A CELEBRATION OF LIFE
On August 15th, our community gathered together to celebrate the life of Betty Obokata. Over the years, she was a faithful member and served in many capacities, especially in the ladies’ Bible Study. She was deeply loved and will be missed by many. Her Celebration Service featured many of her quilts and we’ve included a couple of pictures here. The following is a short note of thanks from the family.
We would like to thank everyone at Village Green for helping to make our mom’s celebration of life so special. The food, music and service were lovely, the day reflected her so well. Our mom loved being part of the church community at Village Green and we know she cherished many of the friends she made there. We’re thankful for the support that you’ve given our mom and us over the years. Thank you for helping our family celebrate our mom and sharing with us how much she meant to you through your care and help this past Thursday.
All the best
Jen, Kristin, Darcy, Heather, Kirin, & Kenji
FINAL PICNIC OF THE SUMMER
We are holding our closing summer picnic at the home of Jon and Darlene Korkidakis. It is on September 1st after the morning service until approximately 2:30 pm.
You can grab the address from the directory or from the picnic list at the Welcome Center. Bring a lunch and a lawn chair. A BBQ is available if you want to cook something. Water will also be provided. Pray for good weather as this is the final picnic that launches us into the Fall season.
SEPTEMBER LINEUP
September 1 – As a new month begins, this is the Sunday when we gather around the Communion Table for the Lord’s Supper. If you are attending in person, elements will be handed out during the service, and if you are watching from home and want to participate, please have the elements ready at home. We also conclude our series, The Abundant Life.
September 8 – This is Compassion Sunday when we feature the ministry of Compassion Canada, an organization that helps children around the world who are multi-dimensionally poor. Their holistic sponsorship program ensures a bright future for the many children they touch.
This Sunday is when we introduce the leadership of the church to the congregation. As a new ministry season begins, we will present to you the Elders, Board of Directors, Staff and Officers of the Church.
The Coffee Ministry begins again on this Sunday. If you want to be part of this important area of service you can contact the church at office@villagegreenchurch.com.
September 15 – We begin a new series, entitled, Making Space. Here is the promotional script for this new 10-week series.
Life certainly has a way of becoming overwhelming, making it difficult to find time for reflection, meditation, and spiritual connection with God. In this series, we will explore the incredible transformative power of creating spiritual space in our lives.
We hope you plan to join us for a series that will give you practical tools for walking faithfully with Jesus.
We also begin the next session of Life Groups. If you haven’t signed up yet, or want to move to a new group or time, contact the church at office@villagegreenchurch.com.
September 29 – This day marks our next Celebration Sunday. If you are looking at membership, baptism, or parental dedication, let the church know by emailing us at office@villagegreenchurch.com.
This service is dedicated to celebrating spiritual milestones, both on an individual level and a congregational level. These are some of the most inspirational services we hold here at Village Green.
BIBLE STUDIES
The ladies Bible Study starts again on Wednesday September 18 at 9:30 am in the large room in the basement. The study is entitled The Faithful which looks at 5 bibliucal figures in the Old Testament. Cost is $25 with the book and $5 without. Contact the church at office@villagegreenchurch.com for more information.
Mens Bible Study and Discussion Group will meet at the same time (9:30) in the Overflow room, beside the upstairs Kitchen. The men will also be praying for the women as they meet downstairs. Snacks and coffee provided. Contact the church at office@villagegreenchurch.com for more information.
YOUTH STARTUP
The youth group begins Monday, September 16 from 7-9 pm. This is for youth in grades 6-12.
The youth ministry is a vital part of our vision here at Village Green. The youth are not the future church, but part of the church now, so the intentionality that is brought to this ministry by Julianne and her team helps youth to build spiritual roots that go deep and sustain them throughout their lives.
NEW EXTERIOR LIGHTS
Thanks to a grant from the Ontario Government we were able to install new solar lights on the exterior of the building to help illuminate the grounds at night.
In the last two years, and due to these grants, the church has been able to install security cameras (last year’s grant) and now solar lights.
These grants are helping us keep our property safe for those who use our facility as well as helping us keep our community a safe place for all.
BATHROOM REFRESH AND MORE
You may have noticed a fresh coat of paint and new baseboard mouldings in our upper-level bathrooms. The lower level will soon receive some new paint which will bring our bathroom facilities up to date and in good repair.
The carpets were recently cleaned and the tile floors are in the process of being waxed and polished at the time of this writing. As the new season begins, our building is ready to go for another year of ministry.
Yet none of this would have been possible without the many volunteers who gave of their time and talents. So, a big thank you for your help, because we could not have done it without you.
THEOLOGY JAM
We have some new content on the Theology Jam podcast, with hosts Matthew Burkholder and Jon Korkidakis. We recently released the following podcasts.
- Psychology and the Bible, are the two compatible?
- An Interview with Joel Timmerman, director of YFC.
- An interview with Nadia Zeversenuke, director of New Life Prison Ministries.
- An interview with Paul Estabrooks, a board member with Hope Outreach Canada, discussing their work in the Holy Land and the war in Gaza.
- A two-part series on the inerrancy of Scripture.
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.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING
We appreciate very much your faithful giving as you partner with us here at Village Green. Here are the ways you can help us to continue making a difference.
1. Drop off your offering in the basket during the service on Sunday mornings.
2. Use the following link to go to the Giving Page on our website, www.villagegreenchurch.com.
3. You can give through e-transfer by going to envelopes@villagegreenchurch.com. please make sure your address is up to date and on file if you use this option.
A NOTE OF ENCOURAGEMENT
As we close out this month’s newsletter and look forward to the Fall season, I wanted to just recap a few things that I think are important for us as a church. We’ve just come through the summer ministry season which is often a low point for attendance and givings.
In terms of attendance, we’ve had some of our highest numbers during months that are historically low. We have also seen lots of visitors, many of whom are coming back on a regular basis and have even signed up for Life Groups.
We even exceeded the budget for both June and July, two months that in the past were typically behind budget. We do not have the full accounting for August yet but we do know it started off strongly. We are so grateful for the many who give faithfully to this church.
All of that to say that in terms of this new ministry season, we are looking at a strong and healthy start. In light of that, I want to thank each of you who makes Village Green an inviting and meaningful place for people to come and experience an authentic community of Christ followers. We could not do it if it wasn’t for you!
Let’s continue to welcome everyone and build into each other the abundant life of Jesus.
Blessings,
Jon Korkidakis