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.
August 26, 2021
Book 7, Volume 19
On Monday, we had someone come into our office connected to our GriefShare program. Her church is too small to host a funeral and dinner for her 56-year-old daughter who died of Covid after refusing to get vaccinated. We are working to accommodate her needs for this gathering. Her tearful words to me were, “please tell everyone to get vaccinated.” I’ve had some people ask me if the rising number of cases means we will make masks mandatory or even shut down worship and large gatherings at the church. My inclination at this point is that we need to put our energies into encouraging people to get vaccinated. In June and July of 2021, hospitalizations among unvaccinated adults cost our U.S. health system over $2 billion. Some health insurance companies are adding a surcharge to your health premium if you choose not to get vaccinated.
Over 180 million people have been fully vaccinated in the United States and there has not been a single death resulting from those vaccinations. Breakthrough cases are either mild or the more severe cases are happening to those whose vaccinations are nearing the eight-month mark and the antibodies have begun to wane. I believe our economy and our health cannot handle another shutdown. Let’s wear masks where it makes sense, especially around children who cannot be vaccinated yet. If you are immune-compromised or nearing eight months since your last vaccination then consider getting a booster shot. As always talk to your doctor and make the best decisions for your health.
Director of Family Ministry Ally Hall and the pastors met yesterday to look at our Family Worship experience at 9:45AM. Our goal for Family Worship was to maintain a space where families can worship together, experience proclamation and discipleship appropriate to each age level and to encourage families to carry on the faith conversation at home. We will be making a few tweaks to the beginning of this worship time, slightly lengthen the small group time for the children and expand the worship experience for adults with the sermon message shared at the other Sunday worship times. This will mean some reordering of the 9:45 Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary to allow Pastor Jill to preach in both spaces. We will launch these adjustments on September 19.
Football Fridays are back in The Vine (Door 4,5) this week as Noblesville High School takes on Terre Haute South Vigo. Our Family Ministry team will be offering free pizza, games and music after the game until 11PM. If you would like to help parking cars before the game or hang out with the youth after the game, contact Alivia Dieterlen at adieterlen@noblesvillefirst.com.
We now have over 100 tickets sold for the Teter Farm to Table Dinner at Purgatory Golf Club on Friday, September 17, 6:30 to 8:30PM! This fun event features Chef Samantha Lamberth, who makes every meal an adventure. Tickets are $65 and include appetizers, a three-course meal and two drinks. Proceeds benefit the farm's mission to feed hungry people and bring an end to food insecurity in Hamilton County. CLICK HERE to order your tickets now before they run out!
The sunflowers are blooming at Teter! You're invited to come to the farm to take pictures in the sunflower patch and cut up to 6 stems to take some sunshine with you. We request a $10 donation to help us with our mission to reduce food insecurity in our community. Sunflowers are available during daylight hours until the flowers are done. Park along the driveway near the flower patch and follow the yellow arrow to the blooming sunflowers. Please place donations in the Mason Jar by the arrow. Note: there are two plantings, blooming one after the other. The first is closest to the tree line.
The Missions Team is selling fall mums to raise funds for the congregation's mission trips to Mission Guatemala. They are $10 each and a variety of colors are available. Click the link at NoblesvilleFirst.com or stop by the office. Orders are due this coming Monday, August 30. Pick up is Thursday, September 9 from 9AM-1PM or 4:30-6:30PM at the church in parking lot outside Door 7.
Getting Started with the Bible is taking a unique approach this year. The five sessions will be led by five different staff members. This will give you a taste of different approaches to the Bible and help you find your own method of study. CLICK HERE to learn who is leading each session and what will be covered. If you have always been intimidated by the Bible and been reluctant to attend a study and reveal how much you don’t know this is the perfect group for you. It starts on Tuesday, September 7 from 6:30-8PM in the church parlor.
Bonnie Zickgraf, our Pastoral Care Coordinator is seeking someone who can oversee our Card Ministry. Jim Witta has set up a great system to track who needs and is receiving cards and the team has 27 people who faithfully send cards to persons in our congregation. Last month over 150 cards were sent out that keep our congregation connected. For questions, please contact bzickgraf@noblesvillefirst.com.
I’ve been a part of creating a new community event which involves our network of food pantries in Hamilton County called the Hamilton County Hunger Walk. This event will replace the annual CROP Walk and have a more local focus with 75% of the donations staying Hamilton County and 25% shared with Church World Service. You will be able to donate to a specific area of the county or your gift can be shared wherever it is needed most. The event will be held at Dillon Park on Sunday, October 3 at 2PM in person or you can walk remotely or simply donate digitally. Our goal is to eliminate all hunger in Hamilton County. The website will launch in the next week but right now we are seeking help to stage the event at Dillion Park. Joe Chimbanda is on the team planning that work. If you are interested in helping Joe email him at chimbandaja@gmail.com.
We have decided to participate in the Family Promise Top Golf outing to support this ministry to homeless families in Hamilton County. The church's Mission Outreach team will be donating $1,500 which places us in the Corporate Cup competition. I’ve decided to serve as organizing coach and I like to win so I am looking for six of our best golfers in the congregation so we can bring home the trophy. I know we have some incredible golfers so please reach out to me at jrairdon@noblesvillefirst.com to learn more about this event on Sunday, October 24 from 1-5PM.
Thursday Worship will be held on Zoom only this evening at 6:30PM. There's a high chance of thunderstorms and they could get pretty nasty. Under other circumstance, we'd simply move back to The Vine, but Family Promise families are there tonight. So join us on Zoom to continue our discussion on the 10 rules of Christian Conferencing. For more information contact Matt at mhantelman@noblesvillefirst.com.
In Family Worship this Sunday at 9:45AM in Celebration Hall we finish up the month with something Paul wrote in Romans 12:2 ... Don’t live the way this world lives. Let your way of thinking be completely changed. His plan is good and pleasing and perfect (NIrV). As we put our faith in Jesus and allow His Spirit to change us, we’ll not only grow in our relationship with Jesus, but we’ll also mature in how we see the world and the choices we’ll make. Bottom Line: Never stop growing in wisdom. No one ever has all of the wisdom they’ll ever need. We pray that this month sets kids on a journey to discover how they can keep growing in wisdom and their relationship with God.
For the 8:15 Outdoor Worship at Teter and the 9:45 Traditional Worship Pastor Mary Eileen Spence and Pastor Paul Erst will share how vital serving others is to our faith development. In preparation, read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11.
Contemporary Worship has returned in Celebration Hall at 11AM and will enjoy Pastor Mary Eileen and Pastor Paul’s message. Contemporary Worship features the music of our Praise Band and offers a time of individual prayer and communion each week.
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