EFCA Update for 2009-01-11

In this issue of the EFCA Update

EFCA NATIONAL OFFICE REDUCES STAFF AND BENEFITS

Today's hard economic times have required hard decisions.  Decreases in donor income for 2008 and projections for 2009 led senior leadership at the national office to terminate seven valued employees the first week of January, leave unfilled several vacant positions, freeze wages for all employees, and suspend employer contributions to employees' retirement plans.
 
EFCA President William Hamel said, "This first week of January was not easy, but the difficult times we are in require such action.  Please pray for each individual affected that they will quickly find new employment and that they would trust mightily in our Lord who says He will meet our every need.  Pray for the EFCA and all our churches.  Pray also for each of us as a staff.  What we are facing at the national office is being repeated in hundreds of churches and other ministries nationwide.  In all things may God be glorified."

BUMP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

BUMP - Bridging Urban Mission Project - is a program of ReachNational promoting student urban missions. Register your group now for a week of hands-on ministry alongside EFCA urban and cross cultural churches. Serve an urban church for a week. Gain ministry skills that last a lifetime. Change your world.  For more information, visit http://www.efca.org/bump.

EFCA TOUCHGLOBAL RESPONDS TO URGENT NEED IN INDIA

Orissa relief for persecuted pastors, families and fellowships
In 2008, the news media reported more than 200 attacks on Christians-mostly in the state of Orissa. The roots of this wave of persecution are complex, weaving politics and caste with religion. 4,000 homes and hundreds of churches have been burned; 59 people killed; 50,000 people have become refugees; and there have been many rapes and forced re-conversions.

Continued rebuilding and refurnishing some 40 houses and three churches and providing training and coaching to local pastors will require another $100,000. Unlike many natural disaster victims, the individuals impacted by this tragedy had:

  • no warning of the attacks (no time to salvage belongings)
  • no insurance to replace their losses
  • little or no protection or relief or temporary shelters for refuge
  • no network of church volunteer teams coming to their aid
More information is available from TouchGlobal or make a donation online using our secure server.

CONTRIBUTE TO EFCA TODAY

Young EFCA leaders
How often do you find yourself trying to explain/ redefine Jesus and Christianity to apathetic or hostile friends, colleagues, family members? How often have you shaken your head in anger, or shame, as the faith you hold dear is tainted by the less-than-Jesus-like examples of others who call themselves "Christians"?
 
EFCA Today would like to hear how you - and other young men and women in your churches - are redefining Christianity to a watching world. If you'd like to contribute your thoughts, please contact the editor at dianemc@journeygroup to learn more.

Pornography/ Sexual addition among church leaders
EFCA Today is looking for your stories and ideas regarding how prevalent this is in our churches and how people are finding victory. Do you know of a story that needs to be told? A resource that needs to be recommended?
 
In addition, we're compiling a list of protocol/ boundaries your church has established for maintaining personal integrity between men and women on your leadership staff and in your congregation (e.g. We never counsel alone with a nonfamily member from the opposite sex unless the room has a window or an open door. We started implementing this policy [when?] because [why?]). Send your ideas to the editor by January 18 to dianemc@journeygroup.com

OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE WITH EFCA TOUCHGLOBAL CRISIS RESPONSE

EFCA TouchGlobal Crisis Response serves domestically with local EFCA churches, and internationally with ReachGlobal missionaries and national church leaders to show Christ's love in the wake of crisis effecting outreach, evangelism and church planting.  We currently have staff in post-Katrina New Orleans; Hurricane Ike impacted Galveston, TX; and in Chincha, Peru dealing with earthquake recovery. To continue ongoing response, we need:

Short Term Mission Teams to serve with us for a week at a time.

Long term staff to serve with us for  3 months to 2 years helping with construction outreach, relational follow-up, discipling, cooking, project management, tools and supplies, and other ministry team support roles. 

Short term staff to serve with us for 3 weeks to 3 months, especially over Spring Break and during the summer 2009. This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to ‘try out' a missions focused holistic ministry opportunity, and is ideal for students, teachers and retirees.

For more information on these life changing opportunities, contact crisisresponse@efca.org.

EFCA FOUNDATION

Do you have a will? 
Does your will meet your current goals?  If not, then now might be just the time to get your financial affairs in order. Contact the EFCA Foundation to get a copy of our Will Kit. This may be the information you need to get started. For details, contact Lanny Harris at (800) 995-8578, by email at foundation@efca.org or check out the Web site at http://www.efcafoundation.org.

TEACH ENGLISH IN INDONESIA

Five teams of four to six teachers are needed for summer 2009 to provide English classes in a creative ministry context. Churches that participate will have the opportunity to develop a partnership with a national ministry reaching unreached people groups in an area of Indonesia. Students in the English classes will be college aged and young professionals. The total cost is $1,300 plus international airfare and travel costs.

Dates (including travel) for the first site are:

  • June 18 - July 5, 2009
  • July 2 - July 19, 2009
  • July 16 - August 2, 2009
Dates (including travel) for the second site are:
  • June 25 - July 12, 2009
  • July 9 - July 26, 2009

For more information, please contact andy.krause@efca.org or rachel.bliss@efca.org.

EFCA - Multiplying Healthy Churches Among All People

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