One-on-One with Pastor Jerry is a weekly report on family news and church and community activities, events, ministries and missions. Visit this page each week or sign up to receive it weekly in your inbox. Archive issues can be viewed at NoblesvilleFirst.com/one-on-one-archive.
July 15, 2021
Book 7, Volume 13
Carol Darling has served as our Business Manager the last couple of years and has been an incredible resource as we have navigated Covid. She has done whatever necessary to keep our facility open to essential groups and has been loved by all of our office staff. She has decided to retire at the end of this month to start working on her bucket list. I encourage you to send your well-wishes to cdarling@noblesvillefirst.com. I am starting this week’s One on One out with this mention because we need your help finding an able replacement. Given the labor shortage in Indiana we are concerned it may be difficult finding the right person for this position. Currently, the job is for 28 hours with a salary range of $27,000 to $30,000. Carol works Monday through Thursday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm but those hours are flexible. If you know of someone who is looking for a great working environment and desires managing a facility which houses amazing programs impacting our community, please email me at jrairdon@noblesvillefirst.com.
We’re Back! is the title of our worship series for August as we return to full attendance worship with our new worship schedule. Our focus will be on celebrating the special ministry gifts that Covid took away but are returning to Noblesville First, gifts like the gift of song, the gift of touch, the gift of Christian community.
The new worship schedule, beginning August 1, will be as follows:
- 8:15 Teter Outdoor Worship (thru September 5)
- 9:45 Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary
- 9:45 Family Worship in Celebration Hall
- 10:15 Noblesville First Kids
- 11:00 Contemporary Worship
In preparation for the relaunch of these Sunday morning ministries, Director of Family Ministries Ally Hall is holding a gathering at Noon this Sunday, July 18 to share how people can plug into the new Noblesville First Kids ministry. She will share the structure, show the new classrooms, and explain how volunteers can assist in the spiritual development of our Noblesville First children. For more information email Ally at ahall@noblesvillefirst.com.
If you have been a part of Contemporary Worship in the past or you are interested in an energetic band led worship experience, we invite you to attend a gathering led by Pastor Jill Moffett and Pastor Matt Hantelman this Sunday, July 18 at 4:30 pm. We are looking for input to make sure we launch this worship experience in a way that reaches a new generation and would be a service you would be comfortable inviting a friend to. Contemporary Worship will relaunch on August 1 at 11:00 am in Celebration Hall with Pastor Jill as the primary preacher and Pastor Matt focusing on the development of the band. For more information contact Pastor Jill at jmoffett@noblesvillefirst.com.
It is time again for our annual Back to School Bash! Mark your calendars for Sunday, July 25 at noon. We will have inflatables, games, and snacks in the church parking lot outside Door 1 to kick off the new school year with a bang. Make sure to invite your friends to join in on the fun. All ages are welcome! Also note that we’ll need volunteers to run stations, assist in parking, greet visitors, and a multitude of other tasks to help make this event a success. And you don’t have to have children to volunteer! It’s a great opportunity to get to know some of the wonderful youth and families in the congregation and neighboring communities. We will set up the event following 9:45 Family Worship and will open the event to the public at 12:00. Click the link at NoblesvilleFirst.com to sign up.
We now have our Teter Retreat Volunteers Teams up to 14 people on our Cleaning Team, and 17 people on our Laundry Team. Now we need to add a few people to the Linen Team. With the addition of the Laundry Team, this job simply involves changing the beds, delivering the linens to a Laundry Team member and returning the clean and folded laundry back to the Teter supply closet. If you could help us out a couple times a month, please email me at jrairdon@noblesvillefirst.com. These teams are helping us preserve thousands of dollars for our food security mission. As a matter of fact, the strength of this revenue has enabled us to hire a second part-time laborer for the farm to do the difficult work many of us can no longer do.
Kids Hope USA partners one caring, trained adult mentor with one at-risk student at White River Elementary School. Mentors meet with their student for one hour each week during the school day. There is a “behind the scene” prayer partner praying for each student, mentor, and relationship. During the past year, relationships have continued through emails and Zoom calls, but now we are ready to relaunch our in-person program! We need mentors, substitute mentors, and prayer partners! Please prayerfully consider whether God might be calling you to make a difference in the life of a child. Contact Jean Morris at mrsejmorris@sbcglobal.net or 317-294-0886.
United Methodist Women are now collecting items to be sold in the Rummage Sale in October. Go to NoblesvilleFirst.com/RummageSale for details on what items are most helpful to donate and who to contact to deliver those items to our rented storage facility.
The next GriefShare session is just around the corner, beginning on Thursday, August 12, 6:30-8:30PM in the Bi-Rooms. The GriefShare group is led by caring people who have experienced grief and have successfully rebuilt their lives. We understand how you feel because we’ve been in the same place. We will walk with you through grief toward healing and hope for the future. For more information and to register contact Carol Miller at cmiller@noblesvillefirst.com or call the church office at 317-773-2500.
Thursday Worship will be held via Zoom at 6:30 pm. Pastor Matt will continue the discussion of the book What Is the Least I Can Believe and Still Be a Christian. You will find the Zoom link at NoblesvilleFirst.com/ThursdayWorship.
In Family Worship this Sunday at 9:45 am in Celebration Hall, we look to Ephesians 6:10-17. As Paul wraps up the end of his letter, he focuses our attention on where we can find confidence. Paul encourages the believers to allow God to make them strong. We don’t have to face life on our own. God is with us and won’t let us down. Bottom Line: Use what God has given you to stand strong. We pray this will be a powerful week as kids discover that when they trust Jesus with their lives, God offers them spiritual armor to help them face whatever is happening in their lives.
No threat of rain predicted for Sunday, so we hope to see you for Outdoor Worship at Teter Retreat & Farm at 8:15 am.
The message for Outdoor Worship and Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary will focus on the problem of suffering. I think Martin Thielen, author of What's the Least I Can Believe and Still Be a Christian?, does an excellent job in Chapter 16. I will share my take on how you deal with the pain and suffering which may come in your life. You will also hear what about the most difficult thing has been I’ve ever had to do in ministry.
Share prayer requests and check out the week's opportunities to connect on the Connection Card at NoblesvilleFirst.com or on the Noblesville First mobile app. And share your pastoral needs by emailing care@noblesvillefirst.com or calling the 24/7 Care Line at 317-773-2590.
See you tonight or Sunday,
Pastor Jerry Rairdon