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August 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.
Report from Seminary
As I mentioned last month, I spent a week in June at Trinity Seminary in Columbus. The class I took was called “Missional Leadership” and it was taught by Dr. Brad Binau from Trinity and Dr. Rick Barger the lead pastor at Abiding Hope Lutheran Church in Littleton, Colorado. As part of the class we had to read three books and skim-read four others. This gave me a wide spectrum of ideas on what is being said to people who want to work in the church in this new millennium.
There were 10 people in the class. Three of us were students, and the other 7 were pastors with experience ranging in years from 1 year to 20 years. These pastors realize the importance of becoming more missional in their thinking if they want their congregations to thrive. I was delighted to discover that one of my fellow classmates was Josh Miller, son of Marcus and Kathy Miller. It was no surprise to learn what a thoughtful and spirit-filled man Josh is.
I found the class to be very relevant, exciting, and one that will certainly shape how I serve God in the future. The “bottom line” is that we need to remember that the tomb is empty! This is amazing and transformational news. God’s gifts are FREE and available to EVERYONE. We know it, of course, but if we don’t tell others, how will they know? And if all we ever do is open our doors and expect people to show up, how are we truly “reaching out” as disciples?
So what to do? Let’s find more ways to get into the community and be seen. Ideas include offering a Bible study at Starbucks, building a Habitat home, and working in a shelter.
The list is endless and each church should find areas of need in their community and see what they can do to address those needs. Don’t worry about “evangelizing”, just get to know people, chat with them, learn about them. Pray that God will be part of your conversations. It can and will happen. Can you tell I’m a bit excited about all I’ve learned? Here’s one last idea. Each congregation should only work on 2-3 major goals at a time. Studies show that no matter what your size as a church, if you have 2-3 major goals they can be accomplished. If you have 4-6 goals, one or two will be accomplished. More than six goals and none of them get accomplished! Isn’t that interesting? I suspect that probably works that way in families and business too. So there’s a quick and enthusiastic report of “your seminary dollars at work.” Thanks as always, for your prayers and support. I simply could not do this without them.
What About That Water!
On July 4th over 50 members of Faith gathered for yummy hot dogs (thanks Pat and Mary) crunchy chips, and delicious cookies to fortify themselves for our giant water distribution.
This year nearly 2000 bottles of water were distributed around Faith, at Summit Mall, at two water “stations” and a long the road. The fact is, we ran out of water early! This is becoming a giant outreach project as we share a smile with thirsty parade-watchers and remind the people along the route that Jesus provides refreshment, too.
Thanks to everyone who came out to be the hands and feet and skin of Jesus and special thanks to Bill Post, Carla Barbicus, and Esther Winslow whose monetary contributions made this outreach event possible.
Learn More About Outreach
On Saturday, September 15 the Evangelism Committee from the NEOS is sponsoring a special speaker and workshop at St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Stow. The workshop is from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Carolyn will be going and would love lots of you to come, too. The church will pay for your registration and lunch is provided. Please contact Carolyn soon to reserve your spot! Cjwaggs@aol.com or 330-836-8811.
Women’s Retreat
It’s Not Too Soon to Save the Date - Think of crisp autumn air and beautiful colors. Think of a chance to enjoy nature and women of faith. Think about 23 hours away from the hustle and bustle of your day-to-day life. Sound good? Terrific, then sign up soon for the Autumn Women’s Retreat which Carolyn will be holding at beautiful Camp Mowana near Mansfield, Ohio.
Women from Faith in Fairlawn, Emmanuel in North Georgetown, and Our Saviour in Hinckley will be invited and friends and neighbors can come, too! The retreat will be Friday, October 12 and Saturday October 13. It will be held at the gorgeous new adult lodge at Mowana, which features a bathroom with every bedroom, good food, and no bunk beds!
Cost for the entire retreat is $82 which covers your room, all meals, and retreat material. Because space is limited, a $30 deposit is required to save your space! Contact Carolyn at cjwaggs@aol.com or 216-403-8779 today.
Women’s Bible Study
The Friday morning Women’s Bible Study just completed reading Christian Caregiving: A Way of Life by Kenneth Haugk. This book was recommended to us by Carolyn and is supplemental reading for the Stephen Ministry training (and written by the founder of Stephen Ministries), but serves to address any situation where caregiving is done by a Christian.
Some of the comments from reading and studying this text by women in the group:
“In a nutshell, the Christian Caregiving study taught me that as a caregiver, on many levels, it is not enough to share God's word; we need to share God's love.” “The role as caregiver is to listen patiently as God does to whatever is on the patient's heart and reaffirm His love despite the patient's doubts and weaknesses. Acting as an agent for God, the caregiver should remember that the session is all about the patient and would do well to stay quiet and listen.”
Our next study will be reading the Acts of the Apostles and using the workbook titled Through the New Testament. We meet every other Friday morning, either at the church or in the our homes. If you are interested in joining in our study, please contact Dineen Dowling, 330-873-1869 or dineend@neo.rr.com. Our ministry to children is changing this year and with the new change we are looking for a new name. So here it is:
Name the Kid’s Ministry Contest
Children will have two choices on Sunday morning. A traditional Sunday School at 9:15 or a children’s church (beginning in worship and then moving upstairs) at 10:30. So what shall we call them? You have until midnight on August 15th to send your ideas to cjwaggs@aol.com OR call the church office and tell Judy. Please keep in mind that while we want our Children’s ministry name(s) to be “creative,”
we also need to make sure that anyone reading our material knows that this is about kids! Put your thinking caps on and start writing!
Winning Entry will be celebrated in the September Beacon of Faith and receive a lovely gift!
Look What’s New
, September 9th 9:15a.m. AND 10:30a.m. All children age 3 through grade 6 are invited to attend one of Faith’s fun and exciting Rally Day events on September 9.In the past, two identical Explorers’ Club class times were available for children each Sunday at both 9:15a.m. and 10:30a.m.. This year, Faith will offer traditional Explorers’ Club classes at 9:15a.m. only. For those looking for children’s Christian education at 10:30a.m., Faith will begin something completely different: Children’s Church!
Children’s Church will meet at 10:30a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The leaders and children will sit together to begin Contemporary Worship then come forward for a special Children’s Message. After the Children’s Message, we will continue with Children’s Church activities upstairs in the education wing. Each week will be different and depending on the activity, will be planned for the group as a whole or for two groups divided by age. When the activities are finished and before Contemporary Worship concludes, we’ll join our families once again in the Fellowship Hall.
Children’s Ministry Rally Day Sunday, September 9th 9:15a.m. AND 10:30a.m. All children age 3 through grade 6 are invited to attend one of Faith’s fun and exciting Rally Day events on September 9.
To make planning easier, please fill out a Children’s Ministry Registration Form (1 per family) and indicate which time your child will attend most Sundays. Registration forms are available on the tables in the Narthex and outside the Fellowship Hall. Questions? Contact Julie Magons (330)336-5212 or Barry White (330)706-0026.
Children’s Choir - Attention Kids!!
Do you like to sing? Do you like to dance? How about reading skits & play, stories and doing crafts? Have we got the place for you!! Come join the Children's Choirs on Wednesday September 5 from 7-8 p.m. and see where the fun is! For more information, contact Michelle Borodkin at 330-864-3550.
VBS
148 CHILDREN! 54 VOLUNTEERS!! 5 DAYS OF BIBLE-LEARNING FUN!!!
Vacation Bible School 2007 was a huge success! We had an exciting week as we learned to
TRUST! In God’s Plans, UNITE! With God’s People, TRAIN! For God’s Service. FOLLOW! In God’s Path LEAD! Others to God’s Promises
I would like to thank everyone who participated in the Noisy Offering on Sunday, June 10th. Your contributions, along with those from VBS families , raised over $483.00 which was used to purchase craft and snack supplies on our Mission for God! Many families also donated sheet cakes for the Family Celebration! Other supply donations came from Elaine Johnson, Carla Ringer, Acme #1, Roma Pizza & Bistro and the Fairlawn Winking Lizard! I would also like to thank the following people for sharing their time and talents with the children during VBS:
Faith Members: Lori Ashenfelter, Michelle Borodkin, Jayme Bryson, Jillian Bryson, Evan Christoff, Beth Cook, Dineen Dowling, Carly Dunning, Joanne Caton Frank, Kaley Franks, Debbie Gottas, Sally Hauth, Angela Henkel, Barbara Hinderegger, Andrew Knops, Sheila Knops, Ellen Mackall, Flo Mackall, Jonathan Mackall, Mike Magons, Ally Malkowski, Karen Mallison, Arilla Michael, Pat Mihelis, Wendy Roddy, Debbie Rose, Norma Setteur, Stephanie Short, Alee Singer, Luke Singer, Karen Skerlong, Donna Sterner, Leigh Sterner, Penny Thompson, Hazen Tobar, Donna Watkins, Linda Weidrick, Anita Wilson Friends of Faith: Mary Alexander, Barb Baldosser, Patti Baumgartner, Chris DeStefano, Rachel DeStefano, Sarah Gardner, Christine Hohenshil, Nicole Kovacs, Leanne Lalos, Li Leong, Erica Ray, Sarah Smith, Natalie Steiner, Hilarie Yankello, Anna Wargo My family and I have also enjoyed the flowering basket and gift card to Applebee’s given by the VBS Staff. Vacation Bible School is wonderful ministry that is made possible only through the community prayers, involvement and support that exists here at Faith! In deep appreciation, Julie Magons, VBS Director
Youth Group News
Rising 8th and 9th grade youth are invited to a confirmation class reunion! We will meet in the youth room on Sunday, August 5 immediately following the 10:30 a.m. contemporary service. (Approx. 11:45) Weather permitting we will car pool to Silver Creek Metro Park for a picnic. Assistance is needed with the car pool; please let Janice or Lucius Wedge know if you are available to assist. (Phone: 330-836-2873 or email janicewedge@yahoo.com). There will be swimming, food, fellowship, and fun so come prepared with a bathing suit and plenty of good humor! The picnic will end at 2:30 p.m. Parents are asked to pick up the youth from the Metro Park.
High school students entering grades 10-12 are invited for an informal meet and greet at the church on August 12. We will gather in the Fellowship Hall immediately following the 10:30 a.m. service. There will be a cook out picnic and time to gather ideas. New Youth Leaders Lucius and Janice Wedge have some exciting ideas for service and fellowship this coming year and look forward to sharing them with you! This will help us get a better idea of how we can best serve you.
Capital Campaign Update - What’s Happening Now?
As we prepare for a Capital Campaign that will primarily serve to help us raise the funds for a church building project to provide much needed space for ministry the following events are taking place: We give thanks that Randy Cole is the Campaign Director, that Lois Chaffee is the Campaign Coordinator and that Dineen Dowling is the Communications Director.
The process of asking other church members to be Leadership Team Directors for various aspects of the Capital Campaign has begun. Creative minds are developing a logo for the Campaign.
On August 12 our Cargill consultant Jim Graham will be in worship to do a brief “orientation” overview of this exciting campaign process. During the afternoon of August 12 Jim will meet with potential Leadership Team Directors. On August 28 and 29 there will be Leadership Team preparation gatherings. Your prayers for the Campaign are needed!
Welcome New Youth Leaders
In July we said “thank you” to Wendy and Leo Boes for their dedication and service as Youth Leaders at Faith Lutheran Church. In August we say “welcome” to Janice and Lucius Wedge who will kick off their role as Youth Leaders with two picnics, one for the returning confirmands and one for 10-12 graders. Look for more details on the youth page of this issue!
Janice and Lucius Wedge bring a great deal of experience to this task of helping shape and guide the young people of our church. They have had their own positive experiences with youth leaders in the past and feel a strong sense of call to serve God in this way. Janice holds a BA in psychology and experience as a resident advisor at Roanoke College where she met Lucius who studied history and international relations. Lucius is currently in the process of completing his MA in history and beginning to work toward a PhD at The University of Akron. Both have held positions leading and organizing events for young people, including work as a camp counselor for elementary and middle school children, and work planning trips, events and service projects for college students. Lucius also works in the Admissions Office at UA and assists Chuck Baltes with custodial help here at Faith when needed.
Trust in the God’s ability to touch lives combined with the desire to share the gifts they’ve been given are really the driving force behind the living faith of this young couple. Lucius provides the Lutheran ethos to the position, having been raised the son of two Lutheran pastors. Janice’s religious upbringing was more varied, but confesses a pivotal spiritual experience that strengthened her own faith journey (one that she shared with the congregation at a Wednesday Lenten Service). She is also in training to serve as a Stephen Minister at Faith. Both Lucius and Janice have been assisting Pastor Jean with teaching Confirmation this past year and look forward to expanding their relationships with the high school students in this position.
To get in touch with Janice and Lucius, you may call 836-2873 or email lucius.wedge@gmail.com or janicewedge@yahoo.com.
Finance Committee
Summer is in full swing and as you can see from the numbers below we are experiencing a little financial draught. So its time for a friendly reminder: Please keep your giving comittments current!
Thank You
Dear Faith Lutheran Church Members, On behalf of the children we care for, we want to thank God and you members of Faith Lutheran Church for the medical supplies donation for our clinic. These supplies will give us the opportunity to serve the orphanage’s children and many patients that ask for medical attention in our health services, in a better and safer way. We certainly admire you and appreciate your kindness and loving care for the Guatemalan’s children and families, and wish you a happy and successful life. Yours faithfully, Dr. Francisdo Castro-Barillas, Pediatrician and Health Programs’ Director - Heather Radu. Executive Director, All God’s Children International . Guatemala
Dear Friends at Faith, Thank you for the cards, notes and phone calls (both here and to Iowa) during our Father/Grandfather’s recent illness and death in June. Everyone was so appreciated. We have especially been touched by the many personal conversations from many of you who have inquired and expressed sympathy upon our return. In Christian love, Lois and Michael Chaffee Heather, Greg, Cole and Maddison Stafford
Thank you Faith Family for supporting Salon at the Point’s Cut-a-thon. One quarter of the business came from Faith. How nice it was to see old friends and make new friends. I was extremely touched and grateful to have your support. My co-worker Kim needed to raise $2,200 for the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk. She had received donations prior to the cut-a-thon. After she counted up the money, the total came to the exact amount of $2,200. Talk about God’ s divine intervention. Thank you.
Peace and love, Paula Gresock and Salon at the Point
School Supplies Project
Summit County Children’s Services is asking for our help in their annual campaign to collect and package school supplies. These donations provide school supplies to children in needy client families and to foster children. The last day to bring in these supplies is Sunday, August 5. Please help us! Thank you! The Service Committee
Suggestions for Kindergarten through Middle/High School - Please note: we cannot accept compasses, School Box, Crayons (16 or 24), Memo Pads, Blunt Scissors, Ruler, Erasers, Washable Markers, Pencils, Kleenex Boxes, Pocket Thesaurus, Pens, Planner, Binders, Pocket Dictionary, Folders, Calculators, 3-Ring Binder, Colored Pencils, Spiral Theme Books, Protractors, Wide Ruled Paper, Paste or glue, (stick or liquid), Elementary Writing, Paper
Use Your Gifts Boldly
NEOSWO Biennial Convention October 19-20, 2007
Kent State University Park Professional Education and Conference Center North Canton, OH (near Belden Village)
Registration Deadline: Friday, September 14, 2007
Join the Women of the ELCA, Northeastern Ohio Synod, as we gather to conduct business, elect degegates, enjoy fellowship and worship together. The weekend will begin on Friday at 3 p.m. with registration for the delegates and those who wish to observe the business sessions and participate in service projects and a prayer walk. Saturday activities will begin with breakfast at the Conference Center at 7:30 a.m.
Registration includes a Friday reception, Saturday breakfast buffet, luncheon buffet, fresh fruit, “Starbucks” and complimentary parking at the Conference Center in addition to the Awareness Seminar and other convention activities. The registration cost is $95. There will be a keynote speaker and banquet on Friday night after the business meeting. The cost of the banquet is $30. Therefore, the entire package for the banquet, keynote speaker, reception and meals and activities is $125. Make checks payable to NEOSWO and mail by September 14 to Sandra Dodd, 330 Bernower Ave. SW, Massillon, Ohio 44646.
Scheduled Speakers, Events and Awareness Sessions
Friday: Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, Banquet Keynote Speaker, Prayer Walk, self guided Service Project, hands on for everyone, Augsburg mini bookstore featuring WELCA and devotional items, Serve offers fair trade items from around the world Saturday: Reverand Jim Kulma, Biblical Storyteller, Bible Leader, Prayer Walk, self guided, Augsburg and Serve, Awareness Sessions:
Reverand Stephen Patrick and Musician Joanna Pretzel Anderson, Hymn Sing and Introduction to ELW Hymnal, Becky Johnson and Debbie Hoffman, visiting nurses who recently returned from the Dominican Republic, Churchwide Representative who will speak on using our gifts boldly Please plan to attend!
15th Annual LFS Golf Scramble
Good Park Golf Course Friday, August 3 11:00 a.m. (Registration begins at 10:00 a.m.)
The event will feature a day of golf, cart, beverages, a light lunch, beverages for the day, a steak dinner and fantastic door prizes. All proceeds benefit Lutheran Family Services.
Registration forms are available on the bulletin board across from the Youth Room.
Faith Golf Scramble
- August 19 - 3 p.m. Pine Valley Golf Club
A lite dinner will follow at the home Craig and Patti White, 11 Mayfield Ave. Sign up sheets will be available in the Narthex and outside the Fellowship Hall.
Women’s choir
All ladies of the church who would like to provide special music are invited to sing at the 9:15 a.m. service on August 26. We will be performing two numbers : “River in Judea” by Marcus Leavitt and “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” by John Rutter. Rehearsals are scheduled for August 12 and August 19 at 10:30 a.m. and August 26 at 8:30 a.m. Please join us!
Family Fun Day
September 9 - Following the 10:30 a.m. service
Picnic at the church followed by an outing to Rinky Dink for activities. Watch for more information in the September newsletter.
In Our Prayers:
Health Concerns: Faith member Rick Cook; Faith member Jean Falor; Faith visitor Kim Kukoleck;
Special Prayers: For all who are serving in the military, particularly those who are in the midst of 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.
In Time of Loss: For Faith members Lois and Michael Chaffee and Heather and Greg Stafford, and families, upon the death of father and grandfather, Eugene Staub on June 22, that they may be comforted.; For Faith members Nora and Karl Schwarze, and family, upon her brother’s death, that they may be comforted.; For Faith members Sara and Jim Shook, upon the death of their nephew Dana Gauthier, Jr. on July 22, that they may be comforted.; For Faith members Barry and Norma White, and family, upon the death of his mother in June, that they may be comforted.
In Thanksgiving: With Joanne Caton Frank who has been hired as Christian Education Coordinator at Trinity Episcopal Church in Alliance, that she may be empowered in this new ministry.
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