Dear Friends:

Grace is an undeserved gift of God that He offers to people He loves. There is saving grace which brings us into an eternal relationship with Him. There is a sanctifying grace that allows God’s work to occur in us to make us more like Jesus. And for me, during this difficult season in our church, I’ve been relying on God’s sustaining grace. He lifts me up and sustains

me when I could not go on.

Paul was faced with an unidentified “thorn in the flesh” he asked God to take away three times. The Lord’s response was

simply “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (II Cor. 12:9a NLT).

I have felt pretty weak these last few days. You’ve been there - in fact, you may be there now. During this season I still hold on to a God who gives me hope. God’s Word promises, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youth grow weary and tired… but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on

wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Is. 40:29-31 NIV).

I may feel like I’m crawling today but because of grace, I will soon be soaring. Keep close to God. Keep trusting Him. May

His grace sustain you.

His,

Pastor Geoff

February 2016

Adult Discipleship Opportunities

GROWTH GROUPS – This new year our small group and adult discipleship ministry has undergone a few changes. Our small groups, adult classes on Sunday mornings and classes on Wednesdays and other days are now part of a larger vision called

Growth Groups. The vision for Growth Groups is the reality that “God calls us to grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus, with each other, and the world as committed disciples and compassionate servants.” The principles for our Growth Groups

are: study God’s Word, fellowship with others, build up the body of Christ, pray together, encourage one another, and serve with compassion. For more information and to get connected with a Growth Group opportunity contact Pastor Rich.

Sunday Mornings

9:15 am The Gospel of John – led by David Hoovler in room S-5. 11:00 am The Book of Isaiah – led by Marion Johr in room S-5. Transforming Prayer – is a study for women and led by Mary Reed in room S-4. Mid-Week, Mid-Morning Study – Wednesday mornings at 10:30 am in S-4/5. Join us for a study on transforming prayer. Is your prayer life defined by the requests you make? Learn how seeking God’s face can change everything about your prayer life? It is always the right time to join. Coffee and tea provided. Got questions??? Contact Pastor Rich at pastorrich@noefc.org. “The Fragile Stone” - Wednesday Evenings at 7 pm in S-4/5 Join us as we explore the unique relationship between Peter “the Rock” and Jesus “the Christ” and discover truths that we can apply to our own relationship with Christ. Each week will include a brief video element that will take on location to where some of those unique experiences between Peter and Jesus occurred. The study is open to men and women and is by Pastor Rich. For more information please contact Pastor Rich. Made to Crave - Well Women Study - Craving isn’t a bad thing. But the challenge is to realize God created us to crave so we’d ultimately desire more of Him in our lives, not more food. Many of us have misplaced that craving, overindulging in physical pleasures instead of lasting spiritual satisfaction. For more information contact Kim Reinking or Marian Johr. The class meets in the sanctuary.

FRIENDS FORECAST

Pastor’s Corner

NOEFC Membership

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College Road Trip STAND will be hosting a college road trip from Friday, February 26, through Sunday,

February 28, open to all 10-12th graders. Cost of the trip will depend on the number of students attending. Please request a registration form from Pastor Zach,

if you are interested. Forms are due by Sunday, January 31.

Youth Mission Trip All interested parents and participants are invited to be at an informational meeting for this summer's high school mission trip on Wednesday, February

24, from 6:15-7 pm in the youth room. Come to learn where we will be headed and talk about our plan to get there in the coming months.

The trip is open to all incoming 9-12 graders.

Upcoming Dates from Children’s Ministry

Pinewood Derby is coming to town! Sunday, March 13 at 12:30 pm

On your mark and get ready! Sign up now and get ready for another exciting day of racing. The cost is $7 for a pinewood derby kit and entry fee. The cost is $4 for the entry fee if you

already have your car. Sign up on Sunday mornings in the lobby and Wednesday nights in the FLC. Registration deadline is Sunday, February 21.

Get ready for this year’s underwater Vacation Bible School adventure. It is called “SUBMERGED: FINDING

TRUTH BELOW THE SURFACE.” As kids submerge themselves in God's Word, they will discover that Jesus saw people differently. He didn't just see what's on the outside; He saw who people were down deep.

The dates are June 13-17, 2016.

Sunday mornings in Children’s Ministry features Sunday School classes for Preschool – Grades 4 at 9:15 am and

Preschool, KIDS Church, and Club 56 at 11 am. For more information about Children’s Ministry contact Liz Kannel at

liz@noefc.org. We are always looking for people to help us share the love of Jesus with our children.

February 2016 FRIENDS FORECAST

Winter Jam Winter Jam is Sunday, February 21st! All 7-12th graders are invited to meet at the

church at 3 pm before we head to Cleveland together. Bring $10 to get in and some money to eat at the arena (or a snack for the ride there). Contact Pastor Zach if

you have any questions.

“Like” us on Facebook and stay updated on recent happenings and upcoming events!

Check out videos from past mission trips, worship experiences and also our announcements!

Children’s Choirs Our kid’s choirs sing our praises to God and learn about His love for us all. We minister to the congregation on

Sunday mornings periodically through May when we end our season with a musical production. SonSeekers, grades 1-6, meets on Wednesdays at 6:10 p.m. in the choir room. Little Seekers, Pre-K (the year before

kindergarten) & currently in Kindergarten, will be in the children’s ministry office next to the choir room at 6:30 p.m. Children will stay in these groups the entire season. We pray for a blessed year of ministry with your kids! Questions may be directed to Nancy Yachanin C: 419-577-7353; email:nancyyach16@gmail.com for

SonSeekers; or for Little Seekers, to Molly Baker H: 440-353-3016; email:molly7100@hotmail.com

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College & Young Career Bible Study Join us on Monday evenings at 7:30 pm in the Youth

Room for our exciting study called AD: The Study of the Book of Acts by Dr. David Jeremiah. If you'd like to participate or have questions, please contact Chris

Thwing at 440-734-2255.

Ash Wednesday Night of Worship & Prayer Wednesday, February 10, at 7 pm in the sanctuary

As the season of Lent begins, we invite you to gather for a night of worship and prayer as we prepare ourselves to reflect upon the events leading up to death and resurrection of our Savior. Club 56, the STAND youth group, and the adult classes will not meet so that all may attend the

time of worship and prayer. Club FX will meet and child care will be provided.

Saturday Men’s Breakfast You are invited to join us for breakfast at 7:30 am on

Saturday, February 6, at Denny’s on Lorain Road in North Olmsted. Come for a time of fellowship, conversation and prayer. For more information, contact Pastor Rich.

Praise the Lord!!! As of January we have 165 families or individuals subscribed to RightNow Media. This represents just over 40%. I love hearing the testimonies of how it is such a blessing to individuals, couples and

growth groups. Please send me your praise report. I would love to include some of them in our Friends Forecasts. If you have any questions on how to use RightNow Media or want to receive an email

invitation to join please contact me. I will be glad to help. Blessings, Pastor Rich

Local Senior Ministries We serve at two area nursing home and senior centers during the year on a regular basis. If you are

interested in joining any of these groups, please contact the following individuals - for the Renaissance, contact Dave Swartz (440.327.6816); for Brookdale/Westlake Village,

contact Margaret Becker (440.617.6184).

Thursday Morning Men’s Breakfast Our Thursday morning Men’s Breakfast has bun again, at Canary’s on Lorain Road at 7:00 am sharp. Our groups will be studying John Ortberg’s book The Me I Want to

Be. Cost is $12 for the book and can be obtained ahead of time

from Pastors Geoff or Rich.

Silver Friends—“Love Spoken Here” Join us for the Silver Friends “Love” luncheon in the Family Life Center on February 11th at 11:30 am. Come and enjoy food, fellowship, photos and the Anderson Trio. You really won't want to miss this

gathering which is definitely for ALL seniors NOT just couples. See you there.

Contact Margie Metz for at 440-779-0784 for reservations.

Women’s Fellowship—“You’re On My Heart” On February 12th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, we will have a women's fellowship event that is designed to be an opportunity for you to invite someone who is on your heart and could use a lift. Bring a friend, neighbor, coworker, family member, etc. for an evening of fun, fellowship, and sharing God's love for us and our love for one other. For more information, call or text Kim Reinking, 440-773-9251, or email kimreinking85@gmail.com.

The Best of Friends Night of Fellowship for the 40s & 50s+

Sunday, February 14 at 5:30 pm Matteo’s Italian Restaurant,

Grand Pacific Junction, Olmsted Falls

Bring a little warmth to the cold winter with an evening of fellowship, entertainment, food and fun. We will

gather at 5:30 with the meal to be served around 6 pm. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased on

Sunday mornings after each service in the Lobby. Space is limited to 70 so get your tickets quickly. For

more information contact Debbie Freed at bobmom@roadrunner.com or Pastor Rich.

February 2016 FRIENDS FORECAST

We are happy to answer any questions. Ministry staff email addresses are located below and on our website

or you can call the church office at 440.779.9484 Geoff Schultz, Senior Pastor 440.353.3154//pastorgeoff@noefc.org Rich Bennett, Pastor of Family Life and Discipleship 440.793.6514//pastorrich@noefc.org Zach Bohler, Pastor of Youth Discipleship 440.499.6747//pastorzach@noefc.org Mary Speck, Director of Pastoral Care 216.308.0871//mary@noefc.org Liz Kannel, Director of Children’s Ministry 216.849.6170//liz@noefc.org Kellie Anderson, Morning Church Secretary Email: kellie@noefc.org Barb Fronczak, Afternoon Church Secretary Email: barb@noefc.org Mary Schultz, Events Coordinator (Sat) 9:00-Noon//Email: events@noefc.org Matt Nee, Presiding Elder Email: mattnee@noefc.org

Our mission at NOEFC is to be a body of growing disciples who know,

love, follow, and lead others to Jesus.

We’re on the Web!

www.noefc.org

Service Times: Sundays 9:15 & 11:00 am

Wednesdays 7:00 pm (Youth at 6:15 pm)

Address: 5665 Great Northern Blvd, North Olmsted, Ohio 44070

440.779.9484

Happy Birthday to… 2/2 Terry Graffis Dale Karoly 2/3 Josh Bowden Martin Mahoney III Sharon Thomas 2/4 Anna Bennett Holly Miller James Trudel 2/6 Leo Spagnola 2/7 Sharyn Averill Dianne Campo 2/9 Sabra Greenwell 2/10 Susan Hartung John Snell Jestine Swidrak 2/11 Evelyn DuVall Romi Oliva 2/13 Sofia Barlow Joseph Bozin AJ Sirek 2/14 Kathy Witte 2/15 Anna Knight Catherine Nageotte Michael Speck 2/18 Olivia Helco Timothy Jett Titus Snavely 2/19 Stephen Kubitza Emily Lasko Alayah Monzo 2/20 Cassie Bowden Spencer Leibolt

2/21 Charlotte Long Briggs Schuett London Trudel 2/24 Anthony Novak 2/25 Violet Cordrick Lila Hartung John Kinkus 2/26 Emily Johr Dylan Karoly Dianne Marks George Mason Happy Anniversary to... 2/4 Dale & Pam Drottar 2/8 Jim & Donna Cuebas 2/18 Dan & Linda Lempke 2/21 Ed & Nancy Rote 2/22 Dick & Kathy McClement

Prayer Requests:

Please join us in praying for members and friends: Dick Deutsch Dale Kuch Penny Kuch Rick Henderson Nicole Kuch Cynthia Bryant Robb Chernisky Tim Roche Dianne Marks Deb Haskins Roger Dixon Dotty Foschke Dennis Wells John Anderson Margie Metz Emily Rose Shaffer Becky Clark Wendy Getz

Regular Happenings at NOEFC:

Mondays 6:15 pm Well Women Fitness 7:30 pm College & Young Career Bible Study Tuesdays 7:00 pm Moms In Prayer Wednesdays 10:30 am Mid-week, Mid-day Bible Study 6:15 pm STAND Youth Group 7:00 pm Club FX Children’s Program 7:00 pm Club 56 Program 7:00 pm Adult Bible Study Thursdays 6:30 am Thursday Morning Prayer