EFCA Update for 2010-01-28

In this issue of the EFCA Update

2010 Long Term Disability Insurance

Open enrollment will close soon
Remind your church staff that EFCA group long term disability enrollment forms must be received at the EFCA national office by January 31.  The annual January open enrollment period allows church pastors and staff who have previously waived coverage or failed to enroll in the EFCA Long Term Disability Insurance when offered as a salary deferral benefit to join. 
 
If you have questions or you're not participating, email benplan@efca.org or call us at (952) 853-1762 to find out how your church can offer affordable long term disability insurance to their staff.  Help protect your employee's income should the unexpected occur!

AARK Sunday - February 21

In 5 years, we have seen our Lord multiply 18 disconnected black pastors and church planters to over 100 engaged and connected women and men effectively serving local churches, in EFCA districts, and on national teams and boards. Celebrate the Lord's blessing with us!

One major building block of this growth of black leaders has been the interdependent relationships with other EFCA pastors and leaders through the Alliance of African-American Resources for the Kingdom (AARK).  On February 21, AARK Sunday, we are celebrating this favor of God. Learn more about how you and your congregation can participate on AARK Sunday.

Immigration Attorneys Wanted

Project Esperanza/Hope is looking for attorneys who currently work with immigration cases or are willing to learn. EFCA Project Hope is an endeavor to link paralegal-trained EFCA leaders with other compassion efforts such as ESL, evangelism and basic living needs.  These leaders will have received training and experience in order to receive approval by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) as Accredited Representatives.  The BIA allows for these workers to advise, fill out forms, and tell people what their options are relative to immigration.  These Accredited Representatives may even represent immigrants before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

We believe that our immigrant neighbors (those here legally and the fifteen million undocumented people) are created in the image of God.  Many live in the shadows and are easy prey for abuse. Many are either being taken advantage of by the unscrupulous or given bad information that gets them into trouble with the INS and may cost them their opportunity to become citizens.  Our immigrant neighbors need the gospel and love of the Body coupled with accurate legal information. 

We want to create an advisory board of attorneys that can advise these EFCA leaders who will be serving, evangelizing and being the hands of the Church.  This is not helping people circumvent the law, but helping them meet the law while providing compassion with a gospel purpose. 

If you are an immigration lawyer, would you like to serve in an advisory capacity?  If you are a lawyer practicing in another field, would you like to receive immigration training and help with the handling of cases on a part-time basis? If you are a church leader who knows an immigration attorney in your congregation, please share this message. If you are interested in helping or in learning more, please contact Alex Mandes at alex.mandes@efca.org.

Tax Time Resource

Zondervan's 2010 Minister's Tax & Financial Guide by Dan Busby
The Zondervan 2010 Minister's Tax and Financial Guide is the most accessible, easy-to-follow workbook of its kind, explaining complex tax concerns in plain language. For 2010, this guide includes a line-by-line explanation of the 1040 Form as well as information on recent changes in the tax code, sound retirement planning helps, compensation planning guidance, and maximizing business expense reimbursements.

Special Price - $11.97
Order online or call (800) 444-2665

Your Students - the world at our doorstep

God is bringing the world to our doorstep; this is strikingly evident in the neighborhoods around Evangelical Free churches in the New York Metro.  EFCA churches in Brooklyn, Queens and Jersey City (NJ) need your students to come alongside them as they minister to the groups of people God has put around them - literally, at their doorsteps.  BUMP - Bridging Urban Mission Project - is the student urban missions weeks of ReachNational that can prepare and deploy your group to minister to children from Egypt, the Middle East, South and Central America, mainland China ... the world!  Go to http://www.efca.org/bump for more information on how you and your students can participate in BUMP NYC.

Translators Needed

EFCA Hispanic Ministries is working with ministries and departments of the EFCA in order to get much of our communication materials translated into Spanish.  In order to accomplish this we are in need of native Spanish speakers who can translate documents from English to Spanish at an excellent level.  For more information about this opportunity, please contact hispanicministries@efca.org or call (956) 961-9665.

GlobalFingerprints - orphan sponsorship program

Celebrate with GlobalFingerprints
Our goal of 1,000 sponsored orphans by January 1, 2010 was reached!  We are presently at 1,019 sponsored orphans, and have set a goal of having 2,010 children sponsored by the end of 2010.  Go to http://www.globalfingerprints.org to learn more.

GlobalFingerprints is expanding
In 2010, GlobalFingerprints will expand beyond Congo setting up a second sponsorship location in India.  Please pray for the GlobalFingerprints team and national partners as preparations are made to open the program this summer in the slums of Kolkata. 
 
GlobalFingerprints VBS project - Words 4 Life
This summer's project will raise funds to provide Bibles and Sunday school flannel graph kits so that children sponsored by GlobalFingerprints will have access to the Word of God.  Read additional project information or email globalfingerprints@efca.org to learn more.

Christian Investors Foundation

Do you know that you or your church can invest with Christian Investors Foundation?  To see our current investment certificate rates or obtain an Offering Circular, check out our Web site http://www.christianinvestors.org or call us at (800) 995-8574.
 
This shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of Investment Certificates in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale is not authorized.  The offering is made solely by the OFFERING CIRCULAR. * EARLY REDEMPTION PENALTY: (i) 90 days' interest on the principal amount redeemed if the original maturity is one year or less, (ii) 120 days' interest on the principal amount redeemed if the original maturity is over one year to two years and (iii) 180 days' interest on the principal amount redeemed if the original maturity is over 2 years.  Christian Investors Foundation reserves the right to discontinue offering these Investment Certificates at any time.  AN INVESTMENT IN THE INVESTMENT CERTIFICATES INVOLVES CERTAIN RISKS MORE FULLY DESCRIBED IN THE OFFERING CIRCULAR, INCLUDING THE RIGHT OF CHRISTIAN INVESTORS FOUNDATION TO REDEEM THE INVESTMENT CERTIFICATES PRIOR TO THEIR FINAL MATURI TY. THE INVESTMENT CERTIFICATES ARE NOT FDIC INSURED.

Share Your "recommended reads"

EFCA Today would love to hear from a variety of EFCA lay leaders, staff and pastors about the one theological book that has given you the greatest "aha" moment . . . and the one novel that has taught you the most about God and His ways. So that means: We know it's hard, but please only send the names of two books! Add your personal comments about why, but only two books. . . 
 
Please enlist responses from other leaders at your church, too, and send responses to pastormatt@lansefree.org.
EFCA - Multiplying Healthy Churches Among All People

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