Looking Toward Sunday

Dear Rumple Family,

The main note about Sunday (and this entire weekend) is below from Dave McCollum. We have a full and wonderful weekend at Rumple as we welcome composer Joseph Martin. I hope you will join for Saturday’s concert and Sunday morning worship.

I wanted to write a short note this week as we emerge from Tuesday’s election. The Rumple family was not of one voice at the polls on Tuesday. I know some in the Rumple family are feeling elated and others quite deflated. Like our country, the Rumple family has a real spectrum of political belief and yet we come together as one community of faith.

Before we are Republicans or Democrats or Independents, we are followers of Jesus Christ. This we share in common and this unites us. After the hurricane hit our community, we all rallied together--our whole community did. We did not ask anyone about their political affiliation, we just rolled up our sleeves and helped one another. I hope that we will remember that unity more than the current feeling of political division and discord. We are all better when we can work and serve together.

I invite you to join me in praying for our country. I hope and pray that we can find a common voice and strive to be the very best country for all who call this incredible land home. We certainly have work to do on that front. As the church of Jesus Christ and a witness in our community, state, nation, and world, I hope that Rumple and each of us will continue to be those who shine and show the light and love of Jesus, that we will be guided by his central teachings of loving God and loving our neighbor, and continue to seek God’s kingdom of peace and justice here, on this side of heaven.

I hope to see you this Sunday in the sanctuary or online.  

Blessings and peace to you and upon this nation,

Kathy

From Dave McCollum:

Composer Weekend at Rumple! We are delighted to welcome Joseph Martin as our guest artist for our Second Annual Composer Weekend at Rumple. Mr. Martin has written and shared an incredible amount of music throughout his career that has been enjoyed by countless denominations and worship settings. His music for choirs and the sacred piano repertoire is not only prolific but impressive on so many levels.

Mr. Martin will present a solo piano recital in the Rumple sanctuary on Saturday evening, November 9 at 7 p.m. He will also be our guest musician and speaker during our 11 a.m. worship service, Sunday, November 10. The adult choir will sing five of Mr. Martin's anthems that address a variety of styles and settings in the Christian Church Year. We will also enjoy a solo piano prelude and postlude by Mr. Martin and a vocal duet by two of our choral scholars accompanied by Mr. Martin. Mr. Martin will share stories and reflections about each anthem the choir sings allowing insight for a glimpse of how a composer thinks and reacts to music and expressions of faith. Don't miss these opportunities!

See you soon!

Dave

Please keep in your prayers: Jane Alexander, recovering from surgery; Mack Gaddy; David Baskin; Rene Cuthill; All who are facing loss and displacement due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton; Anne Richardson; Debbie Brenner’s friend, Arlene; David Brenner; Pete Groothuis; David Hardage; Pat and Charles Coley; Mark, friend to many at Rumple; Cullie Tarleton; Teresa Lentz; Jim Ruff; Sam Reep; Mary Ann Baggstrom’s sister, Connie; Sarah Settlemyer’s friend, Theresa; Bill Hall; Barbara Leon’s former pastor, Jackie; Sherry Wilson’s mom, Jean; Walt Baggstrom’s brother, Bob; Sylvia Kiker; Lucy Aldridge.



If you would like to be added to the prayer chain email list or add a prayer to that list, please email Margaret Headrick.

Engagement and Stewardship 2025

Rumple is on the threshold of a wonderful new year in mission and ministry. Thank you to the nearly 50 families who have made a financial pledge to Rumple for 2025, totaling over $325,000. As Rumple's mission and ministries expand and increase, so does our annual budget. You can make a confidential pledge online on the church website or mail in your pledge card to the church office, to Sarah Parker's attention. If you need assistance, please contact Sarah.

Session Meeting Digest

October 28, 2024

The Session’s stated monthly meeting was held on October 28, 2024.

Session met at the Children’s Council/OASIS/WAMY Conference Room and heard from representatives of those three groups regarding both their regular operations and the challenges facing their supported populations following Hurricane Helene. 

Bob Stout introduced a set of recommendations from an ad hoc committee regarding the distribution of funds that have been so generously donated for support of people and organizations impacted by the hurricane. Session approved a modified method for reviewing requests for support of individuals, families, and organizations.

Committee reports were given by elders representing seven groups. Adult education sought and received approval of the use of external resources for Kim Rogers’ Sunday school class and Kathy’s online Advent class. Finance reported that donations have been up and down throughout the year but that it is expected that the budget will reach its targets by the end of the year. 

Capital Campaign reported that although there were overruns on the manse and Rumple House due to inflation and unexpected (but not surprising) issues with those older buildings, there are also some cost offsets. The costs for the education building are coming in below the estimated costs, we have received significant earnings from interest, and we had the Cannon Foundation grant. Engagement and Stewardship has already received more pledges than at this time last year, despite starting two weeks later. Rumple members who have not yet completed and returned their pledges for 2025 are strongly encouraged to do so as soon as possible. 

Frescoes reported that at a recent meeting of the committee with the project engineer and the moving company, it was agreed that the frescoes can be installed in late November or early December. The committee will keep a ledger of expenses and donations; the expenses will be paid out of the donations and surplus funds will be given to Missions. According to the Worship committee, Christmas Eve worship times will be held on December 24 at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. There will be a live nativity event held on the lawn on Friday, December 13 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The building committee reported on the progress that has been made on the education building, with work on the Blowing Rock Cares space nearing completion. Architectural plans for the new fellowship hall should be available soon. Session approved a process for moving forward with the selection of a construction company and any value engineering that may be needed.

from Mike Mayfield, Clerk of Session

Pastor in the Pews

With the arrival of colder weather, Kathy will move to Pastor in the Pews until the spring on Mondays from 2 to 3 p.m. No need to make an appointment, just show up to see her in the Sanctuary during that hour. There will be no Pastor in the Pews on November 11.

Join Rumple for Sunday morning worship, November 10 at 11 a.m.

Service will be in the sanctuary, or you may watch live at 11 a.m. on our webpage or YouTube channel. Childcare is available for the service. Bulletins are available on the church website.

Each Sunday our worship service is livestreamed. Covid is on the rise again, and if you are feeling under the weather, we encourage you to stay home and worship online for the health and safety of others. Find all previous online worship services on YouTube.

Parking is at a premium in Blowing Rock! In order to be sure there is plenty of space for visitors and guests, and while construction is going on, please consider driving only one vehicle per household to Rumple each Sunday. Thank you!

The accessible entrance is open at the back of the Education Building, and the back stairwell is open to access the main floor. You may use those two entrances on Sunday morning.

Joseph Martin

The guest artist of Rumple's Second Annual Composer Weekend

Joseph Martin, a native of North Carolina, earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. Subsequently he earned a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at the University of Texas, Austin. Joseph taught for five years in the Piano Pedagogy Department of the University of Texas. While at Furman University, he was accompanist for choral director and composer Milburn Price and, inspired by his teaching, Martin began to compose. He is a member of the staff of Shawnee Press, Inc. and the Hal Leonard Corporation as Director of Sacred Publications, with responsibilities for overseeing the editorial and creative direction of the company and also coordinating the recording and production aspects of future sacred publishing efforts. 

His first solo piano recording, American Tapestry, was nominated for a Dove Award. This album, along with his other recordings (Songs of the Journey, Celtic Tapestry, A Christmas Tapestry, and A Symphony of Carols) has been enormously popular in the sacred and secular markets. He has recorded for Yamaha's Disklavier series and has composed hundreds of commissioned works. His composition Pieta was honored with an award from the John Ness Beck Foundation.

Recognized throughout the United States for his many choral compositions, both sacred and secular, Joseph's music is published by numerous publishing houses. Over two thousand compositions are currently in print and the list continues to grow.

Joseph lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Sue. 

You can read his full biography on our website.

Discoverers Sunday school book study begins

Sunday, November 10, 9:45 a.m.



Join the Discoverers on Sunday morning at 9:45 a.m. in Rumple House as a study of Adam Hamilton’s Not a Silent Night, Mary Looks Back to Bethlehem begins. All are welcome. See Kim Rogers for more information and a copy of the book.

Advent Bible study and discussion led by Kathy

Each of the Sundays of Advent, December 1, 8, 15, & 23 at 5 p.m.

Kathy Beach will lead a 4-week Advent Bible study and discussion based on Kate Bowler’s latest study, The Weary World Rejoices, each of the Sundays of Advent, beginning December 1 at 5 p.m. This study will be entirely online. Please register here to receive the zoom link.

Did you know...

that Rumple has a new and exciting event coming your way at the church? It's an Advent market!

Sunday, November 24, from 9 to 11 a.m. prior to worship service, and then from noon to 1 p.m. following worship, Rumple will have an Advent market with some unique and varied local and Peruvian vendors just in time for your holiday gift shopping! There will be pottery, dog treats, candles, scarves, items from Peru, and coffee. And this is just a preliminary list of all our offerings. The proceeds from the scarf sales will go towards the hurricane relief fund and the profits from the sales of the Peru crafts will go directly to the medical mission trip that Dave Henry will be taking in the spring and has invited Rumple people to accompany him. We know that you all will want to participate in this early holiday celebration to support our local merchants and charities!

Advent Reimagined Kickoff Dinner

Sunday, November 24, 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Join us on Sunday, November 24 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. for Rumple's Advent Kickoff Dinner. There will be dinner, an educational lesson, a couple of mission projects, music, and a Chrismon table—something for everyone! In addition, our Advent market will be open during this time, and members from our Creation Care committee will sell local goods to benefit small businesses. Check off your Christmas shopping list while also supporting our community! We hope to see everyone there.

Peru Mission Trip Information Meeting

Sunday, November 24 at 12:15 p.m.

Dave Henry will be leading a Mission Work Trip to the Amazon Jungle of Peru in March of 2025. The trip will include a construction project, leading a Bible School with the children in the village of Tamshiyacu, a medical clinic, building relationships with members of the Presbyterian Church in Tamshiyacu, Peru and much more. There will be an information meeting about this trip on Sunday, November 24 at 12:15 pm in an upstairs Sunday School classroom for anyone who would like to learn more about the trip. If you are interested, but cannot attend the meeting, please contact Dave Henry by text or phone or email.

Local organization spotlight: Wine to Water

Volunteering for Hurricane Helene relief can be a very tangible way to show our communities the love of God AND our neighbors!

This week’s local organization spotlight is on Wine to Water (wtw.org). Wine to Water is a local (Boone) organization that focuses primarily on providing clean water to underserved areas around the world. Now they are working in their own backyard, aiding relief efforts in numerous ways. Check out their website for volunteer opportunities like assembling water filters, delivering generators, helping organize their donation site, debris clean up, and more. Their headquarters (and warehouse) is located at 689 George Wilson Drive in Boone. Volunteer times are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and you can sign up on their website for your choice of jobs. Go with a friend and enjoy being a part of their efforts! PS: The shifts are listed as 6 hours long, but that just reflects the hours they are open; you can work as long as you are able to during their working hours.

Blowing Rock Cares Food Pantry resumes their regular operating hours Wednesdays, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

After a month of supplying multiple needs to the High Country after hurricane Helene, they will return to their original mission of providing food to those who need it.

Women Together meeting to prepare meal for Hospitality House

Monday, November 11 at 6 p.m.

Fellowship Hall

Women Together, Rumple's group for "younger" women at Rumple, will meet again on Monday, November 11 at 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall to prepare a meal for the Hospital House and eat dinner together. Contact Becky Bishop with questions.

Holy Hike

Friday, November 15, 10 a.m.

Rumple's next Holy Hike will be Friday, November 15, at 10 a.m. We'll meet in the Manor House parking lot by the Carriage Barn and hike up to the cemetery, with an option to continue on up to the Fire Tower on your own. To the cemetery and back is 2 miles and you still get some great views. Up to the Fire Tower and back is 5.25 miles round trip from the Manor House parking area. Contact Hope Squires with any questions.

Men's Lunch

Thursday, November 21 at noon

The next men's lunch will be November 21 at noon at the Town Tavern. If you will be attending, please RSVP to Dave Henry.

Blowing Rock

Christmas Parade

Saturday, November 30 at 10 a.m.

Rumple will once again participate in Blowing Rock's Christmas Parade on Saturday, November 30 at 10 a.m. Everyone is invited to walk with us! Have family in town for Thanksgiving? Bring them along! Decorate your strollers or wagons, wear your favorite Christmas sweater, bring your dog, and meet us at 9:45 a.m. at Rumple House.