July 2007 Newsletter
Greetings from the Pastor:
What an amazing group! What an amazing week! What a wonderful mission trip. Our second dose of God’s love alive in action could not have been a better experience in growing in love and service by grace. Our kids displayed surprising maturity, impressing our partners at the Adullam Christian Fellowship, the persons we served, and every one of the adults who were blessed to have signed up for Helping New Orleans Heal, Part 2. There were eighteen of us, all leaders, all willing servants, all faithful workers: Shirley Horton, Steve and Linda Ross, Pastor Sherwindt, Karen Kirk, Mark Votaw, Jon Votaw, Chase Weinman, Corey Beaber, Matt Ross, Nicki Ross, Michelle Cohen, Ronda Keating, Kirsten Sudar, Laura Kay, Sarah Gaumer, Kaitlyn Elkins, Brittney Albright. Again, what an amazing group, and what a wonderful week!
We should all share an immense sense of pride in the character of our youth and the quality of their service. Our partners in New Orleans could not praise them enough for their hard work, for their sensitivity to the needs of those they served, and for their interest in participating in the changes that were gradually occurring through the gentle persistence of God's grace. Brother Bob said it this way: "You all are showing us that if we can make it through the first hour of the morning, we can make it through the second; and if we can make it through a morning, we can make it through the afternoon; and if we can make it through the afternoon, then we can make it through another day…." His words put new meaning into that old, familiar song, "Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed thy hands hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me." [With One Voice, #771, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness"]
All of us who were a part of Helping New Orleans Heal could see the progress that had occurred this past year; and more, we could sense the gratitude our partners had for the ongoing signs of God's compassion, which we were blessed to provide with our presence. These next few pages contain thoughts that express just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to appreciating the transformative experience New Orleans turned out to be. Part of the tradition of Zion's mission trips includes what we call "sharing time" at the end of each day. We gather together to talk about the day, plan the next, work through some issues, and celebrate Christ’s presence through the gift of Holy Communion. Monday we talked about our hopes. Tuesday we talked about our sins. Wednesday, we enjoyed the progress that can come from identifying what you need to work on, and work on it. Thursday it was the grand old tradition of listening to Dixieland jazz on a riverboat cruise up the Mississippi, followed by our brief excursion into the French Quarter to enjoy the taste of a po'boy sandwich at the Quarterhouse. On Friday, we took some time to review what had happened during our week of fun and service in New Orleans.
If it's true, as they say, that one picture is worth a thousand words, then I hope that you will join us for worship on the weekend of July 7—8 to enjoy the video presentation we have prepared to share the story of our service in St. Bernard Parish. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the few words our missioners have chosen to share in reflecting on experiences we will forever cherish. All of us are so very grateful to our church family at Zion for your decision to fund a Part 2 of the mission we have called Helping New Orleans Heal. We were truly blessed beyond belief.
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Shirley Horton: Wow! What a week! It was hot; it was tiring; it was, at times, dirty and
sweaty; and it was worth every minute. We hear every week, “Go in Peace. Serve the Lord.”” This week we really had a chance to do that, and in serving we were served. In giving we were blessed, receiving thanks and words of appreciation from those who had lost so much and yet were able to say how much they appreciated what little we were doing for them.
Nicole Ross: This trip helped me realize how much of an influence a single person can
make. The people of New Orleans were so grateful for the littlest things we did. I so admired them. Everyone came together to help each other. Nobody was thinking simply of themselves. Relationships grew. Everyone pulled together and worked so hard. I know that our church group was brought closer together through this experience. I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Laura Kay: My trip to New Orleans was unforgettable. The one experience I know I will never forget was meeting Linda Bergeron. She is an eighty-five-year-old woman who has almost nothing but still has a huge heart and feels like she needs to give to others. Her story is so sad, and it felt great to actually help her. I hated leaving her because she was the sweetest lady ever. This trip has been amazing and I have gotten close with many of the other people in our group. I know I’ll never forget this.
Sarah Gaumer: While I was in New Orleans, I met a lady who changed the way I looked at my life. This lady’s name is Linda. She taught me to appreciate what I have and to always look at the bright side of a bad situation. She taught me this by telling me her life story…. Even after an abusive husband, a huge money loss, and two hurricanes, Katrina and Rita, Linda has managed to turn into the spiritual, bubbly, and caring lady I have come to know and love.
Karen Kirk: Going back to New Orleans this year was a sequel to the first trip. I thought that this year would be mostly the same, but it wasn’t. Bonds that I thought could not be any deeper became deeper and stronger. I came to realize that this is one of the groups of people I love and will always love. I also met quite a few people from New Orleans that will always hold a special place in my heart. Linda, eighty-five years young, made such an impression on me. She had been through a lot of things before Katrina, and lost a lot during the storm; but she was so positive and so loving, running around taking care of others, never worrying about herself, but worried about us and her neighbors. I can write on and on, but I have to go back again because it’s a unforgettable experience that cannot be described on paper.
Steve Ross: I found that this mission trip had an even greater impact than the last. Last year’s trip gave me a deep sympathy for what the people of St. Bernard Parish experienced and the magnitude of their loss. This year’s trip gave me insights into what it means to serve and how God is working through so many people there. It is not about giving out food. It’s not about working on their houses. It’s about getting to know each individual and helping them in special, unique ways. It’s about love and caring. That is why it will take a long time and many more Christian missioners, like our group of eighteen, for New Orleans to heal. There is still much to do and next year’s trip will be even more fruitful.
Mark Votaw: “To these people you are the hands of Christ.” That’s the way Pastor started the week. Our group embraced this vision with their whole heart. We worked hard, played hard, and learned in spite of ourselves. Christ moves in wonderful ways, enlisting us if we are open to Him. I have been around churches all my life. I have never felt so connected to a community as I do with Zion because of our commitment to put Christ’s words into action. One more thing: working with our young people is amazing!
Michelle Cohen: Our trip this year was life-changing. Everyone was so appreciative, even of just little things that we didn’t think anything of, like opening a package of peanut butter or helping them to the car. So many people said thank you, and that just gives you such a great feeling knowing that we were making a difference. I’m so glad I went back.
Linda Ross: Being in New Orleans taught me so much about the incredible faith people have in themselves and in God. In the two years since the hurricanes, so little has been done to rebuild; yet every little step has been an enormous step in the heart of the people in New Orleans. Every-one should take the opportunity to take part in an experience like this. It’s one of the hardest and yet most rewarding of growing pains in life.
Brittney Albright: This was my very first mission trip. I was nicely surprised to find that we all became a temporary family, working not only to make other people’s lives better but to better our lives as well. We have a tight bond that I am glad I experienced. I also was amazed at the way the people in New Orleans were so appreciative. It was so easy to form close relationships.
Jon Votaw: This trip was great because of our experience of helping others live life one step better, but it was also about learning more about one another and growing in friendship. We provided a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, and a heart to share to hundreds of others and to sixteen other friends from home, and for one Kaytee. This trip will stay in my heart forever.
Kaitlyn Elkins: The New Orleans trip was awesome. The people were so open to and grateful for every single thing we did for them. There was this lady named Linda, and the way she had so many problems and has been able to keep her head up high is wonderful. I also met this amazing dude named B-Donnie. He made me smile so much in the way he is so into Jesus. This trip has warmed my heart, and made me realize everything I have to appreciate.
Corey Beaber: The city of New Orleans, as well as its outskirts, has changed dramatically compared to our last trip. There are no longer huge piles of trash lying around the streets, and no more abandoned cars under the highways. People are returning to try to get back the life that they had before the hurricane. They are trying so hard to make their lives better. I can see now how much our work truly means to all the people of this city.
Ronda Keating: I started off not knowing any of the people in our group very much. I wanted to go home. But after a while I got used to it. Now, it's my life at home that seems weird. My parents wanted me to make friends, and I did. The people on this mission trip are like my family now. I feel better about myself. I have a reason to be here. I can help the people we are serving. I can make a difference. The people I saw on this trip are absolutely amazing. They lost so much; yet, they’re happy. They have hope. They go around with smiles on their faces. After all that happened, they still have a strong faith in God. I want to go on now and appreciate everything I have. I want to help the people who need help. After being away for a week, it now seems that what I have at home is too much, way more than I need. Most of all, I want to remember that the most important thing, and the things dearest to my heart, are God and all the great people He has blessed my life with.
Matt Ross: My overall view of this trip is that it came out just the way I had wanted it to be – an awesome experience. During this trip I became much closer with people I never expected to, and I also met new people that have changed my attitude and my outlook on life. Some people are sent on vacation and go through perfect times, but you really don’t grow as close as a group unless you've been through tough times as well. We were sent down here to help people, serving under difficult working conditions. It was no vacation. This is my second trip here and both times I have come expecting less than what I wound up leaving with. I came thinking about how hard everything would be, and I leave saying what an incredible experience I’ve had.
Chase Weinman: There are certain things in one’s life that are revolutionary, things that leave a mark forever. The mark that was left by New Orleans is one that cannot be left by news reports or documentaries. The disaster was that people were torn apart. What was so life-changing about the trip wasn’t the work we did, but who we did it with, those who needed our help, and those who helped us, those whose lives we changed, and those who changed our lives.
Kirsten Sudar: The trip to New Orleans was a life-changing experience. Not only did we help the people in New Orleans, but we helped each other. The bonds of friendships that were born and grew on the trip will forever be in my heart. Some great memories will be the amazing dinners, the car rides, the late night talks, as well as the people we encountered. To see the joy and thankfulness on the people’s faces as we helped them will forever be a picture painted on my mind. Thank you, Zion Lutheran. My life is forever changed for the better.
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Great News from Zion’s Sunday School
Upcoming Events – Mark your calendars!
Monday, July 9: Zion's Youth head to Cedar Point
July 16 through 20: Vacation Bible School at Zion
Thursday, July 19: VBS Program & Ice Cream Social at 7:00 p.m.
Summer Sunday School: Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 6
Summer Sunday School has started with a splash! Join us at Water Works Park as the kids ride the wave of God’s love! The children have started learning about five water-based Bible stories this month. There will be great lessons, crafts, games and snacks! We invite our older youth to join us and help out! Our younger kids really look up to them and love having them in class! We are off on a great adventure this summer and look forward to seeing all the kids!
The Youth of Zion: Cedar Point on Monday, July 9
Last year's day at Cedar Point was so much fun that we decided to do it again! The year's trip is planned for Monday, July 9. The cost will be $33.50 per person. This event is for youth ages 12 and older. Families with younger children are also welcome to join us as long as a parent accompanies the younger children. We are also looking for additional drivers – a couple of drivers have already committed. We will need to collect the money ahead of time so tickets can be purchased. All money needs to be to Debbie Fox by Thursday, July 5. If you are interested, please call Debbie at 330-966-2433 or the Church Office at 330-499-3909.
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Registration packets are now available in the Church Office. Please turn in your completed forms by Wednesday, July 11, in order to help us order sufficient supplies. We will still accept registrations during the week of VBS. When you turn in your registration form, you will receive this year’s Music CD, which includes the words to all of the songs. Music is such a great part of our program thanks to Suzanne Walters!
We have a busy week planned! Monday will be our Treasure Hunt. Tuesday and Wednesday will be our T-Shirt Days. Each child should bring in a plain white T-shirt with their name on it by Tuesday. Thursday is Wet and Wild Day at the Park, and Thursday evening is our Ice Cream Social at 7:00 p.m., which is sponsored by our local Thrivent service team. Everyone is invited to join us that evening for our VBS Program and then ice cream and fellowship. We will also have our Quilt Raffle on Thursday evening. Friday will be our Water Park Splash Party to celebrate the week! We also hope to have some fun and new surprises on Thursday and Friday! Of course, we will have lessons, crafts, music, games, service projects and lunch each day as well!
This year we are planning several service projects – some are familiar and some will be different. We are hoping to teach the children about God’s love through these projects! Plunging into service is so important and such a wonderful way for the kids to show God’s love to others! The following is a summary of this year’s projects:
Daily Offerings: There will be a contest each day between the boys and girls to collect change. Each team will have a jar and the most money collected wins! This money will be donated to a charity chosen by our VBS group and to Keegan O’Reilly, a North Canton youngster diagnosed with a medical condition called AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation). Join in and help!
Zion's Food Pantry: We ask that each child bring in a food item each day if possible. This food will help stock Zion’s Food Pantry, helping many families in the community.
Our Quilt Squares: The children will once again create quilt squares for Zion’s Comfort Givers to sew quilts for Lutheran World Relief. We will raffle one quilt to be chosen by the winner on Thursday evening at the Ice Cream Social. Tickets will be available during the week: 1 for $1.00or 6 tickets for $5.00. Join us for all the fun!
Classroom Projects: On Monday, each of the classes will be given a list of service projects. Each class will select their project for the week. Once they have chosen their project, they will bring the information home for any items needed for that project. Some examples for projects will be school kits, craft and coloring kits for children in hospitals, making plants or food for the elderly, and many more.
We are looking forward to a great week and we hope that you will join us! We are still in need of volunteers for the week. Please consider joining us one, two, or all five days. It truly is a rewarding and enjoyable experience with a great group of kids! We have put out sign-up sheets for food and supplies in Luther Hall, along with our donation cans for those who are interested in helping out. If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer, please call Debbie Fox at 330-966-2433. As always, thank you, thank you, thank you for your support!
Adult Sunday School
The Adult Sunday School Class has begun a new and exciting course of study for the summer months. Jim Fidler, Carol Rossbach, and Charlie Danner got together with Pastor Sherwindt and decided to tap a resource written by Martin Marty entitled Lutheran Questions and Lutheran Answers. Martin Marty is a highly regarded Lutheran, whose field is Church History. Since the 1980s, he has gained a reputation for speaking about serious religious issues of the day in language that ordinary Americans can understand and appreciate. That quality is very evident in this book. This book takes up issues that are complex, and makes them understandable, stating things simply but not simplistically.
We’ve got a great team leading our weekly discussions. We’ll be following the book through its thirteen chapters through the summer, with Jim Fidler, Carol Rossbach, and Charlie Danner taking turns at inspiring our interest and having fun with the book. Copies of Lutheran Questions and Lutheran Answers are available through the Church Office at the low cost of $10.00. Supplies are limited, so call in and order yours today!
There is no doubt that we can all use help in reassessing what it means to be a Lutheran, and what it means to be a Christian. This book asks some basic questions like, “What’s a Lutheran?” But it also asks some of the tougher questions that take up the role of tragedy in our lives and reality of evil in the world. We’ll talk about what Lutherans believe about the end of time, and whether or not there are errors in the Bible. We’ll enjoy lots of good conversation and some pretty decent coffee, too. There’s no doubt about it. We’ve got a great summer of learning ahead. You will not want to miss it. Please join us on Sunday mornings. We begin at 9:15 a.m.
Worship Survey Coming
We've made quite a few changes with worship over the past year. Zion’ s Praise Team has been the biggest change, adding some great vocal leadership to our late service on Sunday. The music has changed, children's sermons are offered, nursery care is provided: all in an attempt to emphasize the family-friendly nature of this worship service. We would like to see more families attend, and more children present when we gather as a church family at the 10:30 service.
The early service on Sunday has become our traditional liturgical service. The pipe organ is featured, the Senior Choir sings, and worship leaders wear traditional liturgical robes. Saturday's service has remained pretty much the same, although we have been blessed to add Carole Singer to our cast of musicians providing accompaniment for this casual service.
The original goals that were outlined in our Action Plan when we initiated these changes were summarized with the formula 30-60-90. We were hoping that average attendance at these services would reach 90 for the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, 60 for the 8:00 a.m. service, and 30 on Saturday. This kind of support for our worship life would put us well on the road to becoming a healthier and stronger congregation. We’ve done well at 10:30 a.m. in exceeding our goals quite handily, which is good; but the early service and our Saturday service have not quite reached the goals we set.
Our Worship and Witness Ministries have been working on a survey, which we hope will help us understand what we can do to improve in these areas. We will introduce our survey at worship on July 15—16 and July 22—23. We look forward to your response.
Church Council News
We acknowledged our appreciation for Laura Thompson’s two years of service as President, along with three years of service as the Caring Ministry Elder, by appointing her as Council’s liaison to the Finance Ministry, with oversight over the business of thinking through financial options as we respond to our heating and cooling needs. In addition to these new responsibilities, we expressed our gratitude with a round of hugs, applause, and a gift certificate to a local restaurant. Those in attendance were Laura, Carol Rossbach, Jayne Schrader, Renee Schrader, Bob Lancashire, Sharon Stout, Mary Humbert, Pastor Sherwindt.
The Pastor’s Report looked back to the great response at worship that we enjoyed with the Mother’s Day Breakfast on May 13th and with the Festival of Pentecost/ Rite of Confirmation on May 27, while also looking forward to the Commissioning of our Missioners on June 3 and the Reception of New Members (Miriam, Marissa, Ronda Keating) on June 24. Two fundraisers are planned as we move ahead with our plans for the Sanctuary Renovation. Mark Votaw is planning a wine-tasting with dinner on July 7. Carol Rossbach is making prayer bracelets, which we’ll sell in July.
Property Ministry provided a thorough overview of the challenges we face with our boiler system. We expanded our Task Force to include new members with specific areas of expertise: Jim Fidler (project manager, law), Charlie Danner (engineering), Laura Thompson (finance), Carol Rossbach (Council President), plus representatives of the trustees, Chris Thomas, John Brokloff, Mark Votaw. There’s much to do before we can present a proposal for moving ahead.
Stewardship News
Zion’s Stewardship Team met in June to ponder to possibilities when it comes to inspiring greater giving at Zion. Cindy Ferry, Mabel Kolarik, Steve Ross, and Brian Kay were present to think about following up on our four-week program called Walk with Jesus. We were pleased with the involvement that this stewardship awareness program invited and received: the temple talks, our Bible studies, the survey results, and that wonderful book of reflections on Why We Give. Walking with Jesus provided many high points when it came to thinking about stewardship. Nevertheless, the crunch of the calendar marches on. We know that summer is coming. In fact, it’s here; and that is a challenge when it comes to encouraging stewardship.
The Women of Zion
While Vacation Bible School is mostly for kids, it will have quite an impact on the Women of Zion. Zion’s Comfort Givers will focus their efforts on making quilts from the patches that our VBS kids create, and then sell at auction one of those one-of-a-kind quilts for the benefit of a local charitable cause. Plus, VBS is scheduled the week when the Women’s monthly Bible study usually meets. So, that monthly Bible study will be moved to the 4th Tuesday, July 24, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in Luther Hall.
The Bible study will continue the 3-session summer theme begun in June, Acting Boldly for Mission. Author Kelly Fryer will explore how women can boldly take part in God's mission to love and bless and save the world. To be the church is to participate in that mission, primarily by sharing the good news about Jesus Christ. Session #1 focused on the Message of Jesus. Session #2 will focus on the First Evangelists, and Session #3, on the Power of the Holy Spirit. Zion’s Chancel Guild enjoyed a very nice lunch at The Waterford, which featured grilled chicken salad, with hot fudge sundaes for dessert. A nice group from Zion attended, including Tina Beaber, Shirley Cary, Corkie Coulter, Kay Davis, Carolyn Elsass, Jane Fairman, Helen Heller, Mabel Kolarik, Anna Mae LeBeau, Flo Jensen, Carol Rossbach, Edna Smith, and Betty Tracy. This June 12 luncheon featured John Speiler, St. Luke’s CEO, as their special guest, and concludes a limited summer schedule for the Chancel Guild.
Men of Zion News
Once again, the Men of Zion began another month with a mix of dinner and conversation for some great fellowship. We raided Mark Votaw’s refrigerator, and enjoyed a menu of lasagna, barbeque, rolls and salad. We marveled at the great work we did with the Mother’s Day Breakfast, looked forward to the fun many would have with our Mission Trip to New Orleans, planned a work day for June 9, and talked up the Lutheran Men in Mission “best ball” scramble at Raintree Country Club on Saturday, July 14. We’ve got a good group going from Zion, but there’s always room for you.
We extended our thanks to Jim Fidler for coming up with a great source for the long-stemmed red roses we distribute on Mother’s Day. We listened as Mark Keaveny talked about a new job opportunity in Alabama, where a growing automobile infrastructure is a sign of the times. Dick Spall was our guest; he continues to work hard to build up men’s ministries in Stark County. All in all, we enjoyed a great night; we plan to meet again on the second Wednesday in July, when on July 11 at 6:00 p.m. we will gather in Luther Hall for good food and great fellowship.
In the meantime, we extend our thanks to everyone who helped to shape up the outside of the church: Verle and Ruth Elsass head the list, which includes Audrey Hartman, John Brokloff, Gary Horton, Darlene Milavickas, Garry Leed, Faye Shankle, Chuck Danner, and Chris Thomas. To these names we add Larry Moore, Dean Yoder, Wayne Snyder, Fred Elsass, Mark Votaw, Steve Ross, Adam Schrader, Howard Dansizen, Bob Lancashire – for their ready assistance in responding to Captain Chris’ call to action, all solely for the pleasure of tasting one of those delicious breakfast burritos. Mmmm, good!
Zion’s Softball Season
The North Canton Ministerial Association Co-ed Softball Season is heading toward the end of the season Round Robin Tournament. There is one regular season game remaining, with Team Zion playing St. Paul’s Blue on July 1 at 5:00 p.m. Team Zion is an even 3 wins and 3 losses on the season, with wins against Mt. Pleasant Church of the Brethren, Kent State Stark Campus Interfaith Ministry, and Grace United Methodist, and losses against Walsh University Interfaith Ministry, Northminster Presbyterian Church, and Church of the Lakes (UM).
We have a great team, adults and youth, men and women, who have fought hard with each and every game. Team Zion includes Bob Lancashire (League Commissioner), Mike Aquilo (Manager), Debbie Fox (Coach), Tim Aquilo, Melissa Riffle, Matt Leasure, Linda Ross, Steve Ross, Nicki Ross, Doug Roman, Taylor Roman, Todd Cizek, Laura Kay, Jon Votaw, Valerie Cizek, Alex Robbins, Shelly Rocco, Christian Heller, Johanna Henderson, Adam Schrader, John Rhodes, Randy Cizek, and Dean Fox. We look forward to a great effort as they head into the tournament. All members of Zion are invited to head out to Dogwood Field in North Canton on Sunday afternoons to cheer Team Zion on to victory.
Odds ‘n Ends at Zion
To my friends at Zion
Just a line to say thank you for the beautiful flowers from church. They still are very lovely, and I sure do appreciate them. Thank you, too, to Pastor for coming to see me.
Ruth Brigham
A Note of Thanks to Zion’s Choirs:
Thank you all for the gift of singing, for your generous commitment of time and talent, and for your warm and loving personalities. Zion is so blessed to have so many people in ministry to help lead worship and praise God. Thank you all for a wonderful year!
Suzanne Walters
ANNIVERSARIES IN JULY
July 2 Ed and Karen Gronow
July 10 Rick and Connie Riffle
July 10 Pastor and Marilyn
July 20 Brian and Suzanne Walters
July 21 John and Bonnie Farmer
July 27 Steve and Darlene Dague
July 31 Jon and Karen Samuelson
SENIOR BIRTHDAYS IN JULY
July 4 Al Whitmer
July 4 Virginia Long
July 9 Carole Singer
July 9 Stella Smiley
July 11 Joyce Gibeaut
July 11 Audrey Hartman
July 15 Ron Singer
July 23 Rose Marie Rapp
July 24 Edna Smith
We extend our congratulations to Mason and Jennifer Brown for the birth of healthy twins, Aidan Christopher and Kendall Elisabeth, born on Wednesday, June 6, 2007
An Update on Lester: Dr. Lester Mohler’s been at it again, this time in Central America with a trip to Honduras in February, and in South America with a trip to Peru in May, and in Asia with a trip to China in June. Lester will be in Nicaragua in July, Mexico in October, and Brazil in November. Here’s what Dr. Linda Camp said of her working with Lester: “I am so lucky to be able to do surgery with Dr. Les Mohler. It is as if he has 10 fingers on each hand!” These two plastic surgeons performed 32 surgeries in a five-day period, volunteering together in Central America. Dr. Camp, from the Mercy Medical Center in Canton, is a seasoned surgeon in her own right, but it was a great honor for her to work with Lester who has many years of international experience and is renowned for the reconstruction of the outer ear, as well as cleft lip and palate reconstruction. In fact, the Mohler Technique is the standard that is used worldwide for cleft palate surgery. Lester grew up at Zion, and the Mohler family still has deep roots in North Canton, including his sister, long-time Zion member Stella Smiley.
Zion’s Sunday Brunch Bunch: A new group met after worship on May 20th, when twenty-two of us met by the airport at the 356th Fighter Group Restaurant for Sunday brunch. The food was fine and the company was outstanding. We look forward to the next edition of this great idea. We invite you to join us after worship on July 15th, when we will try out the Sunday Brunch at what used to be known as the old Hoover Farm on East Hill Street SE, between Main and Market. It is now known as Fieldcrest of North Canton, and the staff at Benjamin’s Grille caters their weekly Sunday Brunch. The price is $14.95 for adults, $8.95 for children. We’re sure you’ll enjoy it. So, y’all come now.
Living In God's Amazing Grace: Thanks Be to God!
The Northeastern Ohio Synod Assembly, June 15—16, 2007
Carol Rossbach and Charlie Danner
Living in God's Amazing Grace: that was our theme. More than a theme, it was a call to action, summarized as follows: We show out thanks to God through Lutheran Disaster Response.
BISHOP’S REPORT: Chuck and I were both very impressed with our newly elected Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton. This was her first time chairing the Synod Assembly, and she did it with style and a great deal of humor. She spoke about our Lutheran identity, saying that we are not generic protestants. We follow the theology of the cross; we don’t blast right into glory! As Lutherans we know that we are sinners, and that we are saved by God’s grace. All congregations should consider themselves mission stations. We need to be more active in helping others meet Jesus; and the best way to do that is to say, “Come to church with me.” We all are the synod, all 205 congregations. We all need to care for all of God's children. We all need to walk together.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Heather Feldman, ELCA Disaster Response Director. Lutheran Disaster Response is a collaborative ministry of ELCA and the LC-MS, whose mission is to demonstrate Christ’s compassion for people by promoting hope, healing and wholeness for disaster survivors. She was present in the Superdome during the first two days following the disaster. She told a story about touring damaged areas, and encountering a woman who wanted to show Heather the deck volunteers had built for her. It wasn't a new deck, but one that was made up of pieces of water ravaged wood, spotted with peeling paint. The woman was so happy with this deck that it prompted Heather to ask her what she liked about it. That deck had originally been built by her husband before he died. The volunteers had searched the surrounding area to find pieces of original wood and rebuilt the deck as it once was.
Lutheran Disaster Response provides hardship grants for special and emergency care, which includes caring for the caregivers. They work on an individual basis, providing long-term recovery case management, volunteer coordination, and hospitality centers throughout the Gulf Coast region. 29,000 Lutherans have been to the Gulf Coast since Katrina (with no significant injuries). Since the 2005 hurricanes (Katrina and Rita) $27,000,000 has been donated, with another 1.3 million hours of volunteer service offered, which equates to $21,400,000 of aid in-kind. Over 10,000 households have received disaster recovery case management. Over 6,500 homes have been cleaned, repaired or completely rebuilt. LDR is not just present in the Katrina area. In 2006, LDR responded to disasters in Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Massachusetts.
Lutheran Disaster Response also works with pre-disaster training. LDR offers Preparedness Grants, which are intended to equip congregations to respond effectively to disasters, both locally and far away. In 2006, they gave over $800,000 in funding for preparation activities of LDR affiliates. The real crisis, however, is coming, a crisis that will cost society billions of dollars. It is the ravaged, displaced children of Katrina. One step that LDR is doing for these children is called Camp Noah, a ministry that helps these children. All I can say is that I was impressed by what LDR is doing. In fact, the entire synod assembly was very interesting and informative. Both Chuck and I were very happy to have been your representatives.
Thanks from Team Roman and Relay for Life
Team Roman would like to thank the Zion Church Family and Pastor Sherwindt for all your support this year for Relay for Life! We were able to raise over $6,000 to help fight cancer with your help, and that number is still growing! This was our seventh year as a team with Relay for Life, and it was a great year. We are so grateful and touched by your support for this cause! We truly appreciate your support at our different events, your donations and purchases of our fundraising items. We know that with everyone’s help, we have made a difference in the fight for a cure!
The Lake Relay took place on June 15-16 at Lake High School’s football stadium. The weather was perfect and we had a great night. The event raised over $73,000, and that number is still growing and expected to exceed their goal of $75,000. There were many wonderful memories: the first lap to kick off the relay where the cancer survivors walked around the track, the team parade lap, the touching luminaria ceremony to honor survivors and those who have passed, great music, The Miss Relay competition, dance competitions, Relay Family Feud (in which Team Roman was one of the winners), Relay Wheel of Fortune, the NASCAR 500 (which Team Roman won at 4:00 a.m. with three team members running the race wearing a cardboard car), a scavenger hunt, hugs and smiles galore, and the many, many laps that all the team members walked non-stop!
Team Roman was there selling root beer floats, rib sandwiches, hot dogs, and much more at our American Bandstand! There was little sleep, but lots of support and love and emotion with the hope that there will one day soon be a cure for cancer!
There were just over thirty teams participating in the Lake Relay for Life this year. At the closing ceremony on Saturday, Team Awards are given for various categories. We are very proud to have received the award for Top Fundraising Family Team, and also the award for the Last Campsite Standing.
Because cancer has touched all of our lives in some way, fielding a Relay for Life team and raising funds for the Cancer Society is our way of remembering and honoring, not just Nancy and Commella Roman, but fathers, aunts, uncles, team members, friends, and countless others fighting, fueling hope, and beating cancer every day
Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts, for all of your support!
Team Roman:
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Doug, Lisa, Taylor & Brooke Roman;
Dean, Debbie, Nathan & Jeremy Fox;
David, Lynette, Andrew, CJ & Dana Roman and Steph & Julia;
Dennis Roman, Cheryl Roman, Jean Brown, Darlene Milavickas,
Lori & Tom Collier, Kathy Chufar, Janice VanVoorhis, Barb Achauer
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