The Loop / August 29, 2023
Catch Up with the Last series:
This Week’s Announcements:
BECOME // SOME THINGS WE’VE BEEN UP TO…
We don’t talk often here in the Loop about stuff that has already happened… but today, I wanted to share! Two weeks ago, our Community Engagement Lay Leader, Liz Wheeler, quietly purchased and delivered a load of waters to the Lighthouse Shelter on behalf of our church. This was in response to a direct ask from Lighthouse, and Liz’s willingness to drop what she was doing and respond was super cool!
Then, two Sundays ago, we all helped to pack more meals for the shelter after church on Sunday… something we’ve been doing on the third Sunday each month all summer long.
And this week, our volunteers are being honored by our friends at the Heritage Baptist Food Pantry for their contributions to this ongoing ministry. The HBFP is restructuring for this fall, and Revolution folks have been so integral to this ministry that we are being formally looped into Heritage’s plans moving forward. This is really exciting!
None of these things are big, splashy, or get tons of credit… but they are perfect expressions of our heart here at Revolution for partnership. We want to have folks from our church community at every non-profit and service organization in this town! Our vision is to be helpers in this city in real, practical, and support-focused ways. That’s why we’re launching a partnership with Uncuffed Ministries at the Jennifer Road Detention Center… it’s why we encourage everybody to volunteer at Lighthouse… and it’s why we’re always eager to hear what you care about, too! If there is an organization you love, let Kenny or Liz know and we will proudly spread the word and do what we can to recruit folks to serve. Revolution is committed to being a blessing to Annapolis… and that takes all of us working together!
BECOME // SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION!
On Monday, AACPS kicked off the fall semester across the county. That means lots of “firsts” for kids and youth in our church community: first days of kindergarten, first days of middle school, first days of high school… maybe some “first time drivers”! Whether you’re a parent of one of these kiddos or not, take a few minutes this week to check in with each other: send a quick text to ask how friends are feeling, offer to bring over a meal one night during what is often a hectic week, or even volunteer to be a helper if anyone needs an emergency carpool assist. This is a great week to remind each other that we’re all in this together!
Another thing to consider: there may be some parents whose daytime schedules are opening up a bit with kids out of the house. If your routines and responsibilities allow it, it might be a great week to see if anyone can meet up for coffee (it is officially pumpkin spice latte season…) or a walk. It can be pretty scary to admit when we feel lonely, but it’s a lot easier to say “yes” to a friend who reaches out. Be that friend this week!
BELONG // FALL AND WINTER RETREATS!
There’s good news on the retreat front! A women’s retreat will be happening this fall on November 10-12. If you’re a woman at Revolution, save those dates… and more info will be coming very soon!
We would also love to explore having a men’s retreat the winter… but we need planners! If you’re interested in helping out, just let Kenny know in the coming weeks.
Retreats are such an essential part of a healthy community: they are the places where new folks make real friends, existing friends grow closer, and the church as a whole gains focus, empathy, and energy. We can’t wait to see what will happen in this season!
BECOME // VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: HERITAGE BAPTIST TUESDAY FOOD PANTRY
For the last three years, volunteers from Revolution have played an essential part in serving our neighbors through the Food Pantry at Heritage Baptist Church. If you haven’t stopped by before, it’s an impressive operation! Volunteers stock and staff a mini-grocery store where people experiencing food insecurity can come, shop, and take groceries home without paying a cent! It’s useful, it’s meaningful, and it’s designed to support the dignity of our neighbors. We’re honored to be a part of the team!
But, as with any large-scale non-profit operation, the food pantry can always use more volunteers. This is where you might come in: there are folks who pick up food each Monday afternoon from the county food bank, folks who gather on Monday evenings to prep the groceries, and folks who staff the pantry and assist shoppers on Tuesday mornings. If you are available any of those times–even if you’re not free every week!–sign up today to get on the email list and learn more about being scheduled. All you have to do is email or call the pantry volunteer coordinator, Mary Ann Churchill, at machurchill0206@gmail.com or 832.515.8119. Get in touch today!
BELIEVE // INTERESTED IN BAPTISM?
If you’ve ever wondered about what it means to become a Christian–to “accept Jesus,” “repent of sin,” or “be baptized”–we want you to know that we would love to answer your questions! You can set up a time to talk with Kenny whenever it’s most convenient to you by shooting him an email at kenny@revolutionannapolis.com, or by talking to him on Sunday. He would love to hear your questions and offer what answers he can in a safe, friendly, and encouraging way. We want to support you on your journey, and we believe trust–between you and God, and between you and a church community!–is an essential part of that!
BELONG // 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 // YOUTH GROUP
Revolution’s Youth Group meets on Sunday mornings! If you have a middle- or high school-aged teen (or if you are one yourself!), you’re invited to meet up with our youth leaders, Maggie Young and Robbert Olson in the lobby before service. Youth typically head across the street to Starbucks for a breakfast treat on us, to go along with a lesson and conversation. The goal is for teens at Revolution to make new friends, build honest relationships, and learn more about how to build a deep faith of their own. You can learn more with Maggie and Robbert on Sunday, or by emailing our Children’s Pastor, Shawn Livingston, anytime at shawn@revolutionannapolis.com.
BECOME // SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: RESOURCES FOR YOUR JOURNEY
On a more serious note: 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 partners at Revive, 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.
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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