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A Message from the Pastor
The month of May is Mental Health Month, a time to raise awareness of those living with
mental or behavioral health issues and to help reduce the stigma so many experience. The following is a piece written by Venessa Harmel, who will be preaching for RRCC this Sunday, May 23rd while I am taking some time off. Venessa originally wrote this devotion for the Juliette Fowler Communities in Dallas, where she serves as Director of Spiritual Life. I encourage you to read it and to reflect on your own self-care habits (or lack thereof). I also encourage you to zoom in for worship this Sunday and be blessed by the leadership of both Venessa and Katherine Cratin.
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Mitch
Are you feeling one of these?
Restless Scattered Impatient Depleted Confused
Fearful Uptight Weary Unattached Apprehensive
What do you do for Self-Care?
Self-care is everything you do that helps you be your best self physically, emotionally, spiritually - and in every other sense. It's getting outside for a walk, starting your day with a healthy breakfast, and calling a friend. It's brushing your teeth, prioritizing sleep, and avoiding habits that don't serve you or God's will for your life.
Self-care shouldn't feel like a chore or to-do list you have to trudge through. It should make you feel good and nourished from the inside out. And it looks different for all of us. I recently re-read (John 20:19-31) the story about when Jesus appeared to the Disciples while they were hiding behind a locked door - feeling all of the emotions I listed above. Jesus, had just been shamefully hung on a cross and died an awful death. - They were scared of the soldiers coming after them, they did not understand why Jesus the King did not conquer the empire and fix all that was wrong in their world.
Then Jesus appears to them, he walks right through the locked door and shows them his hands and side and they know him! Excited they go to tell Thomas, (the one disciple that wasn't hiding with them) but Thomas needs more than their story and so, he spoke up. I imagine Thomas was feeling a bit apprehensive and unattached and he boldly stated that he needed to touch Jesus - not to just see him, but also to touch the marks of the nails in his hands. As well as where the sword pierced his side.
Thomas needed the assurance of a touch. This was his way of self-care, he knew what would help him overcome the power of those negative feelings - no matter how outrageous it seemed to his friends - he declared what would help him to feel better about the loss of his teacher.
Jesus knew his disciple, inside and out, and provided Thomas just what he needed...AND more.
Because, when Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." Jesus was giving Thomas and all of us hope to believe in what we feel, not just what our eyes see. It is a hope and an encouragement that others will hear our stories and they will believe in the Grace that God freely gives.
Self-Care is accepting the Grace God gives you. When your cup is over flowing with grace instead of anxious emotions, you feel bold like Thomas and can speak what you need to be your best self. What will nourish you inside and out?
See Blessings,
Pastor Ve
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Even though we are unable to meet in person,
RRCC has three ways you can still give your tithe:
- 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.
- Use your bank's electronic bill pay feature to have a check mailed directly from your bank to RRCC.
- Mail your check directly to RRCC.
Address your envelope to:
Financial Secretary
Round Rock Christian Church
22 Chalice Way
Round Rock, TX 78665
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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, May 18, 2021
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7:00 p.m.
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- Elders Meeting 40 Day Prayer Journal (via Zoom) Link HERE | |
7:00 p.m.
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- Shalom Congregation (off site)
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5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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- Texas Heat Volleyball
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- Caring Hearts Prayer Group (via Zoom) Link HERE
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7:00 p.m.
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5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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- Texas Heat Volleyball
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Thursday, May 20, 2021
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5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
| When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
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Acts 2:1-2
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- Texas Heat Volleyball
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8:00 a.m.
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- Shalom Congregation
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10:00 a.m.
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- 2021 Bluebonnet Area/LRGVD Assembly
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9:45 a.m.
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- Explorers Sunday School (via Zoom) Link HERE | |
9:45 a.m.
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- Open Circle Sunday School (via Zoom) Link HERE | |
11:00 a.m.
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Evening
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- Manantial de Vida Congregation (off site)
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Monday, May 24, 2021
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Act 2:3-4
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They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.-
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Tuesday, May 25, 2021
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7:00 p.m.
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- Shalom Congregation (off site)
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ZOOM MEETING LINKS, events and details can be viewed on the RRCC Calendar.
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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 1-3, 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 1-3, 2021. More details will come later. In the meantime, if you think you might attend, please let Susan Kessler know ([email protected])
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For the past 13 months, leaders launching new churches have stepped up with great creativity and innovation to spread the word about the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) - to be the new church.
The 2021 Pentecost Offering supports new church development in our Region and across our denomination. Half of the gifts go to regions to support new church development. The other half goes to New Church Ministry which trains, equips, assists, and multiplies new church leaders.
The 2021 Pentecost Offering will be received on May 16 and 23.You may give by check or online at www.rrdisciples.org, designating your gift as Pentecost Offering. Let's all be the new church, together.
DISCIPLES MISSION FUND SPECIAL DAY OFFERINGS provide an opportunity to highlight specific ministries as part of our faith celebrations. There are six Disciples Mission Fund Special Day Offerings received each year during Easter, Pentecost, Thanksgiving, and Christmas seasons, plus Reconciliation and Week of Compassion.
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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
More info:
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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!
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CHANCEL CHOIR ZOOM FELLOWSHIP
Chancel Choir meets via ZOOM on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.:
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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.
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Prayer Needs
LEADERSHIP
1. Our Guiding Board, Ministries Council, Elders, Deacons, Ministries and Teams. Our Elders are nearing the end of their "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 -- health and balance challenges
4. Barnett, Barbara -- fatigue issues
5. Cratin, Katherine -- sister and brother in law, Marietta and Frank
6. Fennimore, Nancy -- sister Joan Heckford managing ALS symptoms
7. Guilbeau, Rick & Cynthia; Cynthia's father, Harold Hubbard, now at Georgetown Living
8. Johnston, Janette -- mother Billie, in Alabama, will have surgery this Friday; granddaughter Izzy's surgery on June 7 to correct heart valve anomaly
9. Malone, Betty -- sister Carolyn recently had major cancer surgery and remains hospitalized
10. Miller, Chris -- (son of Jean Bell) experiencing some neuropathy from cancer treatments
11. Mouser, Tricia -- rheumatoid arthritis infusion treatments and side-effects
12. Salzwedel, Molly -- her aunt Margaret was hospitalized with COVID and is now home; will continue to monitor ongoing issues from pneumonia
13. Tucker, Terry -- brother of Gary Tucker -- recovering from recent surgeries and and ongoing tests and consultations
14. Walker, Lisa -- receiving dialysis treatments 3x per week
15. Wilson, Garvid -- chemo and radiation treatments have concluded; will consult with doctor today to discuss recent scan results and possible treatment options going forward
16. York, Tasha -- granddaughter Madi hospitalized in ICU after a series of seizures; family decisions for care of mother Peggy Massey
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.
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[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.]
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Early Childhood Class (ages 4-7) -Taught by Lisa Walker
Intermediate Class (3rd - 5th grade) - Taught by Jennifer Kienzle
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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.")
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CYF Class (9th - 12th grade)
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Open Circle (primarily adult women) - 9:45 a.m. Sunday mornings via ZOOM, s tudying Gospel Medicine by Barbara Brown Taylor. ALL ARE WELCOME! Link HERE
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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
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Follow us on Social Media!
We can be found on:
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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.)
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Mondays:
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9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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Tuesdays:
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2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Wednesdays:
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9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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Thursdays:
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9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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Fridays:
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9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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Elder's Prayer Corner/Closing Message
5 Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.
While these words may seem strange at first, they carry a curious relevance to our modern age. The early Christians were locked in a theological battle with the gnostics. The gnostics thought that the material world was evil and that the key to salvation was to escape the world. Christian gnostics saw Jesus as the Savior from this evil world; but since the material world was evil, the Savior could not be part of this evil world. They, therefore, believed that the Spirit of Christ had entered into the body of Jesus but the Spirit was in fact separate from his material body. In a sense, Christ was masquerading as a human but in fact was purely spirit according to the gnostics. John insists that Jesus came not only by water, which was indicated by his baptism, but also by blood, which was indicated by his physical birth. To believe that Jesus was the Son of God was to believe in both his spiritual and physical dimensions.
We have a strange sort of gnosticism in our own time. There are multitudes of people who proclaim that they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior; but like the gnostics of old, they want nothing to do with the physical manifestation of Christ in the body of Christ or the church. They want to accept the Spirit of Christ because that seems to be a safe abstraction. The physical reality of the church seems to be too filled with "evil" to be found acceptable to them. John would not let the church off so easily. "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child" (v. 1). But lest we become too abstract in that love, John continues, "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments" (v. 2).
To love the child of God is to love the children of God. Jesus' disciples, with full recognition of all their weaknesses and shortcomings, became the foundation of the church. The commandments of God, as 1 John makes clear, cannot be obeyed in the abstract while ignoring the concrete realities of the human species. The church, as reflected in the first disciples but continued with the rest of us, is a necessary physical reality of living our response to Christ as Lord and Savior.
Prayer:
God of love, What a blessing to get to understand that we have been chosen to love not just our birth families, not just our church family, not just the people we recognize as yours, but we have been chosen to be loved by you and to share that love among all we encounter. We ask that your blessing continue to enable us to do so, even when, by our standards, others might be unlovable. In Christ's holy name, Amen
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