Experiencing the Joy of Generosity - Amazon S3...Experiencing the Joy of Generosity From Pastor Jim In October we will begin a three week stewardship program entitled Experiencing

Experiencing the Joy of Generosity From Pastor Jim

In October we will begin a three week stewardship program entitled Experiencing the Joy of Generosity. This will be an exciting and thoughtful three weeks of messages and presentations. We believe this program will be a blessing to those who already are experiencing the joy of being generous with the gifts God has given to them, and we hope and pray that this effort will help many more experience the joy that comes from giving faithfully and generously.

When we give to God through giving to our church and others, we experience one of the true joys of being Christians. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). God doesn’t need our gifts, but asks us to give them. God accepts and uses them and gives us joy in sharing them. As we respond to God’s love for us by returning part of what God has given to us, we receive even more. “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). Although we don’t give so that we will receive God’s blessings, God’s Word promises us that, when we give faithfully and willingly, we will receive an abundance of spiritual blessings, and sometimes material blessings as well.

Have you ever wondered why you are left with such a joyful feeling when you are able to give a gift to your church or to help a person in need? The answer to that question may be that we are being re-created in the image of God. To be made in God’s image means we are made to be like God, whose nature is to give. Giving helps us feel fulfilled as we reflect God’s nature. We “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10). Our Creator empowers us to give joyfully to our church and others according to God’s will. With this attitude of joyful gratitude, God draws us near, and others see God’s image through us.

Our pursuit for fulfillment and joy culminates in the discovery that we receive those things when, by God’s grace, we respond with eagerness to God’s directive to give. Like David, we exclaim, “But who [are we]…that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we give you” (1 Chronicles 29;14).

We hope and pray that Experiencing the Joy of Generosity will be a blessing to you and your family!

(I'm providing this a month early for those who would like to plan ahead or look for items on sale - Pastor Jim)

This Thanksgiving, as we gather around tables full of God's good bounty, we have an opportunity to bless others who are

hungry.

The Pearl Food Pantry at Living Hope United Methodist Church invites you to partner with them as they provide the makings for a Thanksgiving meal for 100 to 150 families. Donations can be dropped off here at Rockbrook, or taken directly to the Pantry at 2919 State Street from November 13th through 20th.

PEARL FOOD PANTRY 2016 THANKSGIVING WISH LIST:

Turkeys (10-12 lbs.)

Boxed Stuffing Mix

Canned Green Beans

Canned Corn

Canned Sweet Potatoes

Cranberry Sauce

Instant Mashed Potatoes

Gravy Mix

Corn Bread Mix

Cake Mix

Frosting

God bless you and thank you for your generosity!

Message from the Church Council…

“When is somebody going to do something about __________________?”

“Who is going to __________________?”

“Why do we continue to have __________________?”

I seem to get asked variations of these and other questions each week or hear about them third hand when someone

complains to someone else. Its human nature to complain, yet the Scriptures remind us to be civil and respectful in

our speech with one another. Often the concern is not something previously brought to my or someone else’s atten-

tion. Other times it may be something that the Trustees (for example) or another committee may already be aware of

and working on.

Stephanie Hixon, author of The Journey: Forgiveness, Restorative Justice and Reconciliation writes: “… it is not what

we say or even what we do – it’s the heart that we project in doing both…How We Show Up Matters.”

One member picks weeds in a portion of our parking lot whenever she comes to worship or for other functions.

Another waters our plants. The Men’s Group, with the assistance of Ken Outhout, is beginning to plan and work on a

renovation of the rain garden on the east side of our campus. Spencer Salem will be working on replanting the area

around the meditation area on the west side of the church as part of his Eagle Scout project. Our Prayer Group lifted

up prayers that we might quickly find a new finance manager and their prayers were answered with the arrival of

Jennifer Hunter. (They’re still working on prayers for a new youth director…).

Members of our church are showing up in visible and as well as less conspicuous ways.

But we first have to show up.

As Pastor Corson noted when he arrived, one of his “rules” was that “complain equals volunteer,” or at least be part of

those working to find a solution to a concern or problem.

And as Pastor Corson noted in his Letter in last month’s newsletter, each of us is called to ministry. It may be

something big…it may be something small…and small is OK as we are reminded by the prophet Zechariah: “Do not

despise these small beginnings for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT)

As the Lay Equipping Committee begins the task of filling committee assignments for the coming year, please

prayerfully consider their request and answer “yes.”

The next meeting of the Church Council will be Monday, October 17th at 6:30 PM in the Friendship Room. Focus of

the meeting will be to review the proposed ministry budget for 2017 in advance of the Annual Church Conference. The

Annual Church Conference will be held on Sunday evening, October 30th at 7:30 PM at First United Methodist Church

in Omaha.

Please let Pastor Corson or me know if you have any items you would like to have considered for additions to the

agenda for discussion on October 17th.

With blessings and thanks,

Mark Heinz

Chair, RUMC Church Council

Rockbrook United Methodist Church

9855 W. Center Rd

Omaha, NE 68124

Phone: 402-393-1015

Fax: 402-955-1434

[email protected]

Find us on Facebook: Rumc Omaha

“To make disciples for Jesus Christ by

proclaiming God’s Good News

and by providing a community

for spiritual growth”

10/2 Alice Davis 10/19 Nick Soukup

10/5 Charles Goodman 10/22 Dana Bond

10/5 Joy Veylupek 10/22 Sherry Parcel

10/6 Candice Zelasney 10/22 Richard Samson

10/6 Linda Stroud 10/23 Emily Hartley

10/8 Annette Saitta 10/25 Janice Leicht

10/13 Christina Roy 10/26 Tim Bishop

10/14 Gene Howard 10/26 Betty Morris

10/17 Debbie Cunningham 10/30 Josef Koubsky

10/18 Lexi Martin 10/31 Donald Ripley

10/19 Joyce Solheim

Greeting from the Rockbrook Trustees!

We have good news and bad news this month. We’ll start with the bad news.

We had hoped that the lights in the sanctuary would be working again by mid-September, but we were

alerted that the electrician is waiting for a part that’s on back order and not expected for delivery until

October 10. Many thanks to everyone who has been so patient as we have been working on this problem.

Now for the good news.

Concrete repairs to the sidewalks have commenced, and once they are complete the retaining wall

directly outside the lower east door will be replaced. Please continue to be careful as you walk around our

campus.

Many thanks to Spencer Salem (with the able assistance of Ellen Drabek) for the landscaping around the

west garden that he is completing as his Eagle project. We are excited to see the finished results, both this fall

and next spring when plants start to bloom.

We have welcomed the new owners of Through The Years, Jeanna and Lisa. We look forward to working

together for many years. The Trustees will be working with Jeanna and Lisa to develop an emergency plan for

the staff and students at the day care, where our building can be used in the event that evacuation is

necessary.

Thanks to Larry Koubsky and his Cub Scout pack, our congregation will soon see the addition of a

30-foot flagpole on our property. The flag will be lit up by spotlights, and will be a beautiful addition to our

campus. Larry will also be working on installing new lighting in the pastor’s office, and replacing the bulbs

outside the sanctuary to enhance our building at night.

A work day has been scheduled for Saturday, October 29, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. A list of tasks both inside

and outside the church will be available, please consider joining us!

And finally, many, many thanks to Jenny Stilwell for her valuable leadership! We have worked closely with her

for many years and have welcomed her knowledge and experience. Happy Retirement!

Kathryn Hauswald and Janice Samson

Trustees co-chairs

Hello from the Gracious Generosity Committee. We would like to thank those that have continued to pray for Rockbrook’s finances and continue to give to our finances. August was

not a great month, our General Pledge was up a bit, but our expenses were also up, leaving us with little money in our bank account. We were able to pay all our expenses, but our surplus

from July is gone. Our Miscellaneous expenses were up in August, due to expenses associated with the new Daycare ownership and an invoice for two months of mowing. We were only able to pay $2,000 of the monthly $3,407 of Mission Shares for August and are now down

$5,472.94 for the year. We seem to be having one good month and then one lower month, which is making it hard to make up the deficit. Due to this, the Gracious Generosity group has decided to do a 13th month this year. Please continue to keep the Church Finances in your

prayers and thank you for your generosity.

FUSION Youth will be serving

a meal, both as a service project

to help with the Blood Drive

and as a Mission Trip

fundraiser October 9th during

the Blood Mobile.

Sermons

are now available online to listen to at www.rockbrookumc.com

Click on the Welcome Tab and scroll down to Sermons; click and choose which

Sermon you would like to listen to.

Newsletters

are available online at www.rockbrookumc.com

Click on the Welcome Tab and scroll down to Newsletters and click on the

newsletter you would like to view.

Calendars

are available online at www.rockbrookumc.com

Click on the More Tab and scroll down to

Calendar and click on the calendar you would like to view.

We just launched a new page on Facebook:


There have been a few Rockbrook United Methodist Church pages made, so please

find the most updated page, go ahead and like the page, feel free to check - in

when you are at church as well as post pictures and news.

Youth Ministry Coordinator

Rockbrook United Methodist Church currently has a part-time opening for a Youth Ministry Coordinator.

The primary role of the Youth Ministry Coordinator is guiding young people in spiritual growth and opportunities to serve the Church and

community. This includes planning and directing middle school and high school youth groups, worship, Sunday school, and other activities in

cooperation with the Pastor, Director of Children’s Ministries and the Church Education Committee. Duties also include selecting curriculum and

resources in consultation with the Education Committee and the Pastor.

A Bachelor’s degree is preferred. Other desired qualifications include experience in youth ministry or education, effective interpersonal and

communication skills, the ability to appropriately use social media, and the ability to work collaboratively with youth, parents, and church ministry

teams.

A background check and Safe Gatherings training is required.

Interested persons should contact:

Rev. Jim Corson


9855 West Center Road

Omaha, Nebraska 68124

Or email resume to [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

2 8:00a Traditional Worship- Lite

8:45a Contemporary Worship

10:45a Traditional Worship

2:00p Cub Scout Pack Meeting (FH)

3 5:50p Aerobics (FH)

4 8:30a Yoga (FH)

9:00a Santuary

Cleaning (S)

7:30p Crossfire Sq.

Dance (FH)

5 5:50p Aerobics (FH)

6:45p Handbells (CR)

7:30p Chancel Choir (S)

6 6:30p Sisters (FR) 7:00p Sq. Dance (FH)

7:00p Men’s Ministry

(FO)

7:00p Cub Scout Den

Mtg (LL)

7:30p Praise Band (S)

7 1

____________

8

7:00p Amazing 8’s (FH)

9

8:00a Traditional Worship- Lite

8:00a Bloodmobile & FUSION

Sloppy Joe Fundraiser (FH)


9:35a Faith Development


12:30 Douglas County Jail Ministry

10

5:50p Aerobics (FH)

7:00p Finance

Mtg (FO)

11 8:30a Yoga (FH)

7:00p Trustee Mtg

(FR)

7:30p Heartland

Singles Sq. Dance

(FH)

12

5:50p Aerobics (FH)



13 1:30p Happy Friends

(FR)

6:30p Prayer Mtg (FO) 6:30p Sisters (FR) 7:00p Sq. Dance

Lessons (FH)

7:00p Cub Scout Den

Mtg (LL)

7:30p Praise Band (S)

14 1:00p Prayer Shawl

(FR)

15

16




17

5:50p Aerobics (FH)

18

8:30a Yoga (FH)

7:30p Crossfire Sq.

Dance (FH)

19

9:30a Morning Joys (FR)

5:50p Aerobics (FH)



20 6:30p Sisters (FR) 7:00p Men’s Ministry

(FO)

7:00p Sq. Dance

Lessons (FH)

7:00p Cub Scout Den

Mtg (LL)

7:30p Praise Band

Rehearsal (S)

21 22

7:00p Amazing 8’s (FH)

23



9:30a Library



24

5:50p Aerobics (FH)

9:30a Executive UMW

Board Meeting (FR)

25

8:30a Yoga (FH)

7:30p Heartland

Singles Sq. Dance

(FH)

26

5:50p Aerobics (FH)



27

6:30p Sisters (FR) 6:30p Prayer Mtg (FO) 7:00p Sq. Dance

Lessons (FH)

7:00p Cub Scout Den

Mtg (LL)

7:30p Praise Band

Rehearsal (S)

28

29

30




12:00p 5th Sunday Potluck (FH)

31

5:50p Aerobics (FH)

News from THE QUARRY – October 2016 ROCKBROOK UMC CHILDREN’S SUNDAY SCHOOL – Julie Vidlak, children’s ministry director

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IMPORTANT OCTOBER DATES FOR CHILDREN… Sunday, October 16th: Kids for Christ Sunday school choir sings at 10:45 service. (Children learn songs during

Sunday school music time prior to this.)

Sunday, October 23rd: LIBRARY TIME during Sunday school. Please return items from home.

Sunday, October 30th: MOSES PARTY DURING SUNDAY SCHOOL TIME! MEET IN FELLOWSHIP HALL TO

CELEBRATE HOW GOD HELPED MOSES LEADTHE ISRAELITES OUT OF EGYPT TO FREEDOM! WE’LL HAVE GAMES,

SNACK, MUSIC, BIBLE TIME, ETC.

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October Sunday school lessons: UNIT 2: FREEDOM – the story of Moses Bible Verse: I’ll set you free with great power. Exodus 6:6 Anchor Point: We remember God’s powerful acts. Oct 2—The Baby in the Basket (Exodus 1:8-14; 2:1-10) Oct 9—The Burning Bush (Exodus 2:11- 3:22) Oct 16—Moses and Pharaoh (Exodus 5:1-13:9) Oct 23—Crossing the Sea (Exodus 13:17-14:31)

Oct 30 – Songs of Joy (Exodus 15:1-21) - COME CELEBRATE AT OUR “MOSES PARTY!!!”

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FALL CHILDREN’S SUNDAY SCHOOL UPDATE… Sunday School is in full swing with four classrooms of children ages 3 through 6th grade learning from the stories of

the Old Testament. Ask your children about their lesson each week! Children up through 3rd grade should come home

with take home papers and/or crafts. Look at these together to review the important points for the week. We ask

that children arrive at 9:35 a.m. in order for teachers to make the most of their time together. Classes are

dismissed at 10:35 a.m. to allow many to attend 10:45 a.m. worship on time. Children are dismissed to parents

in the Sunday school classroom hallway.

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SAVE THESE DATES: December 10th: Christmas Program Rehearsal and Craft Party 9 to 11 am

December 11th: Christmas Program during 10:45 am worship service.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you, parents, for making church a priority in your children’s lives!

Blessings, Julie Vidlak, children’s ministry director

Here’s what we’ll be learning in October

Sunday school!!

Documents

Experiencing the Joy of Generosity - Amazon S3...Experiencing the Joy of Generosity From Pastor Jim In October we will begin a three week stewardship program entitled Experiencing