Pastoral Care is alive and well at St. Matthew’s, even in the absence of full-time pastoral care, driven by lay leaders like Dick Wilkison and Tom Wisner. Wilkison and Wisner are Eucharistic Ministers at St. Matthew’s, who this past summer identified the need to worship with and serve communion to several parishioners who cannot make it to Sunday worship service. Four members of the St. Matthew’s congregation- Bobbie Peterka, Florence Campbell, and Joan and Andy Felmer reside at the Western Reserve Masonic Community (WRMC), a retirement community in Medina. Paterka was instrumental in starting this ministry as she arranged for a meeting room at WRMC and announced the service in the facilities newsletter. They have been meeting the second Sunday of each month since July, seeing greater numbers each month. In December they served communion to 15 residents of the community.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Toledo, will host a Toledo Symphony Neighborhood Concert on Valentine’s Day afternoon at 3:00 p.m. with a reception to follow. Music includes Ellington’s Sophisticated Lady, Hollywood love
themes, Michel Legrand’s greatest hits, and selections from Porgy and
Bess, West Side Story, and 007 movies. Tickets will be available at the door or contact the church at 419-473-1367. Adult tickets are $15 and students are $10. The public is welcome to attend the concert and the reception with the conductor and musicians.
The Legacy Concert Recital features Adrian Dunn, baritone, singing African American Spirituals, Hymns, and Gospel songs with pianist Anthony Vinson. The concert features a wide array of composers including: Hall Johnson, H.T. Burleigh, Moses Hogan, Kirk Franklin, and more. The concert will be on Friday, February 19, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. and a reception with the artists will follow. Tickets are $10, free for children under 12 years old.
Christ Episcopal Church is located at 3445 Warrensville Center Road, at the corner of Warrensville and Chagrin Blvd. in Shaker Heights. For more information, call 216-991-3432 ext. 20 or email
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The Diocese of Ohio will soon have billboards up in the Cleveland, Akron, Toledo, and Mansfield areas. The first ones appeared on February 1, and will move each month. There are four versions of the billboard, each with a different phrase. They are:
• Love God. Love your neighbor. Change the world.
• Welcome... regardless
• If you're looking for a sign from God... here it is.
• God loves you. No exceptions.
A day designed for exploring vocation to the diaconate or priesthood.
The Ministry Discernment Day has been scheduled for February 13, 2010 at Grace Church in Sandusky from 9:30am to 3:30 pm.
The Bishops and the Commission on Ministry invite members of your
parish to explore their respective calls to lay and ordained ministry
and discern how we each might strengthen and deepen our baptismal
ministry.
The Ministry Discernment Day is also a part of the discernment process
leading to ordination as a priest or a deacon. Attendance with one’s
parish clergy is required for those exploring ordained ministry.
Lunch will be provided for those who register by Feburary 10, to Rita Rozell 216-774-0460 or email at
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.
Interfaith Power and Light is inviting clergy to preach a sermon on global warming the weekend of February 13-14, 2010. As the date approaches, we will be offering lectionary resources and sample sermons (for diverse faith traditions) to clergy who have registered.
Host a Discussion
In addition to sermons, or as an alternative, we are encouraging congregations to screen films and host discussions on putting faith into action. Resources are available to those who register, including films, fact sheets on current legislation, and discussion guides.
Send Your Senators Valentines!
Leading up to the event, participating congregations will distribute Valentine’s Day post cards to their members to mail in, encouraging Senators to love their neighbors by passing a strong climate bill.
If that weekend is not available, please consider another weekend in February. Sign up and resources to help you prepare will be sent to you.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Cleveland Heights, will host Jazz Vespers III, a collection of sacred music arranged for jazz ensemble, featuring Paul Ferguson and the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra with special guest Sandy Simon on Friday, February 12, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. The Jazz Vespers service will include music from Sephardic Spain, 17th century France, J.S. Bach, 20th century New Orleans, The Beatles, original compositions by Paul Ferguson, and, of course, the Episcopal hymnbook.
Jazz Vespers III is free and open to the public. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is located at 2747 Fairmount Blvd. (at Coventry), Cleveland Heights. Call (216) 932-5815 for more information.
As images and reports continue to emerge from the tragic disaster in Haiti, I am heartened by the response of individuals and congregations in the Diocese of Ohio. To assist in your compassionate outreach, I attach below a sobering email from the Bishop of Haiti, the Rt. Rev. Jean Zaché Duracin, and some helpful information about his diocese, the largest and fastest-growing diocese of The Episcopal Church. Because the Diocese of Haiti is a diocese of our church, its recovery will provide an indigenous vehicle through which Episcopal Relief and Development (ER-D) will be able to deliver assistance and aid.
For the next six months, the loose plate offering at every episcopal visitation, traditionally designated for the Bishop's Discretionary Fund, will be passed on by me to ER-D. I encourage your congregation to designate a portion of every Sunday offertory, or establish a special offering, to help the helpless of Haiti. Any such funds received by the Bishop's Discretionary Fund will be sent immediately and in full to ER-D.
Please continue to be generous in your giving and bold in your prayer.
Gratefully,
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio
Grace Episcopal
Church, Sandusky, will honor the many safety service personnel in its
area. Sunday, February 21, 2010, has been set aside as Safety Service
Recognition Sunday to honor all local personnel who carry out the daily work of
protecting the community.
Everyone is
invited to join in a special service that will include recognition, prayer,
music and thanks for their work. The service will begin at 10:00 a.m. and
end with a free community brunch at the church, 315 Wayne St., Sandusky.
The Episcopal Diocese of Ohio
The Diocese of Ohio will soon have billboards up in the Cleveland, Akron, Toledo, and Mansfield areas. The first ones appeared on February 1, and will move each month. There are four versions of the billboard, each with a different phrase. They are:
