Looking Toward Sunday

February 9, 2024

Dear Rumple Family,

This Sunday we will conclude the four week sermon series on the practices of fruitful and thriving congregations. This Sunday our focus will be on Intentional Faith Development. 

Bishop Robert Schnase, who coined the five practices that we have been exploring in this series, defines Intentional Faith Development this way: Intentional Faith Development refers to all the ministries that help us grow in faith outside of weekly worship, such as bible studies, Sunday School classes, support groups, and prayer teams. Congregations who practice Intentional Faith Development offer opportunities for people to learn in community for people at all stages of faith. They offer ministries that help people grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of God.  Intentional refers to deliberate effort, purposeful action, and high priority.  (http://robertschnase.com/books/five-practices-of-fruitful-congregations/)

With scriptures from Psalm 25 and Acts 2, we’ll explore the call in each of our lives, and in our life together as a church, to make learning and growing as disciples of Jesus Christ a priority for all ages. Our Christian formation should not end when we graduate from high school and stop going to youth fellowship. Christian formation is a lifelong process.

To that end, you are invited to join the Creation Care and Adult Education Committees for part 2 of a month long Sunday School series this Sunday starting at 9:45 either on zoom or in person in the adult classroom upstairs- on the 3rd floor of the Education Building. This Sunday’s presenter is Scott Smith of ADW Architects, the firm Rumple is working with on all of our construction. He will share about their best practices for environmentally friendly construction as pertains to their work with churches like Rumple! A link to the zoom is in this Slate and Stone and will be sent out Sunday morning as well.

And, don’t forget that this Sunday is your final day to bring in food for the Souper Bowl of Caring food drive that our youth are leading. Please place your donations in (or near since they are already overflowing) the shopping cart of the team you are cheering for in the actual Super Bowl. The youth will count all the donations on Sunday and deliver them to the food pantry at Watauga High School. This pantry serves the students and families at the school who face food insecurity.

Finally, while it seems hard to believe, Lent begins next week. We will be distributing a special calendar of Lent worship, mission, and study opportunities early next week. Lent begins with worship on Ash Wednesday, February 14, at 5:00 in the sanctuary. We will spend this season of Lent on a journey through the wilderness, encountering many folks, whose stories we read in Scripture, who experienced challenges and transformation in the wilderness.  

Please also read the announcements below and watch Sarah’s latest construction update. All the doors we are used to using to access the church campus are not currently accessible. Please follow the posted signs. We appreciate your flexibility and patience as renovations on the Education Building and Keys Building continue. This is an exciting time in our life and ministry together.

I look forward to seeing you in person or online this Sunday morning.

Be well,

Kathy

Building access this Sunday will be the same as last week. Due to construction on the stairwell connecting the main floor to BR Cares, there will not be access to the main floor through the back stairwell. The bathrooms on the main floor will also be inaccessible, but you can use the elevator to get to the 3rd Floor or Fellowship Hall for bathroom access. There will be signs posted to direct you as you come for worship. Please enter the building through the front doors of the Education Building or through the Sanctuary doors. Thank you in advance for your flexibility!

Handicapped access to the sanctuary will still be available on the north (Town Tavern) side of the building. We are attempting to mark off parking spaces at the front of the building on Sunday morning, and there are still handicap spaces at the back of the building that will allow you to walk up the path between Rumple House and the Keys Music Center to get to that sanctuary entrance. We encourage anyone who needs an accessible entrance to arrive with plenty of time on Sunday mornings to navigate the changes.

Watch the video below to hear a construction update from Sarah.

Please keep in your prayers

Bill Petrie on death of wife Judy on 2/8; David Rogers; Kay Morgan on the death of her sister Jean Ray on 2/6; Jim Ruff, recovering from a hospital stay; Mary Ann Baggstrom’s sister, Connie; Leslie Novilla’s brother, Denny; Sarah Settlemyer’s friend, Theresa; Bill Hall; Lou and Mary, friends of Debra and David Brenner; Barbara Leon’s former Pastor, Jackie; Mary Lentz; Linda Steen; Molly Bowden; Jean, Sherry Wilson’s mom; Rene Cuthill; Cullie Tarleton; Walt Baggstrom’s brother, Bob; Linda Steen's sister in law, Dot; Charles Coley; Betty Coffey; Patti Curtis' mom, Sally; Marion Stadler, Margaret Gilleskie; Lucy, Deatra Sellers’ mother; Sylvia Kiker; Nancy Trexler; Lynn Henderson’s mother, Frances; Lucy Aldridge; Linda Jerger; Ruth George; Drew Taylor, active duty with the Coast Guard. Click here for the link to Judy Petrie's obituary.

Creation Care Speaker Series Continues Sunday, February 11th!

You’re invited to join in the second of four Creation Care talks during the Sunday School hour this Sunday, February 11 from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Our guest speaker will be Scotty Smith, Director of Faith-Based Design with ADW Architects. His talk will focus on energy efficiency and sustainability in Rumple’s campus construction projects. Join us by Zoom or in person in the adult classroom on the third floor. Click here to join via Zoom.

To see the video of last week’s guest, Ryke Longest, Director of the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic at Duke University’s School of Law, please click the link here.

Blowing Rock Cares most needed items: 2% Shelf Stable Milk, Snack Crackers, Saltine Crackers, Bags of Sugar, Cooking Oil and Mayonnaise. Thank you for all the contributions!

Congregational Care Card Day will be on Tuesday, February 27th at 10:30. We would love to have you join us for fun and stimulating card games, good food, and fellowship. We meet the last Tuesday of each month with Betty Womack as our “card instructor!” A delicious lunch is provided and the cost is $8 per person.  Please RSVP by Sunday February 25th to Annie Tarbutton at 770-301-4127. We need a good count for card table set up and food!

The session’s stated monthly meeting was held on January 22, 2024, with both in-person and Zoom options. Below is an abbreviated summary of the meeting.

At its January meeting, following the opening prayer and sharing of congregational joys and concerns, the RMPC Session:  

• Were introduced to candidates for membership Fredanel (Fred) Morris, Steve Morris, Margaret Headrick, and Russell Headrick. The four were accepted as members by unanimous vote.
• Endorsed the slate of board members for Blowing Rock Cares that was recommended by the BRC Committee.
• Approved a schedule of called meetings to accept new members on the third Sunday of each month in 2024.  
• Approved a proposal to establish outdoor permanent Stations of the Cross collaboratively with St. Mary’s Episcopal.
• Approved two requests for baptism of children sponsored by Rumple members.
• Were informed that PRC members for 2024 are Lou Moore, Martha Jayne Rhyne, Richard Swartzel, and Cullie Tarleton.
• Were reminded that days off for Kathy are Fridays. Dave Henry should be contacted with any concerns on Fridays.
• Agreed not to receive Duke intern applications in 2024, as Kathy will be out during the summer.
• Approved the slate of pastors who will preach during Kathy’s sabbatical.  
• Approved the slate of Creation Care speakers for February. 
• Supported an upcoming film showing at Rumple that focuses on the mental health crisis facing this country. 
• Heard updates from the Stewardship Committee, Building Committee, and Capital Campaign.
• Received the draft from the Personnel Committee a draft of the new Leave Policy for Rumple employees.
• Approved the 2023 RMPC Statistical report. 
• Approved the 2023 Accountability Report for the Domestic Hunger grant and also approved the grant proposal for 2024 from Salem Presbytery on behalf of Blowing Rock Cares. 

Respectfully submitted,

Mike Mayfield, Clerk of Session