Members and Friends,

Lawrene's mother, Sister Francis Porter, has gone to Glory early this morning. Homegoing Celebration is pending and I will keep you in the loop. I just spoke to Lawrene and she is in good spirits and asks for our prayers as her family goes through this transition. She said that her mother fought the good fight!

Please send cards and other acknowledgements to Lawrene at:

141 Everett Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80911

Blessings,

Deacon Kevin Hagans
Director of Operations

Members and Friends,

I received this message, sent to The Promise Steering Committee, and thought it must be shared with the entire membership. Also, if you missed Emmanuel's updated Promise presentation Sunday, you can view it here on our website.

Blessings,
Deacon Kevin Hagans

Good morning and praise the Lord.

Yesterday, Pastor Thompson shared with us the new revelation of The Promise. Did our hearts not burn as the man of God so powerfully explained how God has shifted us from one direction to another? But we are still on a God-ordained course.

We have some challenging days ahead of us. Not bad, but stimulating, exciting, perhaps, perplexing days ahead.

The next few months will cement our place in the history of the EMBC. The next few months will speak definitively and conclusively about who we are and whose report we believe. The next few months will demonstrate with certainty one way or the other, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what we believe about ourselves and about our God. The next few months will establish once and for all the quality of the legacy we will leave for our children, their children and for generations to come.

So, as a reminder, as you fast today on behalf of The Promise and according to Isaiah 58:6, I ask that you continue to pray for Pastor and our leadership council (Deac. Mack, Dr. Hagans, Deac. Campbell, and Rev. Davis) as God gives them clarity and direction to lead us into our destiny--Gods plan for us.

I ask that you pray for our real estate broker, Mr. Dave Ankeney as God increases all his knowledge and expertise as he brokers on our behalf.

Finally, I ask what I have asked all along; what will the Emmanuel of 2060 say about us?

Miracles & Blessings

Rev. Caron M. Allen, MCJ
Author of:
From Whence They Came;
The Genealogical History of
n African American Family
www.PublishAmerica.com

Please DO NOT REPLY to this message. This is an automated message from Emmanuel. To contact Deacon Hagans or Sister Janice, please email them at operations@godiswithus.org

Members and Friends,

Deacon Ceasar Mitchell's Homegoing Celebration is on Friday, March 9, 2012 at Memorial Gardens Cemetery and Funeral Home, 3825 Airport Road (Academy and Airport), (719) 596-3842. Visitation is from 10:00 am to 10:45 am with Services starting at 11:00 am.

Let's continue to pray for the Mitchell Family and send acknowledgements to them at:

103 N. Hayman Ave
Colorado Springs, CO 80909

I will pass updates to you when they are received.

Blessings,

Deacon Kevin Hagans, Director of Operations
Sister Janice Donald, Assistant Director of Operations

Members & Friends,

With a contrite spirit, I must pass along that one of our very own, Deacon Ceasar Mitchell has gone to rest with God. Funeral details are pending. Please feel free to send words of comfort to his wife, Sister Betty Mitchell at:

103 N. Hayman Ave
Colorado Springs, CO 80909

I received the following message from Bro & Sis Amos and Lunita Ferguson--EMBC members who recently loss Lunita's brother who lived in the Bahamas, for the support we provided during this difficult time:

To Our EMBC Family:

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is a very difficult journey but with every dark cloud there truly are silver linings. Your thoughts, gifts, deeds, prayers, words of comfort and wisdom have helped us through this dark period of our lives and we are forever grateful; you are our silver lining.

As the psalmist wrote (Psalm 30:5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.) As a family we wept for his (Randolph "Terry" Pickering) home-going but we also celebrated the life of a man who touched many lives in a positive way, was thankfully freed from his terrible suffering and sought salvation before his demise.

Thank you for sharing this experience with us, words cannot express our gratitude.

Our wish for you and yours is that you will be blessed and highly favored ..........

Pastor Thompson is asking that EMBC come together as a body of believers this week to increase our current Promise Campaign prayer commitments. God is providing Pastor with direction for this Kingdom Building project. As a reminder, we are updating our corporate bylaws in preparation for implementing The Promise. Copies of the updates are available for members to review during normal office hours (9:00 am to 3:00 pm Mondays-Thursdays; 9:00 am to noon Fridays; and immediately following Sunday's worship services). We will vote on them during the special by-laws meeting on Friday, March 16th at 6:00 pm.

Our Annual Laymen's Ministry Breakfast is this Saturday, March 10 at 8:30am at the Country Buffet (next to Lowe's in the Citadel Crossing Shopping Center)

We will celebrate Pastor's 5th Anniversary on Sunday, March 18th during both worship services.

Our Easter Production has moved from April 1st (Palm Sunday) to the 8th (Resurrection Sunday) at 3:00 pm. Additionally, the Denver and Colorado Springs Ministerial Alliance will have their quarterly worship service at EMBC on April 1st at 3:00 pm. We are expecting a full house, to include two busloads of people from Denver.

Don't forget to "Spring Forward" your clocks before going to bed on Saturday!


Blessings,

Deacon Kevin Hagans, Director of Operations
Janice Donald, Assistant Director of Operations

Members and Friends,

Mr. Burlin Morgan's Memorial Service is Thursday, Jan 26, 3:00 pm at Church for All Nations (CFAN), 6540 Templeton Gap Road, (719) 591-1800.

Deacon Kevin Hagans
Director of Operations

Members and Friends,

Many of you have been praying for the Morgan family. Brother Burlin Morgan transitioned to be with God at 3:30 am today. Many of you know his daughter, Dawn Williams, who is an EMBC member. Funeral arrangements are pending, and I will pass along as soon as they are finalized.

For those that may not know Dawn, she is an attorney, who was part of our Music, eKids, and Liturgical Dance Ministries. She and her mother, Joyce Morgan, typically would sit together during the 10:45 worship service. Burlin is known throughout the city as he was a barber for many of our members, including Pastor Thompson and Deacon Troy Jackson.

Please feel free to send cards and other acknowledgements to the Morgan family at 6270 Desoto Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80922.

Plans have been finalized for the Homegoing Celebration Services for Burlin Morgan and they are as follows:

Visitation:
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 from 6:00 - 8:00pm
Angelus Funeral Directors; 1104 S. Circle Drive

Funeral:
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 11:00 am
[viewing from 10:00 am - 11:00 am]
Emmanuel MBC, One South Walnut Street

Internment:
Evergreen Cemetery

The family is also planning a Memorial Service, which will be held at Church for All Nations--details are pending.

Blessings,

Deacon Kevin Hagans
Director of Operations

Members and Friends,

It's been a while since you've heard from me. As we enter 2012, we must reenergize on efforts on spiritual development, health & wellness, and stewardship (financial, fitness, relationships, The Promise, and other). This is NOT a plea for an offering or special gift for Pastor Thompson. It is an effort to embed Christian principles into all aspects of the lives of our members. As "Emmanuelites," we must go beyond hot church & praise and worship on Sunday mornings and put into practice the teachings that God provides to our Pastor, who in turn provides them to us. Please do not misinterpret this point because our Pastor's goal is NOT to lead a cult-like existence, with members being misguided and misinformed; but to have members who are conversant, seek relevance, adaptive to change, and are well-rounded Christians. Towards that end, attached are two documents that require your attention:

1) Emmanuel's own CPA Bob Bailey has provided important and essential advice for this year's tax preparation season. Find out how to maximize your benefits while reducing your stress by downloading Mr. Bailey's user-friendly and extremely helpful advice at GodIsWithUs.Org/tax (also attached--link will be activated on Sunday).

2) Sister Fran Frazier provided the second document, which is an invitation to a Summer Hire Youth Job Fair on Thursday, March 8th. NOW is the time to plan for the summer--don't wait until May to start looking--the early bird gets the worm! It's time-out for our children to be at the tail end of the line, missing the job boat, only to become video game champions. Get Ready, Get Ready, Get Ready!

Have you noticed the economic teaser messages that have been skillfully placed in the worship guides lately? It's interesting that some people think their financial problems would magically disappear if they had more income. However, this may not be the case because it is not how much one earns; it's what one does with the money they receive. Said differently, if you are not managing what God is currently providing, what makes you think He's going to give you more money to mismanage and squander? Hmmmm! How can an un- or under-employed mother feed five children, a husband and themselves on seemingly table scraps and still have money to pay a house note? She can do it because she manages her family's finances wisely using biblical principles--that's how!

Have you joined a ministry yet? What are you waiting for? Emmanuel has 32 ministries. Get involved in Kingdom Building!!!

Peace and Power,

Deacon Kevin Hagans, Director of Operations
Janice Donald, Assistant Director of Operations

Members and Friends,

I pray that your Christmas was joyous! Here's the latest from The E:

January calendar of events is attached. Please note the following:

• Many of you are aware of the recently enacted Allen Rose Law. Under this law, drivers are not allowed to interfere with a tow truck driver while doing their job. Violators can be charged with a misdemeanor. The new law requires tow truck drivers to first place a large warning sticker on the driver's side window stating that the vehicle is "under tow" before hitching it up. So what does this have to do with The E?
  
  Over the past two weeks, EMBC members illegally parked vehicles were targeted for towing. In one case, the vehicle was actually mounted in the bed of the tow truck. As God would have it, the person was notified in time to avoid a $200 fine, but still had to pay $70 (CASH) to have their car returned. The truck was a little slow to arrive to tow two vehicles on yesterday. To avoid this from happening, PLEASE be aware of where you park. The Electrician's Union parking lot is typically only half-filled and the former social services lot is almost empty on Sundays. Please use one of these parking lots. Lastly, thanks for helping us to continue to be good neighbors by NOT parking in the restaurant's parking lot directly across the street from The E.
   
• Deacon Shelvy Convert sent the following message to the deacons and as we come to the close of 2011, I felt it very appropriate to send to the memberships. One must ask themselves at some point in this earthly journey, "Why am I here?" EMBC operates through ministries and this is a perfect time for you to prayerfully consider putting your hands to the plow by sowing into a ministry.
  
  "In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world." (John 17:18 MSG) If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, God has given you a mission in this world. You're not here to just take up space; you're not here to just strive after your own personal goals. You have an assignment from God himself. Once you're in the family, your life changes. You have a new reason for living.
  
  Your life isn't about you anymore; it's about God's mission.
  
  What is YOUR mission?
   
• We are expanding our eKids Children's Church to include 1st Sundays
   
• Jan 12 is designated Promise Campaign Day of Praying and Fasting. This has moved from the 11th day of each month to the 12th in 2012
   
• Jan 15 is our Ministry Fair. This is a GREAT opportunity for those that have not joined an Emmanuel Ministry to do so. Representatives from all ministries will be present immediately following the 10:45 Worship Experience to discuss their ministry.
   
• Jan 16 is the Martin Luther King Annual Marade (march & parade) in Denver. We no longer have a Marade in Colorado Springs and you are invited to participate in the largest MLK observance in the world!
   
• Jan 20 is our annual Church Summit. This is the forum in which Pastor Thompson accounts for all church finances as well as inform the membership of ministry activities and accomplishments. This is a MEMBER-ONLY forum.
   
• Jan 21 is our Health "E" Kickoff Meeting. This is when our Family Support Ministry will introduce their campaign to help us to develop healthy lifestyles.
   
• Jan 30 is our Moses E. Ford Scholarship Committee's high-school junior and senior social. This is the time to bring your student to church so they can hear the qualification for EMBC's scholarships. Contact Deacon Mack for details.

As you can tell, EMBC is a very busy ministry!

Our Girl Scouts will be selling cookies at the church on Sundays, Feb 12 and 19th. PLEASE support OUR girls by purchasing your Girl Scout cookies from them.

Happy Kwanza and New Year!

Deacon Kevin Hagans, Director of Operations
Janice Donald, Assistant Director of Operations

Merry Christmas!

Praise God that Pastor Thompson returned "home" on yesterday! He is still recovering, but at least we can see our spiritual leader in person and not rely solely on my weekly reports. Please continue to pray for him and his caregivers (First Lady and children).

As was mentioned by Pastor on yesterday, although this Sunday is Christmas, we are NOT taking a day off, but will be at EMBC for our regular worship services. So, come out to celebrate Jesus' birth and if you have guests visiting for the holidays, please bring them along.

There will be plenty of time afterwards to open gifts and follow family traditions. Additionally, yesterday's worship guide mentioned that we will not have eKids Children's Church on this coming Sunday. However, this has changed and we WILL have children's church and our check-in times have been extended to allow parents time to drop off their children before entering the sanctuary. We ask that you do not leave without receiving a pager when dropping them off and NOT simply have them walk downstairs unescorted. This creates safety and security hazards for our children--our future leaders, which we obviously must avoid at all cost.

Because EMBC is such a great and consistent customer for our TV broadcast outreach ministry, the TV station is providing two extra broadcast times at no cost to us this week! Along with our normal Sunday broadcast (Christmas Day this year), The Emmanuel Experience will also be broadcast on Friday, December 23rd at 8:30 pm and on Saturday, December 24th at 7:00 pm. We have created a special opening and closing just for this Christmas airing. PLEASE spread the word!

Many of you are aware of the recently enacted Allen Rose Law. Under this law, drivers are not allowed to interfere with a tow truck driver while doing their job. Violators can be charged with a misdemeanor.

The new law requires tow truck drivers to first place a large warning sticker on the driver's side window stating that the vehicle is "under tow" before hitching it up. So what does this have to do with The E?

Over the past two weeks, EMBC members illegally parked vehicles were targeted for towing. In one case, the vehicle was actually mounted in the bed of the tow truck. As God would have it, the person was notified in time to avoid a $200 fine, but still had to pay $70 (CASH) to have their car returned. The truck was a little slow to arrive to tow two vehicles on yesterday. To avoid this from happening, PLEASE be aware of where you park. The Electrician's Union parking lot is typically only half-filled and the former social services lot is almost empty on Sundays. Please use one of these parking lots. Lastly, thanks for helping us to continue to be good neighbors by NOT parking in the restaurant's parking lot directly across the street from The E.

Deacon Shelvy Convert sent the following message to the deacons and as we come to the close of 2011, I felt it very appropriate to send to the memberships. One must ask themselves at some point in this earthly journey, "Why am I here?" EMBC operates through ministries and this is a perfect time for you to prayerfully consider putting your hands to the plow by sowing into a ministry.

"In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world." (John 17:18 MSG) If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, God has given you a mission in this world. You're not here to just take up space; you're not here to just strive after your own personal goals. You have an assignment from God himself. Once you're in the family, your life changes. You have a new reason for living.

Your life isn't about you anymore; it's about God's mission.

What is YOUR mission?

Peace, Blessings, Happy Birthday Jesus, Happy Kwanza,

Deacon Kevin Hagans, Director of Operations
Janice Donald, Assistant Director of Operations

Hello Members and Friends,

Here's the latest from The E:

I pray that your Thanksgiving was blessed, not stressed, and fruitful and that you shared a wonderful meal with friends, family and other loved ones! It's hard to believe that we are already nearing the end of 2011

Pastor Thompson is recovering well and sends his love for your concerns, cards, and other expressions to help with the healing process.

Bible Study Cancelled
Tomorrow's Bible Study for adults and youth is cancelled. Many of you are aware that we had water leak into the basement on this past Sunday. Our insurance adjuster and the repair crew are working on this problem and as a result, we must cancel tomorrow's Bible Study. PLEASE spread the word so that people will not needlessly show up.

Angel Tree Project

• All angels have been distributed and many people have already returned gifts (~1/3 were returned yesterday)
• Our Prison Ministry is requesting that ALL gifts be returned no later than this coming Sunday (Dec 4)
• The annual fellowship/party for the gift recipients is Saturday, Dec 10 in the Fellowship Hall and starts at 10:00 am
• Gifts can be dropped off during normal business hours throughout the week (9:00 am to 3:00 pm) or whenever there is an evening activity at the church (pls give the gift to the deacon of the week so that he can secure them)

World AIDS Day: Thursday, December 1
The United Nations set aside this day as an occasion to honor those who have died of AIDS and those who live with HIV or AIDS and to increase awareness of these conditions. Let us always remember those that were or are victims of this disease


Annual Church School Christmas Play Production: Sunday, Dec 11, at 3pm
Come out to support our youth as they explain the story of Jesus' birth

Annual Usher's Breakfast

• Saturday, December 17, starting at 9:00 am at the Golden Corral (Powers and Palmer Park)
• Please see Brothers Vic McCoy or Mike Bonner, or any usher for details
• This breakfast is ALWAYS fun and open to ALL members of EMBC
• If you have never attended, you have been missing a treat, especially given you will hear (and sing) the 12 Days of Christmas--The Emmanuel Rendition

Blessings,

Deacon Kevin Hagans
Director of Operations