Every Christmas, I’m given the job of putting up my family’s Christmas village. To keep

things interesting, for myself and my family, I will always come up with a different

design. One year, the village will be placed in the mountains, and the next it will be in the

city.

Whereas my family enjoys seeing my village for the first time every year; I have come to

enjoy seeing how everyone responds. Many are full of questions, comments, and delight.

They ask how I made certain aspects of the village, or how long it takes to put the whole

thing together. What I have come to appreciate about my family is that they have

embraced the design differences from one year to the next, even if they loved the

previous year’s village.

I realized early on in my church ministry, working with the next generation, that I would

have to have this same attitude. An attitude of

embracing change, and enjoying the

differences from one generation to the

next. As is always the case, the younger

generations have new thoughts and insights

about the form that their church should take.

There was a Barna survey in 2014 given to

Millennials. They were asked to choose to

describe what they saw as the ideal church, a

two-thirds majority or greater picked the

fo l l ow ing words : communi t y -78%,

sancturary-77%, classic-67%, quiet 65%, casual 64%, on the low side, trendy-33%,

loud-35%, aduditorium-23%, dignified-36%. When I saw the results of this survey, I was

pleasantly surprised. Knowing that Millennials are extremely busy,

I realized Church for them needs to be a place of refuge. A place

to reconnect with other Christians, in person, and not on a

screen. This is a difference I can truly celebrate! I pray you can

too. Stay tuned for more insights coming in October.

Volume 7, Issue 8

August 1, 2015

The News let ter o f V i l lage Green Bapt i s t Church

Life on the Green

PAGE 1 LIFE ON THE GREEN VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 8

~David Pirrie

~Village Green Baptist Church~

PAGE 2 LIFE ON THE GREEN VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 8

Office Hours Pastor Mike’s Office Hours

Monday & Tuesday — 9:00am- Noon

Wednesday & Thursday — 1:30pm-5:00pm Administrative Assistant Office Hours

Monday - Friday from 8:30am-12:30pm.

Outside those hours, please leave a voicemail

and we will get back to you on the next

business day.

PRAY FOR OUR MINISTRIES

Staff — Jean Rosio, Care Coordinator

Leadership — Mike Johnson, Revive Team

VGBC People — Luna & Rahul Kamal with Suchit

and Amulya Kumar; Landon, Laura & Bradley

Kavlie; Roland, Pam, Rebekah, Jessica, & Davey

Kinsman; Harry, Kathy, & Jacob Lanehart; Eric &

Carolyn Larsen; Jim & Diana Lewis with Michael

Tiedel; Dick & Karen Liebenow; Scott, Cathy,

McKenna, Mark, & Mia Liebenow.

Outreach — Carl & Claire Miller – Teach Beyond –

Philippines ~ Mil36450@gmail.com

In Prayer this Month VGBC News & Events—

The posting for the Village Green Baptist Church

Senior Pastor went live earlier this month on

several web sites. As of July 20th we have

received over 90 resumes applying for the

position. The team is currently praying and

reading through them. We hope to have the list

trimmed down soon so we can move on to the

next step in the interview process. Please

continue to pray for the Lord's guidance to the

man He has selected for Village Green.

Special Communion Offering to Benefit the

Food Pantry The August Deacon Offering will be used to

support the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry. After

communion on August 2, the deacons will pass

the offering plates which will be filled with slips of

paper on which are listed items that the Food

Pantry has asked us to donate. If you would like

to participate, please take a

slip and bring to church one

(or more) of the items listed

on your slip. Let’s see how

much we can collect for the

Food Pantry in August!

The Deacon Garden The Deacon Garden has started producing!

Cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers

and more. Starting on August 9, we will make

some of the harvest available each

Sunday. Feel free to take some of the

fresh produce for your own use or to

share with your friends, family or

neighbors. The deacons will also be

delivering produce to the Glen Ellyn

Food Pantry weekly as well.

Children’s Harvest On August 11 at 9:00 am, the deacons will host a

Children’s Harvest. Children are invited to help

harvest that day in the Deacon

Garden. We will talk a bit about

the purpose of the Food Pantry, go

out to the garden to harvest and

then enjoy cool refreshments

afterwards.

~Actively Sharing Life in Christ~

PAGE 3 LIFE ON THE GREEN VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 8

August is Village Green’s month to

Provide for the Pantry!

August is Village Green’s month to support the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry. The Food Pantry is housed at

Grace Lutheran Church located at the intersection of Forest and Pennsylvania in Glen Ellyn. Each month

the Food Pantry provides food for 300 families in need (about 1200 individuals). The Food Pantry serves

people residing in Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Carol Stream, Glendale Heights, Lombard and Lisle.

You can help the Food Pantry in the following ways

Participate in this month’s Deacon Offering as described or donate other items as you feel led. A list

of suggested foods to donate is listed below.

Home gardeners can donate excess produce to the Food Pantry – bring it to the church on Sunday

and it will be delivered to the Food Pantry on Tuesday. Or you can take your excess produce directly

to the Food Pantry between the hours of 9 and 3, Mondays through Fridays.

Donate cash! The Food Pantry uses donated funds to purchase meats, fresh fruit and vegetables,

eggs, and personal hygiene items. Please make your check payable to the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry.

Families! Take your children to visit the Food Pantry. Let them see you donating in a way they can

truly understand.

And, of course, prayer! Pray for those in need, that their needs will be met and they will sense God’s

love in those who are serving them. Praise God for those willing to give of their time to serve those

less fortunate and for those willing to donate.

Food Needs: Non-Food Needs:

Peanut Butter

Jelly White or Brown Rice

Canned Tuna or Chicken

Cooking Oil

Olive Oil

Dried Beans, Peas, or Legumes

Tomato Sauce or Paste

Spaghetti Sauce

Please help us show our support to the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry this month. All donations can be dropped

off at the church. If you would like any more information, please see the

Outreach Table in the Foyer or contact a member of the Deacon Group.

Canned or Dried Fruit

Canned Veggies

Boxed Pasta

Oatmeal, Instant and Regular

Soup

Macaroni and Cheese

Flour

Salad Dressing

Dry Cereal

Shampoo

Bar Soap

Deodorant

Toothpaste

Toilet Paper/Paper Towels

Liquid Laundry Detergent

Dish Soap

Diapers, Sizes 4, 5, and 6

Baby Wipes

Lost and Found The lost and found box in the coat

room is becoming full. Please check

it to see if there are items in it that

belong to you. We will be cleaning it

out and donating items soon.

~Village Green Baptist Church~

PAGE 4 LIFE ON THE GREEN VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 8

VG’s Connection Corner

Connection Receptions Village Green’s Connection Receptions (formerly

Newcomer Receptions) will resume on August 30.

These receptions are held monthly on the last

Sunday of the month and feature a light lunch right

after the service. Join us if you are new to Village

Green and/or would like to learn more about the

church and how to be involved and/or would simply

like to share a meal with others. You can sign up in

the church

office or use

the Connect

Card in the

bulletin.

Fellowship Time Refreshments On July 26, the Fellowship Time was hosted by the

Schudas and Liebenows to celebrate their

anniversaries. Congratulations and Thank You for

sharing!

On August 23, Don and Lynn

Conrad will host the Fellowship

Time to celebrate Clyde and Lois

Conrad’s 60th Anniversary.

Congratulations Clyde and Lois.

If you would like to host a

Fellowship Time, you can sign up on the bulletin

board in the narthex.

Prayer Room Here’s a reminder that the Prayer Room is

available as a quiet place for meditation and

prayer at any time the church is open.

Immediately after the service on Sundays,

deacons or members of the Care Team are

available in the Prayer Room to

pray with those who desire

prayer. During the Sunday

service, deacons or members of

the Care Team pray for the

service and for prayer needs left

in the prayer boxes located in the

sanctuary and the Great Room. Never forget,

there are many at Village Green willing and

able to pray for you and with you.

Helping Hands Refugee Ministry We are excited to begin a new season with our

Refugees! We will meet from 9:00am to

11:30am on Wednesdays starting on

September 9, 2015. We encourage you to

consider volunteering, and thanks to all who

have faithfully volunteered in the past.

Special needs include:

Transportation — Van would be needed

Babysitting

Volunteers — help leaders, and as a one on

one helper with Refugees who have limited

language skills.

If you have questions or are interested in

he lp ing , p lease contact

Jean Rosio at 630-469-1767 or

the church at 630-469-4400 or

villagegreenoffice@comcast.net.

PAGE 5 LIFE ON THE GREEN VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 8

~Actively Sharing Life in Christ~

Special Prayer Request Rob and Jeanine Reilly provided us this moving account of Baby Raphael Reilly. Raphael is the second

son of their nephew Kevin and Kevin’s wife, Kelly. Please keep Baby Raphael and his family in your

prayers

Kevin and Kelly are a young couple with two sons, Lucas, their first born, and Baby Raphael, who is due

in October. Kevin and Kelly met in France on a mission trip. They fell in love and married. Lucas then

arrived, and he is now an active two-year old.

At an ultrasound appointment for their second baby, the exam showed spinal column problems, including

a bulge and pulling on the baby’s brain stem. Their doctors sent the baby’s results from North Carolina,

where the family lives, to specialists in Philadelphia. Kevin and Kelly decided then to name their baby,

and they chose the name “Raphael” which is French for “God heals.”

After Kelly and Kevin traveled to Philadelphia several times, the doctors there determined they could

operate to help Raphael. By that time Raphael had stopped moving his legs. Kelly underwent surgery,

and right after the surgery, Raphael’s legs began to move.

The family is now living in Philadelphia in temporary housing as they await Raphael’s birth. Kelly must

remain on bed rest until the baby arrives. Kevin is in the U.S. Air Force, and his squadron buddies have

been picking up extra shifts to allow Kevin to be with his wife. Kevin’s position has also provided

transportation for the family back and forth from North Carolina to Philadelphia.

Kevin and Kelly remain strong in their faith, and they desire the prayers of other believers to uphold them

and their young family at this time.

Praise to God for being everything Kevin and Kelly need and providing for them as they have walked

this path;

Praise for the faith of this young couple as they know without a doubt that God loves them and has a

plan for their lives;

Praise for their witness to others as Kevin and Kelly reflect God’s love and peace;

Praise for doctors who are able to treat Raphael before he even makes his appearance in this world;

Praise for Raphael’s improvements;

Prayer for continued wisdom of the doctors;

Prayer to the continued reliance of Kevin and Kelly on the God they love in light of the uncertainty of

the future;

Prayer for Baby Raphael - that he will be able to grow until his proper due date, and for God’s healing.

Children’s Teachers Just a reminder that Sunday School

will resume on Sunday, September

13th. Be on the look out for a

Children's Sunday School and

Children's Church Teacher kick off

training meeting.

Awana Clubs Be on the lookout for Awana registration starting

this Fall. We are still looking for volunteers to

come for a half hour on Wednesday nights to

listen to kids say their verses. We are also looking

for a secretary who would be there at the

beginning to keep track of kids

attendance as well as what

rewards need to be ordered.

Please contact Cindy Rojas for

more information.

Parents

Parents don't forget to turn in your child's

KidsQuest Fall Registration forms.

You will need one form per child for

kids birth-5th grade so we have

updated information on your kids,

please turn these in to Cindy Rojas.

Upcoming Events —

PAGE 6 LIFE ON THE GREEN VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 8

~Actively Sharing Life in Christ~

Freed to Share Life in Christ Update

Gifts and Pledges to Date: $405,243

Amount Received to Date: $202,550

Children’s Gifts: $192.80

Updated July 19, 2015

For Your Information

There will be a Revive Pool Party at the Loth’s

house on August 9 and 23 at

6:00pm. Please see David

Pirrie for more information.

Attention Parents Do you have a child that is entering Revive

Student Ministries in the Fall? Would you like to

know about events that Revive is planning right

away? If you answered ‘Yes’ to either of these

question, please get your contact information to

one of the Revive leaders, David Pirrie or Mike

Johnson! Information is periodically sent out

through email. Revive is on Facebook, too!

Encouraging messages, as well as event

information, is posted on the Revive Student

Ministries Facebook page. Follow the instructions

below to find Revive on Facebook.

August 2015 Calendar

Sunday, August 2

10:00a Fellowship

10:30a Worship

Wednesday, August 5

7:45p Worship Team

Friday, August 7

8:00a Revive Dunes Trip

Sunday, August 9

10:00a Fellowship

10:30a Worship

6:00p Revive Pool Party

Tuesday, August 11

7:00p Administrative

Group Meeting

Governing Team

Meeting

Deacon Group

Meeting

For a complete list of events at Village Green, or to

check for changes to this calendar visit our website

at www.villagegreenbaptist.org

PAGE 7 LIFE ON THE GREEN VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 8

~Actively Sharing Life in Christ~

Wednesday, August 12

6:30p Revive

7:45p Worship Team

Sunday, August 16

10:00a Fellowship

10:30a Worship

Wednesday, August 19

6:30p Revive

7:45p Worship Team

Sunday, August 23

10:00a Fellowship

10:30a Worship

6:00p Revive Pool Party

Wednesday, August 26

6:30p Revive

7:45p Worship Team

Sunday, August 30

10:00a Fellowship

10:30a Worship