Summer Camp Out 2011 August 12-13

Join us at Essential Church Friday and Saturday, August 12-13 for our first annual church campout. The fun begins at 5:00 p.m. Bring your tents, chairs and favorite camping equipment and set up under the stars on the church grounds (there is also limited sleeping areas in the church building for those who do not want to sleep outside). We are asking campers whose last name starts with A-L to bring a breakfast item (donuts, muffins, cereal, etc.) and campers whose last name starts with M-Z to bring a dessert item. Don’t worry if you can’t stay for the whole event, just check out the schedule below and come for as long as you can. Also, bring your favorite indoor/outdoor game.

Friday

            5:00 p.m. – Set-up and games
            6:00 p.m. – Dinner (hot dogs over the fire and chips, bring your own skewers)
            7:00 p.m. – Family kickball game on the front lawn
            8:00 p.m. – Karaoke in the sanctuary
            9:00 p.m. – Movie on the big screen “Soul Surfer”

Saturday

            7:00 a.m. – Breakfast is served
            9:00 a.m. – Clean up begins

Co-Ed

All games are double headers on Fridays

Sept 9  8:45 & 9:45 Princess Anne Athletic Complex Green #2 against Royal Ballers

Sept 16  8:45 & 9:45  Princess Anne Athletic Complex Green #2 against Sac Attack

Sept 23 8:45 &9:45  Princess Anne Athletic Complex Green #3 against GEICO Geckos

Sept 30 6:45 & 7:45  Princess Anne Athletic Complex Green #3 against Sluggers

Oct 7     BYE                Princess Anne Athletic Complex Green #2 against Saints & Sinners

Oct 14    6:45 & 7:45  Princess Anne Athletic Complex Green #3 against Field Hounds

Oct 21    6:45 & 7:45   Princess Anne Athletic Complex Green #3 against Nathan’s Pawn

Men’s

All games are double headers on Tuesday

Sept 13  6:45 & 7:45 Princess Anne Athletic Complex Green #3 against CBH

Sept 20 8:45 & 9:45  Princess Anne Athletic Complex Green #2 against Davcon

Sept 27 8:45 &9:45  Princess Anne Athletic Complex Green #3 against Back Bay

Oct 4    6:45 & 7:45  Princess Anne Athletic Complex Green #2 against St. Michael

We will be having church at the beach on Sunday of Labor Day Weekend (September 4).  We will meet at Little Island State Park in Sandbridge.   The service will start at 10: 30 am. (There won’t be any services held at our building that morning.)

This is a great time to invite friends!  Immediately following the service will be a baptism in the ocean – please contact Pastor Steve or leave a comment below if you are interested in being baptized.

We will be cooking out after the baptism! We’ll supply the plates, burgers, dogs, and plastic-ware. All you need to do is bring a side to share and your own cooler of drinks.

No childcare will be provided.

Here’s some highlights from Beach Sunday last year:

The Drifting Theatre presents:

 The Disorientation of Butterflies

An Original Musical

Music by Nathan A. Schmidt

Lyrics and Libretto by Alaska Reece Vance

 AT 

ESSENTIAL CHURCH

8:00 pm Saturday August 6th

Admission FREE

Donations appreciated

 The Disorientation of Butterflies was written by two Regent University students in 2010 and was accepted into the highly competitive 2011 New York International Fringe Festival.  The cast of the musical is currently rehearsing in VA Beach and will be performing the show at a few select local churches in preparation for their NYC production.  

 A must-see for anyone who has struggled with depression, cutting, or has loved someone with similar issues, The Disorientation of Butterflies is a beautiful glimpse into the life of 30-year-old art student, Jessie, who is haunted by the need to understand the mysteries of life and death. Her twin sister, Johanna, is uninterested at best.  Can two sisters really be so different? 

 The Disorientation of Butterflies features Bradley James Archer, M.F.A., Katie Fridsma, M.F.A., Chad Rasor M.F.A. RaChelle Cheeks, Marji Peters and Beth Litwak. The show will be directed by Alaska Reece Vance with Music Direction by Nathan A. Schmidt and Choreography by RaChelle Cheeks. Prodcution and Stage Management by Courtney Conger and Brittney Reimert.  Production art by JT Fridsma.  

 Due to the intense subject matter, this musical is not recommended for young children.

We will have a Co-Ed and Men’s softball team this fall.  The Co-Ed team will play on Friday nights, and the Men’s team will play Tuesday nights.  Both teams will play at Princess Anne Athletic Complex.  The cost per player is $25.  Write “softball” on the memo line of checks, or on the outside of your offering envelope.  You can also pay online!

For more information, contact us.

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.   ~John Lubbock

WOW (Women on Wednesdays) begins a new study this week, July 13. It is a video and discussion series based on Francis Chan’s Crazy Love.  It meets in the children’s church from 9:30-11:00 am. Childcare is provided. Contact Melissa Swisher (971-8719) or Karen Johnson (808 298-9593) if you have questions.

DIRECTIONS

We meet every Sunday at 9:30 & 11:00.  There are two seperate worship services during both hours. There’s a fun and interactive one for children ages kindergarten through 5th grade and as well as the anything but regular worship service for the rest of us. All of this happens at 4020 Ware Neck Drive.

If you can find the Virginia Beach Amphitheater and Sportsplex on Dam Neck, then you can find essential church with ease. From the Amphitheater go west to the first stoplight which is Salem Rd. Turn North on Salem Rd and go about a 1/4 mile and you will see Essential Church on the West side of the street across from Salem Elementary School. We are located on Salem Road between Independence and Dam Neck/Elbow Rd. The physical address for those of you wanting to punch it in on your navigation system is: 4020 Ware Neck Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23456.
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TIME

9:00 & 10:30am: Coffee & Connections – We get started at 9:00 & 10:30 am to give you an opportunity to relax over a cup of coffee and get ready for the worship experience. Make your way over to the essential cafe and allow our staff to serve you a complimentary cup of gourmet coffee. If you have small children, the child care center is open during this time to give you an opportunity to check them in before the service. The coffee & connection time is an essential part of the worship experience giving you time to prepare for the service as well as meet some new people.

9:30 & 11am: Worship Experience & Kid’s Fun Church – There’s a fun and interactive worship service & activity time for children ages Kindergarten through 5th grade as well as the anything but regular worship service for the rest of us. Worship at essential church is a multi-sensory experience. We use a blend of cutting edge videos, music, and creative presentations, incorporating ancient Christian practices such as baptism and communion during the services. Each service is prayed over and designed to give you an opportunity to connect with God in a meaningful way.

WHAT TO EXPECT

SERVICE: Applicable, fun, laid-back. We’ll have great coffee and some morning munchies available for you – for free! The service is about an hour long with a relevant, engaging talk that can help your everyday life.

MUSIC: It’s great! Our band plays stuff you listen to on your iPod. They also try really hard to help you see God more clearly through music. Some of our guys regularly play around the Virginia Beach area, but they clean-up well on Sundays.

BELIEFS: One of our core values is “salvation over denomination.” We are focused more on the essentials of the Christian faith than the things that tend to divide people along denominational lines. Simply stated, we believe Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and the Bible is God’s chosen means of revealing Himself to us. See Our Beliefs page for more information.

COMMON QUESTIONS

What about my kids?
We know that as a parent you to need be sure that your children are in a SAFE, fun environment. During our Sunday service, we offer age appropriate care and programs for infants through fifth grade.  All of our nursery workers are screened, so you can be assured your children will receive the highest level of care.  One word of caution though, they’ll be begging you to go to church every Sunday after their first visit!

What should I wear?
We’re more concerned with meeting your real life needs than with what you wear.  So, dress casually and you’ll fit right in.

The renovation is coming along well, but there’s plenty more to do.  Our remaining schedule is:

• Thursday & Friday, June 30 & July 1    1-9pm
• Saturday, July 2—Monday July 4 OFF (see you at Church at the Beach!)
• Tuesday, July 5—Friday, July 8          1-9 pm
• Saturday, July 9—To Be Determined based on how much gets done

Plan on coming by and helping out!  Wear your work clothes.  We can use all types of help!

We know that Tuesday & Wednesday, July 4 & 5, we will need painters!
Contact Us if you have questions!

Check out the old shed:

Shed @ 1pm

Shed @ 6pm

Our men’s softball team have 1 more doubleheader, and then they are playoff bound!  Plan on cheering them on during their last games of the season as they try for first place in their division!  The doubleheader is Tuesday, July 26 beginning at 6:45 pm at Princess Anne Athletic Complex Green field #1.  Go Essential!