I don’t know if you can feel it, but I can. There is a spirit of joy, of renewed engagement for the life of this church. Just look at the rest of this month’s Gatherings. We have book clubs that meet, and a water color painting class that has drawn several people on Tuesday mornings and the kitchen is rarely without someone doing something – Lunch on Us, the Happy Cookers, plans for meals and receptions. We, as a church are more and more involved in those kinds of activities that speak of ministry.
Our Mission and Outreach Committee continue to lift up three or 4 faith-based agencies that are in need of both our financial support and other ways we help those who are in need. We provide meals for Freedom House in Kent, knitted hats and scarves for Miller Ave. UCC and soon we will be knitting hats for those at Stewart’s Caring Place who are undergoing the ravages of chemo-therapy. We also provide a meal for those who are temporarily homeless through our partnership with Interfaith Hospitality Network and Bethany UCC. The Mission and Outreach Ministry Team had heard a presentation about Habitat for Humanity and we will be having Larry Becker from Habitat speak during a Moment for Missions during church in March.
On Thursday, April 1, we will commemorate Maundy Thursday in the Fellowship Hall, beginning with a dinner at 6pm, followed by a Maundy Thursday Service. On Good Friday, April 2, we will host the Good
Friday Service sponsored by the Stow Ministerial Association. The service begins at 12noon here in our sanctuary. Last year was the first time such an ecumenical, community service was conducted and there were well over 100 people in attendance.
Easter begins with a Sunrise Service at 7:30 at Silver Lake, unless it is too cold and rainy, then we will have a service here in the sanctuary. The Easter Service will be at our traditional time of 10:30 in the sanctuary with full celebration of all that such a morning means to us as people of faith. In between those two services, in the fellowship hall, we will have an Easter Sunday Breakfast. Look elsewhere in the Gatherings for more information.
There is a renewed spirit of faith coursing throughout the life of our people as reflected in the number and kinds of activities we are engaged with. We invite you to read carefully through the Gatherings and you will find so much more happening than I have even mentioned. I
invite you to come and be a part of what we are doing to provide ministry in a variety of ways. As we do these things together we too, grow in faith and commitment to the Lord of Light who has said to us that it is in the act of caring for one another that we care for Jesus. It is in the meals we cook for those who are hungry that we feed
Jesus. It is through all the hats we knit that provide warmth for those who are cold that we minister to Jesus. It is what we are called by Jesus to do as people of faith who know that we love God best by loving each other most of all. We invite you to come and worship with us each Sunday for it is by such worship that we are fed, that we find the strength and the courage to continue to live out our own lives day by day.
Blessings,
Rev. Dianne
