the Chronicle The Pastor s Pen - Dr. Robert K. Burns In This Issue... LIVING NEW LIFE November

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1 LIVING NEW LIFE the Chronicle Crestwood Church November 2018 Richmond & Midlothian, Virginia The Pastor s Pen - Dr. Robert K. Burns Dear Crestwood Congregation and Family: After thirteen wonderful weeks away on sabbatical, I am back! Thank you for the gift of margin that those weeks opened up. There was room for jigsaw puzzles and naps, freedom to travel to foreign lands and to binge-watch British crime dramas, opportunity to hear fresh preaching voices and to be encouraged by God s people praying in other languages, and space to reflect thoughtfully on Scripture and to leisurely enjoy over a dozen books. One author I read wrote this about his visit to a monastery: [The abbey monks] were not spiritual escapists, trying to flee the world in search of purity. They knew that the biggest battle was not with an evil world, but with the waywardness of their own hearts. They had come to the abbey to turn themselves toward God. (Fred Bahnson in Soil & Sacrament, p. 50). This was my intent on sabbatical, not simply to run from the weight of spiritual responsibility and daily commitments, expecting that shedding those duties in itself would bring renewal. But my intent was also to turn toward God and to find refreshment for my soul not in sabbatical itself, but in the Christ who was more available to me now in this sabbatical season of greater freedom. And indeed, God met me in those days apart. (To hear more details, come out to Midlothian on Wednesday, November 7th, or to Richmond on PrimeTimer Tuesday, December 18th.) Janice and I often commented during those weeks how grateful we were for a congregation which recognized the unique challenges that face pastors to experience renewal while pastoring others and which chose to provide this sabbatical for us. Your words of encouragement to relax and enjoy the time were often a balm to my soul that kept wanting to find ways to prove to you I was not simply on vacation. (continued on Page 10) In This Issue... P. 2 PrimeTimers P. 3 Churchwide Packing Party P. 4 Feed My Starving Children P. 5 Commitment Sunday P. 6 Wednesday Nights in November Staff Search Update P. 7 Congregational Care P. 8 Quarter 3 Financial Review P. 9 Christmas Eve Worship P. 10 Pastor s Pen Conclusion P. 11 Parish News P. 12 November Highlights

2 Page 2 the Chronicle Crestwood - Loving and Leading People to the Life-Changing Jesus Age 55+ PrimeTimers Next Meeting: Tuesday, November 13 11:00 a.m., Richmond Campus, Boyd Hall Speaker: Ken Conger, Photographer Rev. Dr. Matthew A. Merrill Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Robert K. Burns Associate Pastor & Lead Pastor, Richmond Campus Josh Weeks Director, Family Ministries Margaret K. Webb (Peg) Director of Children s Ministries Jennie O Neil Midlothian Campus Nursery Coordinator Chipper Via Richmond Campus Music Director Janice S. Baum Richmond Campus Organist Maura Brigham Midlothian Campus Accompanist & Early Worship Choir Director Morgan Hyde Sound Technician Susan L. Martin (Susie) Church Administrator & Executive Assistant Cathy D. Marshall Administrative Assistant Daniel Smith Financial Assistant William Cain Sexton, Midlothian Campus Editor s Note: Submissions due on the 15th of each month. Please send to: cathymarshall@crestwoodchurch.org Join us in November for an adventure with nature, while enjoying indoor comfort, as we hear from award-winning wildlife photographer Ken Conger and view his breathtaking work. Throughout his life, Ken has visited dozens of national parks and wildlife refuges, documenting the candid behaviors of wildlife in their natural habitats. Over the course of his long career in wildlife protection and conservation, he s witnessed thousands of interactions between animals of countless species, but no type of interaction has been as memorable as that which occurs between mothers and their offspring. Now, he invites you to share in the experience of these fascinating moments from behind his camera lens. Ken enjoys sharing his photography and experiences with photo clubs, churches and many other organizations and is often found exhibiting and selling his work at art festivals along the East Coast. In addition, he teaches wildlife photography classes, leads tours and in his spare time he is available for private photography lessons. Ken s first published book, Wildlife s Greatest Connection, will be available for purchase and the cost is $30. In addition, he will have a selection of 8x10 prints and they are $20 each. As always, plan to stay for lunch and fellowship following the program ($5 per person). RESERVATIONS Our callers will be in touch to receive your reservation for lunch. If you miss their call and plan to attend or if you are new to our group, please contact Cathy at the Richmond Campus office ( ). This will enable us to place the appropriate food order for lunch.

3 the Chronicle Page 3 Saturday, November 3 Midlothian Campus 9:00-11:00 a.m. and 1:00-3:00 p.m. (Session One) (Session Two) WE NEED YOU! Sign Up Today There are jobs for everyone! Please go online and register crestwoodrva.org

4 Page 4 the Chronicle Feed My Starving Children MobilePack Saturday, March 9, 2019 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. Matthew 25:35 Crestwood will embark on our 5th Feed My Starving Children MobilePack on Saturday, March 9, That day we will pack over 250,000 meals to be sent to hungry children around the world. The meals consist of rice, soy protein, dried vegetables and vitamins. Feed My Starving Children is a Christian non-profit organization. Food is distributed by community partners in receiving countries with a delivery rate greater than 99%. THE COST Each meal costs 22 cents. $80 feeds one child for one year. The cost for packing 250,000 meals is $55,000. Funding is entirely by donations and more than 90% of donations go directly for food. HOW YOU CAN HELP Volunteer - You can volunteer to pack. Sign-ups for packing will be available beginning Friday, February 1, You may sign up as individuals, families, coworkers, sports teams, scout groups, or with whomever you might have fun packing. Donate - You may donate at any time. goes to FMSC. All donations are tax deductible. Every dollar donated Giving By Check - Make check payable to Crestwood Church, Memo: FMSC Other Giving Options - (please designate your gift to FMSC). Be An Encourager - Encourage friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, etc. to participate. For more information go to: or questions to: FMSC@crestwoodchurch.org Our MobilePack is supported entirely by our volunteers and their donations.

5 the Chronicle Page 5 Commitment Sunday November 18, Midlothian & Richmond Campuses At Crestwood, we believe giving is about more than funding church services. As a grateful response to God s gift to us through Jesus, generosity is about building a community and serving something larger than ourselves. By giving in response to the blessings you receive on a daily basis your financial commitments, as well as your gifts of time and talents, all combine to further Crestwood s work in our neighborhood, in our city and around the world. During the second full week in November, you will receive a special message from our Stewardship Ministry regarding your commitment for the coming year. Please prayerfully consider this information and seek God s will for your financial commitment in On Sunday, November 18, during all worship services you will be given a Commitment Card. Please come prepared to complete and return your card that morning as part of our worship. Crestwood Believes These Biblical Principles: Mature Christians give... 2 Corinthians 8:7 Generously. They know Christ has given all to them, and they know Christ owns all they have anyway. 2 Corinthians 9:6 Proportionally. They try to give as high a percentage of their income as possible, recognizing the tithe (10 percent) as a long-established benchmark which may well be exceeded as they prosper. I Corinthians 16:2 Regularly. As resources flow in, they offer the first fruits back to God, honoring Him before any others. 2 Corinthians 16:2 Cheerfully. Knowing that God sees the heart, they don t just give begrudgingly to an organization they give their offering as unto God Himself; they do so willingly, and not under compulsion, but with joyful worship as their resources flow out to serve others. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Anonymously. They don t call attention to themselves when they give or expect their offering to produce any advantage or notoriety in the church. Matthew 6:1 Expectantly. Counting on God s promise of provision, they anticipate seeing God use their gift and know He ll work in their own life including financially as they give. Matthew 6:33, 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 Sacrificially. They realize God grows their faith as they give in a manner which is more generous than they have been before. Mark 12:43-44, Luke 19:8-9

6 Page 6 the Chronicle Wednesday Nights In November November 7 Seven Paths to Restoring One s Soul: What Sabbatical Revealed In the context of sharing about his sabbatical experience, Rob Burns will disclose seven things God brought home to him during his sabbatical about personal renewal. The good news is that with a little intentionality you can walk these paths even in the midst of a full life - three months off not necessarily required! November 14 A Better Way of Reading the Bible The Bible is a book unlike any other, and learning how best to read this unique literature opens the way to untold riches otherwise left hidden. Rob Burns will explore a way of engaging Scripture that exposes its treasures more fully. November 21 No Wednesday Night programming (Thanksgiving week) November 28 An Evening of Prayer and Praise Watch for details to come. Crestwood in 10 If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about Crestwood, please plan to meet with Pastor Matt Merrill and elders for a quick 10 minute visit to find out more about Crestwood on November 11 or December 16 at either 9:35 a.m. or 12:05 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Midlothian Campus. Staff Search Update Our two current staff searches are currently underway. The team searching for our next Recreation Coordinator/Youth Ministry Assistant is going very well and we have received more than 50 resumes. The Search Team is currently performing in-person interviews with finalists. We hope to hire someone this month. The Director of Worship Arts Search Team has begun receiving resumes. If you are aware of people we should consider, please contact the team at worshipsearch@crestwoodrva.org.

7 the Chronicle Page 7 CONGREGATIONAL CARE Carry each other s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 Some days, life is a breeze. Everything seems to be under control. Our kids are healthy, our marriages are happy, and our jobs are fulfilling. We re connected with our church family, we re blessed with time and money for vacations, and friends are plentiful. Facebook posts reflect fun times, beautiful vacations, happy occasions. Life is good! Then there are other days. The car breaks down, the toilet overflows, and an unexpected bill comes in the mail. We re stricken with illness or surgery and in need of a hot meal or a ride to a doctor s appointment. We re lonely and miss the personal connection of friends and loved ones. We shut down our social media because our life doesn t look anything like a beautiful sunset at the beach. In these moments we need someone to come alongside and carry some of the burden. At Crestwood, we believe that the responsibility for looking after each other is not restricted to our pastors, staff and church leaders. In fact, the Diaconate has a specific ministry area, Congregational Care, devoted to the care and nurture of our members. Through this ministry, members are empowered to share each other s burdens. If you know someone in need, or want to assist in ministering to others, please contact a member of the Congregational Care Committee. Specific areas of service are listed below. Meal Ministry - Preparing and delivering meals to the sick, the grieving, or those in need. Correspondence Ministry - Sending personal notes of encouragement, sympathy and prayer. Prayer Ministry - Lifting up in prayer the concerns and needs of our congregation and beyond. Home Touch - Visiting and tending to our homebound (and often lonely) members. Bereavement - Assisting with funeral arrangements with loving care for the grieving. Congregational Care Committee: Preston Winn prestonwinn@crestwoodchurch.org Patrice Strachan patricestrachan@crestwoodchurch.org Capi Canesius capicanesius@crestwoodchurch.org

8 Page 8 the Chronicle Financials - Quarter 3 Review (as of September 2018) The chart below represents regular contributions to the church through September 2018, as compared to prior years, all all on a year-to-date basis. Columns are left to right, , including a 2016 column that excludes school rent, which is much more comparable to 2017 and As you can see, regular contributions are higher than the same time period in 2017 (10% higher), which is 7% higher than budget. Excluding Matt s special 2017 year-end request, our budget is 3% higher than 2017 actual contributions. While we are very blessed with how contributions are trending in 2018, we need to finish the year strong to continue our ministry plans. Also note that October 2018 will have one less Sunday than that of 2017, so continuing our strong trend is needed to carry us through the end of year year! Expenses of the church through September are $817k, under control, and within budget. We continued to manage our expenses very closely. As a result of the faithful contributions from the congregation and the good management of expenses by the leadership and staff, our cash position is positive at the present time as we continue to closely and carefully manage all aspects of our finances. I d like to remind you that our new online giving provider is now fully operational and I urge you to go onto the church website and set up a one-time or recurring contribution that can be charged to your bank account or credit card. No more worries about checks or missing contributions whenyou are on vacation; it s easy and safe! Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Rich Bauer, Treasurer, Chair of Budget & Finance 1,200 1, YTD as of Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2015 Revenue 2016 Revenue 2016 w/o School 2017 Revenue 2018 Revenue 2018 Revenue Target YTD as Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec of Jan 2015 Revenue ,062 1, Revenue ,008 1,090 1, w/o School ,025 1, Revenue ,045 1, Revenue Revenue Target 1,222

9 the Chronicle Page 9 Christmas Eve Worship Christmas Eve may just be the biggest night of the year for the Church. We get to celebrate the coming of Emanuel, God with us. It is also a time when people who don t often come to church are open to coming and engaging with us in this celebration of God s good news. We have been planning four (4) services for Christmas Eve that will engage both believers and those who have yet to find faith in the Savior. We hope that you will bring friends with you to celebrate at one or more of these services. Family-Oriented Services 2:00 & 4:00 p.m. During each of these services, we will be singing many of your favorite Christmas Carols and telling the story of Christmas. These services are designed to be super-participatory, with every person attending getting to play a character in the nativity! While we will miss the animals and the familiar script of the past, you and your friends are sure to come to love these services. We are looking for several students (Grades 4-12) who like acting to help us create these services. Both the 2:00 and the 4:00 p.m. service will be held in the Midlothian Worship Center (comfy seats with great audio and video). The 2:00 service is especially built for families with younger children. The volume of music will be softer and we won t mind if they make their own joyful noise during the service. The 4:00 service will feature a full band. Candlelight Services with Communion 7:30 p.m. at the Midlothian and Richmond Campuses At both Midlothian and Richmond we will have 7:30 p.m. services. With a lessons and carols liturgy, you will once again experience the joy of hearing the true story of Christmas and get to sing many of your favorite Christmas Carols. Each service will include candle lighting and Communion. Please be praying about who you can bring with you to share the light of Christ.

10 Page 10 the Chronicle The Pastor s Pen - conclusion I believe those weeks were not only deeply beneficial to me and to my family, but that Crestwood truly benefited from the time apart as well and is a healthier, stronger place as you faithfully continued on in worship and ministry. I hope you will see the fruit of my sabbatical in effective ministry in the days ahead. And I hope you will continue to hold high the value of sabbatical for your pastoral staff. Giving pastors the necessary margin to be pastored themselves by our Heavenly Father is a gift which blesses Christ s kingdom. Thank you for giving that gift to me, and with me, to Janice. Church Wide Caroling Event Sunday, December 2nd 4:00-6:00 p.m. Join us for a night of fellowship and caroling! We will meet at the Midlothian Campus at 4:00 p.m. to gather in small groups before we leave to sing carols to several of our nearby neighbors. We will end the night back at the Midlothian Campus as we enjoy hot chocolate and cookies. Prayer Night Wednesday, November 28 Midlothian Campus Come enjoy a great time of singing and praying. Details to come.

11 the Chronicle Page 11 Parish News 02 John Moore 03 Amber Arnold 03 Julia Lyle * 04 Carolyn Prather 04 Talley Applewhite * 04 David Ntirandekura * 06 Ed Gibson 06 Mary-Paige Cannon 06 Nico DelliCompagni * 06 Owen Hughes * 07 Avery Cutright * 07 Colby Martin * 08 Josh Weeks 09 Ryan Wilson 10 Cathy Davenport 10 Stephen Johnson 10 Maggie Schwarzmann 11 Jim Davenport 11 Elizabeth Drauszewski * 12 Linda Neale 13 Bryce Lyle 13 Hannah Tucker 14 Luke Childress * 15 Jeanne Tyler 15 Larry Long 15 Vongai Zhandira 15 Lindsey Kirk * 16 Courtney Coppage 17 Ethel Monk 17 Lou Ann Cromer 17 Mark Foust * 18 Carol Davis Moore 20 Don Scorzelli 20 Trevor Schuster 21 Dinna Ntirandekura * 21 McKenna Jenkins * 21 Morgan Jenkins * 21 Hope Ntirandekura * 22 Sandra Konopky 22 Carolyn Wild 23 Bob Perkins 23 Sam Denton * 23 Isla MacIver * 24 Harlynne Crain * 25 Ethen Elmore * 26 David Dunaway 26 Wilbur Kakonge 27 Elsie Kum 27 Caroline Bass 27 Nathan Barr * 27 Joshua Gaharure * * child / youth Hospitalized / Elsewhere: Joanne Peters, Morningside (Parham & Skipwith) Christian Sympathy: Sympathy of the congregation is extended to: Kathy Barto on the death of her father. Dick Walls on the death of his wife, Patty. Congratulations: To Mr. & Mrs. Erich D. Brechtelsbauer (nee Erika Lambert) on their recent marriage. To Mr. & Mrs. Semaj McCall (nee Clarisse Obendje) on their recent marriage. Active Military: Stephen Johnson, Ft. Benning, GA (son of Mary Johnson) John Kennedy, Virginia Beach, VA (son of John & Betty Kennedy) Navy Lt. Ruth Cook, Newport, RI (granddaughter of Priscilla Cook) Air Force Lt. Samantha Cook, F.E. Warren AFB, WY (granddaughter of Priscilla Cook) Air Force 2nd Lt. William Cook, III, Columbus AFB, MS (grandson of Priscilla Cook) Brian Swenk, Ft. Story, VA (son of Rob & Trisha Barton) Richmond Campus Nursery Schedule November Yukuri (Capi) Canesius Yvan Canesius Janie Cannon Lewis & Sue Campbell Happy Birthday to... Josh Weeks, November 8th 18 Linda Crenshaw Esther Nelson 25 Catherine Earnest Maria Nishimwe

12 Page 12 the Chronicle highlights... Midlothian Campus Sunday Morning Schedule Worship, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Sunday School, 9:45 a.m. Wednesday Crestwood Supper, 5:30-6:15 p.m. (ending at 6:30) Adult Program, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Date Time Event 03 9:00-11:00a OCC Packing Party Session 1 1:00-3:00p OCC Packing Party Session 2 Richmond Campus Sunday Morning Schedule Worship, 10:30 a.m. Sunday School, 9:15 a.m. Date Time Event 03 Turn Clocks Back! 13 11:00a PrimeTimers 18 Commitment Sunday 22 Thanksgiving Day 22 & 23 Church Office Closed Turn Clocks Back! 04 10:00a Session Meeting to Receive New Members 11 9:35a & 12:05p Crestwood in Commitment Sunday 21 No Wednesday Night Programs 22 Thanksgiving Day 22 & 23 Church Office Closed 28 Advent Prayer Night Saturday Evening November 3rd