We Are Thrilled to Introduce
a Very Special Family!

We want to welcome Darren and Amy Carlson to Pine City EFC! Darren has been asked to come as our Interim Pastor and we are thrilled! Darren and Amy are from Andover and have two little girls, Makena (20 months) and Gianna (6 months).

Darren earned a Bachelor Degree in Economics from the University of Mary Washington and a Master of Divinity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and will finish his Master of Theology in New Testament this fall.

Since moving to Minnesota, Darren has served as the chaplain of Meadow Creek Christian School in Andover where he taught and counseled many families. He was also Head Boy’s Basketball Coach for the high school. He currently works at The Bethlehem Institute, which helps train future pastors and missionaries for service.

Darren is the founder and owner of DC Camps and Performance where he enjoys teaching the fundamentals and competitive skills of basketball to elementary and high school students. Darren has also coached elementary through college level basketball. (While coaching at Westlake Academy in Illinois, the team finished second in the state and 4th at the National Basketball Tournament. For two years he coached at Trinity International University, the team finished 4th and 3rd in the very competitive Chicago Land).

A little more about Darren…
Darren’s first experience hearing about Christ, happened during his junior year of high school. Darren attended Mary Washington College and joined a Bible study through InterVarsity. It was there where the truth began to take hold. Yet, while he was wrapped up in defending Christ, he was never wrapped up in loving Christ.

The summer after his college graduation, he was discipled by Ed Hart, an Evangelical Free Church pastor. For that summer he put down all the books he was reading and began reading the gospels over and over again. That fall he attended the LIFT Discipleship Program. One day while the group was discussing the doctrine of scripture it dawned on Darren that he had always been studying to look for answers, but not to know Christ. He was baptized two days later, was convinced of the things of faith and committed for life. Darren went to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School a year later. He received a Master of Divinity at Trinity in December of 2005 and will finish his Master of Theology in New Testament this fall.

Darren was married on June 14, 2003 to Amy Sturm (he asked for her hand in marriage on a farm in Minnesota). Darren met Amy at Camp-of-the-Woods where they were both on music staff and subsequently attended LIFT at the same time.

Darren and Amy's first Sunday at Pine City EFC will be July 6. Darren will be in the office starting Tuesday, July 1.

Welcome to Pine City Darren and Amy!

The Evangelical Free Church of America held its National Conference this past week in St. Louis, Missiouri and on the agenda was a proposal made at the 2007 National Conference- to revise the EFCA Statement of Faith.

Today the EFCA sent out a special bulletin that reads:

HISTORIC CONFERENCE APPROVES PROPOSED REVISION OF THE EFCA STATEMENT OF FAITH

President Bill Hamel began this historic discussion by asking two questions: would the Conference affirm a new Statement of Faith strengthening our commitment to evangelical, historic faith? And would we debate and vote with godly character? The answer to both questions was “yes.”

On June 26, 2008, delegates of the 124th EFCA National Leadership Conference approved the Proposed Revision of the Statement of Faith – 86% of delegates voted for the Proposed Revision.

Throughout the debate and decision, God’s presence was evident as delegates kept in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25), manifested the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), and left an aroma of Christ (2 Cor. 2:14-16).

The conference concluded with President Hamel leading the attendees in a strong and passionate confession of the new EFCA Statement of Faith.

Here is a link to the Statement of Faith: http://www.efca.org/about/doctrine/

To God be the glory, great things He has done . . . and continues to do in the EFCA!

1950 Statement of Faith

Louie Giglio and a Biologist

Tonight as our students come together they will hear Louie Giglio share about a conversation with a biologist who had pointed out to him something unique about God’s glory and the human body. In conjunction with what the biologist had shared with him, in the video, Louie encourages students to know that God watches all the circumstances of their life from his dwelling place... because as he explains, we are loved and very much, fearfully and wonderfully made.

Louie Giglio, with the help of the biologist, learned about the glue of the human body, laminin. Laminin is a protein molecule (a cell adhesion molecule) which is vital to making sure overall body structures hold together. Cells are organized with laminin and together the cells know what their job is.

Why is this important? What’s the big deal? Look at the picture. It is a picture of laminin… we are held together… one cell to another by moleules in the shape of a cross (laminin). Wow! Our students will be amazed as they listen tonight!

Colossians 1:15-17 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Frontline kicks off its summer schedule tonight, 6:30 pm at Tom and Loreal Lindstrom’s.

Nathan and Kala Vandeberg
Married in Italy!
Everyone is invited to a bridal shower, Monday, June 23 at 7:00 pm, PCEFC Fellowship Hall, in honor of Kala Vandberg new bride of Nathan Vandeberg son of Dave and Reneé Vandeberg. Nathan and Kayla were married in Italy on May 16. Nathan and Kayla are registered at Target. Their colors are: Kitchen– sage green, Bath– crimson red.

Spending Time With Father
Strengthening Your Relationship With
Your Heavenly Father

1...2...3... sessions left, and you don’t want to miss them! Prayer can change lives and circumstances like nothing else can. We want to motivate to take a look at the keys that unlock God's power and turn prayer from a mere activity into a vital link with God. What Happens When God's People Pray, by Jim Cymbala is used in this study.

Everyone is invited to attend on the following upcoming Wednesday nights, 7:00 pm @ the Lighthouse:

June 18 The Word of God and Prayer

June 25 Why Prayer Matters

July 2 Prayer Ministry in Your Church

"God loves us deeply and longs to be in a relationship in which we receive the spiritual and physical blessings he wants to give us. We, as individuals and as churches, suffer great loss when we fail to ask God for these blessings. These blessings can change our lives, invigorate our churches, transform our communities, and even alter the course of history! Best of all, they are available to every believer and every church if we will only pray for them in faith and obedience." -Jim Cymbala

A Chance to Communicate to Girls
That God Loves Them

We're lining up details for the Revolve Tour for girls 6th grade -12th grade. The event doesn't take place until October 3-4 at the Target Center but we need a head count so we can order tickets by June 16. Call the office if you would like your daughter to go or contact Chris Johnson @ 629.7687.

Have you ever felt you were on the outside looking in? Wishing you could have an All Access pass and see what’s going on behind the scenes? Wondering what others ‘get’ that you’re missing? When it comes to a relationship with God, you have All Access. And at the Revolve All Access event, you’re welcome to just come as you are and be ready for an experience you will never forget. You’ll get a glimpse of what it’s like to have All Access to the love of God.

All Access is a Friday night through Saturday event designed for 6th through 12th grade girls. (But girls who are a little younger or older come, too . . . and we hear they enjoy it!) All Access uses music, drama, personal stories, videos and other creative avenues to address issues relevant to teenage girls today, including relationships with friends and family, body image and self esteem, relationships with guys, and faith in God.

I Love... "The Church"

We’re back from Florida and Meleia is now married and as all proud parents say…. “It was a beautiful wedding!” We didn't know how it would go having an ocean-side wedding. The groomsmen wore flip-flops and the bridesmaids were bare-footed (although all were formal from the ankles up). The wedding was very special and the reception on the 8th floor of the Sirata in St. Pete’s Beach, over-looking the ocean, truly was beautiful.

I will admit that it was not easy to plan a wedding in Florida when you’re living in Minnesota. We just didn’t know how things would go. The Groom’s Dinner was in the hands of the groom’s parents but the wedding and reception was ours to plan. Why do I share this with you? Because I want to share with you how we were touched by people who love Christ in Florida and who rolled up their sleeves to help us out in the surroundings that were unfamiliar to us. These were people who were not related to us... they had never met us before, yet we quickly felt as though we had known them for a long, long time because of the bond we had in Christ. These people who love Jesus too, helped with all the details of the wedding and reception. What hit me is that I was thrown into a conscious awareness of how much I love “The Church”. Over the years I have remarked how much “I love our church”… Pine City EFC…. but the love of a believer for a believer regardless of the church you attend has impacted me greatly this week…. The Church… the universal body of believers, the love and the bond that is there in Christ no matter what church you attend or what part of the country you live, should instead, call us to say “I love The Church". Just a couple pictures...

Wedding rehearsal on the beach...

Wedding Day...