RESTORE Sunday, May 21st
We continue to support the RESTORE Food Pantry at RUMC. The pantry, open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 AM until 12:00 Noon, serves between 150 and 200 families from Riverview, Gibsonton, Ruskin, Wimauma, Brandon, Tampa and other Hillsborough County homes.
Beginning in May, we are declaring every third Sunday of the month to be RESTORE Sunday. On that Sunday, we are asking the congregation to bring in non-perishable food items and place them into a shopping cart that will be wheeled into the sanctuary. Bookmarks that itemize the food needs of the pantry have been distributed throughout the church property, in your Sunday bulletins, and at this link.
Bring in your food items and make our first RESTORE Sunday a big success!
Life Line Screening on May 17th
Riverview First United Methodist Church (RUMC) has long been a supporter of Life Line Screening. Life Line holds a screening event every quarter at our church, and the next event will be held in our Fellowship Hall on Wednesday, May 17th. The typical screening costs $149.00 and includes these evaluations:
- Carotid Artery Screening to identify possible plaque buildup in your carotid arteries—one of the leading causes of strokes.
- Peripheral Artery screening using blood pressure cuffs on the arms and legs. Undetected Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
- Aortic Aneurysm screening to detect the enlargement of aneurysm in the abdominal aorta. Such an aneurysm can lead to a ruptured aortic artery, which is a serious medical emergency.
- An electrocardiogram (EKG) reading is performed to detect the presence of atrial fibrillation (AFib). AFib can lead to blood clots, strokes, and heart failure.
- A bone density test to evaluate your risk for osteoporosis.
Testing is done by appointment only. To arrange your appointment at RUMC or any of the other Life Line Screening locations nearby, you may use this link to the Life Line website.
Farewell, Dale and Mary
Our favorite snowbirds, Dale and Mary James, have returned to Ohio for the summer. They are planning to return to Florida one last time this coming winter of 2023-24. As they left, they sent the following farewell to our congregation and our RESTORE volunteers.
We have been so blessed working with all of you at RESTORE! We have returned to Ohio for a while and will miss all of you. You remain in our prayers and hearts.
Love, Dale and Mary James
A Special Offering on Pentecost Sunday
On the day of Pentecost, Peter quoted the prophet Joel: "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young will see visions. Your elders will dream dreams." (Acts 2:17, CEB) Pentecost Sunday, May 28th, the birthday of the church, is a great day to make the Annual Conference Offering available to your congregation. It will enable us to nurture the lifelong work of God's grace in a person's life.
The offering taken at the Annual Conference would be given to something important and something that we could all celebrate. This year the Conference Offering will be collected during The Florida Annual Conference session in June and will support two important ministries. I invite you to receive this offering in your local church on Pentecost Sunday, May 28 to honor the coming of the Holy Spirit to the first disciples following the ascension of Christ. Our offering will be divided equally between the following:
Rev. Geraldine Williams McClellan Endowment Scholarship at Gammon Theological Seminary, honoring the life and legacy of Rev. Geraldine McClellan. In 2021, the Florida Conference set a $100,000 goal and collected $54,000. Our Conference can finish the good work that we began and help students prepare for ministry. This scholarship supports students attending Gammon Theological Seminary who will provide future pastoral leadership in The Florida Conference. Gammon is a historically Black seminary whose students will benefit greatly from your support. Like many historic Black colleges, universities and seminaries, Gammon does not have the large endowment enjoyed by other United Methodist seminaries that is used to provide scholarship assistance to students. As we give to this scholarship, we honor Rev. McClellan, who, in 1982, became the first woman of color ordained in The Florida Conference. We help strengthen the Black churches in our Conference as well as all churches these clergy will serve in the future.
The Warren Willis Camp and Conference Center is celebrating its 75th year of ministry. There is no better time to invest in the transformation of young people than now. The camp provides a safe place for children and youth to be introduced to a relationship with Christ and grow deeper in their faith. Every summer hundreds of campers attend Warren Willis, and their lives are transformed. The conference center is a sacred space for people of all ages and is used throughout the year. This year’s offering will help the camp upgrade their programs, expand their reach, and provide scholarships to students who may not be able to attend on their own resources.
For so long we have been feeling the impact of being apart from one another. As we come together for Annual Conference let’s share an offering that will be a blessing to our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ and transform the world.
In Christ,
Bishop Tom Berlin
Florida United Methodist Conference
Our “Virtual Church” Continues
We are still currently Live Streaming our 10:30 AM Sunday worship service every week. You can see worship as it is actually happening by connecting to our YouTube Channel "RUMC Live".
Online Giving at RUMC
Giving online is easy and allows you to set up automatic recurring contributions and view your complete online giving history from anywhere you have access to the Internet. Or you can enter one-time contributions from the internet or by smart phone.
To get started, simply follow these easy steps:
- Click on the Online Giving button below. This will take you to our church’s online giving webpage.
- Click on our Create Profile button on that webpage.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to create an online profile and to schedule your recurring or one-time contributions.
Rev. Louis Telcy, Pastor
Here at RUMC, it is our mission to win people to Jesus Christ; to train believers to become growing disciples; and, to send disciples to impact our community and world for Jesus Christ.
Morning Service 8:00 AM
Fellowship Hall
Main Service 10:30 AM
Sanctuary
8002 U. S. Highway 301 South, Riverview, FL 33578 813-677-5995
Download the Prayer Tree for
May 14, 2023 from this link.
Download the May, 2023
Bell Newsletter from this link.
Upcoming Dates
Sunday, May 14th—Mother’s Day Service, Sanctuary, 10:30 AM
Wednesday, May 17th—Life Line Screening, Fellowship Hall, by appointment only.
Sunday, May 21st—RESTORE Sunday
Sunday, May 28th—Pentecost Sunday, Sanctuary 10:30 AM
Monday, May 29th—Memorial Day, Office Is Closed
Bible Passage of the Week
A Living Stone, A Chosen People
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
(1 Peter 2:4-10 NIV)
