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Worship Service Times
10:00 AM - Sanctuary & Livestream
Baby & Toddler Nursery is available during both services
Podcast July Raleigh Court Herald
Church Office Hours
Monday-Thursday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Friday 8:30 AM-1:00 PM
Church Office Closed Thursday, July 3 after 2:00 PM and all day Friday, July 4
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The God of gods—it’s God!—speaks out, shouts, “Earth!”
welcomes the sun in the east,
farewells the disappearing sun in the west.
From the dazzle of Zion,
God blazes into view.
Our God makes his entrance,
he’s not shy in his coming.
Starbursts of fireworks precede him.
He summons heaven and earth as a jury,
he’s taking his people to court:
“Round up my saints who swore
on the Bible their loyalty to me.”
The whole cosmos attests to the fairness of this court,
that here God is judge.
Psalm 50:1-6 The Message
As this Psalm continues, it becomes clear that everyone is on trial: from the good religious people who check off all the boxes of living a life of righteousness all the way to the wicked. God has simply had enough of everyone’s actions. Enough of people offering burnt offerings rather than seeking God’s up when in trouble (v. 15). Enough of the wicked, “quoting my laws, talking like we are good friends (v. 16).”
Through this courtroom imagery, we read that all of us - even those of us who like to think we have gold stars for our faithfulness have gotten it wrong. To God, faith is not about the ritual, nor the pomp and circumstance of showing off one’s faith whether through sacrifices or words with no meaning behind them. Faith is to be lived out. The faithful are to rely on God, praise God, and honor God in all they do in the big and little moments of life, in public and behind closed doors. This is the way God longs for all to live.
While the psalmist writes of judgement day, we have the advantage of reading this knowing it is not Judgement Day. While we do not know when that will come, there is time for us live in the way that the God of the Cosmos who loves the world so much longs for us to live. As we begin a new week, with new officers of church ordained and installed, and as your ministry staff head on an overnight retreat to plan a new program year at RCPC, may we hear God’s invitation in this psalm. Not to just go through the motions of faith, nor check off the boxes of faith, but to live a life faithfully relying, praising, and honoring God in all that we do.
The prayer below is the one I used to conclude my sermon on June 22. May you hear God’s invitation and longing for you in de Chardin’s words.
Above All, Trust in the Slow Work of God by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.
Yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability and
that may take a very long time.
And so I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually. Let them grow. Let
them shape themselves without undue haste.
Do not try to force them on as though you could
be today what time - that is to say, grace - and
circumstances acting on your own good will, will make you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new Spirit
gradually forming in you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.
Above all, trust in the slow work of God,
our loving vine-dresser. Amen.
-The Rev. Isabella Fagiani, Associate Pastor
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Work Group Updates and Q&A Sessions
In the summer months, each of our four Work Groups of elders and deacons will offer a brief update on their planning processes for the strategic goals of RCPC. Each of these groups was birthed out of the conversations held last summer with many of you and a retreat of our church officers in November. They have been meeting over these months and presenting reports to the session that we hope can guide us in the coming years.
We would love your reflections and thoughts on these presentations. After worship on the Sundays listed below, there will be a time for questions in the Fellowship Hall with the members of that Work Group. They can clarify matters, answer questions about their process, and hear what helpful insights each person in our church has to offer. Below are the dates for each group. Plan to join us!
July 20: Strategic Mission
August 3: Community Connection
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All Church Orchestra
Summer 2025
This summer we are including a new "All Church Orchestra" opportunity on the fourth Sundays of July and August. This pick-up ensemble is for instrumentalists who are 7th graders through adults who play string, woodwind, or brass instruments.
Dates:
- Sunday, July 27 (Rehearsal on Wednesday, July 23 at 6:00 PM)
- Sunday, August 24 (Rehearsal on Wednesday, August 20 at 6:00 PM)
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Fellowship Hour After Worship
July 13 & 27
Stay after worship for an informal time of fellowship and light refreshments in the Fellowship Hall with your church family.
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Grandin Road Summer Hymn Festival
Saturday, July 12 at 4:00 PM
The Grandin Road Summer Hymn Festival, hosted by RCPC, is a combined effort of the music ministries of churches on and around Grandin Road with a common goal of interdenominational song sharing and leading. Our hope for this event is that those gathered to sing will experience a breadth of hymnody and music from a variety of traditions and genres. Any singers from any church or choir in the Roanoke area are invited to join us in the festival choir or the assembly for the final program. If interested, please contact Dillon J. Swanson at dillon@rcpres.org for more information.
2025 Theme - " We Believe . . . " All of the hymn settings and anthems this year are arrangements by John Ferguson, a prolific church musician, composer, and teacher who passed away on January 5, 2025. He has composed many choral anthems and congregational hymn settings of varying difficulty levels, and our hymn festival will showcase the breadth of his work, and we hope that all participants will learn something they can take with them as they return to their home congregations and church choirs.
Our guest conductor this summer is Dr. Michael Pekel, director of choirs at Roanoke College. We will be joined by a brass quartet to support the hymn singing using Ferg's arrangements for organ and brass as well.
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Senior Session - July 21
Centennial Conversations - Community Connections Workgroup invites you to our very first trial run of a Senior Session!
What's a senior session?
A summer gathering once a month in July and August to provide a chance for fellowship and learning opportunities on a variety of topics pertinent for those aging in the congregation.
This summer we'll gather twice:
- Monday, July 21 - a trial run of a gathering on planning for the future with lunch provided
- August (date TBA) - a bring-your-own-lunch & ideas meeting where those gathered will help brainstorm topics they'd like discussed at next summer's gatherings
Senior Sessions: Planning for the Future – Monday, July 21 at 11:00 AM
Join us for a relaxed and engaging conversation on estate and legacy planning, led by RCPC member and attorney Sue Cook of Woods Rogers. Sue will walk us through the basics of wills, powers of attorney, advance medical directives, and how trusts can help simplify estate administration and protect loved ones. She’ll also cover common probate questions, strategies to reduce delays and expenses—no trust required—and how to clearly document your final wishes regarding memorial services, cremation or burial, and how to designate someone to carry out those wishes. A representative from RCPC’s Endowment Committee will briefly share options for including the church in your plans, if that’s something you feel called to explore. This session is offered purely for the benefit of our members—no commitments, no pressure, just helpful information, and a chance to connect. We’ll wrap up with a few thought-provoking hypotheticals and a Q&A. Lunch will be provided—bring your questions and join us!
Pre-register online at: tinyurl.com/RCPCSeniorSession721 or on the sheet in the Gathering Area.
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Summer Worship Schedule
Sunday worship services are at 10:00 AM only in the Sanctuary until Labor Day.
Nursery and Children's Worship is available.
No Sunday School.
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Bible & Music Camp: Once Upon a Parable
July 28-31, 2025
Jesus was a storyteller! Jesus engaged the crowds with tales meant to teach, amuse, puzzle, inspire, and sometimes even irritate. Two thousand years later, his stories still captivate audiences and draw people close to God. Unlike fairy tales, where the king reigns over the people, Jesus our King, walks alongside us. He tells us stories of a man who cares for an injured stranger, a father who welcomes his wayward son home, a banquet where everyone is invited and welcomed, and a tiny seed of faith that grows and grows with God’s love!
Bible and Music Camp will celebrate these stories of God’s love through music, dance, storytelling, puppetry, and play! More Information, Fees, & Registration online at rcpres.org/biblemusiccamp
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Bible & Music Camp Shepherds
The job of a Shepherd at Bible and Music Camp is to nurture the group you are shepherding by leading them to their different activities, assisting the leader of that activity, and helping and encouraging the children as they worship, sing, learn, create, and play. You are not alone as a shepherd! Each group has at least 3 shepherds. The beauty of this job is that your essential task is to engage with the wonderful young people of our church! You will be blessed by getting to know these children. We hope you will sign up to shepherd them along in their faith!
NOTE: If you have already communicated to Leigh or Dillon that you want to be a shepherd, you do not need to sign up on this form. They have you on the master list.
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Summer Sermon Series - On the Way: A Covenantal God and a Troublesome Family
June 15 - August 24
In the summer months when people are on the road, we will be “on the way” with Abraham. The Abraham story marks a turning point in scripture, where God chooses to work through a specific family instead of through the creation as a whole (Garden, Flood, Babel, etc). This family, however, meets no standards of righteous behavior. What they do show us how struggling people can still live in trust, repent of wrongdoing, fail terribly, and yet still be precious to God. This journeying story is one of grace where we are reminded of God’s radical call, freedom, and mercy.
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Hometown Mission Week—Shepherds Wanted
August 4—6, 2025
Shepherds accompany and serve with a small group of youth 1-3 days of our Hometown Mission Week. As a Shepherd, you arrive with the youth, worship alongside them, help drive them to mission sites, and work alongside them at the sites. At times, you will serve as a small group leader—prompting kids to think on questions (given to you) about their service. You make sure the kids in your group are always present as we move from site to site and the places where we are eating a brown bag lunch (often in a local park). While mission sites are not yet determined, activities in the past have included gardening at the Carver Garden, sorting food at the PCC, making PB&J sandwiches at the Rescue Mission, decorating lunch bags at RAM, landscaping at the Bradley Free Clinic, sorting donations at the Rescue Mission, waterway clean up at Wasena Park, and many more! If you are interested or would like more information, contact Isabella at Isabella@rcpres.org.
| | Opportunity for Generosity & Mission Updates | |
Mission Partner Support
Each month, we designate all cash and coin to one of our local mission partners. For the month of June, we are supporting the Presbyterian Community Center. You can place your money in the offering plate or make an online gift here, noting that it is for Mission, and making a note for PCC in the text box. As of June 22, we have collected $1,830.49 for the Presbyterian Community Center.
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July Mission Partner & Opportunity for Generosity: West End Center School Supply Drive
West End Center for Youth is a non-profit organization located at the corner of Patterson Ave and 13th Street. The Center serves about 120 children from all over Roanoke, providing after-school care with homework tutoring and other opportunities to enrich their lives. RCPC has had a relationship supporting the endeavors of the center for 45 years! The first director of the program was Kay Hale, a member of RCPC. We have provided socks and underwear at Christmas, tutors to help with homework, school supplies and our Endowment Board helped the center to purchase mini-buses to be able to transport the children to activities around the valley, and granted a large gift toward the bathroom and kitchen renovations. The West End Center Friends Mission Group would like to encourage you to participate in the July School Supplies Drive. When a child has the materials needed to begin the school day, he/she feels more confident and prepared to engage in the lessons. All supplies need to be brought to RCPC or West End Center by Sunday, August 3 in order for individual bags to be prepared for each child that will be specific to their school and grade. The supply list can be found below or at the table in the Gathering Area. This is also a perfect time to consider serving as a homework tutor at the center for the school year. A homework tutor sits with a child and helps the child focus to complete his/her assignments. If a child needs extra help in reading or doing multiplication facts, you can also give that help. It is helpful for the center to have mature tutors who come on a regular basis. Even one afternoon a week or month is very helpful on a regular basis. If you would like more information about tutoring or would like to sign up, please visit our table in the Gathering Area or call Susan Kessler (540-989-2103). We also welcome anyone who would like to be a part of the West End Center Friends Mission Group to sign up at the table.
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2025-2026 School Supply Drive List
Items in red are a high priority. Monetary donations are also welcome. $75 supplies most children with their full list. We do not need the following: paper pocket folders, spiral notebooks, pencil boxes, or crayons.
· Hand sanitizer (8oz pump bottles)
· Disinfection wipes (e.g. Clorox)
· Baby wipes
· Band-aids
· Tissues
· Pencil pouches with 3-ringer binder holes
· Headphones/ear buds
· Plastic baggies (zip top in gallon, quart, sandwich)
· Dry erase markers (thin & wide tip multipack, all colors)
· #2 pencils (Dixon & Ticonderoga preferred)
· Elmer’s glue sticks
· Children’s Fiskar brand scissors
· Marbled composition notebooks (wide & college ruled)
· Plastic pocket folders (with and without brads)
· Highlighters (thin & wide)
· 1-inch binders
· 2-inch binders
· 3-inch binders
· Subject dividers (with and without pockets)
· 1/4-inch graph paper
· Index cards
· Notebook paper (wide & college ruled)
· Crayola colored pencils
· Crayola markers (thin & wide)
· Handheld pencil sharpers with bin to catch shavings
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Prayer Requests
Susan Ard, Marvin & Roena Barbre, Sandy Barksdale (Bev Stroud’s sister), Dawn Blakeman, Jackie Blakeman, Collie Family (friends of Paul Kessel), Beverly Day and family (friend of Camilla and Johnsey Cabaniss), Bill Haynie, Cameron & Susie Hutto, Sue Garrett, Cheryl Gilliland, Susan Lindstrom, Megan Mallare (friend of Kathy Grove), Rusty McCown, Louise Morris, Betty Nance, Amy Starr Redwine, Randy Remington (friend of Betty Remington), Ian Richardson (brother-in-law of Jonathan Crook), Robin Scott, Janis Wertz, and all caregivers.
Our sincere thoughts and prayers are with Susan Marney and family following the passing of Burt Newman on Monday, June 16.
(Prayers request as of Friday, June 27. Names in bold indicate an addition to the prayer list this week.)
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Birthdays: June 30 - July 6
6/30 Dick Oliver
7/1 Lizzie Kessler, Steve Nash
7/3 Brock Mutcheson
7/4 Isabella Danyi, Polly Ellison, Debbie Nash
7/5 Thomas Hahn, Marty Hodges, Christina Urbaniak
7/6 Chris Bryant, Lonnie Phillips
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Monday, June 30
11:00 AM - Justice, Equity, & Belonging
Staff Planning Retreat
Tuesday, July 1
Staff Planning Retreat
4:00 PM - Small Group: Dixon
Wednesday, July 2
6:00 PM - Mission Committee
6:30 PM - Summer Book Study
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Thursday, July 3
10:00 AM - Summer Book Study
Friday, July 4
Church Office Closed
Saturday, July 5
Sunday, July 6
9:00 AM - Summer Choir Rehearsal
10:00 AM - Worship: Sanctuary
Montreat Youth Conference
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WEEKLY SCHEDULE FOR GROUPS
- Centering Prayer at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church: Monday, 10:00 AM
- AA-Primary Purpose: Tuesday & Thursday, 10:30 AM
- Tai Chi: Tuesday & Thursday, 5:30 PM
- Hip Sober Chicks: Thursday, 6:30 PM
- Al-Anon: Friday, 11:45 AM
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The Herald - Deadline for Articles: 10th of each month
This Week @ RCPC - Deadline for Articles: Wednesday of each week
Send submissions for The Herald and This Week @ RCPC to Julie Satterwhite
Video Board in the Gathering Area - Send Information to Carole Banks
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