Village Weekly
December 23, 2020

Each week we share an encouraging example of the impact we’re making together and, this week, we hear directly from a Village family who are loving our community extravagantly.   “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:4-8.)
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"Because of you, Village is a community with space for multicultural couples like my wife and I to fully belong. There was a time when we did not know multicultural churches existed, so our first experience singing a multilingual song at church felt more like “home” for us than can be easily explained. Attending a church that is intentionally multicultural has been such a blessing to our maturing faith and understanding of the Kingdom.
How much this means to us only became clearer about a month or so into the online services when Village started to include worship from our own team. It wasn’t as much about the familiar faces or the familiar voices, it was the familiarity of multilingual worship. For us, this offered an immediate sense of comfort and “normal” in those early days of uncertainty.
We appreciate how even in digital format, our worship team has constantly kept us challenged with the Biblical call to give some of ourselves and make space for the sake of others. We’re reminded week after week that we are to lament just as we praise, and that we do so as a collective and communal expression rather than as individualistic pleas. In this tension, we find an inexplicable beauty as we glorify God through multicultural expression."
-Jake Ferrier
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We, your Village Elders, Advisors and Staff, thank all of you for your participation in the family of Village. Because of you, we together create a mosaic that reflects the extravagant love and body of Christ to one another and to a world desperate for the hope that can only come from good news of Jesus Christ.

To make Village's goals possible, we invite you to give generously between now and Dec. 31. We have two goals, which you can see represented in the pie charts below. If we end the year with $2.7M in giving, we’ll be in a position to pursue our ministries' opportunities. Any amount helps! And if 400 households participate each month, we believe our giving goal will be achieved.

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We will close our campus on Wednesday, December 23 and reopen on Monday, January 4. All external doors will be locked, including the Worship Center. If you have a previously scheduled event, a ministry leader or custodian will be there to unlock for you. During the closure, postal mail will be held on most days, but delivered on December 29-31. Phone lines will be turned off, but our answering service will be available for emergencies. May you have a blessed, restful holiday!

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Our online giving is safe, secure, and the best way to give, but if you prefer to mail a check, please ensure it is postmarked by December 31. You can also put checks in the drop-box outside the church office which will be checked on weekdays between now and December 31. If you have questions about giving stock or other transactions, please email our Finance Manager, Patty. Please see our Giving Page for more details, including the regularly updated financial goal which will make our ministry vision possible in 2021.

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We are blessed to be able to highlight a couple life groups! Please contact the leaders for more information.

James Study
The Women’s evening Bible study will be moving to Monday nights. Beginning on January 11 at 6:45 the next study will focus on the book of James and will be a self-study approach without a standard teaching curriculum. The study will run for about 12 weeks with short passages to read and discuss each week. We are excited to dive into God’s word and to learn together how to read for understanding and application. There will be no cost for this study. The current plan is to meet in person in the Columbia B Room in a group of 10-12 women. We will observe recommended social distance guidelines and wear masks. For questions, or to sign up, email Betsy Adams. We look forward to welcoming new women to the group! 

Tapestry
You are invited to a weaving together of English speaking women from various cultures and life stages. Beginning January 12, meeting every other Tuesday evening 7-8:30 pm via Zoom, we discuss Scripture and focus on how God is speaking into our lives through it. Our mission outreach varies as we become aware of opportunities to bless others both locally and overseas.
Leader: Poppy Smith, assisted by various women in the group.
Study: Exodus—Learning to Trust God.