11/28/2017 0 Comments November 28th, 2017Christmas at the Port As we finish the turkey leftovers and eat the last slice of pie, we turn our focus to the joyful season of Christmas and the celebration of Jesus' birth. We have happening at Port Church in the coming month - special times of worship, chances to spend time together, and opportunities to give. Join us for these special events, invite your friends and neighbors! Blessings on the journey, Jim Worship God Christmas in Five Words - Sundays in December, 9:30 am Come explore the meaning of Christmas for us today through five simple words. Christmas Carol Sing - December 24, 9:30 am Join us for Sunday worship on Christmas Eve morning as we sing our favorite carols together! Christmas Eve Candlelight Service - December 24, 11:00 pm Celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ through song, reflection, candlelight, and communion at our special nighttime service. Celebrate Together Christmas Program with Spotswood Choir - December 10, 7:00 pm Be a part of a musical celebration of Christmas led by the Spotswood High School Choir. Cookie reception to follow. There is no cost but there will be a freewill offering. Birthday Party for Jesus - December 24, 11:00 am Our celebration of Jesus’ birth will continue after worship with a birthday party for Jesus with games for kids and birthday cake for all ages. Show Love Christmas Baskets for Food Pantry Bring hats, gloves, books, gift cards, and toilet tissue to fill our baskets to give out at the Food Pantry. Items due December 10th. Gift Card Shower for South River Elementary Bring a $5 Target, Walmart, or Teachers Pay Teachers gift card to help teachers at South River to our Birthday Party for Jesus on December 24th. Christmas Offering for Others Offer a birthday gift to Jesus at either our morning or evening Christmas Eve service in support of mission work around the world helping the poor and starting churches. Living in Community Thank you, Susie, Ralph, Sue, and Dinah, for leading our healing service in worship on Sunday! Thank you to everyone who has taken one of the homeless kits made by our kids to share with those in need! Thank you, Brad, for sharing your experience from your mission trip with us! This year's shoebox collection total was over 23,000 - up 3,000 from last year. You gave around 135 boxes of gifts! This Week at Port Church Wednesday, November 29 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours 7:00 pm - Charge Conference Sunday, December 3 9:30 am - Worship with Communion: "Christmas in Five Words: O" 11:00 am - Sunday School Looking Ahead Christmas Program with the Spotswood Choir - December 10th, 7 pm
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service - December 24th, 11:00 pm Wednesday at the Port resumes January 24th
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11/20/2017 0 Comments November 20th, 2017Happy Thanksgiving!Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices; who from our mothers' arms has blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today. - "Now Thank We All Our God" by Martin Rinkart May you and your family and friends rejoice in the many blessings of God this week! Happy Thanksgiving! Blessings on the journey, Jim Sunday's Sermon SnippetCome and See! (John 1:35-51) Over the last few weeks, we have talked about how to share the good news of Jesus Christ by being present with others, sharing our stories, being uncommonly kind, and living out our faith. One thing more needs to be added to this list - inviting others to be a part of what God is doing in the world. Inviting others can be difficult because we are worried about rejection, we do not feel secure in our own faith, or we do not know how to begin. In the opening chapter of the Gospel of John, we find this incident that includes at least five invitations to follow Jesus - Jesus inviting Andrew to come and see where he is staying, Andrew inviting his brother Simon, Jesus inviting Philip to follow him, Philip inviting Nathanael to come along, Philip then inviting him to come and see Jesus for himself, and then Jesus inviting them to see what greater things may be on the horizon as they follow him. In two days, five invitations are given to be a part of what God is up to. Two of these invitations are surrounded by questions: Andrew is curious about Jesus and so asks where is he staying - that is, what are you up to, Jesus? - and Nathanael doubting if anything good can come from Nazareth - that is, are you serious about this Jesus thing? If we make invitations, we should expect that questions will arise from curiosity and even suspicion. It is not a rejection but a normal part of receiving an invitation to follow Jesus. In both cases, the answer is the same: "Come and see!" That should be our answer as well - not that we have all the answers but to invite others to discover the answers alongside us. The reality is that Philip did not know any more than Nathanael about what Jesus was up to - his answer was simply to join the journey. That is another important thing to note: When we invite others to be a part of what God is doing, it is not just an invitation to come to church or to an event; it is an invitation to journey together - that is, to be a part of one another's lives as we follow Jesus together. We also need to recognize that the invitation is not about us and our bringing Jesus to other people. Jesus told Nathanael that he saw him under the fig tree (although he was not physically close enough to see) even before Philip came to get him. When we invite other people, we are not the first ones there - Jesus has already been there working in their lives. Our invitation is just opening the door a little more to let in a little more light. When we invite others to join us in the journey of following Jesus, we embark on a journey to see even greater things alongside Jesus. Sharing the gospel of Jesus means inviting others to join us in our journey to come and see what God is up to! Decorating for ChristmasIn preparing for Advent we are planning to decorate the sanctuary on Tuesday, Nov. 28th starting at 6:30 pm. We are requesting helpers with decorating the Chrismon Tree, balcony, stairway, altar rail and carrying ladder for the archway. If we have helpers for each area we can be finished in a couple of hours. Please let Davida, Bruce, or Hannah know if you are able to help! Christmas Baskets for the Food PantryWe will be doing the Christmas Baskets this year for the Food Pantry. Starting this Sunday, November 19th there will be six white clothes baskets set-up in different places in the church. Sunday, December 10th will be the last day to fill these baskets. Christmas baskets are not limited to only food – gloves, hats, scarves, games, gift cards, books, soft toilet tissue…whatever you would like to donate. Please help us fill the baskets! Thank you, PRUMC Food Pantry Volunteers Living in CommunityThanks to everyone who filled a box for Operation Christmas Child! Thanks to Kerry and Mark for offering some of their wares in exchange for items for the Food Pantry! Bring in four items in the coming weeks and trade for hats, scarves, calls, and more! This Week at Port ChurchBible Study cancelled this week Tuesday, November 14 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours 7:00 pm - Family Game Night Office Closed Wednesday and Thursday for Thanksgiving Happy Thanksgiving! Sunday, November 19 9:30 am - Worship Bring items to share with those who are hungry for our Harvest Table! 11:00 am - Sunday School Looking AheadCharge Conference - November 29th, 7 pm
Christmas Program with the Spotswood Choir - December 10th, 7 pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service - December 24th, 11:00 pm Wednesday at the Port resumes January 24th 11/14/2017 0 Comments November 14th, 2017Thanksgiving Family Game NightThanksgiving is fast approaching and with it time to be spent with family! Here at Port Church, we are going to kick off the holiday festivities on Tuesday by spending time with our church family for Family Game Night. As the kids finish up school on Tuesday and begin their break, come out for a game of Pass the Pigs - a fun and easy game for all ages! We will start at 7 pm and play for about an hour. Prizes and refreshments will be provided! Everyone is welcome to come out for this time of fun to start the holiday. Let me know if you are interested in coming so that we can plan ahead. I look forward to seeing you then, and have a blessed time with family next week! Blessings on the journey, Jim Sunday's Sermon SnippetCome and See: Live Your Faith (Daniel 3) Over the last few weeks, we have talked about how we share the good news through our presence, our stories both of God and of our own lives, and our kindness. At the root of this last one is the fact that our actions often speak louder than our words when it comes to what other people learn about God from us. We can say we follow Jesus and put a fish symbol on the back of our car, but what does it tell folks if we then drive angrily and aggressively around them? What kind of God would they think we follow? How we act directly impacts our witness to who God is. In the book of Daniel, there are several stories about how God's faithful shared their witness in a far more challenging time than our own. They did so not just through words but through their actions. They lived in a foreign land where the worship of God was opposed. The king built an idol and ordered that everyone should bow down to it. Three men - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - refused and were sentenced to be thrown in a blazing hot furnace. Given one last chance, they refused and said they knew God could save them, but even if God did not they would not bow down to the idol. The king threw them in, and God brought them safely through, convincing the king of the truth of what these men had said. Faced with persecution, these men held to their faith and made a greater witness than mere words could have done. We do not face this kind of persecution today, but we still succumb to the temptation to water down our witness by not fully living out what we say we believe. There are times when our faith and our lives do not match. We say one thing and then do another. When we face times of trouble, we turn to our own control rather than to God. We talk of forgiveness but hold grudges. We judge others harshly even while we see ourselves as perfect. It is this hypocrisy that undermines much of the church's witness today. Two ways we see this especially played out these days are in politics and online. People of faith of all kinds of political thought blindly defend those they support even when it contradicts the principles of faith they claim to honor first and foremost. Loyalty to a political party ranks higher than loyalty to God, all for the sake of power, and compromises our witness. In addition, social media has great potential for us to share our faith but also to destroy our witness. It is so easy to rant, vent, or simply reshare something offensive without thinking about how it reflects on the one we claim to follow. If we are to share our witness effectively, we need to hold to our faith not just when we feel like it or it is convenient. It is not enough to sing and pray our faith on Sunday. We need to live our faith all week long! District Conference TrainingThe Harrisonburg District Conference - a time of worship and planning for ministry - will be held this Sunday at 2:30 pm at Asbury UMC. At 4 pm, training workshops will be offered on Trustees, Staff-Parish Relations Committee, small group ministry, personal planning for the future, district missions, and worship and the arts. Please see Pastor Jim or Ralph for more details. Living in CommunityThank you, Mary, Sue, and Hannah for putting together our Operation Christmas Child Packing Party this past Sunday! Thank you to everyone who came out and helped pack so many boxes! Individual boxes are due this Sunday. Please pray for Dianna as she continues to recover. We look forward to the return of her Bible study soon! If you are taking part in our Love Does book study in Sunday School, read chapters 8-14 in preparation for this week's class. This Week at Port ChurchBible Study cancelled this week Tuesday, November 14 7:00 pm - Administrative Council Meeting Wednesday, November 15 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours 6:00 pm - Wednesday at the Port Come out for our last meal this fall! Thursday, November 16 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours Sunday, November 19 9:30 am - Worship - "Come and See!" Bring items to share with those who are hungry for our Harvest Table! Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes due today! Don't forget to bring your Kindness Cards! 11:00 am - Sunday School 2:30 pm - District Conference at Asbury UMC 4:00 pm - District Leadership Training 6:30 - 8:00 pm - Financial Peace University Class Looking AheadThanksgiving Family Game Night - November 21st, 7 pm
Charge Conference - November 29th, 7 pm Christmas Program with the Spotswood Choir - December 10th, 7 pm Christmas Eve Service - December 24th Wednesday at the Port resumes January 24th 11/6/2017 0 Comments November 06th, 2017In Such a Time as ThisFrom the devastating hurricanes to the horrific acts of terrorism and murder, these last few weeks have held more than their fair share of heart-breaking news. It is hard to find the right words to say or the right things to do as we react to such news. So how are we as people of faith to respond in such a time as this? There are certainly no easy answers - nothing that will instantly fix the hurts and tragedies of our world - but we cannot stand idly by either. One good place to start, I think, is something so simple we often overlook it. Just as we talked about in church on Sunday, Be Kind. Be Uncommonly Kind. When you encounter folks whose lives have been turned upside down, be kind and help them. When you hear news even from far off places that weigh heavy on your hearts, be kind to your neighbors, friends, and family and let them know how much they mean to you. When you meet a stranger whom you know nothing about, be kind because you never know how it might change their days or even their lives. Will it change the world? Through the power of God at work in the world through us, it just might. Be Kind. Be Uncommonly Kind. Blessings on the journey, Jim Sunday's Sermon SnippetCome and See!: Be Kind (Matthew 5:3-16, Galatians 5:22-23) In the Beatitudes at the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus laid out a vision of the kind of people that are blessed: the poor, the hungry, the meek, the persecuted, the grief-stricken. Once we push past the familiarity and truly consider what Jesus is saying here, we find that this is fairly shocking. How could these folks be blessed? Today, our culture thinks of the rich, powerful, bold, strong, victorious as those who are blessed. But we are to be different, aren't we? We are to be salt of the earth. Like salt used in a recipe to draw out the good flavor of the other ingredients, we are to draw out the goodness of the world rather than fall in line with the blandness that hides it. So how do we do this? How are we to be different? Paul listed for the church in Galatia some of the virtues that define the fruit of the Spirit living in us. These virtues include things like kindness - things that none of us would argue with as good things to have in our lives. Yet Paul tells us that these are fruit of the Spirit and that there is no law against having these virtues. This means that these things, as simple and good as they are, do not come naturally to us and that we have a hesitation in holding to them. When faced with a server with a sour mood at a restaurant, we are likely to react in kind with a harsh attitude and a small tip. What would it be like to react in patience and kindness - to recognize our own shortcomings, to assume the best about the person (perhaps they are having a bad day), and to pray for them? How might we be kind - uncommonly kind - in such situations? What difference might it make if we intentionally showed kindness to those around us? How might it change our world? As we consider how we share the gospel of Jesus Christ, how we let our light shine into a dark world, let your kindness be your witness to the way that God changes lives for the better. Shoebox Packing PartyJoin us this Sunday following worship for our Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Packing Party! Come downstairs to the fellowship hall and pack a box of goodies for a special child. There will be no Sunday School this week, so pack a box and stay a while to visit! Living in CommunityThanks to Jeff, Gretchen, and Lauren for serving communion in worship on Sunday! Thanks to Bruce, Tony, and Michelle for reading our Scripture! Thanks to Jason and the praise band for doing such a wonderful job in Linda's absence! Prayers of Christian sympathy for Linda and her family on the loss of her brother. Please pray for Dianna as she recovers this week. Please pray for Brad as he heads this Saturday on a mission trip to help those affected by the recent hurricanes. Bring your food items for our Harvest Table this month in support of our community food pantry. This Week at Port ChurchBible Study cancelled this week Wednesday, November 8 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours 6:00 pm - Wednesday at the Port Thursday, November 9 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours 7:00 pm - SPRC Meeting Sunday, November 12 9:30 am - Worship - "Come and See: Be Kind!" Bring items to share with those who are hungry for our Harvest Table! 11:00 am - Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Packing Party Sunday School cancelled 12:00 noon - Finance Meeting 2:00 pm Football at Town Park 6:30 - 8:00 pm - Financial Peace University Class Looking AheadOCC Shoeboxes due November 19th
Thanksgiving Family Game Night, November 21, 7 pm Charge Conference - November 29th, 7 pm Christmas Program with the Spotswood Choir - December 10, 7 pm |
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January 2019
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PO Box 116
Port Republic, VA 24471
540-249-4111