The Loop / March 19, 2024
Catch Up with the Last series:
This Week’s Announcements:
JUST FOR FUN! // REVOLUTION CHURCH “MARCH MADNESS” BRACKET
Our very own Andy Hanauer has organized a March Madness bracket competition for anyone and everyone at Revolution who wants to play. If you’re new to the event, March Madness is the nickname for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, which begins this Thursday. Games run for the next three and a half weeks and conclude when a champion is crowned. Here’s the fun: the 64-team bracket is famously impossible to predict! No one in the world has ever picked every winner in every round before… and that sort of unpredictability also creates a real sense of competition, as “amateur” brackets–even ones picked totally at random–often outperform the ones “experts” put together. So this year, we’ll be playing along together, and “not knowing anything about basketball” doesn’t need to stop you! Click the link HERE, sign up, and fill in your bracket in whatever way you choose: favorite colors? Most fearsome mascots? Coin flips? Whatever your strategy, it will be fun to follow the results for the next few weeks, and the winner will receive… well, we haven’t decided yet, but it will definitely be something silly!
BELONG // FAMILY RETREAT REGISTRATION
Our next retreat will be our Family Retreat on May 17-19 at Camp Harmison in Berkeley Springs, WV. This retreat is open to everyone who considers Revolution their church home, and it involves a “camping lite” experience: a covered shelter, fireplace, full indoor kitchen, and bathrooms/showers are available… but if you would like to stay on-site, you will need a tent or RV for sleeping. If the tent life isn’t for you, some folks also elect to get hotel rooms in Berkeley Springs for the night and visit with the rest of the crew at Camp Harmison during the daytime hours… so that’s also an option!
This weekend is one of our very favorites each year: it’s a great chance to make new friends, play games, share stories around the fire, and find some much-needed space for relaxing. You can sign up today by clicking HERE!
BELIEVE // EASTER SCHEDULE 2024
Easter is nearly here! There are a few changes to our schedule that morning, so here’s the rundown:
9:30 POTLUCK BRUNCH: To help with this event, if your last name begins with A-M, please bring something savory to share, and if your last name begins with N-Z, please bring something sweet! We will also have some donuts and breakfast sandwiches, along with plenty of coffee!
10:30 EASTER WORSHIP SERVICE: We’ll be setting out extra chairs, so feel free to invite family and friends to join us!
11:45 EASTER EGG HUNT: During service, the Revolution Youth Group will be hiding candy-filled Easter eggs around the playground… and once church is over, all the kiddos in RevKids will head outside to find them! You can help with this project, too: this coming Sunday is the last opportunity to pick up a bag of empty eggs from our RevKids leader, Jane Wenger, and take them home to fill with goodies. If you grab some eggs then, or if you have already picked up a bag!, please remember to bring them back Easter morning!
BELIEVE // CURIOUS ABOUT BAPTISM?
We believe that the first step of a real, committed relationship with God is making the decision to be baptized. When we are baptized, we are acknowledging the reality of our sins and the pain they have led us to, and then trusting in Jesus to renew our life and offer us living hope. This is an opportunity that is open to everyone who wants to pursue Christian faith, and when someone in our community decides to be baptized, it is cause for celebration! If you have questions about baptism, or if you would like to talk to about a desire to be baptized, you can reach out to Kenny any time at kenny@revolutionannapolis.com or by calling/texting 803.727.8500. Sending a message isn’t a commitment on your part to be baptized! But it is a commitment on our part to meet with you to answer your questions.
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, Cathy Miller (cathygrowinghealthy@gmail.com).
BELONG // STAY IN THE LOOP ALL WEEK LONG!
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