Masks are optional for indoor gatherings.
The Elders have decided to adjust the current policy regarding masks because local numbers are relatively low and mask guidelines have changed. As of this week, while Harris County and Galveston County case counts are in the low to medium range, masking at indoor gatherings will be optional. If case counts in our area start to rise significantly, church leadership will prayerfully reevaluate the situation.
Join us on this coming Wednesday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. for a simple outdoor Ash Wednesday service around a campfire. We will meet on the lawn of the church to pray, read scripture, reflect on the meaning of Ash Wednesday, and participate in the imposition of ashes.
Consider one of these recommendations for Lenten devotionals this year for us to journey through together.
As we enter in to the season of Lent, Pastor Coby would like to invite you to journey together in a few different ways:
We sent out contribution statements a week ago but realized the statement covered dates January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2022. On Thursday we sent revised contribution statements with the correct date parameters. If you have any questions please email info@ecclesiaclearlake.org.
Join us on January 23rd right after church for our annual meeting. We will look back at what God did in our community in 2021 and talk about where we sense God is leading us in 2022. The meeting is open to all who call ECL home and will last approximately 30 minutes.
Join us for a 6 week book study on Pastor José Humphreys' book, Seeing Jesus in East Harlem - What Happens with Churches Show Up and Stay Put. You do not need to stay up with the reading to join the group. We simply want to dream together about who we can be as a church using the book as a launching pad. Hopefully, this will also give us some renewed energy for regular small group gatherings.
We will meet from 8 - 9 p.m. via Zoom on six Wednesdays (January 19th, January 26th, February 2nd, February 9th, February 16th, and February 23rd). The Zoom link will be emailed to all registrants.
In Honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and in an attempt to help us pay closer attention to what God is doing in our community, we have a guest preacher named Sam Collins on January 16. Mr. Collins is a local historian and community leader. He and his family live in Hitchcock where he is active as a member and on the preaching team at Greater St. Matthews Baptist Church. Over the years, Mr. Collins has done much to help people in the Greater Galveston County area tell a more accurate history of our beautiful region. Most recently, Mr. Collins was instrumental in helping establish the Juneteenth Legacy Project in Galveston, TX where he serves as the president. Here is a clip of Mr. Collins talking about the importance of Juneteenth on Good Morning America (https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/video/celebrating-juneteenth-78408812)
When we first speak to elders about serving in the leadership at ECL there are two things we try to make clear. First, our primary desire is for human flourishing. We are much more interested in people thriving than what they can do for our church. The second thing we tell candidates is that the hope is they'd be able to serve a 3 year term in leadership. However, sometimes people need to step down early so they can thrive (and sometimes they stick around longer than 3 years!) In order for us to keep human flourishing at the forefront of our conversations, we make it a point to check-in every December to see who still has the capacity to lead. With that said, we have two people who are transitioning out of eldership as of January 1.
Michael Musselmann - Michael has been serving as our treasurer for a year. He has done a fantastic job helping make sure we continue to build fiscally sound practices at our church. He is the first to initiate quarterly financial updates. We are very thankful for his commitment to serving and leading.
Marla Morris - Marla has been an elder for 5 years. We have been discussing her rotating off the board for a year. The past two years Marla has served as our presiding elder. We are a better church because of her strong, courageous, and steady leadership during this very difficult season.
If you get a chance, please let both Michael and Marla know how thankful you are for them. Meanwhile, know that the elders will be meeting soon to talk about when we will add a new elder to our team.
Friends, we are no longer requiring registration for Sunday morning service. Join us each Sunday for a simple in-door service at 10 a.m. We do still ask that all who attend our indoor services wear masks.