Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions: How do I sign up? Online registration opens again on January 5th What’s the vision? To create a church where everyone is connected in family, growing in their faith, and supported towards their future. What’s the goal? To offer an opportunity for every member of Alfred Street to move from crowd to community and get connected as they would in a small church. Village discussions will also help people apply sermons to their lives leading to spiritual growth and transformation. Our church will feel smaller and will eliminate feelings of loneliness and isolation. What’s the target audience? Village is an experience offered to everyone in the ASBC community ages 21 and up. Village picks up the baton where our Kid’s Street, Crossover, and Higher Ground programs drop off. Where do Villages meet? Most Villages meet in the homes of ASBC members, but sometimes a Village will gather at a restaurant, coffee shop, or community center. When do Villages meet? Most Villages gather at 7 pm with the exception of our daytime Villages geared towards our “seasoned saints.” You can choose the day of the week that works best for you as Villages are offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Why are there no Villages on Tuesdays? Tuesday is reserved for our church wide Bible Study. We encourage all ASBC members to enhance their Village experience by taking in the powerful teaching that happens on campus every Tuesday night. Is there a registration cost? No, Villages are free to join! Can I join with my family? Yes, we encourage spouses to join the same Village, but each couple has to sign up individually. How does the curriculum work? We use a live curriculum which means that each week you gather your Village will be discussing the sermon from the previous weekend. Participants receive the curriculum early Monday morning. It includes a sermon summary, discussion questions, group activities, and an optional individual homework assignment. Village curriculum is created by a dedicated team of

educators within ASBC who work with Pastor Wesley as he prepares and delivers weekly sermons. What if there isn’t a Village in my area? Contact a member of the Village team and let us know. We are working to expand Village offerings across the DMV because every member of Alfred Street should be connected in family. We also plan on launching E-Villages for our out of town members in 2020. What’s happening with discipleship groups? Village is an optional 10-week journey providing opportunities for intimate community building and spiritual growth in convenient settings (near the home, on a chosen day of the week). Every member of Alfred Street will remain in their DG group which serves as the nexus for pastoral care. Death, illness, financial crises are all still assisted by your assigned deacon. Your Village will supply an extra level of familial support, but DG groups are the church’s way of organizing how we provide care year round. What’s the structure of a Village? Villages consist of 8-14 participants, led by a pair of co-facilitators and one host. The Village steering committee consists of 14 deacons who run the daily operations of Village and also provide spiritual support to all of the facilitators. The steering committee currently has three auxiliary branches: an evaluation committee that gathers and organizes feedback, a marketing team which works to get every ASBC member in a Village, and a curriculum team that writes the sermon guides each weekend. Min. Elijah McDavid, Assistant to the Pastor, oversees the Village project while also helping facilitators connect Villagers with ASBC’s support ministries: Grief Share, AGAPE, Legal Resources, Divorce Care, Cancer Care, and Recovery Ministry.

Spring 2019 Village Schedule:

Week 1: Monday, January 28th – Friday, February 1st Week 2: Monday, February 4th – Friday, October 12th Week 3: Monday, February 11th – Friday, February 15th Off Week: Monday, February 18th – Friday, February 22nd Week 5: Monday, February 25th – Friday, March 1st Week 6: Monday, March 4th – Friday, March 8th Week 7: Monday, March 11th – Friday, March 15th Off Week: Monday, March 18th – Friday, March 22nd Week 9: Monday, March 25th – Friday, March 29th Week 10: Monday, April 1st – Friday, April 5th Week 11: Monday, April 8th – Friday, April 12th

Fall 2019 Village Schedule:

Week 1: Monday, September 16th – Friday September 20th Week 2: Monday, September 23rd – Friday, September 27th Week 3: Monday, September 30th – Friday, October 4th Week 4: Monday, October 7th – Friday, October 11th Off Week: Monday, October 14th – Friday, October 18th Week 6: Monday, October 21st – Friday, October 25th Week 7: Monday, October 28th – Friday, November 1st Week 8: Monday, November 4th – Friday, November 8th Week 9: Monday, November 11th – Friday, November 15th Week 10: Monday, November 18th – Friday, November 22nd Off Week: Monday, November 25th – Friday, November 29th (Thanksgiving) Week 12: Monday, December 2nd – Friday, December 6th Week 13: Monday, December 9th – Friday, December 13th A week begins with everyone watching the Sunday (or Saturday) sermon at whatever worship service is convenient for them. Then your whole Village will gather on the designated day of the week to pray, discuss the sermon, and fellowship.