October 3, 2008
Greetings Fellow RUTS Members and Friends,
I am sending you this letter in order to
keep you informed of current club activities that we all are currently benefitting from and some others that will affect the
club for years to come. Let’s start with a current item:
· www.rutsnorth.org - I hope that you visit the club’s website
regularly. If you do, you are able to keep informed of all club activities, both large and small. We have experienced a significant
change at the website this year. As you may or may not know, Tim Sumrall had faithfully kept the site up and running for quite
some time. He also kept things looking fresh and did his best to keep us all up to speed and informed. It was/is no small
task. Consequently, Tim reached a point when he felt like he needed a break and asked if anyone would step up and help out.
In God’s providence, one of our newest members, Greg Bates, stepped up and has assumed the role of webmaster and has
taken his talents and abilities and applied them to the website. Without getting into too many details (because if you go
to the site, you can experience it all for yourself; from the helmet cam footage to the current calendar to the member roster),
I just wanted to say “Thank you” to both Tim and Greg. You two have done and will continue to keep the blood of
communication flowing through the entire RUTS cyberspace.
· District 36 Chaplains – Fred Sumrall basically got this ministry started at the races
many years ago, though Fred was not necessarily considered a chaplain at that time. However, as he and his family’s
persistency in bringing the gospel to the cross country racing community was witnessed and his credibility with these racers
was cemented, God’s call to Fred was heard loud and clear and as they say, the rest is history. The District 36 cross
country racing community now has three chaplains; Fred Sumrall, Scott Ruiz and Elizabeth Lampman. These three folks organize
and lead chapel services, preach, pray, counsel, prepare coffee and cookies and then race with the racers; then go and do
it again the following week. If you have been fortunate enough, you have heard Scott preach at a chapel service and then witness
the response of those that God has called to salvation, both young and old; it has truly been a time of harvest, a time that
Fred is so grateful to see. And now Elizabeth is reaching out and building bridges to the other ladies at the races; something
that in most circumstances a man cannot do; again God has perfectly orchestrated this ministry at the races. But that is not
all; two of our other members, Ken Heuser and Pastor Mike Revell are both handling the spiritual needs of the flat track racers
here in District 36. This is a ministry that these two men initiated just this year, so let’s continue to keep them
in prayer and find out how we can support them in this endeavor. What could be next? Never underestimate what God may choose
to do…..with you J.
Now let’s
move onto a couple of other very important items:
· The time
has come again for the election of RUTS officers. At the meeting in October, we will be taking nominations for officers (President,
Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer), then we will be voting in November, with those who have been elected taking office
in December. These positions will be held for a two year period. This is a very important task and I believe that the selection
of our next leaders is vital for the direction that the club will be embarking upon in the next few years. So, I hope that
each and every member will make it a point to be at the next two meetings.
· And finally, we have two dates that you definitely want to keep:
o January 3rd, 2009, we will be holding our 7th Annual Crab & Tri-Tip Feed here in Lodi.
Please, please, please save this date. We will have tickets available at the meeting in October and hope that we all, by having
the tickets early, help make this a sellout event before the actual night of the event. Also keep in mind that club members
are asked to donate a $50 gift for the raffle (which is where we actually make the $ to keep the club running for the next
year).
o
Our club Christmas party will be held this year; currently we just haven’t
been able to determine where or when. I do believe however, that this decision will be made at the October meeting. So again,
there’s another good reason to be at Brookfield’s restaurant on Monday, October 13th at 7pm.
In closing, I would
like to say that I am excited to see the election of another individual to become president of our club. I am feeling led
to step aside for now, but to continue supporting the club whenever and however both my wife and I can. It has been an honor
and privilege to serve these past few years with you in this ministry as your president. I thank you for your commitment of
time and at times your finances to help support what RUTS is about; bringing people (both believers and non-believers) and
Jesus together. I believe that history will show that these recent years have been very fruitful; however, I also believe
that the Lord is eagerly awaiting our continued obedience so that He can accomplish more “that we can ask or imagine”;
and you do have a big imagination, don’t you?
Your Friend in Christ,
Doug Reynolds
