the god we can know: exploring the “i am” sayings …...toxic charity saturday april 18, 2015...

March-April 2015 Riverside UMC Reminder

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

“Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, which means “spring.” The season is a preparation for celebrating Easter. Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then became a time for penance by all Christians. The First Sunday describes Jesus’ temptation by Satan; and the Sixth Sunday (Passion/Palm Sunday), Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his subsequent passion and death. Because Sundays are always little Easters, the penitential spirit of Lent should be tempered with joyful expectation of the Resurrection.”1

As I pondered what to write about this Lent I remembered two stories. Two friends were walking and talking on a busy street in New York when one asked, “Did you hear that?” The other responded, “Did I hear what?” The first named a bird whose song he had heard. The second asked how he could hear a bird song among the cacophony of New York traffic and street noise. The first didn’t answer immediately but slipped a coin out of his pocket and dropped it on the sidewalk. Several people heard it and turned to see if it might be theirs. He then said, “You hear what you listen for.”

In SoulShift: The Measure of a Transformed Life a lady writes of hearing a voice as she drove down the interstate telling her to stop at the next exit and go into the gas station and jump up and down on one foot in candy aisle. She thought that was the strangest thing and drove past the exit. The voice came back and was more insistent so she turned around at the next exit and went back. She was thankful there was no one else in the station except the clerk as she jumped up and down on one foot in the candy aisle. As she turned to leave, the clerk asked her why she just did that. She told him she had heard a voice telling her to. The clerk then told her that he had been depressed and planned to commit suicide following his shift but had prayed challenging God saying that if God were real someone would come in and jump up and down on one foot in the candy aisle.

This Lent I invite you to fast and pray so that you can hear the voice of God no matter how busy the rush of the world is around you. I invite you to fast and pray so that when you hear the voice of God you will have the courage to trust and obey. Your life may depend upon it and so might someone else’s.

Shalom in Christ, John

The God We Can Know: Exploring the “I Am” Sayings of Jesus

by Rob Fuquay is a seven week study and sermon series during Lent (February 22) through Easter (April 5) linked with The Upper Room Daily Devotional for 2015.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus gives us the “I Am” sayings, meaningful images to reveal his mission and purpose. One by one, the “I Am” statements not only grab our imagination about Jesus’ identity, but they also help us experience God, who spoke the first “I Am” to Moses. Join us for this insightful worship and study series as we learn more about the God we can know, and

seek to answer Jesus’ question, "Who do you say I am?" Books are available in the narthex and on Kindle. This study is linked to the Upper Room which is also available in the narthex and online at http://devotional.upperroom.org/. It is also available as an online course http://course.thegodwecanknow.com/ . We continue with week two of the series.

2. I Am the Bread of Life – Knowing God’s Satisfaction Sunday, March 1 3. I Am the Light of the World – Knowing God’s Guidance Sunday, March 8 4. I Am the Good Shepherd – Knowing God’s Care Sunday, March 15 5. I Am the True Vine – Knowing God’s Power Sunday, March 22 6. I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life – Knowing God’s Way Palm/Passion Sunday, March 29 7. I Am the Resurrection and the Life – Knowing God’s Possibilities Easter Sunday, April 5

1 The United Methodist Book of Worship, (Nashville. TN: The United Methodist Publishing House, 1992), ¶320.

http://devotional.upperroom.org/

http://course.thegodwecanknow.com/



The Well

Worship and Music 6:00

Pizza 5:30

Saturday March 7, March 21

Saturday, April 4, April 18

A Special Day of Learning for Clergy and Laity!

Rediscovering Methodism: the vision, the beliefs, the method.

Saturday March 14, 2015

9:00 am - 3:00 pm -- $10 (lunch included)

Dr. Scott Kisker, Professor of Church History at United Theological Seminary

and author of Mainline or Methodist?: Rediscovering Our Evangelistic Mission

Join us for a day of discovery and challenge as we examine the purpose of discipleship

and why what Methodists believed about God, grace and human action resulted in practices that revived two

continents.

Discover what we can do to recover those practices today in our local churches.

This is part of the on-going work of the East District Continuing Education Team.

“I won't be as boring as that sounds, I promise.” – Scott Kisker

High Street United Methodist Church

219 S. High St., Muncie, IN 47305

Email or call the RUMC office or Pastor John if

you are interested in attending either event so we can register you.

riversideumcmuncie.org — 288-4257

Toxic Charity

Saturday April 18, 2015 9:00 am - 3:00 pm $5 (lunch included)

Robert Lupton wrote the book Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (participants will receive a FREE copy of the book as part of the event). Lupton is also the founder and president of FCS Urban Ministries (Focused Community Strategies). The workshop will help churches learn how to focus on a particular mission in order transform a community. The workshop is being presented by the churches of the greater New Castle area in cooperation with First UMC in New Castle.

Typically giving is one-way: those of us with the resources give to those with a lack of resources. One-way giving tends to make the poor objects of pity, which harms their dignity. It also erodes

their work ethic and produces a dependency that is unhealthy both for the giver and the recipient.” – Robert Lupton

First Baptist Church, 709 S Memorial (HWY 3) New Castle, Indiana



Thanks with a grateful heart for…

Susan Reno and Barry Turner for leading discussion in the Adult Studies classes during the recent series Revival: Faith as Wesley Lived It. Pat Brown and her crew for preparing the meal following the funeral service for Charlie Gronendyke. Alan McGee for shoveling snow off the walks around the church building.

Notes To and From Our Church Family

A special thank-you to the “Caring Friends” for all their cards, gifts, and visits (to her father LaVerne LeMaster). Jane Gortner You have made a difference in the lives of your neighbors! Thank you for your gift to Christian Ministries which was received on January 16. Thank you again for your generosity and for caring for others in our community. Julie Costello, Board President

March

1st Dale Hunter 11th Elaine Wallace 12th Darci DeHaven 19th Maurice Carver 20th Judy Turner 21st Karen Blank 21st Barry Turner 21st Jo Ann Ware 26th Sarah McKillip 26th Beverly Reese 29th Jo Clevenger 30th Fred Wallace 31st Lila Thompson

April

1st Melinda Shocklee 5th Tammy Holt 6th Pat Ashcraft 7th Nicole Affolder 7th Pat Brown 7th Gary Shadoin 13th John Spence 17th Allison Mitchell 29th Susan Reno 29th Jeanine Souders

Anniversary Carl and Aloyse Baney, March 11



Saturday Men’s Lenten Breakfasts All start at 7:30 am and should end about 9:00 am

March 7: High Street UMC, 219 S High Street, Muncie March 14: DeSoto UMC, 6309 N CR 500 E, Muncie March 21: Fairview UMC, 11048 W SR 28, Redkey March 28: The Garden at Gethsemane UMC, 1201 W McGalliard, Muncie

Wednesday Noon Lenten Services Services will be at noon each Wednesday through March at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 4800 W. Bradford Woods. Service dates, leaders and topics will be: Mar. 4: Rev. Elizabeth Carrier-Ladd, Mark 8:31-38. Mar. 11: Father Sean Pogue, St. Francis Catholic Church, John 2:13-22. Mar. 18: Dr. Anne Eliades and BiBi Bahrami, A blessing from the Jewish and Muslim communities. Mar. 25: Rev. Kevin Woodget, Pastor, The Church of the Living God, John 12: 20-33. Good Friday service will be at noon April 3 at Union Missionary Baptist Church, 1100 N. Macedonia Ave.

Women’s Lenten Luncheon Thursday, March 5 – beginning with speaker at 10:00am The Garden at Gethsemane UMC 1201 W McGalliard, Muncie Rev. Sherrie Drake will speak at 10:00am on “A Gesture of Gratitude.” A meal will follow. RSVP by Monday, March 2 to GUMC at 284-6877.

Holy Thursday Simple Supper and Foot Washing

7:00 pm April 2nd ** Footwashing is a powerful symbolic response to the Word, dramatizing the servanthood of Jesus, both on the night before his death and in his continuing presence in our midst. The alternative title for this day, Maundy Thursday, recalls the new commandment (mandatum novum in Latin) in John 13:34.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13: 35-34

You may participate in the footwashing in several ways: 1. You may choose to share in washing each other's feet. Choose someone whose feet you would wash. You

will wash their feet. Then, if they are able, that person will wash your feet. 2. Pastor John will be at another footwashing station to wash feet. 3. You may simply observe the process prayerfully. If you plan to have your feet washed, be prepared to remove your shoes and socks.

Good Friday Services Christian Ministries Community Service at Union Missionary Baptist, 12:00 noon, 1100 N. Macedonia, Muncie Gethsemane UMC, Traditional Service at 6:30 pm, 1201 W. McGalliard, Muncie 11200 N. Macedonia Ave



On Sunday January 25th John McKillip, Chairperson of our Committee on Finance, shared that our organ had repairs made and that additional repair was needed for it to function in full voice. He challenged us to become “organ donors” and announced a goal of $3,600. You rose to the challenge. As of Sunday, February 22nd you have given $4,023.00 toward the organ repair. Thank you. The total bill when the work was completed was $3,359.00. We exceeded the current need by $664.00. The excess has been placed in a designated account and will be used for maintenance and repair which is recommended to be done every two years.

Nancy Campbell, center Front row: Judy Turner, Karen Blank, Larry Souders

Back row: Missi & John Young, Tom Schamp.

Riverside has committed to assist Muncie Habitat with its mission to eliminate poverty housing

in Muncie, Indiana. We are committed to work on Friday and Saturday April 10 and 11, 2015. At this

time we do not know where or what we will be working on. Since most of the work will be restorations

we will be either tearing out or putting back together an older home as we did last fall. We are to

provide 12 people to work on the house. The work day will be from 9:00am to 3:00pm with lunch at

noon. We are also committed to provide lunches each day. This is an excellent opportunity for those

who would like to be involved with Habitat but are unable to join the work campers. If you are available

and willing to work on the house on either of those dates or have questions, contact Joe Speece at church

or 759-5017 or [email protected]. If you would like to help with the lunches please contact Nancy

Campbell at church or 759-9819 or [email protected]. A signup sheet will be available by the

mission bulletin board beginning in late March.

On Sunday, March 22nd our Riverside UMC Scout Troop 1 is serving a Spaghetti dinner following worship: spaghetti, bread stick, salad. $7/adult, $5/under 12 yrs old. Proceeds go to Scout/Troop in an 80/20 split to help pay for activities/outings and camp fees.

February 14, 2015, 8:00 am



Lucille Raines $300.00

Christian Ministries $400.00

Covenant Partners $100.00

Sarah Turner $100.00

Delaware Children’s Clothing $100.00

Anonymous $100.00

St. Paul UM Church $45.00

2014 was another GREAT year of extravagant generosity and support of our risk-taking mission and service goals and outreach. The chart on page 7 lists what we have done so that you can see just how much, what, and for whom Riverside’s missions have touched… $31,894 of totally awesome giving…by YOU, Riverside UMC!

In addition to this total supported by our ENTIRE congregation, we have many people who have also volunteered their time to carry out many of our Mission programs. These include Habitat for Humanity, Christian Ministries Food Pantry, Covenant Partners dinners, Kid’s Hope Mentors, Salvation Army bell ringers, Sleep Room meal volunteers, Walk A Mile and CROP Walk walkers, as well as countless other acts of kindness or service. For fear of missing someone, we will not name every person involved with giving time…but you know who you are, and you are a blessing to accomplishing our goals through the gift of time.

With much appreciation to all of you…THANKS, from your Missions Team.

Mission Dinner – March 29

Our second Mission Dinner will be Palm Sunday, March 29, following the worship service. You will have the opportunity to put the money from your mission jar in the plastic baggie and turn it in during worship. Keep filling your jar! We will be sharing more mission information during the luncheon. Jeanie Park Estep who has been to Africa University will share the vision and the dream of our United Methodist University for all of Africa located in Zimbabwe. The Add-a-Link and Builders Classes will be preparing the lunch. It will be a time for great food and fellowship so plan to join the fun. Watch the bulletin for more information. Mission Team

Visit turnermission.com to read Sarah Turner’s blog, giving updates on her teaching mission in Eleuthera, Bahamas. Her Feb. 25, 2015 post is entitled “An unexpected time of waiting and lessons.

http://turnermission.com/?p=96

http://turnermission.com/?p=96



2014 MISSIONS for RIVERSIDE $ Raised (or est. value)

for Missions Money Designation

KEY MISSIONS

Christian Ministries canned food ( value $1/item) $852 Food donations/Help food pantry

Covenant Partners Bags (value $5 per bag) $4,400 Monthly sacks for Covenant Partners.

Covenant Partners (BUDGET) $1,200 Covenant Partner needs

Habitat for Humanity $239 Lunches, Builds

Habitat for Humanity Work Team $440 Habitat Build at a location

Kid's Hope (BUDGET) $1,000 Kid's Hope

Misc. Needs that come up (BUDGET) $100 Misc. money needs

Mission for Vance’s (BUDGET) $2,300 Missionaries

Pro Dads (BUDGET) $1,400 Mitchell/Dads/Kids program

Campus Minister for BSU (BUDGET) $5,000 Campus Ministry

KEY FUNDRAISING OUTREACH

Sarah Turner Missions $1,257 Living expenses

SPECIAL MISSIONS OFFERING COLLECTIONS

Bishop's Christmas Eve Offering $709 Children: 1/3 IN, 1/3 US, 1/3 world

Lenten Offering $354 1/2 Christian Min. - 1/2 Cov. Partners

Loose Change $1,229 Christian Ministries/Covenant Partners

UMCOR Great Hour of Sharing $595 To UMCOR

Well on Wheeling $623 Covenant Partners

SPECIAL MISSION EVENTS OR DONATIONS OF GOODS

SOUPER Bowl Sunday soup donation ($1/can value) $65 Soup donations - goes into Christian Ministry numbers

Super Bowl Sub Sandwich Sunday ($5 each) $230 Kids Hope

Muncie Mission/Walk A Mile $500 Muncie Mission

Carson Coupon Books $45 Christian Ministries

Sleep Room (Christian Ministries)- serve approx. 10 people 2X day/7 days @$5 meal value

$70 Sleep Room

Covenant Partners Dinners (dinner for 60-70 people) $300 Covenant Partners

Covenant Partners Pork Chop Dinner Tix Sales $132 Covenant Partners

YWCA towel donations ($4 approx. value for each donation) $528 YWCA -towels (Nancy Buchard)

Coats Against Cold ($10 each approx. value each coat) $250 Schools

Tools for School (@ $5 each) $100 Mitchell Elementary

Christian Ministries/Crop Walk $1,655 Christian Ministries

Heifer Program (total is 2013+2014) $3,805 Heifer-INTL.

Salvation Army $434 Salvation Army

IHOP Group $606 Special needs and projects

Pastor's Discretionary Fund Missions $1,476 Special needs

TOTAL $31,894



Woodcarving Classes….. meet the 1st and 3rd Thursday’s

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

Riverside Homecoming

Talent Night 2015

RUMC musicians, past and present, will be performing on

Saturday, June 6 at the Riverside Homecoming Talent Night

which begins at 6:00 pm. Be sure to put it on your calendar and

watch for more information.

Older Adult Ministry

Tom Schamp will be heading up a team that will be reviewing our current ministries to older adults and researching new ideas to expand our reach in this area within our current congregation but also into the community. You may have noticed that the older adult population is growing as a percentage of the overall population both in our congregation and the Muncie community as a whole. People are living longer and healthier lives. Many are looking for opportunities to serve while others are seeking answers to questions about faith. Young men and women are more involved in completing their education, starting a career, marriage and starting a family. Older adults have the time to serve the needs of a congregation and community. If you have a concern for older adults let Tom know ([email protected] -- 749-4410) that you’d like to serve on this team.

Bags are due: Monday, March 23 for distribution on Wednesday, March 25. Bags are due: Monday, April 20 for distribution on Wednesday, April 22.

Please put the following in a paper bag with handles: 1 hand soap, 1 dish washing liquid, 1 box of tissues, 4 rolls of toilet paper, 1 small bottle/box laundry detergent.



Greeters for March/April

Date Outside Door Inside Door Sanctuary Mingler

Mar 1 Frank and Betty Campbell Darwin Keyton Linda Keyton

Mar 8 Wilma Grile and Susan Reno Barry Turner Nancy Campbell

Mar 15 John and Sarah McKillip Sandy Abbott Pat Ashcraft

Mar 22 Dustin Meeks and Dorothy Bowman Wilma Carney Sandy Hunter

Mar 29 Fred Wallace and Jack Stanton Karen Blank Pat Brown

Easter Mark and Amy Clevenger Sandy Jordan Barry Turner

April 12 Jerry and Ann Golden Sara Mitchell Marge Salisbury

April 19 Dylan and Samantha Lewark Laura Shadoin Susan Reno

April 26 Bill and Nellie Campbell Mary Schumacher Pat Ashcraft

Below is a list of members who are unable to attend our services. Please contact the church office at 288-4257 if you know of others who were not included on this list.

Julia Cougill, 1812 E 17th St, Muncie 47302

Kay Farling, Brookdale Place at Willow Lake, 2725 Lake Circle Dr. #216, Indianapolis 46268

Pauline Miller, 2113 N Maplewood Ave, Muncie 47304

Fritz and Ruby Miller, 99 Lakeshore Drive, Melbourne, FL 32901-7845

Jeanette Perkey, Westminster Village, 5801 W Bethel Ave, Devon Court, Muncie 47304

Anna Mae Schenck, Fall Creek Retirement Village, 625 E Water St, Apt 8, Pendleton 46064

Della Stafford, Westminster Village, 5801 W Bethel Ave, #517, Muncie 47304

Jeanette Taylor, Golden Living Center, Memory Care Unit, 2701 Lyn-Mar Drive, Muncie 47304

Bill Terhune, Harbour Assisted Living, 3110 E Coliseum Blvd # 215, Fort Wayne IN 46805-1554 Louise Whitaker, Westminster Village, 5801 W Bethel Ave, #501, Muncie 47204



UMC Reaches Out to Dunkirk

Several persons from Riverside have been working to rebuild a house in Dunkirk that had been flooded out by 11 inches of rain August 21-22 last summer. This house belongs to an elderly widow lady named Mary who is in her mid 80’s. A team from Riverside helped move

her belongings into storage so that the lower level living area could be gutted. Another church group from southern Indiana began work on this project last fall, but did not finish it. A team from Riverside painted in December. Riversiders began ongoing work on it the first of the year. It is a complete interior re-build of the lower level living area. This includes electrical, plumbing, general construction, laying flooring, installing doors, installing cabinets, painting and finishing.

Those that have been involved in this project to date are as follows: John Young, Missi Young, Alan McGee, Barry Turner, Joe Speece, Betty Speece, Frank Campbell, Dick Murray, Mick Phelps, Ron Brown, Larry Campbell, and Nancy Campbell, Judy Turner, Amy Clevenger, Joyce Kendall

At this point in time we have the doors installed, some of the electrical work complete, the shower and toilet installed, the cabinets in the bath partially complete, the flooring in the bath complete, plans for the kitchen cabinets redrawn, and the kitchen cabinets about ready to install, and some of the trim is in place. Work that is yet to be done is; hanging some drywall, finishing the trim, installing the kitchen cabinets, finishing the electrical work and installing lights, finishing the plumbing, laying the remaining flooring, installing the wardrobe in the bedroom, finishing the walls and painting. We have had the assistance of a plumber from The Compass at Selma UMC and a flooring installer from Corinth UMC. An electrician from Avondale UMC and the plumber from The Compass are also volunteering on the new home being built next door. Report from L. Campbell

Pictures from Dunkirk work…..

Joe and Betty Speece working on kitchen Total rebuild of the kitchen was needed

R

the god we can know: exploring the “i am” sayings …...toxic charity saturday april 18, 2015...

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