If you’ve signed up for a birthday gift this month, they are due to the office by the morning of Thursday August 24, 2023.
Thank you to those who have generously stepped up to provide gifts!
Birthday gifts due Thursday morning August 24, 2023
Session and Diaconate Meeting – Sunday August 20, 2023
The Eastminster Session and Diaconate are meeting Sunday August 20, 2023, at 12:30pm in room 104 at the church. If you have business for them, please contact the office to be added to the agenda. You are also invited to attend in-person.
The Eastminster Future Committee
On Sunday July 30, 2023, the session called a congregational meeting to announce the creation of the Eastminster Future Committee. The session presented the idea of the committee to the congregation and then elaborated on it during the Corn and Watermelon dinner.
The presentation recapped what has happened and what we need to do to move forward, i.e., we need to come together to decide where the Lord is leading EPC. An information update and survey were handed out to everyone in attendance. If you haven’t already, can you fill one out? There are copies in the narthex and foyer.
We need your input! Please consider participating in the Eastminster Future Committee!!!
Indian River Assisted Living Birthday List for August is out
The birthday list for IRAL is out and on the table in the foyer. Please check out the list and sign-up to support one of our friends at IRAL. The presents are due to be turned into the church by Thursday morning August 24th.
This really is a wonderful opportunity and a real blessing! Please join us if you are able.
Congregational Meeting Sunday July 30, 2023
There will be a congregational meeting after services on Sunday July 30, 2023.
Additional Apps
On my first page, I left out some video related apps that I have also found useful and want to recommend.
RightNow – RightNow is a a video collection similar to Netflix or Hulu but for the Church. It has conference videos, Bible Study videos, and Christian Children’s videos (including Veggie Tales and some of the Superbook series). If you are a member of EPC or a friend of the Church, contact the office for a free login information.
https://www.rightnowmedia.org/us/mission
The Chosen Series – The Chosen Series is a TV series based upon the gospels. You download an app for your smartphone to cast the program to your smartTV or you can watch via the website. The series is crowd funded by the viewers “paying it forward,” by paying for 10 other families to view the episodes of the series. While they are using English and some modern phrases, a very serious attempt to maintain the vision of the culture of the day and fidelity to the Scriptures. While not a relatively direct translation like the “Jesus Movie,” this series does a great job developing the characters of the gospels in ways you can identify with very easily. In the first episode you are introduced to Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, Peter and Matthew. In the following episodes you see each character develop into the person you read about in the gospels.
Apps to use for your Growth
With Covid has come a whole new world in the area of ministry and ministry tools. I shared a few weeks back that I would post a listing of some of the recommended apps we use at Eastminster Presbyterian Church. I am going to break these down by category. While most are smartphone apps, I will include a few computer/tablet apps also. I will do my best to provide links for every possible operating system (os) available.
PRAYER APPS:
Echo Prayer App – A tablet and smartphone prayer app we use to post our emergency prayer needs. Users who subscribe to the EPC Feed are notified when a new prayer request is posted so that they can pray for the need. Our admins review the requests each week and when appropriate they are moved to the “answered” list.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/echo-prayer/id880759027?ls=1&mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cloversites.echo
Prayermate app – “PrayerMate brings all your prayer points together. Whether it’s your personal prayer points for friends and family, regular updates from some fantastic mission organisations, or the latest PDF prayer letter that just arrived in your inbox, PrayerMate puts it all together in one place and helps you get on and pray.”
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/prayermate-quiet-time-organiser/id434815549?mt=8&ls=1
Joshua Project – This app is for praying for unreached people groups around the world. Each day you receive a new people group or country, maps, background information, and specific prayer requests. It is a great app to keep the needs of Missionaries around the world in your prayers.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/unreached-of-the-day/id543797457?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.unreachedoftheday.AndroidMobile
Scripture Memory Apps – I am still comparing these two apps. There are aspects I like about both of them so for now I am using them both in my attempts to memorize Scripture.
Bible Memory App – “The Bible Memory App is the only complete Bible memory system that makes it easy for you to Memorize, Organize, and Review verses.
You can even memorize and review verses while reading and studying your Bible, all in one app!”
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bible-memory-verses-memorization/id496790833?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.millennialsolutions.scripturetyper
Bible Memory Verses – This is an iOS app, meaning it can only be used on iphones or ipads. You can import verses from your favorite Bible app and use the app to help you memorize the verses. It is simpler than the previous app which may appeal to some.
You can download this from the Itunes App store on your iphone or ipad.
Bible Apps:
There are dozens of apps out there for use on every platform. This list will include the few that I am currently using.
ESV Bible App – This is a basic ESV Bible in electronic form. It does include some reading and devotional plans you can download. You can adjust light or dark screen, copy, take notes, and highlight within the app.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/esv-bible/id361797273?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.esv
YouVersion Bible App – This is a great all purpose Bible reading app. While you have to be selective in the video, reading plans, and devotional areas as the theology is very broad with an emphasis on “Word of Faith” Movement. There are many good plans and devotionals for those coming from a Reformed perspective. You can use this in an online only mode or download specific Bible translations to use offline. There is a social media aspect of this app as you can develop your own friends list and the Church can post “Event” information through the app. We, EPC, have not used this app to its fullest extent but recommend its use for general purposes. You can also install this app on Alexa and Google Home devices and have the device read the text to you. Very useful for “God’s Word, Last Word.” before bed each night or “the Verse of the Day” each morning.
https://app.bible.com/app-android
e-Sword – This Bible study software began as a free windows software ages ago. It utiziles texts, commentaries, and dictionaries that are in the public domain, though you can purchase contemporary titles if you wish. The app is now cross platform and available in almost every format you can think of, computer, tablet, or phone. I have run this software on mac os, linux, windows, and ios.
https://e-sword.net/downloads.html
Olive Tree – I know a few of the officers use the Olive Tree app on their phones, tablets, and computers. It is cross platform compatible and is available in almost every format. It would be best to start at their website for more info and downloading instructions.
I pray that this synopsis will be helpful to you. If there are apps you are using, let me know.
Update #1