First Congregational United Church of Christ. 314 West Maumee Angola, Indiana May Cahoots campaign needs you!

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1 The Good News First Congregational United Church of Christ 314 West Maumee Angola, Indiana May 2015 Cahoots campaign needs you! Cahoots has until June to raise $20,000 that will be matched, dollar-for-dollar by the Dekko Foundation! This match requires first time donors so please, if you have never donated to Cahoots, think about donating during the month of May! Cahoots continues to offer FAME in our building, an after-school enrichment program for middle school students, in conjunction with the Steuben County Literacy Coalition as well as Tell It Like It Is, facilitated by Crystal Havins, MSW. Cahoots is now offering 3 MRT classes, facilitated by Barb Bryan, John French, Pam Feller, Crystal Havins, Phil Myers and Dick Wolford, all of whom are trained in Moral Reconation Training. Cahoots remains a safe place for youth where caring adults are always available for tutoring or just talking. Please consider financially supporting our wonderful youth ministry! Plant sale on May 9th On Saturday, May 9, we will have our annual Plant Sale in the church parking lot. We need your donations AND we need you to come buy new plants for your yard! Once again we will feature Dave Syler s tomato plants! So come early and stay late... so you can make your purchases and get your yard ready for summer!

2 From the church office Ministry Plan As part of my seminary work, and with the help of my Ministerial Support Committee, I created a Ministry Plan for our church. This plan was presented first to my Intro to Christian Ministry class, and later to our church council. It is my hope to share it with all of you, so that together we can prayerfully plan for the future of First Congregational UCC. The Ministry Plan includes the history of First Congregational, its strengths, passions and concerns. It compares our congregation s demographics with those of the surrounding community. The plan concludes with four areas of emphasis: technology, marketing, pastoral support and contemporary worship. These four areas were identified by the Ministerial Support Committee (Tom Sagendorf, Ron Hays, Lillian Stoner, Lois McEntarfer, and Chairperson Michelle Olson) as opportunities for growth. Our initial first steps include prayer and conversation, as we listen carefully to your needs and concerns, and the formation of a visioning group, who will help us understand the needs and concerns of the people in our neighborhoods. Our future vision stays faithful We need other people in our community, and they need us. to the idea that we need other people in our community, and they need us. First Congregational UCC can continue to be a powerful voice for justice, as well as a healing spiritual presence in our families, our church, our community and our world. Copies of the Ministry Plan will be available in the church office, and will be ed to church members in PDF format prior to our Bi-Annual Congregational meeting on May 31. Blessings, Judy Page 2

3 Links from the Prayer Chain Shepherding God, we picture a world in which no one is left behind, where all lie down in green pastures, where all walk beside still waters, where all souls are restored, where no one need fear evil, and all know your protection and comfort. A place where everyone has a place at the table, where all are anointed in the oil of your love, where everyone s cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall be our life s guiding principles as we work toward creating a world where all are gathered into the house of God. Jesus of the cross, you model to us a way of grace that changes the world. You are the testimony that love is stronger than doubt, fear, and death. You lead the way to peace and justice. Within the realm of your kindness things can be different, we only need to open our hearts to your spirit of compassion for this to be so. Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. Amen. - based on Psalm 23 Summer picnics begin June 17th Our summer picnics will begin on Wednesday, June 17, at 6:00 p.m. at Ron and Madeline Smith s. A sign-up sheet is on the Information Table for those who are willing to host. Hosts provide meat and drinks and all others take a dish to share, table service and lawn chairs. Plan to join us! Page 3

4 Calendar Markers 17 - Worship 10 a.m. - Council meets 11:30 a.m. 1 - Prayer group 9 a.m. Cahoots 3 - Worship 10 a.m. 5 - Men s breakfast 8 a.m. Timbers - Soup & Scripture Noon Cahoots 6 - Out-of-the-Bible Study 9 a.m. - Bell Choir/Chancel Choir 5:45 7 p.m. 8 - Prayer group 9 a.m. Cahoots 9 - Plant sale 9 to 3 Parking Lot - Women In Black 10 a.m. Courthouse - Write Tribe 11 a.m. Cahoots 10 - Worship 10 a.m Out-of-the-Bible Study 9 a.m. - Bell Choir/Chancel Choir 5:45 7 p.m Prayer group 9 a.m. Cahoots 19 - Men s breakfast 8 a.m. Timbers - Soup & Scripture Noon Cahoots 20 - Out-of-the-Bible Study 9 a.m. - Bell Choir/Chancel Choir 5:45 7 p.m Prayer group 9 a.m. Cahoots 24 - Worship 10 a.m Soup & Scripture Noon Cahoots 27 - Out-of-the-Bible Study 9 a.m. - Bell Choir/Chancel Choir 5:45 7 p.m CHOICE graduation 1 p.m. Sanctuary - Women s Book Study 4 p.m. Pastor s office - Families of Inmates group 6 p.m Prayer group 9 a.m. Cahoots 31 - Worship 10 a.m. - Bi-Annual Congregational Meeting 11:15 Upcoming 14 - Council meets 17 - Summer picnics begin! About the Community We extend our appreciation to Andy Esquivel, for all his volunteer hours spent here at the church. Our facility and yard look beautiful! Thanks, Andy! In the Hospital Maryellen Hays, Ron Hays and Rita Lechleidner. Page 4

5 Happy May Birthdays & Anniversaries 4 - David Finley 5 - Michelle Olson 8 - Larry Samuelson 9 - Brian Lantz 9 - Dave Olson 10 - Bill Eyster 13 - Dylan Krueckeberg 14 - Rev. Deb Davis 14 - Celia Motz 19 - Deb Fugate 20 - Michael Eyster 23 - Michael Armstrong 24 - Bill Bryan 24 - Ron Lenaburg 25 - McKenna Powers 26 - Pete Groth 26 - Brad Wade 27 - Marty Diller 29 - Harold Baker 31 - Kim Hyland 2 - Tom and Kathy Armstrong 14 - Jim and Vicki Harris Volunteer Schedule for May Date Liturgist Greeters Children's Sermon May 03 Marty Diller Gayle Newton & Deb Miller Rita Lechleidner May 10 Marj Lilley Rita Lechleidner & Fred Barnes Michelle Olson May 17 John French Bev Gerner & Marge Mueller Celia Motz May 24 Jim Simons Anne Eddy & Madeline Smith Vicki Harris May 31 Rita Lechleidner Norma Baker and grandkids Rita Lechleidner Date Usher Refreshments Counter May 03 Veryl Carpenter John & Cathy French Dave Syler May 10 Veryl Carpenter Dave & Bonnie Snyder Jim & Lynn Simons May 17 Veryl Carpenter Open Marj Stoudinger May 24 Veryl Carpenter Sponsored by McEntarfers Linda Driver May 31 Veryl Carpenter Patti Brown & June Bruner Ralph McDowell Page 5

6 News in Brief World. OGHS offering We received $739 for our One Great Hour of Sharing offering! Thanks to all who gave! Our next UCC offering will be our Neighbors in Need offering October 4th on World Communion Sunday. Women s Book Study Women s Book Study will meet on Thursday, May 28 at 4 p.m. in Pastor Deb s office. Join us as we continue our discussion of Barbara Brown Taylor s book, An Altar in the Friday Prayer Group The Friday Morning Prayer Group meets each Friday at 9 a.m. at Cahoots. Soup & Scripture Pastor Deb will be leading a Soup & Scripture session at Cahoots each Tuesday at 12 noon. Join us for a look at the lectionary scriptures for the next Sunday. We will order our soup - or whatever you would like - and then dig in! Men s Breakfast group The Men s Breakfast group will meet on May 5 & 19. All men are invited to these informal gatherings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 8 a.m. at Timbers. Questions? Contact Ron Hays. Out-of-the-Bible Study Join us for our Out-of-the-Bible Study, which meets on Wednesdays at 9 a.m., in Fellowship Hall! We are currently reading Barbara Brown Taylor s An Altar in the World. Women in Black Women in Black will stand on Saturday, May 9, in front of the courthouse. Folk are invited to gather from a.m. and stand in protest of war and domestic violence. WIB is an international movement to end all forms of violence. Page 6

7 Church Council highlights Church Council met on Sunday, April 12, and the following items were among those discussed/approved/ reported: Trustees will be meeting with Van Gordon Construction to start work planning the parking lot upgrade and re-doing the east entrance. Kim Hyland said she will be getting specific instruction from Lawnscape regarding care of the plants that were put in last fall; Jill Powers is continuing her search to fill positions for church officers; Kim Couch announced that the youth will be cleaning up a park and woods off of Ettinger Street on Sunday, April 26, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Adults are invited to join them; A new investment policy was presented; Ministerial Intern Judy Goodrow presented her Ministry Plan (Please see Page 2.) Our next meeting will be Sunday, May 17 following worship. Bi-Annual Congregational Meeting set for Sunday, May 31 On Sunday, May 31, immediately following worship, we will gather in the sanctuary for our Bi-Annual Congregational Meeting. This meeting s primary purpose is to elect church officers for the year; these officers will begin serving after they are installed during worship on Sunday, June 14. Jill Powers, moderator-elect, is the chair of the Nominations Committee. If you would like to serve on Council, please let her know... and if you don t volunteer but are asked to serve, please prayerfully consider saying yes. A complete slate of officers will be available prior to the meeting. Church yard clean-up Thanks to Andy Esquivel for cleaning up the church yard so we don t need a clean-up day! However, Bob Cablk still needs a couple of hours of help on the chapel garden. Let him know if you can help. Page 7

8 First Congregational United Church of Christ 314 West Maumee Angola, Indiana The Reverend Deborah Davis, Pastor and Teacher Rita Lechleidner, Licensed minister Lynn Syler, Director of Music Judy Goodrow, Office Manager & Ministerial Intern Michael Eyster, Moderator Judy at Pastor Deb at Our web site is Telephone us as Fax us at First Congregational United Church of Christ, as an inclusive and caring Christian community, welcomes into its full life and ministry persons of every race, ethnic background, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital status, criminal history and faith background. As we serve those within our church family, the community and the world in the name of Jesus Christ, we celebrate each person s uniqueness and look forward to the gifts they bring to us. God is still speaking,