3400 North Atlantic Avenue Cocoa Beach, FL 32931 Telephone (321) 783-6085 Fax (321) 784-5433 [email protected]www.riversidepres.org Rev. Dr. Daniel D. Robinson Pastor Darrien “Chili” Thorstad Music Director Jennifer Thorstad Church Secretary Doug Kasimier Treasurer Val Constantini Maintenance Tech Chuck Torgler Custodian Cecilia Quist Nursery Lead Jeff Janowich Audio Technician July/August 2015 Down by the Riverside From Across the Pastor’s Desk... When you get right down to it, the church is totally dependent upon volunteers. We exist purely on the kindness and good will of others. We cannot levy a tax on our members. We have no product or service for which we can invoice others for payment. We cannot require anyone to give their time and talents. We are purely dependent on a spirit of volunteerism. Of course, the volunteers of the church are a bit different from other volunteers in that church volunteers are responding to their faith and the call of God, who has already taken the initiative to voluntarily provide us with love, blessings, acceptance and grace. The word “volunteer” is derived from the Latin verb volo meaning “I will.” A volunteer, therefore, is defined as “one who enters into or offers oneself for a service of their own free will.” But in volunteering we do not always know what we are getting ourselves into. In the church that is especially true because no one can know the will of God for certain. The important thing for the volunteer is to be willing to seek God’s will. People divide not between those who KNOW God’s will and those who DO NOT, but between those who SEEK God’s will and those who DO NOT. The best volunteers are those who do not hesitate to jump right in and seek God’s will AS they work and serve. Thomas Merton offered a prayer for those who are willing to jump right in as a volunteer. He prayed: “My Lord and my God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me; I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please. And I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always, though I may seem to be lost in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.” (Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude). During the next months, Riverside will be going through a transition. An interim pastor will be in the position of leadership and a search will begin for your next called pastor. This would be a perfect time to serve God as a volunteer and help with the life and programs of Riverside. So, come on – jump right in. By the grace of God the water is fine – It is the water of baptism and that makes it ALWAYS fine. -Pastor Dan
Down by the Riverside From Across the Pastor’s Desk...
When you get right down to it, the church is totally dependent upon volunteers. We exist purely on the kindness and good will of others. We cannot levy a tax on our members. We have no product or service for which we can invoice others for payment. We cannot require anyone to give their time and talents. We are purely dependent on a spirit of volunteerism. Of course, the volunteers of the church are a bit different from other volunteers in that church volunteers are responding to their faith and the call of God, who has already taken the initiative to voluntarily provide us with love, blessings, acceptance and grace.
The word “volunteer” is derived from the Latin verb volo meaning “I will.” A volunteer, therefore, is defined as “one who enters into or offers oneself for a service of their own free will.” But in volunteering we do not always know what we are getting ourselves into. In the church that is especially true because no one can know the will of God for certain. The important thing for the volunteer is to be willing to seek God’s will. People divide not between those who KNOW God’s will and those who DO NOT, but between those who SEEK God’s will and those who DO NOT. The best volunteers are those who do not hesitate to jump right in and seek God’s will AS they work and serve.
Thomas Merton offered a prayer for those who are willing to jump right in as a volunteer. He prayed: “My Lord and my God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me; I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please. And I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always, though I may seem to be lost in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.” (Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude).
During the next months, Riverside will be going through a transition. An interim pastor will be in the position of leadership and a search will begin for your next called pastor. This would be a perfect time to serve God as a volunteer and help with the life and programs of Riverside. So, come on – jump right in. By the grace of God the water is fine – It is the water of baptism and that makes it ALWAYS fine.
-Pastor Dan
July Birthdays!
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7/1: John Porterfield 7/2: Earnestine Kessel, Ted Schmoll, Mark Young 7/4: Joseph McDowell 7/5: Kay Halpern, Susan White 7/7: John Kent 7/8: William Myers 7/12: Kathy Wildmann 7/13: Carolyn Gibson 7/14: Judy Bartine, Betty Peterson 7/15: Howard Roberts 7/16: Bea Lewis, Bob Rose 7/17: Jean Cornelius, Louise Hurd, Joyce Klahr 7/19: Dan Robinson 7/20: Debbie Burleigh, Natalie Lyons 7/21: Teri Monteith, Les Rudy 7/22: Shirley Moores 7/23: William Crock 7/24: Owen Burns, Mandy Herrnkind 7/25: Mary Mullin 7/26: Debra Hoffpauir, Sharon Martin 7/27: Jeff Gregory, Charlie Ragland, Robert Ward 7/30: Jeanne Kelley 7/31: Ethan Goswick
August Birthdays!
8/1: Michael Meighen 8/2: Bob Howard 8/4: Flip Boehmer, Lindalee Torgler 8/7: Coleen Castillo, Mary Josselson 8/9: Parker Holden 8/14: Val Constantini 8/15: Billy Coon, Charlotte Coon, Karen Hitch 8/16: Jessica Nixon 8/18: Tammy Ivan 8/20: Ginny Skywark 8/21: Helen McDowell 8/25: Lodene Farden 8/27: Rusty Fischer, George Smith 8/28: Joe Fanning 8/29: Dorothy Larson 8/30: Penny Dale 8/31: Abbie Gordon, Jim Mustin, Mabel Stafford
Farewell to the Robinson Family!
Pastor Dan & Karin Robinson, and their family
(daughters Erin & Mandy) came to Riverside in June
of 2002.
It is hard to believe, but July 19th is almost upon us,
and we will be saying farewell to our amazing pastor
and his wife as they embark on RETIREMENT!
Everyone at Riverside, the staff, members, visitors, friends, and the community will miss Dan and
Karin immensely, but we are so happy for them and for their families for this great blessing of
retirement.
As many of you know, Dan’s last Sunday in the pulpit will be July 19th (also his
birthday!), so please plan to be there! Also, we will hold a retirement reception
in their honor later that evening in Fellowship Hall. If you haven’t already
RSVP’d, please do, as there is a limit to the amount of guests we can
accommodate in Fellowship Hall. You can contact Jennifer in the church office
Riverside will sponsor a team in the Military Affairs Council (MAC) Bowl-A-Thon on August 15th at Shore Lanes Merritt Island. Team members Joe Marshall, Shirley Boothman, Vince Passero, and Paul Pfeiffer will compete against other civilian teams, and Riverside's contributions will also sponsor a military team to compete against other military teams.
Through its participation in MAC, a committee of the Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce, Riverside “gets the church out of the building” reaching out to our local community and supporting the men and women of our military services stationed here on the Space Coast. Funds raised by the MAC Bowl-A-Thon provide a holiday dinner for military members and their families who are unable to go home for the holidays.
Riverside's bowling team has been quite successful in prior years, winning the civilian team competition in 2014! Let's all wish this year's Riverside team great success in the 2015 MAC Bowl-A-Thon!
If you are interested in future bowling opportunities contact Joe Marshall at 453-2890 or [email protected].
If you would like to know more about MAC, contact Mason Gibson at 783-6189 or [email protected].
IPad classes are back!
Bob Howard will again hold his IPad classes at 3:00pm on Wednesday, July 22nd and 3:00pm on Wednesday, August 19th in Calvin Hall. Bring your IPad questions and join us!
Blood Drive July 5th! Be sure to donate! The bus will be here from 8am—1pm and ready to accept all of you wonderful donors who give again and again! All donors will receive a FREE Tervis tumbler. Thank you for your support!
The next Family Promise hosting week is July 26th. It’s not too early to sign up for Set Up/Tear Down, Meals, Hosting, Chaperoning, etc. See the white board in Fellowship Hall for available volunteer slots. We need your help! Join us in this rewarding and worthwhile ministry. Contact Dick Gerhardt for more information at [email protected] or 321-784-1132.
There will be NO Sunday School on July 5th due to the holiday weekend.
Also, the Van Der Laan Video Series & One Room Schoolhouse will NOT meet the month of August
Church Announcements
PAGE 7 DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE JULY/AUG 2015
Session Synopsis . . .
The Session of Riverside Presbyterian Church met on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 to address the following items of business, taking action where indicated:
The meeting was opened with a devotional and prayer by elder, Gail Marshall.
The minutes of the Stated Meeting of May 19th and the Special Called Meeting of June 14
th were
approved without exception. (Cody Neiman was welcomed as a member at the June 14th meeting.)
The name of Bill Casto was removed from the Active Roll by death on June 16, 2015.
The Interim Pastor Search Committee has met and is awaiting some names from the Presbytery office.
The Mission Study Group presented a draft mission and vision statement. Following input from the congregation, a final document will be presented to the session either in July or August.
Elder Debbie Burleigh reported on the June 9th meeting of Central Florida Presbytery.
The Ambassador Commission reported on their activities for the spring. Because of so few visitors during the summer they have suspended their activities until the fall.
The Fellowship Commission, Personnel Commission and Property Commission had no reports to share.
Worship and Sacrament Commission related their intention to carefully plan worship services in the future so as to keep attracting members. Worship is where we make our first impression so we must be intentional.
On recommendation from OMEC the Session voted to give $750 to Links of Hope from the Bookbinder Fund. The Session also approved the schedule of concerts for the Vernon Boushell Concert Series for 2015-2016.
Stewardship and Finance reported that the income is down as expected but so are the expenditures. The budget is being carefully watched, but is performing as normal so far this year and is slightly ahead of last year to date.
The Education Commission reported on the Summer Sunday school program. The Commission is also planning a Curriculum Fair in September to introduce the various classes being offered beginning in the fall.
Barbara Holden, Moderator of the PW reported for the Presbyterian Women. They will begin their programs again in the fall.
The Session voted to spend $775.99 for a new 10 foot tall Chrismon tree with LED lights. The money will be taken from the Memorial Fund.
After the names of those who are in special need of attention and prayer were shared, the Session closed with prayer at 9:00.
PAGE 8 DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE JULY/AUG 2015
July/August News from the Presbyterian Women
On June 4th the Presbyterian Women’s Coordinating Team met in the home of Gail Marshall for a Year End Luncheon and planning meeting for the 2015-2016 PW activities. Information is being gathered for the 2015 and 2016 handbook with Kathy Coon as coordinator. New handbooks will be available by September.
The Presbyterian Women of Central Florida Presbytery’s annual Bible study event will be held on August 22, 2015 at the North Lake Presbyterian Church. The address is 975 Rolling Acres Road, Lady Lake, Florida, 32159, phone 352-753-8484. Laura Viau will lead the Bible study “Come to the Waters.” Laura is the PWCFP Secretary and pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Apopka, FL. Registration is $10 per person (lunch included). Reservation deadline is August 14, 2015 with late fee of $15. You can download a copy of the above information and a registration form at PWCFP.com. Then click on Forms for registration. Hard copies of the info and registration form will be in Gail Marshall’s Publicity Box for the PW.
The PW will take their annual summer break and resume activities in the fall.
Dates to Remember:
June 16-21 – Church wide Triennial Gathering, Minneapolis, MN
August 22 – Annual Bible Study event at Northlake Presbyterian Church, Lady Lake, Florida
-Gail Marshall, Publicity Chairman
July in the Kid’s Corner - One Room School House
Continuing in July, the One Room School House will have their Bible study at the 9 to 9:45 AM time frame just prior to the one worship service at 10 PM. Come and find us in the children’s corner of Fellowship Hall.
The One Room School House’s summer curriculum is, Awesome Adventures: Paul’s Amazing Quest. The curriculum features Anna and Jake, youngsters, who will follow the apostle Paul on his amazing quest beginning with his conversion on the road to Damascus. Anna, Jake and our students will encounter a magician, a riot on Ephesus, and will survive a shipwreck in Malta. Paul teaches all to keep on and don’t quit. He set examples for others and guided Timothy in the faith. With Lydia, Paul encouraged all to share the word of God and to practice faith in community. In prison, Paul and Silas through their songs and prayers gave hope, salvation, and joy to the others. Take home comics, and activities will help us to explore the stories of Paul. The preschool and multiage groups will combine for the July months.
The children are again working on one of their mission outreach activities. The tied fringe blankets are being made and given to the children who come with their parents to the Family Promise weeks at Riverside.
The One Room School House will not meet on July 5th (July 4
th holiday weekend), and the month of
August. Miss Vickie and Miss Gail will take a sabbatical and return refreshed for the fall resumption of classes in September.
Miss Vicki and Miss Gail happily welcome all students, new and old. Please remember, One Room School House classes begin at 9:00 to 9:45 AM in Fellowship Hall prior to the one worship
service at 10 AM.
Happy summer vacation and July 4th
to all !!!
PAGE 9 DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE JULY/AUG 2015
Older Adult Sunday Celebrated June 14th
June 14th was a very special Sunday at Riverside, when we honored some of our oldest adults and our long term members. They have served the church in many different roles over the years. They are our family of faith and we appreciate all that they have done and are doing to contribute to our individual lives in Christ, and our church life as the body of Christ.
First we recognized all of our members and guests in attendance that day who are 80 years or older. We gave out red carnations to honor about 50 people.
Did you know that next year will be Riverside's 60th Anniversary?! On a plaque in the narthex, and on our website, there is a list of 65 Charter Members as of October 7th, 1956 – our official birthday!
We were pleased to honor two of those Charter Members and a few more members who joined from 1956 to 1964 and who have maintained continuous membership here at Riverside for over 50 years! Each of them was presented with a Certificate commemorating their continuous membership and the two Charter Members also received a gift basket containing a DVD of the history of Riverside, a commemorative plate of the Sanctuary, and other Riverside mementos.
Our two Charter Members with continuous membership since October 7th, 1956 – over 58 years – are Barbara Cox (last name Taylor in 1956) and Helen Carter (last name Pfeiffer in 1956, and she was the daughter-in-law of Charles Pfeiffer, our founding pastor).
The other six who have continuous membership of over 50 years here at Riverside are: Louise Hurd (1958), Millie Strieter (1959 – Millie served for many years as Riverside's church secretary), James Walker and Jenny Walker (1961), Jacqueline Glasser (1962), and Marilyn Grigsby (1964 – Marilyn serves as Church Historian, and researched the membership history and prepared the certificates for today).
Others who joined more than 50 years ago, but do not have continuous membership at Riverside, having gone away and come back during the years, were recognized by name and year of original membership: Amy Paddock (November 1956), Grace Rudy and Les Rudy (1958), Penny Dale (1961), David Jones and Greta Jones (1961), Beverly Kasimier (1962), Eleanor Drazich (1962), Dorothy Andrews (1962), Laura Ginn (1964), Howard Mansfield (1965).
After the worship service everyone enjoyed a lovely lunch and time of fellowship and reminiscing.
The Older Adult Ministry of Riverside would like to thank Pastor Dan for leading us in the recognition of our older adults and supporting the activities of our Older Adult Ministry as we have been getting it started since last fall.
Thank you to Chili and the choir and praise band for an awesome job of incorporating our requested old favorite hymns in the service.
Thank you to all those who helped with the Older Adult Sunday activities: Gail Marshall, Joe Mar-shall, J.B. Olds, Judy Howard, Jennifer Thorstad, Judy George, Marilyn Grigsby, Sandy Rose, Fred RobinSon, Marilyn Cromer, Howard Mansfield, and Linda Boehmer.
Thank you to everyone who helped with the luncheon and fellowship time: Tammy Ivan, Wanda and Tony Pierro, Shirley Gerhardt, Susan Bilder, Joyce Klahr, Jack Sprunger, and Chuck Torgler.
And most of all, thanks be to God who has given us our wonderful faith family of many generations at Riverside!
-By Linda Gibson, for the Older Adult Ministry team of Riverside
For more of the history of Riverside, visit our website at www.riversidepres.org/our-history/
OLDER ADULT SUNDAY - JUNE 14, 2015 - HONORING RIVERSIDE’S LONGEST TERM MEMBERS & OUR OLDER ADULTS
