Dear Friends and Family of RRUMC,
I know that as you read this you are now deep into your post summer routine. For some that means school has started for the kids. For others it means that they have come back from their summer locations.
For others it means that all the vacations are now in the rearview mirror. And for many it simply means that the seasons are changing, the days are getting shorter, and life seems to be getting a little more hectic. I know for my wife and I, summer just seemed like an extension of last year since both of my boys play football and it pretty much goes all summer long. I hope your summer was wonderful and enjoyable and blessed.
This time of year for the church means that the new “church year” begins. It coincides with the school year since that is when families get back into their school year routine. That also means we ramp up our offerings for Bible studies and small groups this time of year, as I mentioned in last month’s Circuit Rider. Now that signups are open, we are seeing record numbers of people becoming part of a Bible study for the first time or for maybe their tenth year in a row.
This year we launch a six-year Bible study that will take you all the way from Genesis to Revelation. It meets each and every week, however, we know that you cannot make all of them and may actually have to step out of the study from time to time to eventually jump back in. So far 21 people have signed up for that one. There are 18 people signed up for Disciple 1. There are six people in Disciple 4. There are two women’s Bible studies that will be averaging over 20 women in each. Explore the Bible is between 10-15 people. That does not count the 50-75 people we will have for Advent studies this Christmas and Lenten studies in the spring.
As you can see, this church is going to have a record number of people in God’s Word each and every week. I told you in the last Circuit Rider article that every church I have been a part of grew by leaps and bounds when people were studying the Bible. I also saw new ministries bubble up in people’s hearts who were in the Word.
If this sign-up trend is any indication of what this church will look like moving forward, God is smiling right now.
I share this with you because I want you to know that you can and should be proud of RRUMC. We will never stop working to make sure that both of our campuses are not just one day a week churches. It is not about being busy, it is about being called. As people feel called and led by God to study the Bible, volunteer in our ministries, come to church on Sunday, give generously, pray fervently, and love exponentially, our church will always be growing into the church that God has always created us to be-a church helping people meet Jesus Christ in the midst of their story.
Afterall, IT’S STILL ALL ABOUT THE STORY!
Peace and Blessings,
Rev. Dan