Weekly Word

Holiday Hours

It is a quiet week at Village Church. Many staff people have taken time off, including Pastor Rodger. The business office will close early (3 p.m.) on Dec. 30, 31, and Jan. 2. Note: The Antioch Campus is closed this week, and Pastor Anna is out of the office until Jan. 4. On Epiphany Sunday, Jan. 4, the worship schedule returns to “business as usual.” Rev. Maggie Johnson Phillips will preach.

New Semon Series: Jan. 11-Feb. 1

”Questions Jesus Asked.“ Jesus asked a lot of questions. By one scholar’s count, Jesus asked 307 questions recorded in the gospels. Jesus liked to ask questions more than he liked giving answers. As Jesus was both fully God and fully human, you would think he would go around showing off how much he knows, but he did not do that. In fact, we only find eight times that Jesus answered a question asked of him. In this sermon series, we will explore four questions that Jesus asked to better understand Jesus and how he wants us to live today.

Find the Mission Campus Christmas Eve worship services on our YouTube Channel.

Serve

Cross-Lines Kitchen – Village Church serves meals to 150-250 people at the Cross-Lines Kitchen every month. Join us on Friday, Jan. 9, to serve lunch to our neighbors in need. Learn more and sign up HERE or contact Jim Bolton.

Drivers needed for home-delivered meals – Village Church has four routes (i.e., teams of individuals) who deliver meals to folks who may not be able to make ones for themselves. We are in need of drivers to commit about two hours on a Wednesday or Thursday each month for the team that picks up meals at Matt Ross Community Center. Email Rev. Zach Walker if you can help.

Save the date for the next Blood Drive – 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, Room 132 (Mission Campus).

Food Pantry & Clothes Closet – We could use warm meals for cold days: hearty soups, chowders, stew, and chili. Donate an extra winter coat if you have one to the Clothes Closet. Thank you!

Engage, Grow, and Celebrate

Family Dinners –Wednesday Family Dinners will resume on Jan. 7.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Action & Celebration Event – 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, Mission Campus. Save the date for the 5th annual community event honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This year’s theme is “Loving Democracy.”

ADULT FAITH FORMATION

Driving Sustainability in Europe through Policy, Markets, and People – 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, Room 126 (Mission Campus). Sustainability has taken a hit this year, yet Europe is well poised to take advantage of the next evolution. This free class will be led by Kristina Kohler, MBA and Roeland Park native, who has been living and working in Berlin for 14 years. To attend the class online, email Jerry Rees for the Zoom link.

2026 Village U – We‘re looking forward to another community building, faith-filled Village U semester! Village U and Sunday Adult Faith Formation classes begin on Jan. 11. More information will be available Jan. 4.

2026 Meneilly Visiting Scholar – Do not miss this year‘s speaker: Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, on Feb. 27 & 28. Read about him and RSVP here.

music ministry

2nd Thursday Recital – 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, in the Mission Campus Chapel. Please join us for a free, noontime recital featuring Christine Grossman, viola, with a short reception afterward in the Welcome Center to meet the artist.

Pastoral carE

New Grief Support Group – 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, Room 232 (Mission Campus). Grief is a natural, complex response to loss—and no two experiences are the same. This monthly group, starting Jan. 6, will provide a confidential space to share, listen, and heal alongside others who understand. Prairie Sky Counseling therapist Elena Weaver will facilitate and offer practical tools for navigating the emotional and spiritual challenges of grief.

We are here for you. Village Church makes caring for one another a priority. Pastoral care is available in your time of crisis; a pastor is on-call 24 hours a day for urgent needs. Call the main number: 913-262-4200 and select 1 for the receptionist. After business hours, calls are forwarded to a person with our answering service. Hospitals no longer let churches know about admissions or transfers, so please call to inform us.

Presbyterian Women

MOTS (Moms of Teens) – 8:30-10 a.m. this Saturday, Jan. 3. Are you interested in talking to other moms with teens? Join Carol Solenberger for coffee and conversation in the Young Adult Space (Room 8) at the Mission Campus.

Antioch Campus Book Club –  7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20 in the Conference Room (Antioch Campus). We are discussing Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See.  

Mahjong Mondays – Starting in January, evening Mahjong groups at both campuses will begin: 2nd Mondays at Mission (Jan. 12) and 3rd Mondays at Antioch (Jan. 19). More information to come!

YOUTH

Programs on Break Dec. 21-Jan. 7 – We had so much fun this semester and cannot wait to see you after the holiday break.

green tip of the week:

Don’t toss out broken lights! Recycle Christmas lights, artificial trees, and more. At recyclespot.org, search on the item (e.g., “holiday lights” or “trees”) and your zip code to find locations where you can responsibly recycle broken holiday lights, compost trees, etc. *Village Presbyterian Church is a certified Earth Care Congregation.