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 29, 2021
Book 7, Volume 15
This Sunday is a big one for us as we launch our new worship schedule and several new ministry initiatives. Once again here is our schedule:
- 8:15 Outdoor Worship at Teter (thru Sep 5)
- 9:45 Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary
- 9:45 Family Worship in Celebration Hall
- 10:15 Noblesville First Kids - check in in the Atrium
- 11:00 Contemporary Worship in Celebration Hall
Remember this schedule was arrived at for several reasons. It brings our traditional services into our beautiful sanctuary where the acoustics are great for our choir. It frees up Celebration Hall for community activities and is a more flexible space for Family and Contemporary Worship. Most of all, by holding two services at the same time we offer multiple options for families to worship and ensure their children experience the spiritual direction they will need to thrive in their relationships with God and others.
We are launching Noblesville First Kids this Sunday as well. Families can worship together in Family Worship at 9:45 with the music of the Praise Band in Celebration Hall OR attend the 9:45 Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary (children will be released out of each worship experience at 10:15 to head downstairs to their small group classrooms) OR attend small group classes at 10:15 followed by 11:00 Contemporary Worship in Celebration Hall. We believe we have enough volunteers in place to launch this vital ministry for our children, but we do need more classroom aides to fill out our rotations who are willing to assist our lead teacher once a month. If you love children, Ally Hall will find a spot for you. Email her at ahall@noblesvillefirst.com. Also, we are experiencing some increased construction costs for the check-in desk that we need to facilitate smooth check-in on Sunday morning. We are seeking to raise $3,000. If you can help in anyway, please email jrairdon@noblesvillefirst.com.
Summer Choir also begins this Sunday. All you need to do is come at 9:15AM to practice the anthem for the 9:45 worship. It is a great time to give choir a try before they resume their Wednesday evening rehearsals after Labor Day. You may also want to attend the Choir Retreat, which is Sunday, August 22 from 12:30 to 2:30PM. You will get to sample the music that will be shared this fall and Christmas. For more information, contact Jeff Wright at jwright@noblesvillefirst.com.
We hope you will attend the All-Church Conference on Wednesday, August 11 at 7PM as we decide to move forward on the renovation of the organ and consider refinancing the church mortgage.
To help you get all the information you need to make that decision, David Meats and Jeff Wright have prepared an Organ Renovation Presentation for Sunday, August 8 at 11AM (right after 9:45 worship) in the Sanctuary. David Meats admits that he was opposed to the cost of a full renovation of the organ and decided to research the options himself. I think you will discover he really has done his research and will provide helpful answers to all of your questions. I encourage you to make time for that presentation.
We’re Back! is the title of our worship series for August as we return to full attendance worship. I must confess the new CDC guidelines gave me pause as the Delta variant is creating an uptick in new cases. To do our part to ensure the slowing of transmission, we will encourage people to wear masks indoors in the spaces we congregate most densely but trust individuals to use common sense when to wear them. We understand if you are vaccinated your risk goes down but we also know the continued transmission of this virus could lead to more dangerous variants.
We have put together some fun elements to encourage your return to regular worship. This Sunday, we are holding an Ice Cream Social after each worship. We will have pre-packaged ice cream cups and cookies baked by Mike Cowart to invite you to stick around and chat with one another as we celebrate Christian community. On August 8, Bonnie Zickgraf lined up a Donut Truck to be present before each worship experience (including Teter). We will also celebrate the gift of song that day, as the Chancel Choir and Praise Band will be featured in each of our worship experiences. And again, don’t forget to stick around for the Organ Presentation that day at 11AM. On August 15, we will celebrate the gift of touch as we lift up our many Pastoral Care Ministries.
The United Methodist Women are now collecting items to be sold in the October Rummage Sale. 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 support group session begins on Thursday, August 12 from 6:30-8:30PM in the Bi-Rooms. The group is led by caring people who have experienced grief and have successfully rebuilt their lives. For more information and to register contact Carol Miller at cmiller@noblesvillefirst.com or call the church office at 317-773-2500.
The next DivorceCare support group session begins on Friday, August 13 at 6:30 pm in the Parlor. DivorceCare also uses teaching videos to help you navigate the issues this transition can bring. This vital ministry is open to the community. For more information contact Bill Evers at wmevers@sbcglobal.net.
Thursday Worship will meet tonight via Zoom at 6:30PM. Thursday Worship will return to in person worship in The Vine next Thursday, August 5. Find the Zoom link at NoblesvilleFirst.com/ThursdayWorship.
In Family Worship this Sunday at 9:45 am in Celebration Hall, we start the month with Jesus and our only glimpse into His life as a child. In Luke 2:41-52, we discover that Jesus knew His Father’s house was where He needed to be. Jesus grew in wisdom, faith, and friendship, and this is the model we should follow as we seek to grow in our relationships with God. Bottom Line: Wisdom is worth searching for. Kids are growing up in the information age with access to more data than we could need or imagine. We pray that kids find value in searching for wisdom through God’s Word, trusted friends and Small Group Leaders, and their families. Wisdom is out there; we just need to find it.
For 8:15 Outdoor Worship at Teter and the 9:45 Traditional Worship Pastor Jill and Pastor Jerry will each share how important community is to our lives and faith. Pastor Jill will describe how the pandemic has led to cocooning and Pastor Jerry will explain how vital it is that we recapture the experience of collective effervescence. In preparation, read Hebrews 10:24-25.
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