Chalice News
 
Round Rock Christian Church


Embracing  our  neighbors 
with  Christ-like  love 
June 1, 2021
In This Issue
This coming Sunday in worship -- 
June 6, 2021

The Second Sunday After Pentecost
 
"Here Are My Mother 
and My Brothers!"
Mark 3:20-35

 A Message from the Pastor
 
Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! Luke 12:51 New Living Translation

These words from Jesus may seem surprising to us, if not downright disturbing. How is it that the Prince of Peace becomes the source of conflict and division? Perhaps it isn't so difficult to see that following Jesus might become the source of stress and strain within a family. Pastor and writer Barbara Brown Taylor gives us some examples to think about in her book Gospel Medicine in the chapter "Family  Values."

Do you know other stories like that? like the parents who raise their children to be doctors and lawyers and have almost succeeded when the last one announces he want so be a minister, and their faces fall but he goes to seminary anyway, ad when they draw up their will he is not in them? Or like the grown children who find out home much money their elderly parents are giving away to a church-run orphanage in the Midwest and who have mom and dad declared mentally incompetent in order to protect their own inheritance? Or like the mother who will not speak to her two adult children because one left the church of his youth for a place where he speaks in tongues and other refuses to go to church at all?

What is so disturbing about these stories is that Jesus does not say they should not be so. He says, in fact, that they are inevitable, that the gospel is inherently divisive and that we should not be surprised when we fight about it. 

I look forward to exploring this further with all of you this Sunday, as we look at what Jesus had to say about who his true family is.

Peace in Christ,
Pastor Mitch



RRCC Online Giving

Even though we are unable to meet in person,
RRCC has three ways you can still give your tithe:
  1. Go to the RRCC website rrdisciples.org and click on the "GIVE HERE" button at the top of the main page. Or use the link at the top of each newsletter. It will take you to the same place.
  2. Use your bank's electronic bill pay feature to have a check mailed directly from your bank to RRCC.
  3. Mail your check directly to RRCC.
Address your envelope to:
Financial Secretary
Round Rock Christian Church
22 Chalice Way
Round Rock, TX 78665
Upcoming Events 



There will be no events/meetings held in the RRCC facility until further notice.  
Some RRCC activities and events have been cancelled until further notice. 
Most are continuing online via zoom.


Tuesday, June 1, 2021
5:00 p.m.
- Texas Heat Volleyball
7:00 p.m.
- Shalom Congregation (off site)

Wednesday, June 2, 2021  
10:00 a.m.
- Caring Hearts Prayer Group (via Zoom) Link HERE
5:00 p.m.
- Texas Heat Volleyball
7:00 p.m.
- Chancel Choir (via Zoom) Link HERE

Thursday, June 3, 2021  
10:00 a.m.
- Pastoral Support Committee Link HERE
5:00 p.m.
- Texas Heat Volleyball

Friday, June 4, 2021
10:00 a.m.
- Vision Advisory Team Link HERE

Saturday, June 5, 2021
8:00 a.m.
- Shalom Congregation

Sunday, June 62021   
9:45 a.m.
Explorers Sunday School (via Zoom) Link HERE
9:45 a.m.
- Open Circle Sunday School (via Zoom) Link HERE
11:00 a.m.
- Worship (via Zoom) Link HERE
Evening
- Manantial de Vida Congregation (off site)

Monday, June 7, 2021
Memorial
- Texas Heat Volleyball

Tuesday, June 8, 2021
5:00 p.m.- Texas Heat Volleyball
7:00 p.m.
- Shalom Congregation (off site)
7:00 p.m.
- Elders Meeting (via Zoom) Link HERE

ZOOM MEETING LINKS, events and details can be viewed on the RRCC Calendar
DWM Retreat

After a long year+ of not being together, it's exciting to know that the BBA/LRGVA Disciples Women will be meeting live and in person at our beautiful Disciple Oaks camp in Gonzales - OCTOBER 2-3, 2021! If you've attended the Retreat in the past, you know how special it is. If you haven't attended - this is the year to do it! The camp will be in great shape, and it will be a welcome time to come together as Disciples Women. Another very special reason for us to sign up this year: the retreat is being planned by our own TASHA YORK, Capital Cluster representative, along with Donna Williams, Town & Country Cluster representative. Let's support Tasha in a big way and join her in Gonzales. Mark your calendar NOW for October 2-3, 2021. More details will come later. In the meantime, if you think you might attend, please let Susan Kessler know (swkessler@austin.rr.com)

Early registration is $80 due by August 1; late registration is $90, due by September 1.  The Retreat will officially begin at 10am Saturday; if you'd like to arrive on Friday night, the cost is $100 and you can enjoy local Gonzales eateries for Friday dinner and Saturday breakfast. 


Mission South and Disciple Oaks Summer Camps 2021



Church camp changes lives! You can register online here.  You can also register on the Disciple Oaks website. For a copy of this flyer you can download it here For a copy of the Mission South Summer Camp 2021 Fees download it here For a copy of the CampDoc Registration Instructions download it here More information can be found at our website, link above. 


2021 Summer Camp Dates:
CYF Conference: June 21-July 3, 2021
Eighter's Camp: July 4-10, 2021
JYF Camp: July 20-21, 2021
Chi Rho Camp: July 25-31, 2021

Online Registration opens March 15, 2021
RRCC Newsletter Deadlines

Please submit your
Tuesday Newsletter articles and pictures 
before 10:00 a.m. on Mondays.
 and your Friday Reminders articles and pictures 
before 12:00 p.m. on Thursdays.
Thank you!
Chancel Choir

CHANCEL CHOIR ZOOM FELLOWSHIP

 
Chancel Choir meets via ZOOM on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.:
Did You Miss a Newsletter?

Past newsletters dating back to mid-March 2020 are currently archived under the "ABOUT US" tab on the RRCC Website.

Upcoming Birthdays

 
June 3
- Kameron Kienzle
June 5
- Rudy Camarillo
June 7
- Alicia Sutherland
Prayer Needs

LEADERSHIP
1. Our Guiding Board, Ministries Council, Elders, Deacons, Ministries and Teams. Our Elders discern how to share "40 Days of Prayer & Faith Sharing" 
2. Our staff: Jimmy, Mitch, Katie, Randy, and Molly
3. Our music ministries and their leaders: Randy Preston, Rod Walker, and Jimmy Horowitz
4. Our tech team: Gary Collier, Tara Pollock, Katie Maybaum, Randy Preston, Rod Walker, and Dan Knight
5. Our Reopening Task Force
6. Our Caring Hearts Prayer Group
7. Our Stephen Ministries (Care Receivers and Caregivers)
8. Our partnership with Shalom Seventh Day Adventist & Manantial de Vida congregations (and their pastors Edy Rosa Paez and Maria Rosario) 
9. Reverends Christal Fisher (South Texas) and Andy Mangum (CCSW)
10. Rev. Alfred Walker, the newly called Community Regional Minister (CRM) for Reconciliation and Anti-Racism. Welcome, Rev. Walker!

MEMBERS AND FRIENDS 
1. For all who are grieving the loss of a loved one
2. For all who have been ill with COVID-19, and their families
3. Acree, Mary -- recent mild heart attack and hospitalization; now at Encompass for rehab 
4. Barnett, Barbara -- fatigue issues
5. Cratin, Katherine -- sister and brother in law, Marietta and Frank
6. Fennimore, Nancy -- sister Joan Heckford very ill with ALS
7. Guilbeau, Rick & Cynthia; Cynthia's father, Harold Hubbard, died 5/22; family memorial service is today in Port Lavaca
8. Heeney, Brenda (Collier) -- funeral for her father, JD Heeney, was this past weekend in Cincinnati
9. Johnston, Janette -- mother Billie, in Alabama, recovering from surgery; granddaughter Izzy's surgery is June 8 in Arkansas (heart valve anomaly) 
10. Kessler, Jim -- heart valve surgery last week; will go home today
11. Malone, Betty -- sister Carolyn receiving hospice care
12. Miller, Chris -- (son of Jean Bell) experiencing some neuropathy from cancer treatments
13. Mouser, Tricia -- grandson David experiencing symptoms from failing shunt in his brain
14. Salzwedel, Molly -- her aunt Margaret was hospitalized with COVID and is now home; will continue to monitor ongoing issues from pneumonia
15. Walker, Lisa -- receiving dialysis treatments 3x per week
16. Wilson, Garvid -- began new chemo treatments on 5/18; Phyllis with ruptured disc
17. York, Tasha -- granddaughter Madi recovering from a series of seizures; family decisions for care of mother Peggy Massey
18. Lonnie Smith, friend of Jackie Culbertson, who lost both legs in an accident.  Please pray for his healing physically, spiritually, and emotionally

OTHER
1. All who don't know Jesus
2. COVID-19 (the ill, their families, medical professionals, essential workers, treatment and vaccine researchers, the logistics of distributing and administering the vaccine safely and efficiently, evaluating side effect risks. reaching "herd immunity")
3. Those who have lost jobs during the pandemic; businesses that continue to struggle
4. All people who are persecuted for their faith throughout the world 
5. Our military personnel and families
6. Pressing immigration concerns at our border, development of an immigration policy for the U.S. that is fair, just, and responsible; cooperation and communication with Mexico and Central American countries
7. Developing policies and education programs to battle systemic racism in all of its forms
8. For all efforts toward affordable health care for all Americans
9. For all efforts to make voting safe, simple, and easily accessible for all in our country; and to oppose recent voter suppression legislation
10. U.S. lawmakers and community leaders to work together to solve the problem of mass shootings in schools, places of work, etc.
11. All teachers, administrators, students, and parents. Our neighborhood schools: Union Hill Elementary School and Hopewell Middle School.
Sunday School Classes
.
[There will be no Sunday School classes in the church building for the foreseeable future. 
Some classes will be meeting via Zoom 
during this time of social distancing.]
 .
Early Childhood Class (ages 4-7) -Taught by Lisa Walker

Intermediate Class (3rd - 5th grade) - Taught by Jennifer Kienzle 
Chi Rho Class - (6th - 8th grade) (studying the book, "Middle School TalkSheets" for ages 11-14.  "These TalkSheets present every aspect of Jesus' life in a way that young teens can connect with as they learn to apply the lessons to their own lives.")
 .
CYF Class (9th - 12th grade)  
 .
Open Circle (primarily adult women) - 9:45 a.m. Sunday mornings via ZOOM, studying Gospel Medicine by Barbara Brown Taylor.  ALL ARE WELCOME!  Link HERE
 .
Explorers (mixed adults) - 9:45 a.m. Sunday mornings via ZOOM, facilitator is Mildred Adair; have recently begun a study of Paul's letter to the church at Rome.  Link HERE
RRCC is on Social Media

Follow us on Social Media!

We can be found on:
Twitter as @ChurchRound
Instagram as rrccdisciples
Photo Submissions

Submitting a photo? Awesome! 
We love pictures of congregational life!
Please remember to include
identification (who, what, when, where, why) 
 for each photograph submitted to the office.  
Also, please indicate where you would like the photo to be used (RRCC website, social media, weekly newsletter, etc.)
.
Please email photos to the church office: info@rrdisciples.org
RRCC Office Hours


Mondays:
9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Tuesdays:
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Wednesdays:
9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Thursdays:
9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Fridays:
9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Elder's Prayer Corner/Closing Message


God's Presence
 
Romans 8:39 "neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
 
Sometimes we become so burden down that we forget that God has promised to always be with us.  He didn't say that He would just be with us in the good times or the prosperous times.  He said that in all times no matter what's going on in our life God is with us.  His presence is with us.  He is ever observing, influencing and assisting us to live a life that is free from condemnation, from hurt, from anger, from bitterness from sickness, from discouragement.  Anyone of these things can be very hard to deal with in the natural man, but the spiritual man, the man that God has created within us in the new birth, that man is capable and willing to work on our behalf.  In fact if you are suffering from illness, you need to know that Jesus is the healer.  It is His blood that was shed on Calvary that heals us.  If you are discouraged understand that the only person you having visiting with you when you are discouraged is the devil.  He's the only one that comes to pity parties.  God wants us to be encouraged and in Him we have no reason to be discouraged even though it may seem that the world is falling apart.  God is in charge and He never abandons His children.  He is always there.  He is always near.  He is always close to us.  He knows our needs before we even ask.  We are so blessed.  Do not let the disturbing; troubling and difficult things take hold of your life.  Let us all learn that God is here.  He is as close as a prayer.  He hears your every prayer.  He knows the needs of your heart and He will never take His presence away from you.  You can walk away from Him, but He will never walk away from you.
 
Prayer: 
Most Precious Heavenly  Father, I come to You in Jesus Holy Name and ask that you would forgive me for doubting You.  I know that sometimes I live as if I had not ever met You.  I get wrapped up in all that is going on in my life and I find that it is hard to break through all of the noise.  Give me an awareness of the love and care You have for me.  Help me to be the person that You know I can be.  Thank You, Dear Lord.  In Jesus Holy Name I pray Amen