February 12, 2012
Worship Highlights: 8:15 am, 9:00 am & 10:30 am
“Founders Day”
“Patchwork Quilt of Experiences”
written by Jane Langol
Flowers: on the altar are given by the Wagner Family in loving memory of Ellen Wagner.
February 12, 2012 thru February 19, 2012
WEEK AT A GLANCE
Sun COSTA RICA MISSION TRIP
FOUNDER’S DAY
NEW MEMBERS JOIN
8:15 am Chapel Worship
9:00 am Choir Rehearsal
9:00 am Gathering Worship
10:30 am JMM @ The Inn
10:30 am Worship
1:00 pm Middle School Youth Ice Skating
4:00 pm Senior High Youth Group
Mon
Tues VALENTINES DAY
8:00 am Men’s Fellowship
9:00 am Women’s Breakfast Group
@ Eat-n-Park
6:00 pm Valentine’s Celebration
& Babysitting Night – All Youth
7:00 pm Women’s Book Club @ Behler’s
7:00 pm Gathering Band
Wed 7:15 am Chapel Prayer Time
10:30 am Quilters
2:00 pm Bible Study @ Tollafield’s
6:30 pm Bell Choir
Thurs 9:15 am Women’s Bible Study
1:00 pm Esther Circle
6:45 pm 50’s Couples Bible Study
@ Gorsek’s
7:00 pm Discipleship & Education Team
Fri
Sat 7:00 am Men’s Bible Study
8:00 am Men’s Fellowship
9:00 am Gathering Band
Sun CAMP SUNDAY
TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY
8:15 am Chapel Worship
9:00 am Choir Rehearsal
9:00 am Gathering Worship
10:30 am Worship
11:45 am Mission Team
2:00 pm JMM @ Medina Meadows
3:30 pm Third Grade Bible Class
3:30 pm Confirmation – Parent Night
5:00 pm Youth Group
The church office will be closed
on Monday, February 20th
in observance of
President’s Day.
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ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE
Once again we are uniting with First Christian Church for our Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday services.
The service for Ash Wednesday, February 22, is being held at First Christian Church at 7:00pm.
Members of UCC, Congregational will also participate.
4797 Sharon Copley Road Medina
LEADERSHIP RETREAT
February 25
Western Reserve Masonic Community
All persons serving on a Leadership Team or the Congregational Council are invited to gather for a Leadership Retreat in the chapel at the Western Reserve Masonic Community on Saturday, February 25. The retreat begins at 8:45 am and will conclude at 2:00 pm. Lunch will be provided.
The retreat will focus on articulating the vision that unites all of us here at Medina United Church of Christ. Rev. Jim Oates, our Ohio Conference Congregational Renewal Coach, will be our guest. Jim, along with our own Carl Skorepa (our incoming Moderator), will lead us through creative and reflective activities to help us discover and understand our unique mission in Medina.
Please RSVP by email (office@uccmedina.org) or phone (330-725-4559) to the church office.
ESTHER CIRCLE
Please come and enjoy fellowship with the ladies of Esther Circle, at 1:00 pm on Thursday February 16.
The program will be a book review by Cheri Ingraham entitled “Wild Flower” about a woman of Africa.
VALENTINE VISITS
Make someone’s Valentine’s Day special! The craft group has created “Sweetheart Bears” door hangers for our older members and friends of the church. PLEASE pick up one or more of the crafts that are displayed in the East Room.
Each craft has the name, phone number, and address of someone on our visitation list. Please call the person to arrange your visit before February 14. If you have any questions, please contact Elly Aberegg 330-723-7672 or Syd Benson 330-725-5540.
FAIR TRADE COFFEE
& TEA SALE
Want to support our youth and act for justice?
Have a cup of coffee!
The Middle School Youth Group invites you to support the UCC Coffee Project and help us raise money for our summer trip to the Hiram Living and Learning Community.
Beginning on February 26, be sure to stop by the table in the hallway to meet our middle school youth and to purchase fair trade coffee, tea, and chocolate.
Fair-trade coffee supports farmer co-ops in developing nations making it more possible for these farmers to earn a living; for this reason, fair trade coffee often costs more than other coffee. Information about the UCC Coffee Project will be available at the sale.
Thank you for your support!
BACK BAY 2012 MISSION CANCELLED…
Unfortunately, this year’s mission outreach to Back Bay Mission has been cancelled as we did not have sufficient numbers of volunteers. We will try again for next spring.
Please watch for new possible local Medina mission outreach opportunities thanks to the dedicated work of our Mission Team.
NEW BIBLE STUDY FORMS
“50’S COUPLES”
Are you in that in between age? The kids have left home and retirement is a ways off…Maybe you are in your 50’s…
A new Bible Study is forming just for you. We will be meeting on the first Monday and third Thursday each month through May, in the homes of participants, gathering around 6:45 pm and concluding about 8:15 pm.
Our initial study is Parables from the Back Side (Bible Stories with a Twist) by J. Ellsworth Kalas. Would you like more information? Contact Judy Gorsek at judygorsek@zoominternet.net or 330-723-6726.
POP CORN & CRIME
Do you remember Perry Mason, television’s most successful and longest-running lawyer series? Familiar or not, join us at the church, Fri. night, Feb. 24, 7 pm to watch an episode and discuss. Hosted by Chain-Breaking Faith.
VALENTINE’S DAY CHILDREN’S CELEBRATION & BABYSITTING NIGHT
Looking for a babysitter this Valentine’s Day? Looking for a way to help our high school youth raise money for our summer mission trip?
WELL, LOOK NO FURTHER!
On Tuesday February 14, children ages 3-12 are invited to the church for an informal celebration of Valentine’s Day led by our high school youth. Children may arrive anytime after 6:00 pm, and we will wrap up at 8:30 pm. Snacks will be available, but please make sure children eat dinner before you come. Cost is by donation.
In order to help us prepare, please sign up outside Fellowship Hall or in the East Room. Questions? See Pastor Mariah.
FOUNDERS’ DAY
Founders’ Day will be celebrated this Sunday, February 12, 2012 at all three worship services. The event is a way to honor the history of our church, and to express our gratitude for the guidance of God’s hand through history. Our church is an historical church that keenly feels the presence of God in the spiritual life of our church.
The theme for Founders’ Day is THE PATCHWORK OF OUR LIVES. It is intended to celebrate how our lives, although like individual patches on a quilt, are joined together to form a lovely textile of love. To inspire us further, there will be a Quilt Raffle to raise dollars for the Endowment Fund. This quilt, is
a Texas Star pattern, queen size, and can be seen hanging in the East Room. Imagine it in your home!
WOMEN’S BOOK GROUP
The Women’s Book Group will meet 7 pm on Tues., Feb. 14 at Sandy Behler’s house, 1121 Sturbridge Dr. to discuss The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey. All are welcome. Questions? Call Stephanie Manhoff at 723-1883.
How Cupcakes or a Gift Basket Will Send Our Youth to the Farm…
This summer, our High School Youth will spend a week at Heifer International’s Overlook Farm in Massachusetts. In addition to working on the farm, we will learn strategies for reducing global hunger. To make this trip possible, we need your help! After the worship service on Youth Sunday, March 11th, the High School Youth will hold a Silent Dessert Auction (so only quiet desserts—no loud pies!) and a Basket Raffle. We hope our whole church family will join in this celebration!
*If you can donate a gift basket for the raffle, please sign up on the tables outside Fellowship Hall or in the East Room.
*If you can donate a dessert, please complete the insert and return in the offering plate or to the church office.
Thank you for considering this opportunity! Questions? See Mariah Marlin-Warfield, Kelly & Josh Olin, or Stacie Yates.
GIFT CARD ORDERS
Plan ahead now for Birthday’s or other Special Occasions and place your Gift Card order soon. Please see the Yellow Retailer List on the table near Fellowship Hall or visit www.glscrip.com and click on the Retailer List on the left side to view or print your own list. Complete a Green Order Form, also available on the table near fellowship hall and return to Kelly or Stacie with payment. The next order will be processed on Tuesday, February 21st at 10:00 am.
2012 MOLL LECTURES
Featuring: Dr. Belden C. Lane
Theme for the lectures will be “The
Power of Place: How Nature Engages the Soul”
Where: Baldwin-Wallace College
Wednesday, February 15
7:30 pm – Lindsay-Crossman Chapel
Thursday, February 16
10:00 am – Lindsay-Crossman Chapel
Thursday February 16
2:00 pm – Strosacker College Union
Sandstone 3
THANK YOU
I would like to thank all of my faithful volunteers, along with some new people, who helped put the Annual Report together.
Ruth Gifford never fails to gather up some help, and get the job done! Thank you to Ruth Gifford, Mary Ann Andrews, Jan Holt, Eleanor Gerspacher, Betty Reigger, Marilyn Koehler, Bastian Diaz and Rocklyn Campbell. I appreciate all of your help, more than you know! Thank you. Cindy & Kelly
***TIME & TALENTS***
Please remember to turn in your “filled in” Time & Talent sheets to the church office or place them in the Sunday offering plate as soon as possible. Thank you!
IMMIGRATION AND BORDER ISSUES. . .
. . .is the topic for discussion on Saturday, February 18. The WRA Church in the World group will be gathering to hear from Edie Rasell, Minister for Economic Justice in the national setting of the UCC, share information on the wider church’s role in the issue of immigration. Margaret Mills will be giving a brief overview of her sabbatical on border issues, local church involvement, what does it have to do with me?, and more. We will have a local church participant on how the issue has impacted a community here in northeast Ohio. It should be a rich and important time. Plan to join us from 9:30 am to 11:30 am at the Church House, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland. For more information, contact Margaret Mills at 440-487-2549 or mmills@wraucc.org.
AMISH QUILT RAFFLE
The Endowment Fund is sponsoring an Amish Queen-size Quilt Raffle to support the growth of the Fund for the future of our church.
Tickets are $1.00 each. The drawing will be held on March 4, 2012, and the winner need not be present to win. This beautiful quilt, available for viewing in the East Room, was made by the women of the Amish community of Cory, NY, The name of the pattern is LONE STAR, and it measures 102” x 110.”
Please support this worthy effort to continue the future life of our church.
DID YOU KNOW…
The Endowment Fund will accept In-Kind gifts of goods or services that fulfill the mission needs of the church. This would include precious metals, antiques, jewelry, artifacts, real estate, housing, etc. that would be converted into assets for the Endowment Fund. Such gifts would be considered carefully to fulfill our call to further Christ’s Church on earth.
BREAKING BREAD ON BOURBON STREET
An evening of art, jazz, and dancing.
Feeding Medina County is sponsoring an evening filled with culture of the French Quarter at Weymouth Country Club, 3946 Weymouth Road, Medina, on Saturday, February 18 at 6:30 pm.
“A Kool Nights Jazz Band” will keep you dancing and the art work on display will be for sale!
Contact Sandy Colvert, Executive Director of Feeding Medina County at 330-241-2148 or Jean Cerny at 330-421-4816.
MEDITATION Cynthia Hankin
A Prayer For Guidance
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not
on your own understanding. —Proverbs 3:5
God, this world’s problems are so complicated
that I cannot make my way without Your guidance.
Quicken my mind and deepen my understanding.
Help me hear Your voice and heed your advice.
Keep me walking along the path behind you.
Amen.
(This prayer is excerpted from the E-booklet, A Prayer for Every Need).
Daily Thoughts
A Time to Think:
The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world.—Marianne Williamson
To Act:
Forgive those who have hurt you, not for them but as a gift to yourself.
To Pray:
Thank You, Lord, for the warmth and generosity of the human spirit.
The deadline for submission of articles for NEXT Sunday’s Messenger is this Sunday at 11:30am
Submit articles to: athena42@mac.com Or: messenger@uccmedina.org
