PLEASE JOIN US 
for our Lenten Soup Dinner and Devotions - Wednesdays from
6-7:30 pm on February 28, and March 6 & 13 where we will be using “The Sanctuary for Lent 2024.” This devotion contains brief readings for each day in Lent, from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday, including a suggested Scripture, a short devotion, and a short prayer or practice—all based on the Revised Common Lectionary. This annual favorite helps readers faithfully journey through Lent as they prepare to experience the joy of the Resurrection.  The devotion will be provided at no cost, and we will focus on a few of the devotions during each session time.  All are welcome and if you need transportation, please email or call 440-331-9433 the church office.  Thanks, and God bless!




THE ROCKPORT MEN’S GROUP 
will meet on Thursday, February 8^th at 6:30 pm at the church for a potluck dinner. There will be a great meal and time for fellowship.   We will also have a presentation by Ohio Guidestone on their Residential Treatment program for children. Ohio Guidestone’s youth residential campus in Berea, Ohio is “home” to children and adolescents ages 6-15 years old. The residential treatment provides out-of-home care for boys and girls with complex trauma, mental health needs, academic struggles, developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities and severe emotional and behavioral concerns that negatively impact their ability to control their impulses, maintain their personal safety, and recognize the impact of their behaviors which prevent them from living safely in their homes.  For many years Rockport Church has brightened the lives of the children in the residential treatment program through the David Rice Valentine Party (this year it is on Saturday, February 10^th) and the Rockport Annual Picnic. This is a great opportunity to learn about the services the children receive while they are in the residential treatment program. Everyone is invited to come and hear this informative presentation about Guidestone’s programs and services. Come and enjoy this special time together!




 

PLEASE JOIN US 
for the David Rice-Ohio Guidestone Valentine Luncheon, Sat. Feb. 10th.  Sign-up sheet is posted. Volunteers and bakers are needed.  The address is 202 Eastland Road, Berea.  We will meet there at 11 a.m. to set up the room and help Nick Berardi prepare a spaghetti lunch. We will treat the kids to face painting, crafts, basketball, bingo, & costumes to try on with a photo op option. Activities will end at approximately 2pm. Homemade desserts are appreciated, but please note that the dessert items cannot contain nuts or peanut butter. A sign-up sheet is posted for Volunteers and Bakers. Please drop off bakery items at the church on Friday the 9th.  You must be 18 yrs. old to attend. Questions, contact the church office.




CHAT AND CHEW ADULT DISCUSSION GROUP! CHAT AND CHEW ADULT DISCUSSION GROUP! 
Come and join us, bring your lunch and enjoy your food AND a great discussion! We will explore various topics in the church and Bible. 

SPRING DATES:
We begin back-up in MARCH
March 18^th  
April 15^th  
May 20th   
June 17^th




COFFEE HOUR:  
Please consider hosting coffee hour and sign-up on the bulletin board.  Fellowship is so important to the life of the church and why not have a little snack at the same time!




BOOK CLUB:  
Our next book discussion will be on Monday, Feb. 26th @ 7:00pm in the church parlor The book we will be reading is Tom Lake by Ann Patchett “Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart.” A book club bag has been picked up from Rocky River Public Library with 8 books in it and discussion questions.  Feel free to pick up a book in the church office. Hope to see everyone on Jan 15^th for food, fun, fellowship and discussion.




MISSION POSSIBLE! 
THE YOUTH & Children will be collecting some items for the Cabinet in addition to our normal list. THANK YOU for the hats, gloves, scarves! We collected A LOT! And we are excited to distribute them around the area and our cabinet! 

For February, we will still be collecting cans of SOUP or ready to eat canned goods with the pull tops (for example: ravioli or hearty soups) hand warmers - the small kind you squeeze with your hands to activate, inexpensive blankets that can be worn easily (may be gently used, they do not have to be brand new) and small sized toiletries (the youth group makes homeless kits every so often to put into the cabinet and also distribute) 

THANK YOU SO MUCH!




GOOGLE DRIVE REMINDER:
Year-end Church financials can be found here.
Go to the Rockport All Church Information folder, Financial Reports folder, 2023 Financials folder, or get a hard copy in the church office.




REMINDER:
Office hours are Monday-Thursday 8:00 - 2:00pm and Fridays from 8:00 - 1:00pm.  
Rev. Don's office hours are Tuesday and Thursdays from 11:00 - 1:00pm




DISTRICT NEWS: http://www.eocumc.com/northcoast/

CONFERENCE NEWS:  https://www.eocumc.com/
https://eocnews.wordpress.com/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=7c5b13971e302337d884bd77ba8366afefe68c9d470e1ee1860b12470e67733e&blog_id=55059321&post_id=16664&user_id=0&subs_id=497162201&signature=8e3a06f0a7035ab9d8255fbdb77fb032&email_name=new-post&user_email=office@rockportumc.org&encoded_url=aHR0cDovL2VvY3VtY25ld3MuY29tLzIwMjQvMDEvMzEvbGV0LXVzLWtlZXAtc2F5aW5nLXllcy10by1jaHJpc3QtZGVjbGFyZXMtYmlzaG9wLXRyYWN5LXMtbWFsb25lLWR1cmluZy1yYWxsaWVzLWluLXRoZS1mb3VyLW5ldy1kaXN0cmljdHMtb2YtdGhlLWVhc3Qtb2hpby1jb25mZXJlbmNlLw=

For Immediate Release: January 24, 2024 From: The Offices of Communications from the East Ohio Conference and the West Ohio Conference A special-called session of the North Central Jurisdiction (NCJ) Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church was held on Tuesday, January 23 “for the sole purpose of approving new episcopal areas for episcopal assignments to be effective September 1, 2024.” Delegates to this special-called NCJ Jurisdictional Conference voted to form two new episcopal areas, one to include the East Ohio Conference and the West Ohio Conference, and one to include the Northern Illinois Conference and the Wisconsin Conference. The two conferences in each new episcopal area will share one bishop. By the action of the special session, the North Central Jurisdiction will transition from nine to seven episcopal areas. The North Central Jurisdiction Committee on the Episcopacy assigns the bishops to the episcopal areas and all assignments will be announced at the NCJ Jurisdictional Conference July 10-13 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The new episcopal areas and the bishop assignments to each of the seven episcopal areas will be effective September 1. Executive staff leaders and members of the Committee on the Episcopacy in both the East Ohio Conference and the West Ohio Conference have been engaged in strategic conversations to explore the sharing of an episcopal leader since the NCJ Committee on the Episcopacy proposed the possibility during the 2022 Jurisdictional Conference. “I and Bishop Palmer convened a leadership team that has been working to identify the key administrative matters that need to be addressed and to examine the best practices of other episcopal areas where shared episcopal leadership has worked well. This work will continue as we prepare the conferences for this transition,” said Bishop Tracy S. Malone, resident bishop of the East Ohio Conference. “I am confident the people of the East and West Ohio Conferences are well suited to be served by one bishop with a single eye to living the mission of ‘making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world,’” said Bishop Gregory V. Palmer, resident bishop of the West Ohio Conference.