When:  Saturday, July 17 at 9 am
Where: Emmanuel Westbank

We are beginning our gym renovation and need some willing and capable hands to start tearing down our staging, baffles and valances in preparation for painting. We will be starting at 9 am on July 17 and should be done by noon. Contact Pastor Jeff*jeff*Renovation Work Bee for more details.

When:  Summer Thursdays at 6 pm
Where: Pritchard Park

Every Thursday of the summer (July 6 to Aug 26) Emmanuel will be having a barbeque in at Pritchard Park. This is a great opportunity to spend time with friends and get to know others who you haven't previously met before. Feel free invite out your friends and neighbours.

The barbeques start at 6 pm and generally end around 8 pm, although there is not really a time limit. There will be barbeques set up for cooking and we encourage people to bring their own meat and buns. We also encourage you to bring a salad and dessert to share with others! The church will provide juice and all the condiments.

Looking for fun in the sun this summer? Come join us at one of our many neighbourhood kids clubs. At our clubs you will get to participate in wet and dry games, sing fun action songs songs, try some delicious snacks, work on some creative crafts, and listen to some super cool stories. All this for free!

For dates, locations and directions, please check out our children's event calendar or our calendar page.

When:  Saturday, June 19, 2010 at 9 am
Where: Gerhard & Gerdi's House

Calling all leaders of connecting points at Emmanuel! Come join us for a year end breakfast at Gerhard and Gerdi Koch’s house (3115 Doucette Drive) at 9 am on June 19. We will be eating together, sharing stories of the year, and talking about some resources that are available to all small group leaders at Emmanuel.

For more information contact Pastor Jeff*jeff*Small Group Breakfast.

When:  Saturday, June 19 at 10 am – noon
Where: Emmanuel Westbank

Come help clean up West Kelowna. In partnership with other churches on the Westside, Emmanuel is helping with the process of beautifying our city. Meet at the church at 10 am for area maps. We'll be cleaning from Old Okanagan Highway to Hebert Road and Dobbin Road to Main Street. The clean up time will end at noon.

Gloves and bags will be provided by the municipality. CIBC is holding a BBQ for all volunteers at noon with live music, free food, and a draw for an Apple iPad.

For more information contact Pastor Andy*andy*Community Clean-Up.

When:  Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 9 am – 2 pm
Where: Emmanuel Westbank

To you, it’s just dad’s old steel-toed boots… but for Thailand, it represents new mattresses to sleep on. Come support a project helping Burmese refugees. The day will include a giant garage sale, a hotdog and munchies fundraiser, a car wash, face painting, and a jump house. Fun for the whole family! All proceeds go to the Hanson family’s Thailand mission.

The Hansons are raising money to go to Mae Sot, Thailand for a year to help out with schools and living accommodations of Burmese refugees. Many of these schools do not have running water, and many of the refugees have very little to call home. The Hansons will also be working with a project called Life Books which helps build an identity for refugees who have no family identity.

All funds collected go to help make this humanitarian trip possible. Thanks for your support!

When:  Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 1 pm
Where: Emmanuel Westbank

The memorial service for Ashlee Hyatt will be held at Emmanuel Church on Saturday, June 12. Join us as we remember Ashlee and celebrate her life.

Doors open at noon, and the service starts at 1 pm. Please plan on arriving early, as seating is limited.

A reception with coffee, tea and desserts will follow the service.

Emmanuel is gratefully receiving donated desserts and squares for the reception afterwards. Our office is open Thursday and Friday from 8:30 to 4:30.

When:  Thursday, June 17, 2010 at noon
Where: Emmanuel Westbank Upstairs

If you are a business person or are interested in Marketplace Ministry, we invite you out to our Emmanuel Business Group Luncheon. Taking place on the third Thursday of every month, we meet for an hour to eat together, hear from different businesses, and discuss our Christian response to marketplace issues.

This month features Rolf Issler as our business presenter and our discussion will be on developing a business award for ethics. Our meal is provided for us by Michelle Kraeker.

For more information, contact Jeff Bjorgan*jeff*EBG Questions or Jennifer Long*telus.net*jennifer.long*EBG Questions.

When:  Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 8 pm
Where: Emmanuel Westbank

In light of the tragedy yesterday and the grief many are facing, Emmanuel Church has been asked to be a place of gathering for our community. Emmanuel is hosting a Candlelight Prayer Service tonight. It will be a place where students, guests, family and friends can gather to seek support, receive guidance in grief and encouragement through prayer.

This is an open community invitation. The service will be from 8 pm to 9 pm.

Pastor Ben has been to the home of the young lady who was killed yesterday. Pastor Andy, Pastor Ben and our interns have been at Mount Boucherie to provide support to the students there. Please join us tonight to comfort and support one another in prayer.

When:  Friday, June 4, 2010 at 6 pm
Where: Emmanuel Westbank
Cost:   $15 per person / $100 per table of 8

You are invited to our annual Fe Viva Legacy Banquet!

Fe Viva (Faith Alive) World Missions is a registered Canadian charity founded by our own Kim and Lynn Weiler, who had a calling to make a difference. In 1995, they packed up their family, sold everything they owned, and have devoted their lives to making a difference where the poorest of the poor need help –feeding, clothing, and providing medical care, fresh water, education and housing to over 500 orphaned children in Nicaragua, Guatemala and Sudan. Please join us on June 4, 2010, and help them to continue their work.

Tickest are $15 per person or $100 for a table of 8.

When:  Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 10 am
Where: Emmanuel Westbank

When:  Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 11 am
Where: Heritage Park, Peachland

The service on May 16 will be a baptismal service with a focus on the next generation. Join us for this special Sunday.

In Westbank, the youth will serve a pancake breakfast. We will hear testimonies. Our largest group ever will be baptized. Pastor Andy will preach. Come prepared to see God at work in our next generation. After the service there is a silent auction to support our next generation ministries.

In Peachland, the service will be held outdoors at Heritage Park, by the beach. We will baptize people in the lake. After the service, plan to stay for a barbeque. It should be a great Sunday.

At Emmanuel, baptism is not a membership rite; it is a public declaration of faith. If you are looking to be baptized in water, please contact one of the pastors.

We will be hold an Alpha Express class starting on May 30 and ending the last week of June. Classes will happen right after the worship service in Westbank. We will provide lunch and the course will last about an hour and a half.

Alpha is an introduction to the Christian faith and is a great resource for new Christians and those who are investigating Christianity. For more details, please contact Jeff Bjorgan*jeff*Alpha Express Course.

Most everyone has loose change lying around. It often piles up with no place to call home. Families at all churches in our community can give spare change a new purpose in life by joining the Okanagan Valley Pregnancy Care Centre’s 2010 Baby Bottle Brigade Partnership Campaign.

Starting on Mother’s Day and ending on Father’s Day, we encourage you to pick up an empty baby bottle (available in our church nursery) and fill it up with your loose change. Bring the full bottles back on Father’s day. Every little bit makes a difference.

The Okanagan Valley Pregnancy Care Centre is dedicated to serving and supporting women struggling with an unplanned pregnancy. Women can count on practical support and non-judgmental care during this difficult time.

www.ovpcc.com

This is just a reminder that May 16 is our last Sunday School program of the season. Teachers will be having mini-celebrations in their classrooms. We appreciate all of our many Sunday School volunteers for their commitment to and care of the church’s children.

Grab you bike and keep your car at home: it’s Bike to Worship week on May 16! Taking place between 8 and 9 am, we’re encouraging people to either bike or walk to the church service.

In Westbank, feel free to chain up your bike on the playground fence, grab a bottle of water and enjoy the morning. Please sign-in once you arrive. There will be a bike technician on-site ready to give your bike a spring tune-up. There will also be a pancake breakfast during the service at 10 am and baptismal to witness.

For Peachland, we’re encouraging people to bike or walk to the beach, near Heritage Park, where we will be holding services for the day. Stay after the service for a great barbeque.

It should be a great Sunday. Contact Jeff Bjorgan*jeff*Bike to Worship Week for more details.