Month: July 2015

Rock News

Dear Friends:

Since I bombarded you with emails last week, I held off a little with the Rock news. Here’s the news for this week and last week:

  1. LAST SUNDAY & THIS SUNDAY: We finished up with Week 5 of Joining Jesus yesterday. We learned how to connect to people through prayer. Don’t forget to pray over the prayer request you took home with you on Sunday. Also, keep working on working prayer into your relationships. If someone shares a concern or a joy, ask if you can pray for them or (better yet) ask if you can pray with them right there! If you didn’t pick up a copy of “Joining Jesus in His Mission” by Greg Finke when they were available at the Rock and would like a copy, reply to this email. This coming Sunday, Dr. Thad Warren will be leading our gathering an encouraging us to Light’n Up. If you want to get a jump start, read Matthew 5: 13-16 this week.
  2. WEB SITE. If you haven’t already done so, check out the updated web site for the Rock: www.therockseward.org. Also, if you don’t follow the Rock on facebook, click on the facebook symbol in the top right corner of the home page on the web site and you’ll jump right to facebook.
  3. PAINTING THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. Please come and help paint at the new Rock (237 S. 2nd) this Wednesday from 5pm to 8pm or so.
  4. CHAIR-IT-ABLE CONTRIBUTIONS. 222 chairs so far!! We’re getting really close! Only 78 more to go to get to 300. Let’s finish strong!
  5. NEED LEADERS. We need a few more leaders to fill out the Board of Directors and the Ambassadors. Would you be interested in sharing your talents with the Rock in this way? If you are interested or if you have questions, please respond to this email.
  6. ANNUAL MEETING: Thanks to all who attended the annual meeting this past Sunday afternoon. We approved the updated constitution and bylaws, approved an operational and campaign plan for 2015-16, approved moving forward with a comfort dog, adopted a budget and ate lots of ice cream. Also, Dave Kumm reported on renovation progress at the new Rock. The latest information from the contractor indicates that their work will be done by around the end of August!
  7. COME BE PART OF THE ACTION! You are invited! Please join the Thrivent Board on Thursday, July 30, at 6:00 pm, in the Seward Memorial Library. We need your help to assemble hygiene kits and layettes for Orphan Grain Train. We will be utilizing a Thrivent Action Team and you can join the fun! While assembling the kits, you will discover how simple it is to form an Action Team of your own–and take home some ideas for Action Teams and how to start one. The Thrivent Board is accepting donations of the following items for the kits. Hygiene Kit: bath towel, washcloth, bath-size bar of soap, adult-sized toothbrush, comb, deodorant stick. Layette: diapers, baby wipes, pacifier (new), bottle (new), sleeper, onesie, blanket, receiving blanket. The blankets and clothing may be new or gently used—but must be clean. Everyone is invited—and you do not need to be a Thrivent member to participate! Questions? Contact Gary or Erika Rolf, the Thrivent Congregational Advocates for the Rock. Also, Gary is a Thrivent Board member.
  8. ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE. Please help Blue Valley Community Action in Seward County provide school supplies to area children in need. The Seward County League of Women Voters will hold a Fill-the-Backpack event in conjunction with Blue Valley ON Saturday, July 25 from 11 am to 1 pm in the basement of the Civic Center. Bring a donation of K-12 school supplies and hear from a Blue Valley staff member about the many important services Blue Valley Community Action provides to families in Seward County. For more information contact SCLWW President Ellen Beck at 402-646-9112.
  9. BLUE VALLEY PANTRY: July is canned meat month except for tuna (sorry Charlie). Grab some spam (or other meat variety) and drop it off at the Rock any time this month.

Blessings on your weekend.

Tim Moll

Rock News

Dear Friends:

Here’s your Rock news for the week:

  1. THIS SUNDAY:  We’re going through 5 simple practices you can do every day and everywhere to help connect people to Jesus.  Week 1 was “Seeking the Kingdom” (looking for a place where a little grace or a little truth can be applied).  Week 2 was “Hearing from Jesus” (getting into Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Bible to watch what Jesus did and hear what He said).  Week 3 was “Talking to People” (creating agenda-less friendships with people around you).  Join us at 10am at the Lied Senior Center this Sunday for Week 4 and “Doing Good.”  Come casual, bring a friend and grab some coffee or cookies or your way in.

    Also, don’t forget to pick up a copy of the book, Joining Jesus on His Mission, by Greg Finke.  They will be available on Sunday.  Want to know more about Greg Finke and Dwelling 1:14?  Click here:  http://www.dwelling114.org/.

  2. ROCKING THE BLOGOSPHERE.  Check out the updated web site (www.therockseward.org) and read Pastor Mike’s blog.  It’s under the “NEWS” tab on the home page.
  3. WEDNESDAY NIGHT IS WORK NIGHT AT THE NEW ROCK.  There are lots of things to do at the new Rock.  For the next few weeks, Wednesday nights from 5pm to 8pmor so will be work nights at the new Rock (237 S. 2nd Street).  This Wednesday will be more painting so please come and help if you can.  Big thanks to all those who have been helping.  Also, if you have time on a weekend to do some work, check in with Dave Kumm (david.kumm@cune.edu) and he can help you coordinate or be part of a work group.
  4. CHAIR-IT-ABLE CONTRIBUTIONS.  157 chairs so far!!  We’ve blown past the half-way mark and are making steady progress toward the goal of 300.  As you will note on the chair progress chart at the Rock, we’ve taken care of the chairs in the front first so the prime chairs in the back are now available for only $50 each!  Let’s finish strong so there are plenty of seats in the back!  Thanks to all who have contributed so far.  God is good.
  5. NEED LEADERS.   We need a few more leaders to fill out the Board of Directors and the Ambassadors.  Would you be interested in sharing your talents with the Rock in this way? If you are interested or if you have questions, please respond to this email or see me at church this Sunday.
  6. ICE CREAM AND ANNUAL MEETING:  We will hold our annual voter’s meeting and ice cream social at 1:30 pm in the Seward Civic Center basement on Sunday, July 19.  Bring the kids for ice cream – child care will be available.  We’ll start out with ice cream and tons of toppings, then take time to adopt updated bylaws (and eat ice cream), adopt a budget and elect leaders (and eat ice cream), review that status of our new facilities, review and approve an operational plan for the upcoming year (and eat ice cream) and consider applying for a comfort dog for the Rock (who has to eat dog food and not ice cream).   Please watch your email over the next several days as I will be sending multiple emails with the meeting agenda and materials you can review in advance.  Oh, and did I mention there would be ice cream? NOTE:  Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend and participate, but only voting members of the Rock can vote.  If you aren’t a voting member and want to be, or if you aren’t sure if you are a voting member, contact Bill Schranz (Bill.Schranz@cune.edu) ASAP.
  7. BLUE VALLEY PANTRY:   July is canned meat month except for tuna (sorry Charlie).  Grab some spam (or other meat variety) and drop it off at the Rockany time this month.

Blessings on your weekend.

Tim Moll

Practice #3: Talking with people

In Week 3, our theme verse was from Matthew 9:36:

“When he saw the crowds, he felt deep concern for them. They were treated badly and were helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

We asked this simple question, “Where did we get the idea that we should be talking to people that are in proximity to us?”  The answer was that we got the idea from Jesus.  It’s what He did on a regular basis, wherever He went.

In Matthew 9 alone, there are 7 encounters that Jesus had with people.  At a minimum, He talked with them AND listened to them.  He enjoyed people…sinful people…that He loved.  These are the people…all people…that He had come to redeem and restore to the kingdom of God.  He continues to do this through us…bringing the redemptive presence and activity of God to human lives.  Only Jesus can redeem and restore.  Yet, he invites us join His redemptive and restorative work in simple, but important ways.

This means that we are invited to genuinely enjoy people like Jesus did and not simply “put up with them.”  Really loving our neighbor (anyone who isn’t you!) doesn’t ignore them or simply put up with them.  Real love enjoys their neighbor and is a friend to their neighbor.  So, we press deeply into God’s grace and we extend friendship to our neighbor.

This practice of talking with people happens in many ways.  It can be done by introverts and extroverts, honoring the relational pace with which God has wired us.  Ask for the person’s name, find out where they’re from, and invite them to tell their story.  Listen for what they are ready for.  Take it one conversation at a time.

REMEMBER:  Jesus can do more with 2 people who are talking with each other than with 2 people successfully ignoring each other!  So, what kind of conversations are you having with the people around you?  How is Jesus inviting you to respond?