March WPM Board Soup Sale March 2

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1 Newsletter of the Richfield United Church of Christ THE COLUMNS March 2014 WPM Board Soup Sale March 2 The WPM Board will have homemade soup for sale next Sunday, with sales benefiting the youth group program. The cost of the soup will be $5 a pint or $8 a quart. Also available, for a donation to the Feed My Sheep Soup Kitchen, will be a packet of soup recipes. A few of the soups available will be Bean, several varieties of Chili, French Onion, Broccoli Cheese, Butternut Squash, Southwestern Corn Chowder, Potato, Chicken Noodle, and Beef Vegetable. Pizza, Popcorn and Movie Night Friday, March 14 Join us on Friday, March 14, as the Christian Education Board hosts a movie night on the sanctuary big screen. Bring your pillows and blankets and watch Despicable Me 2 a 2013 computer-animated comedy film, featuring the voices of Steve Carell, Russell Brand and Miranda Cosgrove. Great fun for all ages. There will be a sign-up sheet on Sundays to help us plan our pizza order. Ash Wednesday Service March 5 7:30pm Adult Lenten Study Wednesday evenings during Lent at 7:00 pm A World Worth Saving by George Donigian Join us as the author challenges us to grow in our prayer life by praying about daily news reports, discovering the needs around them and responding with love and compassion. Classes will be held in the Gathering Room on March 12, 19, 26, April 2, 9 and 16. Please RSVP so that we can order study books. Children s Lenten Program Sunday, April 6 2:00-4:00 Travel back in time to a Jerusalem marketplace and synagogue school. Pre-school thru 8th grade

2 Some years ago, a longtime member of the church I was serving passed away unexpectedly. She had never married and lived with her older sister in the farmhouse they had grown up in. It was a very poignant call. They had been very close, of course, and mutually devoted to their faith and congregation. In the course of our conversation, the sister asked if I would care to see her Bible. I did and she led me to her sister s sitting room. There was her Bible on a side table, filled with bookmarks, cards and pamphlets. I opened it and found notes and underlines on nearly every page. In the back, I found her Confirmation Record with her Confirmation Verse. Nearly 60 years old, it had been handled frequently. I used that verse as the basis for her funeral meditation. Both sisters had nurtured and been nurtured by a steady attention to their spiritual lives. They worshipped regularly, of course, but also followed a spiritual practice of devotional readings, study and praying. Their demeanor and conduct reflected this practice. These two ladies were deeply loved and respected as they offered a deeply rooted love and respect to others. In light of the challenges facing this congregation in the coming years, it has never been more critical that each of us approach our spiritual lives with similar focus and devotion. God is indeed speaking, as God has always has been. The real question is whether we are listening and availing ourselves of God s direction, comfort and love. Congregations that have members with a lively, vital faith offer much to their communities and to seekers. Our Lenten Series, A World Worth Saving can help us begin our spiritual pilgrimage or begin it anew. The series is based on a book by George Donigian and looks at basic acts of mercy and justice and connects these outer actions with our inner practices of prayer, Bible reading and the Lenten fast. This can be something you do on your own or along with a group. The group will meet on Wednesday evenings beginning March 12 at 7:00 pm. Copies of the book are available in the office for review and purchase ($10.00) We have several on hand but will order more as you sign up for the study in the Fellowship Hall. No matter your stage or role in life, your spiritual life is a substantive legacy for your loved ones, your friends, and your fellow disciples. Those sisters serve as a powerful memory and example for the good that can come from such a process as this. I hope you will find a way to participate. Interim Pastor, Rev. Stephen Gifford 12 Symptoms of Spiritual Awakening 1. An increased tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen. 2. Frequent attacks of smiling. 3. Feelings of being connected with others and nature. 4. Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation. 5. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fears based on past experience. 6. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment. 7. A loss of ability to worry. 8. A loss of interest in conflict. 9. A loss of interpreting the actions of others. 10. A loss of interest in judging others. 11. A loss of interest in judging self. 12. Gaining the ability to love without expecting anything. -Lifted from Facebook

3 Together We Make It Happen Sunday, March 9 Have you ever felt the desire to help out on church projects, but been unwilling or unable to commit to a long-term board position? On March 9, you will have an opportunity to view some short- term "help needed" lists prepared by the church boards. As you enjoy our "Together We Make It Happen" themed cake, STEP UP AND SIGN UP! Various board members will be present to answer questions and encourage you in this volunteer opportunity. Did you know that volunteering is a proven health benefit you don't even have to pay for? Why not take advantage of this opportunity? Your body and the board members will thank you! Wednesday Morning Men s Group Come and give the Wednesday morning Men s Group a try. We have friendly (although we do not always agree) discussion on a wide range of topics and share a light snack. It is EARLY, starting at 6:30 am, and ending at 7:30, so that people can get to work. We are not highly organized, but are respectful of the opinions of all. Give it a try and see if it doesn t add something to your week. If you want a little more info, please call Newt Heston ( ) or Paul Swan ( ) Hobbitts Preschool Registration for the School Year Registration for the school year has begun. Hobbitts Preschool offers Parent/Toddler, 3 s, 4 s, PreK, and enrichment classes. Registration information is available online at Please contact Carla Hoefs at for further information. The Adult Mission Group would like to thank the church family and community for their support of the "Winter Warm Up" dinner dance. It seemed to be a great success and was enjoyed by those who attended. This may not have been the case without the support of baked goods, auction items, and attendees! Although we are not sure where our travels will take us in the coming year, you can be sure the funds will help our mission of outreach to those affected by disaster. With gratitude, The Adult Mission Group Thank you Received A thank you has been received from the Safe Harbor Christian Church for the donation of $850 from the Adult Mission Group. This was given by the Mission Group during their mission trip last March to Henryville, Indiana. RUCC Worship Videos Greg Gerber has put a new link on our web page to view videos of the sermon. Click on Resources and then on Scriptures & Sermon Videos. DVDs of RUCC sermons are also available at the back of the sanctuary. After viewing, please return them to the church. If you know of a congregation member who is unable to attend church, ask them if you can bring a DVD to their home to help them stay connected to RUCC.

4 Richfield United Church of Christ Youth Group 411 Thank you for all of your generosity! The youth cleared $180 on the sub sandwich sale and we tightly packed 19 Boxes of Love with LOTS of goodies for our college students and one military person. We could not do it without YOU! As their thank-you notes come in, we will post them on the Youth bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall for all to read. Our February 16 meeting was all about Radical Love What would it look like if we loved like Jesus loved? To whom did Jesus reach out in love? The Samaritan woman at the well the-married-five-times-not-living-with-her-husband woman. The lepers who lived outside the city walls in isolation. Tax collectors hated by almost everyone. Who are those marginal people in our culture today? The snobby, stuck ups; the ghetto people; legal/illegal immigrants. How do we reach out in love to these people. We had a VERY interesting discussion! Winter Jam happens Feb 23, so the update will appear next issue. Upcoming March Youth Events March 2 is Youth First Sunday. Youth will be ushers, greeters and serve social hour. We are discussing the possibility of seeing the movie Son of God at the noon showing after church on March 2 and then off for some Chipotle to discuss the movie. March 8 is our designated Service Day. We will plan on doing Torch Ministries in Berea. Our March 16 meeting will be board game night---with a twist. Bring your favorite board game---from Chutes and Ladders to Monopoly to??? The more people who join, the more fun we have! There will be pizza and pop! 4:30 6:00 pm. Hope to see you there!

5 Ushers for March Gordon Brown Dave Johnson Bud Snow Dave Hakos Lay Reader Tim Hnath Boards and Council Board & Council Meetings will be Monday, March 10 Boards: 7:00 pm Council: 8:15 pm Men s Health Group Thursday, March 13 2:30 pm Gathering Room Book Club Book Club begins their 16th year at RUCC and invites you to join them on the fourth Monday of each month. The book selection for March is The Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman. Book Club will meet on Monday, March 24, at 7 pm in the Gathering Room. United Church of Christ Ohio Conference Outdoor Ministries Summer Camp materials have arrived. Watch of information on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall. Early registration must be postmarked by March 31 for the best prices. The camps are at Pilgrim Hills. Information can be found at Search Committee Update The search committee has received 18 ministerial profiles and has narrowed them down to the top 8. They will now start the interviewing process. March birthdays 3/1 Amanda Mari Hart 3/1 Carter Aquino 3/2 Ruby Kover 3/3 Stacy Westphal 3/4 Jamie Brown 3/4 Laura Aveline Matlock 3/4 Mary Patrick 3/4 Ethel Stanko 3/6 Stephanie Treubig 3/6 George Walker 3/9 Mackenzie Emilio 3/10 Jean Schmidt 3/10 Evan Wohlabaugh 3/10 Robert Ehlers 3/11 David Wohlabaugh 3/11 David Wohlabaugh, Jr 3/20 Larry Cholensky 3/20 Sam Gerber 3/22 Karl Kastl 3/22 Amanda Scarbrough Deaths February 7: Margaret Myers February 10: Charles G. Buzz Klagge Gathering Room Gallery Patricia Toth 3/22 Claude Petek 3/23 Rita Johnson 3/23 Marilyn Scarbrough 3/23 Jeffrey Treubig 3/23 James Carl 3/24 Marc Ahlborg 3/24 Erin Orzech 3/24 Luella Mortimer 3/25 Grace Hudec 3/26 Michal Swan 3/26 Elizabeth Matlock 3/28 Terry Bard 3/30 Gregory Hakos 3/30 Scott Supelak 3/31 Aaron Remec My creativity is a gift from God guided by a friend who s an art teacher. She spent one evening a week for several months teaching me a variety of media such as watercolors, pastels, acrylics, and colored pencils. We even threw wads of goopy paper on canvas and painted the hidden design. I enjoyed each, but it was the following spring when I attended a workshop sponsored the Medina County Art League that I discovered Zentangle. I fell totally and madly in love before the afternoon ended and have used it as a springboard to continuing my education in art and developing my own style. View Pat s work in the Gathering Room Gallery this month.

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 9:00 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 TUES 7:00 PM BOY SCOUTS WED 6:30 AM MEN S GROUP 10:00 AM WOMEN S GROUP 8:00 PM AA THURS 6:00 JR. BELL CHOIR 7:15 ADULT BELL CHOIR SAT 8:30 PM AA March Activities March 2: Soup Sale March 5: Ash Wednesday Service at 7:30pm March 10: Church boards meet at 7pm / Council meets at 8:15 pm. March 12: Adult Lenten Study at 7:00 pm March 13: Men s Health Group meets at 2:30 pm in the Gathering Room March 14: Family Movie Night with pizza and popcorn at 6:30pm March 16:Youth Group meeting at 4:30 pm March 19: Adult Lenten Study at 7:00 pm March 24: Book Club at 7 pm in the Gathering Room March 26: Adult Lenten Study at 7:00 pm. March Scouting at RUCC: Boy Scouts meet on Tuesdays at 7pm Bear Cubs meet at RUCC on First Monday/Wolf Cubs on third Monday Tiger Cubs on second Wednesday Webelos meet at RUCC (First & Third Thursdays) Richfield United Church of Christ Phone: Fax: Richfielducc@windstream.net Web page: richfielducc.com