Weekly News – Feb. 3rd, 2013
What’s Happening This Week
Join us next Sunday, February 10th at 11am as we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday and Luke 9:28-43. Don’t forget that if you’ve missed any sermons, you can catch up with our podcasts or sermon videos.
Congregational Vision Meeting, Feb. 10th at 6pm – this is a gathering for anyone who calls Eastside Church home to come & share about what the church means to you & how God is working through Oakhurst to transform your life. We’ll also have a time to look forward into the coming year about some important decisions in the life of the church.
Pre-service prayer – 10am every Sunday before church we have an informal time of prayer in the prayer corner. This is a time when we intentionally pray for the church, its growth, and existence. Consider joining in this time of prayer for the church and centering before worship.
Growth groups (small groups) are the way we connect more intimately with each other at Oakhurst. If you’re interested in learning more about joining a Growth Group please contact Trent Lloyd – trent@eastsideatl.org. We’re also currently seeking to start a men’s growth group. If you’re interested in being part of this, please email Trent.
Ways to Connect, Grow, & Serve Together
Ash Wednesday Service – Join us Wed. Feb. 13th at 7pm as we celebrate Ash Wednesday. This sacred service begins the season of Lent. We will have the imposition of ashes & the celebration of holy Eucharist. Our nurseries will be open for children aged 0-4. We invite children 5 and up to participate in this service with their parents.
Parent’s Night Out – Oakland Children’s Ministry will be hosting a Parent’s Night Out on Saturday, Feb. 16 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. Enjoy dinner with your Valentine & leave the kids with us! We’ll be showing a family friendly movie, playing some games, & providing pizza & popcorn. Younger children are welcome–we’ll also provide basic childcare. If you plan for your children to attend, please RSVP to whitney@eastsideatl.org so we can get an idea of numbers. We want this to be a community event, so invite friends & neighbors! Volunteers are also needed–this will be a fun & easy way to serve our church & community. Email whitney@eastsideatl.org if you can help!
Showing of Traces of the Trade on Sat. February 23rd at 7:00pm – Mark your calendars for our next documentary showing. We will be showing “Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North” as we seek to engage & understand issues of the slave trade & structural sin. There will be a time of discussion to follow. You can learn more at our website.
Coffee with the Pastors, Feb. 24th from 4-6pm – Are you interested in taking the next step with Eastside Church? Join us for Coffee With the Pastors. Here you will learn from our pastoral leadership about Eastside Church, our denominational tribe, & ways you can get plugged in at Oakhurst. Those who participate will be given the opportunity to officially become a Covenant Member of Eastside Church in worship the following Sunday morning (March 3rd at 11am). If you plan to attend, please RSVP to tim@eastsideatl.org. Childcare is available upon request.
Save the Date! – Eastside Church’s Summer Camp 2013 will be held June 17-21, 2013. We will offer a half day and full day option, so mark your calendars and invite a friend! More details, including theme, volunteer opportunities, and registration, will follow soon!
Give & Take Bucket – this is a sustained food drive at the church for those inside and outside our congregation. The goal is to have a place where anyone can take food & anyone can give. If you’re having a hard time with groceries one week or know some who is, please take some food! If you have a surplus, please leave some for others!
Buy your coffee, chocolate, & tea at church! – As we endeavor to take small steps toward justice we’re selling fair trade products in the lobby after church from Equal Exchange. Buying here supports Oakhurst Chuch, the Co-op, & UMCOR! Stop by the info table to buy some today & get in the habit of buying your chocolate & coffee at church!
We always need help on Thursday evenings from 6:30-7:30 to clean the church in preparation for worship. There is a sign up sheet at the information table for those able to contribute. This is an easy way to serve as well as to get connected with others in the church.
Join our online community at Eastside Church Community Builder. Create an account by signing up at www.eastsideatl.org in the upper right corner. This account allows you to give online, request to join a small group, view service opportunities & more.
Did the service prompt any thoughts or questions for you? We believe that transformation happens in community and we’d like to keep the conversation going whether it’s about the music, confession, the artwork, sermon, or anything else. You can engage in a conversation by commenting on the sermon blog post at ww.eastsideatl.org/sermons, by commenting on the sermon post on our Facebook page, via email – questions@eastsideatl.org (we’ll post for you as a blog post), or by replying @eastsideumc on Twitter.