Notes from Our Pastor

Greetings!
One of my favorite shots in golf is called the "mulligan." Basically it's a do over on the 1st tee. If you hit a bad tee shot, you tell everyone you're going to take a mulligan and hit another one. It's as if the 1st shot didn't even exist! It's not counted.

I look at the beginning of a new year as a mulligan. It's an opportunity for you to take another swing. All the failures, missed opportunities and stupid things you did in 2008 are erased. 2009 is an opportunity for you to do things differently this time around. I hope you'll take advantage of your mulligan this year by involving yourself in one of our small group ministries, in serving, in praying, consistently reading Scripture, being involved in worship just to name a few. I intend to do some thing differently this year as well.

Happy New Year,

Erik Estep

Village Student Ministries

Happy New Year,

I have enjoyed my part of 2008 with everyone at VillageChurch, but I am more excited to get started in 2009. Starting in February we will begin our mid-week program. It will be called Ignite and will be held once a month at the Blythewood High School Auditorium. The format will be similar to our Christmas party and will end with a message each week. I believe that it is our duty to bring the church to the community and we are doing just that. I hope that this will get students excited about a relationship with Christ and will get them involved in VillageChurch. We will be going over this and many other activities in our parents meeting following the 10:45 am service on Sunday January 11. We will have youth this Sunday at 4:30 so you do not want to miss out. Have a safe and happy new year and I will see you on Sunday.

Im out,
Matthew Phillips

Notes from Our Pastor

A number of years ago I received a Christmas card that had Hitler, Buddha, Harry Krishna, Alexander the Great and others on the front. The caption said, "Many men would be god." But when you opened the card there was a picture of Christ. The caption on the inside said, "But only one God who would be man." As you celebrate Christmas take time to remember that God entered into our broken world to give us hope.

It's hard to believe another year has come and gone. Let me share with you some of our experiences in 2008. We started off this year going through our capital campaign "Building on Faith, Giving in Joy." So far we've collected half our pledges for the new building and have paid off the land. We had 2 new staff members come on board. James Ballew began working with VillageChurch in June as our worship leader. Matthew Phillips came on staff as our Student and Small Groups Pastor in the fall. Jeana Reidl, our children's coordinator, had her yearly baby, DJ! One of my most trusted advisors and one of our church's greatest supporters, Troy Carpenter, passed away in August. But his legacy lives on. Troy is the one who found the property our church will be building on.

I'm looking forward to seeing what 2009 brings our way. I pray it will be the most powerful year in our church's history!

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Erik Estep
VillageChurch

Notes from Our Pastor

I'm sitting in my office during these winter months SWEATING! Another Columbia Christmas on its way, but I'm not complaining. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be.

Let me share with you some of the happenings around VillageChurch. This past Sunday our church approved the 2009 budget. Our Advisory Team and staff did a great job of staying within (and even under) our budget this past year which will be a great help to us as we move forward in our building program. On Tuesday we signed the papers with our bank (SCB&T) for the loan on our building! We're marching forward!

Have a great week! Invite a neighbor to come worship with you Sunday!

Erik Estep
Pastor

Village Student Ministries

Merry Christmas,
I cannot speak for everyone, but I sure had a great time last night at the Christmas party. If you can find me a better one in town then I will find you and elephant who can recite "The Night Before Christmas." We had close to 50 people including students and volunteers. I just want to thank all the parents who spent time getting snacks for us, all the volunteers who came to help set up and clean up, the band for doing a great job and the cast of Sunday Night Alive for coming to supply our entertainment. Congratulations to the girls team and Hannah Austin for her magnificent performance in "Don't Forget the Lyrics." Do not forget that we do not have any youth activities for the next two weeks, but we still have church on Sunday morning so I will be looking for you at the 9:15 service or the 10:45 service. It is important that you are there! Have a Merry Christmas and if you are bored and want something to do next week then just stop by my office and we can hang out.

Buhumbug,

Matthew Phillips

Notes from Our Pastor

Greetings!
Several weeks ago our Building Team met with our contractors. We were going through some plans and they began to talk about where outlets were going to be placed in the building. It was then I turned to one of our building team members and said, "This thing's getting ready to really happen!" I just wanted to share that with you to let you know where we are in the whole process! We're talking about the nuts and bolts stuff. It's no longer just talking. It looks like some dirt's going to start getting moved within the next several weeks!

The development of our church property has got me dreaming! I'm dreaming of a music program being developed. I'm dreaming of a cool facility where we'll be able to minister to youth. I'm dreaming of a space designed for specifically for our children for their teaching hour. I'm dreaming of a building that will house hundreds and hundreds of people to be able to hear a message of hope. I'm dreaming of a facility that will be used to touch our community with good news. Call me crazy, but I'm also dreaming of our next facility! Lot's of fun in the days ahead!

I look forward to sharing this Christmas season with you. I'll see you Sunday!

Sincerely,


Erik Estep
VillageChurch

Village Student Ministries

Hello to All,


I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving and has already started working off the pounds to make room for Christmas. We will be on our regular Sunday schedule for the next two weeks before we are off again before Christmas. I am encouraging everyone to attend the student ministry Christmas party. It will be Wednesday December 17th from 6:00 pm-9:00 pm. The cast of Sunday Night Alive will be performing various Christmas skits. We will also have a live band and will be finishing the evening by watching a recent Christmas classic, Elf. Invite everyone you can and if you have to come late then that is ok too. We just want you to be there because this is a party you will not want to miss.

Cya soon,

Matthew Phillips

Village Student Ministries

I know this is easier said then done. Thanksgiving can be a hectic holiday. You have family come into town, food getting burnt and people sharing personal scents with everyone. Well that may not be you, but that's how it can go down with my family sometimes. Just remember no matter how hectic this week may be that God is in control and that there are plenty of people who would love to be where you are having a happy thanksgiving meal.

All of that to say, we had a great time Sunday night at The Silver Ring Thing at Blaney Baptist Church. Many students made pledges to Christ to stay sexually pure untill marriage and several others gave their life to Christ for the first time. Continue to pray for our students and what God is doing in this ministry. Pray for two types of growth. 1) That our students are growing spiritually and 2) That others would come so that they can here the good news of Christ. Remember no youth activities this week, but we will be in full swing starting in December. Also, do not forget the Christmas party. You do not want to miss this!!!

Go get fat,

Matthew Phillips

Notes from Our Pastor

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite of all the holidays. I like it so much because the focus isn't around making sure everyone gets the "perfect" gift. It's simply about being with family and reflecting on what you have to be thankful for.

I want you to know how thankful I am to be a part of VillageChurch. God has richly blessed this church with some of the finest people I know. The past 6 years our church has developed into a core of people who are committed to serving and loving our neighbors in the spirit of Christ. You have allowed me to grow and mature as a pastor. You have been willing to go in whatever direction I've felt God lead us in. That's awesome. Please continue to pray for God to grant me wisdom.

I'm also thankful for Matthew Phillips, Jeana Reidl and James Ballew, our church staff. They work side by side with me as we seek to touch people with the life changing message of Jesus.

I'm thankful for my wife, Emily, and my children. Y'all just see me on Sundays. They see me everyday and still choose to love me and support me.

Finally, I'm thankful for my Lord Jesus Christ. He has redeemed me and given me hope and meaning.

In short, I'm thankful.

Village Student Ministries

Hello Everyone,

We had a great Sunday this past week. Many of our students made a commitment to stand up for Christ and reach out to their friends at school. I hope that as a church we will support and pray for this decision. I am asking everyone to spend a moment this week in prayer for our students that they will remain firm in their faith and that they would resist any temptation this week at school. This Sunday we are going to The Silver Ring Thing at Blaney Baptist Church in Elgin, SC. We will be meeting at the Lake Carolina Town Center at 5:00 pm and caravaning over to Blaney Baptist from there. If you can drive then that would be helpful. Just show up and we can put students into vehicles as needed. I look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday.

Have a blessed week,

Matthew Phillips

Notes from Our Pastor

On Monday our building team had a meeting with our contractor. We looked at drawings of the building with engineers and our architects. As I was looking at the drawings I looked over at John Brantley and said, "Can you believe this?" All the sudden the building process is starting to seem very, very REAL! When you start talking about where plugs are going to be located you start to realize this thing's getting ready to happen!

The days ahead are going to be exciting around here! Be praying for our church and the leadership as we embark on busy and exciting days ahead.

Church Property Work Day and Cookout

It's time to get together and do a little work on the church property! The house on the property has a rotten deck on the back. It's in serious need of being torn down and replaced! If you would like to volunteer to help build a new deck, Send an email to info@blythewoodvillage.com. After we get your response, a date will be picked and we'll start working!

This will also be a good excuse to bring out our wild game and cookout! Keep your eyes peeled so you'll know when to come out to do some work!

Village Student Ministries

Greetings,

Last Sunday night was an amazing time. We introduced our study about the Christian faith by talking about God as the creator. Several of our students made commitments to Christ, which was an incredible experience for all of us! You can continue to pray that God will work in the lives of our students at VillageChurch, so that they can be leaders of today influencing tomorrow. There will be no student activities this Sunday due to Lake Scarolina. We are asking all students and families to come and help at this event. I am going to need all of the students to help with face painting and hair spraying. The event starts at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon at the Village Green at Lake Carolina and last until 6 p.m. that evening. This will be a great time for the community to interact with our church and to let them know that we are here to serve them, so that they may see Christ within us. I strongly encourage everyone to make it out to this event, because without you it couldn't happen.

Also, please don't forget that Wednesday October 29 is our Halloween party at the Hughes house (1431 Heins Road Blythewood, SC 29016). Bring your own coat hanger for cooking hot dogs and s'mores. Don't get too lazy because we will be starting up Grounded again on November 2.

IF YOU WANT A NEW STUDENT MINISTRY T-SHIRT THEN BRING $10 NEXT SUNDAY!

On the flip side,

Matthew Phillips

Notes from our Pastor

I'm going to state the obvious here: men and women are SOOOO different. I was reminded of that this morning when I reminded Emily of our 1st year of marriage. I thought it was a nice, easy year but she told me, "That was such a haaaard and looooong year." I tried to decipher something positive out of that statement but I couldn't find it. I personally thought it was a fine year. But it was a reminder to me of the necessity of husbands and wives constantly working together to better understand each other. A counselor once said, "Marriages don't break up because of big blow outs, but small leaks."

We're continuing our series "Fireproof Your Marriage" on Sunday. Pray now that God will teach you a valuable marriage lesson. Also, don't forget to demonstrate love to your spouse each day this week!

Village Student Ministries

Greetings Everyone,

We had a great time group on Sunday! Shout out to the Altman's for bringing the snacks. Oh did I mention that the fair was not so bad either. We had a good group come to the fair and we had a blast as everyone ate all the elephant ears in the world and Kim Hughes threw up her corndog on two total strangers (good way to do outreach). This week we are diving into our study Grounded as we begin lesson one, The Abyss: God the Creator. I hope everyone comes and engages in the excitement of God's word and others.

Word up and Out,

Matthew Phillips

VillageChurch is growing!!

Since our church began 6 1/2 years ago we've been meeting in schools (Bethel-Hanberry and Lake Carolina). During that time we've seen our church grow from a handful of people to several hundred. This past month our church increased in our attendance by 20% and we have more people involved in our small groups ministry than ever before! Because of our growth we have increased opportunities for service in our children and youth areas, in our small groups, in our music ministry and in our service ministries. Pray about how you will be involved!

Notes from our Pastor

This past week has been a nightmare on Wall Street! 401k's are taking a beating and a lot of people are worried about what the future holds. I wish I had some Warren Buffet-like advice to share, but I don't. As a matter of fact, the Pope said this is a reminder that placing our hope in money is like building the foundation of our lives on sand. This is a reminder to me that the most sure thing we can hang our hats on is Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. While our markets toss and turn, our God does not. We're going to move forward in faith and trust God to do a great work through VillageChurch as we impact a community that is desperate for hope.

Village Student Ministries

Hello Everyone,

I would first like to thank the Fischer's for the amazing snacks on Sunday. The cookies were superb! We almost broke our record of 27 students on Sunday, but we didn't. As soon as we do everyone will get their free Chick-fil-A Ice Dream gift card. Next week we will begin a new series called grounded where we will be studying the basics of the Christian faith. This study will help build your foundation and give you a chance to ask any questions you may have regarding Christianity. I hope everyone can come and I look forward to seeing you there.

ATTENTION:: I need to know by tomorrow before NOON who can go to the fair. It does not matter if you have not paid or signed a permission slip, but if you are planning to go please e-mail me back tonight or early tomorrow morning. Thank you and that is all I've got to say except read the rest of the e-mail for all the information you need regarding what all the cool people in Blythewood are doing.

Word up and out,

Matthew Phillips

Notes from our Pastor

It's always nice when you can go see a movie and not worry about being embarrassed! Sunday afternoon, several of our small groups went to see the movie "Fireproof Your Marriage." The movie's a realistic picture of marriage and how the power of God can bring reconciliation. Take time to go see the movie (it's at Sandhills Cinema) as we prepare for our marriage sermon series beginning THIS Sunday. I'm looking forward to working on fireproofing my marriage!

Village Student Ministries

Hello Village Students and Family,

We had a great time at Engage on Sunday afternoon hanging out eating some snacks and diving into God's word. For those of you who do not know Enage is going to be the time of our Sunday night bible study that meets at 4:30 on Sunday afternoons at the house on the church property. I would like to thank the Brantley Family for providing our snacks this week! Also, if you are interested in coming to the fair with us on October 23 please bring your $10 this Sunday along with your permission slip. If you do not have your permission slip it is ok just get one from me and get it filled out. For more instructions on payment and payment plans please read the article about the fair at the bottom of the newsletter.

I hope everyone is having a great week and if you want Chick-fil-A or free dessert brought to your school you need to contact me and we can figure out the best day for me to drop by. I will bring Chick-fil-A to every school I can during the month of October, but once October is over I will only bring Chick-fil-A to the school of the person who brings the most friends to Engage (Sunday nights beginning at 4:30). Don't forget I also have free Chick-fil-A coupons ready to be handed out if we have 30 students or more attend Engage.

Word up and out,

Matthew Phillips

Notes from our Pastor

The past 5 months we've been blessed to have James Ballew and Matthew Phillips come on staff at VillageChurch. James has done a great job of incorporating new people into our Sunday morning worship time and Matthew already working hard on developing relationships with students. Be sure to keep them in your prayers as they learn the ins and outs of VillageChurch and how best to serve.

I also wanted to inform you that you're going to begin to see some work done on the church property in the weeks ahead. The house on the church property is about to be upfitted for office use and for our youth group! I'll keep you posted as we go along! It's about to get even more exciting around here!

God bless,

Erik Estep
VillageChurch

Village Student Ministries

Greetings and Salutations,

We had a great time this past Sunday as we rocked it out to Rock Band, played some ultimate frisbee and dove into God's word as we continued our study on the book of James. Not to mention we had 27 students attend, which was amazing, but three short of a free prize sponsored by a local food chain which could possibly be closed on Sundays. That means we have to have 30 or more this week as we finish the last chapter in James and pick up where we left off. A special thanks to the Hughes and the Littles for providing our snacks this week! It was amazing! As of right now Danielle is in the lead for most friends invited (5), which means everyone else needs to follow her example so that we can have more than 30 on Sunday and you guys and gals can get the prize that keeps sitting at my house.

On October 13 from 4:30 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. we will be taking a trip to the SC State Fair. Cost is $10. There will be a sign up sheet at Engage (Sunday Youth Program) this Sunday for those who want to go. We will meet at the VillageChurch office at the Lake Carolina Town Center at 4 p.m. Cost includes our new VillageStudent Ministry t-shirts and fair admittance. Bring extra cash($20) for unlimited rides and for food (if you want to eat). What a great trip to celebrate a day off from school and a good chance to hang out with friends and get away from the parentals. We will need chaperones for this trip. Please contact me if you can chaperone. We cannot go without chaperones. If you need to meet us there then let me know, so we can make arrangements to get you back to the Town Center. We will be back no later than 8:30 p.m.

See ya Sunday,

Matthew Phillips

Village Student Ministries

Dear Village Students and Family,


I just want you to know how excited I am to be worshiping with you at VillageChurch. I hope and pray that God is going to do remarkable things to your life and this community as we grow together in Him. I want to personally invite all the students to attend our study on the book of James this Sunday afternoon at the house off Rimer Pond Rd. located on our new church property. Come join us as we play games, eat food and dive into God's word. If 30 students show up then there will be a prize given out to every student present, so get off your rear and invite a friend to come out this Sunday night as we hang at the Hizzie House.


Out Like a Bad Habit,

Matthew Phillips

Notes from our Pastor

This has been a monumental year for our church. We did our very first capital campaign program. We hired two new staff members. And we're on the verge of breaking ground for our new facility. Needless to say we've had a lot on our plate this year. But I want you to know how excited I am about our staff. James has been such a blessing in leading us in music each week. I've been thrilled to see the new people he's involved in the music ministry and I know he has a heart to see that grow. Matthew is already out making connections with people in our community. And Jeana is the best children's coordinator I know! I truly believe we're on the cusp of something great at VillageChurch! Get excited with me!be long until we're worshiping together at 558 Rimer Pond Road! I'm excited and can't wait.

Fireproof

When I was in college I worked for a law firm. And one of my jobs was to transfer old files from their office to a storage unit. Many of the files were in cabinets that were fireproofed. The reason why was to protect the files in case of a fire.

In a similar sense, we need more and more marriages that are fireproofed. Marriage brings with it some fires. And to make sure the fires don't destroy our marriages, it would be wise for us to take steps to fireproof our marriage.

During the month of October our focus is going to be on how we can fireproof our marriages! Facing the Giants creators have come out with a new movie entitled Fireproof Your Marriage. I want to encourage you and our small groups to plan on seeing this movie on opening weekend (Sept. 26-28) to help set the stage for our month of services. Put it on your calendar and plan on hearing more in the days ahead!

Sincerely,
Erik Estep

Notes from our Pastor

Watching the Democratic and Republican National Conventions has reminded me of the many choices we make. In November we'll be electing a president who will be tasked with leading our nation. That means our choice for president will impact our lives. I believe as citizens, and I believe as Christians, we have a responsibility to get out and vote because our choice will make a difference. Making choices is a part of our daily lives. What do you choose each day you wake up? Do you choose to have a good or bad attitude? Do you choose to serve or not serve people? Do you choose to be kind or not be kind to the people you work with? Do you choose to honor God or not honor God each day? We all have a choice in these matters. Let's choose wisely because our choices matter!

Notes from our Pastor...

This past Monday, Troy Carpenter, a friend and servant to so many of us, passed away. I can't tell you how much Troy meant to VillageChurch! He and I shared huge dreams for this church. But what's been amazing is to see how our church is bonding during this time and rallying around his wife. I have been absolutely amazed by your generosity and expressions of support and love to this family. This is exactly what the church is supposed to be!

Let me share some info with you concerning the service:
Visitation will be @ Dunbar Funeral Home on DEVINE STREET from 5 to 8 p.m. tonight.
Funeral Service will be @ First Baptist, Columbia's Boyce Chapel @ 11 a.m. on Thursday.

VillageChurch Press Announcement

Troy Carpenter

Visitation and Funeral Services Information
Visitation for Troy Carpenter will be at Dunbar Funeral Home (3926 Devine Street) from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Funeral Service will be Thursday at 11 a.m. @ First Baptist Church, Columbia (1306 Hampton Street) in Boyce Chapel.

Notes from our Pastor

VillageChurch has some of the greatest people I know. One of them, Troy Carpenter, has been faithfully involved at VillageChurch the past 5 years. He is on our Advisory Team and Building Team and runs the sound every Sunday. This past Monday Troy had a massive heart attack and is in ICU fighting for his life. I have been blessed through this whole ordeal watching VillageChurch surround Troy and his wife Lydia during this time. Pray for God to heal Troy's body and to give Lydia peace. Phil. 4: 6-7 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Notes from our Pastor

I am presently at the beach with my family, Emily's parents, and her brothers and their families. Needless to say it's a rather crowded affair! But I'm having a great time just hanging out with the family, eating, and getting roasted on the beach. After a week away, I'll be looking forward to coming home and being with you on Sunday! You may not recognize me because of my great tan.

It's hard to believe that when I get back we'll be just a couple of weeks away from school starting and our final year at Lake Carolina Elementary School (we'll be in our new facility next school year)! As we prepare for a new school year and our final year at Lake Carolina Elementary, let's pray for this to be our biggest year yet. By the end of the spring I'd like to see us have 375 people in our worship services. I'd like to see us baptize 35 people this year. I'd like for us to have 50 young people in our youth group meetings. I want to see us have 4 new small groups. These are big goals, but I have no doubt that OUR church can see them happen! Let's have fun this new school year!

Notes from our Pastor

Our church office is in the Lake Carolina Town Center and it's not uncommon for people to stick their head in our office on the way to the dentist and say hello. My favorite was when a child stuck his head in the door and he looked totally stunned. He said, "What are you doing here?" I said, "I'm working." Then he said, "I thought you only worked on Sundays." Believe it or not, I occasionally darken the doors of my office! But I was reminded of my calling and ministry to this church when I read Ephesians 4: 11-12. It says, "It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

It is my goal and intention every time I preach to point people to Jesus and to move us to become more like Jesus in our daily living. It is also my hope to encourage you to love, serve and share Jesus with the people in your sphere of influence. Why? Because without Jesus the full meaning of life is being missed. Without Jesus there is no hope for an abundant and full life here and for an eternity.

Notes from our Pastor...

Emily and I just finished watching the mini series "John Adams." It's about our nation's second president and it chronicles his life and the sacrifices he made for the cause of liberty. The series intrigued me because it was the story of a man who lived for a cause bigger than himself. It was a reminder to me that I have the opportunity to live for a cause bigger than myself...liberty through Jesus Christ. Thousands of people in our community are looking for freedom. And if we're willing to move from being inward focused to outward focused, we can impact our community. We're taking a big step in this direction in the building of our first worship center. Let's begin to pray that this new facility will be a tool that God uses to reveal freedom and forgiveness to our community.

Notes from our Pastor

I had a great time on vacation last week, but it's good to get back into the swing of things! Some important things are on the front burner for VillageChurch. First, our building team has chosen a contractor! After requesting bids from 8 different contractors, the team narrowed the list down to three excellent firms. They interviewed each contractor in June and last week hired Mashburn Construction. In the next couple of weeks I'll be able to share with you some dates of things that will be happening on building site! Second, I'm in the process of interviewing student ministers for VillageChurch. We are in an area rich with young students and I believe the Lord is leading us to begin a new ministry with them! Pretty exciting stuff's happening at VillageChurch.

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