October 2016 Volume 265, Issue 8 A Message From the Pastor— Neal Carter Continued on page 2 World Communion Sunday The first Sunday in October is designated as World Communion Sunday, which celebrates our oneness in Christ with all our brothers and sisters around the world. Paul tells us that we are to “discern the body” when we partake of Holy Communion, mindful that we note our relationship to all our brothers and sisters in Christ in the celebration. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall (Ephesians 2:14). World Communion Sunday is the reminder that Christ has torn down the walls that divide his people, uniting in Christ around the Lord’s Table. The annual Peace and Global Witness Offering is often taken as a way of continuing the ancient Christian practice of sharing what we have with brothers and sisters in need as yet another reminder that the walls that separate us have been demolished by the love of Christ Jesus. The first celebration of World Communion Sunday (originally called World Wide Communion Sunday) occurred at Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1933 where Dr. Hugh Thompson Kerr served as pastor. It was their attempt to bring churches together in a service of Christian unity—in which everyone might receive both inspiration and information, and above all, to know how important the Church of Jesus Christ is, and how each congregation is interconnected one with another. When asked how the idea of World Communion Sunday spread from that first service to the world wide practice of today, Donald Kerr replied: The concept spread very slowly at the start. People did not give it a whole lot of thought. It was during the Second World War that the spirit caught hold, because we were trying to hold the world together. World Wide Communion symbolized the effort to hold things together, in a spiritual sense. It emphasized that we are one in the Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Celebration of World Wide Communion Sunday was adopted as a denominational practice in the Presbyterian Church (US) in 1936. Churches in other denominations were invited to celebrate with us; in 1940, the Department of Evangelism of the Federal Council of Churches (a predecessor body of the National Council of Churches) promoted extending the celebration to a number of churches around the world that the practice became widespread. Today, World Communion Sunday is celebrated around the world, demonstrating that the church founded on Jesus Christ peacefully shares God-given goods throughout the world. Inside this Issue: Youth Group News 2 Children’ s News 3 Brunswick Stew Fall Festival 4 Women’ s Retreat Women’ s Circles Prayer Requests GriefShare Healing Touch 5 Rocky River Readers Building and Grounds Capital Campaign Stewardship 6 Choir Name Tags Personal Care Items Cropwalk Pres. Historical Society 7 Shoeboxes Angel Tree Orphan Hosting 8 MOW Soup Sampler Bags in the Burg 9 Elder Nominees 10 Elder Nominees September Meeting 11 Birthdays Scouting 12 Community Meal Men’s Breakfast Service Volunteers 13 If anyone in the congregation falls ill, is injured, in the hospital or in need of pastoral care—WE WANT TO KNOW!! Please call Neal directly on his cell phone (really—call his cell phone—he wants you to!!) or call Cyndi in the office so Neal can visit and offer assistance. Neal’s cell number is 910-280-9688. The office phone is 704-455-2479. He can also be reached via email at [email protected]
Transcript
October 2016
Volume 265, Issue 8
A Message From the Pastor— Neal Carter
Continued on page 2
World Communion Sunday
The first Sunday in October is designated as World Communion
Sunday, which celebrates our oneness in Christ with all our brothers
and sisters around the world. Paul tells us that we are to “discern the
body” when we partake of Holy Communion, mindful that we note our
relationship to all our brothers and sisters in Christ in the celebration.
For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke
down the barrier of the dividing wall (Ephesians 2:14). World Communion
Sunday is the reminder that Christ has torn down the walls that divide his
people, uniting in Christ around the Lord’s Table. The annual Peace and
Global Witness Offering is often taken as a way of continuing the ancient
Christian practice of sharing what we have with brothers and sisters in
need as yet another reminder that the walls that separate us have been
demolished by the love of Christ Jesus.
The first celebration of World Communion Sunday (originally called World
Wide Communion Sunday) occurred at Shadyside Presbyterian Church in
Pittsburgh, PA, in 1933 where Dr. Hugh Thompson Kerr served as pastor.
It was their attempt to bring churches together in a service of Christian
unity—in which everyone might receive both inspiration and information,
and above all, to know how important the Church of Jesus Christ is, and
how each congregation is interconnected one with another. When asked
how the idea of World Communion Sunday spread from that first service
to the world wide practice of today, Donald Kerr replied:
The concept spread very slowly at the start. People did not give it a
whole lot of thought. It was during the Second World War that the
spirit caught hold, because we were trying to hold the world together.
World Wide Communion symbolized the effort to hold things
together, in a spiritual sense. It emphasized that we are one in the
Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Celebration of World Wide Communion Sunday was adopted as a
denominational practice in the Presbyterian Church (US) in 1936.
Churches in other denominations were invited to celebrate with us; in 1940,
the Department of Evangelism of the Federal Council of Churches
(a predecessor body of the National Council of Churches) promoted
extending the celebration to a number of churches around the world that
the practice became widespread. Today, World Communion Sunday is
celebrated around the world, demonstrating that the church founded on
Jesus Christ peacefully shares God-given goods throughout the world.
Inside this Issue:
Youth Group News 2
Children’s News 3
Brunswick Stew
Fall Festival 4
Women’s Retreat
Women’s Circles
Prayer Requests
GriefShare
Healing Touch
5
Rocky River Readers
Building and Grounds
Capital Campaign
Stewardship
6
Choir Name Tags
Personal Care Items Cropwalk
Pres. Historical Society
7
Shoeboxes Angel Tree
Orphan Hosting 8
MOW Soup Sampler
Bags in the Burg 9
Elder Nominees 10
Elder Nominees
September Meeting 11
Birthdays Scouting 12
Community Meal Men’s Breakfast
Service Volunteers 13
If anyone in the congregation falls ill, is injured, in the hospital or in need of pastoral care—WE WANT TO KNOW!! Please call Neal directly on his cell phone (really—call his cell phone—he wants you to!!) or call Cyndi in the
office so Neal can visit and offer assistance. Neal’s cell number is 910-280-9688.
The office phone is 704-455-2479. He can also be reached via email at [email protected]
In the early church, Christians martyred for their faith, were often remembered on the
anniversary of their martyrdom. When the number became too numerous and some
forgotten, All Saints Day became the day of remembering all the saints martyred, known
and unknown (this started around the fourth century C.E.). In the 800’s, Pope Gregory IV
unified this church practice by declaring November 1st to be All Saints Day. Therefore,
October 31 became All Saints Eve, or All Hallows Eve. Hallow is the Old English term for
Holy (“Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.) The term saint comes
from the word holy. Thus, the name Halloween is a contraction of All Hallows Eve (like
Christmas Eve). In the church, we use the Sunday near November 1st to reflect on those
saints of the local church who have gone before us. On October 31st/November 1st, take a
moment to remember some of those folks who have helped you in your spiritual journey,
but are no longer with us.
A little known fact about Halloween
When most of us plan for Halloween, we think about costumes to wear, parties to
attend, jack-o-lanterns to carve, or candy to hand out and devour. Some seventy years
ago, a Presbyterian minister had the idea to make the fun-filled holiday into something
even more special: a way for young people to help families around the world. From 1946
to 1951, Reverend Clyde M. Allison worked for the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.
(PCUSA) Board of Christian Education in Philadelphia, PA, as Associate Youth Editor.
During his tenure, he published the popular Junior-Hi Kits, where the first inkling of the
program that became Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s
Emergency Fund) was born.
Several weeks ago I hurt my knee at work. In a bad way. It had gotten to the point of not being able to bend it very far and walking across the room was suddenly quite the chore. So I tried something new - acupuncture!!!! :) I know, I know - who in their right mind would ever allow another person to stick a few needles in your body? And then lay there for about 25 minutes afraid to move an inch so you don’t roll over and suddenly push those needles in beyond the point of return! Well, I was willing to try it and the results have been amazing!
The other day I went in to check up and I told the doctor about the pain I had been continuing to have in my left knee on the side and top. He put 3 needles in my right elbow and had me walk around. No difference. So he put one more in the back of my right elbow and it was amazing the difference I felt. It was like someone had just giving me a new knee. Not perfect but definitely better. So the first thing out of my mouth was, “whoa, how did that work? Right elbow, left knee?” The doctor and I talked about when we were born we are just one tiny ball of energy. And as we grow our body is still deeply connected even though our arms and legs grew in different directions.
So as I laid there I got to thinking about that connection, the amazing wonders of our bodies and the similarities to our faith. We are all deeply connected. You all are connected to your families, the church and to each other through the youth group. And even better - you guys have really been welcoming in the new 6th graders and helping to create a more welcoming environment for our youth group. Keep up the good work! And as we grow in strength I hope that connection really shines through so that all people see our group as being a light for Christ.
Keep building that connection to each other. Keep working on being more welcoming. Keep working on growing closer to God. Keep up the good work you have already started this year. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love. Ephesians 4:15b-16
In the meantime I hope to see you soon at an activity this next month. Peace, JD
Sunday—October 2 - Middle School Youth 5pm; High School youth 6pm Saturday—October 8 - Assist with Fall Festival games Sunday- October 9 - Middle School Youth 5pm; High School youth 6pm Sunday—October 16 - Lunch and visit to Carillon after church Saturday—October 22 - 6pm; dinner and corn maze (at night!!!!!) Sunday—October 23 - Crop Walk
Sunday—October 30 - 6pm; Halloween party!! Wednesday nights— Bible Study at 6:45 after dinner
CHILDREN’S NEWS Sharon Vanpelt
Try one of our Sunday School Classes. We offer something for everyone!
Nurseries: (birth-age 2) Room 104; and (ages 3-4) Room 103, Main floor Education bldg.
What’s a Christian to do about enjoying Halloween, a pagan festival with Druid roots and Satanic connotations? Once upon a time, the holiday we now call Halloween was a time of fear and dread. Now in modern times, we can see Halloween as a day to celebrate the imagination, a time to briefly become something wonderful and strange, smelling of plastic costumes and grease paint makeup, tasting loads of sweets that are permissible only once a year. This is a holiday that allows us to look at what secretly may frighten us: to experience it, to laugh at it, and to come through it safely. By all means, have safe costumes, monitor trick-or-treating, and enjoy the holiday safely. Be on the lookout for children’s fears and stresses so that you may quickly respond with love and security. But don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy with children the celebration of Halloween, delighting in God’s gifts of imagination, laughter, and the change of the seasons.
Learning Your Bible class
We apologize for the cancellation of the Learning Your Bible class. Our response of participants and volunteers did not allow us to proceed at this time. Recognizing that Fall is a very busy time for everyone, we will try to reschedule it for another time in the Spring.
Faithbuilders Adult Sunday School class
We have had great response to the new Faithbuilders Sunday School class. The class chose the book Home Grown by Karen DeBoer for their first study. This class is planned to allow folks to jump in and out as their teaching schedules and family obligations dictate, so each class is a new lesson. If you are a parent and have not yet tried out this class, come on! Room 215, upstairs in the Fellowship Hall building.
Children’s Chimes practices have been going really well. We have been blessed to have one of our children chime the hour at worship service each week and look forward to having them all perform in the near future.
What is Brunswick stew and why is it such a big deal at Rocky River? First, to give you some historical background, Brunswick stew is a traditional dish, popular in the Southern United States. Its origins are uncertain, but it is believed to have been developed in the early 19th century. Both Brunswick County, Virginia and Brunswick, Georgia lay claim to the origins of this stew. The tradition of the Men of the Church preparing Brunswick stew for the congregation probably dates to the late 1940s or early 1950s. Until about two years ago, women in the congregation were asked to cook, debone and chop 12-14 chickens for the stew, but now the men cook the chicken. The also cook 25 pounds of lean beef. The beef and chicken broth are used in the stew. Newcomers should not believe rumors of squirrel meat being in the stew. That may have been true in the early pioneer days, but no longer. The remainder of the ingredients are corn, lima beans and tomatoes. The men add an unspecified amount of seasoning. Some years it tastes like every man that passed the stew pot added more pepper! If you are interested in the recipe, it can be found in Rocky River Recipes & Memories sold by Presbyterian Women. The stew is always cooked in a large iron pot. We have used the same pot for many years. It belonged to the family of a member. Around 10 - 15 years ago, we were able to get our own pot which we continue to use today. The pot is heated on an open wood fire and once the ingredients start to be added to the pot, the cooks continually stir the pot for about 5 hours until serving time. The cooking location has moved around some in recent years, but it is usually in the parking area outside the basement of the old Fellowship Hall. In 2013, the men added barbeque to the meal. Three cookers are used for the BBQ and these chefs usually start before dawn the day of the stew. The meal has always been a free gift to the congregation, although they usually receive some donations for the costs prior to the event. Left over stew and BBQ can be sold to help with the costs, too. All this is accomplished by many volunteers involved in preparation of tables, actual cooking, serving and cleaning up. The men enjoy helping make this long time event happen and the fellowship they experience. The traditions and “secrets” are passed from generation to generation. We hope the congregation will join us on October 8 for this year’s Brunswick Stew, BBQ and Fall Festival!
What is Brunswick Stew?? By Marie Morrison and Joe Novobilski
Fall Community Meals
We will need volunteers during the months of
October thru March to provide soups, stews, salads and desserts for the community meals.
This year the retreat will be November 11-13. If you have not had a chance to experience a Montreat weekend, please consider joining us this year. It is a weekend filled with fellowship, food and fun. We typically do a craft project of some kind and this year we are making inspirational cards for breast cancer patients at CMC-Northeast. We need a couple of Cricut machines to help with this project. If you have one we can borrow please contact Priscilla Giuliano at 704-706-3203 or email at [email protected] . Registration forms are available in the vestibule.
PRAYER REQUESTS
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PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN MORNING AND EVENING CIRCLES Morning Circle will meet on Tuesday, October 4th at 10:00am in the parlor at the church. Evening Circle will meet on Tuesday, October 4th at 7:00pm at the home of Ann Burr. All of the women of the church are invited and encouraged to be a part of the Presbyterian Women Circle and Bible Studies. We strive to minister to the congregation as a whole and to the women in particular through Bible study, prayer and fellowship. We hope you will join us.
WOMEN’S RETREAT 2016—Montreat
Please Keep in Your Prayers: Thad Efird, injured at work; Debbie Tausz, sister of Teresa Barnhardt; Karen DeCarlo, co-worker of Alice Williams; Jamie Davis Clark, daughter of Kathy Davis; Bish Family, neighbors of Linda & Jerry Clark; Linda Long, friend of Dee Davis; Sonya Moorehead, friend of Jerry Clark; Richard Hoover, brother of Harlan Hoover; Don, friend of Harlan and Kathy Hoover; Ellie Wagoner; Helene Linenberger; Johnston Howie; Anita Whitley, neighbor of Pat McDonald; Betty Sue Stancil; Jim & Louise Murray; Emmy Pharr; Wilson Byrum; Lynn Price Rorie and Sherry Blackman, friends of Alice Williams; Kristine Way, co-worker of Alice Williams; Elizabeth Thomas; Ouida Harman; Dana Drye and her son Benjamin Nixon; Jim Busse, friend of Stephanie Campbell; Amy Hicks; Kimmie Shano, coworker of Dale Ritchie; Maxine Phillips, friend of Dale Ritchie; Tommy Flowe, brother of Ann Glosson; Brendan Milliken; Cheryl Brooks, friend of Janet Little; John Byrum, brother of Elaine Tankersley; Seville Funk; Marlene Howard; Ruth McCachren; Kay Nalbone; Jimmy McDonald; Linda Modzelesky; Bob Brombacher; Teresa Williams; Zackie Moore.
Jean Hager would like to thank everyone for the cards, memorials, phone calls, food and visits following the death of her husband Richard. The love and support from the Rocky
River family has been overwhelming. Thank you.
Our third GriefShare series is well underway and we have had quite a nice turnout for the first few sessions. We hope to continue ministering to the needs of our community for grief issues and hope you will spread the word. This Christian based program is 13 weeks and involves a video, discussion and workbook to help individuals work through difficult times. We will finish up on November 10th and rest through the holiday season, before starting again in February for the Spring session. Many thanks for everyone who has helped with this program at Rocky River Presbyterian Church.
GRIEFSHARE
HEALING TOUCH CLINIC: We began the first Healing Touch Clinic @ RRPC In August and have grown from 4 participants to 12 on the most recent clinic held September 11th. Evaluations indicate that the experience is relaxing and helpful in most cases and was generally rated a 10 on the 0-10 scale. The next clinics will be as follows for the rest of this year: Sunday—October 9th 3-5 pm Sunday—November 6th 2-4 pm Sunday—December 4th 2-4 pm We will have sign-up sheets available in the vestibule for several weeks prior to each clinic, so give us a try. There will be HT students coming soon, in addition to the practitioners who are certified and more experienced. There is no charge for the clinic, but donations to the Building Fund are appreciated. Call Julia Alexander for questions at 704-455-9753
NEW EDUCATION BUILDING
Education Building
Loan as of 9/22/2016 $ 504,608.17 Minimum Monthly Payment $ 5,110
Education Building—We are truly blessed here at Rocky River to have the new education building. We would ask everyone to pray we will get the additional funds needed to pay down what we still owe. If you have not had a chance to make the pledge like we did three years ago it is not too late for you to join the others in this adventure. Write “ Building Fund” on your check and it will go towards paying off our debt. Bless you all, The Follow-up Team
STEWARDSHIP SUMMARY
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2016 STEWARDSHIP SUMMARY TOTAL AMOUNT PLEDGED $315,000.00 PER MONTH $30,288.50 PER WEEK $6,057.69 Date wk giving pledged diff(+/_) mt gving mt pledged dif(+/-)
ROCKY RIVER READERS Rocky River Readers book club will meet the 4th Monday night in October (the 24th) at 7pm in
church parlor. All are welcome to come discuss books. The book for October will be Kitchen
House by Kathleen Grissom. Set on a thriving plantation in Virginia decades before the Civil
War, this is the story of young, white Lavinia who arrives from Ireland as an indentured
servant. She learns to cook, clean and serve food. She is accepted into the world of the big
house. She tries to straddle the worlds of the kitchen and the big house, but her skin color will
forever set her apart from her teacher Belle and the other slaves. There are seven copies of this
book available through the Cabarrus County Public Library.
Rocky River Readers meet the 4th Monday night of each month January through November.
We hope more readers will join us.
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS NEWS – We are getting ready for winter, and have some exciting plans. Billy Carriker and Jimmy Stafford are designing a landscape plan for our East entrance. That work should be completed this month. Harold Melvin will be supervising the replacement of dead shrubs at the South entrance to the new building. We have a WORK MORNING scheduled for Saturday, October 15th at 8 a.m. to seed, fertilize and aerate our grounds. Billy Carriker will bring his aeration equipment and expertise to get our grounds ready for winter. If you have an hour, or four hours to spare, we can use your help anytime in the morning pushing a spreader. If you have a fertilizer spreader please bring it, and if you don’t we’ll find one for you. We have a number of fallen limbs in two of our cemeteries. If you would like to help Jim Lyerly clean them up, please phone him at 704-455-5892. He will appreciate the help. We are investigating the feasibility of moving our main entrance to line up with Lower Rocky River Road. If we can accomplish that, we feel that will improve ingress/egress, safety and traffic flow. If you have any experience with the process of working with our government agencies to shepherd this along, please talk with Dave or Jim. Thank you, King McCachren and Joey Dulin for cleaning up the lot across the street to prepare it for September Meeting. It looks great. As always, if you have energy, talents or gifts to share we can always use volunteers, so please talk with Dave Murray or Jim Rockel. Dave can be reached at 704-455-9469 or [email protected] and Jim can be reached at 319-850-1335 or [email protected].
We need more followers on Twitter. Find us at rockyriverpc and follow us!! The more followers we get the more exposure our church gets!!
We are looking for more female voices to help the choir this year as we are beginning to learn a new Contata One Silent Night …a Christmas Ballad of Love & Joy by Pepper Choplin. Wednesday night Practice is @ 7-8pm and half of that time is dedicated to this music. We would love to have more young voices if you can find the time to help us out!
RRPC Name Tags We have moved our church name tag center to the right inside corner of the vestibule in the sanctuary. They are arranged alphabetically on a louvered door and we have blanks for visitors on the window sill. It does seem to help visitors to get to know who we are when we wear our badges. I have found it easier for myself to keep mine in my car since I use it for other things besides worship. Please do what is best for you to be more approachable at church. Many Thanks, Julie Alexander
Harrisburg Crisis Assistance Ministry Personal Care Items Drive
RRPC will be collecting personal care items for the entire month of October to be donated to the Harrisburg Crisis Assistance Ministry. Food stamps do not pay for personal items, and often times our friends in need cannot afford these items for their family. Please prayerfully consider donating to this worthwhile ministry.
You can bring your items to the church or office anytime during the month of October and place them in the designated donation box. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
The North Carolina Presbyterian Historical Society will meet on Saturday, October 8, at Graham Presbyterian Church in Graham, Alamance Co. The Rev. Madeline Mercer of Laurinburg will speak on the influence of Martin Luther on our Reformed faith. This will begin our celebra-tion of the 500th anniversary of Luther’s nailing up his 95 theses for discussion, an act in 1517 that led ultimately to the Protestant Reformation. Registration is $18, including lunch. The schedule, registration form, and address are on our website at www.ncphsociety.org, or contact Program Chair Sam Martin at (910) 428-4165.
CROP Hunger Walk Sunday, October 23rd at Kimball Memorial Lutheran Church, 101 Vance St. Kannapolis NC. Registration: 1:00 p.m. CROP Walk starts at 2:00 p.m. CROP Hunger Walks are interfaith events that build community while also making a difference locally and globally. Anyone can join us! See Linda Clark for donation forms and let’s get some folks from RRPC to join in the fight to ending hunger.
There are many of you reading this right now who just laughed out loud because that is such a “duh” statement. I was born to be a Mama, and I love my children with a ferocity that sometimes startles me. And I love your children similarly. I truly, honestly, deeply care about children and believe that they are the reason I am on this earth. I knew a long time ago that I was created by God to serve his children. Everything that I spend my time on, just about, has something to do with my children, or your children, or children who need a fierce Mama look-ing out for them and serving them.
With that in mind, I’m excited to share with you several things we have coming up that feed my need to care for God’s littlest humans. I’m going to ask you to prayerfully consider the ways in which you can come along and serve with me. However you feel led to serve in the following areas, please let me know how I can get you information or how I can include you in these terrific ministries:
Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes: The Power of a Simple Gift. Shoeboxes are packed by faithful Christians and delivered around the world to children, most of whom have never before received a gift! As the gifts are distributed, the children
receive a gift of stuff, maybe exciting stuff that they’ve never even dreamed about owning. But more importantly, they get the message that someone cares for them AND they get to hear about Jesus. Imagine what God can do with a simple Christmas gift! Our church family has participated in this wonderful ministry for several years now, and last year my son Charlie challenged you to meet a goal for a number of shoeboxes that we’ve never hit before. And you exceeded it! So this year we’re going to stretch even farther and call for a goal of 120 Shoeboxes.
On October 9th when you come to church, you’ll see a mountain of shoeboxes in the vestibule
just waiting to be filled. Grab one (or 2 or 3!), or use one of your own, fill them up, and bring them back! Consider paying your donation online so that you can “Follow Your Box”. It’s a really neat way to see where your gift ends up.
On October 12th after Wednesday Night Fellowship we’ll host a packing party where we hope to pack 20 shoeboxes. We need donations of items that will go in those shoeboxes as well as
$7 per box for the shipping costs. Cyndi will be sending out a Signup Genius to help us organize the donations, or you can see me. On November 6th please have all of your boxes back to church and ready to deliver to Samaritan’s Purse. They will be prayed over and my family will then take them to a collection site so they can be moved to their final destination prior to Christmas.
Angel Tree: I’m not sure how long this ministry has been going on. Longer than I have been at RRPC! You all have such huge hearts and donate generously to make sure kiddos have a beautiful Christmas. In the past we’ve helped Thompson’s Children’s Home; various programs within Cooperative Christian Ministries; Concord’s
Mother’s and Children’s Home; Church of God Children’s Home, just to name a few. The tree with the requested assistance goes up in the narthex the Sunday after Thanksgiving and you have about 2 weeks to select what you want to provide and bring it back to the church for delivery to the children. We will support Thompson’s Children’s Homes this year.
Last year the Shepard family participated in an orphan hosting program through a group called Open Hearts and Homes for Children. I passionately and wholeheartedly loved this experience. It was challenging and rewarding and an amazing ministry to be a part of. We’re serving again this year and will be hosting a 9 year old boy named Roman who lives and goes to school in an orphanage in the Ukraine. He will live in our home, and as part of our family, for about 5 weeks. You’ll see him with us in church and at activities. Please, talk to him, hug him, let us know if you want to be a part of welcoming him and we’ll be happy to share the experience with you! If you’d like to host an
orphan child in your home at Christmas or next summer, ask me what the experience is like. I’m happy to chat with you about it! No child should be without a fierce Mama looking out for him or her!
As always, my precious church family, thank you for all you do at God’s urging and for God’s glory, and for creating a place where we can grow in our faith, serve at God’s will, and raise children surrounded by people who love them and direct them toward Jesus. So that all the littlest humans can feel His grace and love. In Him,
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Cabarrus Meals on Wheels
Annual Soup Sampling
13th Annual Soup Sampler! November 6, 2016 11:30am-2:00pm
New Location! City Club at Gibson Mill 325 McGill Ave. NW, Concord, NC
You Will Enjoy SILENT AUCTION
All You Can Eat Signature Soups & Fabulous Desserts from over 20 Local Restaurants & Caterers in a beautiful setting.
A Variety of Breads from Panera
Delicious S&D Coffee & Tea
TICKETS ARE $25 EACH—SEATS ARE LIMITED. LOG ONTO www.cabarrusmow.org/events/annual-soup-sampling to order your tickets. Takeout available as well.
CHILI AND DESSERTS MADE BY OUR VERY OWN JERRY CLARK!
COME SUPPORT MEALS ON WHEELS!!
Bags in the Burg— The fundraiser sponsored by the Town of Harrisburg to benefit the Special Olympics was a success. It was a hot day but we had quite a few families visit our booth and we were able to share some of what RRPC is all about. Darren and JD made it to the finals, but didn’t win the competition. Maybe next year. Thank you to our volunteers!!
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The Session has called a congregational meeting for the purpose of electing officers to the class of 2019 to be held following worship service on Sunday, October 9th.
Allison Harris has been a member of Rocky River Presbyterian since 2008. She and her husband, Kevin, have two children, Aydenn and Owen. In the past Allison has helped with Children's ministry including teaching Godly Play and helping in the toddler nursery and with the Christmas Pageant. Allison works for Wells Fargo as a product manager, and has a passion for finding ways to make financial products work better for customers. She enjoys running, reading and watching her two soccer players have fun on the field in her spare time.
Marie Morrison - I grew up at Rocky River Presbyterian Church and joined as a youth. I have
served on the session and been clerk of the session and committee chair. I have served as an officer and circle leader for Presbyterian Women. I co-teach the Discovery Sunday School class. The history of our church is important to me knowing my family has been in this congregation since the 1760s; however, the future of Rocky River is most important to me. My sister Janet and I are the historians of the church as were each of our parents. Janet and I have an older brother Robert whose family lives in Georgia. I retired after 30 years as a school media specialist and now have a part-time job with American Greetings servicing the card departments in six area stores.
Ben Schneider My family moved to Harrisburg in July 2008 when Niki’s company relocated. Garion joined the
Cub Scout Pack 83 that fall and we first met the congregation when Steve Mitchem invited us to attend the Fall Festival.
Once there, he encouraged us to start coming to church. We attended church services in November and then we officially joined in February 2009. One of the reasons we decided to join RRPC was because of Wilson Byrum. He sat in the pew behind us and introduced himself and asked all about us and made us feel very welcome. The next Sunday he was there again and had remembered all of our names and was so glad that we came back. As we stood outside after services that second Sunday, Ross Morrison came up and introduced himself and asked all about us. He gave us a “brief” history of the area and said that we seemed like good people and supposed a couple more Germans wouldn’t bring down the congregation. It is this acceptance of visitors and welcoming to the family that I believe makes us a strong church. I am a member of the choir (with Garion), the Finance Committee for several years, I am the current organizer of the Habitat for Humanity partnership with the church and attend the Seekers Adult Sunday School Class. I was on the building committee that was responsible for the construction of the new fellowship hall and was the Scout-master of Troop 83 for several years and received the Celtic Cross Award from the church for service to church and community through the scouting program. I am very proud to be a member of RRPC and of the things we accomplish as a congregation. It is truly the people here that make a difference in our community.
Shawnee Wakeman—My family and I have attended Rocky River for almost 10 years. I am a
member of the Personnel and Christian Education committees and served as the secretary on the Pastor Nominating Committee this past year. Mick and I have two children, Emma, who is 14 and serves as a worship leader, and Ben, who is 12. My hope for RRPC surrounds the continued ability to foster the spiritual relationship among its members and visitors. A church should represent an extended family, where each person contributes to the family’s growth and development. I hope each person that comes to RRPC feels a little closer to God and more at peace from the experience. I hope we use all the tools and talents of the church to retain what makes each of us proud to be a member of Rocky River.
My name is Priscilla Giuliano and I have been married to Steve for 46 years. We have 3 daughters, 3 son-in-laws, 4 grandchildren and 4 grandpuppies. We moved to the area in July of 2006 from Rochester, N.Y. and started attending service shortly thereafter. I joined the church in January of 2009, I have been involved in the Presbyterian Women's group as a circle leader and I am currently the Presbyterian Women's Moderator, a position I have held for three years. Along with that, I am active in organizing the yearly yard sale and the Montreat women's retreat.
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Thomas Heavey—Tommy and his wife Erica have been members of Rocky River since they were children. They have three children—Julia, Dylan and Colton. Tommy has served on the Session Nominating Committee, supported the youth group and does A Time for Children. His vision for RRPC is to grow and better serve the community.
Billy Carriker— Billy has been a member at RRPC since birth, and his family has been here for generations. He and his wife Abigail have three beautiful daughters, Lily, Hazel Lynn and Abelia. Billy has served on the Building and Grounds committee, volunteered with the youth group and was involved in scouting. His vision for the church is to embrace the future while remembering the past. Having been here his whole life, he offers a unique perspective on how wanting to grow while honoring our past.
Please keep in mind these requirements and responsibilities outlined in our denomination’s Book of Order.
* “Elders should be persons of faith dedication and good judgment. Their manner of life should be a demonstration of the Christian gospel, both within the church and the world.” * “ It is the duty of elders to strengthen and nurture the faith and life of the congregation. They should encourage the people in worship and service of God.” * “They shall serve faithfully as members of the Session.”
SEPTEMBER MEETING
Thank you to everyone that helped make our September meeting a success. The food, worship and fellowship were awesome as usual!
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October Birthdays
Name Birthday Name Birthday
Seville Funk 10/03 Darlene chase 10/16
William McCachren 10/03 Ellie Shepard 10/16
Ben Burr 10/04 Stephen Jones 10/15
Colton Heavey 10/04 Dee Davis 10/18
Ryan Thornton 10/04 Gage jawhari 1018
Christine Harazim 10/06 Spencer Thompson 1018
Michael Miller 10/06 Steve Mitchem 10/19
Olivia Geist 10/06 Ashton Matthew Howard 10/20
Sharon Vanpelt 10/07 Noel Jakiela 10/20
Karen Wells 10/09 Ginger Maher 10/21
Regina King 10/10 Mary Grace McConnell 10/21
Elva Dean Moses 10/12 Bruce Hoff 10/22
Vance Horton 10/12 Tina Delle Donne 10/22
Charlie Shepard 10/13 Joshua Krypel 10/22
David Mowery 10/14 Jean Hager 10/23
Earl Coble 10/14 Ryleigh Thompson 10/23
Kris Mott 10/14 Jeff Campbell 10/25
Linda H. Lentz 10/14 James Hoots 10/26
Connie Smart 10/15 Bill Alexander 10/28
Kathy Bucklingham 10/15 Peggy Campbell 10/28
David Miller 10/30
Cyndi Conway 10/31
This list was generated from our Church Windows database. If have missed someone I apologize sincerely! Please let me know if anyone is missing from this list and send the
correct information to [email protected] so I can update our records.
Donkey Race Dianne Savelle leading the lesson
Scouting is back in full swing at RRPC! The Cub Scouts are here on Thursday evenings, the boy scouts meet on Tuesdays at the Hut, and we have four different Girl Scout Troops that meet at various times each month. We are proud to be a part of scouting!
The cub scouts will be selling popcorn in the month of October as a fundraiser. Look for them at our Farmer’s Market each Wednesday during this month.
The Girl Scouts are hosting a “Hands on Banking” event on October 22nd to teach the girls about money management.
If anyone is interested in getting more information on Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Daisies or Girl Scouts please contact the following people:
MENU LINEUP FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT FELLOWSHIP MEALS IN OCTOBER
October 5th — Soup, Salad and Bread
October 12th — Chicken Salad Croissant
October 19th — Sloppy Joes
October 26th — Crockpot Chicken Chili
To RSVP—Just fill out a yellow card located in any pew in the sanctuary during our next worship
service. We are happy to share in fellowship with our church community every Wednesday@ 6pm. The
cost is $5 per meal with a maximum of $15 per family.
FREE COMMUNITY MEAL The Free Community Meal we have in the fellowship hall the first Wednesday night of each
month is grow ing in popularity! We have had some participation from the community, and appreciate that you all make everyone feel welcome. We are making great strides to truly make this a community meal by seeking out those who are unfamiliar to us, sitting at their table and eating with them and making them feel part of the Rocky River family. Please continue to invite anyone in the community that you meet. The Free Community Meal is served from 6:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Some people cannot come until after 7:00 due to work schedules. We will not start putting away the food until 7:30.
During these cold winter months we will plan to serve Hot Soup, Salad and Bread at the Free Community Meal. We will be looking for volunteers to prepare soups, stews, salads and desserts for these meals and to help with set up and clean –up.
Ushers—Head Usher Bill McDonald
1ST SUNDAY: Lead; Robin Hartsell, Butch McDonald, Michael McDonald, Ruth McDonald, Danny Tankersley and Garrett McDonald 2ND SUNDAY: Lead; Thomas Linker, Jon Dickason, Ted Dickason, Eric Linker, Dave Mowery 3RD SUNDAY: Lead; Chip Wells, Baxter Coble, Joey Dulin, Steve Jewett and Joe Novobilski 4TH SUNDAY: Lead; Dave Miller, Chris Bechtol, Bill McDonald, Jimmy Stafford and Kevin Harris 5TH SUNDAY: Lead; JD McNutt and youth
Infant Nursery October 2 Kenza Mitchem October 9 Theresa and Abi Watson October 16 Janet Little and Spencer Thompson October 23 David Mowery and Mandy Ide October 30 Candice, Ellie, and Maggie Shepard Toddler Nursery October 2 Susan Geist October 9 Niki And Garion Schneider October 16 Krista Eason and Sarah Bird October 23 Rebecca Murray October 30 DeDe, Jon, and Savannah Dickason
R o c k y R i v e r P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u r c h
Non Profit Org. US Postage PAID
Permit No. 31 Harrisburg, NC 28075
Rocky River Presbyterian Church has a Facebook Group! For those who use Facebook this is a great way to virtually connect to what's happening at RRPC. Look for the Rocky River Presbyterian Church group. We are also on Instagram and Twitter. Look for rockyriverpc on both apps and follow us!
