Volunteer for General Conference
The General Conference of the United Methodist Church will be held in Tampa in 2012 at the Tampa Convention Center. This will be an eleven day event from April 24th though May 4th. As the host conference, Florida United Methodists will be providing hospitality to delegates and visitors throughout the event. Volunteers are needed.
For more information, see the large list of volunteer opportunities on the Beyond the Church page. The conference website asks volunteers to enroll online at www.flumc.org/GC2012.
The State of Our Church Finances
Our church took in almost $20,000 less last year than we spent. Since we aren’t the Federal government and can’t print our own money, this is a serious problem. If this trend continues we will be forced to make major staff cut-backs, significantly reduce operations, default on our apportionments, and curtail the overall ministry of our church.
So, WE NEED YOUR HELP! If everyone gave an additional $1.00 a day to the church, we would not only meet all of our financial obligations, but we could put money aside for future emergencies and building renovations.
We are asking everyone to prayerfully consider your Faith Promise for the 2012 calendar year. Remember that you are giving to the work of our Lord through Jesus Christ. Talk to God about how important the life of the church is to you.
Carole Bradley, our Financial Secretary, reports that as of the end of January, the church has received 25 Faith Promises (what we old timers used to call pledges) for a total of $85,068. This continues a downward spiral in pledges that we have seen from years past.
We will be having an important Church Council meeting on Tuesday, February 14th at 7:00 PM. If you are interested in the continued life of the church, please attend!
Break Thru Prayer Time
Until further notice, the Sanctuary will be open
from 8:00 AM through Noon every Wednesday
morning. You are invited to come kneel at the
altar or sit in a pew to silently spend time with
our Lord in prayer. Let us be in prayer for one
another, for growth in our church, for improved
church finances, and for those who are hurting
and lost in our community, country and beyond.
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
- 8:30 AM
Contemporary Worship Service (Praise Team)
- 9:45 AMSunday Schools – Children and Adults
- 11:00 AMTraditional Worship Service (Chancel Choir)
- 1:00 PMHispanic Congregation Service
- 5:30 PMPraise Band Rehearsal
- 7:00 PMR. U. S. H. (Youth Group) Meeting
MONDAY
- 10:00 AMRESTORE Food Bank and Thrift Store Open
TUESDAY
- 10:00 AMRESTORE Food Bank and Thrift Store Open
- 7:30 PMHispanic Bible Study & Youth Group
WEDNESDAY
- 8:00 AM -- NOON Break Thru Prayer Time in the Sanctuary
- 6:00 PMPotluck Dinner and Fellowship
- 6:30 PMLadies Bible Study
- 6:45 PMChildren’s Christmas Musical Rehearsals
- 7:00 PMPastor’s Bible Study
THURSDAY
- 10:00 AMRESTORE Food Bank and Thrift Store Open
- 6:30 PMChancel Choir Rehearsal
- 7:45 PMRiverview Ringers Rehearsal
FRIDAY
- 7:00 PMHispanic Worship Team Practice
SATURDAY
9:00 AMRUMC Book ClubThe Office Bulletin Board
Did You Notice the Clear Containers? Did you notice the clear storage containers in the narthex and the Office lobby? These are used for any spare Bibles and other Christian literature (in decent condition) that you may wish to donate. This material will be distributed to programs at the Hillsborough County jails, Lighthouse Ministries, and to missionaries in the Philippines and Cuba.
Altar Flowers. Honor a loved one or special occasion by dedicating flowers for a Sunday service! Each arrangement is $25, and the flowers can be taken home after Sunday services. In addition, there will be a message in the weekly bulletin announcing all dedications. Contact the church office at 677-5995, or sign up on one of the flower charts located in Crichton Hall and the Sanctuary.
If your family is going to welcome a new child into its midst, contact your Care Team leader, or call Connie Mosley (672-6293) or Mike Plett (349-9000). We will see to it that a rose is placed on the altar in the new child’s honor.
Name Tags. Please wear your name tags on Sunday. All tags should now be available. Wearing name tags helps introduce us to our visitors and to each other, letting everyone put a name to each face.
Home Communion. Many of our shut-ins are no longer able to attend church regularly, and they may wish to receive Holy Communion in their homes. If you are interested in this, or know of someone who would like this contact, please contact Margie Phillips (677-1855).
Bulletin and Bell Announcements. Please remember that all Bulletin and Bell announcements must be church related, and that they must be cleared through Pastor Merritt. Please use the Bulletin forms located in the office, or email them to us at rvrviewumc@tampabay.rr.com. Bulletin items must be submitted no later than Wednesday of each week. Bell articles must be submitted no later than the 15th of each month.
Audio Copies of Services. Thanks to Gary Floyd, audio copies of RUMC worship services are now available. If you know someone who is a shut-in and unable to attend our services, but who would like to listen to service audio, please contact Betty in the church office.
Aluminum Can Drive. All proceeds from our collection aluminum cans go into a fund to provide summer camp scholarships for our Youth. This is a good opportunity to re-cycle for a good cause. To participate, see our custodian, Joe Cornell.
Calendar of Upcoming Events
Sun. 2/5
Volunteer Recognition Sunday and Pizza Party. Crichton Hall, 12:00 PM.
Alafia Riverview Seekers Emmaus Reunion Group. 6:00 PM, Sunday school room #8.
Mon. 2/6
UMM/UMW Potluck. Crichton Hall, 6:00 PM.
UMM Meeting. Crichton Hall, 7:00 PM.
UMW Meeting. Library, 7:00 PM.
Tues. 2/7
Mission Centered Ministry Seminar. Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM.
Care Committee Meeting. Connie Mosley’s home, 9720 Lorrayne Road Riverview.
Sat. 2/11
Valentine's Day Dinner. 5:30 PM
Tues. 2/14
Finance Committee Meeting. Library, 6:00 PM.
Church Council Meeting. Library, 7:00 PM.
Sat. 2/25
Work Day. Church grounds, 9:00 AM--Noon.
Thur. 3/1-Fri. 3/2
Real Ideas Conference. Van Dyke UMC,17030 Lakeshore Road, Lutz, FL. (For more information, see Beyond the Church page.)
Fri. 3/16
"50 Days of Prayer" Begins. (For more information see the article on the News page.)
8002 U. S. Highway 301 South, Riverview, FL 33578 813-677-5995
LINKS TO RUMC YOUTH ACTIVITIES
Contact the Youth Ministry at rumcyouthrocks@gmail.com
Contact the Children's Ministry at rumckids@yahoo.com
See the Boy Scout Troop 83 website at http://troop-83.org
Care Coordinators to Meet on Tuesday, February 7th
The Care Coordinators meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 7th at the home of Connie Mosley, beginning at around 6:00 PM. It will be a time to catch up with the various care groups, see how the program is working overall, and refresh and renew our commitment to this effort in the life of the church.
Please be prayerfully thinking of others who might have time to join us and assist in the Care Coordinator effort. It will also be a time to offer suggestions to let us know what is working and how the process can be tweaked.
Many Care Coordinators are doing an outstanding job with their teams, but we still hear of members of our congregation who have yet to be called. We need to encourage those coordinators who are struggling with their commitment.
As Paul wrote, "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good, care for everyone and especially to those who are of the household of faith".
