The Loop / December 26, 2023
Catch Up with the Last series:
This Week’s Announcements:
BELONG // CHURCH SERVICES ON DEC. 31 & JAN. 7
Just as a reminder: Revolution will not be meeting for an in-person worship service this coming Sunday, December 31. We hope everyone is having a restful and reflective holiday break, and we are excited to gather again for our next in-person service on Sunday, January 7. That service will be at our new Sunday space, Mills-Parole Elementary School, at 10 am. See you there!
BECOME // WHAT YOUR GENEROSITY CAN DO… AND HAS DONE!
At Revolution, when we talk about financial giving, we choose to focus on what God is doing in us and through us when we give rather than what we might feel obligated to do. In our individual lives, what we see is this: God has made us as image-bearers of himself, so we can (and should!) reflect God and God’s character back out into the world. Two things we know about God are that he is both wildly generous and wildly patient: he provides many of us with much more than we need, and he waits on us to follow his example in sharing what we’ve been given with others. When we eventually choose to “reflect” God back out in this way, by giving what what we’ve been given away, we’re being “obedient,” yes… but it’s so much more important that we’re being witnesses to a God who loves and who can be trusted. All that to say that giving generously is good for us: it brings us another step towards being who God intends for us to be.
But here’s the thing: because we tend to focus on what God is doing in us when we talk about giving, we don’t always pay enough attention to what God is doing through us: where do our gifts go? What difference do they make? This morning, I want to share something wonderful with all of you: because of your generosity to our church, the Leadership Team and I were able to make a Christmas gift of $5,000 to our friends at the Heritage Food Pantry. This gift will cover 1/3 of the pantry’s operating expenses for this coming year, and it came at a moment when they were in truly dire straits financially. They didn’t request it or expect it: it was a gift, from our church, to friends who are using their own resources so, so generously to not only feed our neighbors, but to provide access to food in a way that honors people’s dignity and treats them with respect.
The Food Pantry’s director, Bruce Livingston, pulled me aside at the Christmas Eve service to insist that I tell all of you thank you from him and from the team there at the Pantry. This gift lifted a heavy burden off of Bruce’s shoulders, and he wants you to know that he is grateful for all the ways Revolution has committed to supporting this program. We’re all united in the dream that loving our neighbors well isn’t something for which any church or community should seek individual “credit”: it’s something that, when we really do it together, paints a much more beautiful picture of a God who gives because… well, it’s simply who he is.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING REVOLUTION A WITNESS TO OUR GENEROUS GOD!
BELIEVE // HOW WE CAN GROW TOGETHER
This year, Kenny has talked several times about the importance of reimagining spiritual growth as something we do together. But what does that really look like? Here are a few ideas for us as we close out 2023:
Join a Small Group: Small groups are where we find the space and the encouragement to share our stories with one another, ask deep questions, and learn how to practice that mix of gracious patience and faithful challenge Kenny described. If you haven’t taken the step of visiting a group, this would be a great week to give one a try! There are online and in-person options available… whichever format makes you most comfortable, what matters is that we invest our time and attention in one another!
Serve Together: Our weekly services create great opportunities for us to step in and serve alongside one another. If you are passionate about kids ministries, Shawn would love to talk with you about serving in RevKids… and if you’re not sure what your best fit might be, you can always just drop by a little early (we get to the theater at 8) or stay a little late to help pack up. This is your church… we want everyone to feel connected!
Pray for Each Other: Prayer binds us together: it connects us with God, and as we ask God to bring healing and hope to others, it connects us with our friends. We can all make more time to talk to God–indeed, talking to God can become part of the rhythm of our days. This might seem like a solitary practice in our spiritual lives… but it isn’t at all! Prayer is the glue in a church community. Give it a try this week!
BECOME // SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: RESOURCES FOR YOUR JOURNEY
Our theme for 2023 is Discipleship, and we’re working together on some of the disciplines we can all practice in order to better participate in the spiritual growth God desires for us. The following are some encouragements and resources for you to use as we try to make this series “stick” in the Revolution community!
For Prayer: Make real and regular time for prayer where you can in your day: wake up a little earlier, take a 15-minute break in your day, or use a resource like Echo Prayer to send you reminders and organize what you’re praying for! Learn the Lord’s Prayer… so you always have something to “say”! And consider joining Revolution’s Prayer Team when it launches later this year… in the meantime, you can talk to Kenny or Jon Connelly about it!
For Study: Use a resource like The Bible Project to help inform your study, and find a reading plan you can stick to on the YouVersion Bible app or using another study tool. You can also sign up to be a part of the Revolution Online Bible Study on Monday nights!
For Giving: Pray for wisdom, clarity, and conviction as you explore ways to share what God has given you generously and faithfully. If you feel led to support Revolution, you can always do so using our website or making a donation on Sunday mornings. And if you’d like to support some great non-profits in our community, you can do that, too! No matter what, continue to taking steps forward towards the goal of radical generosity.
For Service: Learn more about our friends at Lighthouse Shelter and the Heritage Food Pantry! Reach out and set up a time to visit or volunteer… and pray for God to show you a place where you can serve your neighbors on a regular basis.
BELIEVE // COFFEE, ANYONE?
Do you have questions? Doubts? Would you just like to talk through things with someone? Kenny is also always up for that, too! Just send him an email (kenny@revolutionannapolis.com) or text (803.727.8500).
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. 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.
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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