Category: Weekly Update

A Word from Father Brian about our Pledge Drive:

Our Leadership Council meets on Saturday morning to begin our reflections on our collective response to the questions posed: ‘Could Spurgeon be the new home God has in store for us?’, and if so, ‘What is God leading me/us to contribute towards the purchase?’

Thank you to all who have prayerfully considered and responded to the questions.

If you have not yet done so, I urge you to respond by Friday afternoon at the latest (The link to the Survey Monkey can be found here: CtR Survey Monkey Pledge Card; or you can simply email your responses to Janie Atwood: maryjaneatwood@gmail.com ). We truly desire and need to hear your voice; to hear your prayerful reflections on the questions posed.

The Leadership Council is committed to asking the question: ‘Is God in this?’ One of the primary ways the Council will answer that question is through their prayerful reflections on our collective responses.

We are remarkably at peace about the process and are eager to hear what the Spirit is saying to us and through us about these things. Please commit to pray for the Council as we meet on Saturday. We trust we will make a preliminary response during worship on Sunday.

On behalf of the Council,

Brian+

In addition to this,  there are several meetings coming up in preparation for the Discipleship Hour and Sunday School Shift happening on September 8th.:

Parent Meeting, August 25th, 12:00pm – ALL parents are encouraged to attend and hear from Jennifer and David+ about the changes and new routines that will be put into effect in the Children and Youth Ministries starting September 8th.

Children’s Chapel Planning Mtg., August 24th, 9:00am

Discipleship Hour Planning Mtg., August 25th, 12:00pm

Discipleship Hour/ Sunday School Shift, September 8th, 9:00am – The Sunday School, Youth, and Adults will all be meeting at 9:00am in order to use this hour as the primary place where we come to “Learn Christ Together” (the Nursery will also be open during this time). The three classes offered for adults will be:

1. 1. Introduction to the Catechism
   2. Growing Compassionate Kids
   3. Study of the Book of James.

Be thinking about which class would like to sign up for! More details to come soon.

“but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.”

-Isaiah 40:31

Farewell to the Bustetters and Stephanie Wilks

Please be praying for smooth transitions for Stan and Debra Bustetter as they move to Georgia on Monday, as well as for Stephanie Wilks who will move to Oklahoma next Saturday. Both the Bustetters and Stephanie are moving to be closer to family, so pray also that they will be blessings to their families.

O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel [especially Stan, Debra, and Stephanie]; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

– Collect for Those Who Travel, BCP 2019

Congregational Meeting this Sunday

Beja Friends Conference Next Weekend

Next Friday, August 2nd and Saturday 3rd, our church will host this year’s Beja Friends Conference: a meeting with missionary friends & a few others with a vision to see an indigenous church among the Beja people, one of the least reached people groups. The meeting will begin on Friday evening, where the missionaries will give a presentation about the Beja people & the ongoing ministry work to bring them the Good News, and to help them in other ways. On Saturday, we will continue planning.

We invite you to attend Friday evening and hear about what God is doing in North East Africa through Christians in that area. Dinner will be provided, beginning at 6pm. RSVP for the dinner through the following Evite: Beja Friends Dinner. Child care will be available for babies and toddlers. You are welcome to attend any part of the meeting on Friday, or Saturday as well. Please direct any questions to David or Diane Condron, the meeting coordinators. David (412) 515-4935. Diane (412) 799-4034.

Last Chance for Lost and Found

Please take some time on Sunday to look through the “Lost and Found” bin located in the Fellowship Hall. Everything in the bin will either be donated or recycled if is not claimed by July 31st!  Thank you for your help with this!

Save the Date: Transfiguration Service

On Tuesday, August 6th at 8:30am, we will be celebrating the Feast of the Transfiguration at Morning Prayer with Holy Communion. We hope you can join us!

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O gracious God, your servant and apostle James was first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ: Pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service, by which they may have true authority among your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

– Prayer for the Feast of Saint James, BCP 2019

Hope you all are staying cool in the midst of this extremely hot weather!

Continue to pray for all of those who are packing, moving, and transitioning to new places this summer. The Matlacks will be moving this weekend, and the Bustetters, Stephanie Wilks, and the Angles will be moving toward the end of July and into August. Please remember them in your prayers – for safety, peace, and a place of worship in their future homes.

Meals for the James Family

Bethany Dryfka’s sister & her family have moved back to Norfolk from Charlottesville, and have added a new addition their family: baby Kennedy Mae!  They are planning to make CtR their church home and are staying with the Inmans while they look for a house. Bethany has put together a “Take Them a Meal” to help them adjust to being a family of 5, as well as moving back to Norfolk . Their names are Lydia & Tim James and their kids are Erling, Nora & Kennedy Mae. Click the link to sign up to bring a meal: https://takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=RTHF8852.

Beja Friends Conference at CtR

On August 2nd and 3rd, our church will host this year’s Beja Friends Conference: a meeting with missionary friends & a few others with a vision to see an indigenous church among the Beja people, one of the least reached people groups. The meeting begins Friday. On Friday evening, the missionaries will give a presentation about the Beja people & the ongoing ministry work to bring them the Good News, and to help them in other ways. On Saturday, we continue planning. Please come on Friday evening and hear about what God is doing in North East Africa through Christians in that area. Dinner will be provided, beginning at 6pm. RSVP for the dinner through the following Evite: Beja Friends Dinner. Child care will be available for babies and toddlers. You are welcome to attend any part of the meeting on Friday or Saturday, also. Please direct any questions to David or Diane Condron, the meeting coordinators. David (412) 515-4935. Diane (412) 799-4034.

Missing Something?

There are several kids sippy cups accumulating in the kitchen. For the next two weeks, there will be a box labeled “Lost and Found” in Fellowship Hall, which will have the sippy cups, as well as other miscellaneous homeless items. Please check out the box and retrieve any items that you think might be yours! Items in the box will either be donated or thrown away by the end of July. Thank you for your help with this!

Looking forward to worshiping with you on Sunday!

Meals for the James Family

Alpha Update

The Alpha classes concluded on July 1st, and the Lord moved mightily through the group! Thank you for your faithful prayers. Speak with Janis Campbell, David+ Watts, Eric and Bethany Dryfka, or Diane Condron for reports of His gracious encounters during the classes.

Beja Friends Conference at CtR

On August 2nd and 3rd, our church will host this year’s Beja Friends Conference: a meeting with missionary friends & a few others with a vision to see an indigenous church among the Beja people, one of the least reached people groups. The meeting begins Friday. On Friday evening, the missionaries will give a presentation about the Beja people & the ongoing ministry work to bring them the Good News, and to help them in other ways. On Saturday, we continue planning. Please come on Friday evening and hear about what God is doing in North East Africa through Christians in that area. Dinner will be provided, beginning at 6pm. RSVP for the dinner through the following Evite: Beja Friends Dinner. Child care will be available for babies and toddlers. You are welcome to attend any part of the meeting on Friday or Saturday, also. Please direct any questions to David or Diane Condron, the meeting coordinators. David (412) 515-4935. Diane (412) 799-4034.

Missing Something?

There are several kids sippy cups, which do not belong to CtR, accumulating in the kitchen. On Sunday, there will be a box labeled “Lost and Found” in Fellowship Hall, which will have the sippy cups, as well as other miscellaneous homeless items. Please check out the box and retrieve any items that you think might be yours! Items in the box will either be donated or thrown away by the end of July. Thank you for your help with this!

Looking forward to worshiping with you on Sunday!

Pray for the Maases and the Scarletts

We pray for traveling mercies to accompany Brad, Georgia, Jackson, Emma, and Johnny Maas as they depart tomorrow for Naples, Italy. We also pray for Jamal, Janice, Sydney, Nathan, and Eleanor Scarlett and Cynthia Abria as they leave on Sunday for St. Louis, MO.

O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel [especially the Maas Family and the Scarlett Family]; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

– Collect for Those Who Travel, BCP 2019

Youth BBQ moved to Sunday!

The Youth BBQ will now be on Sunday after church, instead of Saturday evening. The location will remain the same: Inman’s new home. All youth, and their families and friends, are invited to come, hang out, and eat some yummy BBQ with us! Please RSVP through the Evite. If you haven’t received it, email Sydney at admin@christtheredeemer.org (and if friends are coming, include them in your RSVP total). Plan to bring a side dish or drink to share, and we’ll provide the main dish and desserts!

Beja Friends Conference at CtR

On August 2nd and 3rd, our church will host this year’s Beja Friends Conference: a meeting with missionary friends & a few others with a vision to see an indigenous church among the Beja people, one of the least reached people groups. The meeting begins Friday. On Friday evening, the missionaries will give a presentation about the Beja people & the ongoing ministry work to bring them the Good News, and to help them in other ways. On Saturday, we continue planning. Please come on Friday evening and hear about what God is doing in North East Africa through Christians in that area. Dinner will be provided, beginning at 6pm. RSVP for the dinner through the following Evite: Beja Friends Dinner. Child care will be available for babies and toddlers. You are welcome to attend any part of the meeting on Friday or Saturday, also. Please direct any questions to David or Diane Condron, the meeting coordinators. David (412) 515-4935. Diane (412) 799-4034.

Note for Parents

We have recently installed a Parent Alert Visual Pager in the Sanctuary (near the Exit sign to the left of the altar). This will be used to communicate to parents of children in the Nursery should there be any reason for you to come retrieve your children before the usual time (during Passing of the Peace). The numbered tag given to you at the Children’s Check-in Table will be the same number that will show up on the Alert Monitor, if your child is needing to be picked up early. If you have any questions about this, please email Sydney at admin@christtheredeemer.org.

One last thing, if  you need to step out of the service for any reason, the service is “piped in” to the Fellowship Hall. This set-up was created in order for you to still be able to listen in to the service while tending to your kids, family members, or any other personal matter.

Looking forward to worshiping with you on Sunday!

Dn. David’s Ordination, and Confirmations this Sunday!

Bishop Mike Williams from the Special Jurisdiction of Armed Forces and Chaplaincy will be joining us for the Ordination of Deacon David Watts and the Confirmations of the following individuals: Rachel Inman, Emma Maas, Jackson Maas, Ezekiel Mabus, Nathan Scarlett, Sydney Scarlett, Ben Snodgrass, and Esther Snodgrass.  

Thank you to all of you who responded to the survey to help track attendance for the service; it looks like we’re going to have a packed house. Plan to arrive early to find a seat!

For those who will be Confirmed, please attend the rehearsal on Saturday at 3:00pm. Confirmands, as well as all those involved in the service (readers, presenters, etc.), are also expected to arrive an hour early on Sunday morning, by 9:15am. 

Parents, Please Read!

Since we are planning for this Sunday to be a longer service, there will be an extended pre-Children’s Church time. The Ordination and Confirmations will be taking place before the reading of Scripture, so kids ages 4 through 5th grade will not be dismissed until after the Ordination, Confirmation and the Lessons. The Nursery (ages 0 to 3) will be open, as usual, starting at the beginning of the service. Please plan to arrive early in order to check-in your children for the Nursery. 

Speaking of check-in, we have recently installed a Parent Alert Visual Pager in the Sanctuary (near the Exit sign to the left of the altar). This will be used to communicate to parents of children in the Nursery should there be any reason for you to come retrieve your children before the usual time (during Passing of the Peace). The numbered tag given to you at the Children’s Check-in Table will be the same number that will show up on the Alert Monitor, if your child is needing to be picked up early. If you have any questions about this, please email Sydney at admin@christtheredeemer.org. 

One last thing, if  you need to step out of the service for any reason, the service is “piped in” to the Fellowship Hall. This set-up was created in order for you to still be able to listen in to the service while tending to your kids, family members, or any other personal matter. 

International Student Request

An international student friend of Hank Thompson is looking to purchase a used vehicle. If you have any information of a good used vehicle, please contact Hank immediately at (757) 277-4059. Thank you!

Youth Ministry’s End of Year Event

Saturday, July 6th, 6:00pm at the Inman’s (new) House.

Join us for a time for family of youth, youth, and their friends to socialize, celebrate, worship, and prayerfully send off those who are leaving. Please RSVP through the Evite (if you haven’t received it, please email Sydney at admin@christtheredeemer.org).

Looking forward to a wonderful celebration on Sunday!

Upcoming Events

We have a busy weekend ahead of us, as well as a full month of exciting celebrations! Make sure you are aware of all of the meetings and events coming up:

Saturday, June 8th–

• 9:00am – Leadership Council Meeting ,
• 11:30am – Baptism Walk-through with Father Brian
• 5:00pm – Talent Show and Ministry Fair

Pentecost, Sunday, June 9th –

• Ministry Fair during Hospitality Hour
• 12:00pm – Discipleship Hour Planning Lunch
• 12:00pm – Women’s Retreat Planning

Trinity Sunday, June 16th – Baptisms (9:30am Baptismal Walk-through)

Sunday, June 30th – Bishop visiting for Dn. David Watts’ ordination and eight confirmations!

*To see all our events in one place, check out our website Calendar

Talent Show and Ministry Fair

Join us this Saturday, 5:00pm – 7:00pm for this fun, inter-generational event! We’ll start with a Ministry Fair highlighting the different ministries at CtR. Then we will have a covered dish dinner, followed by the Talent Show! All ages are encouraged to participate, whether it is a serious talent or something silly.
Plan to bring a dish to share and your talent to show off. See you on Saturday!

Note on Discipleship Hour

The only Discipleship Hour class that will be meeting this Sunday is “Personality and Service: Finding Your Place in Ministry.” After Sunday, Discipleship Hour will take a break for the summer and pick back up in September.

Congratulations, Grads!

Congratulations to everyone who graduated this year. We especially want to recognize:

• Alex Angle graduated from Regent University Law School
• Jackson Maas graduating from Grassfield High School
• Katelyn Richardson (granddaughter of Temple) graduating from Great Bridge High School

It’s Not Goodbye, but ‘See You Later’!

Unfortunately, this summer we will be saying goodbye to several families and individuals who are transitioning out of Norfolk, for work, school, or family reasons. Please keep the following folks in your prayers as they are in the midst of packing and preparing to move to different parts of the country: The Maas Family, The Matlack Family, The Scarlett Family, Alex and Stephanie Angle, and Stephanie Wilks. We will greatly miss all of you!

Hope to see you on Saturday evening, and don’t forget to wear red on Pentecost!