The Loop / February 4, 2025
Catch Up with the Current series:
This Week’s Announcements:
BELONG // NEEDLECRAFTERS GROUP
Did you know Revolution has a monthly gathering for folks who enjoy needlecraft? We’re talkin’ all the needles: knitting, crochet, cross-stitch… whatever you’re into! The group leader is Kat Mahone, and gatherings are planned to work with members’ schedules. If you’d like to check it out, the next meet-up is on Friday, February 21 at Kat’s house. Oh, and if you’re interested, but you don’t know how to do any of these needle tricks yet… folks would love to teach you! To get on the mailing list, email Kat at: katmahone@gmail.com
BECOME // REVOLUTION’S BENEVOLENCE FUND
Hey, everyone! Kenny here. I wanted to share a little bit with you about how Revolution supports church members facing financial difficulties, and how you can help. Every year, we include a category in our budget for helping churchgoers who are struggling with bills or rent, and that fund is allotted at or around $2000. In the past, that amount has felt sufficient to meet our folks’ emergency needs… but as our church has grown since the pandemic in these last few years, we’ve seen an increase in requests. Now, it might seem like there are two “typical” ways to respond: we can either double or triple the budgeted amount… or we can start saying “no” more often. We’re absolutely not going to do #2, as there are few practices more clear in the earliest church communities in Scripture (or modeled in in the life of Jesus!) than rushing to meet the needs of folks who are struggling with generosity and joy. And although we can do the first option in the years ahead, the budget for 2025 has been finalized, and we’re already nearing the limit for this fund.
So, here’s what we want to do: for 2025, we’re opening a special offering category for the “Churchgoer Assistance Fund.” If you already give towards Revolution’s general budget, the percentage of those funds that goes towards the existing benevolence fund will remain the same: nothing is changing on that front. Instead, we’re just opening an additional door for contributing to meet the immediate financial needs in our community. So, if you would like to either give an additional gift to this fund or, if you’re not a regular donor, give a one-time gift, we want to make that as easy and clear as possible for you. Our hope is to raise an additional $2000 in this category to make sure this fund is adequately resourced to meet people’s needs this year.
If you would like to contribute, you can click HERE to go directly to the giving portal, or you can update your recurring gift under the “Giving” tab in your CCB (Church Community Builder) account. If you would like to learn more about how financial needs are shared with the Leadership Team and how the Team evaluates and responds to those needs, you can talk to our Generosity Lay Leader Katie Phillips, our Finances Lay Leader Matt Shacka, or me any time. The last thing I want to say is this: it is a joy and a privilege to be able to support each other. On behalf of the Lay Leadership Team, we want to thank everyone in this community for your consistent and generous participation here! I’m grateful to be a part of Revolution, and I’m excited about what God has already built and blessed here… as well as what is in store.
Take care,
Kenny
BELONG // OUTDOOR GROUP: HIKE ON FEB. 22
Hi everyone! Emily and Allison here. We said we’d “recycle” the hiking plans from the Fall that got washed out, so please join us meeting at Bacon Ridge Nature Area on Saturday, February 22nd for some nice trail hiking from 1:30-3:30pm. Some tips: dress warmly in things you can move well in, wear good hiking shoes, have a water bottle, and bring a light pack of any other hiking accessories desired. Please let us know if you are coming and/or need a ride/want to carpool in this SIGN UP! We hope you join us for some fresh air and good fellowship!
BELONG // UPCOMING WOMEN’S EVENTS
Thanks to everyone who participated in our women’s planning meeting a few weeks ago! The women of Revolution will be meeting every other month this coming year (alternating months with the Outdoor Group), so there will always be something for everyone. Below are the main months (think “odd” numbered months…) and the activities we’ve drafted so far. For activities not chosen this year, anyone who wants to organize a get together (e.g., a meal, or an outing/event), please feel free to champion individual events. This can be right in the women’s GroupMe, or you can feel free to coordinate with Maggie and Emily as appropriate (e.g., if it makes sense to have a signup link and/or an announcement in the Loop). Otherwise, please save the dates below and we hope to see you at these future events!
March 30: Women’s Brunch and Worship during the men’s retreat (child care provided)
May 3: Art and Fondue Fun
July (exact date closer to the time): Game Night and Make Your Own Sundaes
September: Firepit
November: Women’s Retreat (including clothing swap)
BECOME // MEN’S RETREAT MARCH 28-30
Our next Men’s Retreat is just a month and a half away! We’ll be returning again to West River Retreat Center in Edgewater, MD March 28-30 for a guys’ weekend away. The planning team is already hard at work, and they are putting together a genuinely fun and meaningful program for us: several men from our church community will be sharing their stories, we’ll be digging deeper into our faith, and there will be lots of downtime for games, conversations, and hopefully a firepit or two. You won’t want to miss it!
Date: March 28-30
Location: West River Camp (5100 Chalk Point Rd)
Theme: Our Brothers’ Keepers
Cost: $155 for 2 nights and 5 meals on-site; reduced prices available for day visitors. Do not let the cost stop you from coming! If you need assistance/support, please talk to Kenny (kenny@revolutionannapolis.com), and he will make sure you can be there!
You can sign up today HERE!
BELONG // SOUTH FOREST (“SOFO”!) DINNER GROUP
This spring, the Camachos are launching a new dinner group for Revolution folks living in the South Forest Drive corridor. The goal is to gather folks in this area to share a monthly potluck meal and connect: we'll discuss what's going on in everyone's lives, how to pray for each other, and share support. At each meal, we'll look at our calendars and decide when to meet next month, so group meetings will evolve to fit our schedules and keep us consistent. For our first meeting, we'll meet at the Shackas house on Wednesday, February 12 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Small children who cannot stay home alone are invited. If you live in the SoFo area, sign up to get connected!
BECOME // SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS YEAR
Cathy Miller, our Community Engagement Lay Leader, is once again putting a schedule together full of opportunities for you to serve our broader community here in Annapolis this Spring… but we would love to do more! So, what are you passionate about? What needs have you seen, or do you know about? Reach out to us to let us know, and we can work together to help our neighbors. Just message Cathy, Kenny, or anyone on the Leadership Team… we can make a difference together!
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!
Want to make sure you never miss an announcement? Make sure to follow Revolution on Facebook and Instagram (@revolutionannapolis)!
