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April 2007 Newsletter
    
Deadline for Newsletter Articles for next month is the 15th of the month.
Email the Church Office or fax the office at 330-836-8872
Use Newsletter submission form here on the website or place in church office newsletter mail box.
Holy Week
Maundy (Holy) Thursday - April 5 - 7 p.m. worship in the Sanctuary - Holy Communion and the Stripping of the Altar
Good Friday - April 6 - 7 p.m. worship in Sanctuary with our neighbors from St. Hilary Catholic Church Meditation on the Cross
Easter Sunday Worship - April 8 -
7:30 a.m. - Last year we tried something new for the early service, and decided to provide this worship opportunity again. We will begin outside (weather permitting – dress warm) – this year in the church’s courtyard. There will be visual reminders, including sharing Holy Communion, of all that has brought us to this day of celebration. Worshippers will then process to the sanctuary to proclaim the resurrection.
9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. - These festival worship services will be identical and will feature special music as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Holy Communion will be celebrated.
Easter Breakfast
Served by the Youth - Seating from 8:15 to 10:15 a.m. - Fellowship Hall
Menu: Egg and Cheese Strata, Sausage, Fresh Fruit, Pastries, Coffee and Juice. All of your generous donations go directly to Faith Lutheran Youth! We hope to see you there! There is no Christian Educations for children, youth or adults on Easter Sunday.
Take Hymnals Home
On Easter and April 15 - Did you or your family donate a green Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) or a blue With One Voice (WOV) hymnal for church use? If so you now have the opportunity to take those hymnals home.
On April 8 the hymnals – which are being replaced by the new Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) – will be on tables in the Fellowship Hall and the Youth Room. They will be in alphabetical stacks according to the name of the donor listed in the book. Members are encouraged to take the books they donated. On April 15 the tables will be moved to the cloak room and narthex.
After those two Sundays the remaining books will be given to anyone who wants them.
What About the New Hymnal?
We will begin using the ELW in traditional worship on April 15. Worshippers will immediately notice that there are fewer books in the pews. That’s because the church has purchased electronic access, and permission to copy, the book’s content.
Initially 100 hymnals have been purchased by the church. If it is determined that more are needed members will be given the opportunity to purchase them for the congregation’s use “in honor of “or “in memory of” loved ones.
The ELW keeps the best and favorite music from the LBW and WOV and introduces new worship music, hymns and songs that soon will be favorites. And, the most important piece of information, its color is “cranberry”. (Shall we call it red?)
STEPHEN MINISTRY UPDATE
Thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit, 24 people are attending Stephen Ministry training twice a month. This group of dedicated individuals are learning skills that will help them when they minister to members of our congregation and community who are going through challenges and struggles. We invite everyone to pray for the success of this Stephen Ministry training and for God to help us identify people to whom the Stephen Ministry program would be helpful.
Our Stephen Minister Trainees are: Anita Sears, Stephen Thompson, Polly Dobkin, Karin Allen, Janice Wedge, Mike Kesling, Diane Carano, Rae Welker, Dineen Dowling, Wanda Hare, Sally Hauth, Norma Setteur, Bill Pope, Debbie Rose, Paula Gresock, Gail Bradley, Ruth Simpson, Lois Chaffee, Chris Wessinger, Nancy Tobar, Norma White, Karen Mallison, Suzanne Rickards, and Pat Mihelis. Please remember them in your prayers.
Farewell and Thanks from Leo and Wendy
Friends of Faith, It is after much prayer and discussion that we have come to the difficult decision to step down as youth leaders as of June 30. Though this brings us sadness we look forward to what God has in store for us in this next phase of our lives! As most of you are aware, when we first began our time with the youth our lives were much different! We now have Charlie home and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our (soon to be 9 year old) daughter, Brenda. To say that our lives have changed would certainly be an understatement! It is due, in part, to these new family “demands” that we believe it is now time to refocus our attentions.
In addition to the changes for our family, we saw the possibility for changes within the youth group as well. As the youth program expands with the building we believe that perhaps the youth leader(s) would need to be able to give more than a part-time commitment. What is needed, perhaps, is someone who can more completely focus on the youth. And so, as our lives changed we began to feel more heavily the weight of what is required to really succeed as youth leaders. We came to the decision that the kids deserved more than we are currently able to give.
With that being said, we can’t begin to tell you how much we’ve enjoyed working with the youth of our congregation! We are hugely honored that we were trusted in this position and we were blessed with an amazing group of young adults. Our lives have been forever changed by the time that we spent in fellowship with them. We hope and pray that in our 3 ½ years we brought those we were involved with closer in their walk with God. We fully intend to foster the relationships that were built over this time and will be available to the new leaders as needed.
We want to thank all of you for your support of us in this ministry. Your kind words and encouragement were always very much appreciated. We ask that you show the same support to the new youth leaders. It is a difficult task to bring together the teenagers of our, or any, church. With lives so full is it often a struggle to compete. It is only with the full support of the parents that this ministry will be able to thrive! Please encourage your children to JOIN IN! We have witnessed firsthand how these opportunities can truly changes lives. As always, we thank you for your continued support and prayers for our family. With much love, Wendy & Leo Boes
Youth News - April
Confirmation Class - Great job on the service project at Arden court!!! You should feel proud of yourselves! Sunday, April 22 Class at 9:15 a.m. with Janice and Lucius and Contemporary Service at 10:30 a.m.; Sunday, April 29 Class at 9:15 a.m. with Janice and Lucius and Contemporary Service at 10:30 a.m; Last Wednesday Class and Picnic on May 9, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
9th Grade - Class on Sunday, April 22 and 29 at 9:15 a.m. in the Library.; Don’t Forget! May 6 join us at Panera at 9:15 a.m. with the High School group.; (This will our last meeting for the year.)
High School Youth - No Panera on Palm Sunday! Panera at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, April 15. Last Panera at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, May 6.
All Youth - Join us for the Palm Sunday procession with Henry, the donkey, at 10:15 a.m. on April 1. Don’t forget, the Easter breakfast is coming soon! Easter Sunday we need help during the following time slots: 7:45 - 9 a.m., 9 - 10:15 a.m., 10:15 - 11:30 a.m. (Confirmation Students - This a required event for you! Please call us with your time slot ASAP if you’ve not already done so!) This schedule will allow you to help AND go to service. Please let Wendy or Leo know if you are available to help.
Parents of Youth - We need adult volunteers to head up the clean up effort after the Easter breakfast (11 a.m. –noon) so that we are able to go to the last service. If you can help with this please call Wendy at 330-414-0300. Thanks so much!
Mission Possible!
Your mission should you choose to accept it is to uncover a way to become involved with … Vacation Bible School 007 - June 18—22, 2007
If you can chop fruit, tell stories, decode secret messages… If you know how to use a pair of scissors or a glue bottle, or a magnifying glass… You could be a special agent in God’s Mission to reach the children of our community!
Seek out Director of VBS Intelligence Julie Magons for your next assignment!
VBS Planning Meeting on Sunday, April 22 at 6:30p.m. in the Youth Room Please plan to attend! Call Julie at (330) 336-5212 for more information.
Council
Council experiences a “power surge” at the retreat!
Faith church council met for a one-day retreat on Saturday, March 10. They gathered to strengthen relationships, study scripture, brainstorm ideas for growth at Faith, and celebrate Holy Communion together. As part of their continued commitment to leadership training, they are going to embark on a study of the book Power Surge by Michael Foss, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, MN. Over the course of the year, they will read and discuss together Foss’ account of his church moving from a membership model of church affiliation to one of discipleship.
New Pastor Appointed at St. Hilary Parish
On the eve of its 50th anniversary, St. Hilary Parish is poised to begin a new era. With his appointment effective March 15, Fr. Steven Brunovsky, 41, became the fourth pastor of St. Hilary Parish in Fairlawn. Fr. Brunovsky came to St. Hilary from St. Francis Xavier Parish in Medina.
Ordained a priest for service to the Diocese of Cleveland in 1992, Fr. Brunovsky is a native of the Cleveland area.. He began his service as a priest at St. Paul Parish in the Firestone Park neighborhood of Akron, where he remained until his 1997 transfer to St. Mary Parish in Hudson. He has been as associate pastor at St. Francis Xavier Parish since 2003.
Fr. Brunovsky succeeded Fr. Gordon Yahner, who retired as Pastor at St. Hilary on March 14, after 13 years of service to the Parish and nearly 44 years in the priesthood. St. Hilary Parish was established on August 1, 1958.
WELCA
Wednesday, April 11 - 10:00 a.m. Fellowship Hall - Faith’s Church Windows Faith Church Windows is a rescheduling of our February program which was cancelled due to the snowstorm on Valentine’s Day. Steve Thompson and his technician will present the power point program about Faith’s beautiful stained glass windows.
WELCA welcomes everyone who would enjoy seeing this program. Jean Butler will give devotions. Charlotte Shuff will prepare the refreshments. The March meeting took place at Stewart’s Caring Place. The group learned about the opportunities available to cancer patients and their families at the facility, which offers a variety of aids at no cost. This is an anniversary year for WELCA. It was 20 years ago that we became Women of the ELCA!
Women’s Spring Retreat
All the women of Faith and their friends are invited to our yearly Saturday Spring Retreat. This year the retreat is Saturday, April 14 from 8:30 a.m. till 4 p.m.. It will be held at the NEOS Resource Center in Cuyahoga Falls.
The theme of our retreat this year is “The Bloomery” where we will “dig” into God’s Word, “plant seeds” of love, peace, and joy, and “grow” in our relationship to Jesus and each other. The cost is only $18 and includes breakfast, lunch, and all retreat material. Please call Carolyn to reserve your space today! (or email at cjwaggs@aol.com)
Celebrate Spring
Ladies and Young Ladies - Spring Salad Luncheon - Saturday, April 21, 11:30 a.m.
Faith Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall
Please bring a salad to serve 8 – 10 people. Dessert and beverage will be provided. Entertainment will be provided by a barbershop quartet. The cost is $7.00. Watch for sign-up poster in the hallways and Kinship Café.
Couples’ Retreat Reunion
If you were one of the 8 couples who enjoyed our retreat at the Holiday Inn last February, it is time to reunite! You are invited to dinner at Kurt and Carolyn’s home April 28 at 6:00 p.m. This will be a “pot luck” meal, Carolyn will provide the main course and you bring something to share. R.S.V.P. regrets only. cjwaggs@aol.com
Spring Clean-up Day
How about putting Saturday, April 28th on your calendar? That's the official date for this year's Spring Clean-up Day. We will need people to wash windows, haul and spread mulch, rake leaves, plant a few shrubs and flowers, and possibly even paint. We work from 9 a.m. till noon, that's it. A lunch will be served to celebrate our achievements. Please plan to join us on the 28th!!!!
Calling All Volunteers
We’ve tried many evenings and several types of entertainment during the last three years as we strive to bring ALL of our volunteers together to say “thanks for all you do.”
This year you will enjoy dessert and entertainment on Monday, April 30 beginning at 6:30 p.m. As usual, we will have some terrific door prizes for kids of all ages! In addition, we will recognize each “group” represented (i.e. soup makers, Explorer Club teachers, Lay Weeders) so please come and join in the fun!
You are appreciated and we know that God’s church would be far less effective without the faithful work of His people. Mark your calendars now and don’t forget; April 30, 6:30 p.m., dessert and entertainment. Child care provided.
In Our Prayers:
Health Concerns: Faith member Louise Baltes; Faith member Helen Jaccaud; Faith member Bob Kmet;
Special Prayers: For all who are serving in the military, particularly those who are in the midst if conflict, that they would sense God’s presence. And that peace may prevail in our hearts and in the world, particularly in Iraq and all places where people are suffering due to war and violence.
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