Help make the FUN happen!
In two weeks, families and friends galore will walk through our doors for the Fall Fun Fest! Many of them will be new to the area, and Five Oaks could become their new church home. We’ve seen it happen every year!
That’s where your biceps (OK, maybe just your smile) comes in.
We need 150+ volunteers to make this an amazing event. Whether it’s Donut on a Rope, Pig Races, or Emoji Throw, or helping set up, clean up, greet our guests, serve dinner or even bake cookies, we have many ways you can help out!
Super fun fact – ALL volunteers have a chance to win a $100 gift card to Marcus Theaters! Join the FUN by clicking here to find a role that fits your schedule.
Speaking of making the FUN happen…
The event we’re inviting you to volunteer for, above, is of course Fall Fun Fest. You’ve likely heard it mentioned the last few weeks at church, but if you’re wondering, Fall Fun Fest is a free event for your family on October 26 that is both easy to love and easy to invite neighbors and friends to attend with you. You can look forward to pumpkin decorating, a cake walk, crazy hair, donut on a rope, and new this year -- movies, Bingo, and free dinner for your family at the start of the night! October 26 is a Friday — from 6-9 pm (dinner from 6-7). More invite cards and flyers are available at the ministry cart in the Commons this weekend. Oh and yes, it’s all free. Madcap!
Join our Reach 1 Family Facebook group to share invite ideas
Got a new neighbor? A family from soccer? The family of your son or daughter’s newest friend from school? These relationships, some new to you and others not, provide a great opportunity for you to invite them into something new in their lives.
As followers of Christ, we’ve experienced great freedom in Christ, and so in theory we should throw the best parties. But, sometimes we feel ill-equipped to invite others to church for any number of reasons.
To help build your confidence in inviting others, consider joining our Reach 1 Family group on Facebook. We need you to join this group so you can share your insights and successes with inviting others, and joining will also give you new ideas and strategies.
We plan to use these ideas to invite those “new” families in our lives to join us at one of our great church parties, the Five Oaks Church Fall Fun Fest on October 26. Click here to go straight to our Reach 1 Family Group and join.
Let Pastor Henry answer your questions this weekend
If you’re new here, you may wonder how best to get connected. We have a simple first step, called Pizza with the Pastor. This one-hour lunch with Pastor Henry will allow you to ask any questions about Five Oaks and get you started connecting with others. FREE childcare and a FREE pizza and salad lunch. Sunday, October 14, room 101, after the second service. Hope you can make it!
Communion/Baptism Class this weekend
Families, we want to help you feel equipped to journey will with your kids/students. Our Communion/Baptism milestone (October 14, 9 am, room 101) will help equip you for meaningful conversations with your student about salvation, following Jesus, and what baptism and communion have to do with that. Didn’t RSVP? Plan to show up anyway!
Students: it’s a movie night next week!
Middle and high schoolers, grab your friends and join us for a relaxing movie night on October 17 at Five Oaks. We’ll be eating nachos while watching “Nacho Libre,” so come ready for some good laughs and tasty chips. We’ll start at 6 pm. This is a simple way to invite your friends to come check out our youth group!
Got some shoes you no longer need?
One of our Five Oaks families, Adam and Stacy Steiner, are working on adopting a sibling pair from Haiti. In order to offset adoption expenses, they are participating in a shoe drive. If you have any shoes your family has outgrown or cast aside, please consider donating them to the Steiners. Your shoes will be repurposed and sold to vendors in other countries. This creates jobs and boosts their local economy. Please email Stacy, steiner.stacyl@gmail.com, with donations or other questions. Their deadline is quickly approaching!
Join our mission (membership)
Membership is important at Five Oaks. It’s a way of saying, “I want to be part of the mission of this local church.” If you have a personal relationship with Christ and have completed Story of God (the class or in your small group), make plans to come to the next membership class on October 21, 9 am, in room 102. Please RSVP by emailing Pam Hawley at phawley@fiveoakschurch.org.
It just takes one hour!
Right in our community, many school-aged kids lack the support at home to perform their best at school. These kids need a caring adult to invest in them. KidsHope USA pairs adults with kids who need something extra, offering kids one hour each week with their mentor. Since 2012, Five Oaks has partnered with Woodbury Elementary to work with kids in need. These students often say that the hour spent with their mentor is the highlight of their week. Please consider showing up for one of these kids. More info at the ministry cart in the Commons this weekend. Can’t mentor but want to help? Let us know by emailing khusa@fiveoakschurch.org for more info. There are many ways to support KHUSA’s work.
Juniors, seniors & parents…
Join us for our Preparing to Launch class on October 28 at 11:00 in room 101. Our newest milestone, this class will help juniors, seniors and their parents prepare for their final years in high school. To register, please click here.
Who’s excited about Christmas?
Even though the leaves on the trees say “autumn,” Christmas is right around the corner! We’re already prepping for Jingle Jam, a program for elementary kids and their families. Mark your calendar for December 7, 7 pm! We need teens and adults to help sing with the worship team, plus people to help with set design and construction. To volunteer or learn more, please email Kelly Bauman, kbauman@fiveoakschurch.org.
We are ‘identity amnesiacs’
We are forgetful people. And we need reminders of who God is and who we are because of him. Get a daily reminder by signing up for our DailyLife daily devotional, written by a team of Five Oaks volunteers. This is one way to read and reflect on scripture to engage in your relationship with God. Sign up by writing “DailyLife” and your email on your communication card.
Helping you love your city - Dorothy Day
Do you and your busy family want a simple way to be a blessing to the needy, while having a great time of fellowship? Come join us on November 3 from 8:30-1:15 as we prepare and serve the noon meal at Dorothy Day . Minimum age is 13. To participate, put Dorothy Day on your communication card or contact Tim and Cindy Wiant at wiynts4@sbcglobal.net. and receive a confirmation.
What do GEEKS eat for lunch?
Come to the Worship Tech Open House on November 4, after the second service, to learn the answer to this important question and so much more.
Truth: this is actually more like a “lunch and learn” event so that more people can learn more about the importance of our weekend tech ministries. These ministries also include several non-technical roles, such as service manager and communion setup. We also want those attending to steer people our way as we look to strengthen the tech ministry at Five Oaks.
Mark your calendar! Please RSVP to Harold Ennulat at hennulat@fiveoakschurch.org. (We want to have the proper amount of GEEK and non-GEEK food available!) If you decide at the last minute, that's fine too. Just show up. Questions, comments, help or suggestions? Harold can also be reached at 651.442.5691.
Lost something at church?
Our Lost and Found, located at the Welcome Center, is overflowing. If you are missing something, please stop by the Welcome Center to see if it has been living there. All unclaimed items will be donated November 4.
Save the date: Worship night November 8
Running on empty? Slow down and fuel up at our Prepare Worship Service on November 8 at 7 pm. Be encouraged and equipped as we spend time worshiping through music, prayer, and scripture in a less structured format. Family and friends of all ages are welcome! Join us as we Prepare together for the work God is doing in and around us!
Five Oaks Runners Provide Precious Water for 78 People in Africa
A big thank-you for those who trained for and ran in the Twin Cities Marathon for Team World Vision. Over $3900 was raised, enough to provide water for 78 people in arid regions of Africa where water is, literally, life. Even more important, those who build the wells in these areas also share the living water of the Gospel. THANKS, RUNNERS!!
Five Oaks book club
Do you love to read? Join us at our book club to discuss our monthly reading choice and meet others from church who also love a good book.
When: Second Tuesday of every month
Time: 6:45 pm - discussion at 7 pm
Where: Five Oaks Church, Fireside Commons
New members are welcome throughout the year. Join anytime. Please message Carie Jorgenson on Realm to find out what our upcoming titles will be and to ask any questions about joining us!
Save the date for our Annual Congregational Meeting
You may be thinking, “Annual meeting? Ho hum…” Well, ho hum no more. Join us November 11 at 4 pm for worship, community, a short business meeting, and shared vision from Pastor Henry and ministry leaders. Heavy appetizers for all following. Definitely not the annual meeting you remember from your childhood…
Community News
Help wanted: Your home!
Perhaps you’ve considered hosting an exchange student, but you’re worried about a long-term commitment, or a bad match, or maybe you think you’re too busy to adequately share our culture with an exchange student. Here is an opportunity to bless a college student for less than a month. You can invite a Japanese college student studying at Bethel University this winter (February 16th - March 12th) to be a part of your family! Many of these students are hungry for the comforts of home, and they want to participate with your family in your own kind of “busy!” Share your love and faith with your student, and you'll plant a seed. Your student takes classes during the day and spends the evenings with you. Transportation help to/from Bethel is provided as well as a stipend. For information contact, Lisa Bekemeyer, lbekemeyer@me.com or 651-253-9498.