Church – Page 5 – Laura Herr Photography

Changes

Last weekend, we went to the beach on both Saturday and Sunday. Because our end of September weather was humid and in the mid 80s and it could not have felt more glorious out there. Both days, we launched our boat at the Eastport Dock and both days ended up soaking in the sun and enjoying hours and hours on the same beautiful beach.

However, last weekend when we pulled our boat up to our usual parking spot on the bay side of Cupsogue, I noticed that something seemed different. Looking deeper, I realized that the coming of Fall was causing little changes all around us. The green areas of the beach were starting to turn into golden yellows and browns and towards the evening the air felt just a little bit crisper.

Both days, the ocean was churning. Technically, it’s hurricane season though thankfully none have ventured up north so far. But there was something different, even with the bigger than normal waves of the ocean. They had a different look and feel to them and they were crashing so close to the shore that we weren’t able to enjoy the water quite as much as we did in the summer.

And I suppose it’s a bit interesting considering all of the beach changes that Fall is bringing, because “change” seems to be the theme in our lives lately. The biggest and most significant change that we learned about last week is that as of the end of October, our church will be without a Senior Pastor again.

I’ll be honest, this one hit me hard. Pastor Jerry and DeAnna have been with us for three years. He came in as an interim pastor when Pastor Charley retired and just under a year later, our church hired him to be our Senior Pastor. During that time, we built up relationships and watched our church grow and flourish. Jeremy really enjoyed working with Jerry and I got to get to know him more as well when I was hired this past year to work as a part time Children’s Ministry Director. In the time that he was here, our church had love and appreciation for him and the many ways he served our congregation as our pastor.

So you can imagine the hard emotions that came when Pastor Jerry announced last Sunday that he and DeAnna felt that God was calling them to a different place in their lives. While I was happy for them because they are anticipating a new journey, I was incredibly sad for our church and the loss that we would experience with them leaving. Crazily enough, this will be our fifth change in Senior Pastors since we’ve been here. So we know from experience that these changes bring their own unique set of challenges.

We also found out this week some incredibly sad news for our friend Adam Capurso. Adam is from our town and has been a part of our Youth Group for what seems like forever. Before that we had gotten to know his oldest brother Ralph who was also a part of our youth group. A few days ago, Adam’s second oldest brother Kevin was killed in a motorcycle accident. Kevin was 21 years old. When I heard this I was so heartbroken and all I could think about was how things drastically would change for Adam and his family as they grieved such a sudden and terrible loss.

*On a side note, if you think of it, could you please keep the Capurso family in your prayers. The wake for Kevin Capurso was today. There was a beautiful outpouring of love from the Capurso’s family and friends and from our community as well. But please pray for strength and peace for the Capursos as they journey through this heartbreaking time.

Life is full of changes. Sometimes they are good, but I’m learning that sometimes they are just so hard. My heart has struggled this week anticipating the changes that are coming for our church as we say goodbye to Pastor Jerry and DeAnna and begin another search for a Senior Pastor. And my heart is absolutely grieving for our friend Adam and for the changes that his family will face with the loss of his brother Kevin.

I’ll close with a verse that gave me comfort today and one that always brings comfort through the changes that will come in life. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forget you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” My constant in life has always been to know that no matter what is going on in my life, that God is the same and He is always with me. This is a beautiful truth that my heart will hold close no matter what changes in life may come.

Today was a Gift

Today I asked Ellee if she wanted to come up to the hospital to visit Michael Einfeldt with me. Both of our kids have been off school for the past two days because of Rosh Hashanah. She sweetly obliged so the two of us drove up there this afternoon. After checking in at the front desk, we took the elevator up to the 18th floor. I dropped her off in the waiting room and walked down the hall of the ICU to visit Michael. He was actually just a few rooms down from the room that he spent three months in right after his accident.

When I walked in the room, I was greeted by Aunt Krisha. We got to know her and her husband well during our visits to Michael and to this day, she almost always spends her Fridays with him. It was so good to see her and she caught me up with how Michael was doing. Thankfully, they believe that the infection that put Michael back in the hospital has cleared and are currently waiting for him to finish the antibiotics and be infection free for a few weeks.

As you can imagine, Michael’s been through so much these past weeks, well, months really. The last few times that I’ve visited, Michael wasn’t even really awake because of all that his brain and body had been going through.

But today? Today was a gift. Right after I walked in the room, Michael opened his eyes and stayed pretty awake throughout my visit. It was so, so good to be able to see him and hold his hand and talk to him again. He looked so much better in general and alert and it truly was a blessing to behold.

I told him all the things that I thought he’d want to know. I told him about everyone who has been praying for him in our church and in our community. I caught him up to date with the things that his friends were up to, including what they did that summer and who was back at college and who had started up work. When I told him how much they loved him and missed him, he made some vocal sounds which is something that I haven’t been able to hear in a long time. Throughout this entire journey, it’s always been evident to me that Michael continues to care so much about his friends. It’s also been evident that they all truly love and care about him as well. When Michael made his sounds, I told him it was so, so good to hear his voice again. And finally and most importantly, I told Michael how much God loves him and how we were all praying that He would continue to work in Michael’s life. I shared with him the good things that I’ve seen even in the midst of the struggles of his situation.

I left the hospital feeling so hopeful and so encouraged. It was such a good visit and it was such a beautiful gift.

I know that Michael will be in the hospital for a few more weeks as they wait for the infection to be conpletely clear. Thank you for your prayers and for the support that you’ve given to Michael and his family. In addition to the recent fundraiser, I know many have found their own ways to show love and support for the Einfeldts. I took up a gift from the Tuesday Night Men’s Bible Study at Eastport Bible Church and I know that this and the others are such a blessing for the Einfeldts. Please continue to pray and please know that God is working in many ways for Michael and his family. Thank you for sharing in this update and in the blessing that today truly was.

VBS 2017 Recap

I have to start out with a disclaimer. It is 100% impossible to adequately sum up the incredible week we had at VBS Kids Camp in one little post. So you’ll have to bear with me while I do my very best.

We enjoyed record numbers of Pre-K through 6th graders this year. And to me, it’s not so much about being excited about writing down big numbers each day, as it was knowing that each one of those numbers represented a child who was having fun and learning more about Jesus.

Hands down my favorite part of VBS was watching these precious children praising God. They sang with excitement and enthusiasm and I know it blessed everyone who got a chance to hear it.

We made some memories this year, and many were in the form of our staff talent show.

And in case you were wondering, yes dear friends, that is my amazing husband who ran around the church pretending to be a Pokemon. His group ended up winning the popular vote so they got to perform their song again for at our closing program.

(Side Note: We just love these precious, darling future VBS campers)

Moving along. Our students enjoyed many fun games and crafts this week.

We had an incredible group of volunteer leaders and helpers who put their hearts and souls into making this week special for the kids. I’m also pretty proud of the fact that we had a very big staff this year and about half of them were our youth group teens and they did a wonderful, wonderful job.

Yes, VBS Kids Camp 2017 was fantastic. And if you’re local and want to hear more of what happened during our week, come join us on Sunday, August 13th at our 9:30am worship service. Some of our kids will be singing and we will show a highlight video from our week. All are welcome!

God bless our friend Jill who snagged this picture of Jeremy and I. This week was crazy busy, but we could not have been more happy or blessed to be a part of it.

We wrapped up the week with our official Coins for Kids sliming event. All week long the children brought in pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters to donate to the Paradise Orphanage in Burkina Faso. We are still waiting for the final tally, but I know for fact that the change which was brought in today (thanks to Connie Parise and Steven Contreas) totaled just over $1300. We still have to add a bit more money that was donated and will have our final tally for our service on Sunday.

All week long, it was Christian vs. Danny (we always pick two staff members to put up for the sliming) and in the end, Christian’s team brought in the most change.

So this happened:

C Gets Slimed from Laura Herr on Vimeo.

All in all, I can’t even begin to imagine the great things that God did in and through this week of camp. A huge thank you to our director Esther, the leaders, helpers, kids, parents and everyone who participated in making this week absolutely incredible!

There is Hope

Ellee and I drove up to Stony Brook Hospital today. And when I went to check in at the front desk, I gave the two different names of the two different patients that we were visiting. The first, was Michael Einfeldt. I found out through a friend yesterday that he was having more complications and that he was back at the hospital again.

When we walked into his room, my heart dropped. Because it’s just so difficult to see someone that you care about hurting. And I have to be honest, it’s hard. It’s hard because it’s been 18 months since Michael’s accident. And it continues to be a long and difficult and heartbreaking journey.

Amidst the sadness of knowing that Michael was struggling today, there was goodness. Goodness in being able to see and to talk with Sally. Goodness in having our friend Lisa be together with us as well. And in between the the hard conversations, there were good conversations as well. Conversations sprinkled with truth and with encouragement and with hope. And thankfully, over the few hours that we spent together, by the end of our time, Michael had gotten some of the medical help that he needed and was resting much easier.

After visiting with Michael, we took the elevator up to the 18th floor. Which brought back so many memories because that was where Michael had spent three solid months. I dropped Ellee off to the waiting room and then walked down the hall to visit our dear friend Jim Curto. Earlier this month, Jim suffered a terrible head injury from a really bad fall and today was the first time I was able to go and see him.

When I walked into the room, I saw his beautiful wife Barb sitting by his side. We’ve known Barb and Jim for many years from Eastport Bible Church. A few years ago, Barb came to our home to give Ellee sewing lessons once a week and our friendship deepened over that time. Barb and Jim have been an incredible couple and an encouragement to so many for many, many years and we have a deep love and appreciation for them both.

Jim has been through so much since his fall. Barb shared how in many ways, the doctors have been amazed by his progress. But many challenges are still to come for Jim and as we visited these also brought sadness to my heart.

When we walked out of the hospital after our visits, my heart was so burdened for our friends. I wondered how the future would be for both of them and again, discouragement flooded my heart. But even as I let myself soak in the sadness of the day, I knew in my heart that there was still hope. And it’s amazing the powerful thing that hope is. Little by little, hope really helped to change my perspective from the negative to the truth.

And the truth for both Michael and Jim is that God very much loves them both and He is indeed weaving and working goodness into both of their situations.

Sally was very burdened when she arrived at the hospital. But I got to be a firsthand witness of seeing how prayers were answered, even over the course of the visit. Sally stayed at a hotel by the hospital last night to be close to Michael and she shared how she had met another woman at the hotel and how they were able to have a conversation about God and faith. I could see the light in her eyes as she shared and it gave me hope in knowing that God is working in her heart so beautifully. I also saw prayers being answered as most of the medical staff that came in the room while we were there were willing to listen to Sally’s concerns and take the course of action that she felt was best for Michael.

And as I walked out of Jim’s room, I couldn’t help but be touched by how beautiful it was to see Barb showing such strong but tender love and encouragement for her husband. Quite a few times she leaned over and spoke with conviction about knowing that God was with her and her husband. Seeing her strength and he determination was a beautiful blessing amidst a difficult time. It was good and it again, brought just that much more hope to their situation.

Friends, I’d love to share that life is easy. But you and I both know, that that is far from the truth. I will however, continue to do my best to share what I’ve learned through the difficult times. And today, my encouragement was seeing hope shine through even the most difficult of days. In Job 11:18, it says, “You will be secure because there is hope.” And it was a great reminder that no matter the circumstance, God gives us security and encouragement that there is always hope. Hope in knowing Him. And hope in knowing that He will work good no matter how bad things may seem.

Please continue to pray for Michael. As of now, they are working to figure out what is causing him discomfort and we pray that they will be able to figure it out quickly. And please pray for our friend Jim Curto as well. He’s made enough progress that there is talk about what will be the next steps. Please pray for wisdom for his wife Barb and that he would be able to get to the best place to help him as he continues to recover.

Youth Group at the Beach

So, on Wednesdays, we take our Youth Group to the Beach. And it’s awesome. Because we love our teens and they love the beach.

We play games that make them laugh.

And then we have hang out time. Where they, you know, hang out.

This past week, we even played dodgeball. It was a little tricky, but we made it work.

This guy continues to amaze me. Because he’s served as a Youth Pastor for 14 years now, and he continues to be awesome at it.

But it’s not just about us and how we lead. It’s about our desire to invest in the students who are part of our group. It’s about empowering them to lead and to share. Which is exactly what three of them did last night. And they were great. And we were so proud of them.

Last night’s devotion consisted of talking about treasures that were lost and then found. So Jeremy buried a treasure in the form of a $5 bill. Unfortunately, during the lesson, it proved to be unfindable. However, that did not deter the enthusiasm of many teens digging around in the sand. Thankfully, later on, someone did find it and overall they listened to some great parables (which were stories that Jesus told) and learned a few things in the process as well.

All in all, it was a wonderful night with some pretty awesome teens. We will continue to meet throughout August, so if you have a 7th-12th grader that wants to play silly games and hang out and learn things about Jesus, send them to us. Drop off and pick up both happen in the church parking lot and are at 6:00pm and 8:30pm.

PS… please pardon the un-editing of these pictures… Thankfully, the beach pretty much makes everything look awesome as is 🙂

VBS Kids Camp 2017

VBS Kids Camp is coming to Eastport Bible Church, and it’s coming soon! Not sure what this means for you? Well read on, dear friend, read on.

Every year, during the first full week of August (August 7th-11th of this year), we get the most amazing team together. These adult and student leaders are all dedicated to the same thing: Serving the kids in our community during a fun and full week of VBS Kids Camp.

VBS Kids Camp is for kids who completed Pre-K (must be 5 by December 1st, 2017) through 6th Grade of this past (current) school year. We meet up each day from 9:00am-12:00noon for a great skit, songs, games, crafts, a snack, a Bible lesson time and a closing time each day.

Oh, and it should be noted that by the time summer rolls around, our 6th Graders will actually be students who are going into 7th in the Fall. Speaking of the older kids, our program is extra fun because we take the 5th and 6th graders off site during our time so that they can enjoy games and pool time outdoors. We have a few great friends in the community that live close by that open up their homes each year. The older kids love this privilege and this give the younger ones the space they need to do their fun and activities at the church.

VBS Kids Camp is an incredible program. Yes, our goal is to give kids a time of fun and activities. But most of all, we want them to learn that they are loved by Jesus.

We teach them this through a fun and interactive skit time as well as during their lesson times. I believe that there is nothing greater you can do than to encourage a child to know that they are loved by God and created to do awesome things. When they learn this at a young age, it affects how they see themselves and the choices that they make as they grow older. A fun and interactive week at VBS Kids Camp will help them to accomplish this very thing.

And also as a bonus, we always end our week by sliming someone. It’s tradition and tied into our Change for Children program (we ask the kids to voluntarily bring in change throughout the week which is then donated to an orphanage in West Africa) and it is always, always a highlight.

So, a few things to know. VBS Kids Camp is totally free and open to all children, Pre-K through 6th Grade. This year our theme is “Passport to Peru” and it’s going to be amazing. Registration is quick and easy and online! It will literally take a few minutes to complete. You can register your child by going to: www.eastportbiblechurch.com and clicking on the VBS Kids Tab at the top of the page.

All this being said, remember to mark your calendars! VBS Kids Camp at Eastport Bible Church is coming up, August 7th through the 11th. Plan to join us and tell your friends, because we would love to have them join us as well!

PLEASE NOTE: Our online registration ends on July 21st this year. If you haven’t registered your child, please do by this date so we can accurately plan for our group this year. Thanks so much!

Dear 6th Graders, You are Invited

Dear 6th Graders,

In an amazing turn of events, your 6th Grade year is nearly over. It’s probably hard to imagine it’s almost over, but truthfully, we are so excited for you! At Eastport Bible Church the end of 6th grade is significant. Because it means the beginning of EBCYG (which stands for Eastport Bible Church Youth Group) and the start of six years of Youth Group fun. And we would LOVE to have you come and be a part of our Youth ministry.

All that being said, we’re throwing you a party. This coming Thursday, June 8th from 7pm-9pm we are inviting you to join us for our 6th Grade Party at EBCYG.

*Parents… this part is for you. Because you also are in the transition of helping your child say goodbye to their elementary years. For the record, I know how you’re feeling. I did this very same thing last year. I traded in my awesome elementary school kid for an awesome (but newly challenging) Jr. Higher. And I have to say that from experience, this is a super weird time. It can be great and it can be difficult, and chances are, most days it will be a little bit of both.

But I will say that having our son in Youth Group has been overall great. I know that it’s a positive place and he has a great group of friends that come each week. Seeing all that our kids are up against, I think it’s so important to have them in a place that cares about them and that strives to help them through these challenging years.

And as a Youth Leader (my husband Jeremy is the Youth Pastor and I help him with pretty much all of our Youth Group events) I’m telling you for fact that we love your kid. It’s our goal to love and encourage them to learn and grow in their faith. We have an incredible team that will be there for them each week as well.

Okay, back to the party. Next Thursday, our current Youth Group will welcome the new 6th graders to come and join us for a night of fun.

We’ll pray for good weather…

And head outdoors for some water balloon fun.

And then we’ll gather everyone up and have an awesome time hanging out together.

This party is actually also open to everyone who is in Jr. and Sr. High. EBCYG runs all throughout the year and we have a pretty awesome group of leaders and students. We’ll kick off our summer with our 6th Grade party, but also have many other fun events all throughout June. For more information, you can always check out our website:

www.ebcyg.com or our church website: www.eastportbiblechurch.com

You can also always feel free to contact me, Laura Herr either through Facebook or email: lauraherr8@gmail.com and I would be happy to help with any questions you may have.

Finally, if you’re a 6th grader going into 7th this fall, we hope to see you Thursday, June 8th so that we can celebrate YOU!

Sincerely, EBCYG

PS. Eastport Bible Church is right in the heart of Eastport, 386 Montauk Highway, Eastport New York. Contact our church at: 631-325-8164