Life in Community - Amazon S3€¦ ·...
Transcript of Life in Community - Amazon S3€¦ ·...
Reaching Youthby Pastor ChrisOne of the greatest challenges the church faces today is reaching young people with the gospel message. Commen:ng on a survey conducted by Pew Research Center, NY Times writer Dave Leonhardt wrote "A remarkable 25 percent of Americans born aHer 1980, the group oHen known as millennials, are not religious, compared with 11 percent of baby boomers and 7 percent of the genera:on born between 1928 and 1945" (The Rise of Young Americans Who Don't Believe in God, May 12, 2015) It is easy to read such statements and think that young people have no interest in maWers of faith, but I do not believe that is the case. Why? Because I know that God desires for all the seek Him and by his grace He beckons each of us to Him. I remember in my late 20's feeling a spiritual void in my life, wrestling with ques:ons about God, witnessing a peace in others and wishing I had that same peace. Your faith journey may have been different -‐ but at some point there was a desire to know more. It is what John Wesley referred to as "previenent grace" -‐ God at work in those who have not yet accepted him through faith. The same is true for this genera:on. Blaise Pascal once said “There is a God-‐shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”
The great difficulty today is not that young people don't want to hear Good News; rather it is penetra:ng through all the distrac:ons so the message can be heard. We have a wonderful message of a God who loves us, who desires for us to be in rela:onship with Him, a God who brings healing and wholeness into our lives. He has dismantled every obstacle we have created, removed every shameful thing we have thought or done, cleansed us of all our sin by Jesus' work on the cross. We simply must respond to this giH of grace in faith, turn from our sin, and follow Him.
It is a wonderful message, but society has constructed barriers between our youth and the Church. It is extremely difficult to reach youth where they are, to show them that Christ is love, to offer a contrary view to the stereotypes that our culture loves to portray people of faith. AdmiWedly, the Church hasn't done the greatest job of being "a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Eph. 5:27)
I t i s d i ffi c u l t . . . b u t n o t impossible. Through Open Doors, a program started by ROCUMC three years ago, we have been able to sponser great youth speakers to come into the schools and share a message of hope. We have built trust among the schools by offering quality programs without overstepping any boundaries. (con:nued on page 2)
Life in CommunityRoyal Oak Community UMC
Winter 2016
Youth RallyThe 2016 Youth Rally is being held in Ocean City on January 8-‐10, 2016. The key speaker is Reggie Dabbs (same speaker we are hos:ng in Talbot County) and there is a line-‐up of great musical acts performing. Once again, ROCUMC will be taking a group of youth down to the beach for three days of worship, teaching and fun. This is our largest group to date -‐ 19 students along with 6 adults! Pray that our young people will allow Christ to flourish in their hearts.
Charge ConferenceOur annual Charge Conference (official review of the year in ministry to the Pen-‐Del Conference) is Saturday, January 23 at 11:30am. We will hold Communion and enjoy lunch. All are welcome, administra:ve board members are required to aWend. Come and celebrate what God is doing here at ROCUMC!
View the church calendar online: rocumc.org
Royal Oak Community UMC
6968 Bellevue Rd., POB 126
Royal Oak, MD 21662
Reaching Youth -‐ con1nuedThree years ago, we were able to have an ex-‐NFL player present to 9th and 10th graders at St. Michaels High. Two years ago, we expanded to 9th -‐ 12th grades at St. Michaels. Last Spring, we brought Reggie Dabbs, the #1 youth speaker in the world, to SMMHS (6th-‐8th and 9th-‐12th) and Easton High.
January 6-‐7, 2016, Reggie is coming back and speaking at every public school in Talbot County! Over 4500 students! Each student will hear that they are loved, that they have worth, and that they can make a difference in someone else's life. Every middle and high student will be invited to come hang out and have pizza with Reggie at the Y in Easton on Thursday, January 7th from 6:30-‐8:00pm. At this "Dinner with Dabbs" party, they will be able to hear the rest of the story...of the one who gave Reggie hope and purpose...Jesus Christ. This will be a great opportunity for the church to show God's love, to be a presence, and to hopefully be heard.
If you are able to help chaperone the "Dinner with Dabbs" event, we could certainly use your help. If you would like to help support this ministry financially, please designate "Open Doors" in the memo line of your check or aWach a note to your offering. Most importantly, PRAY! Pray that the message is heard and hearts are transformed.
Events in the Bay Hundred Community
The Bay Hundred Covenant Churches (BHCC) will be hos:ng our annual Lent Dinner Series every Tuesday night during Lent -‐ which this year begins on Wednesday, February 10th. Of course, that means our annual Pancake Dinner will be Tuesday, Feb. 9th (Fat Tuesday!) and our first Lent series dinner will be Feb. 16th. These dinners rotate every week among the area churches -‐ a schedule will be announced soon.
SEEDLINGSJesus developed a small group of 12 disciples during his ministry in Palestine. They shared life together, learned from His teachings, prayed, served others, and (except for the one who betrayed him) each of them went out and made more disciples. That is the model for Seedlings, our small group ministry. Each of our small groups will be starting off 2016 jumping into new studies and offering one another the encouragement and support needed as we walk this journey of faith. You are invited to join in!
Contact Pastor Chris for more info. 410-739-4364
Talbot Hospice is launching the Safe Initiative and has chosen ROCUMC as the first
church to launch this much-needed program. The Safe Initiative aims to increase
education on end of life issues, including information on advance directives, legal documents, as well as offering support
groups. On Sunday, January 24th, after worship, we will be hosting Conversations on End of
Life. These are issues all of us will eventually face with our loved ones and ourselves, so come, participate and get
informed.
Common Grounds: Faith and Coffee
Our outreach to high school students in St. Michaels is building momentum! Thursday nights at San Domingo Cafe, youth are invited to come, hang out, enjoy a free coffee drink, listen to music and engage in coverstaion. We are partnering with St. Luke's UMC and Tilghman UMC to offer this outreach. Our next Common Grounds is scheduled for January 14th.
Mrs. Tracey and ROCUMC kids enjoying Jesus' birthday party
ROCUMC has been invited to participate with a few other Talbot County churches to host a Walk Thru
The Bible event on March 5th at the Wesleyan Church in Easton. You can learn about it here:
http://www.walkthru.org/
We are partnering with Talbot Bible, Oasis Fellowship, Real Life Chapel, Shore Harvest Presbyterian, and First
Baptist to organize this event.
TO REGISTER GO TO:www.shoremosaic.com
2016 WESLEY COVENANT PRAYER
"Methodists have a long tradition of making covenant with God at the new year, although most do not currently practice covenant making in the rigorous way of the early Methodists. Our hymnal has the vestiges of the covenant service in the prayer that begins, "I am no longer my own, but thine." ("A Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition," 607, The United Methodist Hymnal)"
- reprinted from umcdiscipleship.org
Below is a modern version of this Covenant Prayer. as adapted by the Methodist Church of Britain. I encourage the church to covenant with God this New Year's and seek to do His will.
A Covenant With God I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will;put me to doing, put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you,exalted for you, or brought low for you;
let me be full,let me be empty,
let me have all things,let me have nothing:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all thingsto your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours. So be it.And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.