Reaching  Youthby  Pastor  ChrisOne  of  the  greatest  challenges  the  church  faces  today  is  reaching  young  people  with  the  gospel  message.     Commen:ng  on  a   survey   conducted  by  Pew  Research  Center,  NY  Times  writer  Dave   Leonhardt  wrote   "A   remarkable  25  percent  of  Americans  born  aHer  1980,   the  group  oHen  known  as  millennials,  are  not   religious,   compared  with  11  percent   of   baby   boomers   and   7   percent   of   the   genera:on   born   between   1928   and  1945"  (The  Rise  of  Young  Americans  Who  Don't  Believe  in  God,  May  12,  2015)    It  is  easy  to  read  such  statements  and  think  that  young  people  have  no  interest  in  maWers  of  faith,  but  I  do  not  believe  that  is  the  case.    Why?  Because  I  know  that  God  desires  for  all  the  seek  Him  and  by  his  grace  He  beckons  each  of  us  to  Him.    I  remember  in  my  late  20's  feeling  a  spiritual  void   in  my   life,  wrestling  with  ques:ons   about  God,  witnessing   a  peace   in  others   and  wishing   I   had   that   same   peace.     Your   faith   journey  may   have   been   different   -­‐   but   at  some  point   there  was   a   desire   to   know  more.     It   is  what   John  Wesley   referred   to   as  "previenent  grace"  -­‐  God  at  work  in  those  who  have  not  yet  accepted  him  through  faith.    The   same   is   true   for   this   genera:on.     Blaise   Pascal   once   said   “There   is   a  God-­‐shaped  vacuum  in  the  heart  of  every  person,  and  it  can  never  be  filled  by  any  created  thing.    It  can  only  be  filled  by  God,  made  known  through  Jesus  Christ.”

The   great   difficulty   today   is   not   that   young   people   don't   want   to   hear   Good   News;  rather   it   is   penetra:ng   through   all   the   distrac:ons   so   the  message   can   be   heard.  We  have   a   wonderful   message   of   a   God   who   loves   us,   who   desires   for   us   to   be   in  rela:onship  with  Him,  a  God  who  brings  healing  and  wholeness   into  our   lives.  He  has  dismantled   every   obstacle   we   have   created,   removed   every   shameful   thing   we   have  thought  or  done,  cleansed  us  of  all  our  sin  by  Jesus'  work  on  the  cross.    We  simply  must  respond  to  this  giH  of  grace  in  faith,  turn  from  our  sin,  and  follow  Him.    

It  is  a  wonderful  message,  but  society  has  constructed  barriers  between  our  youth  and  the  Church.   It   is  extremely  difficult   to   reach  youth  where  they  are,   to  show  them  that  Christ   is   love,   to   offer   a   contrary   view   to   the   stereotypes   that   our   culture   loves   to  portray  people  of  faith.    AdmiWedly,  the  Church  hasn't  done  the  greatest  job  of  being  "a  radiant   church,   without   stain   or   wrinkle   or   any   other   blemish,   but   holy   and  blameless"  (Eph.  5:27)  

I t   i s   d i ffi c u l t . . . b u t   n o t  impossible.  Through  Open  Doors,  a   program   started   by   ROCUMC  three   years   ago,   we   have   been  able   to   sponser   great   youth  speakers   to   come   into   the  schools   and   share   a   message   of  hope.  We  have  built  trust  among  the   schools   by   offering   quality  programs  without  overstepping  any  boundaries.  (con:nued  on  page  2)

Life in CommunityRoyal Oak Community UMC

Winter 2016

Youth  RallyThe  2016  Youth  Rally  is  being  held  in  Ocean  City  on  January  8-­‐10,  2016.    The  key  speaker  is  Reggie  Dabbs  (same  speaker  we  are  hos:ng  in  Talbot  County)  and  there  is  a  line-­‐up  of  great  musical  acts  performing.  Once  again,  ROCUMC  will  be  taking  a  group  of  youth  down  to  the  beach  for  three  days  of  worship,  teaching  and  fun.    This  is  our  largest  group  to  date  -­‐  19  students  along  with  6  adults!  Pray  that  our  young  people  will  allow  Christ  to  flourish  in  their  hearts.

Charge  ConferenceOur  annual  Charge  Conference  (official  review  of  the  year  in  ministry  to  the  Pen-­‐Del  Conference)  is  Saturday,  January  23  at  11:30am.    We  will  hold  Communion  and  enjoy  lunch.    All  are  welcome,  administra:ve  board  members  are  required  to  aWend.  Come  and  celebrate  what  God  is  doing  here  at  ROCUMC!

View  the  church  calendar  online:  rocumc.org

Royal  Oak  Community  UMC

6968  Bellevue  Rd.,  POB  126

Royal  Oak,  MD  21662

Reaching  Youth  -­‐  con1nuedThree  years  ago,  we  were  able  to  have  an  ex-­‐NFL  player  present  to  9th  and  10th  graders  at  St.  Michaels  High.    Two  years  ago,  we  expanded  to  9th  -­‐  12th  grades  at  St.  Michaels.    Last  Spring,  we  brought  Reggie  Dabbs,  the  #1  youth  speaker  in  the  world,  to  SMMHS  (6th-­‐8th  and  9th-­‐12th)  and  Easton  High.    

January  6-­‐7,  2016,  Reggie  is  coming  back  and  speaking  at  every  public  school  in  Talbot  County!    Over  4500  students!    Each  student  will  hear  that  they  are  loved,  that  they  have  worth,  and  that  they  can  make  a  difference  in  someone  else's  life.  Every  middle  and  high  student  will  be  invited  to  come  hang  out  and  have  pizza  with  Reggie  at  the  Y  in  Easton  on  Thursday,  January  7th  from  6:30-­‐8:00pm.    At  this  "Dinner  with  Dabbs"  party,  they  will  be  able  to  hear  the  rest  of  the  story...of  the  one  who  gave  Reggie  hope  and  purpose...Jesus  Christ.    This  will  be  a  great  opportunity  for  the  church  to  show  God's  love,  to  be  a  presence,  and  to  hopefully  be  heard.    

If  you  are  able  to  help  chaperone  the  "Dinner  with  Dabbs"  event,  we  could  certainly  use  your  help.  If  you  would  like  to  help  support  this  ministry  financially,  please  designate  "Open  Doors"  in  the  memo  line  of  your  check  or  aWach  a  note  to  your  offering.    Most  importantly,  PRAY!    Pray  that  the  message  is  heard  and  hearts  are  transformed.

Events  in  the  Bay  Hundred  Community

The  Bay  Hundred  Covenant  Churches  (BHCC)  will  be  hos:ng  our  annual  Lent  Dinner  Series  every  Tuesday  night  during  Lent  -­‐  which  this  year  begins  on  Wednesday,  February  10th.      Of  course,  that  means  our  annual  Pancake  Dinner  will  be  Tuesday,  Feb.  9th  (Fat  Tuesday!)  and  our  first  Lent  series  dinner  will  be  Feb.  16th.    These  dinners  rotate  every  week  among  the  area  churches  -­‐  a  schedule  will  be  announced  soon.    

SEEDLINGSJesus developed a small group of 12 disciples during his ministry in Palestine. They shared life together, learned from His teachings, prayed, served others, and (except for the one who betrayed him) each of them went out and made more disciples. That is the model for Seedlings, our small group ministry. Each of our small groups will be starting off 2016 jumping into new studies and offering one another the encouragement and support needed as we walk this journey of faith. You are invited to join in!

Contact Pastor Chris for more info. 410-739-4364

Talbot Hospice is launching the Safe Initiative and has chosen ROCUMC as the first

church to launch this much-needed program. The Safe Initiative aims to increase

education on end of life issues, including information on advance directives, legal documents, as well as offering support

groups. On Sunday, January 24th, after worship, we will be hosting Conversations on End of

Life. These are issues all of us will eventually face with our loved ones and ourselves, so come, participate and get

informed.

Common  Grounds:  Faith  and  Coffee

Our outreach to high school students in St. Michaels is building momentum! Thursday nights at San Domingo Cafe, youth are invited to come, hang out, enjoy a free coffee drink, listen to music and engage in coverstaion. We are partnering with St. Luke's UMC and Tilghman UMC to offer this outreach. Our next Common Grounds is scheduled for January 14th.

Mrs. Tracey and ROCUMC kids enjoying Jesus' birthday party

ROCUMC has been invited to participate with a few other Talbot County churches to host a Walk Thru

The Bible event on March 5th at the Wesleyan Church in Easton. You can learn about it here:

http://www.walkthru.org/

We are partnering with Talbot Bible, Oasis Fellowship, Real Life Chapel, Shore Harvest Presbyterian, and First

Baptist to organize this event.

TO REGISTER GO TO:www.shoremosaic.com

2016 WESLEY COVENANT PRAYER

"Methodists have a long tradition of making covenant with God at the new year, although most do not currently practice covenant making in the rigorous way of the early Methodists. Our hymnal has the vestiges of the covenant service in the prayer that begins, "I am no longer my own, but thine." ("A Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition," 607, The United Methodist Hymnal)"

- reprinted from umcdiscipleship.org

Below is a modern version of this Covenant Prayer. as adapted by the Methodist Church of Britain. I encourage the church to covenant with God this New Year's and seek to do His will.

A Covenant With God I am no longer my own, but yours.

Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will;put me to doing, put me to suffering;

let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you,exalted for you, or brought low for you;

let me be full,let me be empty,

let me have all things,let me have nothing:

I freely and wholeheartedly yield all thingsto your pleasure and disposal.

And now, glorious and blessed God,Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

you are mine and I am yours. So be it.And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.