ENCOUNTER LIFE MINISTRIES is a clearly evangelical church with a strong evangelistic history both in local outreach and international missions. The 1947 articles state the purpose of this church as the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ among our fellow men in this country as well as in foreign fields.
The following are some of the ways that we still seek to fulfill this purpose today.
Yearly we participate with Samaritans Purse in the Operation Christmas Child program. This effort goes from July till November.
We team up with a local business and provide teens in our area with new clothes for Christmas.
Our church regularly engages in supporting members of this congregation in short term mission trips. In 2020 we sent a team to Mexico in partnership with Missions of Vision International. We look to continue sending teams to Celeya, Mexico.
We currently support two missionary families through Covenant World Missions: Carl and Karen Groot in Thailand and Pete and Cindy Eckstrand in the Congo.
We make trips every year to the Spirit Lake Reservation where we partner with Pastor Larry and Darla Thiele and the Dacotah Oyate Church in Tokio. Dr. Billy Graham describes the Native American people as the most under-reached and under-served people group within the domestic borders of the United States.
Each year in November we deliver baskets with the items for the basic Thanksgiving meal to local residents.
Meeting practical felt needs with spiritual intentionality. At each SOS project we have direct access and interaction with local residents as we help with physical ‘felt needs.’ While helping with practical work projects we minister to the person’s spiritual needs, pray with them, and speak words encouragement into their lives in Jesus name. Many of our SOS days happen as whole church projects on predetermined and announced Sundays and serve as our living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, (as our) spiritual act of worship (Ron 12:1).
About four times a year we conduct Sunday afternoon worship services and the Saunders Care Center and South Haven Living Center. This time always includes praying with residents and encouraging them with the love of Jesus.