May 10, 2021
Spring 2021 Service Times:
9:00 AM - Sanctuary | 11:00 AM - Sanctuary & Livestream
Wednesday Outdoor Communion Service - 7:00 AM.
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For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. -Jeremiah 29:11
May is a month when we usually think of things awakening. The old saying April showers bring May flowers comes to mind. It is a time when the trees are filled with blossoms, the leaves are coming out, flowers are blooming, the grass is growing and in need of cutting, and we hear the birds chirping. Each year, in May, God has a plan for this to happen. It is his plan for us to look again at the changing of the season and see the coming alive of the beautiful world he created. It is a time when we too can can feel renewal and hope. This year it is even more of an awakening as we emerge from a year of pandemic fear and restrictions. With the availability of the vaccine and the easing of restrictions we are feeling an awakening and the begining of a return to life as we once knew it. We do not have the answers as to the why of the pandemic but we do know that God was there in the midst of it all, guiding the scientiests, helping us cope and giving us hope for a future as we move forward.
May is also a time when other changes come about. The seniors are graduating from high school and college and making plans for their futures. High school seniors are deciding what their career path will be. College seniors have finished their education and are looking for jobs in the career field they have chosen. God is there with his plans for them and guiding them to hope and a future. God has given each one of us different gifts and we are to use those gifts to honor him and to serve others. Seniors, what ever career path you take, make it the right one for you, not one someone else has chosen for you, but the one God is guiding you toward.
There are different spiritual gifts, but the same spirit gives them. There are different ways of serving, and yet the same Lord is served. There are different types of work to do, but the same God produces every gift in every person. -1 Corinthians 12:4-6
It may not only be seniors that are making new career choices. As a result of the pandemic, many have lost jobs and have to rethink career choices. For them also, God has a plan, a plan to give them hope and a future.
In the past weeks we have been hearing about love, God’s love for us, our love for him and how we can show love to others, our friends, co-workers, neighbors and strangers. In keeping with the idea of a career. Let’s take the work career apart. If you split career into care-er you have a way you can show God’s love to others. So as we all go forward, no matter where your career leads you, remember how God loves us and has cared for us and be a care-er of others.
Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you for your many blessings, the love you have unconditionally given us and the patience you have with us. We ask that you continue to guide us throughout our lives so that we can use the gifts and the hope for the future that you give each of us. Let us always be a care-er of others. Amen
-Marilyn Martin, Deacon
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We Need You! Church Receptionists Needed!
Are you involved in a ministry at RCPC? RCPC has an opportunity for discipleship for you by simply greeting folks that come into Raleigh Court each day. We are the "Church of the Open Door" and we need you to help us be hospitable to our guests. We will have a receptionist again to greet guests beginning in June. Please see if your schedule would allow you to serve in this ministry. The morning shift is 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and the afternoon shift is 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
The front door will remain locked. We will have a button to push at the receptionist desk to let guest into the church as needed. We want all receptionists to feel comfortable with being at church. We will continue to wear a mask when a guest walks up to the desk for assistance. Please consider serving RCPC through this ministry, please contact Anne Currin at anne@rcpres.org.
We especially need volunteers on Wednesdays. Please contact Anne today!
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Amazon Smile to Benefit the Rent Assistance Funds Distributed by PCC and RAM
Already shopping on Amazon? Why not have your purchases support RCPC's support of the rent assistance funds distributed by PCC and RAM at the same time! AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones. When you shop AmazonSmile, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.
The videos below show you how to quickly set RCPC as your AmazonSmile charity.
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Graduate Sunday
Graduate Sunday is Sunday, June 6 and we want to honor your graduate! If you have a graduating high school senior, college senior, or graduate student in your family we want to recognize them that morning. Please contact Anne Currin at anne@rcpres.org with their name, school, degree, future plans, and a photo to be included in the June Newsletter, and the June 6 worship bulletin. Congratulations to all of the 2021 graduates!
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“When the Bible Raises Your Blood Pressure"
Join us on Zoom on May 11 at 7:00 PM for a conversation with Frances Taylor Gench about the difficult texts of the Bible that many of us have struggled to reconcile or flipped past quickly on our way to more affirming and understandable words of the Bible. Frances has dedicated much of her work to finding meaning in the “tyrannical texts” that make us shudder. Come hear what she has discovered and uncovered. Maybe this conversation will give you some ideas for our “Stump the Preacher” sermon series!
Meeting ID: 897 2199 7862
Passcode: 821491
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Children's Ministry Sunday
On Sunday, May 16, at the 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM worship service the God Alive children will lead us in worshiping our God who always gives us more than enough! Did you know that the story of Jesus feeding of the 5,000 is in all four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? The telling of the story is very similar in each Gospel. Many people are gathered outside on a grassy hill. They have followed Jesus. They are hungry for his words and for his healing touch, but also they are hungry for food. They find there is more than enough, for God does not leave us, God is with us! God Alive explored this truth on 20 different hiking trails during this pandemic. We discovered the God of all creation is the same God who redeems and sustains us and even in the most difficult of years, God provides us with more than enough. Come join us on Sunday to give praise to God who guides us down the trail and out of the wilderness!
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Stump the Preacher Summer Sermon Series
"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work." -2 Timothy 3:16-17
Does ALL scripture have a purpose? Do ALL the words of the Bible guide us to the Living Word, Jesus Christ? We're going to find out this summer! From April 11 to May 16, you have a chance to submit ANY passage from the Bible (the sixty-six books of the Protestant canon) that you'd like to challenge your ministers to preach from. After May 16, we will draw 13 scriptures at random that will be the preaching texts for the summer.
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Baby & Toddler Nursery
We will be re-opening our Baby and Toddler Nursery returned last Sunday for the 11:00 AM worship services. Due to COVID precautions, families will register their baby or toddler for a space in the nursery. There will be 4 spaces available in the Baby Nursery and 4 spaces available in the Toddler Nursery. We will have two caregivers in each room. We have hired two Nursery Caregivers and are seeking to fill two more paid positions for our nursery. If you know someone who may be interested in this position, please let Leigh Sackett know - leigh@rcpres.org
We are also seeking one adult volunteer each Sunday to serve in our nursery. This is a wonderful way to honor the vows of baptism and get to know the young families and the littlest ones of our church.
Sign-up your here to volunteer or you can contact Leigh Sackett. Once you have signed up, Leigh will contact you with any additional information you need to know about volunteering in the nursery. Thank you for your consideration in being a part of this ministry!
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Adult Small Groups for 2020-2021
There are available spaces in our small groups for new participants. If you have not been a part of small groups in the past now is a great time to join! Sign-ups for small groups will be made available online, or you can contact Leigh Sackett if you would like more information about our small groups.
Our small groups will be reflecting on the previous Sunday worship service sermon and the Sunday scripture. A weekly small group lesson is provided, participants discuss and share how the word read and proclaimed connects to our world today and to our personal lives and experiences.
Below is a list of our small group offerings and facilitators.
- Andrew Whaley – Mondays, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Room 201
- David Dixon – Tuesdays, 4:30 pm – Church Parking Lot
- Jennifer Bryant (30-something women’s group) – Tuesdays, 8:00 pm - Rotating Backyards
- Leigh Sackett - Wednesdays, 7:00 pm - Gathering Area
- Elise Hansard - Fridays, 10:00 am – via Zoom
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“Growing Together” VBS in the Park
God has shared a big dream with you. It’s a dream in which all creation harmoniously lives together in God’s love. When you hear about this dream it takes root in you, grows, and produces even more seed! Outdoor Vacation Bible School: July 12-14 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM at Fishburn Park. We will explore the Parable of the Sower, Mark 4:1-9. One of Jesus’ favorite gardening techniques is telling parables — simple stories with a twist. Parables spark our curiosity, surprise us, and turn our hearts toward Jesus. Our VBS for 2021 is open to rising Pre-K to Rising 5th graders of the church. Registration will begin in May. We will follow the COVID precautions set before us at the time of our VBS. To register your child please contact Leigh Sackett.
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Habitat for Humanity Apostles Build 2021
Once again, RCPC will be participating in Habitat for Humanity’s Apostles Build. This year’s build will be a two-story, front-gabled house for Desanek Trent and her two children. We are currently scheduled to sponsor work at 1932 Moorman Ave. Roanoke 24017 on Saturday, May 15. The workday is from 8:00 AM-2:00 PM. We need up to 10 construction volunteers for each day. No experience is required but OSHA regulations require that construction volunteers be 16 or older. Habitat will provide all necessary tools, safety equipment, water, coffee, and snacks. Volunteers need to bring their own lunch and a refillable water bottle. Work gloves are strongly suggested. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy closed-toed shoes. Our past experiences with Habitat for Humanity have been positive and rewarding. Those interested in participating can sign-up online here.
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South Sudan Well Project Update
Thank you so much for your generosity! $5995.00 was raised toward the pump for the RCPC well at South Nyakuron School. When I told Jim McGill, this was his reply:
Wonderful! The bids have come in quite high but, with these funds, now we may be able to go straight to the solar pump. Let me ask a couple of organizations and I will get back to you (quickly!).
That is really good news.
His follow-up email:
I have written and received replies from four suppliers for solar systems, but only one has given me a quotation yet. That quotation was for $10,000 - for which you already have $7,200 between the money you have sent and the $6000 available now. I am expecting more quotations to come in soon, but none so far today. We can install a hand pump with the money we have there in Juba now, but I am believing that we should be able to install the solar pump if we add what you have already sent to what is now available. As the end goal is to have the solar installation, I would much rather go straight with the solar installation, if you all are in agreement. However, we have now already delayed 5 months – which is very painful indeed not to be pumping water.
Are we in agreement with Jim to install the solar pump? If you have an opinion, let me know sandrarcpc@yahoo.com; call or text 540-330-3551
On receiving the email about the money collected, Leisa Wagstaff wrote:
News of folks wanting to see the project through is always welcomed!
Thanks to all of you.
-Sandra Whitt
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10 Rod Poffenberger
11 Ellen Austin
Jim Butler
Marty Saviers
12 Katie Thisdell
13 Bonnie Fox
Holly Poffenberger
Benjamin Rippel
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14 Kerry Bossert
15 Samuel Favor
Alex Martin
Barbara Neal
16 Rusty McCown
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The Herald
The Herald is a monthly newsletter that comes in your mailbox the first of each month. The deadline for articles is the 10th of each month to appear in the next month's newsletter.
This Week @ RCPC
The This Week @ RCPC is published every Monday morning via email. This publication is for weekly activities at RCPC. If you would like to receive this email please contact Julie Satterwhite at julie@rcpres.org or call the church office at 540-343-5541 x 107. The deadline for the This Week is noon on Wednesday prior to the Monday publication. |
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Prayer Requests
Marie Brown, Alice Cabaniss, Rachel Erb Birch, Brendan Brown (Kathy and Les Brown's grandson), Gail Cordes, Dawn Blakeman, Mary Frances Donnelly, Sue and Jerry Garrett, Bill Gordge, Mary Hampton, James Harrison, Pieter Jager, Dick Kepley, Susan Lindstrom, Helen Lovelace, Roger Lovern, Bernard Marie, Ann Moomaw, Susan Moore, Bob Nelson, Jennifer Owen-O'Quill, Lois Pollash, Marion Raney, Bryan Tims, and all caregivers.
(Prayers request as of Friday, May 7. Names in bold indicate an addition to the prayer list this week.)
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Monday, May 10
9:00 AM - Preschool
10:00 AM - Monday Morning Prayer Group
1:00 PM - Small Group - Whaley
7:00 PM - Session for Confirmation Class
7:00 PM - Deacons
Tuesday, May 11
9:00 AM - Preschool
10:30 AM - Presbyterian Women
12:30 PM - Open Door Prayers
4:30 PM - Small Group - Dixon
7:00 PM - "When the Bible Raises Your Blood Pressure"
7:15 PM - Hand Bell Choir
8:00 PM - Small Group - Bryant
Wednesday, May 12
7:00 AM - Communion Outdoor Worship
9:00 AM - Hunger Mission Packing
9:00 AM - Preschool
3:45 PM - God Alive Hiking
7:00 PM - Small Group - Sackett
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Thursday, May 13
9:00 AM - Preschool
10:00 AM - Centering Prayer
8:00 PM - Evening Prayer Service
Friday, May 14
9:00 AM - Preschool
10:00 AM - Small Group - Hansard
Saturday, May 15
2:00 PM - CPR Training
Sunday, May 16
Children's Ministry Sunday
9:00 AM - Worship
11:00 AM - Worship
12:15 PM - New Officer Training
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1837 Grandin Road SW, Roanoke, Virginia 24015 540.343.5541 |
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