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4/27/2015

The Lighthouse - April 27, 2015

All That She Had...

PicturePam and Marvin at the lemonade stand
Yesterday, our confirmation class - Brenna, Chandler, Baylor, and Austin - held their lemonade stand to support Imagine No Malaria at Gayle's Quick Stop.  We are thankful to the folks at Gayle's who were kind enough to let us set up there - if you happen to stop by there, please thank them for their support. Thank you to everyone who came out to support them and to give so generously to save lives!  The kids will announce a final tally this Sunday in church.  I also want to thank Pam and Dianna for extra donations of goodies for the kids to sell.  And, of course, a huge thank-you goes out to the families of the confirmands - Will, Tara, Chelsea, Dinah, Chris, Amie, Keith, Rad, and Michelle - who helped every step of the way.

One thing that happened yesterday that struck me was a woman who came over to our little corner of the lot at Gayle's to donate a handful of change. She was not a member of our congregation or family of any our kids.  As far as I know, she had no reason to give than to encourage the kids and to help those who suffer under the threat of malaria. She came apologetically, offering less than a dollar's worth of coins. "I'm sorry. I don't have any more to give. I don't carry cash on me - all I have is my credit cards." The kids offered her a cup of lemonade, but she declined.  She just wanted to give all that she had on her at the time to help.

It made me think of the story of how Jesus and the disciples watched the widow place her last two coins in the Temple treasury. Jesus pointed out that, though her offering was meager, she gave more than those who gave larger amounts out of their abundance because she gave all she had, little as it was. Perhaps this woman we met yesterday gave out of abundance of wealth and may never miss those few coins she gave. Still, there is something striking about her desire to give all that she had with her. She did not give out of an abundance of care for the kids as many of us did, nor did she give because she had seen a video in church that morning showing the impact a small donation can have for those living under the constant threat of malaria. I suspect that she gave all she had with her simply because she was moved by seeing some youth trying to make a difference in the world. Blessed is the woman who would give to strangers that they in turn may help a number of other strangers a world away! Love for the stranger in our midst - that is the love of Jesus!

May we all be so moved to help the stranger in need!

Blessings on the journey, Jim

Worship This Week:
Living with Purpose

If Jesus died and rose for us, what does he want us to do now? What does it mean for us to follow Jesus now? Join us this Sunday as we hear some of Jesus' parting words to his disciples and what he wanted them to do.

Countdown to VBS 2015!

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We are two months away from the kickoff of Vacation Bible School 2015 - Camp Kilimanjaro! You can find out more about our VBS and pre-register your kids here.

Over the next few weeks, we will need your prayers and your help as we make the final preparations.  Right now, we need you to start collecting empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls for use in our crafts. Thanks for your support!

Window Update

PictureOur newly repaired window!
Our stained glass window has been repaired and re-installed ahead of schedule. The window has a new protective covering that will not grow cloudy with age as our current coverings have done.  Take a moment this Sunday to see this beautiful window above our red front door!

You have given $1,120 to help cover the cost of the repair so far. Thank you for your generosity!

Living in Community

  • Through Christ, the whole world is our community and everyone our neighbor. Please pray for those affected by the earthquake in Nepal, especially those responding to help. If you feel led to help the recovery effort, consider giving through United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) - a top-rated charity that works with local partners to reach out in the name of the one who is our help in times of trouble.
  • Pray for all of our youth and give thanks to our youth leaders, Dinah and Kendra, as they have a big month and a half coming up with a district retreat and mission trip coming up. May each of them grow deeper in faith during this time!
  • Pray for the patience, calm, and wisdom of our students and teachers as testing season begins in May.

Upcoming Events

May 2-3 - District Youth Retreat
May 5 - 7 pm - SPRC Meeting
May 10 - Mother's Day
May 12 - 7 pm - Administrative Council Meeting

Mark Your Calendar

Youth Dodge-ball Tournament - May 17
Praise in the Park - May 31, 10 am
RENEW Youth Mission - June 14-19
Vacation Bible School 2015 - June 29 - July 3

4/22/2015

The Lighthouse - April 20, 2015

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The Future of the Church?  A Second Thought

Last week, I wrote to you about the common phrase we say in church about the kids and youth: "They are the future of our church." I questioned whether they are merely the future or just as much a part of the present as of the future. Since then, I've been thinking about who exactly is the future of the church. First, I thought of everyone will be at church this next Sunday and the following Sunday and the Sunday after that. Those of us who are here now and will be tomorrow are a part of the present and the future. I then thought about those who may not be here in the coming years because of moving to another place or inheriting the promise of the Resurrection. Even we who will not be here in a few years' time are a part of the future because the groundwork we are laying now and because of the gifts we give that may not be used until after we are gone.


Then I thought about another group of people who make up the future of our church: those who are not here yet. They are the folks in our community who are not a part of our present but may be a part of our future, if only we invite them to come and see the wonders of God and we welcome them with open arms into our church. The future of our church lies as much in those that we invite and welcome here as it does in those of us who are already here. When you walk through your neighborhood, when you go to a Little League game, when you shop at the grocery store, when you pass cars on the road on the way to church on Sunday morning, you are seeing the future of the church. What kind of future we have here at Port Church depends on how we invite and welcome them here. The future of the church depends on how we live out the call make disciples of Jesus Christ as we go through our lives. May we have the fire to say to the future of our church: "Come and see. Come and see that the Lord is good!"

Blessings on the journey,
Jim

Worship This Week:
Living with Truth

Who am I? What defines who I truly am - my thoughts, my actions, my hopes, my mistakes, my triumphs? Would other people like me if they knew who I really am? What if I don't like what I see when I like at myself? If God knows everything I have done, what does God really think of me?

These questions are difficult ones to wrestle with, yet they are important to how we understand ourselves as children of God and as followers of Jesus. This week in worship, we will look at Peter - a man who made his fair share of mistakes and wandered from his calling to be the Rock of the Church - as he encountered the resurrected Jesus. Join us as we discover what it means to live with the truth of who we truly are.

Register for Summer Camp!

In order to receive support from the church for registration costs, all registrations for summer camp at Overlook are due this Sunday.

Imagine No Malaria!

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Did you know that malaria, a disease that kills about one person in Africa every minute, is preventable? The United Methodist Church has committed to raising $75 million to fight malaria by distributing mosquito nets, cleaning up stagnant water, and educating how to prevent this disease through our Imagine No Malaria Initiative. Our denomination has saved hundreds of thousands of lives so far but there are hundreds of thousands more to save each year. Our conference has set a goal of raising $1 million dollars to save 100,000 lives as a part of this effort.

Our confirmation class has taken on a project to raise money to support Imagine No Malaria. They set a goal of $150 or 15 lives, but they hope to raise even more and save even more lives.They will have a lemonade stand at Gayle's  Quick Stop at the corner of Port Road and Hwy 340 this Sunday from 2 to 4 pm. Come out to sip a cup and save a life!

Living in Community

  • Thanks to the Trustees, the youth, and everyone who came out on Saturday for our clean-up day. A special thanks for the bagged lunches for the workers!
  • Thank you for everyone who supported our AVA Walk team. Through your generosity, they raised $1,430 for this vital ministry!
  • Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the repair of our stained glass window.  We have raised $850 so far!
  • A special thanks goes out to Dianna and Amie for all of their hard work to keep our church office running smoothly!

Upcoming Events

April 22 - 6 pm - Youth Group
April 26 - District Youth Retreat Registration Deadline
April 26 - Overlook Registration Deadline
May 2-3 - District Youth Retreat
May 5 - 7 pm - SPRC Meeting

Mark Your Calendar

Youth Dodge-ball Tournament - May 17
Praise in the Park - May 31, 10 am
RENEW Youth Mission - June 14-19
Vacation Bible School 2015 - June 29 - July 3

4/14/2015

The Lighthouse - April 13, 2015

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The Future of the Church?

We have often heard it said of the youth and the children of the church: "They are the future of our church." Perhaps, we've said it ourselves - I know I have at times. This statement may be simple, but it is full of meaning. At times, it is proclaimed with a sense of pride when some of our younger folks take up the mantle of ministry for a short while and complete a task in the church - for example, leading worship, singing a song in worship, completing a mission project. Other times, it is stated even with a sense of hope, acknowledging that we adults will not be around forever but that our church and our legacy are in good hands if these are the young folks who will one day take over our roles in leadership. Still other times, it said instead with a sense of sacrifice and concession that we need to make less desirable decisions - such as style of music - now to appeal to the younger generation and ensure that they will continue to hang around until its their turn to lead.

This past Sunday, we (finally) celebrated our Youth Sunday, and what a great experience of worship it was! "They are the future of our church," it was said more than once. "There were our replacements up there." These were definitely offered in both the senses of pride and hope for the future, and very well they should be. We have much to be proud of and hopeful for in the youth that led worship this past week.

Yet, seeing the awesome, Spirit-filled presence of our youth this past Sunday, of our kids singing at Easter, of youth reading Scripture and offering prayers during Advent, of children teaching me (and I imagine all of us) through their questions and comments in the children's sermons week by week, I wonder if they are our future at all.  Hearing from Isaac in his sermon about the conversations he has had with friends about God, listening to my own children pick apart my Easter Sunrise sermon at breakfast that morning, witnessing our kids' willingness to give whatever they have to help another person, I am convinced they are not merely the future of our church; they are very much our present as well. They are hearing the good news we teach in worship, in Sunday School, and on Wednesdays. They are watching how we worship God on Sunday mornings and how we serve God throughout the week. They are witnessing what we believe it means to follow Jesus, and they are living it now - not just planning to live it in the future.  Sure, the children and youth may not be on our committees, they may not be funding the budget and all the emergency expenses, and they may not be filling in as Sunday School teachers.  Yet, they are in ministry in the name of Jesus Christ in a real way and often in places where we could not be.


We are blessed that God has entrusted so many children and youth to our care for us to pass along the faith that was once handed down to us. May we adults remember to encourage and make room for our children and youth to be not only the future of our church but very much a part of its present as well!


Blessings on the journey,
Jim

Worship This Week:
Resurrected

A couple of Sundays ago, we celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead at Easter with great excitement and joy. But what difference does Jesus' Resurrection make in how we live our lives now? Several weeks from now, we will gather at the river to baptize and confirm some of our youth who will profess their faith in this same Jesus. But what does it mean for our lives now when we say that in baptism is dying in Christ so that we may rise with Christ in his Resurrection? Over the next few weeks, we will focus on what it means to live the Resurrected Life here and now by exploring some of the stories about what happened to Jesus' disciples after his Resurrection.

On the evening of the first Easter, two disciples were traveling along the road when Jesus came up beside them. For as far as they traveled and as much as they talked, they did not recognize him, however, until the moment they sat down to eat and Jesus broke the bread.  This Sunday, we will look at the ways the Resurrection changes how we see the world around us and how we recognize Jesus today. Join us as we worship the One who helps us to live the resurrected life with new sight.

Stained Glass Update

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The stained glass window above the front door was removed this week as the first step of the repair. Stained Glass by Shenandoah will take the window apart, repair and rebuild it, and then reinstall it. This process will take two to three months. We have raised $650 toward the roughly $3,800 cost of this repair so far. Thank you to those who have donated so generously. If you would like to contribute to this project, you can write a check to the church with "Window Fund" marked on the memo line.


Youth Fundraising Update

Over the last two weeks, the youth have raised over $1,800 for those attending the RENEW Mission Camp this summer. That will cover the majority of the cost for our mission team to attend! A big thank you goes out to all the supporters who baked bread and sweets, those who helped with the meal, and everyone who came out for the Bake Sales and Spaghetti Lunch.

Living in Community

  • Thank you to all the youth who led our worship on Youth Sunday: Isaac, Tristan, Jordan, Brenna, David, Baylor, Julia, Jacob, Josh, Nathan, Courtney, Makayla, Chandler, Ripley, Rachel, Taylor, April, Rayanna, Madeline, Harley, Garrett, and Hannah. You inspired us all to give praise and glory to God!
  • Thank you to Dinah, Kendra, and Liz and all the other adults who worked long and hard to help the youth prepare for Youth Sunday.
  • Thank you to Sarah, Stephanie, and Tracey for helping the youth prepare the Spaghetti Lunch! Thank you also to everyone who donated food for the meal.

Upcoming Events

April 14 - 6 pm - Wednesday at the Port Meeting
April 14 - 7 pm - Administrative Council Meeting
April 16  - Sunshine Seniors
April 18 - Church Clean-up Day (rain date - April 25)
April 26 - Overlook Registration Deadline

Mark Your Calendar

District Youth Retreat - May 2-3
Youth Dodge-ball Tournament - May 17
Praise in the Park - May 31, 10 am
RENEW Youth Mission - June 14-19
Vacation Bible School 2015 - June 29 - July 3

4/7/2015

The Lighthouse - April 7, 2015

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A Holy Week

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What a week it was this past Holy Week leading up to Easter! We had some powerful worship services as we gathered to remember both Jesus' death and his Resurrection. I am thankful to everyone who came out to one of worship services, especially to those who gathered on Friday afternoon to walk through and pray over our village.  We spent over an hour and half walking and praying for the needs of our community! I am also grateful to all who set up our worship space, read Scriptures, and led music in our services, especially to our awesome group of kids who worked many weeks to learn their song for Easter service. It was a great week to join in worship together, and we have much to be thankful for.

In addition to our times of worship, last week was also powerful because of the called meeting of our council to discuss the purchase of a new bus, the repair of a stained glass window, and the replacement of our treasurer's computer. We met for about two hours to discuss these important matters. Presentations were made on each issue, questions were asked, options were considered, and, in the end, each was approved overwhelmingly. I am thankful all the folks who worked so hard to prepare for this meeting - the New Bus Team, the Trustees, and the Finance Committee - and for the Council that faced important decisions with diligence, humor, and joy.

We are moving forward with the purchase of a bus from Kingmor; after they finish maintenance on it and paint it for us, we should have the bus in the next month or so in time for us to use it for VBS this year! The bus will cost us roughly $16,000 - a great deal on a lower mileage bus. We have had donations and pledges for the bus totaling $4,000 from you. Last fall, the finance committee recommended using roughly $12,000 of our reserves as a potential down payment on a bus. Combining these two, we have the $16,000 we need for our new bus. God has a way of making things works out! I am thankful to all who have already contributed in support of our bus ministry. Please continue to support your pledge throughout the year if you made one, or if you feel led to make a contribution at this time, that would help us to meet any additional incidental cost in the course of the purchase.

This week, we will begin the process of having the window over the red front door of the sanctuary repaired. It will be removed, taken apart, pieced back together, and put back in place over the course of the next couple of months. This repair will cost us about $3,800. In receiving bids for this work, we have also realized that we will have a lot of repair work to do on our beautiful windows in the next decade and beyond. Our large window will likely be the next to need our attention. Keeping our windows in good shape will be a large task and will require a good deal of funding in both the short term and the long term. If you enjoy our stained-glass windows, please consider making a contribution toward their upkeep this year and in the years to come.

We have made some important decisions over the past week - to enable us to grow our bus ministry and to ensure that our windows will be an inspiration to the generations to come. We have much to be thankful for - the faithfulness of God and your generosity in making the work of Christ come to life here at Port Church! Thanks be to God for a Holy Week filled with power and for the privilege of the work that lies ahead! May we remain faithful to the work to which God has called us in the name of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings on the journey,
Jim


Worship This Week:
Youth Sunday

Our youth are leading worship from start to finish this week! Isaac Simmons has a great sermon prepared, our youth praise band will lead us in singing praise to God, and many of our youth will lead our worship in a variety of ways. Come out to support the teens and give glory to God!

Planning for Ministry

In the coming week, we are meeting to make plans for some of our ongoing ministries.  On Sunday during the spaghetti lunch, our Children's Church team is meeting to plan for the upcoming months and discuss curriculum. On Tuesday, April 14, at 6 pm, the leadership of our Wednesday at the Port ministry are meeting to begin planning for the fall session. If you are interested in either of these ministries, please join us as we make plans for ministries that make a difference in our community!

Support Youth Mission Trip

There's no need to cook lunch this weekend! Our youth have you covered both Saturday and Sunday afternoons as they raise money for the RENEW Camp mission trip this summer.

Chicken BBQ on Saturday
Building Blocks Preschool is selling BBQ chicken and PRUMC teenagers attending RENEW are selling homemade rolls, drinks, and dessert to complete your meal!   Stop by Shreckhise Nursery on 20th Street in Grottoes after 9 am to get your lunch and support two great causes!!


Spaghetti Lunch on Sunday
Our youth will be serving a spaghetti lunch following Sunday School this week.  A free-will offering will be taken. Stay for lunch, enjoy the fellowship, and support our teens in mission!

Faith Facts: The Gospels

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Our Bible has four books that we call gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So what is a gospel anyway? The word "gospel" simply means "good news." For us, the stories these four books tell about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are indeed good news that gives us hope for redemption, salvation, and eternal life. The first three gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke - are known as the Synoptic Gospels because they largely contain the same stories told in similar ways.  Each of these three have a few stories that the others do not include, and each focuses on different aspects of Jesus' ministry. For instance, each gospel begins the story of Jesus at a different spot - Matthew with the genealogy of Jesus, Mark with Jesus' baptism, and Luke with the promise of John the Baptist's birth to Zechariah and Elizabeth. Yet these gospels are very similar for the most part, sharing many of the same miracles, teachings, and parables. The last gospel, John, however, is very different from the other three. It skips over many of the stories that the others tell while including stories that the others do not have. John's story focuses more on who Jesus is rather than what Jesus did. Together these four gospels tell us of the good news that Jesus came to live, die, and be raised that we have eternal life and that abundantly.

Do you have a question about why we do the things we do in church, where we come from, or what we believe? Email your questions to Pastor Jim, and look for an answer in a future Faith Facts.


Living in Community

  • Please continue praying for and consider supporting Mark Hardy, Jason & Lauren Shifflett, Mary Shifflett, Liz Shifflett, and Kara Monger as they prepare for the Walk for Life in support of AVA Care, the pregnancy center in Harrisonburg.  See any one of them if you are interested in supporting this cause.
  • Please pray for the youth and their leaders who will be attending RENEW Camp this summer - Rachel, Rayanna, Makayla, Jordan, Julia, Tristan, Jacob, Ripley, Kendra, and Dinah - as they try to raise $1,415 by next week.
  • Please pray for all our students and teachers as they return back to school after spring break and begin the final term of the school year.
  • Please pray for our kids playing Little League and Soccer as the seasons kick off this weekend that they will have fun, learn teamwork and sportsmanship, and stay healthy throughout the season.

Upcoming Events

April 11 - Chicken BBQ at Shreckhise in Grottoes
April 12 - Youth Sunday & Spaghetti Lunch
April 12 - during lunch - Children's Church Meeting
April 14 - 6 pm - Wednesday at the Port Meeting
April 14 - 7 pm - Administrative Council Meeting
April 18 - Church Clean-up Day (rain date - April 25)

Mark Your Calendar

Deadline for Overlook Registration - April 26
District Youth Retreat - May 2-3
Youth Dodge-ball Tournament - May 17
Praise in the Park - May 31, 10 am
RENEW Youth Mission - June 14-19
Vacation Bible School 2015 - June 29 - July 3
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Port Republic Riverside Church
8525 Water Street
PO Box 116
Port Republic, VA 24471
540-249-4111
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