March 13th Pause with the Pastor and Announcements

ANNOUNCEMENT INDEX

NEW MEMBER TESTIMONIES

ALL OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

CLASS SCHEDULE

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

Pause with the Pastor

In John 15:7, Jesus gives one of the most remarkable promises about prayer in all of Scripture: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

That promise is not a blank check for getting whatever we want. Jesus gives two important conditions. First, we must abide in Him—living in a close, daily relationship with Christ. Second, His words must abide in us—our hearts and prayers shaped by Scripture and aligned with God’s will. When those two things are true, our prayers begin to reflect what God Himself desires to do.

Over the years I’ve seen many answers to prayer, but our recent trip to Israel gave our group a fresh reminder of how powerful the prayers of God’s people really are.

Before leaving, I had written the three devotionals on prayer for this email. At the time, I had no idea just how much we would rely on those prayers once we arrived in Israel.

Many of you knew that while we were there the conflict with Iran suddenly began. Several of the places we were scheduled to visit were closed, and our group experienced multiple emergency alerts that required us to move quickly to bomb shelters. Plans changed quickly, and we eventually had to leave Israel and traveled through Egypt before returning home.

But through every change, delay, and unexpected turn, we sensed something very real: the prayers of our church family.  Thank you. Thank you!

There was a deep sense of God’s peace among the group. Decisions came together at the right moments. Our tour company was able to reorganize travel plans almost immediately. Borders opened when they needed to. Flights were adjusted. And the entire group returned home safely.

When you step back and look at all the moving parts, it becomes clear that the Lord was answering prayer again and again.

And that’s exactly what Jesus promised in John 15:7. When God’s people are abiding in Christ and praying according to His heart, He works powerfully through those prayers.

One of the greatest blessings for our group was knowing that we were not alone. Even while we were thousands of miles away, we were surrounded by your prayers – those of our Clairemont Emmanuel church family. Many of you wrote, texted, and told us you were praying. We truly felt that support.

Scripture reminds us that the church is one body. When one part of the body is in need, the rest of the body lifts it up in prayer. That’s exactly what happened during this trip.

So, thank you.

Thank you for praying. Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for being the kind of church family that believes in the power of prayer.

And may this experience encourage all of us to keep abiding in Christ, letting His Word dwell richly in our hearts, and praying with confidence—because our God still answers prayer.

In preparation for this Sunday morning, please read Luke 18:18-30. 

BACK TO TOP

ANNOUNCEMENT INDEX

PAUSE WITH THE PASTOR | HIGHLIGHTED ANNOUNCEMENTS | NEW MEMBER TESTIMONIES | ALL OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLASS SCHEDULE | MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

HIGHLIGHTED ANNOUNCEMENTS

FROM PASTOR AARON 

I once again wanted to say what a blessing it was for me to preach and to open God’s Word together last Sunday.  I’ve had a number of people ask for the questions I posed at the end of the sermon. Here below are the questions:

• How might you keep growing in the knowledge of God’s Word and His will without becoming prideful or boastful in your knowledge of Him? 

• How might you keep asking questions to grow in your faith without becoming cynical or trying to engage others in self-serving debate? 

• How might you look for areas to pause and ask for God’s wisdom and permission even in areas you feel equipped and capable in? 

• How might you look for ways to engage others who are marginalized or have less status with the purpose of learning from them about childlike faith? 

I challenge you to pick one question and spend some time today meditating on how you can put that into practice.  I love you all and I am excited for us to continue growing in the knowledge of our Lord and his scriptures.

BACK TO TOP

ANNOUNCEMENT INDEX

PAUSE WITH THE PASTOR | HIGHLIGHTED ANNOUNCEMENTS | NEW MEMBER TESTIMONIES | ALL OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLASS SCHEDULE | MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

BAPTISM AND MEMBERSHIP

BACK TO TOP

ANNOUNCEMENT INDEX

PAUSE WITH THE PASTOR | HIGHLIGHTED ANNOUNCEMENTS | NEW MEMBER TESTIMONIES | ALL OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLASS SCHEDULE | MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

all other Announcements

PARKING – In preparation to having guests join us for Easter, if you’re able, please park on the street to leave our parking lot for those with physical needs, families, and guests.

PROPOSED 2026-2027 CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES AND BUDGET – These are available on the entryway table. Please familiarize yourself with these individuals and with the budget. If you have any budget questions please contact on overseer listed on the cover letter. Our Member Day of Voting on these important people and issues will be Sunday, March 29th after each service.

MEN’S RETREAT 2026 ‘Building Connections’ March 13-15,– Please pray for 80+ CEBC men as they travel to Rough Acres Ranch this weekend.  Pray that the enemy’s attempts to distract us will be thwarted, that the men speaking will be in tune with God's Spirit, and that the men attending will be open to hear those words. Pray also for safety for all those going. 

INTERESTED IN SERVING IN KIDS MINISTRY? – We have many opportunities to join on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. We’d love to have you join us in our partnership with parents to disciple this next generation! Get involved by contacting Susan Robinson at 619-985-5188 or at SusanAnnRobinson@gmail.com. (AWANA - Wednesday nights from 5:45-8:15pm / EMMANUEL KIDS SUNDAY SCHOOL – Sunday mornings from 10:05am-12:05pm in the Ark or the Harbor. / SPECIAL NEEDS BUDDIES - Sunday or Wednesday nights.)  

 INTERESTED IN JOINING A SMALL GROUP? – Would you like to start or join a small group? Participants decide the frequency and scope of their gatherings. Small groups meet together for fellowship, prayer, and Bible study. These groups are an integral part of our church community. Most meet regularly in the home of a group member. It may include dinner from time-to-time. If you haven’t found a group in your area, please let us know! Call or text Pastor Aaron if you’re interested. (If you’re interested in a women’s group, contact Lois Taylor at the church office.)

CARE FOR CLAIREMONT – Is a group of guys willing to help do some safe, light, ‘muscle jobs’ for seniors that could take around an hour or so to do.  If you have need of some help around your home, contact Pastor Kenny. 

SEE SOMEONE YOU DON’T RECOGNIZE AT CHURCH? – Please don’t assume that someone else will greet them.  Will YOU go up and introduce yourself to them and welcome them this Sunday to Clairemont Emmanuel!!

BACK TO TOP

ANNOUNCEMENT INDEX

PAUSE WITH THE PASTOR | HIGHLIGHTED ANNOUNCEMENTS | NEW MEMBER TESTIMONIES | ALL OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLASS SCHEDULE | MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

2026 Class Schedule

·      All classes are held in The Upper Room from 2-5PM

·      Text Pastor Kenny (619-508-3785) if you’re interested in reserving a spot for any of these classes.

·      Our goal is that every member takes each one of the classes. 

• March 22 Membership

• April 12 Ministry

• May 17 Membership

• June 14 Evangelism

• July 12 Membership

• Aug 9 Discipleship

• Sept 13 Membership

• Oct 11 Ministry

• Nov 8 Membership

BACK TO TOP

ANNOUNCEMENT INDEX

PAUSE WITH THE PASTOR | HIGHLIGHTED ANNOUNCEMENTS | NEW MEMBER TESTIMONIES | ALL OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLASS SCHEDULE | MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

WELCOME TABLE VOLUNTEERS – Have a heart to welcome our church on Sunday mornings? We invite you to serve here! The welcome table is a place to welcome all guests, to be a warm space for newcomers (and the regulars) to be seen and known, to connect them with our community, get their questions answered, to share about our church history and culture, and to get resources. Please contact Sunshine McCroskey for more details at speechsunshine@gmail.com. (Church membership required.)

AV MINISTRY – Men and women! If you are looking for a ministry and (especially if you have a background in technology / sound, but even if you don’t), contact Pastor Zach (858-322-2105), or one of the guys in the sound booth and let them know you’d like to join the team.

SPECIAL NEEDS MINISTRY – Children’s Ministry is exploring the idea of starting a Special Needs Team to better support individuals and families in our church community who have children with special needs. No experience is necessary—we’re simply looking to see who might be interested in learning more. This is not a commitment, just a chance to express curiosity or willingness to be involved in the future. If you’d like to be part of the conversation, please contact Nikki Uyboco at nikknacks1@gmail.com.

COMMUNITY CARE –  would like to love on our CEBC members in times of need (surgery, illness, cancer treatments, death of loved one) as well as celebrations of life (wedding, birth, new home, etc.). If you know of a CEBC member that deserves some love please submit a prayer card addressed to Living Waters with member name and address and reason for care and our Living Waters team will make sure a card will be sent to them.

MINISTRY TABLES – If you are a leader of one of our many ministries and would like a table on the patio, contact the office (619-276-1922) to schedule a Sunday! Plan to be at your table after both services.

ELDER CARE – Someone in the community, Pam, is looking for two people to help her twice a week in the afternoons with cleaning and organizing, etc. If you are interested in possibly helping out, contact Brooke Dumitru at 951-553-6578.

SILENT VOICES – Although they do not currently have a table on the patio, we have the opportunity to help restock the Silent Voices pantry with baby supplies (diapers, blankets, baby wipes, personal hygiene items, clothing, etc.). Silent Voices is a Christian pro-life pregnancy center founded by member Sharon Pearce, that provides life-affirming alternatives to abortion, and support to mothers and babies in our community who need help. If you have any questions about the ministry outreach, please contact Sharon Pearce (619-851-5336) or Paul Champlin (619-209-1237).

BACK TO TOP

ANNOUNCEMENT INDEX

PAUSE WITH THE PASTOR | HIGHLIGHTED ANNOUNCEMENTS | NEW MEMBER TESTIMONIES | ALL OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLASS SCHEDULE | MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES