Co-Pastor Rev. Tom Are Jr.

The world the apostle Paul inhabited was dramatically different from our time. He knew nothing of capitalism, or physics, or Zoom, and more significantly, Paul was a regular in Caesar’s prison. For us, “Caesar” is a salad. But a constant in the human story is that every life faces suffering. Paul’s life was no different. And yet, on Paul’s worst days, he still exhibited a spirit of joy. In this spirit of joy, Paul offers us some inspiration. Joy is not a common reality in modern life. We are more acquainted with anxiety and fear, and on good days we can settle for happiness; but joy is less common. The worst days come to all of us. At some point the dreams die, the body fails, the spirit is crushed. Those days leave their mark on us. But an imprisoned apostle passed down 104 verses to an ancient congregation in Philippi, and they have passed it down to us. It is their testimony that when the worst days come—and they will—they do not have to be the end of joy. Indeed, they might be the beginning.

Village Connect is a small group ministries video curriculum featuring Rev. Tom Are Jr., senior pastor at Village Presbyterian Church. In the series “Joy Even on Your Worst Day,” eight brief videos explore Paul’s letter to the Philippians, a letter that despite being written in prison, is a letter full of joy. It is a timely word and there is much the apostle can teach us about being joyful, even on a hard, maybe even our worst days. The videos come with a leader study guide written by Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka.

Through the nine study sessions, you will read and study three chapters in the Gospel of Mark. Chapters 8-10 are at the center of Mark’s gospel of 16 chapters and they lead up to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem in chapter 11. The three chapters tell of Jesus’ healing powers, his predictions of his upcoming arrest, torture, and crucifixion, his teachings, and the rising tension between Jesus and the religious authorities. Rev. Tom Are, Jr. will lead us in reading and reflecting on how Jesus sought to open the eyes of his disciples to see who they are and who he is and, through our study and reflection together, how the Holy Spirit can help us better know Jesus and one another.

Rev. Tom Are Jr. revisits parables in this Village Connect Small Group Ministries series entitled, “The Stories Jesus Loved to Tell.” This series reflects on parables from the Gospel of Luke. Luke is the only Gospel to include some of our favorite parables, including the parable of the Good Samaritan and the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Also included are lesser loved parables, like the parable of the Rich Fool and the Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge. Yet each story provides a word of wisdom for our own time. More than providing information about God’s promised day, the parables offer an invitation for us to live each day seeing our lives defined by the wisdom included in these stories. The videos come with a leader study guide written by Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka.

Village Connect is a small group ministries video curriculum featuring Rev. Tom Are Jr., senior pastor at Village Presbyterian Church. In the series. Through the eight study sessions, you will read and study stories in the Gospel of John where Jesus engaged in conversations. From his own mother at a wedding, to a Pharisee to a Samaritan woman to Peter at a post-resurrection beach cookout, Jesus engaged in conversations that changed lives, healed, and called upon people to live faithful lives dedicated to God. The videos come with a leader study guide written by Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka.