Rock Island
Dear Friends,
We are doing our best to move forward as a community of faith as safely and effectively as possible. Due to the rising numbers of positive COVID-19 cases in our area, we have decided to limit in-person gathering at church to the bare essentials.
Christmas Eve Carols and Candles. Friday, December 24 at 4:00 p.m. Wonderful music, the Christmas story retold, shared, and the lighting of candles at the singing of “Silent Night.” Christmas Eve is a unique worship experience. Please join with us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
On every Wednesday night during Advent, Pastor Robb will share a short vespers service. Vespers is the ancient tradition of evening prayer. The service will take place in the sanctuary after bell choir rehearsal, which usually ends at 7:00. The Vespers will include a time of prayer and reflection, a Psalm song, a reading from our daily All the Good Devotional, and Communion. The service should take between 30-40 minutes, and be over well before 8:00. The theme for each week will follow along with our Advent themes of Prepare with Hope, Praying for Peace, Care with Joy, and Do in Love.
Our 6th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner will be on Sunday, November 14 at Camp Milan. The doors will open at 3:00 p.m., with dinner scheduled to begin at 3:30. The Evangelism Team is providing turkey, mashed potatoes, and dressing. The rest of the meal will be brought in a pot-luck style as guests are invited to bring a dish to share.
After dinner there will be a special musical performance. Harpist Lydia Olson will share a beautiful concert after dinner. Masks are required for all guests – except when seated to eat.
On October 24 we will make a special presentation of Bibles to several young people of Two Rivers. Everyone is invited that day to bring their own Bible to church as well. We will have a special prayer over all Bibles during the service. Afterwards, everyone is invited to a special reception in Epworth Hall to meet the new kids and share stories about your Bible.
We want people to share about how they received their Bible. Perhaps it is a family heirloom, or it was a wedding gift. Tell us about your Bible you received in third grade or the Bible you bought as an adult when you started to study it more earnestly. We want to hear your Bible story and share with the kids how important your Bible has been to you over the years.
If you have a student in third grade or above, please click on this link and fill out a form for a new Bible. There are a couple of options for Bibles to receive – you can get either the Deep Blue Kids Bible or the Common English Student Bible. You may make your decision based on your student’s age. Any adults interested in buying a new Bible should know that pastor Robb recommends the Common English Study Bible. “It’s the best Bible on the market right now, and the one I use the most in my own study and devotion time.” It is a great translation, and the study notes are superb.
Below is a link to sign up for kids and youth ministries. Helpers are needed for Wednesday nights from now through October. Our plan is to continue meeting at Camp Milan from 4:00-5:30 through October. We will revisit the location and whether or not we will meet later in October. As of now, we will meet over the Rock Island fall break. While there are fall sports, the attendance has been down, so dinner is only needed for about 10.
Volunteers are also needed for Sunday school. Right now our format is for all kids and youth to meet in Epworth Hall (the big room downstairs). We will share the story (which is the same story as we just shared in worship). We will talk a little about it, then divide into two groups. The younger kids will do activities that help them learn and remember the basics of the story. The older youth will dig deeper into the passage, ask questions, interrogate the text, and discuss life applications.
We need a lead teacher for the kids and a helper that can freely go in between the groups where needed. If you sign up as a teacher, I will give you downloadable materials that have more activities and suggested activities than you could do in a 2-hour slot. You can feel free to pick and choose whatever things you want to do.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP