Worship at Rio Grande
Worship of our Lord Jesus Christ is at the heart of all we do, as a congregation, here, at Rio Grande Presbyterian Church: ‘loving God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength” and “our neighbor as ourselves”.
Our pastor, of 13 years, is Pastor Linda Roberts-Baca, ordained in 1986. She is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, and has served in campus ministry at Vanderbilt and Princeton Universities, as well as various congregations around the country. She brings to ministry a love for Christ and a commitment to excellence in worship and preaching, and a heart for mission to 'the least of these." We are, also, blessed with some wonderful musicians in our congregation, beginning with our Director of Music, Ms. Marsha Bedell. Marsha received her Bachelor's of Music Education from the University of Georgia in 1974, and her Master's of Music Education from UNM in 2009. She has taught piano to students for the past 40 years, and, for APS in Los Lunas for the past 20. She grew up in Georgia, and is delighted to be a New Mexican and call 'The Land of Enchantment' home for the last two decades .
We meet Sundays at 10:00 am in the sanctuary; and, throughout the year, for special services in Advent, Lent, Christmas and Easter. Among other worship opportunities, we offer an:
Easter “Sunrise Service” at 8:00 am at Pat Hurley Park
(which overlooks the city of Albuquerque--located on the corner of Bluewater and Yucca Streets)
Good Friday Service (alternate years)
Maundy-Thursday 'Seder Meal' Service (alternate years)
Christmas Eve Service at 5:30 pm in the sanctuary
Memorial Services
Weddings
We welcome you to join us for worship that lifts up Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We invite you to share your gifts with us and we welcome you to get involved: whether it’s singing in the choir, playing an instrument, or your own original song, reading scripture, being a greeter or a Bible Study participant—you are welcome here, every Sunday, and throughout the year, for worship, study, and service which are at the heart of our congregation!
Mission and Outreach at Rio Grande
In the church office, there is a sign that reads “Mission is Not Optional: It is the Reason for the Church’s Being”, and echoes Rio Grande’s Mission Statement “To Feed the Hungry in Mind, Body, and Spirit as Followers of Jesus Christ”. To that purpose, we commit ourselves, each year, to support the following:
Penny Harvest – A contribution taken, the second Sunday of each month, to support the work of the Rio Grande Food Project
Mission-a-la-Carte—A ministry of the church, working in partnership with the Rio Grande Food Project, to provide weekly sack lunches to the homeless and those in need of one in the community
Local & National Projects—We have and do support local community ministries, such as the Barrett House (a shelter for women experiencing domestic violence); St. Martin’s Hospitality Center (now Hope Works) helping ABQ's homeless; Dismas House, for those transitioning out of prison; "Faith Comes by Hearing", an audio Bible Ministry to those in the military serving around the world; and The Rio Grande Food Project. We also support the Presbytery of Santa Fe, regionally, and the PCUSA, nationally, via ‘One Great Hour of Sharing’ and the ‘Peacemaking” offerings.
Ronald McDonald House —Every year we collect items to share with families at the local McDonald's House in December.
Thanksgiving and Christmas Baskets—Rio Grande’s Deacons, with the help of the congregation, put together baskets for meals to help those in our neighborhood and community celebrate the holidays.
Church and Community Garden: Partnering with church members and neighbors we grow (on good years) approximately 1-ton of veggies (much of it donated to support the Rio Grande Food Project)
Rio Grande Food Project, in operation since 1993, becoming a city-wide, non-profit, in 2006. The food project served over 47,000 people last year, and shares over 7 tons of food per week with all in need. Open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays from 10:00 am-2:00 pm, and Saturdays from 9:00 am - noon.
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Virginia Gaddis, Founder
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We are always looking for new ways to be of service to one another, the community, and world in which we live. Ideas welcome! |
2020 Elders and Deacons
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Clerk of Session and Elder: Ms Michael Taylor
ELDERS: Michael J. Baca, Marsha Bedell, Virginia Gaddis, John Landman DEACONS: Moderator: Julia Snowden, Marilyn Landman, Amanda Dara, Harriett Marmon, Marie Marmon, Ben Yellow Horse, Jack and Patty Preston, in 2020 Amber Preston was elected to the board. Pastor: Rev. Linda Roberts-Baca |