GUEST PREACHER THIS SUNDAY:
The Rev. Dr. Tim Rosenberger serves as a chaplain with Cleveland’s Division of Police and as a fellow at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, The Ohio State University, and the Manhattan Institute.
An attorney licensed in Ohio, Rev. Tim previously worked for McKinsey & Company’s Cleveland office and still lives in Ohio City. He holds a JD/MBA from Stanford University, where he was President of the Federalist Society and on Law Review, and an LL.M. from the University of Vienna. He completed his pastoral training with an M.Div. from United Lutheran Seminary, Gettysburg, and a D.Min. from the Rawlings School of Divinity. Rev. Tim served at University Lutheran Church, Palo Alto from 2021-23 and is the oasis pastor for the Metropolitan Community Church of the Western Reserve, where he has served since 2014. He regularly worships at Rockport UMC, last preaching here in the summer of 2021.
ROCKPORT RENOVATORS RECENT OUTREACH PROJECT:
Through OneHope NEO, Mike WIlkenson, Dennis O’Neil, Don Kraps, and Dave Plachta were able to help fix up Maritza’s house on W. 88th street. Due to health issues from cancer, she fell behind on maintaining her home. We fixed a leak in the bathroom, which damaged the kitchen ceiling. We also replaced the kitchen ceiling tiles, fixed the porch soffit, porch rails, scraped and painted the rails and the porch itself. The Renovators mission is to assist neighbors who may have outlived their life savings yet remain in a house with little means to properly maintain it. Perhaps they face tough life choices in order to make certain they can pay their bills.
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ~ John 3:17
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ~ Galations 6:2
THE ROCKPORT MEN’S GROUP
will meet on Thursday, October 10th at 6:30 pm at the church for a potluck dinner. There will be a great meal and time for fellowship. We will have a presentation by Patrick Meidenbauer on OneHope NEO. OneHope NEO connects organizations and people in Cleveland to try to reduce poverty and bring hope to families. It provides programming to meet immediate needs, build up leaders, improve community development, and walk alongside residents. Some of the programming includes:
- Food distributions
- Affordable housing
- Community leader programming
- High school leadership programming
- Partnerships with other organizations to bring programming (e.g., financial literacy, education, employment) to the area
- Refugee and immigration support
Everyone is invited to come and hear this informative presentation by Mr. Meidenbauer. Come and enjoy this special time together
CHAT & CHEW!
Lunch & Chat 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. 12 to 2 p.m.!
FALL DATES:
September 16th (Welcome back)
October 21st
November 18th
December 16th
OUTDOOR WORSHIP:
Weather permitting, through the end of September, we will continue to worship outdoors in our beautiful sanctuary overlooking the Metroparks. Please dress accordingly. EMS will remain in the chapel at 8:30am with communion every Sunday.
SPAGHETTI DINNER VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
Spaghetti Dinner will be Nov. 2ndfrom 4-8:00pm. We will need drivers to deliver meals to homebound, bakers, servers, set-up, clean-up, cashiers, to-go meal leader, marketing and kitchen help. Please sign-up if you are willing/able to help in any way.
ROCKPORT CHANCEL CHOIR
is seeking returning members, new members and welcome all voices! Rehearsals are on TUESDAYS from 6-7:20pm in the choir room. Contact Susan Shick, Music Director/Organist, at ershick@prodigy.net or 440-331-9433 or come to any of our TUESDAY rehearsals if you are interested in joining our fellowship and music ministry!
CONFIRMATION!
If your child is in 7th or 8th grade this year, and you’d like for them to join our confirmation class, PLEASE let me know! If your child is in high school and did not get confirmed, they are completely welcome! We will begin our schedule this fall, and go through mid-May, with Confirmation Sunday being in May. THANK YOU!
SINCE CHOSEN SEASON 2 WAS SO POPULAR!! DINNER AND VIEWING THE CHOSEN SEASON 3 and 4! MONDAYS FROM 5:30 – 8:30 PM.
The Chosen is a groundbreaking historical television drama based on the life of Jesus, seen through the eyes of those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the seven-season show shares an authentic and intimate look at Jesus’ revolutionary life and teachings. The show teaches the human side of Jesus and his Chosen followers! With over 200 million viewers, The Chosen is one of the most watched shows in the world! The Chosen is a show that everyone can watch, and it does not need to be viewed consecutively. We are just finishing up viewing season 2 and have had between 25 – 35 people for each dinner and show!
Please join us (STARTING MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm), we will have dinner, view back-to-back episodes of the Chosen Season 3 and 4 and pray (outside on the patio, weather permitting). All are welcome. The dates are Season 3 - Mondays September 9,16,23,30 and Season 4 - Mondays October 7,14,21 & 28.
BOOK CLUB:
Join us on Thursday, October 3rd at 7:00pm in the church parlor. We are reading “Blessings” by Anna Quindlen. “Late one night, a teenage couple drives up to the big white clapboard home on the Blessing estate and leaves a box. In that instant, the lives of those who live and work there are changed forever. Skip Cuddy, the caretaker, finds a baby girl asleep in that box and decides he wants to keep the child . . . while Lydia Blessing, the matriarch of the estate, for her own reasons, agrees to help him. Blessings explores how the secrets of the past affect decisions and lives in the present; what makes a person or a life legitimate or illegitimate and who decides; and the unique resources people find in themselves and in a community. This is a powerful novel of love, redemption, and personal change by the Pulitzer Prize–winning writer about whom The Washington Post Book World said, “Quindlen knows that all the things we ever will be can be found in some forgotten fragment of family.” Hope to see everyone on Oct. 3rd for food, fellowship and discussion.
TREE PLANTING CAMPAIGN:
The Trustees have proposed buying ten trees to fill in around the church property to help maintain and fill in our tree canopy, primarily around the outdoor chapel and playground area.
This will cost an average of $500 per tree. We thought this would be a great opportunity for members and friends of Rockport to donate the cost of a tree (or part of a tree) in memory of or to honor a loved one, or simply to help beautify our church property. Names of those who contribute $100 or more will be listed in Rockport’s Abiding Memorials book (in the narthex).
We would like to have the trees planted by the end of October, 2024, and thus would greatly appreciate receiving donations by October 31, 2024.
What do you say, Rockport family? Let’s plan(t) for the future and fill in our canopy! Any questions, please contact Mike Wilkenson or a Trustee.
INVITATION TO JOHN BIBLE STUDY:
The invitation from Christ is: "Come and see, Follow me". Experience the magnificent passages in John including the I am statements (I am the truth, the life and the way, I am the living water and more). Revisit stories only told in John's gospel including Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene and the raising of Lazarus.
This study is 11 weeks, every Wednesday, beginning on September 11th and ending on November 20th. Class will begin at 7:00 PM. There will not be an introductory class this time. We will jump right into Week 1 on September 11th. Sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board.
BOTTLE CAPS!
The Youth Group are collecting bottle caps for a mission project. The plastic kind - for example, 2 liter and 16/20/24 oz bottles.
During these past weeks we have been asking you, the congregation, to collect bottle caps, and we are providing the boxes to collect them with to make it easier. (courtesy of Dave Stephan! THANK YOU!) You can grab one on your way out of the church on the Christian Ed table in the hallway…
We have been asking to collect these caps in order to create our own bench, fully from the caps we have collected. This bench will signify how recycling can be seen and the process. This bench will be placed in a chosen location on the church grounds. Along with these recycled caps, we will also accept donations to use towards the processing of the caps to the bench.
Through our collective efforts we will eventually have a product that can be enjoyed by everyone. You can find the acceptable caps and lids list posted on the table with the boxes, and also will be sent out in the Rockport updates. We will be collecting until Thanksgiving! Thank you!
The link for information…
https://www.greentreeplastics.com/abc-program/
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!
GOOGLE DRIVE REMINDER:
June 2024 Church financials can be found here.
Go to the Rockport All Church Information folder, Financial Reports folder, 2024 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: www.eocumc.com/northernwaters
A Message from Bishop Hee-Soo Jung
Greetings to you in the name of the Lord. We are grateful to be assigned to serve the Ohio Episcopal Area as your new bishop. We are thankful for the grace of God who has accomplished great mission work through the faithful annual conferences of East Ohio and West Ohio. It is with great joy that we have been called at a time when the two annual conferences are now united and working together in solidarity. It is God who opened the way for us to achieve divine kingdom anew at this point of change, so we can learn God’s dream and directions together and build a faithful United Methodist Church.
We look forward to the work of the Holy Spirit as we pray with all of you who have worked hard. Since the last General Conference, we have been opening the door to great missions through the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit. We are at a point where everyone can become beloved children without discrimination and continue to achieve salvation and transformation. We resolve to overcome di?culties, restore the impactful role of the church in hope, heal the wounds we have received, and live as one big family in Christ.
We are humbled and thrilled to serve amongst you. May we ask for your prayers in this transition time.
We are grateful to the sacrificial and vital leadership of Bishop Tracy S. Malone and Bishop Gregory V. Palmer, who are passing the mantle to us.
We will listen to your stories! We will learn about Ohio, a great state! My wife, Rev. Im Jung. and I will join you with simple obedient hearts to this great task. We believe God’s bountiful blessings! Thank you for your love to The UMC.
A Note of Thanks
A Message from Bishop Tracy S. Malone
“Thank you, East Ohio Conference, for your love and blessings beautifully expressed through your cards, emails and gifts, and your presence at my celebration and farewell service. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to have partnered in ministry with you over these past eight years. God bless you!”
– Bishop Malone
CONFERENCE NEWS: https://www.eocumc.com
Storyboard Episode 43
Episode 43 is titled “Influence, Connection & Impact: Investing in Our Future Through Reading”. This episode features a conversation about the SHINE reading program partnership between Henrietta UMC and Firelands Elementary School. Through this mentoring ministry, church volunteers Support, Help, Inspire, Nurture, and Empower the first-grade students with whom they read once a week.
Listen to archived episodes of Storyboard: Faith Witness Transformation.
