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The Columns - August 2022 | |
News from your LCC Leadership | |
Children, Youth, & Family: News & Events | |
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Covid and Public Health at LCC
As of 8/1/2022 Cuyahoga County is HIGH for exposure to Covid-19.
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, please consider our document concerning Public Health at LCC
Each Week, our livestream service can be accessed on Facebook or Youtube, or at
LCC-CHURCH.ORG/LIVESTREAM
We strive for a non-judgmental environment of mutual trust, grace, and respect. Communicate with one another openly and honestly about your spacing needs. Please be mindful that others may be at a different level of risk tolerance from you.
Please wear a mask or stay home if you believe you might be at risk for spreading Covid-19 or any other communicable disease.
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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 | |
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.
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LCC's Community Meal
We will be offering our monthly
Community Meal
Thursday, August 4
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Good morning Karen here is my report from community meal – on July 27 Donna Leisinger, Susan Walker, Nancy Fraunfelder and Rev. Catherine joined Michael and I to prepare our takeaway community meal. We packed ham and cheese sandwiches with fresh spinach, chips, apples, orange juice and Vicki and Joanne made rice crispy treats for all to enjoy! We made 48 meals and 26 people attended. With only a very few vegetarian people attending we are going to adjust our count to be 44 “meated meals“and 4 vegetarian meals in the future. Our cost was $86.27.
Our small but mighty team continues to appreciate all of your support for this important ministry.
Michael and Peggi Mizen
Trinity's Comm(Unity) Day
Produce Distribution, Saturday, August 20, 10am-12pm
Trinity's mobile produce distribution in partnership with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank takes place every 3rd Saturday of each month May-November, 2022.
To those who want to serve: Please meet us in the parking lot at 9:00am to help prepare and distribute 6,000 pounds of produce.
To those who want to receive: The distribution begins at 10am and runs through 12pm. First come, first serve. Please bring I.D. and your own bags/boxes/carts.
All are welcome to serve and receive!
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Food delivery services have changed since the onset of Covid. If you have the means to donate, two local organizations that could be donated to are the Cleveland Food Bank and the Lakewood Community Service Center.
Each first Sunday of the month is our dedicated Hunger Sunday.
There are Hunger Envelopes at the back of the Sanctuary for your donation.
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The Faith in Action team is interested in connecting with church members who are interested and/or experienced in native plant gardening for a potential future project.
If interested, please see Karen Wagner or Heather Tuck-Macalla.
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Volunteers Needed for Get-Out-The-Vote Program
Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC), supported by Lakewood Congregational Church, is organizing a 2022 Get-Out-The-Vote program, intended to stimulate democratic engagement in historically low-voter-turnout neighborhoods.
The plan is to personally contact potential voters in targeted neighborhoods -- contacting a list of individuals via letter-writing, phoning or door-knocking.
We appreciate ANY amount of time and effort toward ANY of those activities. Volunteers will receive complete instructions and explanations.
Please contact Ron Petrie (ron@siahq.org) to participate between Labor Day and Election Day.
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LCC Volunteer Opportunities | | |
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SLOTS HAVE BEEN UPDATED THRU SEPTEMBER
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.
Sign Up HERE
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Sunday Greeters
SLOTS HAVE BEEN UPDATED THRU SEPTEMBER
Please join us on Sunday mornings to welcome old friends and new to worship. Scott Suttell will coordinate a schedule for you. Sign up with the link below.
Sign Up HERE
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Sound/Video Volunteers Needed for Sunday Mornings | |
SLOTS HAVE BEEN UPDATED THRU SEPTEMBER
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.
Sign Up HERE
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Music Makers
Would you like to share your music talents as a vocalist or instrumentalist in LCC’s worship service?
Please let us know what you’d be interested in sharing and whether you’d want piano or guitar accompaniment. Ben Malkevitch will reach out to you several weeks ahead of time to coordinate.”
Sign Up HERE
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LCC Meetings & Event Schedule | |
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S'moretime with God Sunday
August 7, 7pm
Join us for an All-Ages evening of fun, music and s'mores as we gather in the front porch.
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Join us at Pub Theology this summer!
Pub Theology meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, at 7:30pm, and we're going "on tour" for the next three months.
August 10 - Hansa Brewery* (2717 Lorain Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113) - there is usually decent street parking in the area during the week
*For the venues not in Lakewood, consider carpooling with fellow Pub Theology members.
At Pub Theology we talk about all sorts of topics, often tied to current events. All ages welcome! Whether you’ve never come before, come every time, or come once before, we’d love to have you. While the “Pub" is the location, drinking alcohol is certainly not a requirement of the group. We're aware that many people at LCC value sobriety for their lives, and we are committed to celebrating and supporting that journey if it is right for you, and we'd love to have your voice as a part of these conversations!
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Reach out to Lauren Smigelski, Charlotte Petrie, or Ryan Walters if you have any questions - find us on the church directory app. And join our NEW Facebook group! Search for LCC Pub Theology and click on request to join.
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Jeff Parker
Owen Geiger
John Komperda
David Diemert
Scott Suttell
Tim Daso
Ben Borrell
Ann Wright
Mark Stockman
Melissa Diemert
Brad Humphreys
Donna McClaren
Edison Belsito
Amy Smith
Melissa Armstrong Brine
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Ellie Humphreys
Ellen Tudron
Melissa Parlanti
Evelyn D’Agostino
Peter Humphreys
Nancy Herdman
Judy Leatherman
Karen Lee
Keith Smith
Dee Baker
Tim Hampton
Amy Lardi
Laura Blesse Hampton
Harlow Shearn
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Shawn Warren
Sean Kwiatkowski
Tom Clark
Robert Paraska
Caitlin Galloway
Kay Galloway
Joe Daso
Anya Lardi
Jordan Blasko
Chelsea Payne
Chris Burns
Bill Fraunfelder
Miles Parlanti Klein
Beth Clark
Drew Sheldon
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Congratulations to Jim and Nancy Gibbs on the celebration of their
50th Anniversary on July 8th
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Brent & Shannon Basile
Bill & Paula Deal
Brad & Kristen Humphreys
Chris & Rachel Burns
Amy & Chris Lardi
Amy & Chris Kemp
Elena Larssen & Mark Pettis
Michael & Peggi Mizen
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John & Patti Komperda
Laura & Tim Hampton
Aaron & Carrie Hill
Darren & Missy Toms
Kathy & Stephen Ott
Amy & John Pyke
David & Laura Sangree
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Member News: August 2022
- After many years of working in public relations and marketing, Robin Suttell has returned to her writing and editing roots. In June, she joined Cleveland Clinic’s editorial department as a Care Pages Communications Manager/Web Writer. She now writes and edits web content about every health treatment imaginable.
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The Tuck Macalla's recently had a lovely visit to Boston to attend the opening of a new group show Eric's work is in “National Show-Crossing Borders” at the Copley Society of Art. He will be in a show in South Carolina later this month and in the fall one of his pieces will be exhibited through the Artists Archive of the Western Reserve here in Cleveland. https://copleysociety.org/exhibition/national-show-crossing-borders
- Veronica Lee moves to Atlanta this month to start a graduate program in Statistics at Georgia Tech
- Evan Suttell recently received a $10,0000 University of Denver Crossely Public Opinion Research Scholarship for his essay response about public opinion on abortion rights. Evan is in his second year of a master’s program at the university’s Josef A. Korbel School of International Studies. He graduated from Lakewood High School in 2017 and Michigan State University in 2021.
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Look inside Lakewood with the Lakewood House Tour presented by the Lakewood Historical Society on Sunday, September 11, from 1:00pm to 6:00pm! You’ll see eight historic homes that show all Lakewood has to offer, including a one-of-a-kind home in a converted bank building, a property with stunning Lake Erie views, and examples of classic Victorian charm. Several members of Lakewood Congregational Church are on the tour committee, including Co-Chairs Vicki and Lauren Smigelski, as well as Julie Warren, Ann Schleckman, and Nora Katzenberger. Beginning August 6, tickets go on sale at the Lakewood Arts Festival, online at lakewoodhistory.org, at local retailers STEM, Avenue Home, Geiger's, and Stella & Shay Beauty Bar, or at the Haber Center Monday through Friday from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. Hope to see you there!
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KidKressler Designs – run by Laura Kressler – is a small Etsy shop specializing in crystal pendants and other dainty jewelry. Requests for custom pieces or specific crystals not listed on the shop are welcome. Contact Laura at KidKressler@gmail.com. All pieces are handmade with love in Rocky River and made to order! Laura is a rising junior at Kent State University majoring in Fashion Design.
Send us your news celebration and sadness and everything in between by the Monday before the end of the month to be included in the next month's The Columns Newsletter
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Eric Tuck Macalla's Starlings #1 | |
Muriel and Tom Campbell enjoying their delivery from the Prayer Shawl Ministry | |
Living Water Association News/Events | |
Opening Sermon by Rev. Joanna | |
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Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coalition has offered Taizé Morning Prayer at 9 am EDT Monday through Friday as a centering beginning to the day. This 20-minute contemplative service is based on ancient models of Christian daily prayer and includes psalms, a short reading, silence and a Taizé chant. Read this article from the UCC News Service reporting on the experiences of pastors who’ve made this service a part of their daily prayer life. The link below is for free registration: when you register, we’ll send you the link to Morning Prayer.
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Still time to register for our virtual
National ONA Gathering!
Our celebration of Open and Affirming ministries past, present and future begins in just two weeks, and there’s still time to register for this virtual event! It’s the Coalition’s 50th anniversary, and the 50th anniversary of Bill Johnson’s ordination as the first openly gay person called to ministry in a mainline church—a UCC first! Expect creative worship, inspiring music, and challenging keynotes! Leaders include Bishop Yvette Flunder, the Rev. Rhina Ramos and one of the first transgender activists in the United Church of Christ, the legendary Barb Satin! National ONA Gathering is 7-9 pm EDT on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Use the link below to learn more about the event and to register. Please share this news with your friends and church members!
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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
Asst. Treasurer: Michael Daso
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
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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Summer Office Hours:
Monday - Friday: 9:00am-1:00pm
Karen Lee has jury duty the week of August 22. She will review/respond to emails/messages later in the day.
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