February Children s Lenten Program. Life of Paul February 21, 28, March 6, 13

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1 Newsletter of the Richfield United Church of Christ THE COLUMNS February 2016 Boy Scout Sunday February 7 On February 7, scouts from Troop 387 and Cub Scouts from Pack 3387, along with their families, will be invited to our 10:15 service to participate in Boy Scout Sunday. One of the oldest in the nation, Troop 387 was founded in 1933 and was chartered by Richfield Church soon after the current church was built in the mid-1950 s. The troop has honored many scouts as Eagle Scouts over the years. A plaque honoring those Eagle Scouts is on the west wall of the Fellowship Hall. Children s Lenten Program Life of Paul February 21, 28, March 6, 13 This exciting role-playing program only happens once every four years at RUCC. Don t let your kids miss out. Friends are welcome. Grades 2, 3,4,5,6,7,8 4:00-6:30 pm Pre-registration is recommended to help us plan for dinner & crafts. Cost: $12 and a piece of material for your costume. Adult and youth staff are needed, along with dessert donations each day of the program. Sign up to help or to attend on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall or contact Mrs. Monegan in the church office at Ash Wednesday Service Wednesday, February 10 7:30 pm

2 Rev. King s Annual Report This has been a year of growth. We added 18 new adult members and four new children. In fact, we welcomed more new members in 2015 than we have in any year as far back as we can find records. Many of these new members stated that the welcoming hospitality extended to them by the congregation made all the difference, so from them and from me, thanks for being such a church! I love ministry, and I love Richfield UCC. I am very pleased and proud to be your pastor and look forward to continuing our growth in the years ahead. - Rev. John D. King Compared with the previous two-year average, Sunday worship attendance grew by 19% at 8:00 and 3% at 10:15. I ve been working hard every week to make sure that preaching and worship are spiritually enriching experiences of growth every week. I seek a message that is both relevant and true to Jesus teaching. I strive to give everyone something to think about and work on every week. Sometimes the kids give me something to think about! I work to ensure that my articles are engaging, that the sick are visited and that every phone call and visit receives proper pastoral care. Our Lenten study series was very well attended, with attendance (unusually) growing over the 12-week course. The Seder meal and Lenten services were also very well attended. This year we ve lost some very dear and longtime members of the congregation. We continue to remember their families in our prayers. They leave lasting tributes to the church by their legacies of service, and some of them blessed us by the bequests they wrote in their wills. Let us honor their memory with profound gratitude. And I thank each of you for giving so much throughout the year. I know some of you have been in a tight spot financially. I get that. So I am especially grateful to see how you share so much with your time, and your financial contributions. Your generosity has also contributed enormously to our growth this year. Once again, I ve requested an increase in funding for evangelization. We need to face it; nationally, church attendance is declining. So if we want to continue to buck the trend and grow, we need to intentionally reach out. Every new resident in Richfield gets a personal letter from me inviting them to church. We advertise in the Richfield Times and through social media like Facebook. But most importantly, we ARE the kind of church that offers a compelling witness by the way we live and serve. Who we are does more than anything else to draw new members. We ll continue to grow as we share that message, both informally and through the media. This year I began the Richfield Interfaith Coalition, and I m proud of what we re doing in the community. This year we hope to work together toward an interfaith funded fitness trail, interfaith open houses and hopefully an interfaith summer picnic. Shifting attitudes from the Supreme Court to the family dinner table have brought new understanding and sensitivity to people in the LGBT community. This year, in consultation with Church Council, I was honored to conduct my first three same-sex marriages. I was proud of all of you for celebrating this church s first same-sex marriage as a consistent extension of Jesus compassion and care. Let s continue the conversation as we continue to grow in understanding. I am going to be away for the next few weeks. On Tuesday, January 26, I am scheduled for not one but two surgeries! The first surgery is to fix a hernia. The second operation will tinker with some plumbing inside my head, drilling a hole through the bones in my nose so that the whole eye to nose drainage works the way it should. It s a good thing I m tall enough to give each surgical team a little elbow room. The advantage of doing both surgeries at once is to reduce total costs, drugs, anesthesia and recovery time. The disadvantage is that I m going to look and feel like I was run over by a truck. This is my third hernia operation. I wish these things came with a warranty. I ve learned the hard way that I really need to take it easy after surgery. The first two times I overestimated how quickly I would be able to bounce back, and I regretted it. I ll be out of the office for a few weeks, but I should be back in time for Life of Paul. So much for ski season. To allow some recovery time, I have guest ministers lined up for the next three Sundays: Rev. Pat Jefferis (Jan. 31), Rev. Jim Cunningham (Feb. 7) and Rev. Terry Bartlett (Feb. 14). If there is a situation requiring urgent pastoral care, please contact Becky Monegan at the church office. Rev. Dave Shackle of Brecksville UCC has agreed to help out if the need arises for hospital visits or other unexpected spiritual support. So please keep me in your prayers, but especially pray for Katie. She tends to worry a lot and I won t be much use at all with household chores and errands. Pray for Maya, who will no doubt be running those extra errands with her newly minted driver s license. (Congratulations, Maya! Be careful.) And pray for Ian that he will be able to restrain himself from jumping into Daddy s lap or (most painful of all) making Daddy laugh. I ll see you in a few weeks. Rev. John King

3 CHURCH STAFF POSITION AVAILABLE 'RETIREMENT VILLAGE MANAGER' Paid - Part-time People skills - Business skills Contact Dave Hakos dhakos5@yahoo.com Portable Defibrillator The S&A Board is seeking participation from the congregation to do research into the wisdom of acquiring a portable defibrillator for RUCC. If this subject is important to you, or if you have special experience or expertise you wish to share, please consider giving advice on the following questions: Should our church have a defibrillator? Who should be trained to use it? What product is best for us? How can we fund the purchase? How much maintenance does a defibrillator require? You can volunteer by calling Kevin Ahlborg at if this sounds like a mission for you. The congregation and S&A Board will be grateful for your contribution. Youth Back Bay Mission Trip Fundraiser Shrimp Boil ~ After Church Lunch March 6 There will be all you-can eat peel and eat shrimp, specially prepared by Marian & Doyle Luckenbaugh, homemade soups, salad, garlic bread and dessert. Due to the price of the shrimp, we are setting suggested donations for the meal to cover the cost of the food. The suggested donation for the shrimp meal is $11 per adult and $5 for children under 10. Soup, salad, bread only (no shrimp) is $5 person. Families of four or more pay only $30! Please sign the list located on the youth bulletin board, call the office, or Marilyn at youthdirector@richfielducc.com so we can get an approximate count on the number of people we will be serving. Please indicate if you will be eating shrimp. Thank you for your generous donations to our Mission Trip Fundraiser. WPM Board Annual Soup Sale Sunday, February 21 The WPM Board will have homemade soup for sale on Sunday, February 21, with sales benefiting the youth group program. The cost of the soup will be $5 a pint or $8 a quart. Soup Chefs Needed Do you have a favorite soup recipe for us all to try? If you would like to help out and make a pot of soup for the sale, the WPM board will have a sign-up sheet in the Fellowship Hall on February 7 & 14th. Soup containers will be provided. Calling all Bakers If you find yourself housebound due to the winter weather, we have a suggestion which will warm your kitchen and help others as well. We need baked goods for two purposes. The Adult Mission Group is hosting a bake sale fundraiser on Tuesday, March 15, during the primary election held here at the church. Money raised will offset the cost of a mission trip to West Virginia planned for April. Baked goods can be baked now and frozen or baked closer to the date and dropped off at the church. Coffee hour baked goods are always needed and can be placed in the kitchen any day of the week for freezing or for serving on Sunday morning. Your baking is yummy and your help is appreciated! Barb Simmons College Scholarship Applications Applications for the Barb Simmons Scholarship are now available in the church office for 2016 graduating high school seniors in our congregation family. Applications should be returned to the church office by April 1.

4 Richfield United Church of Christ Youth Group 411 RUCC Youth Group Sub Sale Richfield UCC s Youth Group is selling sub sandwiches that will be ready for pick-up on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7. The subs have turkey, ham, and cheese and come with the option of being on white bread or wheat bread. A bag of veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, and onions) is also optional. Cost is $5 and there are usually extra subs to sell if you did not place a pre-order. If you have not pre-ordered your sandwich and would like to place an order, contact Youth director Marilyn Freeman at Checks are to be made payable to RUCC Youth Group. Boxes of Love Donations at RUCC by February 7 RUCC college students and overseas military During the month of January, the Youth Group, with your help, has been collecting items to send to our RUCC college students and to overseas servicemen & women. Donations will be packed at the Youth Group meeting on February 7. Upcoming Youth Group Events for Your Calendars Saturday, February 6 9:00-11:00 am. Construction of sub sandwiches at RUCC. Sunday, February 7 Youth Class at 9:15 am. Youth Group ushers and hosts Coffee Hour. Confirmation Class will join the youth group in their activities today. Selling sub sandwiches and packing the Boxes of Love are also on our agenda. Sunday, February 21 ~ Winter Jam Concert Wolstein Center, Cleveland $10 admission ~ Leave Richfield UCC 4 pm ~ Concert starts 5:45 We leave no later than 10:00 pm (school night unless otherwise approved by parents) Sat/Sun, February ~ Junior High Youth Event ~ Pilgrim Hills Miracles They Still Happen Leave from RUCC 7:30 am on Sat. ~ Return to RUCC Sunday 2:30 pm-ish Cost is $20 ~ Let me know ASAP if you are interested

5 Ushers for February February 7: Youth Group Lew Monegan Mindy Remec Jim Holan Laura Willis February Lay Readers February 7: Emma Butera and scouts February 14,21,28: Dave Butera Boards and Council Meetings Monday, February 8 7:00 pm Church boards meet 8:15 pm Church Council meets The S&A board meets in the church office. The Christian Ed board meets in the Youth Group office and the WPM board will meet in the Gathering Room. Council meets at 8:15 pm in the Gathering Room. Men s Health Group The next scheduled meeting of the Men s Health Group will be Thursday, February 11. For more information contact, Bob Ehlers. Book Club The next Book Club gathering will be on Monday, February 22 and the reading selection for February is The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom. Book club meets on the fourth Monday of the month and new members are always welcome. 17th Annual Epiphany Arts Festival The annual Epiphany Arts Festival at The Bath Church UCC features artwork from over 200 regional artists in all forms of media and celebrates the joy artists bring into our lives. Many pieces are for sale and the show is free and open to the public. Artwork will be on display in the Narthex, Hospitality Room and Sanctuary until Sunday, February 14 and open for viewing: Wednesdays 1-4:00 pm, Thursdays 7-9 pm Saturdays 10-3:00 pm and Sundays 12-3:00 pm. February Birthdays 2/2 Dick Sprague 2/3 Julie Luther Fitzgerald 2/3 Lewis Monegan 2/3 Ian King 2/19 Harold Stertzbach 2/7 Joe Reineck 2/20 Kevin Ahlborg 2/8 Jeff Weber 2/21 Jenny Mitchell 2/11 Ruth Stang 2/22 Bonnie Obenauer 2/11 Danielle Schwaben 2/23 Gretchen Gehring 2/13 Marilyn Freeman 2/24 Lillian Keppler 2/16 Carter Wilmot 2/26 Jeanie Kerns 2/17 Anna Deuring 2/27 Stacey Kiska 2/18 Deborah Luther 2/27 Bernie Sobieraj February Anniversaries 2/1 John & Janice Sikora 2/6 Allen & Marilyn Scarbrough 2/14 Kevin & Nagwa Ahlborg 2/20 Ray & Vernice Deuring New Member We welcomed June Dengate as a new member to RUCC on January 17. June lives in Richfield and enjoys knitting, golf, quilting, walking and has recently started yoga at the Senior Center. 12 th Aquarius Exhibition January 29-February 26 Sally Heston and DeAnna Clucas will be participating in the Aquarius Exhibition, which features original artwork by Medina County Art League members. The show runs January 29 - February 26 in the B. Smith Gallery, 3 rd Floor, Medina County District Library, 210 S. Broadway St., Medina during regular library hours and is free to the public. Red Cross Blood Drive Wednesday, February 10 1:00-6:00 pm RUCC Fellowship Hall

6 Richfield United Church of Christ 4340 W. Streetsboro Rd. Richfield, Ohio Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 4 GATHERING OF THE CHURCH FAMILY EVERY SUNDAY 8:00 AM Early Worship Service 9:15 AM Sunday School for all ages 10:15 AM Worship Service 11:15 AM Coffee Hour 11:30 AM Choir Practice EVERY WEEK MON 7:30 PM AA WED 8:00 PM AA SAT 8:30 PM AA WEDNESDAY 6:30 AM MEN S GROUP THURSDAY BELL CHOIR PRACTICE AT 7:15 PM SCOUT PROGRAMS AT RUCC TUESDAY: AT 7 BOY SCOUTS MONDAYS: BEAR CUBS AND WEBELOS I & II WEDNESDAYS AT 6:30 WOLF CUBS (1ST & 3RD OF MONTH) Registration for Current Hobbitts Families and Church Families February Activities All current Hobbitts families and church members may register for the school year starting February 1. Registration for all others begins February 15th. Classes fill quickly so early registration is encouraged. February 5: Hobbitts Carnival February 6: Youth Group construction of sub sandwiches 9 am. February 7: Scout Sunday: Communion / Youth Group ushers & hosts coffee hour / Sub sandwich sale Youth class at 9:15 / Confirmation Class & Youth group pack Boxes of Love February 8: Church Boards meet at 7:00 pm / Council meets at 8:15 pm February 10: Ash Wednesday / Red Cross Blood Drive at RUCC 1-6pm Ash Wednesday service at 7:30 pm February 11: Men s Health Group meets at 2:30 pm in the Gathering Room February 12: Cub Scout Pack Meeting at 7pm February 21: Soup Sale / Life of Paul program at 4:00-6:30pm February 22: Book Club at 7 pm in the Gathering Room February 28: Life of Paul program at 4:00-6:30 pm Richfield United Church of Christ Phone: Fax: Richfielducc@windstream.net Web page: richfielducc.com