Birthday Blessings!

3 Carl Y. Ngwa 4 Michael Jackson 6 Theodore Ifft 10 Helen McKeever Gladys Nebafu 11 Betty Francis 13 Janis Johnson 14 Bruce Beveridge Jean Kline Kenneth Schneider Barbara Walters Maurice Compher Lynn Dudinsky 16 Reinette Schneider 17 Julie Parsons Pastors Ponderings cont. How differently would we live if we believed that? How would our attitudes about our church and our money and our gifts and our time be changed if we knew, deep down, that all those things belonged to God and not us? I imagine we would be a more generous and gracious people, because we would know that the Creator of the universe has entrusted to us these gifts, not to hoard, but to share them and to use them for Gods glory, and not our own. Wow, just think how different the world would be if we all lived our lives, knowing that God had chosen us to be stewards of all we have, all we enjoy, and all we hope to become. May we all take to heart and proclaim these words, that come from 1 Chronicles 29;14, as we enter into our season of giving: We give Thee but thine own, Whateer the gift may be: All that we have is thine alone; A trust, O Lord from thee. Peace, Pastor Loril Christian Education cont.

HELP BY PHONE for the October - 2011

Soups Grits Cold cereals Pancake mix Pancake syrup Jelly Baby food Rice Pudding Fruit Jell-o Pork & beans Oatmeal Beef stew Pasta Sauce Macaroni & Cheese Peanut butter Red, green & yellow vegetables Dry milk Coffee Tea Cocoa Pasta Tuna Fruit Rice

Christian Education
Wednesday Night Live! RPC will be developing programs for Wednesday evenings in the next several months. We want you to be able to come and bring friends, neighbors, other church members for a light dinner - 6-7PM, adult, youth and children's programs - 78PM, and childcare for the youngest. Our first efforts are as follows: Wednesday, October 12 - RPC is sponsoring One Maryland, One Book - program of the Maryland Humanities Council discussion (for 10th grade and older) of Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, preceeded by a free Maryland dinner (crab soup, salad, cornbread). Lacrosse clinic (One Maryland, One Team Sport) available for younger youth sponsored by PG Lacrosse and childcare provided all on October 12, dinner 6-7PM, program and clinic 7-8PM. Copies of this short but engaging book are available in the church office. Wednesday, November 9 - International Night Riverdale Pres Church hosted Humphrey Journalism Fellows at the beginning of their year in the US at the University of Maryland. We will host an International Night with food cooked by hosts and Fellows followed by presentations about their countries and their careers in international journalism. Service Season, Wednesdays in December ending with Safe Haven on January 4th. Come and invite friends to make this Advent a Service Season. The following events on Wednesdays 6-8PM including light dinners (childcare & homework help provided) December 7 Parents Shopping Night Out shop like an angel while children have supervised Christmas fun December 14 Christmas Angel Party wrap, cook, make decorations, pray for families in need

19 Joseph Chvatal, Jr Rhoda Towers 21 Linda Gast 23 Joseph Chvatal, III 23 Ed Maginnis 26 Troy Best 27 Janet Kerry 28 Joan Borchers

December 21 Christmas Dinner invite those who might enjoy a Christmas dinner together. January 4, 2012 Safe Haven cook and serve residents of a mens shelter at RPC Save the dates: Nov 19-20, 2011 - Women's retreat (sign up by Nov 1- Narthex or hall bulletin board). Pastor Loril will lead this retreat at Meaowkirk, Men's retreat in the Spring May 24-26, 2012 - Adult Worktrip to Bethany Beach with Sussex County Habitat June 25-29, 2012 - VBS July 29-August 3, 2012 - Youth Worktrip to Stony Point and NYC

Pastors Ponderings
RIVERDALE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 6513 Queens Chapel Road Hyattsville. MD 20782-2197 Telephone:301-927-0477 E-mail: rivpres@msn.com; Fax: 301-699-2156 Web site: www.riverdalepresbyterian.org Dear friends, I love the fallall of the colors, and the hopefully soon to be crisp air and cooler weather. This past weekend, I took a drive into some of the rural areas of Maryland and was stunned by the beauty of the country. The dogs and I took a hike through the woods and I was struck once again by the changing colors, the amazing wildlife, some babbling brooks and even some wild rose bushes in full bloomsimply put, the beauty of Gods creation is stunning. As we walked, I was reminded over and over again that all of it was Gods gift to me. Every flower, every squirrel, every tree, every river, every, well everything! What an absolutely awesome and loving God. Each year at this time, I do some reading to prepare me for the season of Thanksgiving. Here is one of the quotes I read that really struck me: All the difference in the world exists between those who recognize and willingly accept their stewardship, realizing the gracious and bountiful and loving gifts of God and those who set out with the attitude of putting a fence around as much of the universe as possible and saying, This is mine. It isnt. And nothing we do can make it so. (Turner N. Clinards: Responding to God: The Life of Stewardship.) As I reflected on this idea that all we have, all we are, and all we will become, are gifts from God, and that nothing belongs to menot hills and gardens, my intellect and abilities, my toys and my possessions, my job and my money, my family and my friends, or my church and my faith, an overwhelming sense of gratitude came over me, and the authors point hit home. What a difference there is between people who live with the attitude that everything belongs to themwho look at their possessions, their jobs, their skills, their church, their world as owners instead of stewardsand those who know deep down that everything everything we are, everything we enjoy, everything we have are gifts from a loving and gracious God, not for us to own, but for us to take care of, appreciate and use with grateful hearts. Continues over

Sunday Worship Services

2nd Session 12:00 noon

11:00 a.m.

All are welcome!

1st Session 9:45am

of RIVERDALE PRESBYERIAN CHURCH

Sunday School

- Sanctuary

Come & Worship

MUSIC AT RIVERDALE CONCERT

Jeanine Reinier and Kathy Vadala

will bring us oboe/English horn

October 30th at 4:00 p.m.

and piano selections.

October 2011 NUMBER 1114

Sunday

My heart is steadfast, of God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.

NEWS NOTES

Psalm 108: 1-3