| 07.02.2026 Greetings Church Family, This Sunday our focus goes to Galatians 5:13-14, 22-25. Galatians 5:13–14 reminds us that the freedom we have in Christ is not a freedom to live for ourselves, but a calling to love and serve others. God invites us to use our freedom with humility, choosing kindness, patience, and compassion instead of selfishness. When Paul says to “love your neighbor as yourself,” he points us back to the heart of God’s law: a life shaped by love. Galatians 5:22–25 encourages us to look for the fruit of the Spirit growing in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are not qualities we produce by our own strength, but signs of God’s Spirit working within us. As we belong to Christ, we are called to lay down the desires that pull us away from Him and walk each day in step with the Spirit, trusting God to shape our hearts to reflect His love. My Message title is “Freedom In Christ”. Happy Independence Day Weekend! As we gather with family, friends, and neighbors this July 4th weekend, may our hearts be filled with gratitude for the many blessings God has given us. We thank Him for the freedoms we enjoy, for the sacrifices of those who have served and protected our nation, and for the opportunity to live, worship, work, and love one another in peace. Two hundred and fifty years in the life of a nation is a remarkable milestone—one that invites us not only to celebrate, but also to pause, remember, give thanks, and seek God’s continued guidance for the years ahead. Two hundred years as a church is also a sacred milestone—a testimony to God’s faithfulness across generations, the perseverance of His people, and the continuing call to serve Christ with humility, courage, and hope. While we celebrate with fireworks, food, laughter, and fellowship, and in Sunday worship, let us also take time to remember that true freedom is found in Christ. The liberty we cherish as a country is a precious gift, but the freedom Jesus gives is eternal—freedom from sin, fear, shame, and hopelessness. May we never take either for granted. This weekend, may we pray for our nation, our leaders, our communities, and our families. May God guide us with wisdom, unite us in compassion, and help us use our freedom to serve others, speak truth with love, and shine the light of Christ wherever we go. May your home be blessed with peace, your heart be filled with joy, and your weekend be surrounded by the goodness of God. Let us celebrate with thankful hearts, remembering that every good and perfect gift comes from above. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” — Psalm 33:12 The Living Forward Group for widow / widowers will be meeting Wednesday July 15th at 1:00 PM. The meeting will take place at Asian Lantern Restaurant in Hamilton. New members are always welcome. It is a time of food and fellowship. If there are any questions, please contact Carla Baker. Her information is in the directory. Kym has put together a calendar of events that we are celebrating for our 200th anniversary. We will have copies at church for you and they are also posted on our webpage. Go to https://rossumc.org/. On the menu you will see 200th Calendar of Celebrations. Click on the link and scroll down. Our next celebration in honor of our 200th will be this Sunday morning July 5th. We will have a special guest Trumpeter Logan Murphy will be joining us along with other special moments during the morning service including Holy Communion. This is a great day to invite friends and neighbor to celebrate with us. Our shirt order has arrived. If you have not paid for your 200th shirt or shirts yet or received them, Please see Brenda Brown on Sunday. The 200th committee invites you to share how you became part of Ross Community UMC. What brought you to our wonderful church? We have received several notes and we would like to thank Jan Gump for her testimony last Sunday. 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 need to thank Reva Johnson and Marlene Sloneker for organizing and scheduling the portraits for our new directory. As Marlene reported Sunday, you can still add a picture if you were not able to be there last Thursday. See them for more info. We should see the fruit of their labor soon. Thank you for your support each month for Heifer Project International. We collected over $241.00 since we sent in the last gift. Jan will be giving us an update on the animals we purchased, and if you would like any additional information, see Jan or the Heifer Project International table. REMINDER, SUNDAY SCHOOL IS ON SUMMER BREAK 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 Thought of the Week: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. John 8:36 Blessings, Pastor Chris Next Update 07.09.2026. |