Thoughts, Stories, Action

Vince LaFrance is a Professor of Economics and International Business at Messiah College, and is the founding visionary of CEFC.  He and his wife Barbara have been part of the church throughout it’s entire history and have served in many capacities over the years.  Vince shares about some of the turning points of the church’s grown and reflects on what he has observed and learned over the years. 

Mike Sheriff is one of those members of the church who it is hard to imagine what it would look like without.  He helps to lead the annual sportsman’s feast, which has brought hundreds of people to Christ, as well helped to start and currently leads our Kid’s Outdoor Zone, or KOZ, reaching young boys with the gospel.  Mike shares about how he almost lost his marriage, and by the Lord’s grace, and a lot of hard work, turned his life around.

Scott Yingling is a founding member of CEFC and he and his wife Ruth are the first missionaries we sent to the field.  You’ll learn about their calling to missions work, where they spent decades as church planters in Mexico & now help train and send out missionaries around the world.  They’ll also share fascinating cultural perspectives of how cultures process their sin and how that can inform how we share the gospel with others.

In today’s episode, I sit down with Pastor Trevor Steele and explore how he came to the Lord and his call to ministry.  Trevor is a fun and witty friend and someone I enjoy deep conversations about matters of eternal importance. I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know him a little better through today’s podcast and be encouraged to live All of Life for Christ.

 Joe Picard is the elder chair of the board at CEFC. He came to Christ a little bit later in life, years into his married life, and the Lord has brought him challenges including injuries while on duty with the US Navy, a heart attack in his young 30’s and an eventual medical discharge from military service that has, in turn, lead to being medically retired from civilian work years before typical. Joe has taken these challenges and potential liabilities and turned them into assets, using his flexibility of time to mentor young men in their faith, serve as a member the elder board, and minister to others in a wide variety of ways that would not have been possible but for the very specific ways God has lead his life, and how Joe has responded to that leading.  He’s a good friend, a fun person to listen to, and loves Jesus very much. I hope you are encouraged listening to my chat with my friend, Joe Picard.    

 Mrs. Evelyn Bear has been a part of CEFC since day 1, and is such a bright, encouraging, and energetic Christian woman of deep faith.  At 84 years old, after being a part of CEFC for over 33 years, she felt called to take the step of faith to help start the CEFC Mt. Holly Campus.  She is a real dynamo.  She shares growing up working hard on the farm, enduring hardship, unique gifting, and awareness of God’s grace in her life have shaped her for her ministry and still keep her motivated to serve today. 

Peter Mershon is a thoughtful, dedicated servant of Christ, and as a young professional couple, he and his wife Dana are so intentional about serving in the church and being a part of the work the Lord is doing.  In this episode, he shares about how he has patterned his life after his parent’s example and shares insights about how he was shaped for and through serving Jesus Christ.  

I’ve been looking forward to capturing this story for quite some time; I might even go so far as to say it’s part of the reason I believe God had me do this podcast. It just needed a place where it could be shared. You’re about to hear from Bethany Cox. Growing up she went through a lot of hardships and suffered abuse. God miraculously gave her a way out of her circumstances, and even more amazingly through much grace and power, helped her to heal and show forgiveness.  We can all relate to her story in some ways, but it is also one of those stories that is a more raw and painful than many. But like all good stories, it points to the incredible grace and love of Jesus and our Father in heaven. I share this in the interview, but I’ll share it here as well: it’s not just the story that impacts me, but the story is so much richer because of the incredible peace and joy that Bethany has while she shares it. My faith was strengthened through this testimony, this story, and I pray yours will be as well. God bless, Pastor Dan

For our first podcast interview, I wanted everyone at CEFC to get to know Rachel Leach, she leads our MOPS (Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers) ministry and is a such a committed part of our church. She shares how she got involved with MOPS, some exciting news for her and her family, and how she stays motivated to serve Jesus. Rachel is someone who in my opinion just radiates joy, and it comes from a deep connection with her savior.     I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know Rachel as much as I enjoyed sitting down and connecting with her. Have a blessed week and we catch you in the next podcast. Blessings,  Pastor Dan