Welcome to the Yacolt Evangelical Free Church
A Place where God is Pleased and Real Life Change Happens

Our church is currently searching for a Senior Pastor. To learn more about the search for a new pastor or to submit your resume please click here.

Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.” (Ecclesiastes 7:3 ESV)

Late last night after youth group, Jamie and I watched a video that left us destroyed emotionally. Pastor Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle teamed up with Pastor James MacDonald of Harvest Bible Church in Chicago to go on a relief and fact finding mission to Port-Au-Prince Haiti less than a week after the devastating earthquake. The video we watched was the message Pastor Mark delivered to his congregation shortly after his return. In this video, there is a unique connection to our church body. The first location Pastor Mark and Pastor James visit is a seminary inside Port-au-Prince. Pastor Mark interviews a woman named Cindy. Cindy is a cousin of Crissy Swift and Valerie McCormic.

In this video Pastor Mark shares video and images and testimonies of the status of the church in Haiti and the amazing power of the gospel even in tragedy. This is the time of year when most churches, including our own, give a “state of the church” address, and give annual reports. Haitian churches can give no such report this year. There are no church buildings left unharmed.

Churches, Bible colleges, Christian schools…destroyed. Pastors, worship leaders, seminary professors…dead. Christian brothers and sisters lost their husbands, wives, children…many are still buried and rotting in the rubble of the church buildings. I deeply love the church both locally and globally and the images and testimonies were extremely painful and left a deep mark on my soul. As Pastor Mark said, after seeing this, the emails marked “urgent” seem ridiculous.

Please, in the name of Jesus and for the sake of the gospel, please pause for an hour in our busy western culture to watch the video. Watch to understand; watch to pray and watch to weep for the people of Haiti. The video is below.

Pastor Mark and Pastor James immediately begun an organization called Churches Helping Churches (http://churcheshelpingchurches.com/). This organization exists to help meet the immediate and long-term needs of the churches in Haiti. Here is an excerpt from their website…

Both throughout history and following specific tragedies it is often the local church that cares for widows, orphans, and the poor. It is the church who performs the funerals, grief counseling and spiritual follow up with families of victims. Rebuilding local churches helps address the practical and spiritual needs of a country, one person, one neighborhood, and one community at a time.

When the magnitude of a catastrophe can be described as “biblical,” it is the local church that reminds people that another biblical concept is even more powerful: hope in Jesus Christ.

Please, take a moment to watch the video, take a moment to weep and pray for the people and churches in Haiti….and then give by following the link to Churches Helping Churches.

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10)

~Pastor Nathan

Attention all Sunday School Teachers, Youth Leaders, AWANA Leaders JAM Leaders and Parents!

Save the date and join us for our Children's Education Workshop

March 6TH 9am-1pm

Do you wonder if you are making a difference in your child’s spiritual life? Do you know how to lead a child to Christ? Have you ever had trouble keeping your students under control in the class? Then you won’t want to miss this opportunity!!

Tracy Halstead and Matt Strawn from Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) will be here at YEFC to give a training workshop. This workshop will equip you to more effectively reach the children of our church and community with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We would like to ask that all our children and youth workers consider the Saturday workshop a mandatory training opportunity. The workshop is free of charge but the training is priceless! Come and be encouraged! Come and be equipped! Come and be energized to effectively share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the children around us!        

Here is what to expect:
Saturday March 6th – 9am – 1pm
FREE!!  (Lunch, refreshments and materials provided)

Fun and practical teaching!
Interactive, hands-on training!
For teachers and parents alike!

Please RSVP to the church office (686-3322) so we can adequately prepare for your arrival.

Also, mark your calendars for additional workshops that will supplement this training. Mark your calendars for Sunday evenings at 6:30 on 3/14, 3/21, 3/28, 4/11

The Sunday night workshop topics will include

• Giving a Salvation Invitation
• Counseling for Salvation
• From a Child’s Perspective
• Age Group Characteristics
• More than Memorizing
• Music with a Message
• Missions – Bringing the world to kids
• Teaching children to share their faith

For more information abour Child Evangelism Fellowship visit http://www.cefonline.com/
For more information on the worskshops feel free to contact the church office at 686-3322 or email us at office@yefc.org