2330 South Jefferson Street
Roanoke, Virginia 24014

Phone: (540) 344-4437
Fax: (540) 345-8041

Isn’t it time you came back to church?

 We’re ready for you!  Come on back to church now that summer is over.  You need to come back before other activities and events begin to crowd your calendar!

 Come back to church.  Worship is too vital to miss!

 You need to be in Sunday School.  Our classes for adults, youth, and children are ready for you!

 Bring your children!  Our children’s choirs meet Sunday evenings and our ‘Peanut M&M’s’ older elementary group meets Thursdays after school.

 Send your youth to our UMY (United Methodist Youth) on Sunday evenings for fellowship, fun, and faith!

 Isn’t it time you came back to church?  There is no better time than RALLY DAY, Sunday, September 12.  With worship and Sunday School in the morning and Carnival with children and youth activities and Cookout in the afternoon this day promises to be a great ‘kick-off’ for our fall program.

 Bring a friend!  At this writing we are setting our attendance goals for our worship, Sunday School, and other activities.  Let’s make this a great day in the life of South Roanoke Church!

HOMECOMING, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

The Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Carter Pugh, Professor of Religious Studies at Elon College, will bring the message.  His family along with his sister Sara Ingram became a part of our church family a number of years ago.  As a member of the Virginia Annual Conference he is related to our Charge Conference.  We look forward to hearing him.  You will want to invite others with ties and connections to South Roanoke to attend.

You are invited to:
"SPIRITUAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN
CATHOLICS AND THE UNITED METHODIST"

The Roanoke District Council on Ministries adopted the program "Yearning to be One: Spiritual Dialogue Between Catholics and United Methodists" at their annual retreat in May because people have asked to know more about being Methodists.

Yearning to be One in Christ, known as Dialogue will give Catholics and United Methodists a chance to better understand themselves and each other. This program has been prepared for those curious about their own denomination, those who want to ask questions about their own Church’s beliefs or the rituals, signs, symbols and practices of the other. This program is especially good for couples where one is Roman Catholic and the other is United Methodist.

The schedule for Dialogue is:

Sept. 14th, Tues., 6:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, Salem

                   Fr. Joe Lehmann leading discussion on Living Our Faith

Sept. 21st, Tues., 6:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Nazareth

                    Rev. Anthony Busic leading discussion on Exploring the Spirituality of Dialogue

Sept. 28th, Tues., 6:30 p.m. at Windsor Hills United Methodist

                    Rev. Bud Davis leading discussion on worshiping in Holy Communion

Oct. 6th, Weds., 6:30 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist

Worship with Rev. Sharon Michael and Community Outreach Children followed with Rev. Marianne Bird leading discussion on Mission.

The meetings will last 2 hours with refreshments. Those pastors seeking CEU’s should let Judy Scholz at Trinity UMC (342-3501) know. Registration is not required, but would be most helpful. Please call Judy and let her know how many are coming from your church.

Dinner Groups

Adult Fellowship Group

To the SRUMC Congregation:

The following quote comes from the Acknowledgments section of my dissertation:

"... I also thank members of two congregations -- Blacksburg United Methodist Church and South Roanoke United Methodist Church -- who bolstered my morale and sustained me through family crises in the midst of the dissertation process." 

(p. vi of "Alleviating Stress in Clergy Wives: The Development and Formative Evaluation of a Psychoeducational Group Intervention")

Thank you for helping to alleviate my stress! God bless.

Polly Roberts

Girl Scout News

Troop 34 has painted the Youth House basement a lovely shade of blue. It looks very crisp and clean. They spent over 30 hours each sanding, priming, cleaning and painting. There were 6 girls total for 180 volunteer hours. Girls in the troop: Michelle Woody, Laura Long, Katy Cain, Danielle Ferguson, Rachel Cochran, and Ashley Woolwine.

Troop 213 is in the process of revamping the furniture inside the youth house basement, as well as improving the outside grounds. Each of these girls will have spent over 50 hours each for a total of 250 volunteer hours. Girls in the troop include: Daisy Frabell, Lydia Higgs, Amanda Nelson, Alexander Volpone and Amanda Gordon.

SUNDAY  SCHOOL  TEACHERS

CELEBRATE  SUNDAY SCHOOL.!    Look at the wonderful  people who  have signed up to teach and coordinate our Sunday School for the 2004/2005 school year.

2004-2005  SCHOOL YEAR  FALL-SEPT,OCT,NOV    WINTER-DEC,JAN,FEB  SPRING-MAR,APR,MAY
NURSEY & TODDLERS             COLEEN MARSTON      COLEEN MARSTON           COLEEN MARSTON
3 & 4 YR OLDS                       PATTY OSHIDA          PATTY OSHIDA              PATTY OSHIDA
                                              GRACE & TIMOTHY      GRACE & TIMOTHY          GRACE & TIMOTHY 

K & 1ST  `                            LYDIA WHEELOCK    BONNIE DAYTON               ANNE BLACKWELL
                                           BONNIE DAYTON        NANCY & DAVID CUMINS   DECILLE ADKINS 

2ND & 3RD                        JANELLE MUNDY      CAMERON HUFFMAN           BARBARA BARBOUR
                                          TIM JOHNSON           ROBIN MILLER                    JANE WALLACE

4TH & 5TH                            BARBARA BARBOUR     KATHY CAIN                      DAWN LONG
                                           SUSAN DORSEY          VICKIE SHERERTZ            TOMMY WHITAKER

JR. HIGH                     SUSAN  & CALVIN WITT 
SR. HIGH                     TODD & BETH ABBOTT   

SS YEAR 2004-2005                 SUNDAY SCHOOL COORDINATORS
NURSEY & TODDLERS                         COLEEN MARSTON
3 & 4 YR OLDS and K - 5TH GRADE    VACANT
YOUTH  6TH -12TH GRADE                  SUSAN & CALVIN WITT
ADULT-WESLEY                                    JOHN DeVERTER
ADULT-WIMMER                                   DOTTIE WALKER
ADULT-ALDERSGATE                           BRUCE LONG
ADULT-PATHFINDERS                         BRET MARSTON

The 2004/2005 SS year begins officially on Sunday 12,September -- better known as RALLY DAY. Please plan to begin this day by attending a Church breakfast at 9:30 AM followed by Sunday School Classes 10:00 AM.

2000 years ago Jesus Christ, our savior, a great teacher did not teach Science, English or History.  Jesus revealed to us, in a way we all could understand, the word of GOD, the Father.  SRUMC Sunday School Teachers, with the help of Christ in their hearts, will help you understand more about the word of GOD.  All of us at SRUMC, -- children,  youth, and adults need this learning,  and SS is the ideal place to get it.  Please plan to begin or renew your SS experience on RALLY DAY and attend SS regularly.  You surely will love God and Christ more for doing it.

Our Simple Request:   “Change for a Quarter”

    That’s what the Missions Committee of our church is requesting…  in order to spread Christ’s Love in Mission projects, nationally and world-wide. But before you dig into your pocket for dimes, nickels and pennies  ...let us explain further:  The “Quarter” we speak of  is a “quarter of the year”( Sept., Oct., Nov., 2004)  and the “change” we request is all you have in your pocket each end-of-the-day, not just two dimes and a nickel.

    Here’s the plan:  On twelve Sundays from Sept. 12^th thru Nov. 28^th,  we will collect the “change” which each family unit has collected the previous week from daily “pocket-emptying” to be put into a fund for National and World Missions projects, which were deleted from our current 2004 budget. [You will soon receive detailed mailed instructions]

    During the Fall months, you will hear vital information about National and World Mission projects your “change” will support.

MISSIONS IN ACTION

      I love to see God working through people who are willing, able, and excited about going out of their comfort zone to make the world a better  place. Dr. Jerry Freund is one of those people. In early June, he left a comfortable home, his wife, and a dependable income as a family practitioner to go work at Maua Methodist Hospital in Kenya for a year. He heard God’s call to go back to Africa where he had worked many years ago after medical school.  
     Talk about jumping in the deep end with both feet, Jerry’s first assignment at Maua Hospital was to head up the AIDS clinic for a month.  He reported in emails seeing diseases he only read about in medical school. He is seeing the human tragedy up close and personal and yet, he’s also seeing the slow, steady work of God in the hearts of many who are battling HIV/AIDS.  The strength and depth of their faith must be unlike anything Jerry has ever seen.  From time to time, he will send me email updates intended for our congregation and I will gladly post them on our bulletin board. 
     Part of the proceeds from the Miracle of Missions yard sale was intended for Jerry’s support while at Maua Hospital, however, he insists on giving it to the hospital for their AIDS Orphans Fund. He sees the need and is responding to it. That’s missions in action!
     On October 2, 2004, the Kisumu, Kenya Sister City Committee will host a community forum as our annual fundraiser titled “HIV/AIDS: Communities In Action” which will be held at the Va. Western Community College Auditorium from 1-6 pm. There will be 4 speakers including Dr. Ruby Sokwala from Kisumu, Kenya discussing HIV/AIDS in Africa as well as in the Roanoke Valley. Did you know that one of the African-American communities in our area has the fastest growing HIV+ rate in the state of Virginia?  It’s a well kept secret here in Roanoke, but we hope this forum will change that. Our goal is to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and present ways we can prevent it in our community.  A donation to cover forum expenses at $10 per person and $5 for students is recommended.  If you would like more information, please contact me at the following numbers.  We hope to see you there!

Diane D’Orazio

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO EPWORTH-BY-THE-SEA?

I am beginning plans for a 4 day, 3 night trip to St. Simon Island, staying at the Georgia Methodist Conference Center, Epworth By The Sea.  We would stay in motel like housing and have meals furnished.  Bob Garner has agreed to go with us to tell us about the Wesley’s in the US.  There is a museum of Wesley items located there.  Travel would be by Linkous Christian Tours.  The cost would be about $100/day ($400). The dates are May 16, 17, 18  and 19, 2005

I NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY ARE INTERESTED BEFORE I PROCEED FURTHER WITH THE PLANS.

Would you either call me at 774-6568 or call Joe at the church so that I will know if there is enough interest to make the plans and reservations.  This is not a commitment to go but a strong indication of your intentions. I would like this information by October 1, 2004.

               Romona Williams
 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

GUESTS and VISITORS are welcome to join us at South Roanoke for worship and fellowship. We invite those who have no church home to make South Roanoke your church and add your witness to ours.  And for a modern worship experience, join us each Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. for our contemporary service.

PLEASE SEND ARTICLES for the October issue of the Tower Times by September 15 to Joe Kennedy, or email to joesrumc@aol.com. Articles can be sent at any time prior to the deadline.