This Week at Ross

4.30.2026
This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday of Easter.  Together we turn to the John 14:1-14 where Jesus comforts His disciples, encouraging them not to let their hearts be troubled and to trust in God and Himself. He assures them that He is preparing a place for them in His Father’s house and promises to return so they can be with Him. Jesus declares that He is “the way, the truth, and the life,” stating that no one comes to the Father except through Him. He reveals that knowing Him is equivalent to knowing the Father, and those who have seen Him have seen the Father. Jesus invites His disciples to believe in Him and assures them that those who do will do great works, even greater than His, and that He will answer prayers made in His name to glorify the Father. My message title is “In My Fathers House”.
Monday, I received a phone call from someone asking me if I was familiar with any of the families in. She shared that she had an old family Bible that she wanted to go to the families of the people listed in it from Darrtown, not knowing who they were. As she was sharing names, I assured her that I knew some of the families and that they were still part of the church in Darrtown. This pleased her as she said it was so important to her mom and aunt that someone would not just throw it away but she did not see the connection to her family. In fact, she called the local Historical Society, and they said they had no need for it. As we made plans for her to drop it off, she was on her way to a funeral visitation for her cousin on Millville Avenue and met me at Ross community and brought the Bible. The timing of this, especially as we are revisiting our history including some very bibles, large alter bibles, that we have on display were very similar to the one she brought. I took her a tour and showed her some of the history items on display and it was a comfort to her to see the care we were placing in our treasures, and she knew that this family Bible would be taken care. Ironically, the very funeral visitation for her cousin that she was going to, our Nancy was going to as well. I introduced her to Nancy who was there, who stated she lived by the person who died. She was also a friend of her daughters in school and was just 59 years old. Once again, I am reminded that this lady in Cincinnati who called this pastor for a need, would find the connections that show our world just keeps getting smaller and in a good way. I find comfort in how connections across cities can bring people together in faith and encouragement. The simple act of reaching out—a phone call, a word of support—can cross boundaries and remind us that we are part of a greater, interconnected family. Just as Jesus assures His disciples in our scripture on Sunday that they are not alone, these moments of connection reinforce that we are all walking this journey together, no matter where we are, making the world feel smaller and warmer. The sense of belonging and purpose grows each time we look beyond our immediate surroundings and recognize the shared hope and trust we have in Him. I am presenting the Bible to the 3rd great grandson of the original owner who is thrilled to have this keepsake. She left her number for him. She is his 3rd cousin and their family just became larger. I look forward to seeing you Sunday!!
 
The women are meeting Tuesday May 5th, at 10:00am to decorate the tables for the woman’s spring family dinner. This Sunday after worship, they would appreciate a few volunteers to help move the tables and chairs into place for them to decorate.
 
Mark your calendars for May 7. We will have our annual Spring Dinner at Ross Community UMC. This yearly event is a wonderful time to bring families together and celebrate worthwhile causes. We will begin at 6:00pm. Brenda and Judy will be taking reservations now through May 1 (tomorrow). This will allow us to have a good count for the caterer. We will also have our raffle prizes to make for a great evening.  

The 200th committee invites you to share how you became part of Ross Community UMC. What brought you to our wonderful church? You can submit your story in the provided box or email something to rosscommunityumc@gmail.com. Our stories will be assembled together as we journey through 2026.

We are in the process of creating a new Church Directory in time for our 200th year. May 21 is the date that you have the opportunity to have your picture taken at Ross Community Church. They will be scheduling from 2pm to 8pm. This might be the perfect time for family pictures. For more information see Reva Johnson or Marlene Sloneker.

As part of our 200th celebration we have decided to offer T-shirts and Polo Shirts for purchase with our new Ross Community UMC logo celebrating our 200 years. Please see Brenda Brown if you have any questions. 

Thank you for your support each month for Heifer Project International. We collected over $300.00 since we sent in the last gift. Jan will be giving us an update on the animals we will purchase, and if you would like any additional information, see Jan or the Heifer Project International table. We just learned that our donations would continue to double into June 2026.
 
Adult Sunday School is growing. Many of you have shared with me how wonderful your class is and how much you enjoy being with Paul Smith’s weekly topics and leadership. This is another perfect opportunity to invite others to join us and experience RCUMC. Invite a friend and join Sunday School at 9:45.
 
During the 10:45 am service, we are blessed to have Trysta Taylor lead our younger ones. She has a great class ready to receive our children with a program just for them. Any questions, stop by her area and say hello on Sunday

Church Sign Wisdom:    “Aspire to inspire before you expire.”

Blessings,
Pastor Chris
Next Update 05.07.2026.