|
A Message from the Pastor
The month of May is coming to a close, and Memorial Day is Monday, May 31
st. I pray that it will be a meaningful day for you, as our nation honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.
I share with you the following prayer from our denominational resource Chalice Worship, Chalice Press, 1997.
Memories are joyful and painful, but we cannot live without them.
Let us pray that we may never forget.
For leaders who send young men and women to war, that their judgments be sound and their motives be pure, we pray.
For soldiers who lay down their lives for others, that the love which inspires their sacrifice be fulfilled in the love of Christ, we pray.
For soldiers who have been maimed or brutalized by war, that our love for them may make their scars less hurtful and make their brutality yield to the tenderness of returning love, we pray.
For those who have been left behind, that they may live on the strength of the love that they knew, we pray.
For those who suffer most from war, that the homeless, the orphaned, the hungry, and the innocent may help us turn from warlike ways to pursue the potential of peace, we pray.
God of Peace, help us never to forget that war is hell. Help us to honor its saints, and to pray for its sinners and victims, through the Victim for our sakes, Christ Jesus, our Lord.
|
Even though we are unable to meet in person,
RRCC has three ways you can still give your tithe:
- 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.
- Use your bank's electronic bill pay feature to have a check mailed directly from your bank to RRCC.
- Mail your check directly to RRCC.
Address your envelope to:
Financial Secretary
Round Rock Christian Church
22 Chalice Way
Round Rock, TX 78665
|
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, May 25, 2021
|
7:00 p.m.
|
- Shalom Congregation (off site)
|
|
|
- Caring Hearts Prayer Group (via Zoom) Link HERE
| |
7:00 p.m.
|
|
Thursday, May 27, 2021
|
8:00 a.m.
|
- Shalom Congregation
|
|
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.
|
| |
Evening
|
- Manantial de Vida Congregation (off site)
|
Monday, May 31, 2021
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
| 5:00 p.m. | - Texas Heat Volleyball | |
7:00 p.m.
|
- Shalom Congregation (off site)
|
ZOOM MEETING LINKS, events and details can be viewed on the RRCC Calendar.
|
Passing of Harold Hubbard, Father of Cynthia Guilbeau
Harold Hubbard, beloved father of Cynthia Guilbeau passed into the arms of his Lord and Savior, Saturday, May 22, 2021, with his daughter by his side.
Mr. Hubbard lived with Cynthia and Rick for several years before moving recently to Georgetown Living. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Melissa and Chris.
Cynthia and Rick express appreciation to their Round Rock Christian family for their prayers and other gestures of love and support.
A gathering at the graveside in Port Lavaca will be held later for the immediate family.
|
The church recently received a memorial gift in memory of Marilyn Davis, given by her brother and sister in law. The accompanying note reads:
Dear Pastor-
This is the first Mother's Day since my sister, Marilyn Davis, died. It seems an appropriate time to honor her. She was a kind and dear sister and loving mother. Enclosed is a check for $500 for your memorial fund. Please use it in an appropriate way that will honor her love for her family and the people at Round Rock Christian. Thank you for your part in her memorial service. It was a beautiful tribute to a beautiful life.
--Milton L. Mikesell, brother of Marilyn Davis & his wife Betty Jo
|
Thank You, Venessa Harmel
What an inspirational sermon we received this past Sunday, May 23. Thank you Venessa.
Venessa completed seminary studies in December, 2020 at Brite Divinity School on the campus of Texas Christian University, Fort Worth. She currently serves as Director of Spiritual Life at Juliet Fowler Communities in Dallas.
As her home church we look forward to hosting Venessa's service of ordination, followed by a celebration reception on our campus soon.
|
After a long year+ of not being together, it's exciting to know that the BBA/LRGVA Disciples Women will be meeting live and in person at our beautiful Disciple Oaks camp in Gonzales - OCTOBER 2-3, 2021! If you've attended the Retreat in the past, you know how special it is. If you haven't attended - this is the year to do it! The camp will be in great shape, and it will be a welcome time to come together as Disciples Women. Another very special reason for us to sign up this year: the retreat is being planned by our own TASHA YORK, Capital Cluster representative, along with Donna Williams, Town & Country Cluster representative. Let's support Tasha in a big way and join her in Gonzales. Mark your calendar NOW for October 2-3, 2021. More details will come later. In the meantime, if you think you might attend, please let Susan Kessler know (swkessler@austin.rr.com)
Early registration is $80 due by August 1; late registration is $90, due by September 1. The Retreat will officially begin at 10am Saturday; if you'd like to arrive on Friday night, the cost is $100 and you can enjoy local Gonzales eateries for Friday dinner and Saturday breakfast.
|
Mission South and Disciple Oaks Summer Camps 2021
Church camp changes lives! You can register online here. You can also register on the Disciple Oaks website. For a copy of this flyer you can download it here For a copy of the Mission South Summer Camp 2021 Fees download it here For a copy of the CampDoc Registration Instructions download it here More information can be found at our website, link above.
2021 Summer Camp Dates:
CYF Conference: June 21-July 3, 2021
Eighter's Camp: July 4-10, 2021
JYF Camp: July 20-21, 2021
Chi Rho Camp: July 25-31, 2021
Online Registration opens March 15, 2021
More info:
|
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 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.
|
Prayer Needs
LEADERSHIP
1. Our Guiding Board, Ministries Council, Elders, Deacons, Ministries and Teams. Our Elders are nearing the end of their "40 Days of Prayer & Faith Sharing"
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
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. Rev. Alfred Walker, the newly called Community Regional Minister (CRM) for Reconciliation and Anti-Racism. Welcome, Rev. Walker!
MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
1. For all who are grieving the loss of a loved one
2. For all who have been ill with COVID-19, and their families
3. Acree, Mary -- health and balance challenges
4. Barnett, Barbara -- fatigue issues
5. Cratin, Katherine -- sister and brother in law, Marietta and Frank
6. Fennimore, Nancy -- sister Joan Heckford managing ALS symptoms
7. Guilbeau, Rick & Cynthia; Cynthia's father, Harold Hubbard, now at Georgetown Living
8. Johnston, Janette -- mother Billie, in Alabama, will have surgery this Friday; granddaughter Izzy's surgery on June 7 to correct heart valve anomaly
9. Malone, Betty -- sister Carolyn recently had major cancer surgery and remains hospitalized
10. Miller, Chris -- (son of Jean Bell) experiencing some neuropathy from cancer treatments
11. Mouser, Tricia -- rheumatoid arthritis infusion treatments and side-effects
12. Salzwedel, Molly -- her aunt Margaret was hospitalized with COVID and is now home; will continue to monitor ongoing issues from pneumonia
13. Tucker, Terry -- brother of Gary Tucker -- recovering from recent surgeries and and ongoing tests and consultations
14. Walker, Lisa -- receiving dialysis treatments 3x per week
15. Wilson, Garvid -- chemo and radiation treatments have concluded; will consult with doctor today to discuss recent scan results and possible treatment options going forward
16. York, Tasha -- granddaughter Madi hospitalized in ICU after a series of seizures; family decisions for care of mother Peggy Massey.
17. Lonnie Smith, friend of Jackie Culbertson, who lost both legs in an accident. Please pray for his healing physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
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, evaluating side effect risks. reaching "herd immunity")
3. Those who have lost jobs during the pandemic; businesses that continue to struggle
4. All people who are persecuted for their faith throughout the world 5. Our military personnel and families 6. Pressing immigration concerns at our border, development of an immigration policy for the U.S. that is fair, just, and responsible; cooperation and communication with Mexico and Central American countries 7. Developing policies and education programs to battle systemic racism in all of its forms 8. For all efforts toward affordable health care for all Americans 9. For all efforts to make voting safe, simple, and easily accessible for all in our country; and to oppose recent voter suppression legislation 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.
|
|
.
[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, s tudying Gospel Medicine by Barbara Brown Taylor. ALL ARE WELCOME! Link HERE
.
Explorers (mixed adults) - 9:45 a.m. Sunday mornings via ZOOM, facilitator is Mildred Adair; have recently begun a study of Paul's letter to the church at Rome. Link HERE
|
Follow us on Social Media!
We can be found on:
|
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.)
.
|
|
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
Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus -- for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.
-- Acts 1:16-17
While this passage is primarily about the procedure by which the early church went about replacing Judas with a twelfth apostle, it is important to pause and reflect on Peter's affirmation here. The scriptures have mixed messages about the person of Judas. On the one hand, God used Judas and his betrayal in the unfolding of God's purpose. While the early community was scandalized by Judas' betrayal, they searched the scriptures to understand God's hand in these events. Evil is evil, but it is not beyond the scope of God's shaping hand. Such an understanding allowed the early church to search the scriptures confident that even the most horrible of events could reveal more of God's truth to those who remained faithful.
There is always the danger of religious self-righteousness that expends enormous energy in condemning evil, especially evil among us, but fails to turn to the scriptures and ask what God may be saying to us through such events. While Judas' betrayal led to the death of Jesus and could have destroyed this fledgling community, the church instead tried to hear God speaking through the event and then moved on to respond to God's future. That future asked them to heal the wound of the church by restoring a twelfth apostle to their leadership. They did this by first establishing the criteria of the next apostle.
The new apostle must be one who had been with them during the time when they had been with Jesus and must have been a witness to the resurrection. Then they prayed to God that God might indicate the appropriate one. Finally they cast lots. Casting lots was a means of taking the choice out of human hands. It may seem like a strange procedure in a community that is accustomed to the democratic vote that presumably lets the people make the choice. Still, given the chaotic nature of most church elections, it just may be a more obvious procedure for letting God make the choice. Whatever the procedure, it was important that the church not let evil consume it and that its wounds be healed so that they could proceed with the primary mission of the church. Those might be worthy aims for the contemporary church, as well.
Prayer:
Most holy Lord, Throughout the Bible, our sacred text, we learn that all that has been prophesied is still being fulfilled. We must feel compassion for the one who had all the best of opportunities, then sold out the Lord. We are so grateful to be able to read and study, to learn more of your great love for us. We want to draw nearer to you and live in your will. Give us the strength to pursue you. In our Savior's name, Amen
|
|
