During VBS this year, we are taking a trip to an island where there is trea-sure more precious than gold, more lasting than diamonds…God’s love!

VBS dates are Monday, July 14 through Friday, July 18, from 9am-12:30pm. Make sure your kids and grandkids are here for this fun, Christ-filled week at Emmanuel. There are lots of opportunities to get in-volved as a volunteer.

The cost per child is $30 with a maximum cost of $90 per family. Early registration ends on Friday, May 9 at only $25 per child and a $75 maximum per family. The price includes a music CD, crafts, snacks, iron-on transfer of VBS logo, and a DVD with footage from the week.

Join the VBS Team! There are still openings for leaders and helpers. For more information, to volun-teer or to sign up to bring in snacks or materials, contact Doug Gonce, director of Children’s Ministry, at DougG@epconline.org.

We also ask for your prayers for our VBS preparations, and that VBS is a safe, fun week for the volun-teers and kids, and brings us all closer to God.

To register your child for SonTreasure Island VBS at Emmanuel, stop by the church office or get a reg-istration form online at www.epconline.org. Payments can be made online at the website, by choosing the Giving link and then selecting VBS from the donation choices.

Please join us after the worship services on May 18 for a Town Hall meeting. The Session will pres-ent their work regarding the denominational concerns. Session has worked diligently thinking and praying through complex issues. How can we best be Emmanuel in our community? How do we remain faithful to Christ and his call on our lives? After presenting their work, the Session will invite the congre-gation to speak with Elders in round table discussions. Table discussions will focus on additional items Session might want to consider.

We will then invite the congregation to pray for the Session and to sign up for prayer time slots as the date of May 27 approaches. Your Session will prayerfully vote to leave or stay in the denomination on May 27. A second Town Hall meeting will be held on June 1 to discuss the outcome and implications of the decision. The meeting will culminate in taking communion together as Emmanuel.

SonTreasure Island VBS Registration is Open! May 2014 VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 4

INSiGHT

Town Hall Meeting - Sunday, May 18

EMMANUEL NEWSLETTER

Meet Elder, Phil Haik

Classical Music Concert Sound Booth Volunteers Needed

This month we introduce you to elder, Phil Haik, who is just starting his third year with Session. How long have you been a part of the Emmanuel family? I started attending Emmanuel in 1988. My wife, Kathy started attending in 1993 and we were married by Pastor Dana in 1997. Where were you born and raised? I grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Santa Monica High.What is your profession and education background? I am self-employed as a cabinet maker and finish carpenter. I graduated from Cal State Northridge with a history degree.Tell us about your family… We have a blended family with 5 daughters. We have 5 grand-daughters and 1 grandson.What special interests do you have? I enjoy gardening and bike riding when not doing wood working.What activities are you involved with at Emmanuel? I am one of the Mission elders and help to oversee the homeless feeding. I have also been involved with the remodeling projects over the last several years.What would you like us to know about your faith journey? My grand-father was very influential in my faith journey. I have the Bible that he read daily, which was written in Arabic. What is your favorite thing about Emmanuel? I like the diversity of membership at Emmanuel. I also appreciate Emmanuel’s commitment to Missions.Do you have any specific hopes for Emmanuel’s future and if so, can you please describe what they are? I’m hoping that when we call a new senior pastor that the person will be youthful in spirit and be energetic. We need ways to attract young families to our church.Is there anything else that you think is important to mention about you? After I assumed my position as a Mission elder, it was my goal to attract new people to join the Mission Council. Thus far, we have about 6 new people who attend on a regular basis. I would like this to continue, so that we can carry on Emmanuel’s rich mission heritage.

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A free Evening Concert will be held here at Emman-uel on Friday, May 9, 7-8:30pm in our own sanc-tuary! Classical pianist Cindy White and her husband, vocalist Wesley White will be joined by our own locally talented vocalist Dana Rouse with her husband, Ed Rouse presenting a variety of music. Wesley and Cindy White are missionaries with the Christian Associates International in Glasgow, Scotland. There will be a love offering taken for the Whites. Dessert and coffee will be served following the concert.

Phil and his dog Sadie

Through the summer months we will continue to have simultane-ous services at 10am. This increases the need for additional help in the sound booth, especially for Computer Techs. If you are interested in helping out or would like more information on what skills are required, please contact either John Pace or Sharon Lounsberry.

Buddy Break Starts May 3By Claudine Schooley

Navajo Fellowship TripBy Jared Del Dosso

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Easter morning, a mom came to Emmanuel with her two boys with disabilities to meet our direc-tor of the Buddy Break program. She was so eager to thank me for putting her and her kids on our list of VIP families. She told me how excited and grateful she was to find our church ready to give some time and love to her family. She said, “You have no idea how much help and joy Buddy Break is for us!” I invited her to stay for the worship service with her two sons, and she said she would for a short time. Maybe you have seen her, on the last bench, trying to control her sons’ behavior while she was singing hymns with such an open and beautiful heart!

Our new Buddy Break program will start Saturday, May 3 at 10am for the families. Volunteers should arrive at 9am. I want to thank all those who will participate in this launching with so much faith and enthusiasm. Buddy Break is going to give some precious hours to

communicate the love of Christ. Families affected by disabilities are the outcast of our society, the forgotten ones, so precious in the eyes of God.

Buddy Break is one way for Emmanuel to fulfill the mandate the church received from the Lord, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.”

Luke 14:21 Buddy Break is an ongoing ministry. We need more

Buddies! Please consider taking the next Training 101 class this month. The date will be announced in the church bulletin. Information can be received at BuddyBreak.EPC@gmail.com

Over Spring Break, Rachel, David and I took 9 fan-tastic high schoolers to the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. In addition to doing some maintenance, cleaning, VBS, and playground building, we got to partner with some really wonderful brothers and sisters who live in a very different culture than we do. We expanded our faith through trying new things (such as Rachel leading a prophecy-event), as well as gained a deeper appreciation for how God works in the world through

creation--we visited the Grand Canyon!--and engaging different cultures. The faith of our Navajo family was extremely genuine and very less distracted by many of the things we get caught up without here. The Navajo culture is far less materialistic and more naturalistic. It was refreshing to fellowship with those that are so different while at the same time being so similar. It was a very encouraging trip that provided avenues for all of us to grow closer to God and experience the realities He invites us into more fully.

Many congregants also signed up to pray and write to the students. I am trying to establish this as an on-going ministry throughout the year for all the students (not just those that go on trips). If this inter-ests you, please get in touch with me!

Emmanuel had a wonder-ful participation in the 2014 Conejo Valley Crop Walk! We raised $2,915.00, the highest total in recent years! The walkers en-joyed the day and were supported by over 180 Emmanuelites. The latest total shows the event raised $37,393.00 with more donations expected. Over 400 walkers from approximately 25 organizations participated!The Manna Food Drive during

March and April, which is con-nected with the Crop Walk, is again a huge success due to the generosity of Emmanuel and the hard work of Sharon Lopatka. This year we collected a total of 2,059 food items and we thank everyone that par-ticipated. Each item donated brings more money to the Crop Walk with a matching monitary donation from the Alan Feinstein Foundation.A new highlight for Emmanuel

this year was the raffle for a Rose Balding hat, which the Yomantas’ donated. Rose, Patti Yomantas mother, walked in the Crop Walk when she was well over 90 years old. She led the event, by far, in col-lecting donations each year that she walked. Over 25 couples donated $50.00 or more for the chance to win the hat! The winners, drawn from the “hat” at the April Mis-

sion Council meeting, were Linda & Roger Riewald. Congratulations Riewalds; wear the hat proudly!This was the 36th annual Conejo

Valley Crop Walk. These “walks” have raised over $1,000,000 with 75% going to Church World Service (CWS) and 25% being spilt between Manna, Meals on Wheels (Conejo & Westlake), and Lutheran Social Services Community Care Centers. Church World Service is a coop-

erative ministry of 36 Christian denominations and communions working to eradicate hunger and poverty – providing sustainable de-velopment, disaster relief and refu-gee assistance around the world. CROP (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) is an arm of CWS.

Conejo Valley CROP Walk Results

Forest Home Summer Camp

Sign-ups continue for summer camp. Middle School students will attend from June 22-27 and High School camp will be July 27-August 1. This is the most anticipated youth trip each year. Cost is $395 per stu-dent. Scholarships are available. Email Jared, our Youth Director, to sign up at Jareddeldosso@gmail.com

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5/3 Parent’s Night Out 5-9PM, EPC Nursery

“Dating Your Spouse,” talk with Matt & Rona Reithmayr 5:15PM, Fireside Room

Meet the Filmmaker Event “Most,” movie with writer and producer William Zabka 7PM, sanctuary

5/9 Christian Classical Concert 7PM, Sanctuary

5/10 Women’s Salad Luncheon with Yola Entz, speaking on “Learning to Trust God.” 11AM, Fireside Room

5/11 Happy Mother’s Day!

5/18 Town Hall Meeting 11AM, following the services

5/26 Memorial Day Church Office Closed

Coming in June

6/1 2nd Town Hall Meeting 11AM, following the services

6/8 All Church BBQ Lunch Graduation Celebration 11AM, following the services

6/22-27 Middle School students at Forest Home Camp

Weekly & Bi-Monthly GroupsROMEOS - (Retired Older Men

Eating Out), Thursdays 8AM at the Newbury Park IHOP

Mom’s In Prayer, 8:30AM, every Friday, Youth Room

Women’s Bible Study Wednesdays at 9:30AM, Room 5/6MOPS and Mom’s Next - Mothers of

Preschoolers & Elementary age, 2nd & 4th Wednesdays at 9:15AMMOTS - Moms of Teens and Beyond,

1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 12PM, Youth Room