Fellowship

Emerson offers fellowship activities throughout the year, not just for members, but also the greater Richfield community.

Emerson Fellowship

This group meets for lunch and entertainment several times throughout the year. Past speakers have included a presentation of "Christmas at the Country Church," and Betty Ankeny, who spoke of her adventures in the Peace Corps. Fundraising activities help Emerson Fellowship donate money to other groups within Emerson, as well as VEAP, Meals-on-Wheels and other charities.

Bible Study

Our Bible study meets Thursday at noon, September through May, except for the first Thursday of each month. Meetings are informal and designed to be "self-contained" so that all are comfortable attending as few or as many as they would like.

Additional meeting times are being considered so that those who work during the day can participate. If you are interested in joining Bible study, but are unable to attend the Thursday meeting, please contact the church office.

Softball Team Caps Tough Season With Championship

The 2011 season was one of ups and downs. We would win a game one week, then lose the next. After the last couple of years of winning nearly every game all season long, coming out 6-5 on the year was unexpected.

There were fewer opponents than in previous seasons and so some teams played each other several times. Many of the teams had been improving incrementally each year and were perhaps especially motivated to beat Emerson, the standing league champs for several years running.

And in some games, fielding or throwing errors proved costly. Maybe we can blame the pervasive hot, sticky summer weather. Maybe we were bored by having to play every game on the same field. Maybe our age was showing and we were losing our touch.

And so we went into the playoffs perhaps a bit less confident than in former, more successful years. With the smaller league, the entire playoff season was condensed into one night. At least the weather cooperated and it was calm and a comfortable temperature.

Game one was played on field two. We won 13-6 against Berea, a team we had just squeaked out a win against in extra innings a few weeks earlier. Well, at least we weren't eliminated in the first round. So, on to game two which was played on field three. We won 8-4 (if memory serves, and that's iffy at my age) against Sovereign Grace, a team that had beat us handily in two previous outings. Our confidence is building now! We start to believe we can go all the way!

Off to game three, which was played on field four. Are you starting to see a pattern here? Anyway, our bats came alive and our fielding was stellar as we racked up a score of 30-10 in four innings against House of Prayer, at which time the game was called using the mercy rule.

At least our team peaked at the right time which means we will have to find room in or on our trophy case for this years addition. Thank you to all the fans who religiously (pun intended) attended so many games, added their vocal support and buoyed us up to another championship! A special thanks to Jay Ford for providing water, photography and standby medical service all season. GO EMERSON!

Maury Vanden Burg

Noon Bridge Group

A group meet to play bridge at the church at noon the first and third Mondays of the month.

Rachel Circle

In addition to fellowship outings during the year, Rachel Circle also prepares and serves refreshments at funeral/memorial services held at Emerson. Any donations received in gratitude of these services go toward supporting charities such as VEAP, Vacation Bible School, Emerson's softball team, as well as purchasing kitchen equipment.

Men's Club

A popular annual tradition is the club's May gathering: a "Play Hooky from Work" trip to see a Minnesota Twins baseball game. Other meetings have included a light dinner and speakers such as Wally Shaver ("voice of the Gophers") and former Hennepin County Sheriff Pat McGowan. The annual fundraiser, a spaghetti & meatball dinner, is held every February; the proceeds from which pay for the softball team's league entry fee and subsidize other Men's Club activities.