Welcome to the February newsletter for Village Green Community Church. We have some interesting updates and news to share with you, so we hope you take a few minutes to take in this month’s newsletter. Enjoy!
FEBRUARY SCHEDULE
We continue our series, The Book: Distant Voices, Timeless Truths, throughout the month of February.
Jon Korkidakis will be sharing the message on February 2nd, 16th, and 23rd. Matthew Burkholder will be sharing the message on February 9th.
As a reminder, on February 2nd, we will be returning to the way we served Communion before the pandemic. We will no longer be handing out the sealed all-in-one cups.
We will go back to handing out the bread and cup separately. This obviously does not impact those online. For our online viewers you will simply continue to prepare communion for your household.
Our Life Groups are also in full swing. If you are interested in signing up, changing to a different group or time, you can contact the church at office@villagegreenchurch.com.
STUDY AND DISCUSSION GROUPS RESTART
The Woman’s Bible Study will start on Wednesday, February 5th. The study will be on the book of Haggai with Jennifer Rothschild and study guide is Take Courage.
The Men’s Discussion Group will also start on Wednesday, February 5th.
OVERFLOW ROOM
For those in our congregation who have difficulty sitting in the service due to fragrance allergies, child-minding, or other difficulties of being in the auditorium, we are making the Overflow Room available.
The service is live streamed into the room for your participation and connection. This was previously the Prayer Room, which has now been moved to the old staff office which is just past the washrooms in the foyer.
SOUP SUNDAY – IMPORTANT UPDATE
Mark your calendars for the next Soup Sunday on February 16th. Sign-up sheets will soon be available in the foyer if you want to bring soup. For those providing soup, please remember to list the ingredients. We are also asking that we limit what is provided to soups and chillies in crockpots only, and no Instant Pots due to the amount of power they require.
We also have some important news to share. At our January Soup Sunday, you may remember that we experienced power failures throughout the building. The following day, the extent of the failures prompted a call to our electrician. He informed us that our main panel was showing signs of fatigue that could pose a serious problem if ignored.
The entire panel needs to be replaced. Further, without this expenditure, Soup Sunday may not be feasible any longer. Upon further conversation, the electrician said that he could install a new panel in the kitchen that would allow us to put all the crockpots in one room. The cost of replacing the main breaker panel and installing the new system in the kitchen is just a little over $14,000.00.
The Board of Directors have already approved the expenditure. The main panel has become a safety issue and cannot be ignored. The additional system in the kitchen will greatly enhance our ability to keep soups warm and provide a better experience for our Soup Sundays without any power limitations.
BUDGET AND NOMINATIONS TIME AGAIN
This is a busy time of year for the leadership as they are preparing the budget for the 2025-2026 year. This budget will be presented in early March and there will be a time reserved after services with members of the Board for anyone who has questions. The formal congregational meeting to vote on the new budget is on March 30th after the morning service. As a reminder, our financial year begins on April 1st.
It is also the time of year when the Nominations Committee is in its initial stages of preparing a list of candidates for positions on the Board of Directors, Elders Board, Church Clerk and Treasurer. Please pray that the Lord directs this committee to the right people for the next season of ministry. If there is someone who you feel the committee should consider, send your request to pastor Jon at leadpastor@villagegreenchurch.com.
SERVING OPPORTUNITIES
One of the best ways to connect to a community and to grow in your faith is to serve. Here at Village Green there are lots of opportunities to utilize your gifts and to bless others in your community.
Some of the areas that are open for more volunteers are listed below.
- Kid’s Connection
- Audio/Video Team
- Ushers and Greeters
- Youth Leaders and Teachers
- Prayer Team
- Worship Team
- Strategic Communication Team
- Welcome Centre
If there is an area where you would like to serve or would like more information, contact the church at office@villagegreenchurch.com or fill out a Connection Card. Simply click the button below and complete the Connection Card to start the process. There is also room for prayer requests if there is something you would like us to pray about.
A CELEBRATION SUNDAY IS COMING!
Our next Celebration Sunday is scheduled for March 30th. This is a service where we take some time to pause and celebrate what God is doing in and through the ministries here at Village Green.
These could be anything from baptisms, testimonies, ministry updates, memberships, parental dedications, interviews, and so much more. Over the years, we have used these services to remind us of God’s faithfulness and to acknowledge the ways that God is touching people’s lives in significant ways. If you are interested in being part of this service, contact the church at office@villagegreenchurch.com.
MAKING JESUS REAL – HOW WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
We live in a time of unprecedented cultural conflict. These are the seasons where the church can stand as a haven of Christ’s love and a safe place amidst the chaos. One area where we can all contribute is to make sure we build a community that people want to be a part of. Here are some of the ways we can create this type of community.
- Welcome a guest. Make sure to say “Hi” or “Welcome to Village Green.” No one should leave the church feeling like nobody talked to them.
- Leave your judgmental self at home. One surefire way for a person to feel like they are in an unsafe place is to feel judged.
- Allow people to express doubts. Be gracious and give them the benefit of the doubt. Remember, if they do not feel heard they will likely shut down. When they do, those doubts are now allowed to fester without exposure to the light, which allows them to grow like a cancer.
- Try and smile once in a while. At least look like you want to be at church!
- Be respectful of volunteers and staff. The volunteers are doing a great service on their own time and dime for the sake of the kingdom. The staff is trying to worship as part of the community on Sunday.
- Tell yourself this as you are driving to church. Today I am likely going to run into people at church who are hurting, or filled with anxiety, struggling with their faith, in a toxic relationship, struggling financially, and so on. Knowing that there are all these hurting people, how am I going to be the person Jesus would want me to be to them?
Just a few suggestions to get you thinking. Remember our Mission Statement, to love God, love others, and change the world. Let’s take it to heart and really make a difference in order to change the world, even if it’s one person at a time. Let’s get this right, because when we do, we experience heaven on earth.
Thanks for reading and see you here next month;
Blessings to you all,
Jon Korkidakis