EVCC – Worshipping, Growing, and Serving Together

What A Gift!

It’s Christmas time! And you know what that means…Jesus was born! So, each year we celebrate His birth by spending thousands of dollars on gifts (I hope you can hear my sarcastic tone.) Some gifts we give out of a sense of obligation; others because that’s just what we do at this time of year. We also receive gifts we don’t necessarily want, which we will re-gift the next Christmas…lol! Seriously, though. There is nothing wrong with giving gifts, especially if that’s one of the ways you express love. However, we must not lose sight of the real reason we celebrate Christ’s Birth.

God’s love! John 3:16 tells us that God loves so much that He gave His Son. Love is a good reason to give a good gift. God gave the gift of Rescue! Human beings are unable to rescue themselves or one another from our separation from God. But God has sent his son, Jesus, to rescue us just as he promised he would. God pledged to Abraham, in Genesis 12, that “all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise. Yes, God has a plan to draw people to Himself, and Jesus is the centerpiece of this plan. We have chosen this time of year to remember and celebrate the best gift ever given. Similarly, we want to give good gifts that will remind people of how precious a gift humanity has been offered. May you and yours celebrate this Christmas season by giving the gift of love as you celebrate together.

Cultivate Disciple-Making

We had the privilege of going through our “Cultivate Disciple-Making” training with Trinity Baptist Church in Brockton, MA. We collaborated with TBC’s leadership to modify the training for over 24 participants. The model that best fit TBC was the six-week, ninety-minute training, offered on Sunday afternoons. We discovered together that disciple-making is a team sport. In the first century, Mediterranean fishing crews typically had 5-6 members working together. It was long, strenuous work that included clean-up, net repairs, transporting the day’s catch, and selling it. This required a lot of communication, cooperation, responsibility, and trust within the team. “Fishing for people” requires a similar team approach. Therefore, we must understand something about ourselves and those with whom we are partnering in the work. One aspect of the CDM training includes a review of personality types and how those types tend to interact with one another. A spiritual gifts template is also offered. Our worship, prayer, and hands-on learning helped us experience the fulfillment and tension of partnership in real time. Does your team need a refreshing experience in disciple-making? Let’s explore how we can partner to infuse new energy in your disciple-making efforts.

We recognize that financial constraints can sometimes limit access to quality training. We are happy to work with you to overcome such challenges.

New England Immersion (Summer 2025)

New England is steeped in history! It seems that no matter where you are, you’re probably not far from some significant historical spot. Our Sankofa Journey will explore a few of these notable spaces in June 2026. Our four-day foray into New England’s history last summer was intriguing and illuminating. We trod the North slope of Beacon Hill to explore the Black Heritage Trail, offered by the National Park Service. We visited the National Black Doll Museum of History and Culture, and traveled to Bristol & Newport, RI. We also visited Mount Hope Farm, the homeland of King Phillip (Metacom) and the historic seat of the Pokanoket Nation. In addition to these exciting adventures, we had enriching conversations and tasty New England cuisine. This year, we will secure a property with ample bedrooms to accommodate a group of 10 or so people. We will share this space during our 4-day journey together. Why have this shared space? That’s an easy one to answer! We will see, learn, and experience A LOT. There will need to be time to process together and alone. These moments of processing can pop up at almost any time. Shared space accommodates all of these modes of processing. Some of the best processing occurs when we are just sitting in the kitchen or on the living room sofa, and we share a thought that prompts dynamic sharing and listening. This shared space is also optimal because it allows more friends to have a meal and cultivate new and old relationships. This will be a fantastic experience that will broaden your capacity for listening, learning, and building honorable relationships. Plan to join us! Contact us at info@justclay.org to get more information!

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