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THE TIE THAT BINDSRocky Mount United Methodist Church35 North Main Street, Rocky Mount, VA 24151Phone: 540-483-5338 Fax: 540-484-1698E-mail: admin@rm-umc.orgWebsite: www.rm-umc.orgOur Mission: “To Know Jesus and Share His Love”Will Waller, PastorFebruary 2019Ash Wednesday emphasizesa dual encounter: we confrontour own mortality andconfess our sin before Godwithin the community offaith. These powerfulexpressions are rare in our culture and needto happen to remind us of our need for Godand life. Ash Wednesday service will beheld on March 6 and you're invited toparticipate beginning at 7:00 p.m.Boy Scout SundayBoy Scout Sunday will beFebruary 10. Members ofour Scout Troop will helplead our worship service.Come and support our Scouts.COME SHAREGOD’S LOVEOn Friday, February 22 from6:00-8:00 p.m., the UMWwill be organizing andhosting a “Share the Love”event in the church fellowship hall. Allmembers of the church and their familiesand friends are invited to attend. This isNOT a couples only event. We envisionfamilies – grandparents, parents, childrenand grandchildren, singles and couples, andour special needs friends from PiedmontCommunity Services having a wonderfultime sharing God’s love with fellowship,refreshments, and dancing! There will be avariety of music and each family is asked tobring a finger food appetizer or dessert toshare. The UMW will take care ofbeverages. No need to make a reservation!Just come and enjoy your church family andfriends.Rocky Mount UMC joins with otherchurches in town and the county toparticipate in upcoming Lenten lunch series.The Lenten lunches go back many years andallow churches to welcome other Christiansinto their doors for a short worship servicefollowed by a light lunch on Wednesdays at12:00 p.m.March 13March 20March 27April 3April 10April 171Rocky Mount Christian ChurchRocky Mount Baptist ChurchRocky Mount Church of the BrethrenInner-Faith FellowshipRocky Mount UMCFirst Baptist Church of Rocky Mount

Hear ye! Hear ye!I hear ya loud and clear!Can you hear me now? Good!Dear RMUMC,One element of life that I don’t think about all that often is hearing. Hearing, and by hearing Imean the active acceptance of a message delivered, must occur for communication to becomplete. If someone cannot hear a message, that message really isn’t a message.it’s ashouting into the wind.Because we want to ensure that God’s message reaches as many people as possible, thechurch has made tactical decisions to improve the manner in which that message goes out.The church has begun making a couple of upgrades in the church building that excite everyoneinvolved. Both upgrades are happening as I type these words in mid-January. The first beganin 2018 when the church trustees asked the question, “Can the sound in the sanctuary beimproved?” Our older sound system did not get better with age. The soundboard has been inthe sanctuary for around 20 years and in those 20 years, not only have parts of the boardbecome broken, but updates in sound technology have come a long, LONG way. Now thatwe’re in the digital age, we needed a digital board. The choir monitor constantly hummed. TheTrustees invited Stage Sound into a partnership to begin Phase 1 of a sound update in thechurch sanctuary, beginning with new microphones and monitors in the choir loft and a brandnew digital soundboard in the balcony. Phase 1 should enhance the experience for all,especially the choir. For Ben Clements, our sound technician, the soundboard will allow him tooptimize the sound in a way the analog board never could. Hearing the message through theprayers, sermon and music will be easier and better than ever.Speaking of hearing, we have a church mission statement, which says, “We want to know Jesusand share His love.” With this as our mission, our vision is to see people come believe in JesusChrist and to have Him reshape this community and county. If this mission and vision are toshape all aspects of how we do ministry, we asked the question, “What do people see with ourcurrent website?” At the time our former website arrived in the world, it met all the expectationsof a guest who might be looking for a church. As years went by, it did not cut the mustard andshowed its age. With this in mind, the church reached out to a marketing and web group, FirmFoundations out of Roanoke, to create a brand new church website. It is live now and it’sdazzling and eye-catching. Our new site allows us more engagement with those who view itand encourages them to attend on a Sunday morning.These are exciting times in the life of our church. I get giddy thinking about all that 2019 mighthave in store for us as a church and a community. The message of Christ is hopeful andforward-looking! We hope that in all areas of the church (and not least, the words that you say)Christ’s message is preached and heard.In Christ,Pastor Will2

grandparents, parents, children andgrandchildren, singles and couples, and ourspecial needs friends from PiedmontCommunity Services having a wonderfultime sharing God’s love. There will be avariety of music and each family is asked tobring a finger food appetizer or dessert toshare. The UMW will take care ofbeverages.The 2018-19 UMW ReadingProgram has begun. You may check out anyof the books on the bottom shelf labeledUMW Reading Program in the AssemblyRoom. Please take a brochure to keep trackof your reading. Simply sign each book outin the yellow folder and sign it in when youreturn it. 2019 titles as well as titles from2014-2018 are eligible. If you take thechildren’s books, please keep track of thenames of the children to whom you read.Children count as readers too!The UMW will continue to collectBoxtops for Education, soda can tabs,stamps, and coloring books and crayons forthe Sheriff’s Department. The box for thecoloring books and crayons is in theAssembly Room. The box for the othercollections is in the hall to the left of theNarthex on the windowsill near themailboxes.Our #1 goal for 2019-2020 is tocontinue increasing membership. Wewelcome all women of the church to join usthe first Monday of each month at 10:00a.m. in the Assembly Room. If you cannotattend daytime meetings, but would like tobe a member, Linda will be happy tocommunicate all meeting and projectinformation to you by e-mail. We arewilling to explore the possibility of anevening or Sunday afternoon meeting forthose who work during the week as well.Please contact Linda Walters (540-3462004, lindaw@shentel.net) or any otherUnited Methodist Woman if you areinterested or have questions.United MethodistMen(Mark Newbill,President)On Sunday, February 17 following theworship service, we will serve a meal in thefellowship hall for the church members andthe special needs adults in the community.We will be serving spaghetti, salad anddessert. Donations will be accepted. TheUnited Methodist Men use these funds tosupport the Senior Scholarship program andother needs in the church and community.Come out and support the UMM in thisworthy cause.United MethodistWomen(Linda Walters,President)The UMW Christmasluncheon was held onMonday, December 3 in the Atrium at 11:15a.m. We were treated to a delicious lunchcatered by Center Stage Catering followedby a musical program given by GQ, abarbershop quartet affiliated with TheHarmoneers of Smith Mountain Lake.At our first meeting of 2019, weinitiated a new program designed to improvecommunication with UM missionaries.Each member signed up for one month tosend a card, letter, or email to a designatedUM missionary or missionary couple. Wewill share the responses we receive at themonthly meetings.On Friday, February 22 from 6:008:00 p.m., the UMW will be organizing andhosting a “Share the Love” event in thechurch fellowship hall. All members of thechurch and their families and friends areinvited to attend. There will be decorations,refreshments, and dancing. This is NOT acouples only event. We envision families –3

On Tuesday, February 26 and Thursday,February 28, our church is in charge ofserving lunch at Stepping Stone SoupKitchen. Please sign-up on the sheet postedon the bulletin board located at the stepsgoing down to the preschool. Thanks!Do you receive the Mount? Do you knowwho has the Spotlight On this month? Doyou get a notification when there is a churchschedule change or cancellation? That’swhy you need to sign-up for the church’s enewsletter. Go to http://www.rmumc.org/newsletters.cfm to sign up.Sontag Program(Phyllis Lavinder,Coordinator)Again this year during the season of Lent,you are invited to select a Lenten Friend.Envelopes will be available on Sunday,March 10, and will contain the name of achurch family member who is either shut-inor in need of some special care during Lent.You are asked to pray for this person andextend other kindnesses such as a personalcall, a greeting card, or other special treats.Thank you!As we begin a new 2019, Iwould like to thank allvolunteers and all who donate to the SontagNutrition Program. This ministry is soimportant to the children who face foodinsecurity in our own Franklin County. Justimagine how it would feel to get a bag fullof food when the kitchen is empty. Foodthat you can have during a weekend that youcan fix for yourself with little help from anadult.Any amount you donate towards theSontag Nutrition Program will be used forthis purpose. Together we can make a worldseem better for the child facing dailychallenges of hunger.If you would like to be a volunteer,please contact me.All women of the church are invited to theLadies Bible Study that begins March 12.We will be studying “James: MercyTriumphs” by Beth Moore. We will meet9:30-11:30 a.m., in the Assembly Room(Redeemer’s SS Classroom). Books willcost 16 per person. Please notify LindaWalters (757-635-0109;lindaw@shentel.net) or Peggy Hodges (540483-0771; peggyjhodges@hotmail.com) assoon as possible if you plan to participate sowe can order books. Invite your friends andfamily to come too!Working for a better tomorrow,Phyllis Lavindervirginiaheartgirl@yahoo.com“Love is like a tennis match; you’ll never winconsistently until you learn to serve well.”—Dan P. Herod4

There are still many Sundays available in 2019 to reserve your special Sunday to provide altarflowers during the worship service. Also, remember that the piano is available for anarrangement should there be two individuals interested in the same date. You will be responsiblefor ordering the flowers. Call the church office or stop by the chart on the bulletin board that islocated at the steps that go down to the preschool to reserve your special date.January 11, 2019Greetings in Christ’s name in these opening days of 2019!I need to bring to you an urgent need that I hope you will prayerfully consider.From the middle of September through the middle of October 2018 our sisters and brothers inthe city and county of Danville, Virginia experienced historic flooding of the Dan River and otherwaterways as a result of hurricane Florence and tropical storm Michael. There are 45 homeswith significant damage, most of which are homes of persons and families that were strugglingwith economic challenges prior to the flooding.The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) stands ready to assist with disasterrecovery funds. However, we as the Virginia Conference, churches and individuals, are calledto make a direct compassionate response to our sisters and brothers affected by this disaster.Please join me in making a contribution to the Virginia Conference Disaster Response Fundwhich will direct contributions to the crisis in Danville. All contributions can be sent to theConference Treasurer’s office with the reference “Conference Disaster Response Fund #5037.”Thank you for advancing God’s mission and serving others here in Virginia in this special way.In Christ and in Mission,Bishop Sharma D. Lewis5