There is more to life than events and responsibilities. Life is about relationships. At Emmanuel we encourage all of our adults to belong to a small group that we call Connecting Points. In a Connecting Point, one is connecting with others, and in community accomplishing something. It could be a Bible study, a prayer group, a sports activity, a community service.

As the year begins, most of our Connecting Points are back up and running. Check them out. Most of them are listed in our Connecting Points Calendar.

We also are preparing a special 6 week Connecting Point for those not now involved. The goal is to allow people to try them out, meet new people and to be encouraged in our faith. Watch for details coming soon in March.

The top ten sermons for the year were:

1. Making Love Last Forever by Derrick Hamre
2. Celebrating Fatherhood by Derrick Hamre
3. Throw Off the Veil by Derrick Hamre
4. A Story of Restoration by Derek Koch
5. Every Moment a Prayer by Derrick Hamre
6. Barriers to Being Released by Jeff Bjorgan
7. Ceremonies, Rituals and Initiations by Derrick Hamre
8. Aged Like Good Cheese by Derrick Hamre
9. Grace Like Rain by Derrick Hamre
10. Just Do It by Kim Weiler

If you missed any of these, be sure to check them out.

When:  February 25 at 8 am - noon
Where: Emmanuel Westbank Campus
Cost:  $5 (breakfast and classnotes included)

When:  February 26 at 7 - 9 pm
Where: Emmanuel Westbank Campus
Cost:  an offering will be taken

To accompany our Winter/Spring speaking series, First & Last: Hope from the Book of Revelation, we invite you to participate in The Revelation Seminar with Ron Herms, taking place on February 25 and 26, 2012.

The Book of Revelation has garnered much attention over the years, sometimes held at arm’s length and with suspicion, and sometimes embraced as a “tell all” press release for the end of the world. With all the confusion and opinions out there, it is no wonder that many Christians don’t even desire to read it! Yet, The Revelation is a gift to the church, an account of the gospel of Jesus Christ that can challenge and convict us as well as inspire us and give us hope.

Dr. Ron Herms is an Associate professor of New Testament at Northwest College in Kirkland, Washington, who has spent a considerable amount of time studying Jewish history and literature as well as early Christian origins. He has a particular interest in the development of apocalyptic thought in Second Temple Judaism and its influence on early Christian theology. Ron is our guest speaker for our seminar and will be taking the time to address key aspects necessary to know when approaching the book.

Sign up at the info desk for our Saturday morning breakfast on February 25 at 8 am. The fee is $5, which covers the breakfast as well as class notes for the morning lectures. Ron will be covering two topics throughout the morning. During the first lecture at 9 am, Ron will be talking about the history and the world of the book of Revelation, and in the second lecture he will be addressing the theology and spirituality of the book of Revelation.

As part of our Sunday morning speaking series, Ron will be preaching at both campuses on February 26 on the topic of evil. Services are at 9 and 11 am in Westbank and 10 am in Peachland.

Join us for the final conversation taking place on Sunday evening, February 26, at 7 pm. Ron’s topic will be From the Roman Empire to Hollywood: Our Interest in End Times. The night will feature a survey of some of the interesting, important (and sometimes bizarre) ways people have approached the End Times and how The Revelation has been used as a filter to defend all kinds of interesting behaviour over the centuries. An offering will be taken to help cover the costs of the seminar and Ron will be available for a Q&A session after each of his lectures.

When:  January 22 - April 29, 2012
Where: Emmanuel Westbank & Peachland

Emmanuel's preaching series for winter/spring 2012 is:

First & Last: Hope from the Book of Revelation.

The Revelation is the last book of the Bible. It is often viewed with fear or suspicion or approached with a cowboy-like theological persuasion. In reality, the The Revelation is a book of hope and represents good news and great growth opportunities for all of us.

Starting January 22, 2012 we are taking a chapter-by-chapter look at this important book through a series of sermons, seminars, and question periods. Be sure to join us for this exciting series!

When:  January 13 - 15, 2012 at 7 pm
Where: Emmanuel Westbank Campus

Spiritual Emphasis Days are back at Emmanuel. On January 13, 14, and 15, come join us for evenings of spiritual refreshment as we worship and pray together at 7 pm. Our own Heather Martin will be leading us with words of encouragement from the Apostle Paul.

The theme this year is re:formation. We want to get back to the basics, starting the new year with a clean slate. Our desire is to grow deeper in our wisdom and knowledge of Christ. Come expecting great things from God.

When:  January 8 - 14, 2012
Where: Emmanuel Westbank Campus

Every year at Emmanuel Church we dedicate one week to prayer at the beginning of the year to start things off on the right foot. January 8 through 14 is our 2012 Week of Prayer.

During the Week of Prayer the church building remains open for 24 hours for you to come and pray. We have prayer stations set up that you can prayerfully work through. Please sign up at the sheets posted in the church foyer in order to book your 1 hour time slot. Space is limited for this important event.

Additionally, there is a prayer service each evening at 7pm. Join us for a time of corporate prayer as we lift our concerns to God together. Spiritual Emphasis Days begin toward the end of the week.

When:  Saturday, December 31 at 8 pm
Where: Emmanuel Westbank Campus

Every New Year's Eve, Emmanuel hosts a New Year's Eve get-together. Starting at 8:00 pm, we gather as families and play games, and eat goodies (bring some baked goods for yourself and to share). The gym is open for kids to play sports. At around 11:30 pm, we gather together, reflect on the year, and then celebrate the turning of the clock. Everyone is welcome! Invite a friend.

When:  Saturday, December 24, 2011
            at 5 pm and 6:30 pm
Where: Emmanuel Westbank Auditorium

You are invited to join us in worshipping the Savior on Christmas Eve. These are perhaps our favorite services of the year as we celebrate the coming of the Christ-child!

Two services are available at 5 pm and 6:30 pm on December 24 for you and your family, neighbours and friends. The services last an hour, and they feature songs of the season, reflections, Scripture readings and a monologue.

When:  Wednesday, December 21 at 7 pm
Where: Emmanuel Westbank Campus

Join us around the piano in the church foyer as we sing Christmas carols, drink some hot chocolate and enjoy being a church family. There will be a Veggietales video for the kids and the gym will be available for games. After the singing, stay for some popcorn and the classic movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. The fun starts at 7 pm.

Feel free to invite friends, families and neighbours, and to bring some of your own Christmas baking as well.

For more information, please contact the church office*office*Old Fashioned Christmas Party.

When:  Sunday, December 18, 2011 at 10 am
Where: Emmanuel Westbank

Baptism is a significant step in the Christian life where we publicly declare our faith in Jesus Christ. If you have not been baptized and would like to be, please contact a pastor.

Our next baptismal is taking place during the Combined Celebration Service on Sunday, December 18. There will be a baptismal class to attend before the service takes place.

For more information on being baptized or being part of this event, please contact the church office.

When:  Sunday, December 4, 2011 at noon
Where: Peachland Community Centre
Cost:    $5 per person

Instead of a regular service on Sunday, December 4, the Peachland campus will serve a dinner for the community of Peachland. This will take place at noon at the Peachland Community Centre.

Tickets (only $5 each) must be purchased in advance at the Peachland Pharmacy, British Invasion, and the Peachland Community Centre. Tickets will not be available at the door.

The dinner will include a Christmas ham and entertainment. Join us!

Join us for our services throughout the Christmas season! Our theme this year is The Invitation – the story of Christmas is an invitation for a life of transformation found in Jesus Christ.

Each of our Sunday services leading up to Christmas will be focused around a well-known Christmas carol. The individual themes are:

• November 30:  "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" – The Invitation to Hope
• December 4:  "What Child is This?" – The Invitation to Know Him
• December 11:  "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" – The Invitation to Receive Justice
• December 18:  "Joy to the World" – The Invitation to be Redeemed (also a Water Baptismal service)

Beginning on December 18, the Peachland Campus will join the Westbank Campus for combined services through the Christmas season. It will be great to have everyone together for worship and fellowship.

Join us on December 24 (Christmas Eve) for one of our special hour-long candlelight services at either 5 pm or 6:30 pm. Come to celebrate and reflect on the reason for the season.

This year, Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. Plan to join us for our hour-long Sunday morning service at 10 am at the Westbank Campus. A great way to celebrate this special day.

Dinner Theatre:  December 9 & 10 at 6 pm
Cost:  Adults $20; Children, Youth & Seniors $15

Dessert Theatre:  December 11 at 2 pm & 7 pm
Cost:  All seats $5

Where: Emmanuel Westbank Auditorium

Emmanuel is proud to present its production of Barbara Robinson's The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Back by popular demand, this year's production can be enjoyed as a dinner theatre or a dessert theatre. Get your tickets and mark your calendars for this fun and delicious event.

This extravaganza will be shown four times:

• Dinner Theatre on Friday, December 9 at 6 pm
• Dinner Theatre on Saturday, December 10 at 6 pm
• Dessert Theatre on Sunday, December 11 at 2 pm
• Dessert Theatre on Sunday, December 11 at 7 pm

Tickets for the dinner theatre are $20 for adults and $15 for children, youth, and seniors. Tickets for the dessert theatre are $5 each. Please note that tickets are limited with only 200 available each performance, so be sure to get your tickets early.

One of the best Christmas stories ever, and certainly one of the funniest!

When:  Sunday, November 20, 2011 at 7 pm
Where: Emmanuel Westbank Foyer
Cost:   Free

Emmanuel Church is happy to partner with Mark Jennings-Bates to offer a safe driving course in winter conditions. Last winter our church was struck by tragedy, this week the snow arrived early and caused havoc.

We want to offer something practical, for young and old…all drivers would benefit from this course. Check out the brochure for more details and content. It’s free of charge, the coffee and hot water will be on, so come join us.

Winter Driving Course Brochure (4.7MB PDF)

When:  Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 6 pm
Where: Emmanuel Westbank
Cost:   $5 per person

Come join us for a Thai missions dinner on Sunday, November 6 and hear from special guest, Pastor Manooksak of Jai Suman Church in Bangkok.

The cost for an awesome Thai dinner is $5 per person. Seating is limited so be sure to reserve your seat(s) today.

Dinner starts at 6 pm in the chapel and Pastor Manooksak will be sharing at 7 pm. There will be a time of questions and answers to follow.