News

We are watching the developments of Hurricane Florence closely. As information becomes more available we will be posting updates regularly on this page. Please bookmark it and check back frequently. You can use the comment section below to ask questions. We will do our best to respond as quickly as possible.

Thursday, October 11th, 5:00 pm update: On Monday, October 22nd, EMC will be sending a team to New Bern to join forces with other volunteers through Temple Baptist Church (1500 Kingdom Way, New Bern, NC). The church van will be departing the church parking lot at 5:30 am for a daylong work trip. There will be all kinds of work to do – manual labor for those with able bodies, and lighter work for those with physical challenges. All are welcome to come!

If you are able and willing, please inform the church office by Friday, October 19th so that we can communicate to Temple the size of our team for logistical purposes. Please signify where you would like to help: gutting of houses, food preparation, or laundry.

Thursday, September 20th, 5:00 pm update: Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with those who have been impacted by Hurricane Florence, as well as the emergency crews who are responding to the needs. Last weekend’s emergency relief drive resulted in nearly 900 lbs. of food and supplies donated to the local food shelter. We will hold another drive in October. In the meantime, monetary donations can be made directly to relief efforts through the following links:

• Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina
• Samaritan’s Purse
• American Red Cross

Our church is exploring additional ways we can reach out to those communities that have been devastated. As the flood waters begin to recede and the need becomes more clear, we will be looking for how to engage in the recovery and rebuilding efforts. Additionally we want to minister to the first responders and emergency crews and are looking into how to be a source of encouragement and support to them.

Many of our own church members have families and friends in the high impact area. We will be doing our best to reach out to them to help rebuild their lives.

Please remember that many are still suffering. Some have lost everything. The needs will persist for many weeks, months, if not years. Please continue to pray and ask the Lord for how you can be used to help.

Friday, September 14th, 4:00 pm update: The impact of Hurricane Florence is still being felt along the southeast North Carolina and northeast South Carolina coasts. It is currently projected to slowly continue making its way along the coast of South Carolina before turning inland, dumping many inches to feet of rain on inland communities throughout the southeast US over the weekend. This storm is still very dangerous, but the majority of the threat seems to have shifted to the south of our own region.

As of this afternoon, we are still planning on holding our usual Sunday morning activities. We will hold a special Worship Service of Praise and Intercession at 10:15 am to give thanks to God for his protection from the storm and to intercede on behalf of those still being affected by it.

You are also encouraged to bring any extra hurricane supplies (or any other supplies you would like to donate) that you did not need to the church this Sunday to be donated as disaster relief items to our high impact neighboring communities. The church will collect these items and determine the best way to deliver them to the Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina – which serves the region most impacted by Florence – early next week.

The most needed items for disaster relief are:

• High-protein canned meals with pop-top cans (ravioli, soups, spaghetti)
• Paper goods and products (paper towels/plates/cups/napkins, plastic utensils)
• Diapers
• Hygiene products (shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hand sanitizer, etc.)
• Single serving meals that do not require refrigeration or cooking/meals ready to eat
• Single serving snacks such as raisins & granola bars
• Peanut Butter
• Cleaning supplies and disinfectant wipes

We may organize another food drive in the coming days/weeks, but donating extra items this Sunday will allow us to begin making an immediate effort to help this week. The EMC men’s ministry will also be exploring the formation of work teams to assist in rebuilding efforts.

Monetary donations can be made directly to relief efforts through the following links:

• Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina
• Samaritan’s Purse
• American Red Cross

Please continue to pray for those in the crosshairs of this storm and continue looking after your friends and neighbors of your own local communities. We will continue updating this page with storm news and information in the coming days.

Tuesday, September 11th, 12:00 pm update: Hurricane Florence is currently projected to begin impacting the area as early as Thursday morning. Therefore, all EMC-related activities are cancelled through Saturday:

• AHSL meeting (Tuesday)
• EMC Preschool (Wednesday-Friday)
• All Wednesday activities (Young at Heart, KidZone, Infused, choir, Bible study, small groups)
• Morning Light/Night Light (Thursday)
• Men’s breakfast (Saturday)

We will assess and determine what to do regarding Sunday events as the week progresses and post everything on this page.

Monday, September 10th, 2:30 pm update: There are currently no official plans to cancel or postpone any of the week’s activities yet. The staff will be meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) morning to assess the situation and we will issue an update tomorrow afternoon.

In the meantime, please take the potential threats this dangerous storm poses seriously and don’t wait until the last minute to make any necessary preparations.

If you have questions, please direct them to the church office 252-264-2254 x. 200 or contact us via email.

Registration for the 2019 EMC women’s conference, “Delighting in Him Day by Day,” is now open. You can learn more information about the conference and register online by clicking the graphic above.

For most of us as we approach the Bible, we are lost, confused, or angry. Its size makes it intimidating. Its foreignness can make it bizarre. Its claims makes it problematic.

It tells a story, but so often we get lost in the weeds. It’s comforting, yet peculiar; helpful, yet baffling; inspiring, yet terrifying. The Bible doesn’t allow us to sit easily with the way things are.

Together we’ll go on an 8-week journey following the major story arc of the Bible, unpacking its radical story and discussing its claims. No question can’t be asked as we enter into a conversation about the Story of God.

If you’re a skeptic, I want to encourage you to come so that you can at least know what you’re rejecting, rather than the caricature often presented in modern media. If you’re curious about Christianity, this will help get you to the heart of its story and claims. If you’re a Christian but feel lost when reading Scripture, this will give you handles to grasp the story.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Class will take place in the Friendship A of the FYF Center. See the Campus Map for location.

Join us for our 2018 spring revival – Costly Grace – with Rev. Ron Adkins, April 29-May 2. This is our annual event where we set time apart as the Body of Christ to allow the Holy Spirit to refresh, renew, and revive. Nursery care (0-4 yrs) will be available each evening by our wonderful volunteers! Bring your family and friends for this exciting time of seeking God together as the body of Christ!

Costly Grace

In this unique time in history, when we have access to more information faster than ever before, knowledge and information are not necessarily making things better. While our world is in turmoil, Christianity has been marginalized and seems to have an ever decreasing impact on society. Why is this?

One reason is, in the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, we have cheapened God’s grace. Cheap grace is the enjoyment of all the benefits of God’s grace without the price of repentance, forgiveness, or submission to God. Bonhoeffer’s response would be “costly grace,” which is the grace that Jesus Christ offered in the Gospels – grace that demands a response.

Schedule of Events

About Our Speaker

Ron Adkins is an ordained elder with The Evangelical Church (2005) where he has served as pastor of two churches in Ohio (2008-2016) and currently as East Central Conference Superintendent, overseeing churches in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. He is also a preaching/teaching fellow with The Francis Asbury Society while working on his M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in Historical Theology through the London School of Theology in partnership with Asbury Theological Seminary.

Ron received a B.A. degree in Bible from Ohio Christian University (formerly Circleville Bible College) with a concentration in Psychology and Human Relations, an M.Div. in Christian Ministry with an emphasis in Church History from Wesley Biblical Seminary, and an S.T.M. (Master of Sacred Theology) degree in Biblical Studies with an emphasis in the Gospels from Trinity Lutheran Seminary.

Ron has served as an assistant professor of Bible and Theology at Ohio Christian University from 2004 to 2008 and is an adjunct professor of Biblical Studies for Arrowhead Bible College.

Ron and his wife, Jan, were married in 2000 and have four children.

Register Online!

Wouldn’t it be amazing to travel back in time and witness epic events in history? Imagine the thrill of meeting great heroes of the faith like Abraham, Moses, or Gideon. Or the fun of experiencing life in ancient cultures like Rome. Or the fascination of watching famous inventors make discoveries that change the world.

Now imagine traveling through time and meeting the most important man ever—a man who was not just a man, but also God. One who turned the world upside-down. One who existed outside of time. At Time Lab, we’ll do just that!

Location:
Evangelical Methodist Church
820 Okisko Rd.
Elizabeth City, NC 27909

When: July 16-18 (9am-12:00pm). Includes a special event on Wednesday evening!
Cost: FREE
Contact: Marcy White

Children ages 4 through 5th grade are welcome to attend!