Bring People to Jesus to Know Him and make Him known

Transcription

1 Bring People to Jesus to Know Him and make Him known Hi there! Wasn t the Devotion great today?! HAPPY! Thanks for living as an exceptional Easter Person! Thanks for all you do to help us focus all our resolve and resources on Bringing People to Jesus to Know Him and Make Him Known! through all our people, programs and property! Thanks for helping us push aside every lesser thing so we can bring the full-force of Indian River City to his GREATER THING! I hope you have an extra great experience with Jesus today! Today you are reading the second of our 2016 SPECIAL EDITIONS of the Monthly Newsletter! WHY?! GREAT QUESTION! Thanks for asking! WWWWWWWEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLL...Our Church Council meets quarterly for the purpose of insuring that Indian River City Church stays focused on the course that s been laid out for us to serve Christ and His Cause through the Church! Amazing things are happening throughout our ministries & missions that we want you to know about! Page after page describes what God is doing! Every three months our Ministry & Mission Leaders share what God is doing in the life of our Church! Beginning with our Children s Ministries and going through our Students, Adults, Care, Outreach & Hospitality and Worship, we hear about the lives which are being impacted by the power that exists within the Good News of Jesus Christ! Stories describing the difference that helping others Know Him! makes in individuals, couples and families from the youngest to the oldest helps us know the great Good News about God! Our hope is that these stories will ignite a fresh fire in you and inspire you to help us Bring People to Know Him and Make Him Known! through one of our areas of ministry & mission! You will find that the folks God works through are people just like you & me! Every Council meeting I am asked to give a State of The Church kind of report and all I can do is WOW! at all the things God is doing! One of my BIGGEST thrills is helping folks become more fully-devoted followers of Jesus by becoming fully employed in His Cause through His Church! As Easter People...we belong in a local congregation! One reason we need to be connected to a local church is so we can fulfill our calling to serve other believers in practical ways! The Bible says, Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others. Be good servants of God s various gifts of grace. (1 Peter 4:10 ) Our serving is desperately needed for the Church to be really healthy! HEY...God wants you & me to experience the thrill that comes with helping others Know Him! To experience significance in our lives, we must serve with others in ministry! Ministry means doing good to other people! Significance comes from service! Significance comes when we start thinking about other people more than ourselves and we give our lives away! We cannot be selfish and significant at the same time! For us to become more like Jesus we will resolve to know nothing except Jesus Christ while we re here! (1 Corinthians 2:2) Let s continue to focus ourselves on that one thing! We can more easily identify all the lesser things that are stealing our time, talent and treasure from God s GREATER THINGS! Let s give all we are and all we have to Bring People to Jesus to Know Him and Make Him Known! Now that s...radical! Bill

2 Children s Ministry News Bringing Children to Jesus to Know Him and Make Him Known! Children s Ministry has been busy over the past few months: Easter Egg Hunt with mini program, balloons, lunch, face painting for 350 people. Wednesday Night Zip for Kids Workshops with two dozen kids enjoyed fellowship, fun, activities and crafts while learning life lessons. The children raised close to $150 for Heifer International which equips children and families across the world with livestock to help feed their village in a sustainable way. The program ended on May 11 for the summer. Crosstrainer 56 for 5th/6th graders ended on May 11. Monday Nights, Summer Nights begins on June 6 with Bible lessons, bowling and fun. Summer Wednesday Nights provides childcare for children in VPK and under from 6:15-8:30 PM in the nursery. Advanced coordination with Linda ( ) is appreciated. The Sweet Notes Children s Choir performed on Mother s Day at the 11 AM worship service and in April at Royal Oaks Nursing Home. Looking for adults and older teens to serve on leadership team. Hope for the children's choir to resume on early October. Mom s Morning Out program ended the school year with Water Day on May 24. The program s slot for the new school year are already filled. This program provides a launching point for the Kids Place Preschool. Baby Bundle Blessings Mission provides diapers, brochures and a bear to new parents in our congregation, Mom s Morning Out, or MOPS family. Size 1 diapers and baby wipes are a welcome donation. Please contact Linda Benson at lbenson@irucmc.com if your know of a family in our church community that would welcome this blessing. Provided a set of soccer jerseys for kids in the village where Ali LaChappelle will be in mission ministries in Nicaragua. Cave Quest VBS had over 418 kids participating with almost 200 volunteers for the week filled with learning about the Jesus and having lots of fun. It was fantabulous! Summer Blast is July for children entering 1st through 7th grade in the 2016/2017 school year. It provides a safe environment where children can learn Life Skills in a Christ-centered environment while having lots of fun! Cost is $80 per child and includes t-shirt. There is a sibling discount of $10 off the first sibling and $20 off each additional sibling. Registration forms are available online at as well as in the church office, in the lobbies of The Sanctuary and Wesley Hall Check out the Children s Ministry Facebook page to stay up on current news! For more information about Children s Ministry please contact Linda Benson at lbenson@ircumc.com or x19. We are always looking for passionate and personable people with just the right package of skills that will help our TEAM Bring Children to Jesus! As you prayerfully pursue God s place for you at Indian River City Church we hope you will consider our Children s Ministries as a possibility! Linda Benson would be very pleased to speak with you about those possibilities! Experience the thrill of helping boys & girls encounter Jesus in their daily lives!

3 Refuge Student Ministries Where Students Connect with God and One Another Sunday Mornings classes for 7th - 12th grade averages 40+ students. Wednesdays PM programming is continuing to achieve their mission to reach students in our community with 70% being non-churched kids coming with food, fun, and intentional small group time to grow in and learn about faith in Christ. Student Leadership meets twice a month for the student leaders and Heather to gather and grow in key leadership principles and spiritual formation. Summer is here and Monday Nights, Summer Nights has begun with lots of bowling, movie night, and other fun activities. 20 students and leaders will be attending YM360 Generate Summer Camp at Stetson on June The camp includes a service component where the students will be serving at the Harvest Food Pantry. Eight students baptized at Cherry Down Park during the beach baptism on Saturday, May 14 and then were welcomed in to Indian River City UMC during confirmation service on Sunday, May 15. For more information check the website wearerefuge.org or contact Heather Trapp, Student Ministry Leader, or x21 or htrapp@ircumc.com. The Kids Place Bringing Children To Jesus Through Education & Care The Kids Place (TKP) Summer Camp is underway and the kids are busy having fun with many adventures. The Toddle Inn has part time and full time positons available. The Toddle Inn roof needs to be replaced and we are busy working with the Trustees to get this complete asap. Joe Onovi was hired to paint, replace all the baseboards, and hang new shelving in the classrooms. The back porch is being redone with new windows and screens so the space can be air conditioned. The work should be completed in early June. CJ Gehlman has remodeled the School Age office in the gym. He did a super job and it looks really nice. He will be painting 3 of the preschool classrooms and restrooms over the summer. The Kids Place 25th Anniversary Celebration was a huge success. An album of the event was created for the church as a keepsake. The new logo sign is hanging in the courtyard by the Preschool office. Tuition is now collected by automated bank draft/credit card payments. This program has been phasing in over the past few months. Heather Quidort completed her BAS degree in Organized Business Management in May 2016 as requested by the SPR and School Board Hiring Team when she was hired in July For more information about the Kids Place please contact Heather Quidort at x5 or hquidort@ircumc.com.

4 Adult Ministries Bringing Adults to Jesus to Know Him and Make Him Known! The Library continues to be a gateway into the life of our church. The following is an exerpt from a testimony from one of our new members. I wanted to let you know that the Book Chat group is one of the main reasons I ve selected IRC. I joined the Book Chat group in February to get my toes wet and was overwhelmed by the acceptance, excitement, and love I felt from this group. I since have found worship and other small group opportunities but without the Library Book Chat group it might not have happened. I m looking forward to many more chats and getting to find a deeper Christian relationship with this group. Pat The next book chat will discuss Cold Shot by Dani Pettrey on Friday, July 15 at 11 AM in the library. For more information contact Linda Stuck at MOPS held their last meeting before the summer break on Monday, May 9. Three new moms joined in for the last meeting. Moms will connect throughout the summer via the website, titusvillemops.weeby.com and host playdates at local parks. Darcia Bair, coordinator, and her team will plan next year s ministry at a workshop on July 23 in Studio 153. Contact Darcia at or Darcia9581@hotmail.com. Men s Ministry had six men from the ministry team attend the Iron Sharpens Iron Conference in Lakeland on May 21. Fourth of July Family Celebration hosted by Men s Ministry is Monday, July 4, 4 PM on the churhc campus. This event is for the whole family - all ages. Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, and Drinks will be provided. Just bring a side dish or dessert, lawn chairs and kid friendly games to play. Men s Conference with the UMC Cluster Churches will be on August 26 & 27 on our campus. Senior Ministry in partnership with the Care Ministry, hosted a Workout with Maureen on Saturday, April 23 in Wesley Hall for the women of Women Alone and Tai Chi. Maureen discusses reasons why fit is important as well as demonstrated proper ways to sit and bend down. Over 25 women participated in a circuit exercise routine that Maureen developed. The link was mailed to those who have addressed to be used at home. Tai Chi and Line Dancing classes finished up in May. Tai Chi will begin again in September. Breakfast at First UMC could use individuals to help For more information about Adult Ministries please contact Dawn Schissler at dschissler@ircumc.com and/or call her at x20. BASICS OF LEADING A SMALLER GROUP! This one hour informative workshop is for adults who want to explore leading a Small Group or for current leaders who are in need of a refresher session! Some of the covered topics are: Learning 3 Steps to start a small group, preparing for group meetings and leading group discussions. There are 2 great opportunities to participate in this Workshop with the same topics being covered at both times: THURSDAY, JULY 6:30-7:30PM 2nd Floor/Office Building SUNDAY, JULY 12:30-1:30PM 2nd Floor/Office Building For much more information, contact Dawn, our Adult Ministries Leader to register by at dschissler@ircumc.com or phone at or by Sign-up in the Weekly Bulletin!

5 Care Ministry News Bringing People to Jesus by Bringing Jesus to People! People in the congregation continue to come forward to serve in the Care Ministry. There are about 60 volunteers not including the 30 members of the Prayer Shawl Ministry. They visit 12 people in nursing homes on a weekly basis. The nursing home volunteer team took lunch to the 4 main nursing homes in town during the 40 days of Generosity to bless the caregivers in these facilities. They actively visit and take communion to 20 people who are homebound. Visit an average of 6 people in Parrish Hospital on a weekly basis. 50 caregivers in our church receive encouraging notes monthly from a layperson, who is also a caregiver herself. 10 cards a week are mailed to encourage members of the congregation who need prayer or have lost a loved one. Along with sending notes to those who have big anniversaries that we are aware of. Members are responding how much they appreciate them. 18 Prayer Warriors from the Prayer Team and Order of St. Luke meet and pray on a weekly basis. Women Alone averages 45 widows from Indian River City, other churches, and the community each month. The Care Giver Class was completed in February with 15 participants. It was conducted by Hospice of St. Francis. The classes were very useful and practical for people in care giver roles. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG) support group began in January and meets monthly. The next meeting is Friday, April 1, 9:30-11:00 AM in Wesley Hall, room 212. Prayer Shawl Ministry has made 860 shawls and throws along with 50 chemo hats since May During 2015, they had knitters and crocheters who made 244 shawls/throws and 50 hats. They gifted 253 shawls/throws, and have just started to gift the chemo hats. The Daytime Shawl Ministry will meet on Wednesday, April 20, at 10 AM and the Evening Shawl Ministry meets on Tuesday, April 26, 6:30 PM. Both meet in Wesley Hall. For more information about the Prayer Shawl Ministry please contact Judy Reynolds, ; judy2@cfl.rr.com. Helping Hand Fund in 2015 gave out a total of $7, Congregation - $3,067, Campus - $1,195 to the Kids Place families and employees and $3, to the community. For more information about the Care Ministry please contact Lisa Baggett at lbaggett@ircumc.com or X 24. TARGET TRAINING Grandparents Raising Grandchildren is having a training course (TARGET) for grandparents who have received their grandchildren to raise or think there is a possibility of raising their grandchildren. The course covers legal issues, Department of Children and Families involvement, parenting classes, coping skills and provide various resources that will assist grandparents in their endeavor to provide a stable and happy environment for children who have been removed from dysfunctional homes and placed in their care. The course is April 11 - May 16 (each Monday) from 10:00-12:00 PM at Grandparents Raising Grandchildren's office located at 123 Barton Blvd., Suite 102, Rockledge. The cost is $10. If you would like to attend or need additional information, please call

6 COMMUNITY OUTREACH Outreach, Mission, and Hospitality Bringing People to Jesus by Bringing Jesus to People! BACK TO SCHOOL BASH - This year s event has taken a new course. We have added River Lanes and Hope for North Brevard to our partners and it will be an amazing day! River Lanes is having a big day of celebration plus providing at least 1,000 back packs for any student that attends and all of our registered students are guaranteed a backpack. Hope for North Brevard is bringing medical care, dental care and vision care to our campus which will bless all our students. All three schools year end events were attended and 90 students were registered. In addition, 2,000 registration forms went out last week to all students in our three schools, so we ve begun! 40 DAYS OF GENEROSITY - September 19 October 29 is our community s celebration of this campaign. We are the host site for the kick off meeting on the 19th. This year s theme will be Love, Serve, Give, Celebrate with the devotional written by local pastors and focusing on Love your Neighbor. All projects will be grown and developed by individual groups; churches etc. and no donations will be received by the community campaign toward any special community projects. Sponsorships will be raised to cover the expenses of the marketing and community celebration. BREVARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS - We won Brevard Public School s Business Partner of the Year Award for 2016 in the category, For the Love of the Child! We were nominated by Coquina Elementary School. Here is the description of our church s involvement with the school submitted by the MEMBERSHIP NEW MEMBERS - We welcomed 6 new members in our May Worship Experiences and we ve had notice from others already of their interest in attending the June 5th orientation. MISSIONARY UPDATES INDIAN RIVER CITY UMC NEWS AARON & HUR - Kathleen Peterson has traveled to Spain and Cuba recently and travels to Mexico planned for June 27- July 2, She continues to work with the Perspectives study to train others to go to reach others for Christ. This effort continues to grow and impact Christian leaders wherever the course is taught so that others are going to share the Good News. BEN & KIRSTA TAYLOR Just this month a team traveled to their city from Canada to share the Gospel at the University sites across their city. This small team of 6 plus Ben, shared the Gospel with 180 students and 28 of them prayed to receive Christ with another 18 who agreed for follow up to learn more. Please pray for these students and Ben s team there in Poland as they move into discipleship. Also baby boy #4 is due August 7th and prayers are appreciated for Krista and the baby s health. FAWZI - his life s work is on preaching the Gospel and reaching out to seek and save the lost. His travels in the Middle East are to support the refugees with the donations he receives from us and others then distributing what are most needed to those who have lost everything. In addition he oversees his Cairo church s evangelistic campaigns. The most recent ones were with world renowned pastor, Mickel Yousef, and then a community effort, The Days of the Harvest, where ten thousand people were reached. He also oversees the training of the church to follow up with new believers. Thousands upon thousands are being filled with the Hope that alone comes from the good news of Jesus Christ. And...on a personal note, in April he was engaged to Heidi and will be married in late July. They will be here with us in mid-september for one week. For more information about Outreach, Mission and Hospitality, please contact Jennifer at jtaylor@ircumc.com or call her at x17.

7 How Can You Help? Donna & Bob Jarvis 7/06 Chris & Lisa Perdue 7/07 Don & Cathy Flick 7/10 Lance & Linda Dearborn 7/11 Karen & John DiNatale 7/14 Jack & Jackie Barnette 7/15 Mark & Michele Field 7/18 Tom & Pat Hurley 7/18 Doug & Lori Nieuwkoop 7/19 Bill & Carol Warweg 7/19 Wayne & Linda Condra 7/20 Chuck & Arlene Hoffman 7/21 John & Barbara Parker Jr. 7/22 Maria & Joe Fisher 7/25 Susan & Kevin Mead 7/25 Charles & Marilyn Headley 7/26 Terry & Karen Mish 7/27 Loretta & John Dreier 7/30 Richard & Carolyn Cowley 7/30 Rose & Jim Palek 7/31 Recently, our church has been having people coming on campus asking for money. Part of the reason they continue to come back is because kind and caring people have given them money on the spot. In order for you to truly help to get them the resources they need, please do not give them cash. Instead, we ask that you refer them to our church office during regular business hours from 9:00 AM -5:00 PM on Monday-Thursday and 9:00 AM-12:00 PM on Fridays. There are two main reasons for this: First, we have resources to help people get a hand up and not just a hand out. If we can meet with them and assess their needs, we will know the best direction and way to really help them in the long run. We see help cases on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and would be happy to see them during these times or refer them to other resources for help in the area. This will also rule out anyone who is trying to scam people and feed on their generosity and love. Second, giving out money like this could put our church or Kid s Place people at risk. If word gets around that you can get money from individual s here, we will have people regularly looking for handouts and possibly lurking in the parking lots. This is pan handling and we have strict policies against that practice. The best policy is to direct anyone who is in need to the office. If they legitimately need help, they will make an appointment or come to the office for it. Thanks for helping! WOMEN ALONE! Women Alone, a group for women who have lost a spouse, will meet on SUNDAY, JULY 4 PM in Wesley Hall, Studio 153. For lots more information about Women s Ministries at Indian River City Church please contact Ethel Bergstedt at This group meets monthly for a time of fellowship, activities, and snacks. For more information contact Sharon McClelland, facilitator,

8 Prayer Shawl Ministry Join us when we meet in AUGUST! Students and Experts are invited to knit or crochet prayer shawls for people in need! We ve got 2 Groups: The DAYTIME GATHERING meets on the 3rd 10:00AM and the EVENING GATHERING meets on the 4th 6:30PM For more information contact Judy Reynolds, ; judy2@cfl.rr.com. Car Care Ministry Car Care ministry meets most SAT- URDAYS from 9:00AM-12:00PM in the West Parking Lot providing inspections and minor repairs on cars owned by single moms, widows, and others in need of help keeping their vehicles in running shape! The ministry welcomes anyone who would like to help us work on cars! For more information contact Alice at angelchal@aol.com. I would like to thank everyone for the prayers, cards, flowers and hugs I received with the passing of my mother. You touched my heart with your expressions of love, and I feel blessed to be a part of Indian River City. My mom is finally at peace, and you have helped bring some of that peace to me as well. Thanks and love, Laurie Blair An Adapted Stewardship Prayer from umcdiscipleship.org Living God, we praise you for the miraculous ways you answer prayer. You alone are the Lord! Throughout history, you have provided faithful leaders and sent your Spirit to renew all who follow you. Enable us to be more dedicated disciples, readily sharing our time, abilities and resources through the ministries of this church. May your love in Jesus Christ be felt by people near and far whose lives are touched by our mission. We pray in your holy name. Amen. (1 Kings 18:20-39) Laurie Blair Church Accountant