Hold Each Other Up!

"But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun." Exodus 17:12

The story goes that Israel was fighting against Amalek and Moses was up on a hilltop during the battle. Whenever Moses would hold his hands up, with the staff of God in them, Israel would prevail. Whenever Moses would lower his hands, Amalek would prevail. As you would expect, Moses got tired and could not hold his hands up anymore. So his brother Aaron and this other guy, Hur, came alongside him, got him comfortable on a rock and held his hands up.

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about not growing weary. You know what helps to fight off weariness? Brothers and sisters like Aaron and Hur! We need people in our lives that when doing good and laboring for the Kingdom gets hard, they will come alongside us, take care of us, and hold us up to do the work. Not only do we need brothers and sisters like Aaron and Hur, we need ourselves to be Aaron and Hur for other people. It's not just us that get weary and tired, so do others around us!

We must be in fellowship with brothers and sisters, one on one side, and one on the other side, holding one another up, until the battle is over and the Lord has brought the victory! Village Homes are a great place to find not only one or two brothers or sisters like this, but three, four, or even five of them! You can find out more about Village Homes by clicking here.

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

Maintain the Unity

"eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:3

It was a rough day and the weather was not great, with cold wind and rain and an impending ice storm. The possibility of even gathering for church the next day was starting to come into question. But that did not stop nearly thirty people from coming out for the Time Lab VBS info meeting this past Saturday!

It was a good warm up! Putting on a Vacation Bible School is tough! There is a lot of upfront, preparatory work and never enough time. There are weather factors and the logistics of keeping track of who knows how many children. Add to that two churches working together to pull it off that have never worked together before! But lets not fool ourselves into believing that serving the Lord and doing a big work for Him is easy!

If you were unable to make the meeting last Saturday, that's ok! You can still sign up! I would encourage you to be praying about how you can be involved! Literally asking the Lord how to be used during this week. Maybe you have wanted to go on a mission trip in the past but it just couldn't happen. Well here is your opportunity to serve on a local mission field for a week straight right in your own backyard! One of the most important places to work for the Kingdom!

Watching people from two churches eagerly gather and maintain unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace was awesome! Don't miss out on being a part of it! Don't miss out on maybe being the one adult that God has placed in one child's path in order that they might be saved! Join the team today!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

Don't Give Up!

"And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

Sometimes doing good things (the King James Bible says "well-doing") is extremely tiring. But as I sit here, late at night asking God to use me to encourage you in this writing, my mind started to wander toward the garden I'm hoping to plant this spring.

I put a lot of thought and time and planning into what we will grow, how much will be necessary to help offset a large family of 6, going on 7, grocery bill, and what experiments I want to try. I spend time preparing the ground and checking the Ph levels, fertilizing when needed. We plant with care, waiting till the soil is warm enough, watering diligently. It's just an extremely fun, springtime, family activity.

But two months in and all of the diligence and excitement turns into "I'd rather eat ice cream and be lazy." It turns into, "I just don't want to go turn the sprinkler on and water the tomatoes". It turns into, "If I just spent 5 minutes pulling weeds that row would flourish". Why? Because I became weary of doing good. I never get to enjoy fresh salsa or grilled corn on the cob, because my weariness ruined the opportunity of reaping good things. 

If you are like me, it is scary to think that my walk with Jesus Christ can get like this sometimes. Reading my Bible, time in prayer, intentional evangelism and discipleship, sometimes I just grow weary in doing good. And then our walk becomes stagnate and we feel like God just isn't talking or present and the change we wanted to see in ourselves or in others, just isn't happening. And it's because weariness overtook us and instead of reaping good things, we reap bad things or nothing, because we gave up.

My prayer for us, me and you, individually and as a church, is that we will not grow weary in doing good. That we will labor for the honor and glory of the King, when it's difficult and exhausting. That we will, in due season, see the fruit of our labor - disciples of all nations, souls in heaven!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

Thank you!

"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you..." Colossians 1:3

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! To those who served, tirelessly, over Easter Weekend, a most heart-felt thank you! You are an encouragement to this young pastors heart and an inspiration to my personal devotion and service to the Lord, to you, and to our community!

When moments got stressful you let the peace of God take over. When problems or hiccups occurred you worked together to solve them. You honored the King with your service!

I never anticipated the turnout we had on Good Friday, but what an awesome time of worship remembering what the Savior did for us! Then Easter Sunday, wow! There were so many people I didn't know, so many new faces from our community! Seeds for the Gospel were planted and watered, and one young man made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and was baptized! A young married couple, with their newborn baby girl, asked me to pray over them as they commit to raising their special gift from God according to His ways. Praise God, what a weekend!

Folks, I don't know what God is doing out here, but it is awesome and I am thrilled to stand side by side with you and watch Him do it as we devote ourselves to the Lord and His work! Next up, Vacation Bible School! I hope to see you on the 14th as we come together with our brothers and sisters from the Byron Baptist Church to bring Jesus to the children of our community!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

Easter Weekend!

"Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." Luke 15:7

It's Easter Weekend! For the follower of Christ this is like the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup, the Kentucky Derby, the Indy 500, and whatever other awesome event you can think of, all crammed into one! 

The single most defining days in all of human history are celebrated this weekend and highly revered by both Christian, Jew, and Muslim. Our Lord, Jesus the Christ went to the cross for the sin of the world. He suffered and died and on the 3rd day rose victorious from the grave! 

Last Sunday, a single invite card was handed out to every person who attended. Who got the card you were given? Who are you inviting to hear the Good News this Easter Sunday? If you can't name them, the answer is no one. Everyone invites the clerk, the waitress, the random. What about the specific? What about the person you know, who doesn't know Jesus Christ? Yeah. That one. Go get them!

I'm excited to worship with you! I excited to meet the people you invited! I'm excited to rejoice with the joy in heaven over the one who repents!

I'll see you on Good Friday at 7pm and on Easter Sunday 10am, at the Byron High School Cafeteria!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

Striving Side By Side

"Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel." Philippians 1:27

One year ago, I was still trying to fully digest what the Lord was calling us to with this work in Byron. There were so many unknown factors. I did not see us in the high school with a Sunday attendance of 175 adults and children (last week's attendance, 51 kids/workers, are you kidding me?!). I did not see all of the awesome servants that come out each week and make it happen. I did not see a Christmas tree or a cross on the corner lot downtown, and I certainly did not see a co-sponsored vacation Bible school with another local church.

And shame on me. Lord, please forgive me for ever having put you in a box, where what I can see is what I think You are doing. Please Lord, forgive me.

We knew a year ago, that in 2018 we wanted to go after hosting a vacation Bible school for the kids in the community. We didn't have any idea what that meant, but we wanted to try what we felt would honor God and reach people for Him. Then literally like a month ago this opportunity to work with the Byron Baptist Church came about. And I have to tell you, I am pumped about it! 

I am pumped because instead of the world seeing two churches shaking fists at one another across the street in a small rural town, they will see two bodies of people becoming one. They will see people transformed by Jesus Christ caring for their children and teaching them the good things of the Lord.

It's going to take a lot of work and a lot of people. But I believe that the Lord will take delight in these two parts of his body acting as one, standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. Do not miss out on this awesome opportunity! The info meeting is on April 14th at the Byron Baptist Church at 10am.

We'll have more details coming after Easter, which is the main focus right now. Be in prayer! Be involved! Be inviting! I'll see you Sunday!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

The Greatest Among You

"The greatest among you shall be your servant." Matthew 23:11

Most people want to be awesome. You ask anyone, most people are willing to tell you how awesome they are. The world programs us to think like this from a young age. But this is quite contrary to Christ-likeness. 

Humility is one of the most important topics in all of Scripture. A simple search on Google (How many times is humility found in the Bible?) immediately brought up 72 verses in the sacred Scriptures dealing with humility. As Jesus approached His death He taught His disciples that the greatest among them would be a servant. The idea that a great one would be one that serves and not that lords authority over others is astonishing when compared to how the world does business.

Here at The Village Church, we believe that serving happens in three areas: we serve the Lord, we serve the church, we serve each other. How are you doing these things? How are you serving the Lord each day? When the Church gathers, how are you serving the body of Christ? What does your servanthood to the people around you look like? Let 1 Peter 4:7-11, encourage you as we continue to be led and used by God, lets dig deep looking for ways to fulfill this awesome principal that God has shown us through Christ his Son!

We're not saved to sit around. We are saved for a purpose. Purpose that can be found when we serve the Lord, when we serve the Church, and when we serve each other.

Grace & Peace,
John
 

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

Every Thought Captive

"...and take every thought captive to obey Christ..." 2 Corinthians 10:5

I've been talking to a lot of people this past week that are struggling. People are struggling with a multitude of things. And the epicenter of many of these struggles has been a lack of taking every thought captive to obey Christ. Christian, we have been given new lives, new hearts, and new minds through our faith in Jesus Christ. We're going to talk about this more on Sunday when we enter into 1 John 2. We'll be looking at verses 1-6. It is a gut checking piece of Scripture to me every time I read it. There's no escaping our need for Christ and the clear outline of how we can know that we know him.

Don't forget to be in prayer for Easter weekend! We have awesome opportunities coming up over the next several months and if we desire to see the hand of God and the defeat of the enemy, we must be in prayer! I'm excited to see you all this weekend and to worship with you! Make someone you don't know feel at home this Sunday!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

Church Purpose

"Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keep the law." Proverbs 29:18

Direction is a good thing! It is literally how we know what way we are going at any point in time. Before it quit working, I would randomly look at the compass on my truck's rearview mirror and see the "NE" or "SW" just to know the general direction on any given road. Sometimes I like to load the compass on my smartphone and look at the exact degrees of the compass points. Directions help us know how to assemble things, or how to complete certain projects. Direction is helpful.

Here at The Village Church, we believe that God has given us clear direction. We have a vision for things we want to do, but we also have vision, a direction to go in, to help accomplish the things we want to do. It is important that we as a church understand our vision, as The New Living Translation worded it, our divine guidance. This is wrapped up in the purposes of The Village Church, which are as follows:

• To worship the Lord our God through regular gatherings and the preaching and teaching of the Word of God.
• To spread the Gospel and teachings of Lord Jesus Christ.
• To train and equip the people of God for the work of God, that they may carry on the work of the ministry both within our church and elsewhere.
• To live at peace with all men as far as we are capable.
• To give with a cheerful heart of support to the ongoing work of God's Kingdom, both locally and globally.
• To care for, to the best of our ability, those in need or distress, especially orphans and widows.
• To abstain from every form of evil.
• To lawfully use our resources in whatever way possible to maintain the Church and accomplish the above.
• To lawfully do anything that we can that will accomplish the above.

Our marching orders from the King were delivered to us by Matthew 28:18-20. The purposes listed here are to keep us on track. If we are not being guided by the wisdom, the prophetic vision of the Word of God, restraint will be the first to go, and with that the mission will be compromised. Let's stay focused as a church and be about the work that God has called us to here in southeastern Shiawassee County!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

Church Leadership

"So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls." Acts 2:41

We talked this past week about the purposes, leadership and membership of The Village Church. There was a lot to say, but it was, and is, necessary. I felt led to share these three things again here, over the next few weeks, for you to take in further.

Membership: You are a person, not a number. We don't really care what the number is, but we do believe that a growing number, at whatever rate, indicates that the Lord is continuing to build His church. We care that people, being called to this ministry by the Lord, know what it means to be a church member. Our belief in membership is basic. There is nothing to sign and there are no classes to take. But, there is a commitment. The following points outline what we believe that commitment looks like, from a biblical standpoint, here at The Village Church. 

• I have, by faith, believed that God raised Jesus from the dead and, through baptism, have publicly confessed that I am following Him as my Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9-10).
• I will live a life of devotion to: the teachings of Jesus Christ; the fellowship of believers; the proclamation of the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and; to prayer (Acts 2:42).
• I will, with the Lord’s help, seek to maintain and increase in the disciplines of prayer, Bible study, and personal evangelism (1 Peter 1:3-8).
• I will support the ministry of the Church through the cheerful giving of my time, abilities, resources, and finances (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
• I will support, pray for, and encourage the Elders of the Church as the authority, established by the Word of God, for the work of the ministry of the Church (Hebrews 13:17).
• I will model, practice, and support Biblical standards of personal conduct that are in accordance with the Word of God and fitting for followers of Jesus Christ, in my relationships both within and outside of the Church (Colossians 3).

If you have any questions about any of this or want to talk more in depth about it, please contact me! It would be my pleasure to go over any of it with you! 

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

Church Membership

"So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls." Acts 2:41

We talked this past week about the purposes, leadership and membership of The Village Church. There was a lot to say, but it was, and is, necessary. I felt led to share these three things again here, over the next few weeks, for you to take in further.

Membership: You are a person, not a number. We don't really care what the number is, but we do believe that a growing number, at whatever rate, indicates that the Lord is continuing to build His church. We care that people, being called to this ministry by the Lord, know what it means to be a church member. Our belief in membership is basic. There is nothing to sign and there are no classes to take. But, there is a commitment. The following points outline what we believe that commitment looks like, from a biblical standpoint, here at The Village Church. 

• I have, by faith, believed that God raised Jesus from the dead and, through baptism, have publicly confessed that I am following Him as my Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9-10).
• I will live a life of devotion to: the teachings of Jesus Christ; the fellowship of believers; the proclamation of the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and; to prayer (Acts 2:42).
• I will, with the Lord’s help, seek to maintain and increase in the disciplines of prayer, Bible study, and personal evangelism (1 Peter 1:3-8).
• I will support the ministry of the Church through the cheerful giving of my time, abilities, resources, and finances (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
• I will support, pray for, and encourage the Elders of the Church as the authority, established by the Word of God, for the work of the ministry of the Church (Hebrews 13:17).
• I will model, practice, and support Biblical standards of personal conduct that are in accordance with the Word of God and fitting for followers of Jesus Christ, in my relationships both within and outside of the Church (Colossians 3).

If you have any questions about any of this or want to talk more in depth about it, please contact me! It would be my pleasure to go over any of it with you! 

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

God's Prescription

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed." James 5:16

There wasn't really a valid reason for the mood I was in last Saturday. I had a sour, rotten attitude and no matter what I did it was really ruining my day. What is more, my attitude left the door open for the enemy to whisper. So then I started coming up with reasons to justify my attitude and others to blame it on.

Then a brother called and asked what was going on. I told him, true confession, that I was in a really bad mood over something that had happened and Satan was using it and I was losing. "Well then I'm not going to hang up until we pray."

It seems so simple, yet we make it so complicated. The Lord tells us in His Word to confess our sins to one another, pray for one another that you may be healed. My sin in the moment was bitterness. The healing needed was deliverance from attack. I confessed the sin to my brother who prayed for me and in that moment Satan's power was crushed. Prayer is a weapon in the arsenal of a believer, and God's Word tells us that the weapons He gives are divinely powerful for the demolition of strongholds.

I'm not sure what stronghold you may face and I'm not sure what healing you may be in need of. But, I know that for the heart seeking God and following His Word, there is victory and healing!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

Stirred to Action

"Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works..." Hebrews 10:24

Salvation does not come from good things that we do but rather, the good things that we do should come from our salvation. When we by faith believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess Jesus as Lord, we are saved. This is justification.

At the end of time the Lord will return and judge the living and the dead. He will welcome those who have been justified, by their faith in Jesus Christ, into eternal life. This is glorification.

From the time that a soul is justified until the time that a soul is glorified, that soul is being cleansed by the Holy Spirit of God from the emptiness of a life separated from Him by sin into a life of righteousness and good works. This is sanctification.

During the long and often difficult process of sanctification, we are to be encouraging one another to good works as the Holy Spirit fills our formerly empty life with the good things of God.

So here is the challenge, my stirring you up to good works: over the next week, contact one of your neighbors somehow. Ask them how they are doing, see if they need anything or if you can help them in some way. Before you leave the conversation, ask them if there is anything going on in their life that you can pray for.

If you are reading this and you are not sure if you have ever by faith believed in the risen Jesus Christ and confessed Him as Lord, please contact me! I would love to talk with you or answer any questions you may have!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

All Family Sunday

"But Jesus called them to him, saying, 'Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.'" Luke 18:16

One of the most resounding things that kept coming to us, we began praying about and asking God what this, then nameless church plant idea, was all supposed to look like, was the importance of family. A church, after all, is a gathering of individuals and families. We kept seeing the importance of children and family in Scripture. We felt God burden us very early on to have opportunity for families to worship together.

This Sunday will be our first official "All Family Sunday." We're also sharing in the Lord's Supper. So, I felt there were probably a few important things to say.

1. Kids don't sit still long or stay quiet very long. They squirm and make noise and want to play. And it is beautiful. It's probably wise for all of us adults to remember that this Sunday may be a little squirmier and a little noisier than normal and that's ok.
    
2. We are observing communion this Sunday. I'm gong to teach about it then, so I won't be long here. Parents, it's up to you with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Talk with your child about it. If your child has believed in their heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and has confessed with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, they're saved and communion is for them. If there is confusion or they just don't know, have them pass until they understand it better and that's ok.
    
3. To those without children: don't diminish the life God has given you or the role and witness of God in the life of a child because you're not a parent. Be thankful for future generations, and have great patience (or even helpful hand to lend) to those who are raising them.

I often consider those who don't handle children "disrupting church" so well (myself included) and then I start to think about that early church. What on earth do we think that was?! I have no doubt, it was moments of sheer chaos. I know this, I want my children with me in church. I want my wife and I with them, to worship together, pray together hear the Word together, even if they don't quite get it yet. I want them to see you. I want them to see adults worshipping the Lord. And I want your children to see the same thing. It's going to be great! See you Sunday!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

The Fellowship

"And they devoted themselves to...the fellowship..." - Acts 2:42

This week, in our current series "Devoted" we're going to look at fellowship. What is it? When does it happen? Who should it be with? Who shouldn't it be with?

As I have been in the Scriptures preparing for this weekend, my mind is kind of blown as to how wrong our view of fellowship can be! The more I am in the Bible, the more thankful I am to always be learning more about God's design in all things. We cannot simply think that all we have ever done is all we should ever do or how it should always be. The more we learn of God through His Word, the more we must abandon our ways and conform to His. 

I hope you will join us this Sunday and grow in your knowledge of the Lord, and that the growth of your knowledge will draw you ever closer to Him. I am praying that we as a church may come to the biblical understanding of fellowship and that this understanding will elevate our fellowship with the Lord as we grow together and seek the lost for His name!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

God's Autobiography

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

This weekend, we will look at the first point of the early church believers devotion - the apostles' teaching. As followers of Jesus Christ we have only one source for teaching and learning, the Holy Bible. The Bible is the book that God wrote, through which he has revealed himself to humanity. It is true. It is unerring. It is timeless.

The Bible has been translated countless times over the centuries. There are controversies surrounding why the books that are in it are there and why others are not. There is no end of debate as to how to interpret what it says. There is the bending and twisting of what it says to suit our cultural comfort or to justify our sin.

Countless efforts have failed to eradicate it, not only from literature but from the earth. Yet the Bible continues to stand alone, literally untouched by any other writing. There is continued substantiation as to its credibility and accuracy. There isn't another book that has been printed more, or has had more books written about it. No other book exists in more languages, is more widely distributed, or more broadly studied. People who passionately deny the existence of God and the foolish nature of our faith have, upon serious examination of the Bible, been convinced of God, convicted of their error, and have turned to faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.

I'm excited to be with you Sunday and talk about what devotion to the apostles' teaching means for us today!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

Devoted

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers." Acts 2:42

This weekend we will start a new sermon series, Devoted, centered around the verse above and those that follow it. As I pray over and prepare for this weekend I find myself, as I always do in this passage of Acts, asking, "How can I be more devoted to what the Lord has called me to?" This is a multi-faceted question for me, because I not only want to be more devoted to the Lord Jesus, to His Word and calling on my life, but devotion to the Lord also drives me to be more devoted to my wife and family, and you the church.

I'm excited to get into the final six verses of Acts 2 with you. I believe that these verses are foundational to the functionality of the church. Many are the sermons about or lives as individuals, what we should be doing, and how we should be living. But, the Bible also gives instruction for the collective of individual believers, the Church! And when individual followers of Christ live more devoted to Him and then come together, He finds a vessel in a group of people that He is glorified through and that is useful for His will on the earth!

I hope to see you all this Sunday!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

Increasing and Prevailing Mightily

"So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily." Acts 19:20

Smack dab in the middle of one of my favorite stories in Scripture, in almost the middle of the book of Acts, is one of my favorite verses. A reminder to me, that when believers do what God has called them to do, proclaim the truth he has called us to proclaim, His Word goes to work. By the power of His Spirit, His word goes forward and doesn't fail.

This past weekend, we, not me John White but we, The Village Church, proclaimed the truth of the Word of God - that Jesus Christ has come to save sinners. And as that truth was proclaimed God's Word went to work and started stirring the hearts and minds of those hearing it. Don't let yourself believe for a minute that because no one jumped to their feet or rushed to be baptized that the Word of the Lord isn't increasing and prevailing mightily.

At the end, while everyone was standing and singing Joy to the World, there came a moment where a strangely placed applause broke out. Many have said they had no idea what was going on. Well here is what happened. The Lord's Word increased and prevailed mightily, and a young man surrendered his heart to the King of kings. He came forward confessing the risen Christ before man as his Lord and Savior and He was baptized in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Christmas Eve has come and gone, and with it the official launch of The Village Church. We are here. Doors officially open. I can't wait to see what 2018 holds! There is a community around us in great need. May we ever be known as a church, may our community become known as a community, like the one in Acts 19, where the word of the Lord is increasing and prevailing mightily.

Happy New Year!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

Seek and Save

"For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost." Luke 19:10

That is what this Christmas Eve is all about for us! All of our work and all of our effort is to display our love for the King of kings and share the truth that God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus, who died and rose again, to save a sinful people unto Himself. Wow am I thankful for the grace and mercy of Almighty God!

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, came to seek and save that which is lost. Right from Jesus' own mouth, He came to save. We are lost! The birth of Jesus Christ that we celebrate every December was all about Him coming to seek the lost and save them.

My heart is filled with joy as I consider that God has called us to share this truth with the community! I am so excited for our family, friends, and neighbors to learn of the greatest gift ever able to be given among man - the gift of God that is eternal life through Jesus Christ.

If the Lord does what only He can do, and blows the doors off the Byron High School this Sunday, let's be prepared as a church to give our seats to the guests of honor who have come to hear the Good News!  What an awesome opportunity, that you might give up your seat to someone for whom there was no room, that they might be saved for all eternity by a Savior for whom there was no room.

I can't wait to serve the King together with you this weekend! I appreciate your prayer as I spend time preparing to share the truth that Jesus came to seek and save the lost!
 

Merry Christmas, Village Church!

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)

In Their Homes

"And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts." Acts 2:46

Many have asked as this ministry was first starting, "Will you have a midweek service?" To which the answer has always been, "Not as far as we can see right now." Some would ask, "Well, 'The Green' is kind of a a midweek Bible study isn't it?" Well, in the sense that we met on Thursday nights and studied the Bible yes. But 'The Green' was intended to be a relationship building opportunity for those committing to The Village Church. And what great and wonderful season it was! Thank you to everyone who came out from October into December.

But now, as 2018 is not only the next page of the calendar, we feel the time is absolutely right to begin talking about Village Homes. "Village Homes" will be the fruition of our desire, from the very start to be a church where Christians, meet in homes, and spend time praying for one another and reading the Word together. This isn't just our attempt at being like all the other churches. We simply see it in the Word all throughout the book of Acts, most notably from the verse above.

"..in their homes..." 

A home is safe place, somewhere you can rest. It's a place you spend time with people you love. Homes are also a reminder of days gone by, while dreaming about the future. 

For The Village Church, a home will be a place to find accountability, belonging, purpose. A home will be a place to grow with other believers in your walk with Christ, as they grow with you in their walk with Christ. Homes will be a place to grieve and mourn, and a place to be comforted and heal.

Some of mine and Jacqueline's strongest relationships have grown out of homes. We have been prayed for. We have grown. We have prayed for and helped others grow. We long for other people to experience this. As we open our arms to the community, and as they come in, they're going to need to know they found a home. My prayer is that  your involvement in "Village Homes" will help them with that.

If this ministry is something you are interested in, have been a part of before at a previous church, or would like to know more about, please let me know! I would love to talk with you more about it. Feel free to email me at anytime! In the meantime pray about it all. Would the Lord have you open your home?

Grace & Peace,
John

(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)