This Sunday we have a 2-part Sunday School! Across all the classes for Advent we are looking at a 4-week series of videos on Love, Joy, Peace and starting this week with Hope. Everyone will watch the video together, and I'm introducing this week with a little anecdote about living in a place called Hope... After we've watched the video together each class will meet separately, so this week (and for the following 3) you'll need 2 Zoom links, both listed below.

Zoom Link - Combined class (use this one first!) | Password: 124135

Zoom Link - Youth Class | Password: RUMCYouth

This Sunday, Nov 29th, there is no youth group as we come to the end of our holiday weekend, enjoy time with your family. Sunday December 6th will be our Christmas party, see below for more details.

You can join us in the room or via Zoom. Sign up by Wednesday, December 2nd to participate.

The next Confirmation class will be on Sunday, December 13th and will be via Zoom only on this link. Again, the password is RUMCYouth.

Yes, this year is different, but Christmas will be happening, and with it our youth group Christmas party, on December 6th, outside in the picnic shelter, complete with smores and a gift exchange. More on the smores later, but for the gift exchange, please bring a gift of between $5 and $10 to church no later than Wednesday December 2nd. If you can't get to church before then, let me know and I'll arrange to come and collect them from you on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday that week. With Covid numbers increasing in our region, its important that we minimize risks of transmission so please do get gifts to me as soon as possible. If you are leaving them at church please make sure my name is on them. Thank you.

Smores - if you want to bring the fixings to make smores at the party you are welcome to but please don't share them with others, much as you might want to.

With all the headlines about a coming surge in Covid numbers associated with both Thanksgiving and Christmas, we have tentative plans for youth group in early January:

Sunday 3rd: Online games evening at 5 pm

Sunday 10th: Weather permitting, meet at 2 pm at James River park for a wander on some of the trails there. This event is open to families. (Rain check - we'll offer something online if it's horrible weather.)

Sunday 17th: Weather permitting, meet either at James River Park again at 2 pm or another location to be decided closer to the day. Open to families, similar rain check plan.

Sunday 24th: Scheduled as the return of our current in-person youth group/music activities.

Get friendly reminders for all our activities by signing up for our texts through Remind app by texting @rumc-youth to 81010. This is particularly helpful for last minute changes etc.

Please complete an online youth permission form for each youth (sixth to 12th grade) in your family. The form is required for participation in youth and music ministry activities. Complete form

Looking ahead, the only remaining music ensemble recording to be done is the inter-generational strings piece "We Three Kings" that will recorded on December 6 at 4:00 PM, barring any further restrictions or COVID-based setbacks. Handbell players and guitarists have completed all of their recordings for our Christmas Concert and Christmas Eve, so we look forward to seeing all of you back after the first of the year. We currently anticipate a January 24 return, but will be closely monitoring COVID numbers before officially announcing a return date.

Lastly, just a reminder about "Carol of the Bells" needing to be sung virtually. While several of you indicated a desire to sing it outdoors with masks and social distancing, the restriction on limiting gatherings to 25 prevents us from being as inclusive as we would like to be for this, and it also now feels like the wrong time to gather a large group to sing in light of the spike. As such, everyone in Youth Choir is encouraged to click here and record this for a virtual choir project. We think even in virtual format, hearing this piece on Christmas Eve will bring a lot of joy to our congregation, so we hope all of you will plan to record yourself singing it.