Good Friday Service (4/22)

Date: Friday, April 22 (Good Friday)
Time: 6:00 - 7:00pm
Place: Afro-American Cultural Center - MP Room (211 Park St. - between Edgewood and Chapel Streets)

“It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord… to sit alone in silence when the Lord has imposed it.” (Lamentations 3:26, 28)

Please join us for our ECV Good Friday service at Yale's Afro American Cultural Center. There will be scripture and poetry readings and reflection on the significance of Jesus' death.

Childcare will be provided.

In case you need them - Directions to the AFAM House:

Yale's Afro American Cultural Center is located at 211 Park St, between Edgewood and Chapel Streets. The building is set off the street a little bit, so you'll need to walk down the sidewalk (as though headed toward York St), to gain access to the building. The MP Room is the room to the left on the first floor after one enters the building.

If you need a detailed map of Yale Campus, click here and search for "211 Park Street"

Church and City Full of Strong Families

The Lenten Season may be over... but the Prayers for the Dreams of ECV continue!

This week, we'll be focusing our prayers on building a Church and a City full of strong families. Let's dream together for the ECV community to be a place that is welcoming and nurturing to all members of the family, Men, Women, Teens, and Children. Not only do we want to encourage individual growth, but also to encourage and strengthen bonds within the family - between couples and between parents & children. Also, please pray that our efforts are not only for stronger families already within ECV, but also for stronger families throughout New Haven, bringing the Kingdom of God and Transformation into more homes in our city!

In particular, please pray for the following:

1. Praise God for the work that he is already doing in the Mom's Group! They have been meeting for a few months now and it has been a great place for mothers of young children to share, laugh, and encourage one another! Pray that we can continue and sustain this valuable asset to moms. Also pray that a similar group that will be started for Dads/Men as well. In addition - please pray for a place and opportunities where adults in general can dig deeper into topics, both spiritual and practical, that effect them and their families.

2. Pray for our current Sunday School & Childcare Coordinators, Teachers and Helpers, especially as they encourage children to learn about Jesus and to grow in their own faith (even the babies)!

3. Praise God for the work that God is already doing with Teens in New Haven through our partnerships with Your Place Youth Center and Young Life and pray that the work of their staffs and volunteers will not only bring about healthier teens, but also healthier families surrounding those teens as well. Also, pray that God will raise up leaders within ECV who are excited about working with teens both within our church as well as drawing those from the broader New Haven community.

A Stronger, Healthier New Haven

Dear ECVers,

One of our dreams for ECV is that we will see God move to create a "Stronger, Healthier New Haven" and that we in ECV can be a part of making that happen.

To that end, and to kick-off our time of praying through ECV's dreams during this Lent Season, please pray for the following things:

1. For increased Unity in New Haven: Whether it's in Town-Gown relations, Class/Race/Ethnic divisions, Neighborhood divisions, or even in relations between churches, schools, government, or non-profits. This is a town full of "silos", so please pray that God will break through the "dividing walls of hostility" (to very loosely borrow from Ephesians 2:14).
1a. Also, pray for whatever role ECV as a church can play in bringing people together, making connections and sharing resources with the rest of the New Haven community.
1b. In addition, pray that ECV itself can reflect the unity and diversity of New Haven, that more people of different classes and races can feel that they can be a part of the ECV community; pray for the courage to take the risks to partner with God in this way.

2. For Peace and an End to Violence in New Haven: We just heard from the Your Place Teen Youth Center that there have been recent shootings in Newhallville where they are located. Unfortunately, youth (and gang) violence is a major concern throughout the city, not just in Newhallville. Please pray that the Kingdom of God will break through and end the bloodshed and pain on our streets.
2a. Also, pray for more safe and productive places where children and teens can gather rather than just on the streets. Your Place is one of a very few places where teens can have structured fun and feel safe. We need more youth centers, more after-school programs, and more youth employment opportunities. In light of our City's budget crisis, we will definitely need a miracle to see that happen!

3. For our Local Partners: Your Place Teen Center, New Haven Reads, Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, and Young Life (currently in Fair Haven) - That God will increase the good work that they are doing, will provide for their needs so they can continue to serve the city, and for more opportunities for us to develop deeper partnerships with these organizations (and possibly others as well).

There are many other things that we can pray for New Haven (I haven't even touched the subjects of healthcare, or economic development, or education), but I'm sure God will lead you to pray for whatever needs there are in this City. Also, please let me know if you get any words, pictures, impressions that might help us as a church to move forward in helping to build a "Stronger, Healthier New Haven."

Happy Praying!
Hannah