Volume 14 Issue 4 July/August 2017

A Word from the Pastor

Loving hugs

“If I could, I would hug each one individually myself.”

A mother said this to me in a note thanking River Bend for all the help which had been given to their child. Meals were brought over,

letters and cards were sent, visits were made, and lots of encouraging words were given.

Way to go, River Bend!!!!

Showing grace and love and mercy to others is what we are called to do. It’s how you follow Jesus.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells His followers that we should feed the hungry, take care of the stranger, clothe those who need help, and visit

the sick and those in prison. He even makes the point that when you do these things to others, you are actually doing them to Him.

When you serve others you really are serving Jesus.

Through this parable, Jesus helps us understand that helping others involves our hearts as well as our hands. You won’t and can’t help

others if you don’t first love them.

Jesus told His disciples "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

God has shown you His love in amazing ways. Make sure you show love to those around you.

God’s plan is simple. He loves us so we can love others.

Pastor John

A Look at May/June 2017

Budget Goal Est. Expenditures YTD Actual Contributions YTD Weekly Offering Goal Average Weekly Contributions Beyond Measure Contributions Beyond Measure Pledges

$ 454,747 $ 381,046 $ 422,063 $ 17,490 $ 16,233 $ 1,208,474 $ 1,123,426

Worship Average Sunday School Average

220 143

Figures as of June 25, 2017

Staff Anniversaries Gail Blair 13 yrs

New Members William Roberts Marisa Dugas Donna McGill

Preschool and Children’s Ministry OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND CHILDREN AT RIVER BEND

VBS 2017 GALACTIC STARVEYORS

Thank you to our cheerful and enthusiastic VBS

volunteers. God used your service as a tool to hide His

truth in the hearts and minds of our students.

VBS MOTTO – Searching the VISIBLE:

Discovering the INVISIBLE

VBS SCRIPTURE – Colossians 1:15-16 “He is the image of the

invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything

was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible

and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or

authorities - all things have been created through Him and

for Him.”

TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENT PARTICIPANTS – 206

TOTAL NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS – 78

AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE - 228

STUDENTS INDICATING THEY ACCEPTED CHRIST OR

HAD INTEREST IN TALKING WITH SOMEONE ABOUT

ACCEPTING JESUS – 25

TOTAL VBS MISSION OFFERING -- $300

The mission offering from VBS 2017 is being donated to

support The Toledo Bend Resort Ministry.

COMMUNITY SERVICE FOR YOUTH VBS: Senior

Citizens at Fulshear Community Center

SUNDAY MORNING IN KIDS’ MINISTRY

9:00 am – Children’s Sunday Morning Bible Study Classes

10:30 am – Kids Alive (Children’s Worship) – Children go to

worship service with parents for the first 10-15 minutes of

the worship. Then, children are dismissed from the

worship service to the Kids Alive teacher who will escort

children to Kids Alive. This provides parents with the

opportunity to help their child(ren) participate in corporate

worship.

SUNDAY MORNING IN PRESCHOOL MINISTRY

9:00 am – Nursery care and Bible lessons provided for younger

preschoolers and Bible Study class for older preschoolers.

Children grow in love and knowledge of God and His Word

through Bible lessons, prayers, and music. They learn to

apply lessons through crafts and activities.

10:30 am – Nursery care and Bible lessons provided for

younger preschoolers and Bible Study class for older

preschoolers. The Bible lessons are taught and applied

with different styles of teaching to create additional

learning opportunities for preschoolers.

SUNDAY EVENING AWANA CLUBS

AWANA Clubs meet September through May

on Sundays.

Puggles through T&T (Two year olds – 5th Grade) meet

Sundays from 4:55 pm – 6:30 pm. Puggles is open only for

children of Awana leaders or other adults involved in Sunday

evening programs on the River Bend campus.

Trek and Journey for 6th - 12th Grades meet Sundays from

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm.

Registration forms for the 2017/2018 AWANA year are located

in the Children’s Welcome Area at River Bend. On the River

Bend website, you may also locate a link to access the

registration form. REGISTER NOW so sufficient materials will

be ordered and available for the clubbers on the first night!

AWANA will resume on September 10.

AWANA reaches kids for Christ through fun, Scripture-rich

experiences that lead children to know, love, and serve Christ.

Contact Lin Dismuke for AWANA information.

Children’s Music, RAs, GAs, and Mission Friends

Programs will resume on Wednesdays in September.

Children’s Music meets 6:30 – 7:15 pm.

RAs, GAs and Missions Friends meet 7:15 – 8:00 pm.

These programs include missions education and action for

children from preschool through fifth grade.

PlayPals

Preschoolers and Adult Family Members participate in

events like going to a park, having lunch together at a

restaurant with a playground, etc.

Watch the RBBC weekly news email, the Children’s

Welcome Center bulletin boards, and the foyer announcement

monitors to see upcoming events. Contact Lin Dismuke at

MLDismuke@RiverBendBC.org if you have questions.

FSP

First Steps Preschool of River Bend Baptist meets on

Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 am – 2:15 pm.

Classes run from September through May.

All classes are at capacity for the 2017-2018 school

year, and there is a waiting list.

Contact Lin Dismuke if you are interesting in registering a child or

working as a paid substitute teacher for preschool.

Youth Camp

Youth will be attending Pineywoods encampment July 3 - 7. Please be in prayer that God will work mightily in the lives of our teens.

Since moving into Ground Zero Youth Building, we have seen several new visitors and hope to continue the momentum throughout

the summer months. Next fall will be a time to really appeal to the teens within the community, so please be praying that God will

touch the curiosity and then the hearts of so many lost students.

“Friday Night Countdown”

Friday Night Countdown is Critical Mass’ community outreach event that takes place on the first Friday of every month. Our goal is

to open up “Ground Zero” for the community in order to introduce new students to our facility and build relationships in a non-

threatening environment. We meet from 7:00-9:00 pm and adult sponsor are always needed and welcomed. If any adult is

interested in helping, please contact Russ.

Float Trip

Thursday, July 20, we will float the Guadalupe River in the Martindale, Texas area . We will leave the church at 8:30 am and return

around 6:00 pm. Cost is $20, plus one meal. Deadline to sign up is Sunday, July 16. Permission forms are required.

Youth News (Grades 6 - 12)

Lord Send Me Ministries has the following mission trip opportunities:

Date: October 24-30,

Mesa Arizona

New church plant: The Bridge

Pastor: Tim Lester

We will spend 6 days helping this new church plant reach their community for Christ!

We will pass out flyers around the community and invite families to a gathering at the park which will be a fun day. We will also

help around the facility which has a food pantry, a pregnancy help center, and a clothes pantry. We might get to help paint the

church building. The family fun day will be a blast! This trip will be for adults of all ages. This trip is ideal for those of us who move

a little slower!

Cost will be $1200 per person

Payment as follows: Tuesday, August 1: $600.00; Friday, September 1: $300.00; Sunday, October 1: $300.00

There are only 10 seats available, so sign up soon!

August 4-7

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Capital Hill Baptist Church

Back-to-school bash

This is a great family mission trip opportunity that is good for any age!

We travel all day Friday to Oklahoma City to help this great church family put on a back-to -school bash.

We help the church family get set up and ready on Saturday for a gathering of anywhere from 3000-5000 people who will come

through the campus to receive backpacks full of school supplies as well as free food games and loads of fun.

The cost is only $100 per person with a max of $300 per family!

You will be trained in sharing your faith before we go!!!

You won't want to miss this great family trip!

Sign up at RBBC or contact John Boaz at 281-620-0739 .

Mission Opportunities

Prayer Request

Email prayer requests to Pray@RiverBendBC.org.

Summer Sermon Series - Remedies for hurting moments in life.

There are hurting people around you every day. You pass them as you drive to work. You sit next to them at a restaurant. They

may be in your family. In fact, you may be the one who is hurting.

Through this series, we will touch on topics such as forgiveness, living with an incurable disease, giving up, hopelessness,

discouragement and more. Not only does God have encouraging words for us, but He also gives us the strength to keep going.

See you Sunday

Praisefest with Greater Zackery & Simonton Community Churches

There will be a special time of Worship on Sunday night, July 16, at 6:30 p.m. at River Bend with Greater Zackery and Simonton

Community Churches. Hear from the pastors and musicians from all the churches. There will be an ice cream fellowship after-

ward.

Creative Arts Camp

This summer River Bend will have a week-long day camp for 2nd-5th graders on July 24-28. A few spots still re-

main. We are in need of a few adult helpers to supervise each group of campers. The musical, “Spend Awhile on

the Nile”, will be presented on Sunday, July 30. For more information contact Todd Melton at 281-797-0185 or

TMelton@RiverBendBC.org

River Bend Choir Retreat

The choir has enjoyed their break during the summer and wants to invite you to join us as we get started this fall. A retreat will take

place on Wednesday, August 30, at River Bend at 6:30 pm.

Praise Band Players Needed

Every Sunday the worship team leads in worship by using a variety of instruments and with various styles of music. We are looking

for players to add to the group. Whether you play piano, guitar, trumpet, saxophone, or another instrument, call Todd Melton at 281

-797-0185 or TMelton@RiverBendBC.org and see how you can contribute.

Summer Sunday Nights

July 2 – Independence Day Covered Dish lunch at noon

July 16 – Praisefest & Ice Cream Fellowship at River Bend with Greater Zackery and Simonton Community Churches at 6:30 pm

July 30 – Creative Arts Camp Gallery and Musical Presentation at 6:30 pm

River Bend News

River Bend Event Sign-Up

Use a QR reader app available for your smartphone to access the church event registration page. The QR code can

also be found in the Worship guide on Sundays. Try it out.

SUNDAY

9:00 AM Sunday Morning Bible

10:30 AM Worship Service

Kids Alive (Children’s Worship) - W1

Preschool Church (Older Preschoolers)

TUESDAY

9:00 AM Amazing Grace Quilters (2nd & 4th weeks)

WEDNESDAY

6:30 AM Glory Morning Prayer

6:00 PM Praise Band Rehearsal - WC

Youth Praise Band - E8

6:30 PM Mid-Week Prayer Meeting - E3

Fusion (Youth Worship) - E8

7:00 PM Adult Bible Study - E2

Praise Team Practice - WC

Regular Summer Weekly Schedule

Women’s Ministry News Ladies’ Ice Cream Social

Please mark your calendars for Saturday, August 5, 4:30 - 6:30 pm and join us at River Bend for our annual Ice Cream Social. Sign up

sheet and tickets are available in the foyer.

Help Wanted

Administrative Assistant Needed

Candidate must be a highly organized self-starter, with a friendly personality, and the ability to multitask. Must be proficient in Microsoft

Office, including Word, Publisher and Excel; flexible, and able to handle a wide variety of requests efficiently, while providing

administrative support for Pastor. Candidate will interact closely with various staff members as well as greet all visitors and answer

phone calls. Confidentiality is required. Prior church administrative experience is helpful, but not required. Resumes may be submit-

ted to Office@RiverBendBC.org.

The staff at River Bend thanks Gail Blair and Tricia Irwin for their years of devoted service. We appreciate all you do to make

life run smoothly for the staff and for the care you have given to all our members. You will both be greatly missed.

Help us welcome Genie Oldenburg to the River Bend Staff. For the last ten years Genie has worked for Katy Elder Care, Inc., and

Crosspoint Christian School. In each position, she managed the office, took care of the finances and a host of other things. Please join

us in welcoming Genie to our staff.

July

Anita Brown Avery Gassen Carolyn Sewell Jessica Cobb Esther Revett Shelby Dawson Susan Hatchett Ellie Raines KayLee Belle Sullivan Cindy Allen Keith Baron Mark Chapman Louise Coninger Dale Johnson Marily Riggins Jayden Nkwelle Amanda Swartz Inez Wallace James Brokmeyer

HAPPY BIRTHDAY August

Lou Boxleitner Chris Dibler Kay Dietz Mike Gallaher Thomas Lorenz Allison Luedecke Sawyer Berry Burke Brinkley Leigh Guyton Norene Lueders Michelle Broughton Todd Melton Vikki Fossum Brian Majeski Riley Teel Brenda Martin Brett Rowley Lin Dismuke Mildred Hughes-Borden James Clair Larry Pennington Jade Smith Lindsey Petrenella Ethan Walje Rose Revett Sharon Ernst

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Calendar of Events

July

Church Lunch 11:45 PM - WC Youth Camp at Piney Woods No Fusion Bible Study Youth Friday Countdown 7:00 PM - GZ Family Hope Food Fair 9:00 AM - WC Deacons’ Meeting 7:00 PM - E2 Praisefest 6:30 pm - WC Youth Float Trip - 8:30 am - Meet at GZ Creative Arts Camp 8:45 AM - WC Creative Arts Camp Performance 6:30 PM - WC

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August

Youth Friday Countdown 7:00 PM - GZ Women’s Ministry Ice Cream Social 4:30 PM - WC Family Hope Food Fair 9:00 AM - WC Advisory Council Meeting - 11:45 AM - WC Deacons’ Meeting 7:00 PM - E2 Youth Mess Fest 2:00 PM - GZ Lord’s Supper 10:30 AM - WC Quarterly Business Meeting 11:45 AM - WC River Bend Choir Retreat 6:30 PM - WC

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August (cont.)

Sherry Rowley Kendall Scott Austin Hultberg Charles Walker Gail Blair Rod Brinkley Jerry Hunter John T Crowe Gail Dry Kirsten Walje Donnie Melton Tammy Moore Daniel Reagan-Wilson Keith Dismuke Ricky Hileman Cameron Hultberg Albino Castro Missy McCaghren Ron Rhemann Miles Hobdy Raylan Luedecke Matt Swartz Albert Williamson John Bickett Anthonia Okolie

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July (cont.)

Donald Irvin Isaiah Meza Irma Turner Vickie Conner Rocky Adams Martha Crowe Byron King Joe Stanka Bertha Isaac Troy Kelley Amy Barbosa Robin Jones Everett Hobdy Jacob France Joseph France Peggy Kelley Alex Woodall

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Happenings Around River Bend

AWANA Grand Celebration

Children’s End of School Bash

FSP Mother’s Tea

Vacation Bible School

Choir Party

Ladies Tea

Bike For Mike

San Antonio Mission Trip

27600 FM 1093 Fulshear, TX 77441 Phone: 281-346-2279 Fax: 281-533-9790 E-mail: Office@RiverBendBC.org Web: RiverBendBC.org Office hours: Monday - Thursday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Ministry Staff

Debbie McCaghren, Extended Session Coordinator DMcCaghren@RiverBendBC.org Todd Melton, Minister of Education & Worship TMelton@RiverBendBC.org

Genie Oldenberg Financial Administrator GOldenberg@RiverBendBC.org Kathy Roseborough, Administrative Staff KRoseborough@RiverBendBC.org

Russell Walje, Minister of Youth RWalje@RiverBendBC.org

John Crowe, Pastor JCrowe@RiverBendBC.org

Gail Blair, Treasurer GBlair@RiverBendBC.org

Lin Dismuke, Preschool & Children’s Ministry Director MLDismuke@RiverBendBC.org