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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT EvFREE – DECEMBER 13, 2018

A LETTER FROM OUR PASTORAL STAFF

Dear Church Family,
 
One of my greatest heartbeats for the church would be that we would BE family. This past weekend the definition of family was lived out in such tangible ways. As a church family we served each other, served alongside each other, we supported and encouraged each other and we sacrificed for each other. What a gift to be a part of a group of people who give up a valuable weekend in the busiest time of the year to serve as a family and seek to love our community with such intentionality. It was an intergenerational glorious picture of the family of God.

For me, walking up and down the plaza over the course of those four nights was like a reunion of faces I have known since childhood growing up here in our city. Many people who attended CHRISTMAS BLVD already belong to our church family and for many, this is the first time they have ever walked through the door of our church family home. Either way, our friends and neighbors were filled with joy, provided with opportunities for great memories with their personal families, and Lord willing, given a picture of the love of Christ, and the reason we celebrate the season through the smiling faces that greeted, welcomed and served them along the way.

For many of us, the holidays are all about the joy of spending time with those we love and for many of us the holidays are tough times, dealing with loss, hurt or pain that we are reminded of during this season. My prayer for each of us is that we would be reminded of the family that God has provided for us here at Fullerton Free. For our neighbors, would we pray that no matter what the season brings for them, that they would remember the clear picture of the love of Christ which was portrayed through our church family to them this past weekend and that they are always welcome in our home.


Scott Belon
Pastor of Heritage Ministries
View CHRISTMAS BLVD photo highlights here.

LOVING OUR COMMUNITY

OC United’s
Affordable Christmas Store

 
You can make a difference and bring joy and hope to those who are hurting this Christmas season. Stop by the OC United table on the Plaza to pick up a list of items needed for the Affordable Christmas Store they are hosting and bring dignity and cheer to foster families, domestic violence victims and families from at-risk neighborhoods. A list of items to bring can also be found here.

Thanksgiving Offering 2018 
$50 Thousand Days of Christmas

Right before Thanksgiving we announced our annual Thanksgiving Offering campaign for this year called "$50 Thousand Days of Christmas"! We want to be a church of radical kindness and generosity, and so our goal was to COLLECT $50,000 to CARE for the greater community around us. We also encouraged you to COLLABORATE with us in suggesting ideas on how to distribute the funds to those in need. And you did! You gave, you suggested ideas, you offered specific gifts and services for us to pass on. THANK YOU! And if you haven't yet participated but would like to, please use the links below to donate or suggest someone to receive the blessing!
Donate funds here.
Suggest an idea here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Prayer Somewhere

Saturday, December 22, 10:00am, Worship Center
Join us in prayer weekly for "Prayer Somewhere" – a weekly gathering in an ever-changing location. To find out more about each week's location, please sign up for the "prayer" Push Notifications in the Set-Up section of our new app.

Christmas Eve Services

December 24, 3:00pm | 4:30pm | 6:00pm
Join us for our Christmas Eve Services. These services will be approximately one hour and family oriented. Childcare will be provided from birth to kindergarten. We can't wait to celebrate together as a family!

Men’s Retreat 2019 Save the Date

Mark your calendars and save the date for the 2019 Men’s Retreat coming April 26 - 28. Join us as we ship out to Catalina for a weekend of rest, adventure, and spiritual invigoration. Look for more details to come in January.

GIFT GIVING

Clothes for Mongolia

We are now accepting gently worn items to be sent to Christians in Mongolia. Our donations will allow them to purchase affordable clothing, clothe the poorest of the poor and support their ministries for a year. The collection bins are located in the Chapel parking lot and open for contributions on Sunday mornings during office hours (8:00am–5:00pm M–F). Donations will be collected until January 2019.

GENEROSITY

Budget—Year to Date
Budget: $4,245,000
Received: $3,681,443
Surplus (or deficit): ($563,557)

Actual—Year to Date
Actual Income: $3,681,443
Actual Expenses: $3,533,406
Positive Cash Flow: $148,037

December Giving - Thanks to faithful giving and the faithful stewardship of our resources we currently find ourselves with a positive cash flow. Our $7,000,000 budget has 18% of our annual income planned for December which is historically the largest giving month of our fiscal year. With three weeks left in the month, we would ask you to prayerfully consider your end of the year giving and ask the Lord for His direction as to how you can financially support the ministries of EvFree. 
Numbers are based on an annual budget of $7 million dollars.
Give Online

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

What a great weekend at CHRISTMAS BLVD! We are so thankful for everyone who came out and for those who helped make this event possible!

Visit here for photo highlights of the weekend!

Copyright © 2018 Fullerton Free, All rights reserved.


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