Village Family and Friends,
The Village Church has always been nimble, it’s become a bit of a characteristic for us. But we, as elders, do not desire to take advantage of that. In the season we find ourselves in, it has been difficult to keep information out in front of you, in the way that we normally try to do. We apologize for the inconveniences, the inconsistencies, and the confusion that this has caused at times. We appreciate your grace and patience, but we also hear your questions and feedback about how strange life together as a church has been lately.
There are a few things that we want to help bring clarity to in this update. We pray this will be helpful to you all, and please, if something isn’t clear or you wonder about something else please contact us.
YOUTH - Consistent youth ministry has been difficult to maintain scheduling for, with changing events over the last month or so. This burden has been felt by our youth and their parents. We know and feel this; we both have teenagers that need this ministry. Starting this Sunday night, the youth group will return to meeting every three weeks, and we pray to see an increase in that frequency soon.
MERGER TIMELINE - At a church-wide meeting, held on June 25, we discussed the great need for patience on our part with our brothers and sisters from Byron Baptist. The timeline had already been set for a July 9 merger Q&A and a July 16 merger vote. This was changed to a July 16 merger Q&A and July 23 merger vote. However, due to necessary church constitutional matters being handled at Byron Baptist’s July 16 quarterly meeting, the second timeline also had to be changed and no new plans or dates were ever announced. We are aware that every gap in the conversation leaves room for our minds to assume the worst scenario.
First, be assured that the lack of producing new plans and dates was not in any way the result of backward movement or negative developments in the conversation. On the contrary, very good developments have come about as a result of this shift, to the glory of God! Correct dates and info have been added to this week’s Village News and will be a part of weekly announcements on Sunday. After Byron Baptist’s quarterly meeting this Sunday, we will have more info about the merger vote as well. Please make every effort to attend the July 23rd Village wide meeting, which will take place briefly after the worship service that Sunday morning.
POTLUCKS - With the necessary church constitutional matters being handled at Byron Baptist’s July 16 quarterly meeting, a potluck was simply not practical to maintain on the same day. We will have a potluck on July 23, along with the Q&A. We hope you will plan to bring a dish or two to pass and enjoy the morning worship and sharing a meal with our brothers and sisters of Byron Baptist, as well as hearing answers to questions that exist surrounding the merger. There will be no potluck this Sunday, July 16. There will be a potluck next Sunday, July 23.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!
Grace & Peace,
The Village Elders
You can reach the elders anytime by email at:
Jon Collins, jcollins@thevillagemi.com
John White, jwhite@thevillagemi.com