Welcome to our November newsletter. As we enter a new month, we have a lot of exciting news and events to share.
NOVEMBER SCHEDULE
November 3 – This is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church Sunday. There will be a dedicated prayer time before the service in the Overflow Room starting at 9 am. Millions of Christians around the world are persecuted for their faith. Come and pray for the Lord’s intervention and protection.
It is also our Communion Sunday. Join us as we gather around the Lord’s Table to remember, celebrate, and give thanks for salvation and the sacrifice of Jesus.
Lastly, this is also when Daylight Saving Time ends, meaning the clocks go back an hour. Please make sure to set your clocks back 1 hour on Saturday night before bed.
Here’s a thought. Since you are gaining an additional hour of sleep, why not come to the church for the 9 am prayer time for the persecuted church?
November 3, 10, and 17 – We continue our series, Making Space, with the conclusion on the 17th. It also concludes our session of Life Groups which allows for a pause for the month of December and the Christmas Advent season.
Our next session of Life Groups begins on January 12, 2025 with a series entitled, The Book – Distant Voices, Timeless Truths. The 10-week series is a survey of the entire Bible, highlighting its major themes and messages.
November 24 – Teen Challenge’s Ontario Men’s ministry Team will be attending Village Green’s morning service. Come and hear a dynamic presentation by Teen Challenge Canada, featuring testimonies and stories of finding freedom from addiction!
A free will offering will be taken to support the Teen Challenge ministry. To learn more about the ministry of Teen Challenge click the link to their website below.
Following the service on the 24th will be our next Soup Sunday. The team from Teen Challenge will be joining us. Sign-up sheets to make soup will be available in the coming weeks in the foyer.
NEW RELEASE – ECHOES IN THE STILLNESS: A COLLECTION OF SELECTED VERSE
Leslie McEathron, a longtime member of Village Green just released her 2nd volume of selected verse.
‘Echoes in the Stillness’ is a poetic journey into the depths of the Christian heart, where the whispers of God’s love and grace can be found. Using personal reflections, and meditations, this book invites you to hear God’s voice in the tranquil moments.
Grab your copy at any of your favourite online retailers. I know you will be blessed by these inspirational reflections, where the echoes of God’s voice reverberates.
WOULD YOU CONSIDER…?
As many of you know, we recently combined our livestream on both our website and YouTube platforms. This has allowed the group chat to be accessed and visible on both platforms simultaneously. One casualty of this technological shift is our link to Facebook has been severed.
Though we do not have a lot of people that use Facebook to join us live on Sunday mornings, there is a small but dedicated group we would hate to lose. Would you consider sharing the YouTube stream on your Facebook page and even to the Village Green Facebook page?
This would allow those committed to Facebook to easily find us and join us with little hassle. Oh, and don’t forget to hit that ‘like’ button as well. Thanks for your consideration.
LETS CONTINUE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Back in the summer of 2019, we took on the complete renovation of the auditorium. The years had taken a toll on the condition of the room and the chairs especially needed to be upgraded.
In the process, we even hired an interior designer. The instructions we gave her was to create a space that felt inviting, warm, safe, and drew people’s attention to the platform. In the years since, we have had many people, and even rentals, use those same words to describe the auditorium. Hearing those words continually repeated some five years later has been incredibly rewarding.
What began as a vision for our physical worship space, also became the vision for the church, one where people would feel welcomed, safe, and invited to a growing relationship with Jesus.
As a pastor, I can’t tell you how many people who have come to the church in the last couple of years, describe us in that way. At a time when I am hearing more and more churches becoming insular, legalistic, and exclusionary, Village Green is demonstrating community that invites people to investigate the claims of Christ in a welcoming and safe environment. A difference that is continually noted on a regular basis.
With that said, can I just encourage you today with the following?
- Let us continue to welcome people, smile, and let them know you are happy to see them in church. This, far and away, has been the most repeated comment of visitors the last few years. It is one thing for the pastor and ushers to say hi, but people see it as part of our overall DNA.
- We are coming into a season where inviting people to church is easier than other times of the year. Yes, I am talking about Christmas (for those that think it’s too early to talk about this, please forgive me). This year, our Advent series is entitled, Christmas at Village Green. It’s a series designed as an invitation to experience the season through a community that seeks to explore life through the way of Jesus. We will have presentations from our Youth and Kids Connection, lighting of the Advent wreath, and of course, our Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve. Is there someone who you think would benefit by coming and exeriencing Christmas at Village Green?
- A reminder that it is even easier to invite people to our livestream. Sometimes people are not ready or able to attend in person, but you can invite them to experience the service by joining the online community.
Let’s continue to be difference makers. As our Mission states, we want to love God, love others, and change the world. That means whenever we change the trajectory of one person’s life towards Jesus, we are changing the world!
Thanks for being part of the community here at Village Green, and part of what God is building, not only in our church, but around the world.
Blessings
Jon Korkidakis
leadpastor@villagegreenchurch.com.
To contact the church. office@villagegreenchurch.com
For the website, go to www.villagegreenchurch.com