Welcome to this week’s update. Glad you are here. Hope you take a few minutes to view the various updates considering there are some new ones you need to be aware of.
In-Person Attendance
As the province begins to re-open with the rates of vaccinations going up and the rate of infections going down, it’s time for us to consider the next stages of our re-gathering as a church for in-person services.
As valuable and necessary as the live stream has been, there is growing concern that the extended season of lockdowns has fostered two unfortunate outcomes.
First, are we encouraging a type of consumer christianity, where we can adopt what is easy, comfortable, and suited to our preferences? The second is the promotion of a type of gnostic christianity that sees the physical as bad, or flawed, while also encouraging personal spiritual knowledge over the orthodox teachings of the church.
Both of these can easily creep into our lives and they are potential problems we need to be aware of.
To be clear, our response as a church over the last 15 months or so was in keeping with our concerns for the well-being of the congregation, but with everything that we managed in a positive way, the potential for these two has always been in the back of our minds. We have always seen the physical church gathering as essential and of primary importance.
So, we are asking you to consider returning to church. We realize that for some, the risks are still too great or the situation too uncertain, but for many of you, the time has come to ask yourself whether it’s time to return.
Our present allowance is 44 people (15% of the auditorium), but we have yet to reach capacity. We also expect the allowance to increase early to mid-July if the trends provincially continue. We would love to see you at one of our services.
We still are mandated to keep masks and physical distancing, but if you want to attend in person, please let us know at office@villagegreenchurch.com
June 27th Congregational Meeting
If you are a member, please plan to join us on the 27th. Stay tuned for further details on time and link. The documentation for the meeting has already been sent out but if you have yet to receive it contact the office at office@villagegreenchurch.com
The meeting will be held through Microsoft Teams and you will receive a link prior to the meeting. If you are a member and attend the service in-person on the 27th, you will be allowed to stay for the meeting.
If you have a question regarding the Annual Report, Budget, or anything related to the meeting please send your question to office@villagegreenchurch.com prior to the June 27th date. That way we can respond appropriately to your query and minimize the time that we are on screens.
Summer Series
Beginning this Sunday is our series for the summer, Stories that Move the Heart. This 10-week series looks at one of Jesus’ most popular teaching tools: the parables. Some were often shrouded in mystery while others made their point clearly. In this series, we unlock the lessons of these stories-lessons that were meant to move the heart.
Also, we will be having guest speakers throughout the summer so make sure to stay tuned and be inspired by our summer speaker line-up.
Kids Connection
The live stream segment of our Kids Connection ministry will be paused for the months of July and August to give our volunteers a break for the summer.
We have appreciated the commitment of our volunteers to keep our kids connected to the church and to continue to grow them in their faith.
STEM Day Camps
Coming to Village Green this July and August are STEM Day Camps. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
The camp will begin the week of July 5th and end the week of August 27th. This camp is not a church-sponsored event but we are renting our building to them. They are also keeping to the government guidelines and have their own clean-up staff and protocols as part of their rental agreement.
If you are looking for a science-themed camp for your child you can check out their website and programs on their website.
Youth and YFC Update
Two dates have been scheduled for BBQ and youth gathering events. These will be done in accordance with provincial guidelines but is an opportunity to begin re-gathering some of our key ministries.
The two dates planned so far are July 28 and August 25. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.
These are over and above the regular Tuesday youth events.
The Gathering
The monthly meetings of The Gathering have been paused for the summer. As September approaches we will be re-evaluating and scheduling as needed.
Coming this Fall
The leadership is already looking to the Fall as we attempt to navigate the uncertainties of what the Fall may look like. We are anticipating greater loosening of restrictions which means we need to be prepared to serve you as we head back into the building.
One exciting development is that we are in the planning stages of a service dedicated to families. It will be held in the auditorium and will allow families to worship and build community together. Stay tuned for updates as they become available.
We are excited about the Believe 101 series that is scheduled to begin on September 19th. It is also the week our next Life Group session begins. This 10-week series will teach the basics of the Christian faith so it’s a great opportunity to invite someone to check out a series. This series is part of the leadership vision to focus on two areas – community and discipleship. This particular set of messages will help facilitate the vision they have set out for the year.
I hope you are looking forward to a year of blessing and inspiration, as we look forward to a greater impact as a church.
Thanks for all you do!
Stay safe and stay healthy,
Blessings until next week.
Jon Korkidakis
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