THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Message from Pastor Mori 

Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church The Weekly Newsletter    Message from Pastor Mori Dear Ravenswood Fellowship family,   This week's news made me sad: cases of COVID-19 are rocketing high again, the Haiti earthquake and hurricane, and news from Afghanistan.  I need to be honest, some video clips made me cry, so I needed to turn off the video and enter prayer for the people. I went to the RFUMC sanctuary and prayed.    And I watched the video clips, there was a vivid and heart-rending scene of a baby handed to U.S. troops over a barbed- wire fence at the Kabul airport which made me think about what life and death and I remembered Ephesians 3:12 "in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him."    The situation looks like it is out of our control and that we can do nothing for them. However, we can pray, so I want to ask you to pray for them.    Please pray for displaced people. A new wave of refugees is expected to come from Afghanistan, please pray for them to have God's protection and provision in their journeys.    And please pray for the women. Many of them are hiding in their homes and burning their diplomas and evidence that they have been working. Finally pray for the sick, COVID-19 cases are spiking in the country and hospitals are limited.    Also, if you want to support Afghan Refugees, please sign a petition to "Accept Afghanistan Refugees." Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors encourages United Methodists to sign a petition from "Faithful America."  Here is the link from NIC Click to learn more.   Your signature will encourage the government to help vulnerable Afghans to evacuate and resettle, especially those who helped the United States and other countries, as well as women, LGBTQ people, and ethnic and religious minorities.   Thank you for your praying    Mori    Give on PayPal    Community Info & Links                 Mask Mandate starting Friday August 20                                              RFUMC Backpack Blessing              Each year Kids Above All partners with members of the community, as well as our faith, corporate and community partners to make sure the school-aged kids in our programs have what they need to succeed this upcoming year. The Backpack blessing will take place here at church on Sunday August 29, After worship service. As with our recent drives, we've created Amazon Wishlist to help make ordering items for our kids and easy as possible. Please send or drop off donated school supplies at the church office (4511 N Hermitage Ave Chicago IL 60640) by August 28. Catherine Inserra who works for Kids Above All will give us sermon and blessing for the students. Download a copy of the flyer for distribution here.                                             RFUMC Deep Listening Day                                            CONSULTANT MEETING WITH Rev. Beth Estock   We will have time to listen to your voice about the Ravenswood Fellowship life and find the best way to grow up together and become an even more beautiful community.                                       Ravenswood Fellowship UMC Deep Listening Day Schedule.                            Please choose one of the following group (Sign-Up)                                                             Group A  Sunday  Sep 19  9:00 – 10:30 AM                               Group B  Sunday  Sep 19  12:00-  1:30  PM                               Group C  Monday Sep  20 10:00 -11:30  AM Rev. Beth Estock coaches churches all over the united State. She grew up in the Midwest, began her patrol work in the Bible Belt, and then moved to the Pacific Northwest two decades ago. She is an ordained pastor in The United Methodist Church, a contemplative, cultural architect, and futurist. She and her husband, Jeff, and two daughters live in Portland, Oregon.   Please register to join at sign-up link here or call to the Church office 773-561-2610. If you have any questions about The Early Adopter Consultant Program at the Ravenswood Fellowship UMC, please let us know!         RFUMC Second Rainbow Sunday                                                                             Second Rainbow Sunday - Sep 05 2021  During the months of August through November, we will be celebrating Rainbow Sundays when we will invite guest preachers from the LGBTQ+ community to give us their messages of inclusiveness and welcome.On Sep 5th Sundaywe will listen sermon from Rev. Andi Voinovich.                                                                       Well-being Ministry                                       RFUMC Yoga Class Open                                                                  Yoga classes start on September 11 Saturday  8:45-10:00 AM (Every Saturday)   Fee per person $12 (More information: Church Office 773-561-2610)                       Instructor Gina Maria  (to learn more about Vitality, click here.) Gina is a therapeutic yoga instructor by vocation. Over the past 20+ years she's had classical training and learned therapeutic techniques studying with excellent, widely regarded professionals in the field. From her combined training and experience, she has forged a style designed to restore pain-free movement with manual neuromuscular facilitation and maintain optimal function with sequences based upon solid biomechanical principles. She also holds academic degrees in Literature and History.                                                                               Support Afghan Refugees Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors encourages United Methodists to sign a petition from "Faithful America" urging President Biden to support Afghans threatened by the Taliban. "Whatever one thinks of the 20-year war or the U.S. withdrawal, the news that Taliban fighters are going door-to-door hunting for people who helped not only Americans but also non-profits shows that we have a moral obligation to save as many lives as possible and welcome vulnerable Afghan refugees," says Faithful America. Click to learn more.                                                                       Standing with Haiti Amid Quake and Storm United Methodists are reaching out with their prayers and pocketbooks as Haiti deals with a devastating earthquake and torrential rains from Tropical Storm Grace. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is collecting donations, and churches are working with partners in the country to provide relief. Read the latest from United Methodist News Service. Read story Click to give to UMCOR International Disaster Response                                                                   September sign-up for Worship Readers                                Sign up here to volunteer as a worship reader during September.  Here is the sermon series and scripture information. Thanks for your assistance!                                                                          Upcoming Meetings                             Trustee meeting - Sunday Aug 22 11:30 AM (after worship)                                                         In-Person, at Church                      Early Adopter Team Meeting - Thursday Aug 26 7:00 PM                                                          Zoom Online                                                                                Sermon by Phone service                                               If you do not have computer access or cannot access our Sunday worship service through a smart phone, we now have a sermon by phone service, which is available at any time! The phone number is (773) 219-0861.  You can listen to a recent version of Pastor Mori's Sunday sermon and it's free!                                                                                  RFUMC Building Ministry                  Ravenswood Fellowship UMC  Aug 2021 Calendar Here  Church Room Reservation Form (to request use of the common areas of the church Click Here                        After Covid-19 Updates.  Read about the Phases for Re-Opening here. Is that document too long? Read the summary version here. Chicago is currently in Phase 5. Click here to view phase 5 recommendations. Chicago Reopen guidelines Here Cook County Depart of Public Health Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CCDPH                                              Links for Worship                          Join Zoom worship by going to this link at 10:30 AM on Sunday: https://zoom.us/j/806489040. Or call in at 1-312-626-6799 (Meeting ID: 806 489 040).  Let's boost our worship! Please sign-up for Worship service Bible reader Sign-Up here. September Scriptures and sermon titles are here Young People's Bible Study. Ages 12-18 are invited to join the Zoom discussion of Jesus stories at 9 AM on Sunday mornings. Join the Zoom call here (Meeting ID: 828 2305 3546, One-tap mobile+13126266799) Want prayer? During our Prayers of the People, we will read your prayer requests. Submit your prayer requests here. Download. Get your bulletin here. Having trouble? Try logging off and logging back on to Zoom during the video. Or simply log off and call in.  Missed last week? Check out the Facebook Live video on our page here.  Give on PayPal Our mailing address is: 4511 North Hermitage Ave. Chicago, IL 60640 Contact us at: ravfelumc@yahoo.com (773) 561-2610 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

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