Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter. As this newsletter arrives we will be in the midst of our Easter celebrations. We hope that you are finding the services meaningful. But with April almost upon us, we now look to a brand new month with lots of things to look forward to.
APRIL SCHEDULE
April 7 – The first Sunday of April is a busy one. We will have our regular Communion time, as well as beginning a new sermon series and the next session of Life Groups. If that isn’t enough, we will be having our Congregational Budget Meeting immediately following the service.
All are invited to stay for the budget meeting, but if you are a member we are asking that you make a point of being there. Besides reviewing the financials of the previous year, we will also be presenting the vision for next year’s budget.
The series for the month of April is Hearing Jesus. In this 5-part series, we learn that not everything Jesus said was easily understood. It turns out that Jesus used this as a means of finding out who was spiritually open to his teachings and identity. It is no different today. We can easily miss the essential truths about Jesus if our hearts have hardened the capacity for our ears to hear.
We hope you plan to join us for this meaningful look at the teachings of Jesus. As mentioned above, Life Groups also start up again so if you would like to connect with a group, simply contact us at office@villagegreenchurch.com.
SOUP SUNDAY
Mark Sunday, April 21 for our next Soup Sunday gathering. If you are interested in making soup please make sure to sign up in the foyer. Sign-ups will begin a couple of weeks before the event. Otherwise, everyone is welcome to stay, enjoy some homemade soup, and have some encouraging time together as a community.
DAY CAMPS
It’s that time of year to register the kids for Day Camp. We are hosting two camps this year, Forest Cliff and Adullum. Forest Cliff is running the week of July 8 to July 12. Adullum is running the week of July 29 to August 2.
For more information and to register, click the specific camp buttons below:
Village Green is once again offering subsidies. If you are interested in applying for a subsidy, please contact the church to receive a Request Form at office@villagegreenchurch.com. The camps have already started to fill up so please do not wait to submit your request.
BASEBALL
Baseball season is fast approaching. If you are interested in playing on the team here at Village Green, please contact the church at office@villagegreenchurch.com and we will connect you.
THE “TECHIE” SIDE OF THINGS
If you haven’t signed up for our newsletters or subscribed to our YouTube channel, can we encourage you to make sure you sign up. (Our YouTube channel is presently at 497 subscribers and it would be cool to hit 500). See below for how to connect to our YouTube page.
We realize that if you’re reading this newsletter we are likely preaching to the choir, but we want to make sure you are connected to all the resources that we produce. Besides this monthly newsletter, there is a weekly email that comes on Saturdays at 4:00 pm.
Simply go to our website www.villagegreenchurch.com and under the “Contact” dropdown you can sign up to receive our newsletters. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube by clicking on those icons in the footer section of the website.
Under the “Resources” tab on the website, you can access other helpful links and resources, such as RightNow Media (which is free to anyone attending Village Green as it is paid for by the church), as well as books and online Bible Studies to name a few.
Lastly, if you haven’t caught on to the Theology Jam podcast, with hosts Matthew Burkholder and Jon Korkidakis, you don’t know what you’re missing. We recently recorded a podcast on the assisted dying legislation of MAID, and how it ignores a vital biblical truth.
You can find us on your favourite podcasting platform, and if you haven’t heard, Apple podcasts now come with transcripts. If you want to comment or suggest a topic, you can reach us at theologyjam@gmail.com.
FRAGRANCE AWARENESS
A number of people in our congregation have extreme fragrance allergies. Please be mindful that when attending in person, consider refraining from putting on anything that could trigger an allergic reaction in another person.
This is not an easy request to make, but for those that it affects, it makes sitting in church difficult and uncomfortable. We do have some who are hesitant to attend in person due to this issue. Any restraint that you can exercise will help those who struggle with this very real problem. Thank you for your consideration.
A NEW ADDITION
If you’ve wandered into our foyer in the last week you probably noticed a new sign hanging on one of the walls. It is a version of the Nicene Creed in plain view as a statement of our beliefs.
The sign was originally created by Aiden Wiebe, who creatively re-imagined the Creed, and was produced by a local company who completed it just in time for Easter.
The Nicene Creed was created at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD., and is a defining statement of the core beliefs of the Christian faith. For the many people who come through our doors, both believer and non-believer alike, the Creed stands as a public statement of what we hold dear here at Village Green.
WOULD YOU CONSIDER…?
As the church continues to grow it also puts demands on the many ministries we offer here at Village Green. The need for dedicated volunteers is a constant tension as we seek to serve with excellence (not perfection, but simply doing our best for the Lord).
Recently, the need for a men’s group was raised, with many guys coming forward with the desire to see something tangible created. Unfortunately, without a champion, this need will likely go unmet. If you have a heart for men’s ministry, and would like to help launch this group, then contact the church at office@villagegreenchurch.com.
That is one example of the many opportunities to serve here at Village Green. If men’s ministry id not for you, we have room on our A/V teams, Kid’s Connection, Youth, and Coffee Team, just to name a few.
Thank you to those of you who do volunteer and make the many ministries here touch people in ways that make Jesus real. We continue to be a church that prompts others to explore life through the way of Jesus. And when we do, we learn to love God, love others, and change the world.
May April be a month of profound blessings for you and all you love and hold dear.
Jon Korkidakis.