Welcome The Rev. John Fairweather, May 26 Guest Preacher

 

The Rev. John Fairweather

We welcome to our congregation the Rev. John Fairweather as guest preacher on Sunday, May 26.  John has been visiting with us off and on, especially since his retirement from full-time ministry last fall.  We are excited to hear from him as he offers his perspectives on the scripture and a life of faith.

 

While John was born in Arkansas, he really considers Iowa as his home.  He went to Phillips University (where Pastor Allen attended) and received his B.A. from there.  John then went on to Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville, TN where he received both his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. in Theological & Social Ethics.  Prior to becoming a local church pastor John served as both a college professor and as a director of social service agencies.

 

John was ordained at First Christian Church in Des Moines in 1997.  John and his wife, Carol Fredrich, moved from Nebraska to Cleveland in 2005 when she was hired to be the Executive Director and CEO of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries.  John began serving the Ridge Rd. United Church of Christ of Parma as Interim Pastor.  He was then hired as the Pastor of 1^st Congregational United Church of Christ of North Ridgeville where he served until his retirement in 2012.

 

While at 1^st Congregational Church John helped to shepherd that congregation as it considered, and then became, and Open & Affirming congregation.

 

John has two adult children and three teenage grandchildren, all who live in Iowa.  We are grateful for his time with us, as well as his message.

Our Disciples family is growing! Your Church is growing!

Pentecost Offering Helps New & Renewing Churches Grow

When Dick Hamm, former general minister and president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), introduced the 2020 Vision in 2001, he challenged the Christian Church to look like the face of America. He also set forth a challenge to start 1,000 new Disciples congregations and renew 1,000 existing Disciples congregations by 2020.  No one could imagine then where God would take us.

Today, Disciples have started 800 new communities of faith and counting!  More than 50,000 new lives have been brought to Christ, and 18 languages are spoken at Disciples churches.  Now, that’s good news worth celebrating! New Disciples churches are being planted and new mission fields are being created throughout the United States and Canada.  In addition, thousands of lives are being touched in new ways by the renewed vision and mission of Disciples of Christ congregations, like Franklin Circle Christian Church, which are being transformed to be more relevant and welcoming to their neighbors.

       On May 12 and May 19, 2013, Disciples churches will collect the Pentecost Offering to fund the new church movement.  We need your support.  This offering is creating opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in places that don’t have a Disciples witness.  When you give to the Pentecost Offering, one half of your gift stays in the Region where you live (in our case, the Region of Ohio) and one half goes to Hope Partnership for Missional Transformation to support the recruitment, assessment, training and coaching of new church pastors, spouses and core team members.

Because of your support, your Church is growing. Disciples are growing. We are reaching new places to provide Disciples mission and share the good news of Jesus Christ beyond the doorsteps of the Church into the community and throughout the world.  Please give as generously as you can!

May 19th – A Big Day!

Pentecost Sunday

“Pentecost” is the Greek name for the Feast of Weeks, a prominent feast in the calendar of ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai. This feast is still celebrated as Shavuot.  In the Christian liturgical year, it is also a feast commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the twelve Apostles of Christ as described in Acts 2.  Many Christians consider it the anniversary of the “birth” of the church and wear red on that day to celebrate it.  We will have a special service of worship with much celebration and fun to commemorate the day.  It also happens to be the 22^nd anniversary of Pastor Allen’s ordination into the ministry!

 

Third Sunday Meal

As we do each month, we will offer the community and the church a wonderful and healthy meal, as it is the third Sunday of the month, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m..  This is one of our primary outreach initiatives to our community.  Volunteers are always welcome, especially to close/clean up, but do speak to Beverly Wurm if you would like to help.  She can be reached in the church office at 216-781-8232 on Mondays and Tuesdays.

 

Ohio City Home Tour

The Ohio City Home Tour features six homes plus one garden on a tour.  The tour begins at Market Square Park at Lorain Avenue & West 25th Street and goes from 10am-4pm (rain or shine).  Trolleys will come by approximately every 15 – 20 minutes.  Presale tickets are $15 and tickets on the day of the sale are $20.  If you would like to volunteer, contact Ohio City Incorporated, zadams@ohiocity.org or 216.781.3222 x106.  The Home Tour celebrates 25 years this year!  For more information and to purchase tickets go online to http://www.ohiocity.org and click on the tab “Events” then “Weekend In Ohio City.”

 

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon

The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K is one of the longest standing running traditions in the Midwest.  Celebrating its 36th anniversary in 2013, it is one of the 50 oldest marathons in the US.  Each year, Cleveland hosts more than 20,000 thousand runners and walkers and thousands more spectators for its various events over Race Weekend.  The race starts at 7:00 a.m. Northwest corner of the FirstEnergy Stadium, Home of the Cleveland Browns.  It will wrap around Ohio City and Franklin Circle Christian Church (see Beverly Wurm’s article elsewhere in this newsletter for more details about driving to church that day).  Go online to http://www.clevelandmarathon.com for more details.

Cleveland will host the National Senior Games

July 19 – August 1, 2013

More than 10,000 athletes ages 50 and above compete in the National Senior Games this summer here in Cleveland, which emphasize vitality through healthy living at all ages. The athletes will compete in more than 800 events over 16 days in sports including: track and field, swimming, volleyball, triathlon, golf and many more.  The majority of the competitions will take place in Cleveland’s vibrant Downtown at our state-of-the-art facilities that include the brand new Cleveland Convention Center, Cleveland Public Hall, Cleveland State University, CaseWestern Reserve University and the beautiful shores of Lake Erie.

Through our Evangelism & Publicity Team Franklin Circle Christian Church is hoping to host a special event one of the two Sundays the Senior Games are in town.  As part of our commitment to hospitality, inclusiveness, and diversity we want to celebrate the gifts of our older sisters and brothers and welcome visitors to the event to our church community while they are here.

“Hosting the 2013 Senior Games, the largest Olympic-affiliated event ever to come to Cleveland, is a tremendous accomplishment for this community. The $40 million economic impact will certainly leave a mark on the City and we are confident that our community will display its trademark hospitality to the national and international visitors. Through the outstanding efforts of our Local Organizing Committee and the corporate and public community support, we stand convinced that we will deliver an unforgettable event,” says Greater Cleveland Sports Commission President & CEO, David Gilbert.

For more information on the 2013 Summer National Senior Games, please call (216) 621-0600, email: bwesley@nsga.com, or go online to http://www.Cleveland2013.com

“Nurturing the Habit of Prayer”

 by Robert Horrocks, Elder

One of the biggest challenges for a Christian (including this one) is nurturing a habit of prayer. Building a relationship with our Lord through praying- talking with God- unlocks the huge potential of the Spirit in our lives.

Praying:

1. Connects us to God in a peaceful and open way. (Psalms 29:10-11)
2. Opens the door and gives us confidence to share the Good News with others. (Romans 10:13-15)
3. Connects our needs and passions with the will of God, so we can find the right paths and choices for our lives. (Psalms 119:105)
4. Gives us an opportunity to verbalize the strengths and the challenges in our lives and allows God to bless us with wisdom, grace and understanding! (Proverbs 4:1-7)

When I try to make prayer a habit, and rely only on my memory to get me to comply, I am apt to fail, and then feel bad! That can lead to a self-defeating and (old school alert!) devil-pleasing mindset. If I forget to pray EVERY day, why should I pray ANY day?

Instead, consider what can happen when you give total control of your prayer life To Him. By releasing the shackles of our self-imposed expectations, we can allow the Spirit to enter into our lives, and give ourselves in a way that serves Him better. For me, that means sometimes praying for long periods of time- and other days (becoming more and more rare), not praying at all.

With God’s help, these are some methods I have used to pray more, and gain the benefit of closer relationship with Him:

1. When you think about God, take a moment right there to pray.
2. Pray small at first. Use less than ten words. Allow the Spirit to guide you through a silent journey of prayer.
3. Use technology.  This idea came via my good friend and fellow FCCC elder, Larry Crell. Use calendar reminders to pray on a schedule. Or, I have started using Twitter to tweet Spirit-led small prayers. (I can be followed: @rhorro)
4. Pray over meals. When you eat, call on the Lord.
5. Take a moment to appreciate the blessings God has given us this day.

Prayer is personal. Good ideas for one person probably do not work for everyone. But thankfully, the Lord knows how uniquely each one of us are made! And by inviting the Lord into your prayer life, you too can benefit from the grace that a closer relationship with the Lord can bring. Blessings to you this day!

Your Ideas & Energy Needed For Forum

Next Widening The Circle Forum: Monday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m.

         Join Pastor Allen on Monday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. to help conceive and plan future Widening The Circle Forums.  You are asked to come if you have an idea for a future…

         * Topic

         * Speaker

         * Activity

         * Film

         …that will help our congregation and neighborhood be a more hospitable place for all of God’s children.  You are especially urged to come if you are interested in planning, facilitating, and leading a future forum.

         Our Widening The Circle Forums have been one means for our congregation, neighborhood, and broader community to explore in a creative manner critical issues of diversity, hospitality, and inclusiveness.  This is part of our commitment to be an Open & Affirming, Anti-Racist/Pro-Reconciling, and Accessible Congregation.

         The Widening The Circle Forums are usually planned on a monthly basis and include a creative or interactive element (film, speaker, interactive exercises, etc.) ample time for discussion, and refreshments.  There is never a charge, and suggestions for future topics, speakers, films are encouraged on an ongoing basis.

         If you are unable to attend this gathering, please get your ideas and offers to help to Pastor Allen by April 29^thand they will be included in the discussion.  You can e-mail him at PastorAllen@FranklinCircleChurch.org or call him at 216-781-8232.

New Visioning Team Hard At Work

“Write the vision; make it plain…” Habakkuk 2:2

       At the Official Church Board meeting on January 13, 2013 a New Visioning process was initiated to engage our congregation in long-range/strategic visioning discussion over the course of this next year.  Subsequently team members were invited.  The team includes: Al Betts (Chair), David Bowen, Brian Colvin, Larry Crell, Michael Howkins, Lanni Lantery, Dominique Locklear, Claire Munley, Rick Smith, Chrissy Stonebraker, Joe Stanley, Anthony Walker, Barb White.  Pastor Allen will staff the team and officers Randy Buckingham, and Cheryl Yurcak will serve ad hoc.

         In order for the congregation to understand this process better, I thought I would offer a brief outline of what we will be doing as we seek God’s vision for this congregation for the next 3-5 years.  There are four “phases” of the process, with each phase having “projects.”  As you read over the projects, note any with which you feel called to help – the team welcomes your assistance!

       Phase 1 is looking at “What Is” and will last January – May 2013.  Projects include reading over and digesting previous “Visioning” and “Long Range Planning” reports, Video interviews of longtime members, preparing and leading focus groups of non-church participants in the Near West Side and interviewing neighborhood stakeholders; researching, collating and analyzing statistical data for the Near West Side and for Cleveland as a whole; collecting detailed financial reports of the congregation and statistical projections; leading a Spiritual Gifts & Talents Inventory workshop or retreat and preparing a survey that will be available on an ongoing basis to new members; attending the worship service of at least one other congregation, preferably in the neighborhood; evaluating the effectiveness of existing programs.  Each phase will end with an evaluation of how that phase went, as well as an assessment of the overall timeline/process.

         Phase 2 will help us imagine “What Might Be” and will extend from May to September.  The team will:  Lead an all-church retreat to report back the findings from Phase 1 and to discuss our vision as a community with Bible Study, Prayer, and discussion about the core values of FCCC, our unique place in God’s work in the world, the particular strengths/gifts of our community, and what might be our future focus in ministry; Create, distribute, collate, and analyze church participant/ member survey given to as broad a number of our congregation/constituency as possible; Analyze FCCC Financials and projections, discuss with Trustees future; Offer several “focus groups” (Elders, Ideals Class, Young Adults, Youth, etc.) with Bible Study, Prayer, and discussion about the core values of FCCC, our unique place in God’s work in the world, the particular strengths/gifts of our community, and what might be our future focus in ministry.  Pastor Allen will offer a sermon series on discerning God’s vision.

       Phase 3 will bring the previous two phases together in order to discern “What Is To Be” and will last from October – December.  Significant amounts of prayer including individual and corporate prayer will be a necessary part of this phase.  The Team will create and present a report to the Official Church Board and, with whatever modifications they make, to the Congregation.  The Trustees and Board will make decisions on key elements of the Vision; and, if necessary, call a Congregational Meeting to finalize decisions.

         Then in Phase 4 the entire congregation will be tasked with Proclaiming The Vision.  This includes thecreation of a document outlining the Vision as decided by the Board (available digitally); hosting an All Church Potluck Dinner with the team reporting back, hand out the Vision Report.  It may also require addressing the current Mission Statement and rewriting it as needed.  We will also create videos for distribution on YouTube, etc. explaining key elements of the vision; institute a segment of every Board Meeting agenda for at least two years to look at the implementation of the vision.

         This is your visioning process and our calling is to seek God’s Vision for this amazing, diverse, and vibrant congregation.  It will be critical that we all commit ourselves to being involved and informed.  I will do my best, as your pastor, to insure that every one of you are very much a part of “writing the vision; making it plain.”

Gratefully, Your Pastor,

Allen