Dear Church!
What a warm winter we’ve had. I think it’s due to all the activities we’ve been doing!
Game night was a huge success! Financial Peace University is going strong. And we’ve gathered to throw some gutter balls at our Lousy Bowling League. Our friends from Costa Rica are sending their love (and sweat) north as they build another home for a family. Our confirmation class worshipped with our Jewish siblings at the synagogue. We ate a delicious brunch together. And some new members joined us. PHEW! We’ve been busy!
I’ve been having a good time with the D&D Library crew as we’re up to 15 young folk learning to work together and play the game. I continue my work with the Committee on Ministry helping those seeking ordination meet the requirements.
My doctoral portfolio has been submitted as I continue my question for my Doctorate of Ministry in Transformational Leadership. As part of my final project, I have signed up to be trained in the Art of Hosting. The Art of Hosting is an approach to leadership that scales up from the personal to the systemic using personal practice, dialogue, facilitation and the co-creation of innovation to address complex challenges. This training will happen over spring break next month. I am very excited about it!
Our worship series “Who Are You?” is wrapping up with two more worships. The last one, I’ll challenge everyone to bring their own personal mission statement, so have that ready on February 16.
Our evangelism team has another sculpture at the Medina Ice Fest. This year, it’s YODA! He represents wisdom. He’s a master of the force! And you can win a Root Candle gift basket. Check out the details in the flyer from the team!
We will wrap up our bicentennial year with one worship at 10 a.m. for Founder’s Day, February 23rd. We will remember how our past propels us into our future! We’ll also bless our Bicentennial Reliquary to be opened in 2044.
Ash Wednesday is February 26th at 7 p.m. We will host our friends from First Christian and enjoy hearing the combined choirs make a joyful noise. Our worship series for the season is “Looking for Love in All The Wrong Places.” Lent is a wonderfully reflective time to reassess where we are searching for meaning and redemption. We’ll move through the lectionary to find out who offers true love, and not just temporary good feelings.
We’ve added another intern! Ryan Collins is a new member and student at Lexington Theological Seminary. He needs to be an intern per his seminary requirements, and he approached me about our mission and outreach activities. Ryan will sit on the mission team, help develop the ACTI.O.N. Ministry, and coordinate our Easter Baskets. I’m excited to begin to work with Ryan!
Ryan is our second intern to join us. Karen Brocco-Kish is our first intern of pastoral visitation. She is interning to finish out her journey through Northeast Ohio School of Ministry Karen is doing an amazing job. I sat down to ask Karen to write a paper on how her first few months had gone and find her report already on my desk. Karen is diligent in her work and a deep listener on her visits. She definitely has the gifts of the Spirit and the call from God to do this work and I am thrilled at her work.
Both Ryan and Karen are internships are to fulfill school requirements and to gain experience.
God be with you until we meet again!
-Pastor Luke
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