The Loop / December 6, 2022
Catch Up with the Current Series:
Weekly Announcements:
UPDATE // THE LATEST ON THE GREAT THANKSGIVING TRAILER THEFT!
So, a few updates if you’re following along:
We haven’t heard back from the Annapolis Police Department yet, although the officers are working diligently on the case. We are also continuing to with our insurance company to itemize the many, many things which need to be replaced. So no new “good” news on those fronts… but work continues!
We do have some cool things to share, though! In addition to the trailer of mobile church supplies we have been loaned by our friends at Front Porch Church in Baltimore, we received a check in the mail today from a church in St. Augustine, Florida–Colonial Church–where former Revolution folks James and Melanie Anderson attend. That check was in the exact amount of our deductible for our insurance claim! In addition to being a humbling and profound act of kindness, this is such an encouraging illustration of God’s providence and the beauty on display when we all work together to support each other.
We continue to be amazed by all the good this frustrating event is revealing: church is people… not a place, and not a bunch of stuff! When we love each other, we reveal the overflowing, overwhelming, and altogether abundant love God has for a world in desperate need of hope. Revolution will get through this, yes… but I am so much more excited to see how God uses this circumstance to build up His Church as a whole. It is a privilege to be able to carry hope, love, and joy in this Advent season!
Lastly, so many of you have asked how you can help. Although there will certainly be times when more hands are needed before long (particularly when we are organizing new equipment and new systems!), there actually isn’t much tangible work to do for Revolution right now. But I want to encourage you to do one thing this week: send some of the churches and pastors who have stepped in to help us out a “Thank You” note. Their addresses are listed below, and I’ll be writing all of them on behalf of our church… but wouldn’t it be wonderful if we overloaded their mailboxes with gratitude in the coming weeks? Let’s give it a try!
FRONT PORCH CHURCH (loaned us a trailer!)
Pastor Andy McNeely
6011 Pinehurst Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21212
COLONIAL CHURCH (sent us a generous check!)
Pastors Matt and Jill McCloghry
550 FL-207
St. Augustine, FL 32084
THE FOUNDRY-BALTIMORE (shared music equipment!)
Pastor Scott Ancarrow
165 E Randall St
Baltimore, MD 21230
THE MURPHY FAMILY (shared more music equipment!)
3719 9th St
North Beach, MD 20714
HERITAGE BAPTIST CHURCH (continue to provide us w/ space and help w/ investigation!)
Pastor Scott Shelton
1741 Forest Dr
Annapolis, MD 21403
Thank you all! It is a genuine joy to be your pastor. -Kenny
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!
BECOME // CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR LOCAL FAMILIES
Still hoping to support a local family in need this Christmas season? We have partnered with Annapolis Lighthouse Shelter to provide Christmas presents for our neighbors! As a church, we signed up for 35 gifts… and they’ve all been claimed! But you can still contribute by donating 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 this Christmas season!
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!
BELIEVE // SERMON DISCUSSION GROUP ON HOLD FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Did you know we usually have a weekly sermon discussion chat over Zoom on Sunday nights? Well, we do… but not for the next few weeks! The Sermon Discussion Group is on pause through the holidays. We will relaunch in January… and we hope you will join us!
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 @ MARYLAND MANOR (1500 Berkley Ct, Harwood, MD): Dec 17th @ 12pm-2pm
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!
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.
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).
BELONG // STAY IN THE LOOP ALL WEEK LONG!
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