September 7, 2008
TODAY IN CHURCH
Ushers: Alice Metzloff
Flowers: on the altar today are provided by Joan & John Walschon in celebration of their 2nd wedding anniversary.
Lay Reader: Deb Waldron
Worship Highlights: 8:15 & 10:30am
Matthew 18: 21-35 (Exodus 12:1-14)
“Forgive Those Who Wrong You” by Pastor Neal Sadler
PRAYER CONCERNS
Deb Glover Ed Herman
Dwayne McDowell Tom Evans
Shawn Mallory Edith Hastings
Lucy Herman Bruce Bauer
Mary Ellen Conn Fran Drawe
Lonnie DeRusso Wava Harpster
Rich Scotto Sally Jaycox
Helen Deuring Earle Olson
Anna Kinder Sachay Miller
Helen Streett Stephen Pety
Alexandra Gerbasi
MILITARY PRAYERS
Pfc. Mike Hansen Jed Caulfield
HM2 Patrick Donnelly Cory Flynn
Staff Sgt. Brian Hahne Pvt. Gary Sanborn
Brian Geschke Greg Swayer
Pfc. Lee Eggeman Cpt. Kenny Flemming
237 Brigade, Co. G Sgt Derek Haumesser
GOOD NEIGHBORS
The Good Neighbor volunteer for the week of September 7th thru September 13th is Cheri Ingraham. If you can provide a meal for those recuperating from surgery, in crisis or celebrating a birth, please sign up by Fellowship Hall.
WEEK AT A GLANCE
Sun SUNDAY SCHOOL KICK-OFF
8:15 am Chapel Worship
9:00 am Gathering Service
9:00 am Choir Rehearsal
10:30 am Traditional Service
2:00 pm JMM @ MR Village
5:00 pm Youth Group
Mon
Tues 8:00 am Men’s Fellowship @ Bob Evans
6:45 pm Alive Now Study Group
7:00 pm Bible Study
7:00 pm Gathering Band
Wed 10:30 am Quilters
2:00 pm Bible Study @ Tollafield’s
6:30 pm Bell Choir Rehearsal
7:00 pm Coffee Fellowship Workshop
7:00 pm TRUSTEE MEETING
Thurs
Fri
Sat 8:00 am Men’s Fellowship @ Marie’s Cafe
9:00 am Gathering Band
Sun 9:00 am Choir Rehearsal
10:00 am ALIVE ON THE SQUARE
10:30 am JMM @ The Inn
5:00 pm Senior High Youth Group
SYMPATHY
Our Christian sympathies go to the family of Jack and Diane Stoll on the death of Jack’s mother, Margaret Stoll.
Youth & Family Life Pastor
Candidating Sermon &
Congregational Meeting
The Youth and Family Life Pastor Search Committee would like to give you another exciting update.
As you’re aware, we’ve worked out the details of the Call Agreement with our candidate. The Search Committee and the Cabinet jointly recommend that we call Mariah Marlin-Warfield to serve as our Youth and Family Life Pastor. Mariah will deliver her candidating sermon at each service on Sunday, September 21. Immediately following the 10:30am service, we will hold a congregational meeting to vote to call Mariah as our Youth and Family Life Pastor. On that Sunday, attend one or more of the services, and then come back or stick around after the 10:30 service for the congregational meeting.
To give you an opportunity to meet Mariah and her husband Chris in an informal setting, we’ll be holding a reception on Saturday afternoon, September 20, from 4:00pm – 6:00pm. It’ll be similar to the reception that we had to meet Pastor Neal and Carolyn. This reception will take place in the East Room. We invite you to come out and get to know Mariah and Chris a little bit.
So that’s Saturday afternoon, September 20 from 4:00 – 6:00pm in the East Room for the welcoming reception, and Sunday, September 21 for the candidating sermon and congregational meeting. We look forward to seeing you all there.
Between now and then, if you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with anyone on the Search Committee, or any member of Cabinet, or even Kelly Charnley.
Youth and Family Life Pastor Search Committee
NEW MEMBER CLASSES…
will begin on Sunday, September 21st from 3:00-5:00 pm in the East Room. Continuing classes will be held on Sept. 28th, Oct.5th and Oct. 12th with new members joining the church on Sunday, October 19th. Childcare is provided for each class. Contact the church office for more information.
Pastor Lead Bible Study
Tuesdays at 1:30 & 7:00
Begins September 23rd
“Prophets: Who Are These Old Testament Guys We Can’t Understand?”
Ever try reading Isaiah? Or Hosea? Or Ezekiel? Get a little confused? Did you give up rather quickly? The books of the prophets are perhaps the most perplexing in the Bible. Pastor Sadler will lead an eight week study on the prophets beginning September 23rd. The study will look at the role and place of the prophets in the history of Israel and their message for today. The same study is being offered in the morning and the evening. Please come. No prior bible study experience required!
COMMUNION
The bread being served during Communion today was baked by the loving hands of our Breadmaker’s Ministry. “And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.” I Corinthians 10:17
FOOD GATHERING
There is a constant need for canned goods, non-perishable foods and paper products.
Please remember to bring items to the church as often as possible and place them in the wooden boxes just inside the north doors. Thank you for your help.
CHURCH DIRECTORY
Please notify the office with any telephone, address or email changes no later than SEPTEMBER 22nd. If you prefer that your information not be published, please notify the church office. We also have some people that would like their Cell Phone number printed… if we have your cell number, PLEASE, let us know if we can print it or not. They will automatically print, if they are not marked correctly.
ROOFING PROJECT
Manpower Needed… The Board of Trustees has purchased roofing materials in order to replace the leaking roof on the maintenance garage. Bruce Bauer has volunteered to be the foreman for this project but we are in need of volunteers. We have not set an exact date, probably a weekend in early October.
We wanted to get the word out that this is in the works and we need your help. If you are willing to help on this project, please call Bruce Bauer 330-725-8727 or Bob Montgomery 330-723-1811.
Pat Montgomery Chair, Board of Trustees
WHERE ARE OUR- NOAH’S ARK BUILDERS???
No, this is not the great flood of Noah’s time, but the people of our own Midwest are suffering great pain and loss on all levels just the same. They need OUR assistance! A call has gone out from the Church of the Brethren and the UCC in response to the Rushford, MN floods. They are currentlyworking on some new builds and will be in need of additional help. They have committed to building 6 new homes. The hope/plan is that these homes could be completed by the end of calendar year 2008. Medina UCC has tentatively signed up for the week of October 19 – 25th. The work week begins with volunteers arriving on Sunday afternoon, working all week and leaving on Saturday morning. There will be no expense for volunteers while working at the project.
Please search your hearts. We will need prayers, construction talents of all kinds (painters, drywallers, carpenters, electricians, and yes…go-fers 
, and financial support.
This is another way in which we seek to live out our Christian Mission of ‘Serving Others’.
Yeah, so the waters haven’t flooded our homes… but the families in Minnesota need the Medina UCC ‘Ark Builders’ to help ‘Lift Them Up…!’ PLEASE Sign up in the Church Office and/or contact Dave Weber – NOW!
YOUR WORLD FRIENDSHIP
BOARD SUMMER GIFTING
The Hands Foundation of Medina County – $250.00 for carpentry services, etc. for the disabled; St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Food Bank – $500.00; The Salvation Army – $321.00 to fund summer camp for one under privileged child; Cafe’ 41:11 – $250.00 towards the ongoing nourishment & enrichment of young lives in our community; and $3,000.00 to assist our summer work campers on their amazing ministry to the needy in the Washington DC area. Thank you for being such a generous congregation, as we continue to share the love of Christ Jesus with our neighbors near and far.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
YOUTH GROUP
OPENING GAMES
The first day of youth group will be tonight from 5-7 pm. Youth group is for all youth in grades 3-12. For our first meeting we will be playing some games and spending time getting to know each other. We will also have a painting project, so please wear or bring old clothes or a painting shirt. Hope to see you there!
TRY THIS FOR A NEW
TAX DEDUCTION!
We do not offer double points for reduced gas or gas and grocery cards but you can receive a tax deduction by supporting our Gift Card Fundraiser. To date the Youth Fund has received $1,070 from this fundraiser. Pick up a retailer list on the table near fellowship or visit www.glscrip.com website for the most current list (it is now back on the front page left side).
Complete a green order form also available on the table near fellowship hall and return with payment to Kelly or Stacie by 10:00 am on Monday, September 15th. Orders will be available for pickup by Thursday the 18th or the following Sunday at church. More frequent orders will be processed if necessary for the Christmas Holidays during November and December.
MEDITATION by Carol Wilcox
On worship and service
There is a church near our home which has two driveway signs. As you enter, a sign invites you to “Come and Worship”, and as you leave, a sign bids you to “Go to Serve”. I thought, you know, that says it all. We come together to praise God, receive his Grace, and renew our spirits, and then we go out into our worlds to serve others. In Eph. 2: 8-10 Paul promises, “For by Grace are we saved through faith; and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Then, Eph.6:6-8 reminds us, “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men; knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord”.
Years ago I attended a women’s retreat where Protestant and Catholic joined together to share their faith. I heard a Vatican II, young, spirit-filled nun say, “I believe that marriage is a joining of a man and a woman in love and commitment, who then both look outward to serve others in love.” For those who do not marry, each member of the Church body joins each other in love, then serve others.
Col.3:16, 17 exhorts us, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
Come and worship, then go to serve!