8002 U. S. Highway 301 South, Riverview, FL 33578 813-677-5995
Normal Weekly Recurring
Events at RUMC
(Call the church office at 677-5995 for more information about these or other events sponsored by the church.)
SUNDAY
9:00 AM Faith Groups for All Ages
9:00 AM Children's Choir
10:00 AM Refreshments & Relationships
10:30 AM Worship Service
11:45 AM Prayer Warriors--Rm 8
12:00 PM Hispanic Congregation Service
6:00 PM Youth Band Rehearsal
7:00 PM RUSH Youth Group—Youth Building
MONDAY
11:30 AM-12:30 PM Women’s Small Group Bible Study—Rm 6
7:00-9:30 PM Southern Company Chorus
Rehearsal—Fellowship Hall
7:00 PM Cub Scouts Meet--Classrooms
TUESDAY
10:00 AM RESTORE Food Bank and Thrift Store Open*
6:30 PM Boy Scout Troop #83—Fellowship Hall
WEDNESDAY
6:30-7:30 AM AA Meeting—Rm 8
6:00 PM Fellowship Supper—Fellowship Hall
6:45 PM Children & Youth Activities
6:45 PM Hispanic Church Bible Study —Fellowship Hall
7:00 PM Pastor Telcy’s Bible Study--Library
7:00 PM Ladies Bible Study—Rm 6
THURSDAY
6:30-7:30 AM AA Meeting—Rm 8
10:00 AM RESTORE Food Bank and Thrift Store Open*
6:30 PM Chancel Choir Rehearsal
6:45-8:15 PM Financial Peace University--Library
7:00-9:00 PM ESOL Class--Rm 8
FRIDAY
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SATURDAY
9:00 AM RUMC Book Club, 9720 Lorrayne Avenue, Riverview
11:30 AM--12:30 PM Metropolitan Ministry Free Lunch Program, Fellowship Hall
*RESTORE is an equal opportunity provider and is open to the public.
Prayer Warriors
If you or someone you know needs prayer, please fill out the yellow Prayer and Connect Card located on the back of each pew. These cards are passed along to the Prayer Warriors of RUMC. Our Prayer Warriors meet every Sunday in Room #8 immediately after the service for 15 minutes of prayer. It is their honor to pray for you.
Also, Prayer and Connect Cards can be used if you want the church to know that you are interested in becoming a member, or if you would like to receive more information about our church.
Volunteers Needed
We need volunteers who can assist in the preparation of the Sunday church bulletins. Volunteers come to the library each Friday morning between 9:00 and 11:00 AM to fold bulletins including inserts. This project takes about one hour and will make an extremely valuable contribution to the church’s overall worship experience. Contact the church office to volunteer or for more information.
We are also looking for folks to serve as counters. Counters post the weekly collections after the service. If you can count money and process checks, come to the library after the Sunday worship service, and we will put you to work.
Getting to Know You
Pastor Telcy would like to get to know you. If you are interested in talking with the Pastor, he has left “signup sheets” on the back and front tables in our church. Please fill in your name, phone number and the date and time you would like to meet with him. Or you can make an appointment with him by calling the church office (813)677-5995.
RUMC Book Club News
The RUMC Book Club is currently exploring “Circling the Sun” by Paula McClain. This historical novel is “a full-throttle dive into the psyche and romantic attachments of Beryl Markham—whose 1936 solo flight across the Atlantic in a two-seater prop plane (carrying emergency fuel in the extra seat) transfixed the world.” (Kirkus Reviews)
The RUMC Book Club meets every Saturday morning at 9:00 AM—usually at the home of Connie Mosley, 9720 Lorrayne Road in Riverview. You can contact Connie at 766-7104 for more information.
News from the District and
the Conference
Florida Advocacy Days
On March 14-16, the Florida United Methodist Church will partner with Florida and the Florida African Methodist Episcopal Church to advocate for children at the Florida capital in Tallahassee. Representatives from all three organizations will meet to learn about the issues confronting children in poverty as well as those in dependency care across the state. Then, they will meet with state legislators and become an organized voice for children. Look for more information about this in the months ahead.
Innovation! for Midsize and Small-Local Churches
The Gulf Central District is planning a learning event for midsize and small local churches in the district. The seminar will be held on Saturday, February 16, 2019 at Anona UMC in Largo, Florida. Topics that will be covered include:
- Reaching into your community-The power of Asset Mapping
- Reaching children through growing School Partnerships
- Digital & Websites for the novice
- How to buy Technology smartly
- Sharing the Gospel when you’re scared to death
- Keeping our sanctuary safe in today’s world
Registration for this seminar will open on January 8,2019, when we will be able to register at www.flumc.org/events.
A Florida UMCOR Volunteer installing a new bathroom in a rebuilt home in Key West that was destroyed by Hurricane Irma.
Florida Hurricane Recovery—A Progress Report
It has been more than a year since Hurricane Irma ravaged the Florida Keys and crashed into Naples and Everglades City like a freight train at full throttle. Two more major hurricanes—Michael and Florence—have pounded the U.S. east coast since, and hundreds of volunteers are following those recent paths of destruction to help with rebuilding and repair. For Floridians still struggling to come back from Irma, that’s challenging news.
The frightful damage wrought by Michael and Florence has led to a shortage of volunteers and contractors to continue restoration in Irma’s hardest-hit areas. That has efforts on a slow course to recovery, according to those working with the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church and its Florida Restores program. Conference staff estimate it could take five years before both the Keys and the greater Naples area will fully be restored. So far, only about 15 percent of the rebuilds in the Keys are complete.
“We have been working from Marathon south for most of our cases,” said Rebecca White, lead disaster case manager for Monroe County. The pace is excruciatingly slow. Money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, as well as homeowner’s insurance and grant money is coming in at a trickle. As White put it, you must have a permit to sneeze in the Keys. Building codes and rules are restrictive, and there are few contractors to do the work. Keys officials have drilled it home to residents not to use unlicensed contractors, but few licensed contractors have traveled down the island chain to help because of lack of housing.
To help alleviate the volunteer housing crunch, the Florida Conference renovated the Big Pine UMC parsonage and created a bunk house that can house 20 persons, according to White. Long term recovery is building additional temporary units for volunteers. Some people have stayed in a bunk house owned by the Episcopal Church in Marathon; some groups paid for hotels.
John Hosey, a construction coordinator for Florida Restores, said many homes still have significant damage. Almost all belong to low-income residents.
“You go through an application process, and we have case managers in administration helping move it along,” he said. “It’s a thoroughly rigorous process of making sure your home is owned. Most people either had some insurance, but not enough or have a high deductible.” There were a lot of trees on roofs, and some have yet to be removed. The majority of the work being done inside homes is replacing floors and ripping out moldy sheet rock. Volunteers are also putting in new baseboards and replacing windows.
There are some uplifting stories to tell, like the people in the Keys and in Central Florida who have been able to move back into their homes. So far, more than 130 volunteer teams have donated over 64,000 hours, and hundreds of residences have been restored.
However, the number of volunteers dropped off significantly after attention shifted to areas in the Carolinas hit by Florence, then to the Panhandle, devastated this summer by Michael. In the affected area, the amount of help needed outweighs the number of people who are available.
Basic Disaster Ministry Training
The District’s Basic Disaster Ministry Training will be held this year at Palm Harbor United Methodist Church on Saturday, January 26th from 10 AM until 3 PM.
This training introduces the unique and important role the faith community plays in disaster mitigation, preparation and response. You and your church will hear practical ideas on how to effectively respond to disaster in your community in cooperation with other churches, emergency management officials and the Disaster Recovery Ministry of the conference. You will understand the importance of communication and collaboration in meeting the needs of disaster survivors and the importance of being the church during crisis.
There is no cost for this training; however, registration is required for planning purposes. Check in begins at 9:30 and lunch is provided. Palm Harbor UMC is located at 1551 Belcher Road, Palm Harbor, Florida.
Please visit https://floridarestores.com/training-schedule to register. Training is provided by the Disaster Recovery Ministry team of the Florida Conference. Contact Pam Garrison (800) 282-8011, ext. 148 for more information.
