all. Emmanuel is trusting God for more than $40,000. If God supplies above and beyond our goal, funds will be directed toward strategic ministries like Missions, Celebrate Recovery, and others. So much more can be and should be done!
Would you begin praying about your annual offering? Let’s all give joyfully and sacrificially this season as we invest in God’s Kingdom work.
You can give to the Christmas offering online here (make sure “Christmas Offering 2024” is selected as the fund).
FINANCIAL UPDATE
As of the end of December, our income was at 98% of our budget target. However, we spent 101% of the budget. We’re praying that God provides above and beyond what we need for 2025 so we can fund our ministries and continue to spread the good news of Jesus around the corner and around the world.
We have received $76,707 from the second Emmanuel Life Center campaign since July 1, 2023. The family that pledged the matching funds contributed their share in advance of giving. These funds will be used to supplement mortgage payments because we do not have enough funds in the budget to pay the ELC mortgage. The intent of the campaign is to avoid reducing funds provided to ministries.
ECP-FIN-2D, our procedures for “Financial Controls,” requires that the following information be provided to the congregation: “An annual report shall be provided to the church stating the original loan amount amounts, current outstanding balance, interest rate, and expected payoff dates for all mortgages.”
• As of the end of October 2023, we commenced paying the mortgage for the Emmanuel Life Center. During construction, we were only paying interest on the amount borrowed to date. We borrowed $3,800,000. The current loan balance is $2,923,554. This loan is a 25‑year loan ending in October 2048. The current interest rate is 5.45% and the monthly payment is $18,333 with 28% going towards the principle. The rate adjusts every 5 years. The rate will adjust to the 5‑Year Treasury Bill rate plus 3.50%.
• The main campus mortgage was paid off in August 2024. The term of the mortgage was to March 2032. By paying off the mortgage, we saved $102,000 for the remaining term of the loan. The current mortgage rate was 6.125%, which was higher than current and expected CD rates. The loan rate would have been re-evaluated in March 2026 (every 7 years). Based on the loan provisions, in January of this year the rate would be increased to 8.035%. We cannot be certain what the 7-year Treasury would be in March.
RIGHTNOW MEDIA
Access over 20,000 videos with Bible studies, kids’ shows, devotionals, and more! Create your FREE account here.
THIS WEEK AT EMMANUEL
SUNDAY, JANUARY 26
9:00 and 10:45am
Worship
Emmanuel Kids (birth through 5th grade)
Emmanuel Students (6th through 12th grade)
Baptism Sunday
MONDAY, JANUARY 27
4:00pm
Pickleball and Jesus
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29
6:00pm
Emmanuel Young Adults
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30
7:00pm
Voyage Nights Lock-In (6th through 12th grade)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 31
Celebrate Recovery
6:00pm Dinner
7:00pm Large Group
**SUNDAY, *
9:00 and 10:45am
Worship
Emmanuel Kids (birth through 5th grade)
Emmanuel Students (6th through 12th grade)
Baptism Sunday