Aaron's Narrative Experience
Aaron's Narrative Experience in Scripture:
Aaron Cromer was so excited about leading everyone that he was ready for you all to come over to his house this Monday. But, alas, he did not realize that there were five Mondays in the month of June. I would like to encourage as many of you as possible to go hang out with Aaron and support him as he leads us next Monday, July 7. Dinner is provided - please sign up so we know how much food to bring. Childcare will be available at the Seneca house and also requires signup at Vespers. I'd like to encourage you to invite your friends to enjoy food and talk about God.
Names and Addresses:
Let us start with the good news: the Village is now up to $60,000 raised towards the building. This means that we only have $40,000 to go before we receive our $300,000.
Ryan and Andrea have created a database that will allow you to click on a link at villagersonline.com and enter in the names & addresses of people you know. If you do not have internet access, please submit your list of names/addresses/e-mail addresses to your designated encourager or to the McCulleys. A support letter has been crafted to assist in explaining who the Village is and why we need money for a building. Don't worry about having this letter sent to people without your permission. We will have a big mailing party this summer, at which point we will sign, prepare, and send letters together.
data entry page
Nursery
The Village has an ever-increasing number of babies. Therefore, we need to develop a consistent volunteer base for nursery care. The Village has approximately 50 adults. We usually need two volunteers in the nursery. [Due to the fact that the nursery is attached to the main room, we can legally have a man or two running the nursery if necessary. However, we generally prefer to follow the broader state guidelines which require a male/female pair in the nursery.] This means that you would only need to volunteer 2-3 times/year to help out with the babies if we each took turns. So please sign up this Sunday!
I've been thinking a lot about the word honor and how we are to honor each other and particularly honor 'those who work hard among us'. Those who preach and teach, according to Paul, are worthy of double honor. There is something deep inside me that longs to be respected and appreciated and so the concept of honor is a dangerous one for me. It is easy to turn the desire to be honored into a demand and you don't have to be at the Village long to realize how that demand works out. So, I am making an appeal not for myself, but for my amazing friend and co-pastor, Eric. I want to share some specific ways that I have discovered that make Eric feel honored. You can add to this list and find other ways, but if you wonder how to show kindness and respect to Eric, here are some things you can do:
Pray for him and tell him what you hear from God.
Tell him he can go home early after Vespers and that you'll make sure things are cleaned up.
Follow his example in hospitality.
Listen carefully to what he says, push back against it, and then do what he asks.
Be creative and offer your creativity to the community.
Give him occasional small gifts-cash, gift cards, a free lunch-and be sneaky about it.
Ask into his life in a way that shows you've been paying attention to his needs and desires.
Clean up his yard, trim his trees, fix broken things in his house.
Follow Jesus.
Help to pay him enough salary that he can go to Seattle once a year for a vacation.
Listen to his dreams and encourage him.
Ask him what he'd like you to do and finish what you start.
Show up early to Vespers and engage visitors. Invite newcomers into your circle of friends and include them in your plans.
Talk to your friends about Jesus.
Take what you have learned from him and use it.
Think deeply about other people and then act graciously toward them.
Find a routine task that meets a Village need and do it faithfully without being asked or reminded (i.e. setting up chairs, writing and mailing out prayer letters, cleaning up after meals or events at the Seneca House).
All these things are ways to honor one who very particularly offers what he has and is to the Village. I was taught that you should repay your spiritual mentors by becoming mentors to others, but that you should also give them good gifts as a sign of respect and appreciation. Words are nice. Actions are better.
The other pastor,
Rod |
