What's Happening at ECV

Advent Throughout this Advent series, "Surprised by a God who Draws Near", we have been exploring how God really does work in mysterious ways. This past Sunday, Jim continued our series with a talk on Zechariah's story, the difficult process of waiting, and the pain of unmet expectations. He spoke about how these kinds of experiences can change the way we engage with God, for the better. This upcoming week, Tina Colón Williams will be sharing about the shepherds' encounter with the heavenly choir of angels, and what that story shows us about how Jesus relates to those on the margins. As always, you can hear our talks online.

Preparing for Christmas ECV will celebrate Christmas in two ways. First, we will hold a joint Christmas Eve service with First and Summerfield's congregation at 5pm (note time change) on 12/24 upstairs in the sanctuary. Expect to hear many carols and to hear the story of God drawing near to us through scripture. Childcare will be provided. We will also have a Family Christmas service upstairs on 12/28 with the whole church, including Sprouts(!). We hope this season is a blessed one for all and feel free to invite friends to either of these holiday gatherings. Holiday Fair Update Thank you so much to all who contributed to the Sprouts Holiday Fair – it was a great success! With your generosity, Sprouts was able to raise over $200; that money will be used to make more than fifty blankets for refugees in North Africa! So many of you helped by purchasing ornaments and baked goods, donating money, baking all the cookies and treats, and encouraging the kids in this endeavor – thank you! The elementary classes this month are focusing on generosity: “Be rich in good deeds … be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18, NIV. This was a beautiful lesson and encouragement to me (and hopefully to all of us) to let God’s generosity with us move us to generosity with others – in money, time, good deeds and more! Transition Check-in If you have been with ECV this Fall, you know that we have undergone some exciting transitions - not just our building ones either. We want to carve out some time to check in, as a congregation, to see how these transitions are going. This will take place January 18th, Sunday, downstairs right after church. This will include discussions on vision, staffing and leadership, and other structures in the church. The staff and elders would love to hear what is important to you as we continue to follow Jesus as a community.