The Loop / November 29, 2022
Catch Up with the Current Series:
Weekly Announcements:
UPDATE // THE LATEST ON THE GREAT THANKSGIVING TRAILER THEFT!
You have probably heard by now that Revolution received a most-unwelcome Thanksgiving surprise this past Sunday: somebody stole our mobile church trailer! Here are the official details: at some point in the wee hours of last Wednesday morning, an unknown person or persons backed up to our trailer behind Heritage Baptist, hooked it up to their truck, and peeled out of there with surprising efficiency and speed (honestly, it was pretty impressive). The Annapolis Police Department is on the case, and we have contacted our insurance company and are awaiting next steps. The losses were comprehensive: literally everything we use for church on Sundays was in that trailer.
But there’s good news, too: first, our community came together last Sunday morning in genuine worship. We didn’t have any of the “stuff,” but we still sang together, prayed together, learned together, and received Communion together. We “did church”… and truth be told, it was absolutely lovely. And we’ll keep at it! It’s going to be awhile until things are back to “normal,” but in the meantime, as long there are people to gather together, “church” will happen!
The second bit of good news? Already, our friends at other churches are banding together to help us out. We’re hoping to borrow significant supplies for our children’s area for this week, and we may even be able to find a temporary PA system. God is good, and we are grateful for our co-laborers in Annapolis and around the state of Maryland!
In the weeks ahead, I’ll continue using this space to keep everyone updated. We’re going to be okay! In fact, my prayer is that this experience helps us to remember that church is people… not a place, and not a bunch of stuff! What a lovely reminder this Advent season! I’m grateful for every single one of you, my friends. -Kenny
BECOME // CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR LOCAL FAMILIES
There was good news on Sunday, too! In addition to having a lovely and peaceful worship service, we also saw all of the remaining Christmas gifts claimed from our Christmas Tree! These gifts are part of our partnership with Annapolis Lighthouse Shelter to provide Christmas presents for local families in need. We have signed up for 35 gifts at this point, which is awesome! But if you wanted to contribute and didn’t get a chance, don’t worry: you can still donate directly through the Lighthouse Shelter’s website. The generosity of this church family is amazing to see, and we are excited for the chance to make a real difference for our neighbors this Christmas season!
BELONG // WOMEN’S EVENT ON DEC. 10
You are invited to join the women of our church for the Annapolis Light Parade! Folks will be meeting up for the event, watching the show, and then heading back to Fred and Cathy Miller’s home for hot chocolate and socializing. If you would like to be a part, get in touch with Cathy Miller to let her know, and she’ll loop you in when it comes to the details! You can email Cathy at cathygrowinghealthy@gmail.com, or you can talk with her on Sunday mornings at the coffee station!
BELONG // JOINT CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE
This Christmas Eve, we will once again be partnering with other church congregations around Annapolis by holding a joint service. This is a wonderful way for us to spend time with our brothers and sisters at different churches. It’s also a great opportunity to share a Christian vision for cooperation, partnership, and invitation with all of our neighbors. This year’s service will be at 6pm at Heritage Baptist. There are some exciting opportunities for us to participate in: the worship will be provided by a combined worship team, representatives from each congregation will have chances to lead different elements in the service, and we are also hoping to put together a combined live nativity! If you would like to represent Revolution in any of these opportunities, please let Kenny know!
BECOME // UPCOMING EVENTS WITH REVIVE
Caleb and Melissa Kaye head up the Revive Faith non-profit, an organization committed to meeting the practical needs of our neighbors while also fostering deep conversations about life and faith. They are also members here at Revolution! So, there is an opportunity here for a natural partnership: we want to encourage everyone to serve alongside Revive whenever you can! To that end, we’ll keep using this space to keep you updated about opportunities on the horizon:
FOOD PANTRY @ WAYSON WOODS (319 7 Oaks Ln, Lothian, MD): Dec 3rd @ 12pm-2pm
FOOD PANTRY @ MARYLAND MANOR (1500 Berkley Ct, Harwood, MD): Dec 17th @ 12pm-2pm
PUB THEOLOGY ONLINE (over Zoom): Dec 1st
PUB THEOLOGY IN-PERSON (@49 West): TBD
CHRISTMAS BEER & HYMNS (@49 West): Dec 14th
We are so excited about this partnership, and we hope to see you at a few (or even all) of these events!
BECOME // SUPPORTING REVOLUTION CHURCH
At Revolution, we believe that our church needs to be a witness to God’s bottomless love and an example of what it means to wrestle and grow with our faith together. Following Jesus isn’t easy! But even in our doubts, if we take the things we are struggling to believe and put them into practice together, we learn to ask better questions and live in ways that are more beneficial for others.
If you want to join us in this mission, you can be a part in a few different ways:
First, you can commit to presence: it is our sincere hope as a church that you find real purpose and meaning in being a part of our services and groups at Revolution. They exist for you! But have you ever thought about what you have to offer those gatherings in return? Your unique perspective, hopes, experiences, and struggles are part of the bigger story of our church. You have an important part to play here, and that part begins by making faithful presence a priority!
Second, you can commit to generosity: we want to imitate God’s generosity by looking for ways we can share what we have been given with others to bring hope, justice, and safety to our neighbors. One way you can practice that generosity is by supporting our ministry here at Revolution financially: we are a non-profit organization committed to maintaining a Christian ministry in Annapolis, forgiving the debts of our neighbors, and financially supporting both church plants and existing churches in our area. Your gifts help keep this commitment going! But we also want to make sure you know that giving is important no matter where you do it: find a non-profit, charity, or aid organization whose cause you support and make a plan to be faithful and generous towards them! God can do more with our resources than we can… and giving is one of the practical ways we put our trust in what He can do.
Third, you can commit to service: here at Revolution, we are in need of all sorts of volunteers to keep our ministry going. This is particularly true as we continue to “emerge” from the pandemic! If you are available to help out on any of our Sunday morning teams, or with any of our groups or other outreach ministries during the week, we need you! This is a great way to contribute to the church… and to make new friends. But the city of Annapolis needs help, too! If you are able, make time in your week to participate in a routine act of service for our community. There are multiple food pantries we support, all of whom need help, as well as opportunities to work with kids in need of tutoring, care for unhoused residents in our city who need assistance, and serve as an advocate for a variety of justice-seeking non-profits working to make Annapolis a more equitable place to live. For help a place to serve, just talk with Kenny (kenny@revolutionannapolis.com) or our Community Engagement Lay Leader, Liz Wheeler (liziwheeler@gmail.com).
BELIEVE // COFFEE, ANYONE?
Do you have questions? Doubts? Would you just like to talk through things with someone? Kenny is always up for a coffee or lunch! Send him an email (kenny@revolutionannapolis.com) or text (803.727.8500) any time.
BELONG // STAY IN THE LOOP ALL WEEK LONG!
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