Celebrating our 50 Year Members and the Lives of our Saints

Transcription

1 Special points of interest: November 2015 Volume 62, Number 9 ALL SAINT S DAY AND OUR 50 YEAR MEM- BERS - Nov. 1 FALL CONGRE- GATIONAL MEETING SUN- DAY, NOVEM- BER 8 AFTER WORSHIP Church Office Hours - Monday - Thursday, 8:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m Rocky River Drive Cleveland, Ohio (216) Celebrating our 50 Year Members and the Lives of our Saints Inside this issue: Christian Education News Pastor s Article - from Rev. Hall Updates on Pastoral Search Committee and Construction Progress Birthdays, Anniversaries, and the Lectionary Get Involved! 7 Never place a period I am always fascinated and pleased to hear about the lives of our long time members - their memories of this church when they were young, how they came to this church, and what kept them coming all of their lives - their faith, their families, the friends they made here, and more. This year, we will have two new members to add to the 50 year member roll, Muriel Stryffeler, and Ruth Clements. You read about Muriel in last month s edition of The Voice, and Ruth is featured on page 5 of this edition. They join a venerable list of 15 other members who have been here 50 years or longer. We will honor Ruth and Muriel during worship on Sunday, November 1. This year, November 1 is the actual day that the wider church marks as All Saint s Day. Many denominations use this day or the Sunday following Nov. 1 to remember those who have gone home to the Lord in the past year. It is a time for family gathering, for church friends to gather and remember, and another chance to celebrate the life of our loved ones and friends. This year at West Park UCC, we have eight members who we will remember: Gloria Armstrong, Bill Barry, Shirley Berndsen, Florence Knox, Dolly Szabo, Midge Hackenberg, Evelyn Myers, and Betsy Bruening. We will also remember them during worship on Sunday, November 1, celebrate Communion together, and following the service, we will have our Coffee Hour down in Bartter Hall - we where God has placed a comma. (Continued on page 8)

2 Page 2 We dy LeForge, Director of Chrisia Educaio C(R)ST)AN EDUCAT)ON Learning In God s House Together I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in shadows but will have the light of life. John 8:12 OUR CHRISTMAS PAGEANT WILL BE ON DEC. 20! WATCH FOR THE PRACTICE SCHEDULE! Our plan is to have Mentors for the Confirmation journey, where the confirmand will be building relationships with each other and God. We will have activities, fieldtrips and have monthly classroom meetings during the year. The class is Elizabeth Griffin, Callie Thayer, Olivia Armstrong, Ariel Jackson, Savannah Coughlin, and Leehana Vernat-Vinson. The leaders are Pastor Houston, Licensed Minister Jim Furry, and DCE Wendy LeForge. The dates classes are being held are November 15, December 13, 2016: January 24, February 21, March 20, and April 17. Please contact Pastor Hall or Ms. Wendy if you are interested in being a mentor. ~Spirits with the Spirit ~ Our next gathering will be at Ms. Wendy s on November 14th at 7:00 p.m st St., Cuyahoga Falls. We hope you will join us! It s a Happy Birthday, Jesus, Party Sunday, December 20, after the Christmas Pageant, in Bartter Hall. Note the date change! The party will be a fun way for kids to experience the joy of Jesus birth. All Children are welcome to attend and to bring a friend with them. There will be treats, games, crafts and even a special birthday cupcakes! Please bring a baby gift donation for Laura s Home on Puritas Ave. We will be accepting your gifts Dec 1st - Dec. 20th. Relax, Renew, Reconnect - November 6-8, Location: Sunset Shores. It will be a time for women to rest, during a relaxing and spiritually nourishing spa-themed event where they ll be reminded of God s faithfulness and the power of connecting with other women. Through six refreshing sessions, women will journey through the psalms of the Bible, studying the different kinds of songs, poems, and psalms that have inspired people for centuries. Participants will learn how the psalms help us share our feelings, disappointments, celebrations, and doubts with a truly great listener: God. And they ll leave with a fresh approach to prayer that will grow their faith throughout the months to come. Plan on Joining us at Lavender Springs, we will be at Sunset Shores; you can come Friday night and/ or Saturday. Join us for only $80. At a Spa-themed retreat where you ll experience, meaningful Bible study and worship, while connecting with other women from WPUCC, and have time for quiet reflection and plenty of laughter. A big Thank you to the planning team! Contact Ms. Wendy if you have any questions or concerns. 2

3 Volume 1, Issue 1 C(R)ST)AN EDUCAT)ON CONT. Page 3 WORKSHIP Youth Sunday!!! Everyone was so moved by the Workship experience on Oct. 18th lead by our amazing youth. The youth wanted to create a similar experience that they have had on Mission work. Starting with having the opportunity to meet new people, working side by side to make a little difference in this world, putting Band-Aid s on a hurting world. Their message was Great Service it was timely, as we worked together to create 5 different service projects: Gratitude Letters to Veterans, Chemo Bags for children, Thinking of you gifts/ homemade cards for our prayer list, nursery home fall centerpieces and blessing bags for the homeless, the youth were the project leaders at the tables and worship leaders. I know that the recipients of our service projects will appreciate all our efforts. I also want to acknowledge Middleburg Heights UCC for sharing this idea. We are so Blessed to be a blessings to these youth and children. I m so proud of WPUCC for the support to all the programming we offer. Sometimes it s easy to forget how many children and youth we really minister, and how busy the families of WPUCC really are! So many of you made this day possible. Thanks to God, to all the children and young people, to the parents of these wonderful children and young people, to all the members of the CE board, to the WPUCC staff - Linda, Chris, & Pastor Houston, to the wonderful sound guy Bob Arcuri, to everyone who donated items, and for the support of WPUCC Congregation. Youth Group Update! Nov Fall Youth Event at Pilgrim Hills Camp in Brinkhaven, OH Nov Thanksgiving Celebration at Lakewood UCC, Meet at 5 p.m. at WPUCC. Watch for various Fundraising opportunities! FYE ~ Fall Youth Event 2015 ~ Sr. High Saturday & Sunday, November Pilgrim Hills Camp Miracles They Still Happen Join us as we explore the miracles of God in the Bible and in you. The annual Ohio Conference Fall Youth Event is an outdoor experience of personal selfdiscovery and enjoyment focused on foundations of faith, friends, leadership, and fun, in experiences which expand life and faith horizons. Faith - reconnecting with God Friends - building and rebuilding friendships Fun - enjoyment of a unique experience Check-in Check-in begins at 9 am on Saturday. Event ends on Sunday at 11 a.m. Cost and Payment Cost for this event is $70. Registration deadline: November 9. Happy Thanksgiving Give Thanks to the Lord, call his name. Make known his deeds among the peoples. 1 st Chronicles 16:8 I m too blessed to be stressed and I m expecting the best! Peace & Light, Ms. Wendy 3

4 Page 4 Rev. Housto Hall, I teri Mi ister FROM T(E PASTOR A Season of Gratitude and Thanksgiving We have a couple of months left in the calendar year of many good things have been happening we voted to be an Open and Affirming congregation and we began our capital campaign Bridge to the future. With that we are seeing the construction around the building to make it safe and secure. We have done our pledging. I want to ask for you to consider making your pledge and or increasing your pledge. I would like for us to finish the year with over 50% of the amount pledged. So pray about what you can do and what God is asking for you to do to build the bridge for our future. All Saints Sunday This year we will have a bell banner in the procession on All Saints Sunday, November 1. The last two Sundays in October were available to pin a bell on this banner in memory of those to be remembered on All Saints Day. The Season of Advent to Christmas This year we are going to have a new event mixing a couple of things into something that will be meaning for you during the season. On Sunday, November 29 (right after Thanksgiving) we will have our regular service and then have a cover dish lunch and work around the church to decorate for the Advent/Christmas Season. We also will be working on gifts for our shut-ins and other activities. We will have signup sheets to know what work team you will serve. We will end our time with a story and some carol sings. Theology on Tap: The next one will be held on Monday, November 9, at the Red Lantern in Kamm s Plaza. Our Wholes Lives for older children We are working with Lakewood UCC, Church of the Redeemer and Pilgrim UCC to offer an Our Whole Lives classes for 4-6 th graders beginning in January Kelly Burd and I will be the lead teachers for this class we will be one of the trial classes to work with the new revised second edition of the material. A Required meeting for Parents will be on Sunday, November 8, 2015 from 5 until 7 at Church of the Redeemer UCC Center Ridge Rd. Westlake, OH

5 Vo WE ARE DO)NG GREAT T()NGS! Page Updates on all of our Big Projects! CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS Again, we have been blessed with good weather overall, and patient people as we continue the work being done on the church building and Bartter Hall. As of printing time, the crews are preparing and digging to waterproof underground at the Truax Door entrance. You ll need to enter church from either the front doors, or through Bartter Hall until the work is completed. Other work being done is the laying of the foundation for the elevator shaft, The Person of the Month is... Ruth Clements who joined the Church December 12, We honor her now as a new 50 year member. Ruth was in Rainbow Girls at our church from the age of 12 until she was 18 years old. She said her church has been a blessing to her through the years. Ruth has also been a blessing to us in return by serving on the Board of Christian Education and the Board of Evangelism and Growth. She has been a Secret Prayer Pal several times and loved the experience of meeting a special new friend each time. foundations for the above ground walkway, and finishing up the waterproofing around Bartter Hall. PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE Our Pastoral Search Committee has been meeting on a regular basis, working on all the things we need to do to complete a Pastoral Search. We thank you for filling out the surveys and getting them back to the church. The Committee will process them as a part of developing our church profile that we will send out for potential Ruth was originally a Bank Teller, following in her Mother s footsteps, and later a Secretary in a Real Estate Office. With that beginning she then added a Real Estate License, Title License, and has actually been a Real Estate Title Agent for over 35 years. She has belonged to Eastern Star for over 40 years. She enjoyed boating and belonged to a Single Sailor s Group. She also enjoyed golfing and is a sociable, fun loving person. One of her most memo- 5 pastoral candidates to look at. Please keep the Committee in your prayers: The members are: Jennifer Krejsa, Chair; Rachel Miller, Secretary; Bill Beutel, Nancy Krueger, Diane Martin, Dennis McCormack, and Félix Miranda. FALL CONGREGA- TIONAL MEETING NOVEMBER 8, AFTER WORSHIP Yes, it s time for our annual Fall Congregational Meeting which will take place Sunday, rable experiences was eating at the famous Lola Restaurant with friends and to her amazement the well known Chef Michael Symon came and sat at their table and chatted with them. In their lengthy conversation they realized they had several N. Olmsted and other connections with him. On another occasion she was visiting in Phoenix and ended up twice on the Food Network and even earned a Chef s Hat. She loved to travel and made interesting contacts in the many places she visited. November 8, after Worship. The purpose of this meeting is to approve the proposed Budget for 2016, as well as the nominating slate of Officers, Board Members, and Delegates for Letters announcing the Meeting will be mailed out October 26 after the opportunity to pick them up on Sunday, Oct. 25 at church. Ruth can t always be in church these days but we have wonderful memories of all she has contributed to life here at WPUCC. Because of all her gifts she shared with us through the years, she has touched our hearts and made us laugh with her joyful sense of humor.

6 Page 6 Eve ts i the lives of our frie ds i West Park UCC )MPORTANT NOVEMBER DATES Birthdays 6 Brian DeAnte Furry Faith Armstrong Kenneth Grady 7 Douglas Roff Michelle Roff 9 Nora Litchney 11 Louise Gamary 14 Rosalyn Miranda 15 Lester Armstrong Joyce Tabata 16 Kimberly Miller Eric Miranda 22 Rebecca Jessen 23 Doug Henderson John Hogan 24 Irene Szabo 26 Jeff Dobransky Janet Gorman Debbie Lamb: (Mrs. Robert Lamb) 27 Adam Hrehocik 28 Chris Wiesner 30 Julie Szabo Judi Wiseman Anniversaries Kathleen & Joselito Sandoval Linda & Rev. Robert Ferro Ken & Susan Grady Dave & Edna Schleich Doug & Debbie Miller Our Lectionary & Sunday Events for November 2015 Pink Envelope - Strengthen Our Church November 1: All Saints Day, Recognition of 50 Year Members Worship & Communion, L.I.G.H.T, Coffee; Vince McKee Book signing Isaiah 25:6-9; Psalm 24; Revelation 21:1-6a; John 11:32-44 November 8: Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost Worship & L.I.G.H.T, FALL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17; Psalm 127; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44 November 15: Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Worship & L.I.G.H.T., E & G, Deacons, Christian Ed, Bartter Hall Rental 1 Samuel 1:4-20; 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-8 November 22:The Reign of Christ Worship & L.I.G.H.T, Community Meal 2 Samuel 23:1-7; Psalm 132:1-18; Revelation 1:4b-8; John 18:33-37 November 29: First Sunday of Advent Worship & L.I.G.H.T, Community Meal Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:

7 Volume 1, Issue 1 Eve ts i the lives of our frie ds i West Park UCC GET )NVOLVED! Page 7 WOMEN S FELLOWSHIP WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2, 2015 MERRY CHRISTMAS! This is a reminder that Christmas is closer than you think. All the women of the church are invited to our Christmas Luncheon at Longhorn s in Westgate Mall. Reservations are needed no later than November 16 if you don t want to miss out on the good food and the joy of being with good friends. Each person is responsible for her own check and Announcements! tip. Call Jean Clark at or see Nancy Krueger or Jean Clark in church to give us your reservation. Our Salad Buffet in September was a tasty, fun filled success. Phyllis Schroth lived up to her reputation for being the best caller in the world. She kept us busy as she called numbers and her comments kept us laughing. The prizes were top of the line all very expensive and now cherished treasures. Remember to give Jean Clark your pennies, wrapped or unwrapped. SOUND SYSTEM: Dear Congregation, To make your Sunday morning Worship Service sound wonderful, you need the Sound System Team. They make sure the Pastors microphones have fresh batteries, turn on the sound equipment and the computer for the PowerPoint. They control the microphones and their volumes, run the Power- Point programs (the parts of the service on the walls) and record Pastor s sermon for listening to on our website. It takes a team of two to make this happen each Sunday. The Sound Team comes every Sunday no matter what, whether we are sick, have family commitments or just would like a Sunday off, because we have no one else to run the system. We are training Mandi Salvino and her husband, Dan Karkoff, but we would like another team to learn this as well, so that we are fully covered. None of this is hard, but one would need to learn how to take care of everything, and we are happy to show you how! If you would be interested in learning what we do and would be willing to fill in a few Sundays out of the year, please contact us or Pastor know. Thank you, Dennis McCormack and Jane Vogt. CANNED GOODS AND PAPER PRODUCTS NEEDED: Since November is a month for Harvest and Thanksgiving, we would like to give our guests at the Nov. 22nd Community Meal some canned goods, paper products, & nonperishables to take home. Please bring your donations by Nov. 22, and place them in the wooden boxes in the narthex. Each guest will go home with a bag of plenty! We will ask the Sunday School classes to decorate the bags! COFFEE TIME RE- TURNS: With a chill in the air, it is time to change "Punch on the Porch" to "Coffee Time" in Bartter Hall. Thank you to everyone who hosted a Sunday on the porch. The Board of E&G will provide beverage, salsa/chips and pretzels. Other treats such as: pastries, vegetables, fruit, cheese etc. will be needed. Anyone can bring their items to the kitchen or office on the 1st Sunday of each month. There will be a sign up sheet in the narthex for other Boards, Committees, or Individuals to host the 1st Sunday in Nov. through May. COMMUNITY MEALS: As you know, the Monthly Community Meal was started by the Board of E&G in 2011 as an outreach to our neighborhood. Pastor Hall has been preaching about doing mission work and giving back to help others. This meal program is an opportunity for everyone to join in... whether it be planning/cooking a meal, serving, making dessert, washing dishes, greeting at the door, or being a table host to visit with our guests. Anyone interested in helping on an ongoing basis or just one time, please see someone from the Board of E&G or contact the church office. The meals are always the 4th Sunday of the month from 11:30--> 12:30 p.m. 7

8 No matter who you are, or where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here. This Church encourages people to think for themselves in matters of religion, following their best judgment and dictates of their own Christian faith and guidance of the Holy Spirit. West Park UCC Constitution, Article III, Section Rocky River Drive Cleveland, OH Phone: Fax: wpaaucc@sbcglobal.net Drawn together by the Holy Spirit, we are a distinct and diverse community of Christians that come together as one church, joining faith and action. In covenant with the church in all of its settings, we serve God in the co-creation of a just and sustainable world as made manifest in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That they may all be one (John 17:21) From the home page, WestParkUCC.org CHURCH STAFF Rev. D. Houston Hall Interim Minister pastorhouston4@gmail.com Rev. Lawrence H. Craig Rev. Don R. Norenberg Pastors Emeriti James R. Furry Licensed Minister jimandmare@wowway.net Wendy LeForge Director of Christian Education WestParkMsWendy@sbcglobal. net Linda Ferro Church Secretary wpaaucc@sbcglobal.net Christopher Venesile Director of Music Ministry cvenes@aol.com 50 Year Members and All Saint s Day (Continued from page 1) hope you will come to celebrate both of these events with us, and join us for fellowship afterwards in Bartter Hall, sharing memories, and getting reacquainted with families and friends you may have not seen in a while. Linda Also at the Nov. 1 Coffee Hour - Vince McKee with a New Book! Vince McKee will be there with his latest book, OHIO WARRIORS. We know Vince well from his previous books, but this one is much different from his others because it revolves around the relationship between fathers and sons, and mothers and daughters and how they have overcome major obstacles in their lives to realize their dreams in the world of athletics. He spoke with over 20 of the top Boxing and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) performers in Ohio history. This book is not about sports per se, but rather about the human will to survive and thrive in any circumstance. It is also about relying on God and family in our daily lives to overcome any obstacle. The books can be purchased for $20 and Vince will have his previous books there as well. 8