Chalice News
 
Round Rock Christian Church


Embracing  our  neighbors 
with  Christ-like  love 
January 19, 2021
In This Issue
This coming Sunday in worship -- 
January 24 , 2021
The Third Sunday after Epiphany

What does it look like when we are 
being successful in our mission? 
We are:

"Studying and Sharing Scripture"
Matthew 7:24-27

A Message from the Pastor
 
This Sunday we will reflect on the third of our six congregational  "measures" : 1. serving others 2. living in humility 3. studying and sharing scripture 4. praying continually 5. extending compassion and 6. obeying God.  "Measures" answer the question, "What does it look like when we're being faithful to our mission?"

Will Mancini, church consultant and author of Church Unique (Jossey-Bass, 2008) helps us to understand the importance of "measures" in keeping a congregation's ministry on track. 

Imagine that you are sitting in front of five or six people at your church. They may be elders, council members, volunteer leaders or members of your small group...You ask them the simple question, "What ministry bull's eye are you all aiming at together?" Every week I see blank stares when I ask this question. Or if the [group] does attempt an answer, the bull's-eye descriptions are never the same. In other words it is almost impossible for me to walk into a church where the top leaders have a shared articulation of what results they are looking for...

[Measures are] a set of attributes in an individual's life that define or reflect the accomplishment of the church's mission...the church's portrait of a disciple and definition of spiritual maturity.

Inspired and equipped by the Holy Spirit to fulfill our mission of "embracing our neighbors with Christ-like love," what does that look like? As faithful followers of Jesus Christ at Round Rock Christian Church, are we serving others, living in humility, studying and sharing the scriptures, praying continually, extending compassion, and obeying God? These are the measures we are exploring through Sunday, February 14th (the last Sunday before Lent begins). 

See you in worship!

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
Marilyn Davis  (September 29, 1930 - January 11, 2021)

Our dear friend and sister in Christ Marilyn Davis went home to be with Jesus on Monday, January 11th.  She died peacefully at the home of her son and daughter-in-law, Duane and Keri Davis, in Georgetown, where she had been living.  


A memorial service is planned for Saturday, January 30th at 10:00 a.m. It will be a family-only, in-person service in Georgetown, but will be live-streamed from the Ramsey Funeral Home (ramseyfuneral.com). 


The photo here was taken on her 90th birthday--September 29, 2020. Her special day included lots of precious family time, birthday cards, and a special driveway "Happy Birthday" serenade by RRCC friends.  To send letters to Marilyn's family, here is the address: 

Duane & Keri Davis, 1102 Parkway St., Georgetown, TX 78628

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Change

In an effort to streamline, simplify, and make COVID-19 vaccinations more efficient, Texas is transitioning away from having people go to their local PCP, clinic, or hospital to get their shot. Instead, vaccination "hubs" are being established across the state. Our closest hub is in Travis County. You must pre-register before scheduling your vaccination time. This pre-registration gets you into their system and helps them to put you into the correct "Phase" for vaccination priority. Here is the link: 

Please note: This website has had some technical challenges due to heavy use. You may have better luck if you visit the website late night/early morning.

Another website you can use to be put on a vaccine wait list is here:

You may be wondering whether you are eligible now to receive your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Most of our congregation members are in fact eligible right now, based on age and/or chronic medical condition. 


If you are a front-line healthcare worker or resident of a long-term care facility, you are eligible now to receive the vaccine, since December 14. This group is considered Phase 1A.
If you are in Phase 1B, you are also eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine, depending on availability and the vaccine provider. Vaccine supply remains limited, but more vaccine will be delivered to providers each week. Phase 1B recipients include:
  • People 65 years of age and older
  • People 16 years of age and older with at least one chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19, such as but not limited to:
    • Cancer
    • Chronic kidney disease
    • COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
    • Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies
    • Solid organ transplantation
    • Obesity and severe obesity (body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher)
    • Pregnancy
    • Sickle cell disease
    • Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Dear Disciples -- A Message for the New Year
From Rev. Teresa "Terri" Hord Owens
General Minister & President - Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and Canada

January 2021

Dear Disciples:

Here at the beginning of a new year, there is no doubt that our church - as much of the rest of the world - is in a wilderness season. We find ourselves wandering, longing for the comfort of what we once knew and wondering what the future holds.

I believe that this moment, like all wilderness moments, holds great opportunity for us, if we are brave enough to imagine what might be. I want to invite you to imagine with me.

Several intertwining crises present themselves in this moment, each with a particular opportunity: The pandemic, which has caused the cancellation of our General Assembly and forced so many churches out of their buildings, provides an opportunity to re-envision what church looks like in all expressions and to explore what it means to be a church sent out.

The racial justice reckoning happening across the United States gives us an opportunity to revisit our commitment to be a pro-reconciling/anti-racist church; that is, to be the church we say we are.

The economic crisis, in which the wealth gap is widening and leaving many without access to resources, gives us an opportunity to discern how we will love and serve our neighbors, even as we work toward a more just economy for all.

The political unrest in the context of American democracy gives us an opportunity to explore what it means to be witnesses to the story of Jesus in a time of such division and change.

And the ever-present crisis of climate change provides an opportunity to reaffirm our call to care for God's good creation, even as we confess and repent our participation in its destruction.

In this moment, then, our calling is clear. As a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world, we are called to imagine a church that bears witness to God's limitless love. We will need to act with courage. We will need to give ourselves permission to change, to let go of processes and structures and practices that don't serve us well any longer. We will need to let go of fear - the fear of what might happen if we do change, and the fear of the unknown future.

I'd like to share with you some ways we can live into this calling this year by focusing on four key areas: covenant, story, tools, and practice.

Covenant: The Governance Committee of the General Board is doing some important work exploring what it means to live in covenant. They've been reflecting on the theological foundations of our governing documents, reviewing possible revisions to the Design, and reexamining how we make decisions and how we speak as a church. As we prepare to hear more about this work later this year, I hope you will pray for those who are discerning a way forward, and for your congregation as it lives in covenant with the whole church.

Story: It is time for us to shape a new narrative for ourselves, particularly in terms of what we see when we imagine ourselves an anti-racist church. Establishing common values and practices lived out in individual contexts will help us shape a vision of a shared future. Every day we must tell our story, share the good news, and make decisions that hold us accountable to be the church we say we are. In the coming months, I will be sharing ideas and inviting others into conversation with me, as together we imagine our new story. Please make sure you're signed up for my Dear Disciples newsletter and follow Disciples social media so you won't miss these opportunities to imagine with me.

Tools: There are some new tools already in the works that will help us do ministry together. I hope you have heard about Alex, a new Disciples database that will eventually replace the yearbook. It will provide a real-time directory and help us track churchwide data trends and help our regional and general expressions support congregations more effectively. New communication tools are being developed as well; you can now sign up for email newsletters that bring you the news you want, whether that's updates on justice efforts, messages from me, news from the whole church, or resources particularly for pastors. In addition, increased collaboration among regional and general ministries are helping us work in covenant with one another. Building relationships across the church, across laity and clergy, and across generations will be key to infusing our church with new energy as we all share our gifts in ministry. You can learn more about Alex at disciples.org where you can also sign up for newsletters and connect with ministries across the church.

Finally, practice: Grounded in spiritual growth and development, we begin with love, letting love lead us into action testifying to the church we say we are. Our faith practices help us understand that love: We share communion at the Lord's Table as an expression of God's expansive welcome. We practice baptism and proclaim that we walk in new life. We study and share the ancient stories that point to a new world. We pray together, a practice that reminds us that we are not alone, that we are created and loved by God. We serve our neighbors, acknowledging that we are connected to each other and that we are called to live not for ourselves but for the sake of the world. I hope, as we move into this new year, that you will stay connected to your local congregation, and that you will embrace the practices of our faith that give you life.

Church, we are called to imagine a new world. We are called to imagine God's reign fully come, and to discern how we can participate in making it so. We call ourselves Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. It is time for us to be the church we say we are: to seize the opportunity of this wilderness moment and to move forward with courage, permission to change, and freedom from fear, to imagine a church that bears witness to God's limitless love.

I'm glad to be in ministry with you. 
Rev. Teresa "Terri" Hord Owens

2021 Worship Leader Sign-Up



The 2021 Worship Leader Sign-Up is available to view!

Click here to reserve your date to serve:


 
Upcoming Events 


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


Tuesday, January 19, 2021
7:00 p.m.
- Shalom Congregation (off site)

Wednesday, January 20, 2021
10:00 a.m.
- Pastoral Support Committee
1:00 p.m.
- Caring Hearts Prayer Group (via Zoom) Link HERE
7:00 p.m.
- Chancel Choir (via ZOOM) Link HERE

Thursday, January 21, 2021 
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Friday, January 22, 2021
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Saturday, January 23, 2021
8:00 a.m.
Shalom Congregation (off site)

Sunday, January 242020  
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, January 252021 
Colossians 3:1-2Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Tuesday, January 26, 2021
7:00 p.m.- Elders Meeting ("Unbinding Your Heart")
7:00 p.m.
- Shalom Congregation (off site)

Events and details can be viewed on the RRCC Calendar
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!
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

 
January 28
- Jared Prince
January 28
- Pam Knight
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 Rod and Lisa Walker and family. Rod's mother, Billie, died on Saturday in Oklahoma.
2. For Steve and Amy Osteen and family. Steve's aunt, Judy, died on Sunday in Mississippi.
3. For Emmiline Greene and family. Emmiline's sister-in-law Matilda Dunn died January 4 in Maryland.
4. For the family of Marilyn Davis, who died on January 11 in Georgetown.
5. For all who have tested positive for COVID-19, and their families, including: Mildred Adair's grandson Tanner, Brenda Collier's mother Mary, Jackie Culberton, Bob Jenkins' sister Kathy, Janette Johnston's mother Billie, Jim and Susan Kessler's daughter Erica Roberts and her family, Tricia and Perry's daughter Kendal and her family, Martha Nichols' niece Glenda and her husband Eric, Susan Putnam's cousin Connie Walker, Molly Salzwedel's daughter Alyssa Todnem, and Bea Whitley's brother Darrel Hansen.
6. Acree, Mary -- recent ER visit; being treated for an infection
7. Glover, Linda -- spinal ablation was last Wednesday
8. Guilbeau, Rick & Cynthia. Cynthia's  father, Harold Hubbard, is receiving hospice care
9. Habtemariam, Solomon and Meaza
10. Mouser, Tricia -- rheumatoid arthritis infusion treatments and side-effects
11. Plough, Paul 
12. Pollock, Chris -- chest pains
13. Sherry, Bea
14. Terry Tucker, brother of Gary Tucker -- surgery this Thursday, January 21
15. Wilson, Garvid -- chemo/immunotherapy treatments was continue; prayers for strength and manageable side effects

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. A safe inauguration and administration transition
5. All people who are persecuted for their faith throughout the world 
6. Our military personnel and families
7. International cooperation in responding to climate change challenges
8. Development of an immigration policy for the U.S. that is fair, just, and responsible 
9. For all efforts toward affordable health care for all Americans
10. U.S. lawmakers and community leaders to work together to solve the problem of mass shootings in schools, places of work, etc.
11. 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

The following is Matthew 10 with wording from The Message. It struck me as so very right now appropriate and doable. I hope it holds as much meaning for you.
10 1-4 The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives. This is the list of the twelve he sent: Simon (they called him Peter, or "Rock"), Andrew, his brother, James, Zebedee's son, John, his brother, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, the tax man, James, son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon, the Canaanite, Judas Iscariot (who later turned on him).
5-8 Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: "Don't begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don't try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.
9-15 "Don't think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light. When you enter a town or village, don't insist on staying in a luxury inn. Get a modest place with some modest people, and be content there until you leave. When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting. If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation. If they don't welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way. You can be sure that on Judgment Day they'll be mighty sorry-but it's no concern of yours now.
16-20 "Stay alert. This is hazardous work I'm assigning you. You're going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don't call attention to yourselves. Be as shrewd as a snake, inoffensive as a dove. Don't be naïve. Some people will question your motives, others will smear your reputation-just because you believe in me. Don't be upset when they haul you before the civil authorities. Without knowing it, they've done you-and me-a favor, given you a platform for preaching the kingdom news! And don't worry about what you'll say or how you'll say it. The right words will be there; the Spirit of your Father will supply the words.
21-25 "When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you've run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived. A student doesn't get a better desk than her teacher. A laborer doesn't make more money than his boss. Be content-pleased, even-when you, my students, my harvest hands, get the same treatment I get. If they call me, the Master, 'Dungface,' what can the workers expect?
26-37 "Don't be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. So don't hesitate to go public now. Don't be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life-body and soul-in his hands. What's the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail-even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries. Stand up for me against world opinion and I'll stand up for you before my Father in heaven. If you turn tail and run, do you think I'll cover for you? Don't think I've come to make life cozy. I've come to cut-make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law-cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don't deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don't deserve me.
38-42 "If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me. We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God's messenger. Accepting someone's help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing."
Prayer: Most gracious Lord, Let us come to you with open hearts and willingness to listen for and do your will that you may be glorified. In Christ's holy name, Amen.