July 2021 NEWSLETTER WE EXIST TO GUIDE PEOPLE TOWARD THEIR NEXT STEP IN CHRIST.

IN THIS ISSUE: Upcoming Events │ Ministry News │ “The Cotton Patch”

Happy Birthday America!

Fireworks, family gatherings, picnics, baseball games, concerts, and parades all signal the celebration of “the 4th of July.” We celebrate our independence from Great Britain and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Interesting facts: The youngest signer of this document was only 27 years old. In 1776 there were 2.5 million people in the new nation. Today the population of the USA is approximately 331 million!

We are beyond blessed to call the United States of America our home. The saying still rings true: “Freedom is never free.” Our nation’s independ- ence came at great cost. Many difficult years of war, monumental problems and controversies abounded. Our nation is not perfect. Imperfect people make up our leadership, our churches, and our homes. Remember our important admonishment is to pray for one another, including those in government.

Our spiritual freedom is not cheap either. It cost Jesus His very life to provide the freedom of our salvation.

Christ freed us from the penalty of sin. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23.

Christ is freeing us from the power of sin. “We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” Romans 6:6.

Christ freed us from the law. “For sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under law but under grace” Romans 6:14.

Christ freed us to serve God. For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” Galatians 5:1.

Is it any wonder that Jesus said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” John 8:36.

This Independence Day celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as Americans, but never lose sight of the freedoms we enjoy as Christians!

--Pastor Larry

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the Costa Rica We know for sure that in this life, trials are inevitable. GriefShare is a support group missions trip. We exceeded our financial goal of raising funds for 105 that meets weekly and offers help and encouragement in the midst of your difficult filters! These life-saving water filters will be given to families living in journey. You'll find it to be a warm, caring environment led by Jo Ghiz and Sandy poverty in San Jose. These filters will give them easy access to clean, Nolan. Both of these ladies have experienced grief and understand how you feel safe drinking water for approximately 10 years! because they have suffered loss too. You may be grieving the death of a child, spouse, sibling, parent, or other family member. You may be grieving the loss of RC3’s team of 21 will be working alongside Filter of Hope missionary "how it used to be." Jo and Sandy desire for God to use their individual stories for and RC3 member, Sean Sutherland. They leave July 24th and return on His glory and that may include helping you move toward healing and hope for the July 30th. future. Pray for the team’s safety, health, and ministry as they share how Jesus th Begins July 6 │ 6:30-8:00 PM │ Room 304 Christ is the Living Water!

2nd Quarter Informational Packets Available July 18th in the Welcome Center Minutes · Financial Reports · Ministry Reports (There will not be an in-person members meeting this month.)

the Don’t Be a Bonehead

Much of my early teenage years were spent scouring a book that included almost nothing but numbers. Before the information

was readily available on the internet, The Baseball Encyclopedia was my primary resource, some 2,500 pages of statistics. It in- cluded a brief biography - height, weight, birthdate, hometown, etc. - of everyone who had ever appeared in a game, and then all of their career stats, year by year. with Steve Cotton Did I need to know how many triples Rogers Hornsby belted in 1922? My book held the answer - 14 of them. Would you believe that pitcher Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn won an incredible 59 games for the 1884 Providence Grays? One day I browsed across a player whose career lasted from 1907-1926. Name: . Nickname: Bonehead. What in the world? I couldn’t wait for my next trip to the library to research why a player who had solid statistics across 20 years in the big leagues was known as “Bonehead.” In late September of 1908, the and New York Giants were battling for the pennant. The two teams played one another at New York’s Polo Grounds, and the game was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth . With Moose McCormick at first base and two out, Fred Merkle drove a clutch down the right field line, advancing Moose to third base. The next batter, , smashed a line drive that fell safely into center field and Moose sprinted to cross home plate with the winning run. The fans left the stands and rushed onto the field to celebrate, knowing that this victory meant their team was likely headed to the . Young Fred, after the biggest moment of his fledgling career, celebrated with the euphoric mob. But he made one critical mistake -Fred joined in the jubilee before he touched second base. The Cubs noticed this and threw the ball to second. Fred was ruled out on a , out number three, meaning Moose’s run did not count. In the ensuing chaos it grew too late and too dark to resume play (the first night game didn’t occur until 1935). The game was ultimately ruled a tie, with the two teams to replay the contest at the end of the year if it mattered in the standings. Sure enough the Giants and Cubs finished tied for first place and replayed the game; the Cubs won the rematch and thus the National League title, then went on to defeat the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. Fred went from a New York hero to being saddled with the epithet “Bonehead” for the rest of his life. He avoided baseball after his playing days were over, still bitter over the incident that overwhelmed an otherwise nice career. All because Fred didn’t know the rules. Do you know your rule book? From the Ten Commandments to the wisdom of Proverbs, from Genesis through the Book of Revelation, we find our rules for life on this earth. “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).

Knowing our rule book will help us avoid making our own “bonehead” plays. SC

We are excited about the 24/7 prayer line that is now available for you to

call with your prayer burden—any day, any hour, 365 days a year.

If you haven’t stopped by to see the Donation Garden, it is worth the walk! The vegetable plants & flowers are all planted & growing. The invitation is Prayer cards (see graphic above) have been printed and are available for open to all the families at RC3 to be involved. distribution to people you meet. We have packets available in the Welcome Center or in the chair backs in the Worship Center. Two of our Core Values at RC3 are “A Family Focus” and “Reaching Our World.” The Donation Garden will serve to have families working together and You may also be interested in becoming a prayer volunteer. Can you give foster relationships among the generations. The extra benefit is sharing Jesus two hours a week to be a compassionate, listening ear and share a much with the community while helping to feed the hungry. needed prayer with someone? Training is provided online. We have 10 It will soon be time for the harvest! If you are interested in working the volunteers from RC3 so far! garden, reach out to Ronda via email at [email protected]. Volunteer applications can be downloaded from our website @ Find us on Facebook: KHK Donation Garden roundchurch.net/news/24-7-prayer-line or picked up from the Welcome Center.

Shout out to our RC3 Kids who gave a grand total of $1,458.30 for water filters to be given Use the QR Code to find out to Costa Rican families! all the exciting things going on at RC3.

REFIT with Andrea

Tuesday & Thursdays RC3 Gym @ 6 PM Kings Island Event │ Wednesday, July 7

Fitness for Women of Slip n’ Slide │ Hagley Farm │ July 17 All Ages & All Levels

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