september october, 2018 riverside umc reminder · september - october, 2018 riverside umc reminder...

September - October, 2018 Riverside UMC Reminder

Riverside United Methodist Church Ignites Faith – Invites Others – Involves Service

Maintenance and Mission

As I was pondering what to write for this newsletter I read Fr. Richard Rohr’s e-mail meditation Absolutes on Wednesday, August 29, 2018. You can find his meditations at https://cac.org/richard-rohr/daily-meditations/. I encourage you to read a couple from the archive and to sign up to receive them daily. They will challenge and encourage you to grow in your faith. Here is what he wrote about God and prophetic criticism.

“God reveals the essence of divinity to Moses: ehyeh asher ehyeh, most often translated as I AM what I

AM [Exodus 3:14]. A more accurate Hebrew translation would be “I will be whatever I will be.” In either case, the Hasidic understanding of the text is the same: God is all that is. God is all that is happening at every moment. God is I AM—not a being or even a supreme being, but Being itself. . . . [Each of us is] a keeper of the I AM; just as a wave is a “keeper of” the ocean in its particular place and time, so are you a keeper of God in your particular place and time. To realize this about yourself is to realize it about all beings. —Rabbi Rami Shapiro [1]

“The biblical tradition reveals that whenever the prophetic gift is lacking in any group or religion, such a group will very soon be self-serving, self-perpetuating, and self-promoting. Without prophetic criticism, all sense of mission and message is lost. Establishments of any kind usually move toward their own self-perpetuation, rather than “What are we doing for the world?” In fact, the question of mission is not even asked because self-perpetuation has become an end in itself.”

At our church conference on Sunday, August 19, 2019 the vote of the 42 who were present was unanimous to “authorize the use of up to $200,000 of the Endowment Fund principal to pay for major repairs to church property.” In doing so, we have taken care of preserving and perpetuating the church building. You can see the initial article regarding the repairs needed in the May/June newsletter on our website http://riversideumcmuncie.org by clicking on Newsletters in the left column. So, now the question of mission is before us. “What are we doing for the world?” We are doing many things from supporting Covenant Partners, Christian Ministries of Delaware County, Inside Out’s Fresh Directions Hot Meals Program feeding hungry children here in Muncie, providing space for our Scout Troop 1 and Crew 1 to meet, providing six scholarships for students to attend school through Operation Classroom in Sierra Leone, West Africa, support Rev. Ken Vance in mission in Zambia, cooperating in kingdom ministry by sharing our church facilities with Remedy City Church, and much more through church members who volunteer and serve in the community. We are called to be missional and these questions are being asked as part of our charge conference on Saturday, September 29 at 2:00 pm at Avondale UMC:

-what are you doing this year that you didn’t do last year? -what new mission field(s) have you identified? -what tools have you used to identify your new mission field?

How shall we respond to these questions and how shall we do both maintenance and mission in the future?

Shalom in Christ,

John [1] Rami Shapiro, Hasidic Tales: Annotated and Explained (Jewish Lights Publishing: 2004, 2013), 4.

https://cac.org/richard-rohr/daily-meditations/



Consecration Sunday Is Coming

Congregations that approach financial stewardship from a biblical perspective do not view the money Christians give to their church merely as a way to pay its bills. Rather, such congregations see financial contributions as a way to help people grow spiritually in their relationship with God by supporting their church’s mission and ministry with a percentage of their incomes.

We have selected the New Consecration Sunday Stewardship Program as a way to teach the biblical and spiritual principles of generous giving in our stewardship education emphasis this year.

New Consecration Sunday is based on the biblical philosophy of the need of the giver to give for his or her own spiritual development, rather than on the need of the church to receive. Instead of treating people like members of a social club who should pay dues, we will treat people like followers of Jesus Christ who want to give unselfishly as an act of discipleship. New Consecration Sunday encourages people toward proportionate and systematic giving in response to the question, “What percentage of my income is God calling me to give?”

During morning worship on Consecration Sunday, we are asking our attendees and members to make their financial commitments to our church’s missionary, benevolent, and educational ministries in this community and around the world.

Every attendee and member who completes an Estimate of Giving Card does so voluntarily by attending morning worship on Consecration Sunday. We urge people to attend who feel strongly opposed to completing a card. The procedure is done in such a way that no one feels personal embarrassment if he or she chooses not to fill out a card.

We will do no home solicitation to ask people to complete cards. During morning worship we will conduct a brief period of instruction and inspiration, climaxed by members making their commitments as a confidential act of worship.

We will encourage participation in Consecration Sunday events through the Consecration Sunday team and governing board members. Since we will make no follow-up visits to ask people to complete their cards, we will make every effort to inform, inspire, and commit everyone to attend Consecration Sunday worship and the catered meal following worship on October 21.

Thanks in advance for your enthusiastic participation in Consecration Sunday events.

Darwin Keyton Governing Council Chairperson

The Commission on a Way Forward was proposed by the Council of Bishops and approved by the 2016 General Conference to do a complete examination and possible revision of every paragraph of the Book of Discipline concerning human sexuality and explore options that help to maintain and strengthen the unity of the church. We are invited to pray for the upcoming Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church to be held February 23-26, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. For more information go to UMCprays.org and http://www.umc.org/who-we-are/commission-on-a-way-forward.

https://www.umnews.org/en/news/bishops-set-date-for-special-2019-general-conference

http://umcprays.org/

http://www.umc.org/who-we-are/commission-on-a-way-forward



The Ten Commandments: Laws of the Heart by Joan Chittister will be the text for a sermon series beginning on September 9 which will include the two great commandments and take us up to Advent. Are the Ten Commandments a set of rules, or a way of life? How does each call us to reflect and act? What does it mean to love God and neighbor in a world of violence and fear that threatens our lives and our souls? Joan Chittister answers these questions and more in this honest inquiry into what it means to be born in the image and likeness of God. Joan Chittister, OSB (1936- ) is a Benedictine Sister of Erie, PA. She is the author of over 50 books--and has won fourteen Catholic Press Association Awards for them.

News From Our Music Director Anyone interested in singing with the Riverside Singers this season is invited to our Singers carry-in kickoff at the Reese/Dorn household on Sunday, September 9th at 5:30 pm. Main Dish and Drinks will be provided~ please bring a side or dessert. Please bring your calendars and vacation dates to the party. It also has been requested to look at Thursday's for a rehearsal day. We will discuss and decide our singing calendar. If you have any questions about the carry-in or about singing with the Riverside Singers, please feel free to ask Beverly or Rebecca. We hope to see everyone at the carry-in kick-off.

TRUNK ‘N TREAT The annual Trunk ‘n Treat event draws children from all over town. Many friends and family come to enjoy an evening of “dress up” with candy, hot dogs, roasted marshmallows and drinks. Darwin and Linda Keyton will be coordinating the event this year with Tiffany Blower with Remedy City Church. This year Halloween is on Wednesday (October 31). You can help by volunteering a “trunk” or table, and/or supplying candy, hot dogs, buns, or cash to help provide these items. Look for the volunteer signup information and more details in the bulletin in coming weeks.

Sunday School Classes Add-a-Link: This fall the class will resume Sept. 9 and be learning from Luke's Gospel: Behold the Man! This is a verse by verse discussion of Luke the Physician’s account of Our Lord’s Birth and Ministry. Some highlights include the Second Sermon on the Mount, what day The Word Was Made Flesh, His Birth as The Word Made Flesh at The Feast of Tabernacles, Our Lord being The Perfect Man and Second Adam, and much, much more. Leader: Fritz Dolak The Builders Class will resume on Sunday, September 2, at 8:30 am in room 203. The fall series of lessons will focus on the Creation accounts as given in Genesis. We will try to gain insight into God the Creator and our relationship with him. We will study people of faith like Noah, Abraham, and Sarah and how their faith was used to further God’s work on our God created world. Leader: Florence Shelby Master's Charges will resume on Sept. 9 and will be studying The Ten Commandments: Laws of the Heart written by Joan Chittister. We will cover a commandment each week plus the Great Commandments. Leaders will be: Jan Phelps, Karen Blank, Missi Young, Barry and Judy Turner.

Please Wear Your Nametag on Sunday We encourage everyone to wear their nametags. This simple act makes our guests feel more comfortable when they see others wearing nametags as well. In addition, our guests can call you by name as they are greeted during

our greeting time. Thank you.



Boy Scouts The scouts have finished with Summer Camp and are back in school. We just had elections and the troop has new leadership so, they are going thru their change of command.

Fall Camporee is coming up, October 12-14 at Camp Redwing. The theme is Zombie Outbreak and the scouts have to

protect their scoutmaster from a terrible fate. They are preparing by spending time on:

First Aid Compass and map reading Signaling Fire Building (and most importantly) Being Prepared

We are also working on our calendar for the rest of this year and up to July of next year.

September is Backpacking. We will be going to Morgan-Monroe State Forest for an overnight trip.

News from the Missions Team Riverside’s generous hearts and hands have been at work again.

July - $900 was contributed to the Shoes for School outreach

August - $794.42 collected from our M&M Mission jars

August – Inside /Out’s Fresh Directions Kitchen volunteers Mondays and Thursdays

August – Riverside provided Food Pantry workers 3 days

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 9 – Riverside will provide a lunch for Main Street

September 23 – CROP WALK for HUNGER - Riverside will have a team of walkers that will be

collecting donations. Mary Schumacher will share more information

Sept./Oct – Inside/Out Kitchen will need volunteers

November 18 -Mission Sunday. Ken Vance, our missionary from Zambia, will share at our Mission

lunch about the church that we helped put a roof on and his other mission work. We will be collecting

our M&M Mission money during worship, so keep filling your jars.

Supporting Operation Classroom by providing scholarships to high school students in Sierra Leone is part of

our Mission outreach. Riverside will provide 6 scholarships for the 2018-2019 school year. Students

receiving the scholarships are:

Adamsay Tholley who wants to be a nurse and loves singing and dancing.

Baikump Tarawailie is 14 years old and wants to be a lawyer. He likes football [what we call soccer] and

swimming

Sheriff Conteh is 15 and wants to be a doctor. He likes swimming and dancing.

Albert Josiah is 15 and wants to be a soldier. He likes to study and play ball. His father is a farmer and his

mother is a trader. He is very grateful to have the scholarship money to buy his uniform and books.

Ibrahim Kargbo is 14 years old and wants to be a medical doctor. He likes to play football and read. He

appreciates the scholarship money to pay for his fees, books, and uniform. He would have to drop out of

school without the scholarship.

By providing scholarship money to help these students get an education and training, you are helping break

the cycle of poverty in Sierra Leone.

Thank you Riverside for your GENEROSITY – you are helping the people in Muncie, the United States and

around the world.



Woodcarving & Crafts….. meet the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Thursday’s

of each month at 10:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.

Covenant Partners Ministry Supply Bags Due Dates

Bags are due: Monday, September 24 Bags are due: Monday, October 22 Please put the following in a double bagged plastic bag: 1 hand soap, 1 dish washing liquid, 1 box of tissues, 4 rolls of toilet paper, 1 small bottle/box laundry detergent, shampoo

QUILTERS

There is now a quilting group that meets in Room 101 at the same time the Woodcarvers meet in Fellowship Hall. This is a group comprised of quilters from Covenant Partners, Riverside, and other churches. They meet on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month from 10:00 am to noon. All quilters, regardless of experience, are welcome to attend.

The Riverside knitters have been meeting each Tuesday evening from 7:00-8:00 upstairs in room 302. Anyone with an interest in knitting is welcome to join this delightful intergenerational group. Some are just learning to knit, beginning with a dish cloth. Other more experienced knitters work on prayer shawls. And some are continuing with projects that were already underway when we began meeting. There is always someone to help with a dropped stitch or “confused needles.” In spite of the differences in our ages and abilities, we have some things in

common: We enjoy the company of other knitters and sharing in this spirit filled endeavor. What a blessing! All knitters are welcome each Tuesday from 7:00-8:00!!!

Coats Against the Cold

Christian Ministries and Hearts and Hands United are collecting coats, hats, mittens and scarves to share with

others in our community. Please bring your new or gently used items or monetary donations to church on or

before the 7th of October. If you choose to make a donation please write “Coats” on the memo line of your

check. The event will be held at the Delaware County Fairgrounds on the 13th of October.

CLOSE KNIT FRIENDS

Christian Ministries food pantry will benefit from the

“simply give” program once again this year. Just

purchase a donation card at Meijer and the card will

be converted into food only gift cards that will be

given to food pantries. You may purchase the

donation cards between now and September 15. The

donation will be matched (doubled) on Friday, Sept.

7. Cards are available on the table in the narthex and

in the check-out lanes at Meijer.



Sunday Morning Fellowship

Sunday morning fellowship will resume on September 9. We thank our wonderful volunteers and invite you to

join our ranks. Any of our volunteers will be happy to show you how to operate the coffee brewer: Pat Brown,

Tom and Janet Schamp, Judy Turner, Missi Young and Sandy Hunter. All you need do is to let us know you’d like

to “observe” one Sunday so you can learn how to do it. The sign-up sheet is in the Narthex.

Below is the Greeter Schedule for September and October. You will notice that we will no longer have a Sanctuary Mingler. We are asking you when you see an unfamiliar face to “walk across the room” and welcome our guest.

Greeter Schedule September & October 2018 Date Outside Door Inside Door Sept. 2 Larry Campbell Nancy Campbell Sept. 9 Sandy Abbott Sandy Jordan Sept. 16 Gary Shadoin Wilma Grile Sept. 23 Herb Blank Karen Blank Sept. 30 Sandy Hunter Sara Mitchell Oct. 7 Barry Turner Sally Wetzel Oct. 14 Susan Reno Marge Salisbury Oct. 21 Darwin Keyton Linda Keyton Oct. 28 Ron Brown Pat Brown

Fall Lay Servant Academy

Is God calling you to be a local church or certified lay servant? God calls each of us to be witnesses who proclaim the presence and power of God through all that we are and all that we do. The Lay Servant Academy offers courses to prepare us to serve in our church and in others around the district. The courses offered this fall are: Basic Lay Servant Ministries, Leading in Prayer, and Accountable Discipleship. The Academy will be held at First United Methodist Church in New Castle on September 8 and 15 from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. Cost is $30.00 per class and includes course materials and lunch. For more information and to register see the pamphlet in the Narthex.

Thanks to and from the Congregation

Linda McBride writes, To our brothers and sisters at Riverside UMC, thank you for the financial donations and the Covenant Partner bags you supplied during July and August. God bless you, Pastor Linda and everyone at Covenant Partners Ministries.

Prayer Concerns List The Prayer Web is usually mailed on Monday or Tuesday. If you do not receive this email or snail mail, and would like to, please contact the church office. Prayer concerns are not limited to Sunday mornings. If you have a concern during the week, call the office at 288-4257 or email [email protected] for that concern to be placed on the prayer web.

mailto:[email protected]



Sneakers for Schools Once again the generous Riverside congregation rose to the challenge of providing 60 pairs of sneakers to the many needy children of Muncie and Delaware County. Hundreds and hundreds of families filed through the buildings on the Delaware County Fairgrounds on Saturday July 28 to receive backpacks filled with school supplies and then were fitted for a brand new pair of sneakers. Hearts and Hands United wishes to thank you for your kind generosity.

Caring Friends Card List

Pat Ashcraft, The Hearth at Tudor Gardens, 11755 N Michigan Rd. Apt. 234, Zionsville, IN 46077-9325

Mary Ann Beuoy, Palmer Hills, 2617 Maplecrest Rd., Apt. 116 Bettendorf, IA 52722-7807 (563)742-1985

Dorothy Bowman, 6609 Brindale, Muncie, IN 47304

Wilma Carney, 1600 N Walnut St, Muncie 47303

Maurice and Nancy Carver, 9509 N. Sugarwood Court, Muncie, IN 47303 Julia Cougill, 1812 E 17th St, Muncie 47302

Florence Irey-Crum, c/o Melinda Franz, 2807 W. Woodbridge, Muncie, IN 47304

(mother of Julia Pittenger/Susan Reno)

Odessa DeHaven, 2300 W White River Blvd., Apt #12, Muncie, IN 47303

Kay Farling, Hoosier Village Hawthorn Hall, 9999 Hoosier Village Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46268

Dorothy Hawkins, 3602 S Ironwood #211 B-E, South Bend, IN 46614

Nadine Johnson, 4100 N Morrison Rd, Muncie, IN 47304 (mother of Judy Turner)

Betty Lacey, Yorktown Manor 2000 S Andrews Rd, Yorktown, IN 47396

Roberta Phelps, Park Place Room 106, 359 Randolph St, Parker City, IN 47368, (mother of Mick Phelps) Rex and Donna Pittenger, 5801 W Bethel Ave, #531, Muncie, IN 47304

Melissa Wallace, 1412 W. Tree Lane, Muncie, IN 47302, (daughter of Fred Wallace)

Mary Whitaker, c/o Marcia Smith, 2000 Tam O’Shanter Dr., Mt. Vernon, IN 47620



Thanks with a grateful heart for…

Barry Turner for rewiring one of the Exit Lights and sourcing the problem. Judy Turner and Pat Brown and the volunteers for organizing and preparing the lunch for the family and friends of Louise Whitaker following her memorial service. Barry Turner for defrosting the refrigerator in the kitchen. Karen Miller for donating a TV for the Builders’ Class to view their Bible study DVD. Joe Speece for the countless hours he has spent pulling weeds, trimming bushes, and just generally trying to keep the Riverside grounds looking nice and for repairing a toilet in one of the ladies’ restrooms. The Communion Team for preparing the elements for Communion each month. Mick Phelps, Tom Schamp, and Barry Turner for moving furniture twice as flooring was replaced at the parsonage following water damage from a leaking ice maker.

Anniversaries***

September

Karen Miller 9/2 Sandy Abbott 9/4 Aonde Carraway 9/7 Linda Keyton 9/7 Tom Schamp 9/9 Wilma Grile 9/12 Nellie Campbell 9/16 Debbie DeHaven 9/17 Doran Kendall 9/17 Aloyse Baney 9/23 Barbara Parker 9/24 Sandy Jordan 9/30 Jan Phelps 9/30

October

Rich Carraway 10/1 Deb Dolak 10/3 Dorothy Bowman 10/5 Betty Lacey 10/13 Leta Settle 10/21 Jerry Thomas 10/21 Wilma Carney 10/22 Eric Murphy 10/23 Leona Barber 10/28 Sally Wetzel 10/30 Janet Schamp 10/31

September 6 Bob & Earlene Harvey September 7 Dick & Ruth Garringer October 19 Darwin & Linda Keyton

September 7 Dick & Ruth Garringer October 11 John & Sarah McKillip October 19 Darwin & Linda Keyton

september october, 2018 riverside umc reminder · september - october, 2018 riverside umc reminder...

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