RCV Church Newsletter

Issue #4 August 2013 What are your memories of the first week of school? Catching up with friends, the first football game, new clothes, white shoes, lot’s of paperwork. One of my memories involves book covers. There was an art to taking a brown grocery bag and turning it into a custom fit science book cover. Because those books were so expensive, in the MD school system it was a requirement that all books be covered—if yours wasn’t covered, you were in trouble! Those books were used hard, in the class, on the bus, at home… they were studied and memorized.

They were used to prepare for tests and complete projects. They were the true source of most of our education and what we learned.

Of course you can see where I am going with this! We need to go back to school too, to hit the book. Not books, but book. The book. The bible. The bible is the true source for our education about God, ourselves and how we ought to live. It will help us get through the trials and tests of life, and knowing the bible will allow us to complete the projects we are working on like our family or finances, or businesses.

Does your bible need a cover? Is it used heavily, memorized and studied? Or does it simply hold your nightstand down, or make sure your coffee table doesn’t get up and leave the living room? The bible is God’s self-revelation for us to learn about His nature and who He is. The bible is the story of God’s passionate desire to be in a relationship with us. It contains everything that we need to know to be in a relationship with God. It truly is the most important book you will ever read. Have you read it? Have you read it lately?

It is one of the tasks of the church to provide opportunities for the people of God to get together and study the Word of God. In addition to worship and Sunday school, the church has several opportunities available for you to learn about the bible. Here are just a few: Ladies Book Club: “Living by the Book” Tuesdays beginning August 6th, 6:30PM at Kulp UMC Men’s Bible Study: Check with Jake Naylor. The men are going to be getting together for an evening of good food and discussion about how to live as a man and a follower of Jesus Christ. We will read a portion of scripture and discuss it together.

Wednesday Night Bible Study: Begins September 4th at 7PM at RCVUMC. This is a pastor led bible study walking through a book of the bible one section at a time. We will begin with the Gospel of Luke. We learn through guided group discussion about the scriptures.

Disciple Bible Study: Sunday Nights at 6:00PM at Kulp UMC, beginning September 15th. Never studied the bible? Feel lost when people talk about Scripture? This is the bible study for you! BeginBack to school means back to youth group. We are ning in September, we will go through the Bible in going to have our first meeting on August 18th at 32 weeks. We will meet for 2 hours a week and 4PM at Kulp UMC. Come hungry… we are going to there is reading to do on your own. When you have have a small cook-out, games and devotional time. completed this bible study, you will have a tremendous grasp of the major themes and scriptures of the This will be a great way to make sure we have our bible. This is a huge commitment, with a much support systems in place before we start this school greater reward. See Pastor Chad if you are interyear. Please bring a friend and idea for what you want ested in this Bible Study. to see happen this year in youth group.

Youth Group Begins!!!

I look forward to getting back to the book with you this fall!

We need to plan our winter retreat and mission project for the year. Any questions, see Pastor Chad!

Church Council Meeting August 1st, 2013 6:30—9:00PM at Esther Furnace 5th St. Parsonage The church council has recommended reversing the decision to rent the 5th St. parsonage and to sell the property instead. This will mean convening another charge conference. The date is to be determined based on the availability of an elder and a pending conversation with Bethel.

This was decided up on reflection of many talking points, these 3 being the most significant: - The fact that whether we rent or don't rent, doesn't really affect whether we are out there being disciples and making disciples, except that perhaps it would take us away from that work at times, in order to maintain the building, etc.

- The difficulty of being landlords in general, the difficulty of being partners with another church as landlords - The amount of items that would need to be done to get the house ready Worship Service Time  Some members of the council have heard concerns for the service time.  For now, we will keep it at 11AM.  However, anyone with concerns should be directed to Pastor Chad so that we can get an understanding for the expectations and desires of the congregation.

Church office at Esther Furnace campus  We will be contacting electricians to have outlets installed in the office.  Pastor Chad will bring over his portable AC/Heat Pump to be used to control the climate of the office.

This will prevent us from heating or cooling the whole church.  Items from 5th St. office still need to be moved to the new office Fisherdale Campus  The church council will be seeking a surveyor to sub-divide the cemetery from the rest of the property.  An appraiser is going to be contacted to estimate the market value of the property.

Parking at the Orchard Drive Campus  A committee was formed to line the parking areas and recruit parking lot attendants to help with this hospitality ministry.  Dave McDonald, Mark Schlieder, Dennis Stanchock and Pastor Chad will consider how to improve and educate the parking areas at the Orchard Dr. Campus.

Long Range Planning Committee This group will focus on the formation of recommendations for long-term needs, especially the best location for the future of the RCV Church.  Pastor Chad mentioned that the annual conference is sending an architect to look at the Esther Furnace campus to see what options would be available for renovating/reconfiguring that facility. 

Financial Issues and Concerns  Dennis and Ed continue to bring all of the accounts of the former church into one account.  First Columbia Bank was chosen as the long term investment managers of the church. All of our investments will be brought under the care of First Columbia Bank.  For an invoice to be paid, they must be signed and dated.  The phone line at the 5th St. Parsonage will be turned off.

Worship Team Meeting July 22nd, 6:30-8;00PM at RCVUMC Worship Services There were a few “tweaks” to the worship service During the time for joys, we lift up and celebrate birthdays and anniversaries.

We are going to try to incorporate a more contemporary song at the beginning of worship Sanctuary There will be a small team to sort through and utilize the banners from the 3 previous churches The worship team is recommending to the church council that the paneling in the sanctuary be painted.

Advent Services The group began to plan the special services around the Christmas season. The hope is to publish a postcard to send to the 17820 zip code with our special activities Hanging of the Greens will be December 1st.

Poinsettias order forms will be handed out November 17th and the last day to sign up will be December 8th.

Christmas Eve services will be held in conjunction with Kulp. At the August meeting we will finalize the times and style of worship December 24th.

RCV will be participating in the “Manger in the Park” sponsored by the Bloom/Catawissa UMC Cluster. December 23rd at 6:30PM

Cleaning the Church We are going to try to set up a cleaning schedule for the church using volunteers.

The basics to cleaning the church are the sanctuary, Sunday school rooms and bathrooms. The multipurpose room gets cleaned every month after the breakfast and will not need cleaned by the volunteers.

Our goal is to get two volunteers per month to clean the church so that it gets cleaned at least twice a month. You can work as a team and both do it together twice, or each person could clean it once.

Please sign up and help serve in this important ministry!

HELP NEEDED “...that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson...what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.” Exodus 2:10 One of the most important ministries of the church, if not THE most important ministry is children’s church. During the sermon time, the children are divided into 2 different classrooms where they are taught bible lessons at their level.

This is what we are called to as the family of God, to pass the faith to the next generation.

To teach or be a helper for this important ministry see Brenda Carter or Silvia Boublis

Important Dates at Roaring Creek Valley UMC August 5th, Care Team Meeting, 6:30PM at RCVUMC August 6th, Book Club Begins, Kulp UMC 6:30PM August 7th, Planning Meeting for Fisherdale Closing Service, 7PM at Fisherdale August 8th, Catawissa Carnival Ice Cream Stand, 4-10PM Cara Park August 12th, Joint Outreach Committee, 7PM at RCVUMC August 11th, Communication Team Meeting, 6:00PM at RCVUMC August 16th, RCV supplies Cakes for VCFD Carnival August 17th, Mission Breakfast, 7—9:30AM at RCVUMC August 19th, Worship Committee Meeting, 6:30PM at RCVUMC August 24th, Soup Kitchen at Wesley UMC, 9AM August 31st, Chicken & Waffle Dinner, Kulp UMC 4-7PM September 2nd, UMW Meeting at 7PM September 10th, Mission Team Meeting at 7PM September 12th, Church Council Meeting, 7PM at RCVUMC

Annual Charge Conference October 27th, 2013 At Wesley UMC 2PM—4PM Worship at 2PM Workshops at 2:45PM Charge Conference at 3:30PM

Do you have an article for the newsletter?

Do you have an announcement or something you would like mentioned in the next newsletter? Please email that info to Pastor Chad. There will be another newsletter published in mid September.

Pastor Chad’s Contact Information: ccarter@susumc.org (717) 648-7477 (cell) • (570) 356-7022 (office)

(This year we will be together with the whole Bloom/Catawissa cluster lifting up what we have done together)

Facebook search “Chadrick Carter” Twitter @chadrickcarter

We need cakes for the

Kulp & RCV will be preparing the food and hosting

Valley Chemical Fire Department’s

Carnival We have committed to helping the VCFD Carnival by donating cakes for Friday August 16th.

If you are able to help us with this, please see Clara Krum

Wesley Community Meal (aka Soup Kitchen) August 24th -andDecember 21st There will be sign up sheets to donate food and to help serve.

This is a great chance to serve and get to know each other at the same time!