Welcome to December!
As we enter this season of anticipation and celebration, we’re reminded once again of the profound hope at the heart of the Christmas story. In a world often marked by uncertainty, the birth of Christ breaks in with the promise of light, peace, and renewed joy.
This month, our schedules may be full—but may our hearts be even fuller. As a church family, let’s take time to reflect on God’s faithfulness over the past year, embrace opportunities to serve and bless others, and prepare our spirits to welcome the One who came to dwell among us.
DECEMBER SCHEDULE
December 7, 14, 21 – We continue our Advent series, The Wondrous Story, as we explore the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love, as we light the Advent candles.
The first Christmas was not marked by opulence but by humility and love, showcasing that the greatest gift can come from the simplest of beginnings.
December 7 – This is our monthly communion service and we will have a special presentation from the Youth Group.
December 14 – We will have a special presentation from Kids Connection.
December 21 – We will have a special presentation from our choir.
December 24 – Christmas Eve Service at 6:30 pm. You do not want to miss this inspiring evening of favourite carols, visuals, a message, and the lighting of the candles. In anticipation of a full house, we are opening the large room downstairs as overflow.
December 28 – There is NO service as this is our Volunteer Appreciation Sunday. We want to thank and encourage everyone who serves in some capacity at Village Green.
CHRISTMAS POTLUCK
Join us on Friday, December 12th for our annual Village Green Christmas Family Potluck. Start time is 6:00 pm.
Sign up sheets will be in the foyer on November 30th and December 7th.
Volunteers are also need to help set up the room for the festivities.
Should you have any questions please speak to or message Mary Ann Rowe or Janet Mackness.
BENEVOLENCE STORIES
The elders here at Village Green continue to be grateful for your generosity to our benevolent fund. This was especially brought to light the past couple of months as we were able to significantly make a difference in a number of situations.
One of the agencies in our community contacted us to let us know how grateful people were to hear they were being helped through the generosity of our church. From the perspective of the community groups that are involved in our neighbourhoods, Village Green has a reputation for caring and helping people in practical ways.
Though we need to keep confidentiality, we wish we could tell you the specific ways you are helping people to meet the challenges that exist for many. We have helped to give people who are close to being homeless, a fresh start and a renewed hope for living. We are talking about practical help in the thousands of dollars, not hundreds. As elders, we may have the privilege of knowing the stories in intimate ways, but we could not do it without your ongoing generosity. Thank. You!
FRAUD WARNING
Recently, a scammer targeted our church and contacted a number of people claiming to be me (Jon Korkidakis). This is not the first time we have been targeted so I thought it would be good to remind everybody how to protect themselves from these kinds of attacks.
First of all, the church, or I, would never contact individuals directly, either through messaging or email to ask for money. We have a robust benevolence program which is governed and administered by the elders. I personally could not ask for help without their approval but even still, it would never come outside of regular channels, such as a morning service.
A number of people who were contacted were well outside my normal contact list and the phone number used and the formality of the messages are also things to look out for as warning signs. My son, who for a number of years was the director of cyber security for a technology company, told me if the fraud economy were a country, it would have the third largest economy in the world. In other words, they are well funded but not well-intentioned. They prey on people’s kindness, generosity, and willingness to help others. Please be careful with anything from the church that asks for money so that we frustrate the scammers to such a degree that they never attempt anything with us again.
A NEW DEVOTIONAL ON GRIEF
A new devotional entitled, Mending Hearts with Threads of Hope: 30 days of Hope and Encouragement for Grieving Mothers, by Mothers Who Walk the Journey, has recently been released.
The book serves as a resource for bereaved mothers and one of the contributing authors is one of our members, Kim Valentine.
You can find the link to this resource by hitting the button below.
ADVENT CALENDAR – HELPING THE UKRAINIAN MINISTRY
A Ukrainian ministry that uses our media room to produce its Sunday School material is offering an Advent calendar in English. This is a wonderful way of supporting this ministry. The package and pricing are below. If interested, you can reach them at https://linktr.ee/biblecrafts
Pricing:
– 25 CAD for the full printed box
– 10 CAD for access to the PDF files for printing
What’s included in the set:
- A simple step-by-step instruction
- A sheet of 24 stickers
- 24 daily Advent cards featuring:
– a short biblical story
– reflection questions
– a small family activity - A collection of daily electronic resources:
– a “video of the day.”
– a song
– a craft idea
COMING JANUARY 11 – UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE: FROM CONTEXT TO APPLICATION
A new offering for the new year, Understanding the Bible: From Context to Application, is a college-level course being offered for those who want a deeper comprehension of the Bible. The course will run for 10 weeks, beginning on January 11, 2026, and the classes will run from 6-8 pm.
The cost for the course is $20, and sign-up sheets are in the foyer. The class is quickly filling up, so don’t delay in getting your name on the list.
LIFE GROUPS will also begin the week of January 11, 2026, and sign up for the next session will be available in early to mid-December.
NEXT WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – JANUARY 14, 2026
The next women’s study is The Way of Wisdom and focuses on Proverbs. It will be 8 sessions and will begin on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 9:30 am. The cost is $35 with the book and $5 without the book.
For more information, contact the church at office@villagegreenchurch.com
RELEASING IN DECEMBER
Revelation from 30,000 Feet: Reclaiming the Most Abused and Misused Book of the Bible releases this month and will be available on Amazon starting December 3rd. The ebook version will be released shortly after, while the audiobook version will be released sometime in March of 2026.
For those who have pre-ordered from me, the books will be available from the church starting December 10th for pickup. The cost of the book is $25.00, and $20.00 for 3 or more.
Also releasing this month is the audiobook version of my prayer book, Touching God: Discovering Prayer that Moves the Heart of God.
A personal request, if you do buy any of these resources, would you take a moment to put a review up on Amazon or other sites if possible? It helps to get the word out to others who may be in need of resources such as these. As always, I appreciate your support and encouragement.
BLESSINGS THIS CHRISTMAS
Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote, “Let the just rejoice, for their justifier is born. Let the sick and infirm rejoice, for their saviour is born. Let the captives rejoice, for their Redeemer is born. Let slaves rejoice, for their Master is born. Let free men rejoice, for their Liberator is born. Let all Christians rejoice, for Jesus Christ is born.”
The apostle John wrote, “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” —John 1:10-13
May this December be a meaningful journey toward the manger, where hope is reborn, and grace is offered freely.
Blessings to you and your loved ones this Christmas, as we celebrate the coming of our Saviour!
Jon Korkidakis