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online - everettfamilychurch.org | mail - 15317 73rd AVE SE #2, Snohomish, WA, 98296 | phone - 425 387-1975

This Old Watering Can by Pastor Mike

I have a gray watering can that I used to water the plants. It sits next to the faucet ready to be filled and poured out on the dirt mounds promising to produce seedlings and mature veggie-bearing produce. This year I hand-watered every plant each day. Does that sound like too much work? Well last year I set up a sprinkler on a timer so I could easily water the entire garden. The problem with the method was two-fold: The water bill was big and the weeds took over. By mid-July last summer I was in a losing battle with weeds. I learned that the soil that produces cucumbers and tomatoes produces obnoxious weeds. At the start of planting season I found an old watering can that I filled at the spigot so I could carefully pour the needed water at the base of each plant. It would require multiple trips back to the faucet to re-fill, six to seven times during the hot season. My son, John would help and the two of us witnessed the growth and development of the plants. It was satisfying for us both even as the trips to the faucet were tiresome. Our water bill dropped and the weeds were a mild nuisance this year. We had a b u m p e r c r o p o f veggies.

The watering can is a picture of my life in the hands of the Master gardener, Jesus Christ. He fills me with His Holy Spirit and I am the conduit by which His refreshing love touches the lives of my children, wife, friends, and people I meet. But I am a watering can - I’m not a hose. Jesus’ love and hope and peace are limitless. I’m just a plastic jug, a leaky can. I have to be refilled - often multiple times in the hot seasons. The spiritual and relational health of my family is determined by what I fill myself. Empty watering cans are useless. We gotta fill ourselves up.

Hey, are we looking with envy on one other’s gardens? Are our relationships and family wilted and desperate for Jesus’ refreshing love? That is where us dads (and moms) have to start watering our gardens. Let’s take the empty, leaky jug that God has given us, fill up on Jesus and begin to pour it out on our spouse, children and those in our life.

E F C F O C U S O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4

EFC FAMILY GATHERING S A T U R D A Y S @ 5 P M

Our Family Gathering is a worship concert built upon the truth of God’s Word empowered by the Holy Spir i t . Music typically opens our time with an interactive time of worship and a creative presentation of God’s Word. There is an age-graded

breakout for elementary and youth while adults are challenged in a sermon based on the day’s Biblical text. The evening concludes with a simple dinner. We have begun a study of the Bible book of Exodus and the life of Moses and Israel as they Egypt for the Promised Land. We are discover why God has saved us and for what purpose we were rescued in this engaging study!

FAMILY FALL FESTIVAL F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 2 4 , 6 - 8 p m

Join us in being Jesus with skin with the precious children and families who live at the Family Tree Apartments! We

are looking for individuals and families to sponsor an activity booth and join us in serving the children and families at the Family Tree Apartments. Run the booth

and/or donate prizes if you can!

Wear a costume and join in creating a free fun, safe event for the children in our community. Contact Pastor Mike to serve. Prize (candy, toy)

donations are needed.s

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online - everettfamilychurch.org | mail - 15317 73rd AVE SE #2, Snohomish, WA, 98296 | phone - 425 387-1975

Men’s Retreat at Lake Retreat: Nine men took the first weekend of the month to step away from home and work responsibilities to prepare ourselves to our tasks in this year ahead. We pressed into a study of God’s Crazy Love for us and were c h a l l e n g e d t o consider i f our own response to G o d w a s l u kewa r m . T he men who attended are pass iona te about being men of God filled with the Holy Spirit and l iving a l i fe of p a s s i o n a n d power! Thank you to the wives and f a m i l i e s w h o p r o v i d e d t h e space for their husbands to go! W e r e t u r n e d challenged and changed for God’s glory.

Bunco Night: What to do when most of the men of EFC are away? Invite your friends and gather the church family for a night of relationship building. Rather than the regular church service the woman organized a bunco game night and dinner.

New EFC Community Groups: The new EFC Community Groups launched this month. Paul and Amanda, Steve and Janine, Dan and Jenn, and Mike and Pascale serve as the Community Pastors with the responsibility of creating an environment where we will discover Jesus’ place in our lives. The groups met the final weekend of the month.

T a c o T u e s d a y : A wonderful evening of dinner and fellowship with the special folks at the Family Tree Apar tments. Thank you to the many who contr ibuted to the meal and participated.

SEPTEMBER REWIND

E F C M a n a g e m e n t T e a m Dan Bell, Janine Ripley, & Mike Wright We believe that God provides the resources we need to do the ministry He has directed us to do. Therefore, we do not worry or press folks to donate. Rather, we invite you to continue to honor God in proportion to His provision. He doesn’t need us but boy it is a joy to partake in His work!

Total Joy Box gifts in September $7,180 ...............Total EFC spending in September $3,198 ............. Community Ministry & Missions Abroad $407 ...! !

Everett Family Church is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. Tax Identification # 71-1025722

Visit EFC online (everettfamilychurch.org) for a current calendar of all events, times, and locations.

COMMUN I T Y GROUPS On the fourth weekend of the month we will not meet at the Hope Church building but in homes.

What are Community Groups? This a monthly time for families to connect in homes and share their growth in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Every week the Community Pastors pray and care for those in their group. The Community Pastors meet together throughout the month so that the community of EFC might be built up and look more and more like Jesus Christ. We walk alongside the precious people, support them through the hardships and encourage them to seek God’s best in all circumstances.

E F C B I R T H D A Y S !October 13 Isaac.....................

Family Dinner @ Family Tree Tu e s d a y , O c t o b e r 14 t h

All are invited to help us prep and serve a meal to the folks who live at the Family Tree Apartments. We will meet at Hope Church at 5pm to prepare the meal and serve the meal at the Family Tree Apartments at 6pm. We will clean-up and head home around 7pm.

MENU:

Taco bar (sign-up online to bring food or help)

BLIZZARD STAFF NEEDED: We are looking for youth and adults who are willing to serve at Blizzard Camp in January. The youth training is Friday, December 19 and the staff meetings are Saturday, January 3 and 17th. Talk to Jenn Bell to join the team.