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Emmanuel Community Church

Where Truth Matters

New To Emmanuel Community Church?

We'd love to answer any questions you might have about our church, our community, and what we believe. Please let us know if we can serve you in any way.

About Us

We are a community of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. We hold to the inerrancy of the Scriptures both the Old and New Testaments. We believe the Bible is the word of God. Our church life and individual lives are committed to following Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture. Pastor Dean is an expository Bible preacher and teacher. We are here to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with our community and around the world.

Bible

What We Believe

Our congregation is composed of biblically hungry men and women who want to make a difference in this community for Christ and His kingdom. We affirm the 1689 London Baptist Confession, and are a part of the G3 Church Network.

Read The Full Confession

Join Us For Worship!

When: Bible Study at 9:30AM; Worship at 10:30AM

Where: Route 60, 1/8 mile toward Lewisburg from the I 64 White Sulphur Springs #175 exit.

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Ministries

We believe God is spreading the good news through His church. As such, evangelism is a primary focus in our ministries:
•  We are presently developing a pregnancy center to service four surrounding counties;
•  We are very active in sending out our people for short term and long term mission trips and financial support to missions in Nicaragua, Senegal, the Philippians, and Papua New Guinea;
•  We are active in street evangelism in Lewisburg being out there 3-4 times every week proclaiming God's word.
•  ECC has supported home-schooling and most of our families are home-schooled.
•  We are active members and the center for WV For Life, Greenbrier County, WV.
•  Men's and Women's Bible studies;
•  Women's weekly sewing ministry for local hospitals and resource centers (Sonshine Quilters)
•  Weekly all church fellowship supper and prayer;
•  Pastor Dean's daily "Truth Matters" devotional sent via email.
•  Weekly "Moms in Prayer" prayer group

Events

12-16-23 - Neighborhood Canvassing meet at ECC 12 noon
12-17-23 - Christmas, The Deliverer Has Come 10:30 AM
12-24-23 - Christmas, The Birth of the King 10:30 AM
12-24-23 - Christmas Eve The Story Unveiled 6 PM
1-6-24 - Greenbrier Pregnancy Center Board Training 9 AM-4 PM at ECC
1-15-24 - Greenbrier Pregnancy Center Committee Meeting (election of officers) 6 PM

Leadership

Dean Brdlik

Dean Brdlik

Pastor

Pastor Dean has served as Pastor of Emmanuel Community church since 2000. He is committed to expositionally preaching and teaching God's word. His passion is what is expressed in Colossians 1:28-29 ---"28 Him we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose I also labor, striving according to His working, which He works in me in power."

Pastor Dean was married to Jane Ann Pringle for 40 years, until she passed away in 2009. Together they raised four children: Heather, Laura, Amanda, and Clint. Currently, he is married to Gloria June Harper. Although he initially considered pursuing veterinary medicine, he felt called to follow God's leading to a preaching/teaching ministry.

Pastor Dean has worked as a college and university manuscript representative for Prentice Hall Publishing Company, he served as an assistant dean in the School of Business at the University of Wisconsin for 3.5 years, he also served as the Administrator of a Cleveland region Christian High School for 5 years. He has 35 years of pastoral experience.

His educational background includes a B.S. from the University of Illinois in Behavioral Neurology, an M.A. in Counseling from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and an M.Div. from Grace Theological Seminary.

Pastor Brdlik has been affiliated with various church organizations, including: Conservative Baptist, Independent Fundamental Churches of America, Southern Baptist Conference, and presently the G3 Network .

Recent Sermons

Truth Matters Posts

See all posts here.

Every Step Goes Higher

03/28/24

There is a song I haven't heard for a while. It goes like this:

We are climbing Jacob's ladder,
We are climbing Jacob's ladder,
We are climbing Jacob's ladder,
Soldiers of the cross.

Ev'ry round goes higher, higher,
Ev'ry round goes higher, higher,
Ev'ry round goes higher, higher,
Soldiers of the cross.

The song speaks to the “strategy of elevation” ...that is, as we learn to trust God more and obey what the Spirit is showing us, we move to a higher plain of relationship with God...God reveals more to us and we experience more Christ-likeness. Think back a year ago...are you at a higher level in your relationship with God? If so, it's because you're “climbing higher.” Climbing a ladder requires effort and trust in that ladder, so too in the process of sanctified “elevation.” God waits for us to take the next step higher in our relationship with Him. We will experience Godly changes in how we think, our priorities, how we love others, our edifying usefulness among the brothers and sisters in the church.

This is the theme of today's My Utmost for His Highest:

“A higher state of mind and spiritual vision can only be achieved through the higher practice of personal character. If you live up to the highest and best that you know in the outer level of your life, God will continually say to you, “Friend, come up even higher.” Never allow God to show you a truth which you do not instantly begin to live up to, applying it to your life. Always work through it, staying in its light.

Your growth in grace is not measured by the fact that you haven't turned back, but that you have an insight and understanding into where you are spiritually. Have you heard God say, “Come up higher,” not audibly on the outer level, but to the innermost part of your character?

God has to hide from us what He does, until, due to the growth of our personal character, we get to the level where He is then able to reveal it.”


The point of today's Truth Matters is this: don't give up, keep climbing higher in your trust and obedience to God even when it's hard and seems beyond what you are able...after all, the song defines us as “soldiers” ...brave, committed, willing to endure hardship, trusting our Commander. My prayer for you and me this day is this:

Lord...many of us are struggling today. Help us to see that our struggle is another rung on our sanctification ladder. We'll trust You in the midst of our struggle, and as we do, we'll reach for that next rung where we will see You more clearly. We need Your help Lord through the struggle because sometimes we don't feel like “soldiers”... we're not reaching for that next rung. The enemy would love for us not to “reach.” We cling to Your promise:

No (circumstance) has overtaken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not allow (a circumstance) beyond what you are able, but with the (circumstance) will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 DB amplified version)

Walk with the King today and be a blessing.

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Unless You Abide in Jesus

03/25/24

On the Thursday of Passion Week, Jesus was with His disciples giving them instructions and reassurance of how to become “fruitful” in His kingdom. The main instruction was this:

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” (John 15 4)

There are at least two important “Truth Matters” in Jesus' statement:

1. “Bearing fruit” is a given priority for the believer. This “fruit” has to do with bringing folks to know the sin cleansing power of Jesus Christ. Our lives are to reflect that. by keeping your conduct excellent among the Gentiles, they may because of your good works, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:12)
2. The key here is “abiding in the vine.” Just to have “excellent conduct” as a goal in itself is not how “fruit” is born. There are many unbelievers who have excellent conduct but end up in hell and bring many with them. There are many believers who strive for excellent conduct but only to promote themselves and never bear fruit. “Fruit producing conduct” can only come when the believer is in close relationship with Jesus. The “fruit” comes naturally out of that relationship. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” (John 7:38)

Today's My Utmost for His Highest speaks to this issue:

“Goodness and purity should never be traits that draw attention to themselves, but should simply be magnets that draw people to Jesus Christ. If my holiness is not drawing others to Him, it is not the right kind of holiness; it is only an influence which awakens undue emotions and evil desires in people and diverts them from heading in the right direction. A person who is a beautiful saint can be a hindrance in leading people to the Lord by presenting only what Christ has done for him, instead of presenting Jesus Christ Himself. Others will be left with this thought— “What a fine person that man is!” That is not being a true “friend of the bridegroom”— I am increasing all the time; He is not.

To maintain this friendship and faithfulness to the Bridegroom, we have to be more careful to have the moral and vital relationship to Him above everything else.”


The very important point is this...walking closely with the Lord Jesus in meditating on the Word and in making application of that Word through prayer, is what will result in “fruit.” We don't have to contrive “good behavior.” The kind of behavior that results in “fruit” spills over naturally from our relationship with Jesus. That kind of “Christ generated behavior” is what draws folks to the Savior.

My prayer for you and me this day is this: Lord, keep us from being superficial Christians. Give us the faith and trust to allow You to so direct and influence our lives that not only will we receive joy, peace, and confidence, but that others would see You in us and be drawn to the Savior we love. Amen.

Havergal's song is where “fruit” has its origin:

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.

Walk with the King today and be a blessing.

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