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Rossville United Methodist Church
July 2015
The Court, The Conference, and the Covenant
Several people have asked me what the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage means for the church. The
answer, quite simply, is—nothing. It changes nothing.
In the United Methodist Church, the decision about who can get married resides with the pastor. For instance,
before any couple is married in our church, I meet with the couple for premarital discussion and planning. Part
of the reason for these meetings is to determine the couple’s readiness for entering into the covenant of
marriage. I have a responsibility to refuse any couple (even a heterosexual one!) who, in my estimation, are
unprepared or unwilling to take their marital vows in the presence of Christ and of the Church.
Our United Methodist Book of Discipline does not allow UM clergy to perform same-sex weddings. In recent
months, some clergy have defied the Book of Discipline and our United Methodist doctrine by performing such
ceremonies. The penalties for this action have covered a wide range, from no action (in congregations where
the members support same-sex marriage and thus no charges were filed) to complete loss of credentials.
Some members have asked if I ever would perform a same-sex wedding. The answer is a conditional “no.” I
will not violate our Book of Discipline.
In 2016, our General Conference will convene in Portland, Oregon. The GC is a meeting of UM clergy and lay
delegates from all over the world. At the 2016 conference, several hundred petitions will be presented. Some
of those petitions will encourage the UMC to adopt a more inclusive stance toward LGBT persons. There is no
way of knowing how the conference will vote on those petitions. Should our doctrine change regarding this
issue, I will seek, then as now, to be faithful to that doctrine.
For better or for worse, Rossville UMC will not be hosting same-sex weddings at any time in the near future.
If we come to a time of consideration, the decision about hosting those weddings will be based on the actions of
our General Conference and the authority of your pastor, whomever he or she may be. The Supreme Court has
no authority regarding this matter.
If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact me. I will be more than happy to hear your
concerns or to provide additional information about our doctrine and policies.
2. Mission and Ministry News
Date
July 5
Liturgist
Toby
McCullough
George
Brown
Greeters & Ushers
Randy & Linda Brown
Don & Joann Meenen
July 12
Doug French
Jim & Ernestine Gordon
July 19
Barbara Hesse
Randy & Jennifer Bush
July 26 Tim
Bob & Ann Macha
Woodcock
Joyce Meyer
Aug. 2 Toby
Joe & Pauline Conley
McCullough Julie Watson
Aug. 9 George
Ann Keller
Brown
Howard & Rhonda Parr
Aug. 16 Kathy
Craig & Lisa Thornburg
Kovar
Tim & Amy Woodcock
Aug. 23 Tim
David & Joan Deiter
Woodcock
Toby & Ann McCullough
Aug. 30 Toby
Kent & Betsey Miller
McCullough Tom & Lois Lacock
July 2015
Offering Counters
Joyce Meyer
Lynette Wenger
Linda Brown
Mary Smith
Joyce Meyer
Lynda Wood
Linda Brown
Dean Page
Joyce Meyer
Tricia Conley
Linda Brown
Lynette Wenger
Joyce Meyer
Mary Smith
Linda Brown
Lynda Wood
Joyce Meyer
Dean Page
Acolytes
Conner Bush
Brock Bush
Favion Johnson
Brady Miller
Kelton Lacock
Keera Lacock
Noah Woodcock
Jared Cunningham
Krew Lacock
Kaden Brown
Conner Bush
Brock Bush
Favion Johnson
Keera Lacock
Noah Woodcock
Brady Miller
Jared Cunningham
Kaden Brown
Media Persons
Katie Conley
Stacey
Keithline
Emily
Woodcock
Casey Conley
Trevor
Cunningham
Kyle Parr
Emily
Woodcock
Katie Conley
OUTBACK ROCK
Many of our members helped make Outback Rock
VBS a success! If you see these folks, tell them
“thank you!”
Lesa Brian, Chris Brian, Trevor Cunningham,
Susan Montgomery, Joyce Meyer, Betsy Miller,
Julie Watson, Fred Schuler, Ryan Ehrlich, Teresa
Lacock, Krew Lacock, Alvin Stutzman, Amy
Stutzman, Tricia Conley, Carley Conley, Casey
Conley, Marty Johnson, Lynnette Wenger, Brandy
Bivens, Ashlynn Biehler
We averaged 20 kids per day. What a blessing!
Watch for our “Rock Solid Faith” float in the Tall
Corn Parade!
FOOD PANTRY UPDATE
Our food pantry continues to be a source of
assistance for many families in our community.
You can participate in this mission in several ways:
1. Pray for this ministry and the families we serve.
2. Purchase a couple of “extra” items when you do
your own grocery shopping and drop them in the
grocery cart in the narthex. We can also use your
plastic grocery bags.
3. Volunteer to help at the pantry. Two hours on a
Saturday morning will be a blessing to you and
those we serve!
SUMMER BREAKFAST PROGRAM
Thank you to everyone who served breakfast in
June to students attending summer school at
Rossville Grade School. We served over 200 meals
over the course of three weeks. One of our students
wrote us a thank you note, which is posted on the
bulletin board in Fellowship Hall.
MEET OUR SUMMER INTERN
Trevor Cunningham will be assisting Pastor Lori
and Joyce Meyer this summer with media
preparation for Sunday worship. We are grateful to
Trevor for sharing his expertise and creativity with
us.
3. Mission & Ministry News
July 2015
FOREST PARK NEWS
Forest Park of Topeka is providing VBS for
children in East Topeka who may not have a church
home. Part of our VBS mission offering will help
offset their expenses.
The Rev. Kevin Rea and Rev. Jennifer Rea are the
new directors of Forest Park. They are working to
expand the ministry and outreach of this facility,
which has been a part of our conference since 1922.
Forest Park is hosting a work day on July 22,
providing an opportunity to be of service and to
learn more about Forest Park. If you know of
persons looking for service opportunities on this or
any other day, encourage them to contact Forest
Park at 785-234-8024.
TRUSTEES CONSIDER STEEPLE
REPAIR
At their June 25 meeting, the Board of Trustees
heard a report from Howard Parr regarding needed
repairs to the church steeple. The estimate for
repairing the steeple is approximately $7800. The
estimate for permanently removing the steeple is
$4000.
The administrative council will hear this report and
make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees at
their meeting on July 15. Members are encouraged
to contact a member of the Board of Trustees with
comments or suggestions.
Board members are: Randy Brown, Jim Gordon,
Joe Conley (Chair); David Deiter, Dale Ussery,
Mary Channel, Tricia Conley and Kent Miller.
CHURCH DIRECTORY UPDATE
Our updated church directory will be available on
Friday, July 3.
Those who already have a print directory can pick
up their new pages in the church office.
Those who already have a digital directory can
either bring a flash drive to the church office to get
the update, or email jschwilling@gmail.com
requesting an invitation to his Dropbox, where you
can download the new directory.
VBS OFFERING
Pastor Lori challenged the children at VBS to raise
enough money to send 50 Bibles to children in
Thailand. If we meet our goal, the children will get
to throw water balloons at Pastor Lori at Worship in
the Park on July 19.
Help our children raise $60 more to reach their
goal! The deadline for contributing to the offering is
July 10.
WORSHIP IN THE PARK
On Sunday, July 19, we will worship at Rossville
City Park. Worship will begin at 11:00 that
morning, followed by a pot luck lunch at the shelter
house. THERE WILL BE NO WORSHIP AT
RUMC THAT DAY.
Following worship and lunch, those who are
interested will play a round of disc golf. Discs and
instruction will be available for those who want to
learn how to play.
MISSION TRIP NEWS
Doug French, Lois Lacock, Tom Lacock, Jerry
Schwilling and Lori Schwilling will travel to the
Mission Outreach Center in Sandusky, Ohio from
July 24-August 3.
The Sandusky Mission Center hosts a variety of
programs that minister to children, the unemployed,
the hungry, veterans and the homeless. The RUMC
team will learn about several of these ministries as
they engage in loving service. They hope to bring
home ideas and suggestions for improving our
mission and ministry at RUMC.
We are grateful to everyone who has contributed to
this undertaking. Please be in prayer for our
mission trip team and for those persons whom they
will be serving.
Administrative Council will meet at 7
pm on Wednesday, July 15.
Finance Team will meet at 7pm on
Monday, July 6.
4. Mission & Ministry News
July 2015
THANK YOU FROM JIM HAYS
It is an interesting experience to have so many
people saying such kind things about a person, at an
occasion in church other than that person's funeral. I
was flattered and thankful to everyone for planning
such a nice occasion Sunday May 31, to wish us
well in retirement.
This major life change at retirement has been
thought about for some time and is not undertaken
lightly. Rossville, and our church, has been a
blessed miracle that came to me after much prayer
and reflection, at a time almost 30 years ago when I
was still sorting out what God wanted me to do with
my life. I found my farm, a place much like
where I grew up in Indiana. I found my town, a
town much like Corydon, Indiana. I found my life
in Rossville to be exactly as I thought it would be,
and have prayed thankful prayers many times. You
have shared life's highest moments with me. This
place of faith has brought me through life's lowest
moments as well.
As I have often told people who asked, this change
in life is made much easier, and is perhaps even
made possible at all, by the fact that we have a
loving church family waiting to embrace us in
Indiana. We are not giving up our church family;
we are just moving to a different branch. Corydon
UMC is the church where I grew up, where
several family members over the last 5 generations
have been baptized, where one of my sisters was
married, where both my parents and my
grandparents' funerals were held; it is home. Just as
Rossville has been home.
Thank You to all who had a hand in the celebration.
Please know that Linda and I will join you in
worship whenever we return to Kansas, and look
forward to entertaining in our remodeled Indiana
home all our Kansas friends who venture east. We
love you, and will never forget you and all you've
meant to us.
Jim Hays
Wedding Anniversary Celebration
Our church family is invited to attend the celbration
of Don and Joann Meenen’s 65th wedding
anniversary on Saturday, August 1st from 2:00-4:00
pm here at the church. The couple requests only the
gift of your presence!
Remember as you go on vacation this summer
that the church is still at work and the bills keep
coming. Please help us by mailing or dropping
your offering by the church office. Thank you so
much.
Rossville United Methodist Church
411 Pearl Street
PO Box 586
Rossville KS 66533
TEAM SPOTLIGHT:
STAFF/PASTOR-PARISH RELATIONS
COMMITTEE
The Staff/Pastor Relations Committee is the
administrative unit in a local church where staff and
congregational interests come together to focus on
the mission of the church.
Specific tasks for the S/PPRC are listed in the Book
of Discipline and are summarized here.
*Educating and reminding both the staff and the
congregation to focus on working together toward
the mission of the church by promoting unity and
encouraging, strengthening, nurturing, supporting,
and respecting the pastor(s), staff, and their
families.
*Leading conversation between the congregation
and the staff/pastor about ministry direction,
including recommendations about staff positions to
carry out the work of the church.
*Developing and recommending written policy
and procedures on emloyment of nonappointed
staff, including provision for insurance, pension and
severance pay.
*Assessing job performance of the staff/pastor at
least annually for the purpose of realigning staff
position descriptions with the mission of the church.
*Conferring and consulting with the district
superintendent
*Supporting lifelong learning and spiritual
renewal for all staff (continuing education).
*Identifying and supporting individuals from the
congregation whom God seems to be calling for
ordained ministry.
Church: 584-6358
Church’s e-mail: rossvilleumc@embarqmail.com
website: rossvilleksumc.com
Worship 10:15 am
Sunday School 9:15 am