INSIDE EVERGREEN—June 12, 2025

Dear Evergreeners,

The Lord brings you to mind so often, not only when I pray through your names and needs but in the ordinary course of life. Hardly a day passes when I don’t think of something to share with you. It may be a simple story of God’s provision for me—like how I narrowly avoided a parking ticket this past Tuesday; or it may be a quotation from a wise writer—like Lemuel Haynes, whose sermons I’ve started reading. But I only write to you periodically, and so there’s always plenty to share.

I’ll limit this update to four items.

(1) BUILDING GRACE 2025. Last month, I sent you a paper letter developing the themes from April’s congregational meeting. The main focus was the opportunity we have to contribute to significant needs around our building, especially a new boiler, urgent brickwork, and a modular structure for kids’ discipleship. In the weeks since, I’ve heard some questions about the modular structure.

  • Couldn’t we find creative ways to use our current space? Sure, but we’ve done that already, and we’re maxed for space. And, further, our aim is to provide a beautiful welcome, not just a tight cram; and, beyond that, we’re planning for the future—this is a strategic development, fueled by more than a year of research and prayer, looking into coming years with hope for what God will continue to do.

  • How does Christ Academy factor into the equation? Christ Academy will use the space and will contribute to its furnishings and upkeep, but if Christ Academy had a distinct campus, Evergreen would still need the space because our current arrangements are inadequate to accommodate present needs, to say nothing of expectations for future needs, by God’s grace. The sole genesis of this project is the steep growth and deep potential of Evergreen’s Children’s & Youth Ministries.

  • Would it be better to “make do” for now and look for a larger church building elsewhere? There’s a certain logic to this possibility, but there are no live options for an entirely new location, though we have pursued a lot of leads, and there is a pressing need to have expanded space by the time that our Fall Children’s & Youth Ministries launch in the first week of September.

    So far, God has supplied a bit more than 30% of our goal for this initiative: $36,700 out of $120,000.

  • If you’ve been part of this generosity, many thanks. May God give you joy as you reflect on his work through you.

  • If you haven’t yet been able to give, would you ask God for wisdom on how he might use you to contribute? He loves to make us generous, even as he is!

  • And, either way, please pray for the balance. God is able to supply all that we need. As evidence: three years ago, our “FORWARD” initiative sought $120,000; the result was over $190,000.

(2) PARKING. At the congregational meeting in April, we discussed the impact of parking on the street, as opposed to the Evergreen lot. We acknowledged that some of the church’s neighbors are concerned about street-parking already, and we recognize that, with the modular structure in September, we’ll have ten to twelve fewer spaces in our lot. To ease these concerns, however, we will have access to the parking lot at Englewood Elementary School. The precise terms of the contract are still in process, but you can pencil in August 31 as a start-date for using the lot there. Confirmation will come in a few weeks!

(3) HOSPITALITY. Our theme verse for 2025 is Romans 15:7. “…welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” In that spirit, we have adapted to two services, and God has prospered our investment. But it’s worth exploring again…

  • What does it look like for us to continue to extend the welcome of Christ?

  • How do we intentionally identify and love those who may otherwise “fall through the cracks”?

  • What tools has God given us for showing the Father’s love in our church family?

Our ministry assistant, Tara Cornejo, is leading these efforts. Much of her role is connecting people into our community, especially for friendships. Why not check in with her about opportunities—for hosting meals or making invitations to coffee or initiating conversations, or…? If you’re already involved, maybe let her know so that, together, we can create a thick web of warm welcome that leads to integration, in the name of Jesus.

(4) UPCOMING TRAVELS

On the last week of June, I’ll be in Chattanooga for our denomination’s annual gathering. It’s my first time attending, and I’m looking forward to serving on committees, tracking with the major matters of business, and networking with old (and new) friends. To get there, I’ll leave next week with my family for a cross-country drive. We’re looking forward to the time together, and not just in the car. We’ll also take a few days for the summer things we love most—hiking, swimming, reading, cooking, friends, cousins, and unplanned adventures.

I’m sure I’ll have plenty to share when we get back in early July.

For now, may the God of peace bless you with joy because of his unfailing love in Jesus our king…and I’ll see you on Sunday, Lord willing!

--Pastor Christopher