Inside this Issue: Monthly Newsletter September What We Believe. Shepherd s Staff... page 2. RRCC Happenings...page 3. Council News...

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1 Monthly Newsletter September 2015 Inside this Issue: Shepherd s Staff... page 2 Which brings me to a more treasured memory twenty years ago as a young family on the Sunset Trail Pastor Brian Wiele RRCC Happenings...page 3 Council News...page 4 RRCC Family News. page 6 Kid s Ministry...page 7 Youth Ministry..... page 8 Missions. page 9 What We Believe At River Ridge Covenant Church, we believe that everyone is called to a lifelong, upward path of discipleship where we Love, Grow, Serve and repeat. We strive to do this through a few specific areas. Love Loving God by faithfully gathering with his people to worship Him (Hebrews 10:19-25) Loving others by being a welcoming and caring community to all (1 John 3:11-20) Grow Growing in relationship with God through the regular study and application of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:14-16) Growing in community with others through a grow group (Colossians 3:12-17) Serve Serving God by joyfully sharing Jesus Christ with the world (Isaiah 61:1-2) Serving and supporting others with practical, hands-on service (Isaiah 61:3-4) Extras.. page 10 Calendar. page 11 Church office: / office@rrcov.org Website:

2 Shepherd s Staff... by Brian Wiele For most of my childhood years, our family lived in the hills of Oakland, California. Our home was just steps away from one entrance to Joaquin Miller Park, 500 acres of trees, trails, creeks, and animals. For a kid with a natural exploratory bent, it was like having heaven as my backyard. My memory bank is loaded with tales and adventures. I m embarrassed to admit one of those. Four of us my brother and two friends and I came across a large chest of candy, the final destination for a Cub Scout treasure hunt. We stole the candy as well as some of the clues and signs that led to their goal. Imagine the disappointment and frustration of the scouts a day of promise cruelly became a confusing trail of tears. The Bible tells us there is one who is committed to causing believers to lose their way, stumble and fall, hoping they won t rise up and press on in faith. Have you had that happen? In those times and in our times of rejoicing, we do well to remember the sufferings of Jesus and his unwavering commitment to stay with us as we walk with Him and in His ways. Which brings me to a more treasured memory twenty years ago as a young family on the Sunset Trail overlooking the city, Sara, Linda and I following our determined son Ben. (see the front page picture). This is a wonderful image of a church s faith journey people trekking together on a path. This fall in worship we are going to review our church s now-familiar mission statement: Love Grow Serve (repeat). However, you may not know the larger phrase that precedes it: We believe that everyone is called to a lifelong, upward path of discipleship where we Love, Grow, Serve (repeat). We re on this road together! This has been a tough year at River Ridge Covenant, so this fall it will be good for us to recommit ourselves to the upward path of faith. One of the ways we will do that is by reaffirming what s important to us and what we value by unpacking Paul s letter to Philippians. In the book Paul pledged his willingness to stay with them for their progress and joy in the faith. How about you? Are you progressing as a believer? The school year is a time where many people gear up and set out on new terrain, so we re calling everyone to stretch and to grow into new dimensions of their walk with Jesus. We re printed our extended mission statement on the front page of the newsletter. Summing it up, it s all about growing in our love for God and others and finding creative ways to share His love in humble acts of service. But how about translating that down to what it specifically means for you? Here are some ideas: We affirm the importance of loving God by faithfully gathering with his people to worship Him so if it s not already your pattern, strive to make this a regular life priority. Join a weekly Grow Group, which begin again in late September. Yes, it means creatively juggling your schedule, but walking together with other believers is the best way to progress in your faith! Even better invite a neighbor or friend to participate with you. Come for a special gathering we re calling The Table. On Wed Oct 14 young and old will eat dinner, share lives, worship God and remember Jesus by celebrating the Lord s Supper. We re hoping this will become a quarterly tradition for our congregation. I ll be introducing a Path to Discipleship class next spring. Just as the 12 steps have been a helpful tool for those in recovery, I am developing a grid of eight steps we can learn to deepen our walk of faith. It s my sincere hope that even though our journeys can sometimes be a confusing trail of tears, walking together can help it to become a joyful upward path in which we keep our eyes on Jesus, our leader and savior. 2

3 RRCC Happenings August 30: Church Picnic September 5: Youth Group Swim in Tenino September 9: Youth Fall Kick Off BBQ September 12: TMTL run in Yelm September 14 & 26: Needlers Quilters September 17: Needlers Knitters/Crocheters September 18: Parents & Kids Play Dates resume September 19: Feeding the Homeless September 22: Women s Bible Study resumes September 27: Youth Gathering September 30: Youth See you at the Pole Second Family (55+, but younger friends welcome too!) The RRCC adult ministry and fellowship group, Second Family, is starting up again after being on summer break. Potluck & Fellowship Thursday, September 10, noon 2pm Please bring a dish to share if you re able, and come and join us. Early notice: Our October meeting will occur on Saturday morning, October 24, and will involve a potluck and Disaster Preparedness training in conjunction with the entire church. If you d like more information, or have ideas for the group please contact Dean & Jackie DeBell. Parents & Kids Play Dates 1st & 3rd Fridays (not 5th Fridays), 10:00 11:30 am, beginning Sept. 18, Friday morning fellowship and play-date for parents of preschoolers will resume September 18. We gather in the multipurpose/ sanctuary for some great play-space for our preschoolers and enjoy some adult company. Invite other families & neighbors! Questions? Contact Peg Melhaff in the office. Women s Bible Study Tuesday mornings 9:15 11:15 am Beginning September 22 Lord, Heal My Hurts A Devotional Study on God's Care and Deliverance, by Kay Arthur No Matter How Deep the Wounds, God Can Heal Your Hurts. Everyone hurts. The pain runs deep, the scars never seem to fade, and the memories torment us. As a result, our growth is stunted, our walk crippled, our relationships infected. Will relief never come? Yes -- when you put yourself in the hands of Jehovah-Rapha, the God who heals! No matter what you've done or what's been done to you, He wants to be your refuge. He loves you. And He offers healing for your deepest wounds. Discover how God can turn your sorrow into joy in Lord, Heal My Hurts. This study by Kay Arthur will guide us through the Scriptures so we can be set free from past hurts by the power of God. Peg Melhaff will facilitate with Pat Keeley. Betty Smith will accompany us for some worship and Anita Jauken will brew up the coffee for us! Sign up on the event table to let us know you are coming and if you need a book or childcare. 3

4 Report of August 20, 2015 Council Meeting Church Council News Page 4 A time of devotion was led by Paula Reiner on the topic of trusting in God no matter what the circumstance. We prayed for various prayer needs. The meeting was called formally to order and the council approved a revised agenda and minutes of the July 2015 meeting. Financial Report Nicholas Sparky Garcia presented the Treasurers report noting that revenue exceeded the budget predictions for July. He noted that the trend for the past few months has been encouraging. The finances are moving in a good direction. Decision items Dennis Anderson indicated that now he is working regularly in the church office since his retirement that he would not like to continue to serve as Vice Chair, as it is awkward to be a volunteer staff person and be on the Council. Pastor Report Last year Brian approached the council about a sabbatical for 2016 (The council formerly approved a policy regarding this). We formed a committee to work on this and to also apply for a Lilly Foundation grant, but the work of the committee was suspended as we were going through difficult times. Several people have approached Brian about whether a sabbatical plan is being considered again. The Council will take this up at the September meeting. Children s Ministry - Peg had reported in her written report that VBS was great full of blessings. The Korean church and Casa De Albanza participated and we had great youth and adult volunteers. We had the highest attendance for the past several years. We appreciated the donations so the cost was kept lower than expected. Youth Jill reported that Dan is busy with summer activates (CHIC, Neah Bay etc.) and taking classes. Dan is applying for ordination. The council passed a motion affirming his ordination. Facilities Jim Smith presented an issue with the fire alarm system. Apparently a contributing factor in the alarms sounding is that dust & spider webs are is accumulating in the detectors. We gave guidance for various methods of cleaning them in the multi-purpose room. Future Focus Pastor Bran gave a 6 month report on our initiatives from the retreat. We have made good progress on the twelve initiatives that we developed. Brian handed out his sermon series this fall that centers on our mission statement. The BSL and Council had a split vote on moving forward with the DiscipleShift model so Brian wanted to hold off on this for a while. He also highlighted The Table where we would have special quarterly special time of worship music (single guitar), light dinner, communion and prayer. The first Table will be October 14 th. 4

5 Compassion Corner - Ways to Serve Each month we like to celebrate the ways the people of River Ridge Covenant are making a difference in people s lives, as well as notifying you of opportunities to serve. Grow Groups are starting up again! What s your goal in your spiritual life? Have you thought about how you re going to reach that goal? The Apostle Paul once said And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. (Phil 1:9) Joining a River Ridge Covenant Grow Group is an awesome way to make Paul s vision come true and give a new boost to your faith. With groups getting started again in late September, we ve got an increasing number of options: most of them meet in homes, but you ll also find them at church or at Cutter s Point Coffee. Be looking in just a couple of weeks for a full list of groups which will be distributed. Or, if you d like to host or lead a group, just contact Pastor Brian. Truly Motivated Transitional Living (TMTL) - Annual Run for Recovery Saturday, September 12, 10 am at Yelm Middle School In celebration of National Recovery Month, TMTL is hosting this 5K (3 mile) fundraiser. It s on a flat terrain, perfect for runners, walkers, strollers or wheelchairs. Register online at The cost is $25. An information card is available in the lobby. 5 Kokua is a local non-profit organization whose mission is to provide citizens with disabilities the support needed to lead full and meaningful lives. They currently have an urgent need for someone to help with gardening and hopefully, some outings with an older, retired gentleman. His garden was his pride and joy and he is no longer able to tend it. He used to take the bus everywhere and is no longer able to get out on his own. He has an oxygen tank but is ambulatory and quite verbal and has a great sense of humor. If you would be interested in learning more about this opportunity to befriend this wonderful man please contact: Randi Miller Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator for Kokua (360) ext. 120 Mentors Needed North Thurston Public Schools 2Mentor1 Betty & Jim Smith, and Brenda McAferty have all had positive experiences with this program. The 2Mentor1 Program helps to empower youth to make positive life choices that enable them to maximize their potential. Adult volunteers commit to supporting, guiding, and being a friend to a young person for a period of at least one year. Volunteers spend a minimum of 4 hours per month with their mentee and communicate with them weekly. Volunteers are required to be at least 21 years old, interested in working with young people, have a clean criminal history, and willing to complete the online application and screening process. For more information, contact Patsy Williams at

6 Splashes, big & small RRCC Family News Are you a part of the River Ridge family? Do you have news from your life that you d like to share with others in the RRCC family? Wedding? Birth? Anniversary? Retirement? Accomplishment? New job? Celebration? Cast in a play? In a reality TV show? Selling a house? Back from a vacation? Other? Submit it to Hilda in the office ( ) or office@rrcov.org Sermon Series Wise Up! Navigational Tools from Proverbs September 7 Go to the Ant Sloth and Self Control Proverbs 6:6-11 New Sermon Series A Lifelong, Upward Path Together Revisiting our Mission Statement: Love Grow Serve (repeat) September 13 God is in it for the Long Haul Our Lifelong Path of Discipleship Together Philippians 1:1-11 September 20 Bringing Honor...to whom? Our Upward Path of Discipleship Together Philippians 1:12-26 September 27 Checking our Manners Loving Others by Being a Welcoming & Caring Community Philippians 1:27-2:4 Generosity Update: We re almost through the summer, and giving has remained relatively steady, which is really important! Thanks for your continued faithfulness, and a big thanks to Paula Reiner, Nicolas Garcia, and Barbara Sadlier who help us immensely with our day-to-day financial matters. 6

7 Children s Ministry Update... By Children s Pastor Peg Melhaff September 6 th is move-up Sunday If your child hasn t already advanced to the Christian Formation Class that matches his or her current grade level, please move them up on September 6 th. Most of the children have already done this! (Who wants to stay in the 2 nd grade class if you have ALREADY FINISHED the 2 nd GRADE!?) On September 6 th we will start the new school year with our three year walk through the bible beginning at Genesis! We are excited to start over with our Gospel Project curriculum. To learn more about it, visit GospelProject.com under kids or Peg at The women of River Ridge Covenant have been invited to Grace Covenant for their quarterly dinner and fellowship on Thursday September 17 th. Peg Melhaff will be speaking on mentoring and discipleship among women, and the dinners at Grace are known to be delicious! Please RSVP to Peg, peg@rrcov.org, BY MONDAY SEPT 14 th, or sign up on the clipboard on the events table by Sun. Sept. 13 th. We need to know if you re planning to attend the dinner, as well as if childcare is needed and if you want to car-pool from RRCC. There s still time to register! PacNWC Women s Retreat September 25 27, 2015 at Cascades Covenant Camp in Yelm. The guest speaker will be Jill Riley from Navigate Church in Billings, Montana. For more information pick up a brochure at the events counter in the lobby, or go to 7 Mark your 2016 Calendar! Women Ministries of ECC Triennial XV 2016! July 28 31, 2016 Sheraton Crown Center in Kansas City, MO recharge, refresh, renew Journey together as women of the Covenant to an intentional spiritual adventure where we connect with God and one another across generations, cultures, geography and life experience. Triennial is meaningful worship, thought-provoking speakers, challenging learning experiences, heart-pumping excursions, lifealtering spiritual experiences, and opportunities to take next steps in addressing injustice in our world. We aren t the same without YOU! Start talking with friends and planning now! For more information contact Peg Melhaff.

8 What s Going on this Fall in Youth Ministry? YOUTH PAGE... Middle School: Tuesdays, 7:00 8:30 pm High School: Wednesdays, 6:30 8:30 pm On Wednesday, September 9 th, we are kicking off our youth ministry year. After that we ll go back to our fall schedule (MS meets on Tuesdays from 7-8:30pm, HS meets on Wednesdays from 6:30-8:30pm.) I am very excited and expectant to see what God will do in and through the lives of our students this year. Here are a few things that I m excited about. This Fall we ll be studying God s grace. It is human nature to lose sight of God s love for us. So often we regress into a religion that is based on our behaviors. We earn God s love. Or we have to get our act together in order to have a relationship with Him. This is contrary to the Gospel. I am excited for kids to learn that they are loved unconditionally. I am excited for kids to know that their mistakes don t define them. I can only imagine what it might look like for kids to realize this profound truth and build their lives on it. We ll also be talking about depression. Many teens struggle with depression. Depression can manifest itself in many ways, including self harm and suicide. Our hope is that students can be open and honest about how they are doing. In the context of a Church community they can realize that they are not alone and that they can ultimately get the help they need. We believe students learn through experiences. Here are the experiences that we have lined up for our student ministry this fall. September 19 Feeding the Homeless in downtown Olympia September 27- The Gathering. Students will have an opportunity to fellowship with students from the area, learn about prayer, and prepare for See You At The Pole. September 30 See You At The Pole. Students will pray for their campus and friends before school October 14 The Table. An intergenerational time of sharing, fellowship and prayer. October Middle School Thunder Retreat. Students will go to Cascades Camp to learn and grow. They will be joined by other Middle Schoolers from our region. October Service project. We ll be serving those with Alzheimers at Garden Court Nursing Home. November 15 Winter Jam Worship Concert in Tacoma November 22 Thanksgiving Baskets Intergenerational Service Project Middle and High School students will help our church serve thanksgiving baskets to our community. December 19 Feeding the Homeless Questions? Contact Pastor Dan Meyerpeter in the office or dan@rrcov.org 8

9 Missions submitted by Tim Anderson Postings from Neah Bay The Makah Tribe has called the spectacular Neah Bay, Washington area home since time immemorial. The name Makah was attributed to the Tribe by the neighboring tribes, meaning people generous with food in the Salish language. Archaeological research suggests that the Makah people have inhabited the area now known as Neah Bay for more than 3,800 years. Until historic times, the Makah Tribe was composed of five principal winter villages. The prehistoric population of the Makah was estimated to be between approximately people. Today there are roughly 1500 living in and around Neah Bay. The social units of Makah life were traditionally large extended families. Cultural information was vested in these families, as were inherited cultural privileges, or tupat such as ownership of songs, dances, stories, land and ocean resources and cultural information. Such tupat was and is today, owned not by the Makah as a whole, but by Makah families and individuals within the Family. (Information Copyright 2003 MCRC). Between August 7-9, a team from our church traveled to Neah Bay, the fourth consecutive year in which we have partnered with the Makah Lutheran Church in an effort to deepen relationships between our congregations and within the Neah Bay community. From Pastor Dan: On August 7-9 we had the privilege of spending time at Makah Lutheran in Neah Bay, WA. God was active and moving during our time there. The biggest way that our team felt this was the deepening of relationships. On Saturday night we had a time of sharing. For hours we listened and shared our stories. Walls came down, people were open and vulnerable about what they were going through. We sensed the Holy Spirit s presence with us as we laughed together, cried together, and prayed for each other. We came away with a sense of our shared identity as humans made in God s image. Even though we come from very different backgrounds, we have more in common than we thought. We all need Christ s help. It was also exciting to see how God was moving in their church youth ministry. Gideon Cook, a young man who grew up in our church, is serving as the Makah Lutheran Youth Pastor. Every week teens from the community gather to learn about Christ. Teens haven t had this opportunity before. God is using Gideon in big ways. Please be in prayer for Gideon as he serves the teens of Neah Bay. Please consider joining us as we go back up to Neah Bay on November

10 Men s Morning Bible Study Fridays, 6:45-8:00 am at the Hawks Prairie Cutters Point Officially starting up again on September 11 Join us for great discussions as we study God s word and discuss the book of Philippians. Drop ins are always welcome. For more information contact Pastor Brian. Painting the Sheds: On the back, west side of the RRCC property we have 3 sheds and a small building we re now calling the west wing. Recently a team of volunteers, headed up by Lisa Huges, took on the project and painted all 4 buildings, along with the enclosure around our garbage bins. It was a huge task. We send a big thank you to Lisa Hughes and the team Jim Smith, Donna Connors, Madeline Corrado-Din, Linsey Lyons, Caytlin Johnston, Jami Ayers, Bryce Gibler, Emilio Corrado, Heather Birchman, Susie Aasen, Karen Brown, and Ella Pratt. 10

11 14 (Office Closed) 21 (Office Closed) 22 Fitness class 5:30pm 28 (Office Closed) 29 Fitness class 5:30pm Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 6 Worship Service 10 am 13 Worship Service 10 am 20 Worship Service 10 am 27 Worship Service 10 am Youth Gathering 1 Fitness class 5:30pm Prayer meeting 7pm 7 (Office Closed) 8 Fitness class 5:30pm Quilters noon-4pm September 2015 Prayer meeting 7pm 15 Fitness class 5:30pm Middle School 7pm Prayer meeting 7pm Women s Bible Study 9:15 11:15 am Middle School 7pm Prayer meeting 7pm Women s Bible Study 9:15 11:15 am Middle School 7pm Prayer meeting 7pm Men s Bible Study at Cutters 6:45 am 9 Youth Fall Kick Off BBQ 6:30 pm 16 High School 6:30pm 23 High School 6:30pm 30 Youth See You at the Pole High School 6:30pm Men s Bible Study at Cutters 6:45 am 17 Knitters group 6:30-8pm Council meeting 6:30pm 18 Men s Bible Study at Cutters 6:45 am Parents & Kids Play Day 10-11:30 am Men s Bible Study at Cutters 6:45 am 5 Board of Spiritual Life 8am Youth Group Swim 3pm 12 TMTL run in Yelm 19 Feeding the homeless 26 Quilters noon-4pm 11

12 Please pray for the pastors and leadership members listed below. Feel free to contact any of them with questions or concerns. Staff: Brian Wiele Lead Pastor Peg Melhaff Children s Pastor Dan Meyerpeter Pastor to youth & families Hilda Beirne Administrative Assistant Council/ Board of Administration 2015: Jim Larson Chair Dennis Anderson Vice Chair Parker Owens Secretary Nicolas Garcia Treasurer Paula Reiner Financial Secretary Jill Shanda Youth Liaison Facilities Liaison Gary Southwell Serve Team Liaison Pat Keeley Christian Formation Liaison Board of Spiritual Life: Lynette Anderson Roger Jones Betty Smith Fred & Lois Williams Judith Upton Nathan & Bethany Doak October Deadline September 17 Please send your articles by to office@rrcov.org or call the office at (360) Office Hours: Tuesday - Thursday from 8:00 am-noon, and 1:00 pm-3:00 pm Fridays 8:00 am - 2:00 pm Office Phone: (360) Staff Lead Pastor Brian Wiele: Children s Pastor Peg Melhaff: Pastor to youth & families, Dan Meyerpeter: Admin. Assistant, Hilda Beirne: Worship Arts Team, Sherri Hamilton: Visit our website at: Sunday Worship Service 10:00 am Worship Service includes: Nursery *3s Pre K *Kids Club for K-2nd grade *Club 345 for 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade (*dismissed from regular worship after Komments for Kids ) brian@rrcov.org peg@rrcov.org dan@rrcov.org office@rrcov.org sherrihamilton@hotmail.com Steilacoom Rd SE Olympia WA Love - Grow - Serve (repeat)