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Emails have been redacted for security. Please contact the office to RSVP for any events.
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News from your LCC Leadership |
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Covid Protocol Update
As of 4/5/2022 Cuyahoga County is Medium Risk.
In response to the recommendation of the CDC, we will no longer be requiring masks in worship or small gatherings at LCC. Anyone who prefers to wear a mask is encouraged to do so. We will also continue to livestream our services for those who are not comfortable attending large gatherings.
We must remember the CDC’s new guidance is not an “all-clear signal.” Our commitment to love our neighbor as ourselves and care for the most vulnerable in our midst is at the very foundation of our faith and mission. In keeping with that mission, we made a list of several considerations on our Return to Worship Protocol Document
Each Week, our livestream service can be accessed on Facebook or Youtube, or at
Please be mindful of the desires of others, and cognizant that others may be at a different level of comfort than you. We strive for a non-judgmental environment of mutual trust, grace, and respect. Communicate with one another openly and honestly about your spacing needs.
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Children, Youth, & Family: News & Events |
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Important Dates for Children, Youth, & Families
Children’s and Youth Music:
- Congratulations to all of the kids who performed in or helped to create Shrek the Musical! This was my first time conducting anything, and all of the supremely hard working and talented children in the cast and crew made it so fun and gratifying. It really is a privilege to be able to work with these kids. I also want to thank Lindy, Domenic, and Noah for dedicating significant amounts of their time and talent. Is it time for the next musical yet?
- Next Generation Band will be starting up again after our Shrek induced hiatus. Any middle or high schoolers who are interested should meet briefly after church this Sunday, April 10, to discuss our rehearsal schedule going forward. I have an arrangement ready to go and I’m excited to hear what they can do with it. All are welcome!
Have a Cookie for a Great Cause: April 10, during coffee hour
LCC’s Hospitality Team and our CYF Faith Formation are purchasing Panera’s Autism Puzzle Piece Cookies for coffee hour on April 10th. April is Autism Awareness month and we are happy to be supporting Cleveland Clinic Children’s Center for Autism.
Children’s Easter Egg Hunt: April 17, after worship
Children are invited to stay after church on Easter Sunday (April 17th) for an Easter Egg Hunt! Please bring your Easter basket and meet us in the Centennial Garden near the West Clifton entrance.
Youth Lock-In: May 14-15, 2022
We are so excited to be able to have a youth lock-in once again! All 6th-12th graders are welcome to attend this overnighter at LCC. Sign-Ups will begin at the end of April. More information will be available soon, but please go ahead and mark your calendars!
Grown-ups, please contact Rachel if you are able to help with this event.
Vacation Bible School (VBS): June 5-9, 2022 (Sun-Thurs) 5-6:30pm
4 year olds through current 5th graders are invited to participate in VBS! Registration will open in May.
Vacation Bible School includes worship, drama, Bible stories, art projects, and active games which help children grow in their relationship with God and with each other. This is a wonderful opportunity to kick off the summer with old friends and new friends!
Youth currently in grades 6-12 and grown-ups are encouraged to be part of the leadership team for VBS. A planning meeting especially for our youth volunteers will be held on May 15th at 11:15am. Adults who would like to help with VBS, please contact Rachel.
Books for Children, Youth, and Families
We are continuing to add books to our collection for you to borrow. Be sure to check out the book-shelves under the CYF bulletin boards!
Sunday Morning Nursery Care
Nursery care is available each Sunday for infants thru preschoolers in the LCC nursery, located on the 1st floor of the church. Please ask a greeter if you need help finding it. If you will need nursery care, please complete the annual Faith Formation Registration found here: https://forms.gle/m5AAwAnwMd1x7qjR6
Older youth and adults are warmly welcomed to volunteer in the nursery! Please email or text Rachel with when you are available to volunteer. Thank you!
Stay Up To Date
Stay up to date with all of our happenings for children, youth, and families! Please be sure to be signed up for the text alerts through Remind so you can receive updates, changes, and reminders.
Families with children and youth who are active in our church are welcome to join our Facebook group: Lakewood Congregational Church Children & Youth.
All ages are invited to follow our Instagram account! @lcc_cyf
Text Alerts: Please sign up for text alerts about our children and youth ministry through Remind.
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Parents of children in 5th grade or under- Send a text to 81010 with this message: @gae42kk.
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Youth and parents of youth (grades 6-12)- Send a text to 81010 with this message: @ae6g96.
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Faith Formation Classes
In Faith Formation classes, young people learn about the Bible, our Christian faith, and how to connect our faith to our lives. Faith Formation often includes music, crafts, activities, and discussions.
On Sundays when we have Faith Formation class, young people should attend worship. Part way through the service, there will be an invitation for them to leave worship to attend their classes. On their way to their classes, they will also have an opportunity to put an offering in the Miracle Jar. The high school class meets the 4th Sunday of every month.
Every 1st Sunday of the month is Worship for All Ages.
There will be no Faith Formation classes.
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The Community Organizing Team would like to help members of our church connect with the larger church outside of our own church walls. One of the best ways to connect with others on faith based social justice issues is to join the Living Water Association mailing list. There are a wide variety of adult education programs and events available year-round. Register Here for more information contact Heather Tuck-Macalla |
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Our church is a member of Greater Cleveland Congregations, a non-partisan organization of faith communities and partner organizations in Cuyahoga County working together to build power for social justice.
This Thursday, April 7th at 7:00 pm, GCC will be hosting a non-partisan candidate forum featuring all candidates for the Cuyahoga County Executive and contested judicial races. Among many topics to be addressed is affordable housing. This is a hybrid in-person/zoom event. There is still time to register to attend on Zoom, and we invite anyone to do so.
Registration Link
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Project Noelle Easter Basket Collection |
Thanks to those who were able donate to our Easter Basket collection for Project Noelle. Project Noelle supports youth who have been affected by the opiate epidemic.
This is the second year of LCC supporting this group for the Easter holiday.
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LCC's Community Meal
We will be offering our monthly
Community Meal
Thursday, April 7
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Our March community meal was served on Thursday, March 3 -we served a mac & cheese casserole made with ground turkey, carrots and mushrooms. Our guests also received applesauce cups and dessert was homemade brownies from Joanne Ritschel.
Michael and I were out of town, but our team of Nancy Fraunfelder, Donna Leisinger, Jennifer Schwelik, Paula Deal and Terry Walker were led by our coordinator Susan Walker. (We heard she did a great job! :-)) Donna Lessinger is not a LCC member but heard about community meals and has decided to begin volunteering with us! We welcome the help!
We had 21 guests take 35 meals and the remaining 13 meals were left for choir and AA to enjoy. Our cost was $122.68.
We are grateful that our Hunger Sunday donations have resumed and are so appreciative of all the support LCC gives this very important ministry.
Michael and Peggy Mizen
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If anyone is interested in carpooling, they can contact Heather Tuck Macalla |
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LCC Volunteer Opportunities |
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Please use the link below to sign up to read during the service and the liturgy will be emailed to you before your Sunday.
A large print version will be left for you in the Liturgist's Mailbox in the office.
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Sound/Video Volunteers Needed for Sunday Mornings |
We are looking for volunteers for Sunday mornings to work the LCC sound board and the video camera.
No prior knowledge needed. We will teach you everything you need to know.
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Walk to Jerusalem
Our walk is a collective effort for anyone who want to join us!
"Step by Step": Walk to Jerusalem" is a journey on which we will add together the miles we accumulate as a community, to walk the 7,034 miles Lakewood to Jerusalem!
Use the link below to track your miles!
Mileage Form
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Are you looking for a way to feel more connected to other women in our church? Second Saturday may be what you’re looking for! A group of women of all ages meets each month for an hour of conversation, reflection and prayer. All are welcome. We will meet this month on Saturday, April 9 at 9:00am in the Parlor. Please join us! |
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Adventures in Reading held their March 9th book discussion in the church parlor with ten members in person. Nancy Gibbs led the discussion of Sold on a Monday. This historical fiction novel is set in the Depression Era and was inspired by a photograph published in 1948 of four siblings with a sign advertising the children for sale.
Discussion of the novel included the moral and ethical obligation of truthful news reporting and the consequences of printing false information.
Our schedule for the next month follows:
April 20 (Wednesday) 12:30pm. (Note date change), Parlor
Book: Grandma Gatewood’s Walk (2014) by Ben Montgomery Kathy MacDougall will lead the discussion.
Preview: Emma Gatewood, known as Grandma Gatewood, was an American ultra-light hiking pioneer. After a difficult life as an Ohio farm wife, mother of eleven children, and survivor of domestic violence, she became famous as the first solo female thru hiker of the 2168-mile Appalachian Trail in 1955 at the age of 67. She subsequently became the first person to hike the A.T. three times. She also hiked 2000 miles of the Oregon Trail. The media coverage surrounding her feats was credited for generating interest in maintaining the A.T. and hiking in general.
Looking ahead to May: May 11 (Wednesday) 12:30pm, Parlor
Book: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (2009) by Jamie Ford Kay Galloway will be the discussion leader.
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Rev. William Barber Group Third Reconstruction Discussion Group |
Poor People’s Campaign on road again, headed for mass D.C. rally June 18
A poor people’s march on the nation’s capital hit a roadblock in 2020. COVID-19 forced it online. This year, with the pandemic waning, leaders of the Poor People’s Campaign are headed for Washington, D.C., again.
They’re on a nationwide tour, urging busloads of “poor and low-income people” — and their allies — to come to Washington June 18 to demand change.
Stopping in Cleveland March 14, they attracted hundreds of supporters. The downtown crowd carried signs and banners as they walked from a rally at U.S. Bank Plaza to a “mass meeting” at Trinity (Episcopal) Cathedral. People from at least a half-dozen United Church of Christ congregations were among them. A full 2-hour, 47-minute video of the rally, march and meeting can be found at the campaign’s YouTube channel, here.
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Nora Germaine
Oliver Basile
Chris Kemp
Bob Wenz
Janet Carrettin
Ella Germaine
Lily Burns
Megan Nagel
Elizabeth Schuldt
Chris Fries
Hope McGuan
Chris Lardi
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Felix Fries
Marty Kennedy
Jan Young
Missy Toms
Ceil Dorsch
Anna Daso
Liz Spahr
Chuck Kemp
Aubree Nagel
Luke Schuldt
Grant Richards
Bill Langenhop
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Cora Barcelona
Kelly Payne
Cindy Einhouse
JB Bando
Jane Mechenbier
Liz Maugans
Jerri McGinnis
Liz Rizzo
Evelyn Richards
Will Schuldt
Mariana Stockman
Ben Einhouse
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Melissa Parlanti & Ben Klein
Peggy & Stan Shaw
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Susan & Terry Walker
Ann & Chuck Wright
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Sunday, April 10, 10am: Palm Sunday Worship
Thursday, April 14, 6:30pm: Maundy Thursday Worship
Friday, April 15, 7:30pm: Community Good Friday Worship Service, by the Lakewood Ministerial Association, hosted by LCC and Trinity Lutheran
Sunday, April 17, 10am: Easter Sunday Worship, with Youth Easter Egg Hunt to follow
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Living Water Association News/Events |
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Chair: Bill Fraunfelder
Chair Elect: Laura Germaine
Moderator: Jan Young
Buildings and Grounds: Michael Fleenor
Diaconate: Lauren Smigelski
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Nurture and Growth Ministries: David Diemert
Outreach Ministries: Heather Tuck-Macalla
Treasurer: Laura Sangree
Welcoming Ministries: Vicki Smigelski
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LCC’s Membership Directory is online for you to use on the go! Or at home!
Only members whose email is in the directory can have access to the information. It is available on your computer or as an app on your phone.
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Offering and Contribution Collection
At this time of virtual services we do not have a set-aside time of offering, so we want to remind you now that that we do hope that you will continue to fulfill your pledges during this time. Financial gifts are always welcome, our church feels the call to respond to the needs around us as they arise. Financial stability allows us to do so more effectively. So, let us give generously of our time, talent, treasure to further the work of God in our community.
You can do so in the following ways:
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Donate through our website: Give
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Fill out your 2022 Pledge Card: Online Pledge Card or Printable Pledge Card
- Writing and mailing a check to Lakewood Congregational Church, 1375 W. Clifton Blvd., Lakewood, OH 44107
- Texting STEWARD to 44-321
- Sending a gift through your bank's online bill pay
- Call the church office at (216) 221-9555 to discuss other options
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