Hearts and Crafts:

 Hearts and Crafts meet on the second and fourth Saturdays from 10 am to 12ish in the Koinonia Chapel. For quite a few years we have done knitting, crocheting, and some stitchery and beading. We would like to invite anyone who enjoys doing crafts to join us. Or if you would like to stop by and share fellowship, please come. We often do more talking than crafting!  


EPC Offerings
Each year, the EPC sponsors two special offerings during the holiday season; one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.  Each offering is designated with a specific purpose.  

The Thanksgiving Offering was designated for the World Outreach Family Gathering that is held once every four years.  All World Outreach Global workers gather for six days of fellowship, worship and renewal.  These gatherings are a delightful respite for workers, many of whom are lonely for Christian Fellowship, or just plain weary from the demands of ministry in the Hard Places.  Contributions will augment the WO Family Gathering budget and help pay for Family Gathering expenses such as travel, lodging, and food. 

The Christmas Offering (Gratitude Gift) supports the Gratitude Gift Fund, which helps retired EPC ministers and missionaries in need.  When grief or pain impact the lives of these faithful shepherds, the blessing of financial assistance is a tangible way to show that others care. 

Thank you for considering how you can support this offering through prayer and/or giving as you are led by God.


The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is a nonprofit, interdenominational Christian missions organization dedicated to serving our persecuted family worldwide through practical and spiritual assistance and leading other members of the body of Christ into fellowship with them. Voice of the Martyrs was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand who was imprisoned for 14 years in Communist Romania for his faith in Christ; his wife, Sabina, was imprisoned for three years. In 1965 they were ransomed out of Romania; and soon thereafter, they established the global network of missions of which Voice of the Martyrs is a part. The Wurmbrands based these missions on Hebrews 13:3, which instructs us to “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.” The Voice of the Martyrs continues this mission around the world today through the following purposes:
1) To encourage and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission in areas of the world where they are persecuted for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2) To provide practical relief and spiritual support to the families
of Christian martyrs.
3) To equip persecuted Christians to love and win to Christ those who are opposed to the gospel in their part of the world.
4) To undertake projects of encouragement, helping believers rebuild their lives and Christian witness in countries where they have formerly suffered oppression.
5) To promote the fellowship of all believers by informing the world of the faith and courage of persecuted Christians, thereby inspiring believers to a deeper level of commitment to Christ and involvement in His Great Commission.

VOM is an interdenominational organization working with Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ. They supply Bibles, literature, and Christian broadcasts, provide families with relief, help believers rebuild their lives and witness in countries that have suffered Communist oppression, and to inform the world about atrocities committed against courageous and faithful Christians.
Contact Information:
PO Box 443, Bartlesville, OK 74005-0443
www.persecution.com
From ministrywatch.com and www.persecution.com/about

 

Collecting Shoebox Items for
Operation Christmas Child

If you would like to collect items for the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox for kids, you could either purchase items all at once, or collect a few per month leading up to the end of October.  If you need boxes, please see Juanita MacMahon.

January-Hats, Gloves, Scarves
February-Accessories (sunglasses, watches, hair items, jewelry)
March-Quality Crafts (pillow cases, tote bags…)
April-Stuffed animals
May-Hygiene items (washcloths, soap, toothbrushes, comb, hairbrush, deodorant)
June-Toys
July-Clothing items (socks, shoes, t-shirts, dresses…)
August-School supplies
September-Games
October-Letter & photo
November-$9 Donation for postage
December-Prayer


World Outreach
There is mission information that is available on the Evangelical Presbyterian church website.  The website for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church is https://www.epc.org, or you can go to www.epcwo.org for a direct link to World Outreach, the mission portion of EPC.  There are multiple tabs on the welcome page of their website.  If you click on World Outreach, tabs link to ministry descriptions including: news, projects, resources, videos, and go.  The projects tab links to current projects, including Syrian/Iraqi Relief Projects and EPC Emergency Relief Projects.  There are also WO projects that focus on outreach to Muslims, unreached people, and people in poverty.  The Go tab is a link to opportunities to go and serve for a short or long term mission trip.  There is also information about people who are serving and how you can pray for them and give to support their work.

Our church has purchased copies of “Going to Hard Places” 2016- 2017 Directory and Prayer Guide.”  This gives information about teachers and people serving with EPC if you prefer a paper copy.  A copy is available in the church library, or see any member of our mission committee for more information.

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New Support for Indigenous Missions
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gives us the command to take the gospel to all the nations. In the original Greek, the word for nations can more accurately be translated “people groups.” People groups are defined by their unique language, culture, and ethnicity. There are 16,404 people groups in the world. Ninetyfive percent live in the 10/40 window (the rectangular area located between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator). 6,648 people groups are considered unreached. 41% don’t have ready access to the gospel. Of the 55 least evangelized countries in the world, 97% live within the 10/40 window. 85% of those living in the 10/40 window are the poorest of the world’s poor. 90% of the people living in the 10/40 window are unevangelized.
What these statistics tell us is that there is a great need for prayer, focus, and mission work in these areas, especially the 10/40  window. And who better can reach these people groups than those who are native to their own people group. They already know the language, culture, and people and can live much more cheaply. With this in mind, the Mission/Outreach Committee has added a new mission organization called HeartCry Missionary Society. Their goal is to facilitate the advancement of indigenous missionaries throughout the world. They currently support 238 indigenous missionaries in 41 countries.
Please pray for HeartCry Missionary Society and for the advancement of the gospel to all 16,404 people groups. Perhaps you could even make it a point to pray for a particular people group? According to Matthew 24:14, Jesus will not return until the gospel
is preached to all people groups. Will you pray to this end?
 

From  Missionaries Elisha & Crystal Stock in Arua, Uganda

To know Him intimately, so we can be equipped.  To share Him freely, that He might be worshipped among all people groups.  To live life with, and not separate from the people He has called us to.”

  Three Years and Counting
Today marks a historical day for us, as it is our three-year anniversary in East Africa.  We praise God for His faithfulness during our time here and want to give Him all the glory for what he is doing through us.  Join us as we pray for  many more fruitful years of service here.

Elisha flies Sudanese pastors back to their village and pick up three pastors to take them to a training school in Kenya.  Pastors in South Sudan have close to no training.  This was an opportunity for them to get some theological training from experienced professors.  The flight is two hours and thirty minutes over barren land and the world’s largest freshwater wetland swamp.  There are so many people who have never heard the Gospel and in places that are almost impossible to reach.  It makes me realize how valuable a tool the airplane is in this region.

Please be praying for the outbreak of Ebola that has been taking over in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  This country neighbors Uganda where we are living and seems to be slowly inching its way closer to us; but, so far has been contained to Congo.  Please pray that God would be working to contain this outbreak and that officials and medical teams would have wisdom in how to stop the spread of this virus.

We are slowly feeling settled in our home in Uganda.  There are always projects that need to be done; but, most of the major things we needed to do have been done.  We finally were able to finish our kitchen sink countertop.  We have stained and finished it.  The cabinet doors and drawers will be next.

We are slowly making new friends in Arua and are getting to know our way around town.  Elisha has started language lessons, and Crystal will be starting soon.  Pray that we can learn this difficult language quickly and well.

Pray that Crystal can find a good ministry to get involved in in Arua.

Pray for safety as Elisha flies.

Elisha & Crystal Stock
PO Box 640
Arua, Uganda
Elisha.stock@sim.org