The UMC Seeks a Way Forward
A special session of General Conference is set for February
23-26 in St. Louis. During that four-day event, 864 delegates
from the United States, Africa, Asia and Europe will consider
ways for the denomination to deal with conflicting attitudes
toward homosexuality. A 32-member Commission on a Way
Forward proposes three plans: a One Church Plan, a
Traditionalist Plan, and a Connectional Conference Plan.
The One Church Plan offers some “local options” at various levels of the church. Under this plan, each Annual Conference board of clergy may determine standards for ordination or certification. The plan allows but does not require ordained clergy to perform same-sex marriages. Clergy are also free to transfer to other conferences or churches based on the standards for ordination of homosexuals.
The Traditionalist Plan continues the current exclusionary language in Book of Discipline that bans “self-avowed and practicing” gay clergy and the blessing of same sex unions. This plan provides ways to enforce these bans. Under this plan, annual conferences and churches that disagree with these bans could be set up as self-governing or affiliated churches or conferences.
The Connectional Conference Plan would replace the five U.S. geographically-based jurisdictions with three conferences that would be “values-based”. Each of the new connectional conferences would create its own Book of Discipline that includes items commonly agreed upon by United Methodists, and they would have the authority to adapt other items not included in a general Book of Discipline. This is the plan recommended by Council of Bishops.
The Commission on a Way Forward also submitted 48 petitions to the special session—each petition related to one of the three plans mentioned above. In addition, 61 other petitions were also submitted by various conferences, clergy groups, or churches.
No matter which pathway our denomination ultimately takes, even after February 27th, the United Methodist Church will still be in the business of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
Serve in Leadership
As a member of Riverview First United Methodist Church, you are cordially invited to serve in a leadership capacity. You are invited to attend most meetings, while other require only that you be added to a committee. We are working to offer a set meeting schedule so that you know where and when to attend.
- The United Methodist Men has moved its meeting to the first Sunday immediately after church. All men are welcome and encouraged to attend. See Jack Findlay for more information.
- The Church Council meets on the second Tuesday of odd numbered months. Jim Allen is our new Church Council President. One of the purposes of the Church Council is to hear from all standing committees and to coordinate churchwide activities and building usage.
- The Vision Committee, which is planning the church’s role in Riverview community, generally meets on the first Monday of every odd month. The Vision Committee meeting will be sponsoring a churchwide planning meeting on Saturday, March 2nd. See Connie Mosley or Mindy Williams for more information.
- The Care Committee, which plans fellowship and care events for the congregation, meets the second Monday of the month. See Connie Mosley for details.
- The Staff-Parish Committee, which handles personnel issues has closed meetings on the third Monday of the month. You must be a member of the committee (or church staff) to attend these meetings—see Mindy Williams for details.
- The Trustees meet the first Tuesday of every month. Gary Floyd is the new chairman of this committee.
- The Finance Committee meets on second Tuesday of even numbered months. Mike Plett is the chair of this committee, and Vollie Rifner is the church treasurer.
We cannot be successful without you. Join a committee and become involved. Or, if committee participation is not for you, please let us know if you have any issues, concerns, or suggestions.
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.
We Are Looking for Collection Counters
We are looking for folks to serve as counters. Counters post the weekly collections after the service, and they are usually finished in about half an hour. If you can count money and run a computer, your help would be valuable. Come to the library after the Sunday worship service and speak with Danette Garcia or Carole Bradley. 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 “The Husband’s Secret” by Liane Moriarty. This is a review of the book from Goodreads:
At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read. It begins “My darling Cecilia, if you are reading this, then I have died.”
Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive.
Acclaimed author Liane Moriarty has written a gripping, thought-provoking novel about how well it is really possible to know our spouses—and, ultimately, ourselves.
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.
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 R.U.S.H. Youth Group—Youth Building
MONDAY
1:30 PM-2:30 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
6:30 PM Financial Peace University--Library
7:00-9:00 PM ESOL Class--Rm 8
FRIDAY
------
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.
News from the District
and the Conference
YAMM Grows in Tampa
YAMM is the Florida UM Conference’s Young Adult Missional Movement with a goal of transforming people and communities throughout Florida. Its Tampa director, Heidi Aspinwall, says she’s motivated by the challenge to engage young adults in service to that mission. She believes mentoring younger generations for cross-cultural leadership is the way to maximize the huge potential for ministry that exists.
The Florida UM Foundation’s grant selection committee has recently given Tampa’s YAMM a $5,000 grant to help kick off the ministry’s youth mentorship program. The young adults in the program live together, sharing costs and building relationships. The communal living experience is a key personal development opportunity of the ministry.
YAMM puts young adults to work in a variety of mission settings throughout Florida. The mentoring program will create a network of mentors who will support and guide YAMM participants and other young adults considering vocational ministry or wanting to expand their involvement. The program aims to develop the next generation of leaders who can fill an anticipated shortage of pastors and serve in a growing number of nontraditional ministry settings that require cross-cultural leadership.
“Millennials want to do something,” Aspinwall said. “This project is born out of the question, ‘How can we get more young adults involved?’ We want to encourage and help engagement.”
Rather than teaching young adults to “do things our way,” the program encourages emerging leadership in both traditional and non-traditional settings.
“We need to find and engage those who are not ‘the golden boy’ and on the fast track.” Aspinwall said. “So many things derail folks when they lack older voices in their life. We can help and encourage young adults who don’t always have an advocate to push them forward.” And that nudge is critical, she says, because while young adults are often highly creative and motivated, they are also easy to lose.
YAMM Tampa participants buy groceries and supplies for their Hiawatha Street House ministry in Tampa.
The America's Center Convention Complex in St. Louis, site of the special UMC General Conference to be held February 23-26, 2019
Hurricane Michael Relief
Pam Garrison, the Florida Conference’s Disaster Response Coordinator has recently acknowledged RUMC’s generous donation to assist those affected by Hurricane Michael. The Florida UM Conference is supporting our Panama City neighbors in the Alabama-West Florida UM Conference. All the gifts raised toward the $500,000 match will be given to help those local churches with the greatest needs. Our prayers are with these gifts as they are used in the communities that need it most.
