*Ornament Exchange Activity Update!*

More details for the RS activity taking place at 6:30pm on December 13th were presented yesterday afternoon during Relief Society.  Here is the most up-to-date information regarding the Tuesday night activity:


Ornament Exchange details:

• Please bring one (wrapped) ornament to exchange.  (It can be old, new, or even handmade!)  The gift exchange will be done "white elephant" style.    
• If you're able to, please bring 2 dozen cookies to share.  If not, bring anything and come anyway!  (Friends are always welcome!)

Fun Gift Idea details:

• What could be more fun than "wrapping" a holiday gift in a #10 food storage can?!  If this sounds like something you'd like to do, please order your desired number of cans and bring the gift(s) you'd like to can with you on the 13th.  The dry-pack canner will be available to the sisters wishing to participate in this activity.    
• Cans are $1.00 each and need to be ordered by December 6th (A sign-up sheet for ordering will be going around Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women's or you can contact Sister Jentzch directly.)

Carpooling to Sister June Sharp's home:

• GP sisters will meet at the Stake Center at 6:10pm and the RR sisters will meet at Umpqua Bank at 5:50pm.  
• If you need help arranging transportation, please contact Sister Jentzch (RR) or Sister Voges (GP) for assistance.

Christmas Cookie and Ornament Exchange Party: Dec 13th

Come spend a fun-filled and festive evening with your ward sisters! On Tuesday, December 13th, we will be enjoying delicious Christmas cookies while exchanging holiday ornaments at Sister June Sharp's home. 

Please bring ornaments you'd like to exchange and a plate of your favorite Christmas cookies to share. (Or just come to socialize!)

*Note* This event will take place sometime in the evening, though the exact time is not set as of right now. Approximate start time will be 6:30pm unless otherwise posted.

11/13 RS Lesson: Gospel Principles #42 "The Gathering of the House of Israel"

This Sunday, Sister Wonsyld taught an informative lesson about The Gathering of the House of Israel and what it specifically means to us as Latter-day Saints.  


The beginning of the lesson defined the people who make up the House of Israel.  The Scriptures specifically reference Jacob's twelve sons and their families making up the twelve tribes of Israel (See: Genesis 49:28).  In addition to this, God's covenant people and converts to the Church are all considered Israelites, either by blood or adoption.  As long as His commandments are obeyed, Heavenly Father promised that Israelites would be blessed as His covenant people.  


Despite many warnings from the Lord regarding what would happen if the people were wicked, they continued to stray from His teachings, which resulted in the House of Israel being scattered among the earth (See: Deuteronomy 28:64)  A couple sisters in the ward commented that the scattering of people was beneficial to God's children because it gives today's covenant people an opportunity for mission work and to spread the message of the gospel all over the world.


Heavenly Father wants His people to be gathered once again spiritually and physically as they prepare for the Savior's return.  The Israelites are being gathered spiritually first through missionary work.  Spiritually we are gathering as we join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where we make and keep sacred covenants with Heavenly Father.  At some point in time, the covenant people will then gather physically in the lands of promise (See: 2 Nephi 9:2).  This physical gathering of Israel will not be complete until the Second Coming of the Savior.


Until the physical gathering occurs, the modern prophets have taught Church members to build up the kingdom of God in their own lands.  People can have the knowledge of the Lord brought to them without leaving their homelands.  Many sisters contributed their views of where they feel Zion is located.  One sister thoughtfully reminded us that in its simplest state, Zion starts in the home.  On a broader scale, the Church believes that Zion is wherever righteous Saints reside.


Thank you to the sisters who contributed their stories on Sunday of being converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is important as sisters of the Church that we continue to build up one another with spiritual strength as we continue to gather as the House of Israel.


Additional Scriptures:
Genesis 17:1-8 (God's covenant with Abraham)
2 Nephi 30:2; Mosiah 5:10-11 (becoming the Lord's covenant people)
James 1:1 (twelve tribes scattered abroad)
1 Nephi 15:13-18; 3 Nephi 21:26-29 (gathering starts with Restoration of the gospel)
Isaiah 11:11-13 (the Lord will recover his people)
D&C 133: 6-15 (Gentiles to Zion)

Creche Festival: December 2nd

The Grants Pass Stake Center (1969 Williams Hwy, Grants Pass, OR) will be hosting a beautiful display of Nativity scenes on Friday, December 2nd from 5pm to 9pm.  Come share the holiday spirit with people in the community to remember what the Christmas season is really all about. 


If you would like to volunteer to make simple cookies/desserts, set-up for the event, or if you'd like to have your Creche on display, please look for the sign-up sheets circulating during church on Sundays.  We look forward to seeing you there!


   

Progressive Dinner: November 8th

Mark your calendars, ladies!  Tuesday, November 8th from 5:30 to 9pm, we will be having a Progressive Dinner for Riverside Ward RS sisters.  (*Non-member friends always welcome!)  Come join us for a wonderful evening of socializing and great food.  


The night will begin with an appetizer of soup/salad, followed by a main course, and then finish with dessert.  Each of the three courses will be served at a different home throughout the evening.  (The locations have yet to be determined, so stay tuned for updates regarding directions/addresses to the three homes we'll be visiting.)


The activities committee will work on organizing a carpool for GP and Rogue River sisters, to make traveling between the host homes easier.  Tentatively, the GP sisters needing to carpool will meet at the GP Stake Center around 5pm to head to Rogue River for the first course.  The Rogue River sisters will then arrange a carpool from the first home to the second, which will probably be in Grants Pass.   


If you have any questions, please leave a comment, send an email to Riversidewardrs@gmail.com, or talk to a sister on the activities committee :)  Can't wait to see everyone there!

Christmas in July was a Success!

What a fun and uplifting way to spend a Saturday!  With Christmas music playing in the background and so many great Christmas gifts to make, we almost forgot that it was 75+ degrees outside and the middle of summer!  The grilled burgers and hot-dogs tasted great, as did the wonderful variety of sides and desserts. 

I forgot to take pictures of the final results of the crafts, but hopefully some of the sisters will be willing to share their finished products with us during a Sunday meeting in the near future :)  

Next time, we definitely hope to get more sisters involved (isn't this always the goal of Relief Society??), but the food was great, the company was wonderful, and the crafts all turned out amazing!  We have some very talented ladies here in the Rogue Valley :)  Thanks for all the hard work by the planning committee and thank you to everyone who made this event so terrific!

Christmas in July is Almost Here

Only a few more days until the "Christmas in July" Relief Society crafting event at the GP Stake Center.  Feel free to invite friends and if you (or someone you know) needs a ride to the event, please e-mail us at RiversideWardRS@gmail.com so we can help make transportation arrangements.  Can't wait to see you all there!