Chalice News
 
Round Rock Christian Church


Embracing  our  neighbors 
with  Christ-like  love 
March 2, 2021
In This Issue
This coming Sunday in worship -- 
March 7, 2021

The Third Sunday of Lent

"Honored or Offended?"
John 2:13-22

A Message from the Pastor
 
The RRCC Elders are currently working their way through an excellent evangelism resource titled Unbinding Your Heart by Martha Grace Reese. The following is an important insight from the book regarding relationships in the church. 

"The great churches...allow intuition, action and spontaneity, while providing teaching, support, correction, and accountability. They feel alive and almost always are in touch with joy. These churches are real. God is all over them. The Spirit is palpable...These churches all have three sets of relationship that are distinct yet which constantly interact and affect each other. These three sets of relationships are:
1. with God
2. between church members
3. with people outside church

"Positively or negatively, these sets of relationships affect each other. If one area grows and gets healthier, the other areas will change...A congregation that is out of balance, with strength in only one or two areas, is merely limping along."  
(pages 44-45) 

The Elders are gaining some great insights into godly, genuine evangelism and are confronting mainline obstacles that are spelled out in the book. They look forward to their continued study, and to their eventual sharing of their learnings with the entire congregation. Please keep our Elders in your prayers for great growth and discernment in the coming weeks and months.

Peace in Christ,
Pastor Mitch
RRCC Online Giving

Even though we are unable to meet in person,
RRCC has three ways you can still give your tithe:
  1. Go to the RRCC website rrdisciples.org and click on the "GIVE HERE" button at the top of the main page. Or use the link at the top of each newsletter. It will take you to the same place.
  2. Use your bank's electronic bill pay feature to have a check mailed directly from your bank to RRCC.
  3. Mail your check directly to RRCC.
Address your envelope to:
Financial Secretary
Round Rock Christian Church
22 Chalice Way
Round Rock, TX 78665

Williamson County COVID-19 Vaccine Waitlist Sign-Up

"Williamson County with its partners Family Hospital Systems and Curative are operating COVID-19 vaccination sites in Williamson County. The County's COVID-19 vaccination plan is focused on providing vaccines for the State's priority of Phase 1a: frontline healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities and Phase 1b: those 65 and older and those 16 and older with at least one chronic medical condition. Due to the limited number of vaccines available, we urge everyone to honor the state's phased-in approach to providing vaccines and register only if you are in Phase 1a or 1b."  (wilco.org)

To see whether you are eligible to put your name on the waitlist now, and to register, click on this link:

RRCC Newsletter Deadlines

Please submit your
Tuesday Newsletter articles and pictures 
before 10:00 a.m. on Mondays.
 and your Friday Reminders articles and pictures 
before 12:00 p.m. on Thursdays.
Thank you!
2021 Worship Leader Sign-Up



 
The 2021 Worship Leader Sign-Up is available to view!
Click here to reserve your date to serve:

Hopewell "Student Incentive" Gift Cards

Continuing our focus on our neighborhood schools children, we are seeking your support once again to help fund gift cards to be used as student incentives by the principals and counselors at Hopewell Middle School.
 
To "jolt" your memory, we donate a $5 gift card to Hopewell Middle School and they, in turn, let the students earn the card with good behavior and improvement. This incentive program works very well, so we are asking you to donate as many $5's as you feel you can. We will take the donations, buy the gift cards, and deliver them to the principal. If you are so moved, please make your checks out to RRCC and write "gift cards" in the memo line. VoilĂ , you have helped a student in his or her success! Feels good, doesn't it?
 
Please submit your offering indicating "Hopewell" or "gift card"  on Sunday, 3/7 or 3/14. Thank you for your support in this project serving our mission, "Embracing Our Neighborhoods with Christ-Like Love!"
Billie Walker    July 24, 1927 - January 16, 2021

Rod Walker's mother, Billie Louise Walker, died on January 16 at the age of 93. 

A celebration of life event will be held in Oklahoma at a later date. Billie is survived by her daughters Carrie Kitterman of Tulsa, OK; Anne Padgett of Edmond, OK; son Rod (and Lisa) Walker of Round Rock, TX; granddaughters Heather Henson (and Gary Parchem), Crystal (and Jake) Shuler, Valerie (and Troy) Dudenhoefer; and great grandchildren Dylan Henson, Lilliana Shuler, Joshua Walker and Christopher Dudenhoefer.

Here is the link to her obituary:   Billie Walker

Martin "Marty" Graham    September 05, 1964 - February 24, 2021

RRCC friend and husband of our congregation's "Phoebe" Rev. Beth Graham died on February 24 at the age of 56.

Survivors include his mother; Melba Andis Graham; wife of twenty-seven years, Beth Graham; daughter, Lorellye Graham, and her partner, Jose Zuniga; son, Lukas Graham; daughter, Andrea Graham; sister-in-law, Erin Wyatt and her husband, Loren; and mother-in-law and father-in-law; Nancy and Tom Dalton, all of Austin. A celebration of life for Marty will be held at a later date.

Here is the link to his obituary:   Marty Graham

DWM
     
Our monthly Disciples Women (DWM) meeting was held via Zoom on February 8, 2021, with fourteen sisters in Christ in attendance. We enjoyed Anna Marie Blair's presentation of the lesson on the Beatitudes: Blessed to Be Salt and Light: For Theirs Is the Kingdom of Heaven, and reviewed the many ongoing DWM projects and services that have been put on hold because of the pandemic. 
All agreed that getting together in this way is an important and uplifting time. All RRCC women are welcome and encouraged to join in our next Zoom meeting on March 8, when Jackie Switzer will help us Rediscover Hagar.

The fellowship was lively and ranged from deep topics such as child abuse and human trafficking (NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE 1-888-373-7888), to lively catching up time with each other and closing with The Beatitudes Song on YouTube:


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

MARCH DWM                                                                                  
                    
DISCIPLES WOMEN'S MINISTRY MEETING
Your Invitation to Fellowship, Bible Study & Service
 
Ladies mark your calendar for Monday, March 8, 9:30 AM, for the third DWM meeting of the year. We will come together via zoom (link below) for fellowship and study.
The Bible study this month is another in the series of the Just Women Embracing Life that examines biblical narratives, correlating them with 21st Century challenges. The theme words....hope, healing, and wholeness have been chosen to help us examine our personal journey, as we seek to embrace our neighbors with Christ-like love.

The March study is titled Hagar the Handmaid - Mother to a Nation. Hagar is identified by biblical historians as an enslaved Egyptian woman in service to Sarai, the wife of Abraham. Jackie Switzer will facilitate this study of a key figure in in Old Testament history.
The scripture text is from the Old Testament book of Genesis. Hagar's story is a powerful testimony of faith and courage, inviting those who struggle to experience hope, healing and freedom from God who understands and welcomes the oppressed. Please read the text: Genesis 16:1-16 and 21:8-21 prior to the meeting.
 
The zoom link is:
Upcoming Events 


There will be no events/meetings held in the RRCC facility until further notice.  
Some RRCC activities and events have been cancelled until further notice. 
Most are continuing online via zoom.


Tuesday, March 2, 2021
7:00 p.m.
- Shalom Congregation (off site)

Wednesday, March 3, 2021
1:00 p.m.
- Caring Hearts Prayer Group (via Zoom) Link HERE
7:00 p.m.
- Chancel Choir (via ZOOM) Link HERE

Thursday, March 4, 2021 
7:00 p.m.
VAT/GB Joint Meeting Link HERE

Friday, March 5, 2021
4:30 p.m.
-Moponic Monthly Cleaning of RRCC Facility

Saturday, March 6, 2021
8:00 a.m.
- Shalom Congregation

Sunday, March 72020  
9:45 a.m.
Explorers Sunday School (via Zoom) Link HERE
9:45 a.m.
- Open Circle Sunday School (via Zoom) Link HERE
11:00 a.m.
- Worship (via Zoom) Link HERE
Evening
- Manantial de Vida Congregation (off site)

Monday, March 8, 2021
9:30 a.m.
-DWM Link HERE

Tuesday, March 9, 2021
7:00 p.m.- Elders Meeting (Unbinding Your Heart) Link HERE
7:00 p.m.
- Shalom Congregation (off site)

ZOOM MEETING LINKS, events and details can be viewed on the RRCC Calendar
Chancel Choir

CHANCEL CHOIR ZOOM FELLOWSHIP

 
Chancel Choir meets via ZOOM on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.:
Did You Miss a Newsletter?

Past newsletters dating back to mid-March 2020 are currently archived under the "ABOUT US" tab on the RRCC Website.

Upcoming Birthdays

 
March 8
- Gayle Boles
Prayer Needs

LEADERSHIP
1. Our Guiding Board, Ministries Council, Elders, Deacons, Ministries and Teams 
2. Our staff: Jimmy, Mitch, Katie, Randy, and Molly
3. Our music ministries and their leaders: Randy Preston, Rod Walker, and Jimmy Horowitz
4. Our tech team: Gary Collier, Tara Pollock, Katie Maybaum, Randy Preston, Rod Walker, and Dan Knight
5. Our Reopening Task Force--Perry Mouser (chair), Gary Tucker, Gary Collier, Mildred Adair, Amy Tucker, Pam Knight, Amy Osteen, Tricia Mouser, Pastor Maria Rosario of Manantial de Vida, Omar Roque, Juan Pena, and Carlos Cortez of Shalom, Pastor Mitch Maxted, and Linda Glover
6. Our Caring Hearts Prayer Group
7. Our Stephen Ministries (Care Receivers and Caregivers)
8. Our partnership with Shalom Seventh Day Adventist & Manantial de Vida congregations (and their pastors Edy Rosa Paez and Maria Rosario) 
9. Reverends Christal Fisher (South Texas) and Andy Mangum (CCSW)
10. The current search for a Community Regional Minister for Reconciliation for the Christian Church in the Southwest

MEMBERS AND FRIENDS 
1. For all who are grieving the loss of a loved one in recent weeks: 
  • Marty Graham's family -- wife Beth and children Lorellye, Lukas, and Andrea
  • Paul Plough's family -- daughter Martha and sons Mark and Scott and their families 
  • Perry Mouser -- his aunt Elsie Poindexter died; also, his sister-in-law lost her brother
  • Rod and Lisa Walker and family. Rod's mother, Billie, died
  • Steve and Amy Osteen and family. Steve's aunt, Judy, died 
  • Emmiline Greene and family. Emmiline's sister-in-law, Matilda Dunn, died
  • Marilyn Davis' family -- sons Duane and Greg and their families
  • Erica Roberts and family. Erica's mother-in-law Sheila Roberts died 
2. For all who have been ill with COVID-19, and their families
3. Acree, Mary -- feeling better; still a fall risk
4. Blair, Anna Marie -- friend Ada C. fell and broke hip and leg; making a good recovery
5.  Carpenter, Rich -- heart issues (his wife is Pat)
6. Cratin, Katherine -- niece Amber W. recovering from COVID-19
7. Fennimore, Nancy -- sister Joan Heckford battling ALS; recent biopsy was benign
8. Guilbeau, Rick & Cynthia; Cynthia's  father, Harold Hubbard
9. Habtemariam, Solomon and Meaza
10. Miller, Chris -- (son of Jean Bell) experiencing some neuropathy from cancer treatments
11. Mouser, Tricia -- rheumatoid arthritis infusion treatments and side-effects
12.Pollock, Tara -- wife of cousin Keith passed away last week; father Sherwin Boyd had water damage from the winter storms
13. Sherry, Bea
14. Terry Tucker, brother of Gary Tucker -- recovering after two recent surgeries
15. Walker, Lisa -- receiving dialysis treatments 3x per week
16. Whitley, Charles and Bea -- celebrating the arrival of great-grandson Liam on Sunday
17. Wilson, Garvid -- chemo/immunotherapy treatments; prayers for strength and manageable side effects
18. York, Tasha -- mother Peggy Massey has suffered a variety of health complications following a recent fall; is currently awaiting the results of a lung biopsy

OTHER
1. All who don't know Jesus
2. COVID-19 (the ill, their families, medical professionals, essential workers, treatment and vaccine researchers, the logistics of distributing and administering the vaccine safely and efficiently)
3. Those who have lost jobs during the pandemic; businesses that are struggling
4. All people who are persecuted for their faith throughout the world 
5. Our military personnel and families
6. Those who have had property damage due to the recent winter storms
7. Development of an immigration policy for the U.S. that is fair, just, and responsible 
8. For all efforts toward affordable health care for all Americans
9. U.S. lawmakers and community leaders to work together to solve the problem of mass shootings in schools, places of work, etc.
10. All teachers, administrators, students, and parents. Our neighborhood schools: Union Hill Elementary School and Hopewell Middle School.
Sunday School Classes
.
[There will be no Sunday School classes in the church building for the foreseeable future. 
Some classes will be meeting via Zoom 
during this time of social distancing.]
 .
Early Childhood Class (ages 4-7) -Taught by Lisa Walker

Intermediate Class (3rd - 5th grade) - Taught by Jennifer Kienzle 
Chi Rho Class - (6th - 8th grade) (studying the book, "Middle School TalkSheets" for ages 11-14.  "These TalkSheets present every aspect of Jesus' life in a way that young teens can connect with as they learn to apply the lessons to their own lives.")
 .
CYF Class (9th - 12th grade)  
 .
Open Circle (primarily adult women) - 9:45 a.m. Sunday mornings via ZOOM, Studying Gospel Medicine.  ALL ARE WELCOME!  Link HERE
 .
Explorers (mixed adults) - 9:45 a.m. Sunday mornings via ZOOM, Facilitator is Mildred Adair; studying the New Testament Book of Acts, using the resource by John MacArthur. Link HERE
RRCC is on Social Media

Follow us on Social Media!

We can be found on:
Twitter as @ChurchRound
Instagram as rrccdisciples
Photo Submissions

Submitting a photo? Awesome! 
We love pictures of congregational life!
Please remember to include
identification (who, what, when, where, why) 
 for each photograph submitted to the office.  
Also, please indicate where you would like the photo to be used (RRCC website, social media, weekly newsletter, etc.)
.
Please email photos to the church office: info@rrdisciples.org
RRCC Office Hours


Mondays:
9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Tuesdays:
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Wednesdays:
9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Thursdays:
9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Fridays:
9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Elder's Prayer Corner/Closing Message


This week the lectionary gospel passage features Jesus's celebrated outburst in which he clears out the temple entrepreneurs with a fiery rant: "Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" (John 2:16). In today's supercharged political atmosphere, such a rash statement might have led Jesus' opponents to frame him as a socialist, but note that Jesus' fury is directed not at the commercial transactions themselves so much as it is at their exploitative nature. The unethical behavior of those with economic power is an old, old story, of course, yet recent scientific research suggests that wealthy people are more likely to cheat others than those with less money and greed and entitlement are the biggest reasons. Jesus' anger is a reaction to seeing temple worshipers systematically taken advantage of, a situation not unlike that facing many homeowners caught up in foreclosure. When faced with a system where the deck is stacked in favor of those holding all the cards, Jesus' righteous indignation is not a temper tantrum but a passionate outcry, and we ought to react to the injustice in a similar manner. Lent isn't just a time for spiritual introspection, we are reminded that it's also a time to embrace our anger and work to create a better world.
 

Prayer:
God over all, Help us to feel only righteous anger and to pray for those whose greed causes them to mistreat others. Strengthen us and empower us to help in righting the wrongs of this world in which we live. Live in our hearts as we work to live in you. In Jesus' name, Amen.