The Evangelical Free Church

My husband and I were members of an E-Free church for 20 years. I was a member in various E-Frees for 34 years. Last year we changed churches, for personnel reasons, not doctrinal reasons, but we still receive their magazine, "EFCA Today." On the way to nine holes of golf today I skimmed the Fall 2008 issue while my husband drove.

A number of things popped out at me.

Page 6. Students live in a culture where there is no room or time to hear, encounter or know God. We won't be able to change the culture, but we can be part of a church/ministry that creates space to encounter God.

I love that phrase: Create space to encounter God. Isn't that so relevant? I am definitely noodling that phrase... We need to purpose to create that space in our jam packed lives.

"My Friend Prudence," is an article on page 8 which contains this thought provoking quote: "Too often Christians assume that those outside the Church reject their message because they are rejecting the truth of the gospel. I believe, however, that often these observers don't like us because we have failed to treat them with genuine Christian love." You can read this article on diversity here.

The side bar on page 30 has me beaming. It is the introduction to a ministry called ReachGlobal Agape Home in Thailand. It's the kind of ministry that I want to support and know more about so that when a liberal starts attacking my social values I can respond..."I support an orphanage in Thailand for HIV infected orphans with my money. And you?" The church is so active, but I am so ignorant of ministries like this!

The coordinator, Ellen Costrava, writes: Things die and things are left behind. Dreams die. Mommies die. Hope dies. But this is not he end of the story. Dreams can come alive again. I can be a mommy. Hope can be restored. God cares about lost things. And He cares about children who have been lost...lost in a political system, lost in the the shuffle, lost to someone's memory. I live to be a finder.

Read more about this ministry here.



The world is such a big place isn't it? It's easy for me to become entangled in my dailies, and to lose sight of the big picture. The ministries of the church are a great way to stay connected...I need to become more sacrificially involved. My time is spent on the local church, but my money can affect the global picture.