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, sign up to receive it weekly in your inbox, tune in on Thursdays for Pastor Jerry's Facebook Live, or watch the video recording anytime.
January 21, 2021
Book 6, Volume 40
This week Nancy and I are celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary. Our actual wedding date was January 18th but we will be celebrating Friday night and Saturday. As you may recall Nancy and I take turns planning a surprise anniversary experience. This year is Nancy’s turn which will certainly not be easy to pull off given the restrictions of the pandemic. Whatever we do will be fine. Nancy has been such a blessing in my life and especially during this pandemic I’ve experienced how deep our friendship is, given the amount of time we have spent with each other. She is a wonderful quarantine companion!
This week I’ve participated in a couple of community efforts. On Monday, I was a member of a six-person panel that held a discussion on racial justice in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Noblesville First’s Norm Williams guided the discussion held in the Sanctuary of the Bethel A.M.E. Church. If you want to listen to the conversation you will find it posted on the Noblesville Diversity Coalition Facebook page at Facebook.com/NoblesvilleDiversity. We had some audio issues that took about 20 minutes to resolve so I encourage you to scroll to the twenty-minute mark of the recording where the dialogue is much easier to follow.
I was also part of a spontaneous effort in organizing a Prayers for Peace event on the south steps of the Indiana Statehouse on Tuesday. A parishioner in Zionsville UMC sent a text to Pastor David Williamson suggesting we should call people to prayer in response to the insurrection in our nation’s Capitol and to promote a peaceful transfer of power. David reached out to our North Indy UMC Pastor’s group and to the Center for Interfaith Cooperation and together we gathered representatives from several faith expressions in Indianapolis. It was a moving experience to hear the three-minute prayers and statements from Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Catholic, United Methodist and African American faith communities. Indy Mayor Joe Hogsett attended, and a statement was read from Governor Eric Holcomb. If you wish to experience this 45-minute effort go to the Facebook page of the Center for Interfaith Cooperation at Facebook.com/CenterForInterfaithCooperation
New brochures for the rescheduled Holy Land Tour have arrived and are now available in the church office. All 22 persons registered for this year’s planned trip have transferred to the new date for the trip now scheduled for April 26-May 5 of 2022. I would love to see this group grow to over 30. There will be plenty of time this summer and fall to register. If you are interested in this life-changing experience I encourage you to block out these dates on your calendar and check out the brochure. You will read the Bible with a whole new perspective after seeing the historical sites where Jesus walked and taught. Email me at for more information.
Hanna Rose has started her Family Ministry internship at Noblesville First and shared with our staff her initial steps to launch a respite ministry for families of children with special needs. Hanna will be with us until April 16. She is a graduate student enrolled in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at the University of Indianapolis, where she is completing her final semester of studies. During her time with Noblesville First UMC, Hanna plans to organize, plan, and implement two respite nights for caregivers and parents of children with disabilities. Through the implementation of these respite nights, her goal is to assist caregivers in improving their overall health, psychological well-being, and quality of life, while simultaneously providing the children with disabilities opportunities to improve their social skills through interaction with similar peers. She will also be working with other ministries within the church, such as Teter Farm, the Care Team, and the Preschool. Hanna is excited about the opportunities she has to serve others and is eager to get started!
Our Administrative Board meeting was moved to next Monday, January 25 due to the Martin Luther King Holiday. We are thankful for the service of Coleen Albright who retires from the Board after three plus years of service. We are adding two new members to the Board, Erin Redding and Rachel Snyder, and have established a three-year rotation to ensure a stable succession of leadership. Our Board meetings are open to the congregation except for matters regarding personnel. If you wish to attend email to receive the Zoom invite.
The links to register for our Noblesville First Blood Drive are now available. This vital resource is now in short supply, so your blood donations are vital. Our Blood Drive will be held in Celebration Hall on Monday, January 25 from 3-6 pm with safe, social distancing and proper safety protocols in place. Find details and registration at NoblesvilleFirst.com/BloodDrive.
The next DivorceCare support group series will begin, Friday, January 29, 2021 - 6:30-8;30 pm. Meetings will be held through Zoom. DivorceCare is for all those that are divorced, separated or considering separation from a mate. Visit NoblesvilleFirst.com/DivorceCare or contact Bill Evers, for more information.
We continue to make progress with our 200 Envelope Fundraiser for Student Ministry efforts in 2021. Tom Shriver-McGrevy says you have taken 60 of the 200 envelopes after two Sundays and with a week to go. Please help us finish strong as we hope to schedule some trips to Give Kids the World this fall. To choose "an envelope" click the link at NoblesvilleFirst.com/200envelopes. This will take you to a form we've created that will allow you to select a virtual envelope valued from $1-$200. If you choose #50, for example, you'll provide a $50 donation. Donations can be made online, by check, or by cash. Please make checks payable to Noblesville First with "200 Envelopes" in the memo line. You can also now text 200 to the number 33777 to get the online donation form. All monies earned will benefit the Student Ministries of Noblesville First.
Your generosity also makes possible other Student Ministry activities and events like our upcoming parent training session ... Parenting in a Pandemic: How to Connect with Your Teens, led by professional counselor Kristen Boice. It will be a Zoom gathering on Wednesday, February 24 from 6:30-8:30pm. For more information, go to Noblesvillefirst.com/parenting.
Tonight at Thursday Worship Pastor Matt will continue his Questions? series with How can our church be more active in making our voices heard? The world is ever changing, and along with it the perception of what Christians are all about. Come and join in to discuss what we can be doing to spread the Gospel amidst an ever-loudening voice of "Christians" who don't seem to represent Christ. How do we make our love heard above the hate? Thursday Worship starts at 6:30pm and can be accessed via Zoom through the link provided at NoblesvilleFirst.com/ThursdayWorship.
Our series in Family Worship this month is all about responsibility! God has given each of us responsibility over something in our lives and it is up to us to use that power to the best of our ability. This week, we will hear the Parable of the Bags of Gold which can be found in Matthew 25:14-30. We will learn how to truly make the most out of what we've been given each and every day. Find the links for Family Worship at NoblesvilleFirst.com/FamilyWorship.
In Traditional Worship at 8:30 and 11:00, you will learn a lot about mustard seeds and plants as we capture the message of the parable of the Mustard Seed. We will compare Jesus’ purpose in sharing this parable with the dynamic of a viral video, sharing one particular viral video that has received over ten million views. In preparation, read Matthew 13:31-32.
Be sure to check out the Opportunities to Serve and share your Prayer Requests using the links at NoblesvilleFirst.com or on the Noblesville First mobile app. And share your pastoral needs by emailing or calling the 24/7 Care Line at 317-773-2590.
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Jerry Rairdon
