Looking Toward Sunday

Dear Rumple Family,

The beauty of spring is all around us in the High Country. Signs of Easter new life abound and, for me, this brings me so much joy. One of the wonderful parts about having our church offices in the Rumple House is that we are so close to the happenings on Main Street and able to connect with God’s creation all around us. Just this past week, Sonya, Valerie, and I took a quick break to watch a robin gleefully bathing in the bird bath in the front yard of Rumple House. It was a beautiful and joyful sign of spring, hope, and a reminder that we are connected to God’s creation. I love all the sights and sounds that I see from my office window in Rumple House!

I wanted to share an exciting staff update voted on at Monday night’s session meeting. Sonya Long, our Director of Operations, will shift the days that she works, beginning today, Friday, May 2. Her new weekly schedule will be Sunday-Thursday, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sonya will be with us every Sunday morning to assist with all kinds of building, tech, and administrative needs. She will then be in the office on Sunday afternoons. This will be so helpful on so many levels and enable so many more of you to work more closely with Sonya. In other good news, this will not effect the church office hours. The church office hours will remain the same, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Valerie will continue to be in the office Monday-Friday. I wanted also to remind you that my days off are also Friday and Saturday. While I have not been very good about taking those as days of rest, I intend to be better about that going forward. If you have a question or a concern on a Friday or Saturday, feel free to email me but it may be Sunday before I reply. If you have a pastoral care concern on a Friday, please contact Dave Henry first, unless we have communicated that otherwise to the congregation. Dave and I will alternate being the “pastor on call” over the weekend and we will be enlisting elders to assist us with that as well. Lindsey also takes Fridays and Saturdays as her days of rest.

I look forward to this Sunday and our talented youth leading us in worship. This is such a special group of young people. I hope you will do your very best to support them with your presence in worship on Sunday and at the reception after worship to celebrate our five graduating high school seniors. Lindsey has a bit more to tell you below about Sunday.

Easter season blessings.

Kathy

From Lindsey Eaton, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries:

This Sunday is one of our most beloved traditions at Rumple: Youth Sunday!

Each year, our amazing youth step into leadership in a big way, planning and leading the entire worship service. They write the liturgy, choose the music, deliver the sermon, and guide us through a worship experience that reflects both their faith and their voice. It’s always powerful, and it always leaves us inspired.

This year, our youth have chosen Psalm 23 as the foundation for the service. Inspired by the beautiful new frescoes in our gathering space, they spent time reflecting on this familiar psalm in new and creative ways. Together, we explored the ways Psalm 23 shows up in our lives—when we're walking through calm pastures or deep valleys, and everywhere in between. One of our favorite moments in the process was using playdough to sculpt our own personal landscapes of Psalm 23. It was a fun, hands-on way to consider how God’s presence moves with us through every terrain of life.

We are especially proud to hear from Sam Rex, Sheridan Brasier, and Ellee Bishop this Sunday, as they deliver a unique, three-part sermon. Sam will reflect on how Psalm 23 has been a comfort in the past. Sheridan will share how the psalm grounds her in the present moment. Ellee will look ahead, exploring how its promises guide her into the future. Each of them will offer a personal testimony of faith, shaped by scripture and their own spiritual journey.

Please join us and show your support for these incredible young leaders. They’ve worked hard, prayed deeply, and poured their hearts into this service. Your presence will mean the world to them.

Lindsey

Please keep in your prayers:

Pat Coley, admitted to Watauga Medical Center with pneumonia; Former Rumple member Camille Suttle, upon the death of her husband Bill on 4/21; David Baskin; Brook Harmon’s mother, Connie; Bill Daugherty’s sister Karen; David Cash; Barbara Julien; Eric and Diane Overcash’s daughter Erica; Kim Rogers; Jim Ruff; Emily McCulley; Susie Stewart’s brother Jimmy; Bonnie McLamb; Miriam Newton; Linda Steen; Lucy Aldridge; All who are facing loss and displacement due to Hurricane Helene and the wildfires in California; Charles Coley; Cullie Tarleton; Sarah Settlemyer’s friend Theresa; Barbara Leon’s former pastor Jackie; Sherry Wilson’s mother, Jean; Walt Baggstrom’s brother Bob; Sylvia Kiker.

If you would like to be added to the prayer chain email list or add a

prayer to that list, please email Margaret Headrick.

Pastor on the Porch

Kathy is moving to the porch! It's spring and the weather is warmer, so you can now find her on Mondays from 2-3 p.m. outside the old office entrance of the Cannon Education Building (near the Gathering Space.) If you can't make it on a Monday afternoon, please contact Kathy directly. She is happy to meet you at other times as well!

Join Rumple for worship on Sunday, May 4, at 11 a.m.

This Sunday is Youth Sunday! Rumple's youth group will lead worship, and we will recognize our five high school seniors during the service.

The service will be in the sanctuary and live-streamed online. To join worship online and to view the worship bulletin, please visit the Online Worship page on our website. The worship video will be posted to the Rumple website and on Facebook each week.

Childcare is available in the nursery from 10:45 a.m. to noon for children ages birth through five.

Find all previous online worship services on YouTube.

Two worship services will begin on Sunday, May 25

at 8:45 and 11 a.m. This will continue through Sunday, August 31.

Joint Bible Study with Boone UMC: One Anothering

Thursday, May 8 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Boone UMC

"Love one another,” Jesus commanded in John 13:34. 

In a world defined by political differences, those words challenge us. Where do Christians find common ground? How can we be Christ’s ambassadors in a polarized society? 

If you’re struggling with these concerns, we invite you to join with folks from several local churches who are gathering to seek out a Biblical perspective, with pastoral guidance from Boone UMC and Rumple Presbyterian. We will be studying a course called One Anothering, developed by The Colossian Forum.

The group will meet monthly, beginning Thursday, May 8, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Boone UMC. Dinner will be served at the church each night. Please sign up here.

You can watch the group intro video for One Anothering here.

Aging, Spirituality, and Wellness webinar series Session 1 of 5

Thursday, May 8

10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Gathering Space

Rumple’s Christian Education and Congregational Care Committees will be hosting an Aging, Spirituality and Wellness pre-recorded webinar series, presented by North Carolina Council of Churches (NCCC) and Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo, Ontario Canada (CGUC).

After watching the webinars, there will be discussion facilitated by Rumple's own Phyllis Cooper, RN. She has extensive experience as an Oncology Nurse Navigator. If there is interest, we plan to go to lunch afterwards in Blowing Rock.

The sessions will take place in the Gathering Space from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the following Thursdays: 

May 8 - Healthy Aging and Mental Wellbeing (NCCC)

June 5 - Mental Health Through the Lens of Faith (NCCC)

July 10 - Dreamwork and Spiritual Growth in Later Life: Becoming Elders (CGUC)

July 31 - When Words Fail: Spiritual Care and Dementia (CGUC)

August 14 - The Spiritual Dimension of Dying (CGUC)

Registration is now open for the first date of the series on May 8 only. Register through the Breeze form. Contact Annie Tarbutton for more information.

Women Together

Monday, May 12 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Learn candle-making at Firelight Book & Candle in Blowing Rock. Class is $60 and capped at 12, so RSVP soon. Please RSVP and find all details on our Women Together SignUp.

Holy Hike

Thursday, May 15 (rain date May 22) at 1:00 p.m.

Our next hike is an exciting one! We will have a guided wildflower hike at Tater Hill. This is a 2-hour hike with Matt Estep, who's a Biology professor at App State and a Tater Hill Steward. He describes the hike as "not too strenuous." We'll need to carpool from Blowing Rock, leaving about an hour ahead of time. Space is limited, so please contact Hope Squires as soon as possible if you'd like to hike with us.

Men's Lunch

Thursday, May 15 at noon

Town Tavern

All men are welcome to join for food and fellowship! Men's Lunch

meets the third Thursday of every month. Contact Dave Henry to

RSVP or for more information.

Sign up for Summer Lunch Bunch and Summer Salt Shakers!

Lunch Bunch is a group that meets for lunch once a month, June through October, at a local restaurant. You can sign up online with the Breeze form or fill out a paper copy in the sanctuary. For questions about Salt Shakers, please email Jean Baskin.

Salt Shakers is a dinner group that meets monthly, June through October, to enjoy a meal and fellowship at a member's home. You can sign up online with the Breeze form or fill out a paper copy in the sanctuary. For questions about Salt Shakers, please email Anne Richardson.

Sign up for both groups by May 11. More information to follow once sign-ups are received.

Support our Youth on their Memorial Day trips!

Over Memorial Day weekend, our high school youth will be heading to Kiawah Island to serve by cleaning headstones in a local church cemetery. At the same time, our middle school youth will be traveling to Sevierville, TN for a special retreat focused on fellowship and faith.

To help make these trips a success, we’re collecting donations of snacks and drinks! Suggested items include chips, cookies, granola bars, bagels, bread, apples, oranges, and drinks (please, no water). All items should be non-refrigerated.

If you’d like to support our youth, please drop off your donations at Rumple House by May 23. Thank you for helping us care for and encourage our young people as they grow in service and community!