Evergreen E-Letter – July 14, 2010

Evergreen Church is about Experiencing God, Exalting God, and Extending God to others. The E-letter's format is designed to hold this vision clearly before us. New items are in blue.

Use the contact info provided to reply concerning any of the items below, or reply to this message to contact Chip Giessler (pastor@EvergreenChurch.net ). And if you'd rather not receive the E-Letter, please reply and let us know. 703-737-7700 -- 19615 Evergreen Mill Rd, Leesburg VA 20175 -- www.EvergreenChurch.net

EXPERIENCING GOD       

    1.  ...by keeping our eyes open for unexpected connections –Dr. Michael Kavanaugh has practiced orthopedic surgery in Loudoun for years.  For the past few years he has also participated in the Evergreen basketball game and Bible study on Saturday mornings.  This Spring he shared with the group about a medical mission trip to Haiti from which he had just returned (in response to the catastrophic earthquake).  This Sunday, fitting our topic of “loving mercy,” he will share with Evergreen Church about his experiences on that trip.  The story will be interesting to everyone, and especially interesting to those who know him from his doctor’s office and operating room.  Make a special point to invite some friends.  Also, as a way of choosing to be merciful, bring in any back packs and dufflebags you can donate to homeless folks in DC, and over the counter meds to send to Guyana, and we will dedicate those in prayer before they are delivered by missions teams.

                                                                                                                                                    

    2.  Home Group Line-Up -- Home groups are a vital part of following Christ and of Evergreen Church. Here's the normal meeting times of current groups:  

 

 

Sundays

Youth Group - various activities 

Marty E., 703-771-0944

Wednesday noon (men)

Wisdom:  The Jesus Classics  (E-House) 

Chip G., 703-737-7700

Wednesday 7:30-9 pm (youth & adults)

Soul Food, (Wegmans café, upstairs)

Chip G., 703-737-7700

Friday 8-9 am  (men)

Contemplative Bible Reading 

Pete B., 703-771-1559, @ E-House

Saturday 7:30-9 am

*Every other week (women) 

Upper Room Devotional study

Becky H., 703-203-5675

next: July 24

Saturday 8-10 am (men)

Basketball (8) & Bible Study (9) – LCDS

Chip G., 703-737-7700

3.  Soul Food Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:30-9:00 pm, Soul Food meets at the Wegmans café, upstairs.  Bring your Bible, your mind & your questions.  All are welcome.

4.  Men's Bible Study -- Every Friday, men gather not so much to learn about the Bible, as to learn from it.  Using a centuries-old practice of taking a short passage and prayerfully pondering, we consider 1) what it means, 2) what God is saying through it to us individually, and 3) what God is inviting us to do about it.  Visitors are welcome. Meeting throughout the Summer at the Evergreen House.

5.      Wednesday Noon Men's Group -- A men's home group meets at the Evergreen House at noon on Wednesdays.  Interested men are invited to contact pastor Chip about it. We’re currently discussing the practical wisdom of Jesus’ parables. 

6.  Youth this Week – Fifteen teenagers are heading to the beautiful Potomac River in historic Harpers Ferry for a tubing trip on Friday!  You can’t beat a cool flowing river on a hot morning.  SATURDAY MORNING - Youth Running Club!! 9:00 am. Esteps' home. Come join us for a refreshing run followed by a cool sweet treat!  Get a Summer Youth Ministry calendar from Marty E.

7.  Disciple Next Fall? – Are you interested in possibly taking a Disciple class in the Fall?  Please mention your interest to Laura G., Cliff S. or Sue M.

"Growing Through Love"

 

Present & Future Growth -- A chief motivation for building a church building is to be able to most effectively extend God's love to others.  We want to do this as soon as we are financially ready.  And we are dependent on God for financial readiness.  So that will be a great tool for future Growth of Evergreen Church and God's kingdom.  But we don't need to wait to grow Evergreen and God's kingdom.  We can be increasingly faithful today in inviting others to Evergreen and sharing our faith. 

EXALTING GOD 

  1. This Sunday – It’s week two of our three week series on “Requirements.”  After last week’s requirement to “Do justly,” we look this week at “To love mercy.”  We will prayerfully dedicate materials and people for a missions trip back to Guyana leaving Wednesday, and next month’s DC Urban Mission trip.  Bring over the counter meds for Guyana and backpacks & dufflebags for DC.
  2. Special Summer Children’s Offerings – Each Sunday this Summer one of our children who prepared and presented special offerings during the Greenhouse’s 5 Talent Academy worship emphasis will present their offering during worship.  This Sunday Kaitlin Estep will present a vocal offering called Forever Love.
  3. Worship Transition – Just 6 more Sundays at Evergreen Mill Elementary School.  And just 9 Sundays until our public “grand re-opening” at LCDS, September 12.  Every ministry leader whose ministry touches Sunday morning worship should have a working game plan for optimizing your ministry as we move to LCDS on August 29.  And every ministry should be implementing their specific game plan.  Ask Laura G. for more info or help in figuring this out.  Giessler@verizon.net
  4. 5 Talent Academy… Worship -- To enhance our worship (now and for the future), Evergreen Church is looking for people with interest and gifts in: visual arts (banners, painting, graphics, etc.), decorating & creating ambience, dramatic reading and/or acting, and music.  If you have gifts that you are willing to offer in these areas, please let Laura G. know.
  5. Our Nursery – Our precious children up through 24 months are cared for by Kristin, Sam & Makenna. Ashlee Zeronik serves as Nursery Coordinator. 
  6. Special Thanks – To Mark Machina, Dave Sarver & Chris Sams for hosting 5 ½ hours of Building Input sessions on Sunday afternoon.  And thanks to everyone who attended and contributed ideas.
  7. Daytime Prayer meeting – Monday, 1:00 pm at Myra H’s – 301 Nansemond St., SE Leesburg.  All welcome.  No experience necessary. 
  8. Next Steps -- Have you taken any next steps from last week’s message?         

1)  PARTICIPATE in the process of communicating requirements for an Evergreen Church building – talk to the Building Team.

2)  What something you’ve been thinking about doing for a while that you believe is God-inspired?  Do it.

3)  Try a week of living sensitively… to justice issues and doing things justly.  (Read Just Courage, Gary Haugen)                  

9.  Just Curious… Sunday’s Info Card question:  “What’s your most challenging job requirement?” Responses include: Learning all new responsibilities; political & public aspects; teaching 13 year olds; having patience in every situation; avoiding conflict and anger every day; meeting people’s expectations; being away from home and family…

10.  Sunday Morning Worship Location – It’s official, Evergreen plans to begin worshiping at the campus of Loudoun Country Day School on Sunday, August 29.  And we’ll plan to have a “grand re-opening” Sunday September 12.  Stay tuned for more exciting details!

                                                                                                                                                                                    

BUILDING & HARVEST TASK FORCE           

  1. Building Input Sessions: report – Thanks to the 15+ people who contributed ideas on Sunday from 1-6:30 pm at the Evergreen House. The Building Team will meet tomorrow evening (6 pm at the Evergreen House, open to all) to formulate all the input into “requirements” to be communicated to the engineer and architects.
  2.  Ideas & Actions -- The HTF exists to focus on innovative ways to fulfill God's vision of growing His church.  "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field." - Jesus, Matthew 9:38
  3. Business Card Invitations -- In the green baskets passed around on Sundays are business cards.  They are there for you to take 5-10 each weeks and give them to people you know/meet who you have conversations with about church or faith, are new to the area, etc...  Please take some this week, and carry them with you daily.  As a modest goal, it would be great if each of us could give away 3/week.

 

EXTENDING GOD TO OTHERS        

  1. Ahoy There Mateys!  High Seas Vacation Bible School (VBS) is still open to few few good shipmates   To qualify you must love the Lord and love the children.  Contact Gale Umemoto, gale1944@gmail.com.  For craft projects, Pringles cans (empty) are being collected by Lori B. for a High Seas craft project.  Glass bottles (soda water or sparkling cider sized) are also being collected (for the Greenhouse).
  2. High Seas Yard Sale THIS SATURDAY – Douglass Community Center, 8am to 2pm.  We need to start setting up around 7am.  Thanks to all who have signed up to staff it – set-up, 8-11 am, 11am-2pm, and clean-up.  Stuff to sell is needed. (Bring it the morning of, or contact Gale U.)  Thanks!
  3. International Missions – We are collecting over the counter meds to take on a short term mission trip to Guyana, South America.  They need to brought to church this Sunday.  The trip begins July 21.
  4. Back pack collection – In our next DC Urban Mission trip (with Teens Opposing Poverty) we’d like to take back packs, duffle bags, etc…  to give to the men & women we’ve come to know who live in the parks near the White House.  Please bring any you have around your home, or any you pick up at a local thrift store, to church this Sunday.  The trip will take place August 8.  See Marty E.
  5. Loudoun Emergency Homeless Shelter – We offer this ministry the third Thursday of each month.  Contact Andrea E. or Tina H. to learn how you can get involved.  Our next night to prepare and serve dinner to the residents at the LEH Shelter facility off Sycolin Rd. is Thursday July 15. 
  6. Take a CD, Give a CD -- Who is someone you see around your neighborhood or at work who you know is not actively involved in a church?  Give them an Evergreen cd from a service you were blessed by (message, music etc...) and ask them what they think.  
  7. Encouraging a brother – As of July 6, Raul is back in Loudoun.  Sending Raul notes or cards is a way we can extend God’s care to him.  The address is Raul A. de-la-Cruz, LADC, 42035 Loudoun Center Place, Leesburg VA, 20175.  What to write?  Here’s an idea:  Choose a Bible verse.  Go onto www.EvergreenChurch.net and put the verse reference (e.g. John 3:16) into the Bible Gateway window at the bottom of the homepage.  The words of the verse will come up, along with a drop-down menu of dozens of translation options, about 6 of which are in Spanish.  Choose one (try the one that looks like the Spanish equivalent to New International Version).  Then handwrite the verse in Spanish onto a card and put it in the mail. 

MISCELLANEOUS         

1.  Vacation Bible School Craft needs – Lori B. & Heidi W. are collecting items our children will use in making crafts (August 2-6)  We need about 70 Pringles cans (the regular sized ones).  Please hold on to these cylinders, and pass them to Lori or Heidi throughout the summer.

2. Our offerings to God – On Sunday 81 people gathered to worship the Lord at Evergreen.  We offered to God $4,210 for use in on-going ministries, and $1,540 for Growing Through Love (capital campaign for Building Fund).  Growing Through Love (building) offerings YTD: $14,484.  We thank God for the faithful stewardship and generous hearts of His children.

3. Financial snapshot – Evergreen’s weekly budget need is $4,094. YTD offered for ministry:  $89,772; YTD budget needs: $114,532. Actual expenses year to date are less than “budget needs” due to frugality by ministry leads.  It would be great if we can fully fund all our ministries.  May God bless Evergreen Church with ministry opportunities as we bless God with our trust and gifts.

  1. Prayer (to have your Evergreen family pray for you, send your concern to welcome@evergreenchurch.net by Wednesday morning with "E-letter prayer" in the subject).  And make sure to use your November Prayer Calendar, also available as a link on the home page of www.EvergreenChurch.net.

  Please pray for...

         

            The Babers, as they expect to deliver any day.

            Beth C., as she nears the finish line of radiation treatments.

            Raul, incarcerated in Loudoun, awaiting trial (August).

            Jobs (better jobs or any jobs) for those in need.

                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                   

He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.

And they will live securely, for then His greatness will reach to the ends of the Earth.

And He will be their peace.

                                                                                                                                                                   

- Micah 5:4-5, speaking of the Messiah

 

Faithfulness and Fruitfulness – The 5 Talent Academy

Upcoming Events      

  • July 15 – Serving Dinner at LEH Shelter, 6 pm
  • July 15 - Leadership Team, 7:30 pm, Evergreen House
  • July 16 – Youth Tubing trip at Harpers Ferry
  • July 20 – Voices of Youth concert, Sterling UMC, 7 pm
  • July 21 – Guyana mission trip departs (donate meds by July 18)
  • August 2 – Vacation Bible School week – a high seas adventure! (evenings at Evergreen Mill Elementary School)
  • August 8 – DC Urban Mission Trip (with TOPS)
  • August 29 – First Sunday worshipping at Loudoun Country Day School!
  • September 2 (Thursday) - End of Summer Youth Party (Welcome Rising 6th Graders!)
  • September 12 – Grand Opening of worship at Loudoun Country Day School (giving two week to get things ironed out before a big turnout of first-time guests)
  • September 17-18 – Awakening Fest (Christian Music Festival, Morven Park)
  • October 9-11 – Fall Youth Retreat