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The Columns - August 2021 |
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Letters to Our Church Family |
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From Your Pastor
Dear Church,
It’s wild to believe we’re heading into August. We’ve been back in the Sanctuary together since the end of May, and that continues to be a wonderful thing. Somehow the summer heat and thick air in our non-air conditioned sanctuary doesn’t feel as inconvenient this year. It’s just so good to be together. July was a beautiful month, from Seussical performances to a very gifted Sunday pick-up choir. We had a beautiful service led by our Executive Team while I was on vacation, in which Liz Spahr spoke about her generations-old connection to our church and excitement for the future, and on July 25th, we joyfully received 8 new LCC members.
August is typically a month when staff and lay leadership are focused on preparing for a return to Faith Formation, Choir, and other church fellowship and programming. That’s the case this year too. We’re hard at work discerning ways to deepen and nurture the faith of our community in this coming season. We have heard a lot of feedback from many of you about what types of groups you’d like to see at LCC-- in-person and online, book-based and hands-on outreach, fun and serious. Toward the end of August and beginning of September, you’ll begin to hear about opportunities for both ongoing small groups and one-time events for all ages. Please be patient with us as we discern effective ways of supporting the spiritual growth of our community.
This season of the pandemic feels overwhelming and chaotic. It is not an easy thing to navigate the world today. The road ahead continues to feel unpredictable and we are all trying to understand what to do, how to act, who to spend our time with, and how to stay mentally and physically healthy. Parents of children under 12 and immunocompromised people of all ages feel torn about their vulnerability in public spaces, and our variety of comfort levels makes our relationships awkward and sometimes even contentious.
At LCC, we are a Body of Christ together. We are in Covenant with one another to provide our love, support, and care to the best of our ability, with the help of God. As we head into the end of summer and fall, uncertain about the next phase of the pandemic, my deepest hope is that our church will lean into our covenant with one another.
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It is hard to know exactly what that looks like, but here are a few suggestions:
- Reach out to people you miss at church, even if you aren’t close friends. Ask them how they are doing and if they’d like to connect sometime-- whether it’s by phone, email, in-person meeting, video meeting… or whatever they are most comfortable with.
- If you are in need of support and connection, let someone know-- me, the church office, your family, your coworkers, your neighbors and friends... Your loved ones want to help, but we can’t always read your mind.
- Refrain from judging the decisions others are making during this season, and remain intentional about the decisions we make for ourselves. (THIS ONE IS HARD)
- Live with the assumption that each person is doing the very best they can, even though that looks different for each person, each household, each circumstance.
- Remember that this time requires us to hold our plans loosely. The best decisions in this liminal time will require courage and flexibility.
- Live with grace for each other…
- ...AND remember it’s okay to set boundaries to protect the physical and mental health of yourself and the people you love.
- Be clear with one another, and offer respect and trust. Request respect and trust in return.
- Trust that someday this pandemic will be history, and we will be blessed that we have learned so much about ourselves and one another even in the most challenging moments.
This isn’t any kind of comprehensive list, but I hope it’s helpful. What would you add?
So heading into the end of the Summer, remember: God is with you. God is with you when the pandemic numbers are fluctuating, when your email box is overflowing, when your kitchen table is covered with bills, when you missed garbage day, when your Great Aunt Ruth thinks you’re overreacting about Covid precautions, when your Sister-in-Law thinks you’re underreacting about Covid precautions, when your Monday Shirt isn’t washed on a Monday, when your doctor reschedules an appointment, when you can’t figure out when to wear a mask, when you can’t hug your new niece. God is with you.
Grace and Peace, Pastor Joanna
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Notes from Your Music Director:
Back before there was a complex ecosystem of streaming services to navigate, we used to go to the movie theaters…because that was the only game in town. (Remember?) Even when Blockbuster Video became an option, those VHS tapes, like the theaters, had “Coming Attractions…” My family and I would play Siskel & Ebert and rate each trailer/preview with a thumbs up/thumbs down. So, in the spirit of LCC (and theaters, but we’re better) reopening, here are some coming attractions from our music program:
- Choir and Bells are back! As some of you have heard from our Summer Pick-up Choir in recent services, we all have missed singing together, and it shows in the amazing music folks have been making. You won’t want to miss all the great music which the choir will be singing this fall. Bells, too, have been looking forward to meeting again and we’re adding some new numbers to our repertoire, as well as some old favorites.
- CityMusic is back! CityMusic Cleveland is a wonderful chamber orchestra of freelance musicians from the Cleveland area and they make consistently beautiful music. They are also funded in such a way that anyone can come to one of their concerts and enjoy them for free, a rare privilege in the world of performing arts. LCC is proud to partner with them once again and we’ll have a schedule of the dates of their concerts for you next month.
- New soloists! As you won’t be shocked to hear, many folks’ lives have shifted in response to the pandemic, and so we bid a fond farewell to Tori Peacock and Ben Liu, our soprano and tenor section leaders and soloists, as they pursue other opportunities. Fortunately, Noah will still be with us and Gwen DeLaney, whose wonderful singing graced our virtual services throughout 2020-21, will be joining us in person. We’ll have other new folks to introduce to you next month and I think you’ll like them as much as I do.
- Audience participation! It’s very important to me as music director that we’re all music makers in worship. While our ensembles do great work, we don’t want to leave you behind. All God’s children gotta sing! So it’s one of my personal goals for the year to have the entire congregation making more music together, not just hymns but other songs, Taizé chants, etc. If you have any requests in that regard, please let me know asap.
- Many more exciting things in the works…
Music is obviously one of the very many reasons you’ll want to be here in person this fall, but I’m very proud of its integral role in our services and the support you lend it through your talent, hard work, financial support, and spirit. Enjoy the rest of your summer and I hope to see y’all in August and beyond.
Thanks for reading, Ben
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To respect varying privacy preferences, we will simply include names in this email and we will share more detailed information with permission within our Prayer Group and ongoing prayer spreadsheet. Help to keep the prayer list up to date by letting the office know of any changes.
Prayers for: Doug Pekarik, Judy and Richard Foote as they relocate to Maine, the Dailey-Rickard family as the prepare to relocate to New Hampshire, Doug MacDougall, Bruce Matthews, Charlotte Brown, Mary Jane Cariens, Harry and Annemarie Brockman, Gene Stair, George and Sally Alkire, Linda Lodge, Dale and Tom Spooner, Debi Kasper's brother Tom, Noah and Hannah Hamrick and baby, Kira, Vance Awa, Dylan McIntosh, Rachel Faulkner, and the citizens of Zimbabwe and Mozambique, healthcare workers, educators, and small businesses.
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Financial Manager Transition
LCC is very pleased to welcome Philip Brett as our new Financial Manager. Phil’s professional experience includes the positions of Director of Finance for the cities of Euclid and Seven Hills, Director of Finance and Economic Development for Mayfield Village, Director of Finance/Clerk of Council for Willowick, and Budget Analyst for Cleveland. He is a CPA with a Master’s Degree in Public Policy Studies and a Bachelor’s Degree in English. He can be contacted at phil@lcc-church.org.
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Children, Youth, & Family: News & Events |
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Hello, LCC families & friends-
Faith Formation Registration
It’s time to register for 2021-2022 Faith Formation! We hope to be back in the building for Faith Formation in the fall, but we will be following all recommended guidelines. We will make the best of whatever we are faced with! :) All children and youth, infants through 12th graders, should have a completed registration form. The form is found here: FORM
To be sure you don’t miss anything and to stay connected, check out the events listed here and see the Stay Up To Date section later in this newsletter. Please reach out to me if you have questions or would like to chat.
Youth Service Project
Youth are invited to help with Supplies 4 Success which supports students of Lakewood City Schools. There are 2 ways you can help!
- Adopt a collection box. There are collection boxes around Lakewood for people to drop off donations. One person, or a few people together, can adopt one of the boxes and check on it weekly to empty any supplies and check to see that there are still enough fliers. To adopt a collection box, please email Karen Lee. lccstaff@lcc-church.org.
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School Supply Sorting. Help sort the donated school supplies at Garfield Middle School on August 23rd. You can come anytime between 3-8pm, no need to sign up.
Faith Formation Teachers/Leaders
Adults, are you interested in helping with Faith Formation for our children or youth? I’m looking for teachers for our classes which will begin mid-September. No previous teaching experience required, I will help you with everything you need. You may volunteer for 1-3 Sundays/month and you can commit to September through December, January through May, or September through May. Please email me if you are interested or have any questions. rachel@lcc-church.org
Greeting Card Fundraiser
Please remember that our youth are selling LCC greeting cards as a mission trip fundraiser. The cards are in the back of the sanctuary and there is an envelope there to place your payment. The cards are 10 for $15.
Upcoming Events:
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Sunday, August 8, 7-8pm: S’moretime with God for all ages. Please bring a chair and roasting stick if possible.
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Sunday, August 15, 10am: Blessing of the Backpacks during worship All students, faculty, staff, and teachers of all ages are encouraged to attend! You may bring your backpack for a special blessing.
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Sunday, August 15, 11:15am: Youth Group (incoming 6th-12th grade) Details to come!
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Sunday, August 22, 1-3pm: Confirmation field trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Option 1. (See info below)
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Monday, August 23, 3-8pm: Youth service project: school supply sorting at Garfield Middle School. This project supports Supplies 4 Success. Please come for any time period that works with your schedule.
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Saturday, August 28, 10:30am-12:30pm: Confirmation field trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Option 2. (See info below) 1:30-3:30pm: Confirmation field trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Option 3. (See info below)
Confirmation Class of 2020-2021 Museum Field Trip
Our confirmation students are encouraged to sign up for one of the options for our field trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art. There will be a maximum of 10 students per option. Extra info: Carpooling is recommended. Best to go online and prepay parking for smooth entry. Please wear comfortable shoes, we will be walking from the ancient to the modern galleries. Most galleries are around 65-68 degrees, please dress accordingly. We will be guided through our tour by the amazing Karen Wagner! A parent and/or faith friend are welcome to attend.
Please RSVP for the date/time option that works best for you at this link: Sign Up HERE
Sunday Morning Nursery Care
- Outdoor nursery care is available each Sunday for toddlers thru preschoolers. If you will need nursery care, please follow these 2 steps:
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Complete the annual Faith Formation Registration found HERE
- Text me by Friday to reserve your spot for the following Sunday. 440-523-0708.
For more information about Sunday worship protocols and nursery care, please see our plan for returning to worship, found HERE
- Older youth are warmly welcomed to volunteer with the outdoor nursery! Please email or text me 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.
-Parents of children in 5th grade or under- Send a text to 81010 with this message: @gae42kk.
-Youth and parents of youth (grades 6-12)- Send a text to 81010 with this message: @ae6g96.
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Faith Formation Registration
It’s time to register for 2021-2022 Faith Formation! We hope to be back in the building for Faith Formation in the fall, but we will be following all recommended guidelines. We will make the best of whatever we are faced with! :) All children and youth, infants through 12th graders, should have a completed registration form.
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Miracle Jar
Our miracle jar is back! If you attend any of our upcoming in-person worship services, we will have the miracle jar there for any offerings our children and youth would like to bring. We also invite our children to make a miracle jar at home if they are not yet attending in-person worship!
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LCC's Community Meal
We will be offering our monthly
Community Meal
Thursday, August 5
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Our July takeaway meal for community meal was served on July 1. We served turkey, cheese, and lettuce sandwiches with frozen peaches and the decorated brownies for dessert were provided by Joanne Ritschel.
Our very efficient and committed workers were Jan Young , Jennifer and Frank Schwelik, Nancy Fraunfelder, and Janet & Renato Carrettin. We had 25 people attend and all 48 meals were taken. Our cost was $66.11.
As always we feel very fortunate to be able to provide this service to our community.
Peggi & Michael Mizen
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LCC will be participating in the annual citywide school supply drive for Lakewood students through August 22nd. Students in need of supplies can get them from their guidance office in each building the first week of school.
Monetary Donations can be made HERE
Items in need are:
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Pocket Folders
Notebooks/Paper
Scissors (pointed)
Dividers
Tape
Pen/Pencils
Erasers
Markers/Sharpies
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Pencil Box/Pouch
Backpacks
Colored Pencils
Highlighters
Dry Erase Markers (Expo)
Rulers
Composition Notebooks
Post It Notes/Index Cards
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JOIN YOUR LCC FAMILY FOR THESE
AUGUST EVENTS
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Sunday, August 1, 10:00am: Worship, Coffee Hour
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Thursday, August 5, 4:00pm: LCC Community Meal
- 7:00pm: AA
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Sunday, August 8, 10:00am: Worship with Coffee Hour
- 7:00pm, S'moretime with God
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Sunday, August 15, 10:00am: Worship, Blessing of the Backpacks with Coffee Hour
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11:15am, Youth Group (6th-12th grades)
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Saturday, August 21, 9:00am-12:00pm: Trinity Community Meal
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Sunday, August 22, 10:00am: Worship with Coffee Hour
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Option 1: 1:00pm-3:00pm: Confirmation Field Trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art
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Monday, August 23, 3:00pm-8:00pm: Youth Service Project: school supply sorting at Garfield Middle School
- Saturday, August 28,
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Option 2: 10:30am-12:30pm: Confirmation Field Trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art
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Option 3: 1:30pm-3:30pm: Confirmation Field Trip to the Cleveland Museum of Art
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Sunday, August 29, 10:00am: Worship with Coffee Hour
OFFICE HOURS CHANGE: SUMMER HOURS:
The office will be open Tuesday-Friday, 9:00am-1:00pm
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Women in our church family will gather for Second Saturday on Saturday, August 14, at 9 am in the Centennial Garden
We spend an hour in conversation, reflection and prayer. We’ll plan to meet in the Centennial Garden at church, weather permitting. Bring a chair!
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LITURGIST SIGN UP
We are looking for liturgists for the summer. Please use the link to sign up 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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The 2021-2022 season of Adventures in Reading begins with our meeting in person at Westlake Porter Library.
Thursday, September 9, 12:30pm
The Four Winds (2021) by Kristin Hannah
Claire Stair will lead the discussion
Books for discussion for the rest of 2021 are:
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October: American Dirt (2020) by Jeanine Cummins. Joanellen Hurley is the discussion leader
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November: The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding (2018) by Jennifer Robson . Nancy Herdman is the discussion leader
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December: My Remarkable Journey: A Memoir (2021) by Katherine Johnson. Susan Walker is the discussion leader.
Please RSVP to Kathy MacDougall
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Jeff Parker
John Komperda
David Diemert
Scott Suttell
Ben Borell
Tim Daso
Ann Wright
Mark Stockman
Melissa Diemert
Brad Humphreys
Donna McClaren
Edison Belsito
Amy Smith
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Melissa Armstrong-Brine
Ellie Humphreys
Ellen Tudron
Melissa Parlanti
Evelyn D’Agostino
Peter Humphreys
Nancy Herdman
Karen Lee
Dee Baker
Judy Leatherman
Keith Smith
Tim Hampton
Laura Blesse-Hampton
Amy Lardi
Harlow Shearn
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Shawn Warren
Sean Kwaitkowski
Kay Galloway
Robert Paraska
Tom Clark
Anya Lardi
Joe Daso
Jordan Blasko
Chelsea Payne
Chris Burns
Bill Fraunfelder
Miles Parlanti Klein
Beth Clark
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Brent & Shannon Basile
Bill & Paula Deal
Brad & Kristen Humphreys
Rachel & Chris Burns
Chris & Amy Lardi
Chris & Amy Kemp
Michael & Peggi Mizen
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John & Patti Komperda
Tim Hampton & Laura Blesse Hampton
Aaron & Carrie Hill
Darren & Missy Toms
Steven & Kathy Ott
John & Amy Pyke
David & Laura Sangree
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Chair: Liz Spahr
Vice Chair: Bill Fraunfelder
Moderator: Jan Young
Buildings and Grounds: Michael Fleenor
Diaconate: Lauren Smigelski
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Nurture and Growth Ministries: David Diemert
Outreach Ministries: Laura Blesse-Hampton
Treasurer: Steve Hotchkiss
Welcoming Ministries: Vicki Smigelski
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Covid-19 Advisory Team Updates
Covid Protocols for Indoor Worship: HERE
***Please note our Indoor Worship Protocols are changing each week. Please check back regularly with the Protocol Document. A date at the top will indicate the most recent update.***
To access the list of sources where we obtain COVID-19 data that informs our decision-making process, please see the Google doc. HERE
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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 2021 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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Office Hours are: Monday - Thursday from 9am-1pm. There is a mailbox by the West Clifton door for you to drop off mail after hours. Email/phone messages will also be checked remotely.
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