October 2022

by Glen Miles, Senior Minister

I'm sure you've heard this phrase multiple times over the last two and a half years, "the pandemic has accelerated the pace of change." Prior to 2020, the number of changes taking place in society and culture, especially as they relate to the church, felt mind-boggling fast. Then the shutdown came, and suddenly the pace of change went from fast to light speed. 

Before 2020, many thoughtful commentators, scholars, and ecclesiastical thinkers wondered what was next for the Church Universal in this time of change. Phyllis Tickle, an authority on religion in America, posited, "about every five hundred years the Church feels compelled to hold a giant rummage sale. And…we are living in and through one of those five-hundred-year sales." 

If you have ever held a garage sale, you've probably experienced the pre-dawn shoppers. Julie and I had a moving sale before we left for Columbus. Sure enough, several people were in our driveway before the sun was up, ready to shop. When I opened the garage door, about an hour before we planned to begin our sale, a shopper walked in and put cash down on one of the dining room sets we were selling that day. At that moment we decided to open early!

The pandemic arrived at the Church's 500-year rummage sale like a pre-dawn shopper, throwing cash on the table, declaring, "Everything has changed. Get used to it."

Sudden and dramatic change leads to chaos and fear, anger and worry. For the church, where deeply held traditions and beautifully organized liturgies provide comfort and solace, today's chaotic challenges are difficult.

In the middle of all of this, though, there have been voices of hope that say, "We were already on this path. Let's embrace it and see where the spirit of God is taking us next." One of these is Brian McLaren. His book, Do I Stay Christian? A Guide for Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned reviews the challenges, crises, scandals, and worse that have plagued the church during the last few decades. 

After an honest review of these issues, he finds hope. The stories of Jesus continue to point to a religion that can focus on the work of justice and caring for those on the margins. He writes, 

"Religion, at its best, is what re-ligaments or reconnects us to God, one another, and creation. It challenges the stories that pit us against each other: us over them, us overturning them, us competing with them, us isolating from them, us in spite of them, us purifying ourselves of them. It tells a better story—some of us for all of us—a story in which there is no them, a story in which we tear down the walls that have divided us—and from the rubble build bridges."

The church, at its best, builds bridges from the rubble of the torn-down walls of division. The church, at its best, is honest about the present and hopeful about the future. The church, at its best, finds joy in the everyday work of sharing a message of grace for all.

The church at its best, First Community at its best, is a place where the truth is spoken, and love is made real.

Coffee with Glen

Saturday, October 8

9:30 am 

FC North

Interested in membership? Join Senior Minister Glen Miles for coffee and conversation to learn more about First Community and how to become a member.

Contact Shelly Sagraves to register.

Soli Deo Gloria will be on Sunday October 9 at 9 and 11 am , FC North. This special service of word and music will will feature the music of Maurice Duruflé, Mack Wilberg, Joesph Martin, Stephen Chatman, and a premiere performance of a work by Stephen Main commissioned to celebrate the music ministry of Robert Griffith, Senior Organist, at First Community Church. The music will feature the versatility of First Community’s newly completed Klais organ. Associate Organist Sally Beske and Stephen Main will accompany the choirs and congregation. Plan to join us for this special service!

(Note there are no other services this day.)

The Conclusion of The Giving Life Sermon Series

Becoming More than Yourself

John 21:1-19

You can watch parts 1-3 in The Giving Life Sermon Series

by clicking the video links below. 

Part 3: October 2

Part 2: September 25

Part 1: September 18

This week in Sunday school: 

This week all classes will learn about St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis started the tradition of the Blessing of the Animals, something First Community is hosting this Sunday afternoon at South. In class we will explore St. Francis’ amazing journey of how he became a monk and how he showed great care for both the people and animals around him.  

We ask parents and caregivers to update their child’s registration each year. Please take a minute to register your child for all K-12 programs.  Click here to register.

Blessing of the Animals

Sunday, October 9

1-2 pm South

Be sure to bring your pet, Sunday, October 9, 1-2 pm, to the front lawn of First Community South (1320 Cambridge Blvd.) for The Blessing of the Animals. Glen Miles, along with other FC pastors, will be there to share in a brief service of worship and offer blessings for all the pets who join us in this joy-filled event.

Heart to Heart Food Pantry will collect pet food on this day at FC South. Please bring donations of wet or dry cat food, dog food, or treats.

Faith Kit: A Limited Podcast Series on Stewardship

Listen each week as Glen Miles chats with First Community clergy about the spiritual practice of giving. Look for new episodes weekly in Glen's Friday email, Word from Glen.

Friday, October 7 - Rev. David Hett

Friday, October 14 - Rev. Jim Long

Join your First Community family and friends each Wednesday for The Gathering! You are invited to fellowship over a snack supper at 5:30 pm, that will be followed by a brief worship experience, including a devotion by one of our clergy and music. This time of worship will conclude at 6 pm. At that time we invite children and youth, grades K-8, to stay for children's choir and Midweek Missions, and adults are invited to stay for a clergy-led bible study. Each of our clergy will have the opportunity to share a 4-6 week series on a topic important to them. Tim Vansant will lead the next 4-week study Exploring Nonviolence: A Biblical Perspective, beginning Wednesday October 5.

Youth Fall Retreat

October 28 - 30

Camp Akita

Registration is open for the Youth Fall Retreat! Grades 6-12 are invited to a fun Halloween-themed weekend at Camp Akita. Enjoy full-group games, small-group activities, guided free time, devotions and reflection, and all the fun of Camp Akita in one weekend. Get ready to “trick or retreat!” Find out more at FCchurch.com/youth-ministry or contact Rev. Sarah Kientz at skientz@FCchurch.com. The final day to register is Monday, October 17.

Halloween Hullabaloo

Sunday, October 23

12 - 2 pm, North

(parking lot)

Children, youth, and families are invited to join us for Halloween fun in the First Community North parking lot! Join us for snacks, games, and Halloween-themed activities for all ages. Halloween costumes welcome!

Have you wished for a way to meet and get to know other families from First Community? Feeling connected to others helps support the social and emotional growth of children, and it allows parents to feel more supported and less isolated.  

This school year, we will offer four opportunities for kids and their grown-ups to gather with other families from First Community. Family Fun Days will be about an hour long each and will take place at different locations in November, January, March, and May.  

The first event will be on Friday, November 11 from 6-7 pm at Graeter’s on Bethel Road. Please plan to come and let your children play while you have the chance to touch base with other parents, caregivers, and First Community staff.  

Mark your calendars for this year’s events. We will let you know where we will meet in January, March, and May closer to the gathering.  

Family Fun Days 22/23 dates and times 

• Friday, November 11 - 6-7 pm: Graeter’s on Bethel 
• Sunday, January 22 - 2-3  pm
• Tuesday, March 7 - 6-7 pm
• Friday, May 19 - 5:30 – 6:30 pm

Is life feeling hectic? Does it seem like you have contact with a lot of people throughout the day, but you aren’t forming deep friendships?  

Feeling an authentic connection to others is one of the greatest predictors of a happy life. But it can be hard to know how to form real relationships. We would like to help! Please join us to connect with other parents and caregivers from First Community at our first ever Parent’s Night Out.   

All First Community parents and caregivers with kids from birth to 12th grade are invited to join us for Parent’s Night Out every other month throughout the school year. These will be casual, “come as you are” events. Partners can alternate attending if getting a babysitter is hard for your family, and it is fine to come when your schedule allows. If you only have 15 minutes to swing by… no worries. We can’t wait to see you.  

Our first Parent’s Night Out gathering will be on Thursday, October 20 at 7:30 pm at Endeavor Brewing Company- 909 W. 5th Ave. in Grandview. Mollie and Mike Zook are this year’s Parent’s Night Out chairs. Look for Mollie and Mike as well as folks from our First Community staff when you arrive.  

Mark your calendars for this year’s events. We will let you know where we will meet in December, February, and April closer to the date of the gathering.  

Parent’s Night Out 22/23 dates and times 

• Thursday, October 20 – 7:30 pm at Endeavor 
• Tuesday, December 6- 7:30 pm
• Saturday, February 11- 7:30 pm
• Friday, April 21 – 7:30 pm

Akita Fall Fun Day 

October 30, 1 – 4 pm 

Camp Akita (29746 Logan-Hornsmill Rd., Logan, OH 43138) 

Join us for some fall fun at Camp Akita on Sunday, October 30! Drop in anytime from 1 – 4 pm to enjoy open-house-style fun: hike the trails, canoe on the lake, carve or decorate a pumpkin, join in with some group campfire songs at the Amphitheatre, take a hayride out to the Adventure Complex, climb the Alpine Tower, and try the Giant Swing! Or just come to relax and enjoy the peak fall foliage with friends and family. 

It’s also Halloween weekend, so feel free to wear some fun, family-friendly Halloween costumes! 

Whether this will be your first time at Camp Akita or you have been attending for years, we hope to see you on October 30! All are welcome; no registration required. 

Important Note! For those coming from Columbus on Rt. 33, you will need to follow the Sugar Grove route for getting to Camp Akita, there is bridge construction on route that takes the Tarklin Rd exit (off Rt. 33). For directions, please click here. For more information, email info@campakita.org 

Governing Board Update

by Alice Finley, Governing Board Chair

Our September Governing Board meeting began with each of us sharing a story about a gift we have received or given that has had a meaningful impact on our lives. The stories were beautiful reminders of how the generosity we share through the act of giving brings us closer to the love of God.

As I’ve been sharing with you throughout this year, the Governing Board has spent time at our meetings reviewing our current constitution and prayerfully considering revisions, especially around our nominating process. Through Board discussions and work with our task force (Catherine Adams, Joe Bull, and Rebecca Wolf), we have been asking three questions to guide this work:  

• Is the language in the constitution clear and consistent?
• Does the constitution reflect the values of First Community?
• Does the constitution align with our strategic plan?

Our next step is to share our work (proposed amendments) with the congregation and ask you these same three questions.

Please mark your calendar to attend one of our Community Meetings:  

• Sunday, 10/16, 12:15 - 1:15 pm at North 
• Tuesday, 10/18, 7 - 8 pm on Zoom (an invitation will come later)

More details will be coming soon, along with a redlined version of the constitution with proposed changes.  

After these Community Meetings, we will compile input and share it with the congregation. The task force will review the input and make further revisions to present to the Board. Once the Board has affirmed a final revision, it will be presented to the congregation in preparation for the Annual Meeting, where there will be a congregational vote.

We, as a Board, are very grateful to Bob and Laura Stillman for leading The Giving Life Stewardship Campaign and to everyone who has made a pledge (or is planning to pledge) for 2023. First Community’s strategic vision is lofty, and your support is needed to further our mission imperatives, including designing engaging worship experiences, enhancing our youth ministry, promoting social consciousness, and connecting with neighbors. Thanks for your gifts to First Community.

Click below to read the On a Mission! monthly news. In this month’s news you can find more information about:

• Heart to Heart has been a mission of First Community for over 30 years. Learn about the history, recent and upcoming events.
• Midweek Missions recently did a service project for the Back Bay Mission, and we are also looking for adults to support this mission.
• Our Monday Night Meals volunteers are all set up for the rest of this year, but we have already started recruiting volunteers for 2023.
• Read an update about the widespread work of our friends at Deep Griha in Pune, India.
• Donations of used eyeglasses received throughout the church were recently distributed to those in need.
• The Trading Post always has the best stories! Read their anecdotes and learn about their upcoming events.
• Share and Learn Gardens are looking forward to a new project as the growing season wraps up.

by Rick Greene

In 1986, a group of First Community Church members gathered to develop a congregation-wide mission project to put their faith into action. As a result, Project Adelphos was established, connecting volunteers with needs in the community.

The name was changed to Heart to Heart (H2H) to reflect better the goal of uniting individuals one-on-one. Through the commitment and passion of FCC members, volunteers, and the local community, H2H has grown from a congregational mission to a valuable community resource.

The mission of H2H is to respond to God’s commandment to love one another. Its vision is to model God’s love by cultivating a loving community, honoring individual gifts, feeding bodies and souls, and seeing everyone as a child of God. It is found that the food pantry has quality food; statistics show that most of the clients work full-time or part-time and only come to visit when they need the food.

H2H is primarily an open-choice food pantry serving clients needing food assistance. Each $1 donated can distribute $9.50 worth of groceries or enough for 4.5 meals. For calendar year 2021, it served 5,179 households including 2,635 seniors (age 60+), 8,641 adults (18-59), and 6,411 children (birth – 17) for a total of 17,687 individuals.

Over the years, H2H has evolved with the changing times in Central Ohio. A newer activity is a Pop-Up Pantry. Volunteers meet at the First Community South pantry location to complete the bagging of food and loading into the Church van. They then proceed to the site to distribute pre-packaged food to clients by loading it directly into their cars or at a pre-arranged distribution point.

First Community Church and the surrounding area provide the needed volunteers for many activities related to H2H, including the food pantry, stocking, bagging, Pop-Up Pantry, and pick-up donations (Giant Eagle, Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Marc’s, etc.). Besides many partnerships within First Community (e.g., Share and Learn Gardens, featured in the May issue of On a Mission!), this group also partners with community organizations such as schools, local charitable, other churches, and not-for-profit groups.

More in-depth information about Heart to Heart activities and volunteering can be located here.

Our community justice teams are ramping up activity this fall! Should you have any questions about these events or are interested in joining one or more of our community justice teams, please contact Tim Vansant at tvansant@FCchurch.com 

Upcoming Ministries 4 Movement March 

Several members of the Racial Equity and Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) Ministry Teams participate monthly in a march and worship/information session with members of the Family Missionary Baptist Church and Ministries 4 Movement partners in the South End of Columbus the first Sunday of each month. First Community is recognized as an official partner of Ministries 4 Movement. We continue to work with this community and other partners for sustainment and new opportunities to contribute to justice causes. 

If you are interested in attending this worthwhile event, the next march is on Sunday, October 2 at 3 pm at 996 Oakwood Ave, Columbus. Please sign up here if interested.  

"Considering Racism and How It Shaped Central Ohio Neighborhoods" Guest Speaker  

Presentation Description: Although Columbus and the central Ohio region are outperforming every other Midwestern metropolis in terms of population growth and economic expansion, some parts of the region are thriving while other areas struggle. Michael Wilkos will focus on the social, racial, and economic landscape of Columbus and how past policies contribute to current conditions. Michael brings to the topic his long experience as a grant-maker focused on investments in vulnerable families and challenged neighborhoods. He also studies closely the changing demographic trends in central Ohio. “Like hundreds of other cities in America, Columbus was redlined,” Michael reports. “This practice of denying access to financial tools and loans was determined by completing surveys of both physical and social characteristics of neighborhoods. Redlining set in motion a pattern of investment in some areas at the expense of those that scored low. Subsequent policies like highway construction, slum clearance and construction of public housing were then deployed in these neighborhoods with low scores. The policy of redlining ended with the 1968 Fair Housing Act, and yet 54 years later the impacts of this policy and others like it continue to shape where and how we live.” Wilkos will examine how past policies have shaped urban geographies. “By more fully understanding what is driving rapidly increasing housing costs, gentrification, displacement, and access to social services helps us to build a more equitable future,” he says. 

Biography of Speaker Michael Wilkos: Michael Wilkos is Senior Vice President of Community Impact at United Way of Central Ohio. His team develops effective strategies to improve the Columbus area and invests in programs provided by more than 80 funded nonprofit partners to implement these strategies. United Way of Central Ohio is focused on supporting the most vulnerable people in the community through investments in meeting basic needs and achieving student success.  

Prior to joining United Way, Michael was Director of Community Research at The Columbus Foundation. During his tenure at the foundation, he initiated, led, and managed competitive grant-making to support holistic community revitalization in Weinland Park, an effort to stabilize and revitalize a mixed-income community near The Ohio State University. Additionally, he provided direction and management for many categories of grant-making at the foundation. Prior to joining foundation, Michael served as Senior Impact Director and Director of Neighborhood Development at United Way of Central Ohio. In that position he managed program allocations supporting neighborhood development strategies. Among many other duties, he also directed volunteer involvement in developing and implementing strategies supporting housing and community safety programs.  

Michael earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in geography and a Master of City and Regional Planning degree from Ohio State. He has served on many boards including the Columbus and Franklin County Continuum of Care which oversees programs funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to respond to homelessness, Franklin County Community Economic Development Advisory Board, United Neighborhood Centers of America, and Columbus Landmarks Foundation. He makes frequent presentations on topics ranging from neighborhood revitalization, poverty, economic mobility, segregation, redlining, gentrification, history, and demographics. 

PLEASE REGISTER HERE. 

Miami Valley Peace Heroes Trail Tour - Saturday, October 29th, Dayton, OH 

We will be visiting the Miami Valley Peace Heroes Trail in Dayton, OH at 11 am on October 29.The Peace Heroes Trail was created by the Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Dayton, Ohio, to promote peacebuilding in our world. Local, national, and international citizens and organizations who have worked to promote peace are represented by 57 inspirational signs along the walking trail. A "peace hero" is "an everyday person who accepts risk and succeeds in making the world less violent and more just." The director of this project, Catherine Queener, will be hosting our group and guiding us on the trail for this event. 

We will be meeting at 9:30 am at our North Location and riding in a van together, for those that would like to ride together. 

FOR MORE DETAILS AND REGISTRATION, PLEASE CLICK HERE. 

"Be SMART" Gun Safety and Awareness Program 

Members of our Gun Violence Prevention Teams recently became certified and have provided our first round of Be SMART training to other members of our community justice team. Be SMART brings awareness to issues such as gun safety/storage, suicide awareness, modelling good behavior for youth, etc. The Be SMART framework designed by Moms Demand Action helps parents and adults normalize conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions that can prevent child gun deaths and injuries. This is a great future conduit for our members to reach out to the congregation and key outside organizations to provide valuable and potentially life-saving information while opening the conversation to broader gun violence prevention imperatives. You can learn more about Be SMART here. 

September Community Involvement Events 

Our teams are always seeking out opportunities to support our Central Ohio neighbors. Creating relationships is one of our core tenants. Members of our groups participated in the Ministries 4 March and We Are Linden End Gun Violence Walk this past month.

Further Upcoming Educational Opportunities 

The UCC and local organizations have many unique educational opportunities in the areas of community justice. These are not specifically First Community events; however, they provide great material from leaders in their field and inform our activities. Please see below for registration and additional details on upcoming events:

“Resilience and Possibility in These Times” –  This conversation will feature Diné ceremonial leader Pat McCabe, who will pave the way to collectively finding a path that integrates interrelatedness and liberation. What might it take for people in the industrialized world to embody a connection to spirit while creating solutions to the current climate crisis?

• Wednesday, Oct 5 at 12 pm: Registration and Details here

Our Klais Organ Recital and Dedication is scheduled for Friday, November 4 thru Sunday, November 6. Two identical recitals will occur on Friday and Saturday evenings performed by the world-renowned Cologne (Germany) organist Prof. Dr. Winfried Bönig. He has been the senior organist for the Cologne Cathedral for over 21 years and has been called upon to perform special recitals and dedications worldwide. The formal dedication service will occur during a worship service on November 6. We are thrilled that this special component of our Sanctuary addition has finally come to fruition. 

A ticket isn't required for this event, but please take a moment to register. Please note, the programming will be the same on November 4 and 5.

Any questions regarding this event can be directed to Shelly Sagraves via email at ssagraves@FCchurch.com or (614) 488-0681 ext. 291

Have you wanted to get more involved in church? Do you like to make people feel welcome? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then we would love you to join the Open Door Ministry. We are looking for 3 or 4 greeters to help at our 9 am North and 10 am South worship services. The time required is just 30 minutes before worship once a month.  If you are interested, please contact Robin Hood at rhood@FCchurch.com or (614) 488-0681 ext. 235. Looking forward to having you on our ministry team!

ElderWisdom 

October book selection: 

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson 

Thursday, October 27, 1 pm  

South, Library 

Join us Thursday, October 27 in the Library at South (1320 Cambridge Blvd). You do not need to have read the book to attend – just come and join us for an open discussion. Please contact Lorelei Lanier Lotozo at (614) 209-7125 or Robin Hood with questions or to add your name to our email list. 

Click here to get your copy and to read more about the book. 

A Day at Akita  

Our next day trip to Akita for our older adults will be Tuesday, October 18 for a day filled with fellowship, lunch, nature and a message on Vesper Hill. We will meet at North at 9 am. From there you can either take the bus or drive separately. The bus will leave North by 9:30 and return by 5 pm. We hope to see you there! 

Register here by October 12. For more information contact Robin Hood at (614) 488-0681 ext. 235. 

Join Glen and Julie Miles on a trip to the Holy Land. The trip will be 10 days, October 31 - November 9, 2023.

Cities on the tour include:

CAESAREA * HAIFA * NAZARETH * TIBERIAS

SEA OF GALILEE * BETHLEHEM * MASADA * JERUSALEM

If you are interested in learning more, click the button below to download the full brochure. If you would like to reserve a spot, click the button to email Julie Miles.

by Kitty Rohrer

The Women of the FCC Women’s Guild have been particularly focused on food over the last several months. On August 7, the Guild held its annual “Lemonade Sunday,” following the worship services with home-baked goodies to raise the congregation’s awareness of the Women’s Guild. Closely following that, the Guild held our Officer Installation & Fall Kickoff Luncheon on August 20 with the inspiring speaker, Shirley Brooks Jones. The food was catered by Paul’s on Fifth Restaurant, desserts catered by Metro Cuisine, and the delectable charcuterie provided by Guild President, Martha Livingston. All the leftovers were taken to the men’s shelter, Faith on Eighth, where they were thoroughly appreciated!

Because of the impact of the pandemic over the last several years, the Guild has not been able to thank and celebrate the wonderful FCC staff on Valentine’s Day as we usually do. Not wanting to wait another six months to show our appreciation for the hard-working staff, the Guild, under the direction of Jennifer Short, hosted a lovely staff luncheon on September 13, including Raffle Prizes and Gift Goody Bags! The food was again catered by Paul’s on Fifth Restaurant, with yummy salads and desserts provided by Guild members.

The women of the Guild are acutely aware of the continuing problem of food insecurity (i.e., “hunger”) in Central Ohio. This problem has been compounded by the increased lack of available corporate-donated food to the MidOhio Food Collective and the resultant dramatic increase in costs to the pantries of what food is available. The Guild sponsored a canned soup and food drive to address this problem in our local community. All of the different Guild Groups participated and several thousand pounds of non-perishable foods were gathered and donated to Heart to Heart Food Pantry.

Sadly, our congregation has lost several of our long-time, active church members who were connected to the Guild; one a Guild member and the other the spouse of a Guild member. Their back-to-back funerals prompted Guild members to bake and contribute finger foods and desserts in celebration of these special people. The leftovers have supplied various church events.

Lastly, the Guild has decided to resume our Betty O’Neill Election Day Bake Sale to be held on Election Day, November 8, at both campuses. Homemade goodies and soup will be available for sale, so come to buy whether you vote at one of these locations or not.

Glancing Back at First Community's Youth Program

by Jackie Cherry, Church Historian

I’m sure that if you asked any young person at our church who was the best youth minister ever, they would name their own, for there has been a succession of outstanding young leaders in our history. Of course, we need to recall that the very first one was Burkie himself, for one of the first things that he did after arriving at First Community Church was to visit the principals of both high schools to determine who the leaders were among the young people so that he could cultivate them also to become leaders in our church family. These leaders then became the first recipients of a Block of Wood to symbolize their membership in our church. They also organized the very first Bar None in 1938, which became more elaborate each year until, in 1963, it featured a waterfall and a volcano that erupted at midnight.

The very first Youth Director, Helen Osborn, was appointed in 1940. She helped organize the seminars and programs that comprised the Brownlee meetings that evolved on Sunday evenings for each grade level. Some of these were led by professors from OSU, while others were led by young married couples or other interested leaders. The main factor was that these

leaders were interested and enthusiastic about their subjects. 

Ed Rydman was my Minister of Youth from 1947 to 1954 and had a strong background in camping, which was one of the reasons Burkie hired him. Luckily he was in charge during the early years of Akita’s history and set many of its policies for several years. He and his entire family lived at camp during the summer. His daughters bravely took snakes back to their Grandview neighborhood from camp. Eddie returned to Columbus for the Centennial Celebration in 2009 and spent one evening reminiscing and singing camp songs with many of us who had been his campers. Surprise! He did better at remembering the words than his campers, but it was a great evening of happy memories for all of us!

These were also the years that Richard Henry Bell held the position of Director of Religious Press and Radio on the church staff from1945 to 47. This meant that he was also on the staff of WOSU Radio at the same time, so we had the opportunity to participate in some of the radio broadcasts that Dick produced on WOSU. I remember that during my first year at college camp in 1949, we discussed how we could make our religious beliefs relevant during our college years. We were very serious about presenting our views so that they would positively affect our audience, as we knew how lucky we were to have such an opportunity to present our message.

With Dr. Burkhart’s focus on prayer and research groups. The high school and college-age youth began meeting in ‘Prayer Cells.” One evening a week, they gathered quietly in the sanctuary to meditate and pray for an hour. Then they took their sack supper and adjourned to another quiet part of the church where they could meet with Burkie or one of the other ministers for discussion and prayer. There was peaceful solitude in this experience, yet the fellowship of being surrounded by others who were also on a journey of seeking self-exploration.

(To be continued)

In this issue:

• The Unfolding Now - Diamond Approach Book Study
• Prophetic Voices Film Series Continues
• The Spiritual Life & Learning Center's Weekly & Monthly Offerings
• Sustaining the Spiritual Life & Learning Center
• Thank you to Our Donors
• Join our Team
• Putting Ourselves Back Together, Part 1 by Rev. David Hett
• Outside Partner Recommended Resources