The Tower Times

March 2004

The Pastor’s Message

March 28
The Seven Last Words of Christ
The Chancel Choir

You are asked to read and study the text each week in preparation for worship.

Rev. Bill

The Adult Fellowship Group

Lenten Choir Program

March 11, 2004:     We will leave at 10:15 to arrive at 10:30 for a guided tour of the new O. Winston Link Museum. Link’s pictures have gained national recognition and the renovated train station is spectacular! Don’t miss this opportunity. The cost of the tour in $4, and lunch will be at Hotel Roanoke.
    Check the bulletin board for our list of upcoming events.  Sign-up now! All adults of the church (of every age) are welcome to these programs/trips.

   The Chancel Choir, soloists and an instrumental ensemble will present Theodore Dubois’ The Seven Last Words of Christ during our service on March 28. This cantata will help to prepare us for the events of Holy Week. We have several meaningful worship experiences planned for our services through the Lenten and Easter season (see the enclosed brochure) that we hope will help you in your spiritual journey.

Hippity-Hoppity, Easter’s On Its Way!

CONFIRMATION CLASS

Family Ministries will be hosting the annual Easter Egg Dye and Hunt this year. All young children and families are invited to dye eggs on Wednesday, April 7 from 5:30-7:00 in the Fellowship Hall during the Lenten dinner. Bring one dozen hard boiled eggs and let the fun begin. The Egg Hunt will be on Saturday, April 10 at 11:00 AM, followed with a pizza lunch and pictures with the Easter Bunny. What a fun way for families to celebrate together the joys of Easter.

Rev. Bill and Tim Dayton will lead this year's Confirmation Class each Sunday, 4:30-6:00 pm beginning March 7. Using the latest United Methodist Confirmation Curriculum entitled Claim the Name, this experience will involve special events as well as mentoring relationships with adults in the congregation our youth have identified as good spiritual models for them. All interested youth should contact the Youth Minister or Senior Pastor.

SPRING LAITY SPIRITUAL GROWTH RETREAT

Talent Show—May 16

The Virginia Conference Annual Spring Laity Retreat will be held April 17-18 at the Virginia United Methodist Assembly Center, Blackstone.  Dr. Evelyn Laycock, immediate past Director of the Lay Ministry Center at Lake Junaluska, N.C.,  and Professor Emeritus of Religion at Hiwassee College, will lead this event entitled, "Come Unto Me and Take My Yoke." Cost is $68.  Registration material is available in the church office.

The Wesley Class would like to thank everyone for supporting the “Annual Pizza Project”. Through your purchases and donations, we will be able to send at least 10 deserving CHIP children to Camp Alta Mons and provide meals for the Trinity UMC Children’s Outreach Project (COP).

IT’S SNOWING!  IS CHURCH OPEN?
In most cases of inclement weather on Sunday mornings or Wednesday nights Sunday School and worship services will be held as scheduled.  If travel is determined by the National Weather Service to be too dangerous (e.g. ice on roads) church activities will be cancelled.  This decision will be made by 7 a.m. Sunday and 4 p.m. Wednesday.  Cancellation announcement only will be made on:
--the church answering system (344-4437),
--the church website (www.srumc.com), and
--television stations WDBJ 7, WSET 10, WSLS 13.
In the event of the cancellation of Sunday morning activities all Sunday activities are also cancelled.  In other words, if there is no announcement, we are open!

During Lent the Senior Pastor will begin teaching workshops entitled "Healthy Congregations" with our church leaders (Lay Leader, Lay Member of Annual Conference, and Chairs of Administrative Board, Council on Ministries, Finance, Trustees, and Staff-Parish Relations). "Healthy Congregations," developed by Dr. Peter Steinke based upon the family systems theory of Dr. Murray Bowen and as applied to congregations by Dr. Edwin Freidman, is a series of six workshops which have proven to be effective in promoting communication and unity within a congregation.

On February 23-24 our church staff attended the "Family Systems Retreat: The Emotional Side of Congregations" sponsored by the Potomac Highlands Mission Community of the Lutheran and Presbyterian Churches at Massanetta Springs near Harrisonburg, Va. Led by Dr. Roberta Gilbert, medical director and supervisor in postgraduate training at the Georgetown Family Center, the retreat focused on the effectiveness of leadership which understands that the "congregation is an organism with 'a life of its own.' Issues addressed included "How to survive high anxiety?" and "How do I manage myself when people start attacking each other, or me?" Dr. Gilbert is among the most expert and capable teachers of Family Systems theory as developed by Dr. Murray Bowen.

ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING…Please give from your heart to the One Great Hour of Sharing offering, to be received on March 21, the fourth Sunday of Lent. Donations to this annual offering help underwrite the administrative costs of UMCOR so the United Methodist humanitarian aid agency can continue to deliver resources that enable the transformation of entire communities. UMCOR provides emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out more about UMCOR's ministries, please visit the website: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/.

Financial Report:  The Finance Committee met on February 16, 2004 to review the final income and expenses for the church in 2003. Here are the results:

Thanks to all for making this a good year.
  Mary Ragland
  Chair, Finance Committee