Happy New Year! Welcome to the first newsletter for 2026. As we step into a new year together, we do so with gratitude for God’s faithfulness behind us and hope for His leading ahead of us. A new year invites fresh beginnings and new opportunities to grow in faith, deepen community, and live more fully into Christ’s love and calling. Thank you for being part of this church as we present you with the month of January and all you can anticipate for the month ahead.
JANUARY SCHEDULE
January 4 – Matthew Burkholder is speaking. It is also our Communion Service.
January 11, 18, 25 – We begin a new 5-Part series on January 11, entitled, The Ripple Effect: How We Bless One Another. The series looks at the “one another” passages in the Bible which emphasize the importance of relationships and community. These verses highlight how we are called to treat one another and the ripple effect it creates, not only in our local communities, but also in our society, where isolation and tribalism are a growing problem.
January 11 – This is also the startup of the next session of Life Groups. If you are interested in joining a group or want more information, contact the church at office@villagegreenchurch.com
January 18 – Adullam Camps will be setting up in the foyer to feature and promote their camps for the new year. Village Green has partnered with Abullam for a number of years now and this is an opportunity to learn more about this dynamic relationship.
Camp sign ups have already begun and you can check out the dates and register for either Adullam or Forest Cliff Camps on our website. Simply go to https://villagegreenchurch.com/day-camp/ to find out more.
January 25 – This is the date of the next Soup Sunday. Sign ups will be available in the foyer in the weeks leading up to the 25th.
OTHER JANUARY NEWS
Youth – Monday Night Youth Startup is January 5 at 7 pm. Sunday morning classes resume on Sunday, January 11, 2026.
Ladies Bible Study – The next Bible study is The Way of Wisdom and focuses on Proverbs. It will be 8 sessions and will begin Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 9:30 am in the large room in the lower level. The cost is $35 with book or $5 without book. Please contact Paulette Schiestel for more information or office@villagegreenchurch.com.
Men’s Group – The Mens Group will begin meeting again on Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 9:30 am in the upstairs Overflow room.
Understanding the Bible Course – starts on Sunday, January 11, in the large room downstairs from 6-8 pm. (Make sure to park in the lower parking lot for easier access to the room). Each week, you will receive a set of notes for the class. I would recommend keeping them in a binder as the course progresses. (The notes are fill-in-the-blanks, so make sure you have at least a pen)
There is a $20 fee for the notes, so please come with payment on the first night of class. The class is also quite full with a waiting list already, so if you are not able to commit to the entire ten weeks and want someone else to benefit from the course, please let contact pastor Jon at leadpastor@villagegreenchurch.com.
FRAUD WARNING
This is a quick update to warn you that someone is once again impersonating me (Jon) and asking for either money or gift cards. Remember, the church, nor I, would ever approach you in a text or email to ask for money or gift cards. This is a common scam. Always verify who you are speaking to. If you have been contacted, report it to the London Police Department and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
NEW AC UNIT
During the blustery week of snow and swirling winds of mid-December, our new Air Conditioning unit was installed. This unit was ordered in the spring of this year and it finally arrived when it was needed the least.
We are so thankful that our old unit lasted long enough to get us through this past summer. Due to the conditions during installation the unit will be tested in April and be ready for another summer ahead.
Here are a couple of pics from December 10th, showing the old unit being removed and the new unit being installed.
THANK YOU!
Thank you for the many who picked up my latest book, Revelation from 30,000 Feet: Reclaiming the Most Abused and Misused Book of the Bible. If you are able to take a moment and write a review on Amazon or any of the other platforms, I would greatly appreciate it. The reviews help to encourage others to pick up a copy if they are wondering if it would be worth the investment.
REFLECTIONS
How would you describe 2025? From my perspective, it would depend on the area of focus. If you were talking about our world in general, the year generated much conflict, chaos, and concern as world affairs appeared to decline on so many levels, be it trade wars, political conflicts, and overall deterioration of confidence in the future that was a hallmark of past generations.
But if you are talking about the church, and Village Green in particular, it has been an incredible year of experiencing the manifold blessings of God. We have seen people come to faith, get baptized, and join as members. We have seen growth in our Kids Connection and youth ministries, as Julia Watson and Julianne Breen continue to lead those ministries with competence and character. (Julianne also oversees our worship ministries and we so appreciate her talents and leadership on a Sunday morning).
Noreen Spruyt, as our church administrator, continues to manage with efficiency the front office and all the responsibilities that go alongside it. Beyond the staff, our Board of Directors and Board of Elders continue to work together to build a church that is faithful to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission and to honour Jesus in their decisions and leadership.
Beyond, the administrative, though, is you! This past year we have seen the church grow substantially. We continue to see new people on Sundays and our financial situation continues to remain strong. Many of you are inviting friends and family and that is one of the signs of an incredibly healthy church. We are also seeing people grow deeper in their faith which is a key metric in assessing the effectiveness of our ministries.
Thank you to the many volunteers that give of their time and efforts to help create a dynamic church experience that helps to make Jesus real each and every Sunday. I have heard from many about the welcoming community we have and the environment that makes everyone feel like they’re home.
As this year concludes, we are once again asking the Lord for wisdom and his continued blessings on our church. We have seen God’s hand in so many ways this year and we look forward to serving you in faith and hope as 2026 arrives.
Blessings to you and your loved ones for the year ahead.
Jon Korkidakis