April 2014

www.highlandsucc.com 1910 Saint Paris Pike

Highlandsucc@sbcglobal.net Springfield, Ohio 45504-1206

937-399-7493

From the Pastor… Easter is a moveable feast, meaning that it doesn’t occur the same date every year. For some, that is a frustration to figure out the first Sunday after the first full moon of the spring equinox. For others, it is a time to look at the calendar to determine when Easter falls. During Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus—a foundation of our faith. It is a high point in our Christian year. But, did you know that A Moveable Feast is a memoir by American author Ernest Hemingway about his years in Paris as part of a group of expatriate writers in the 1920s? The book details his apprenticeship as a young writer in Europe (especially in Paris) and features his interactions and relationships with famous artists and writers of the day. The book describes Hemingway's personal accounts, observations and stories of his experience in 1920s Paris. He provides specific addresses of cafes, bars, hotels, and apartments, some of which can be found in modern-day Paris. The title was suggested by a friend of his, who remembered Hemingway saying, in conversation: "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." During Lent we’ve focused on Living Stones during our Sunday worship and enjoying communal worship during Wednesday evening worship with our sister churches in the Crossroads cluster. I wonder, what will we do after Easter? Does Easter need to be restricted to one day—a day of coming to church and then eating a big Easter meal (for some) or for a season (for others)? While I would not suggest the drinking and carousing ways of Hemingway, I wonder, “what about our interactions and relationships?” How do we tend to our relationships with God and our neighbor? Can we paraphrase Hemingway’s friend, “If you were lucky enough to have lived a Christian life, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for a life in Christ is a moveable feast”? I pray so. May we, in the coming year, embrace our moveable feast. May we share the good news that Christ is

indeed risen! May we invite, welcome, and include others at the table. May you be blessed this Easter!

Highlands’ Leadership Pastor: Rev. Avery Sledge Church Officers: Pam Dixon—Moderator Jan Kushmaul—Vice Moderator Linda Owens—Treasurer Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9:00 a.m.–12:00 noon

Palm Sunday

Sunday, April 13, The sanctuary will be filled with palms as we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The children are especially encouraged to come this Sunday to experience the following:

Easter Egg Hunt As is our tradition here at Highlands, we will have our annual Easter Egg Hunt on Palm Sunday during the fellowship hour.

Kids of all ages, nursery through high school will be taking part in this fun activity. This is sponsored by the Christian Education Ministry Team. We are excited; hope you will be also. Refreshments for the fellowship hour will be provided by the Semper Fidelis Class. Come and enjoy.

Easter Sunrise Service Highlands will begin the Easter celebration with a service at 8:00 a.m. in the sanctuary. Experience the joy of Christ’s resurrection as it might have been experienced at the moment it occurred. What did Jesus’ disciples feel when the person they cared for so deeply had died and then appeared before them again?

Join us for Breakfast Following the Sunrise Service, a breakfast will be hosted by the Diaconate Ministry Team in the fellowship hall. All are welcome to enjoy the good food and stimulating conversation on Easter morning.

Easter Celebration/Blooming of the Cross On Sunday, April 20, Highlands will again hold a Blooming of the Cross during the worship service. The stark, chicken wire cross will stand in the front of the sanctuary; an empty cross. As people gather for worship, they may bring a fresh flower from home or receive a flower from a basket in the narthex. The flowers may be taken directly to the cross and inserted into the chicken wire. As the sanctuary fills, so does the cross begin to bloom until it is covered with color. If you have never experienced a blooming of the cross, be sure to come on Easter Sunday for this spectacular sight.

Pastor’s Office Hours Monday and Thursday 9:00 a.m.—12:00 noon Wednesday 12:00 noon—3:00 p.m. You can reach Pastor Avery in the church office during those hours or at 937-429-1536.

Preparing the Church for Easter Your help is needed to do some Spring Cleaning inside the church. A list of tasks will be placed on the walls of the fellowship hall. We will hold a Clean-up Day on Saturday, April 12, starting at 9:00 a.m. Refresh-ments will be available and we’ll make it a party. We will vacuum pews and chairs; wash walls, doors, and windows; clean window sills, bathrooms, tables and chairs; polish wood on pews, chair rails, light fixtures; and more. We need many hands to get the job done quickly. If you cannot make it on the Clean-up Day, you can come at any time and complete a task and mark it off the list.

Christian Education Attendance Incentive

Our Hands and Feet for Christ Tree Banner has been started. We would like to see ALL the young people here each Sunday so they can be a part of helping our tree grow. During the Easter season, the children will present the banner to the congregation. You can help by encouraging your children and church grandchildren to come to church each Sunday.

Lenten Services and Holy Week

Lenten Services: All services begin at 7:30 p.m. April 2 Plattsburg UCC Tom Ritschard-Sell preaching April 9 West Liberty UCC Gene Cline preaching

All UCC churches in the Crossroads Cluster join together for these Lenten Services. The collection taken during the worship goes to the Crossroads Utility Fund to help those who need assistance with utility bills. Maundy Thursday Service: Highlands will join the United Church of South Vienna at their Maundy Thursday Service. We will be happy to car pool to the service. If you are interested, leave a message on the church phone.

399-7493

Worship Helpers for April Greeter: Judy Rude 4/13, 4/20, 4/27 Acolyte: Emylee Siebold 4/6, 4/13 Liturgist: Teena Siebold 4/6, 4/13 Kathie Harbaugh 4/20 Maire Conway 4/27 Ushers: Tom Kushmaul 4/6, 4/20, 4/27 Jan Kushmaul 4/6, 4/20, 4/27 Hope Conway 4/13 Vicki Conway 4/13 Door greeter: Scott Siebold 4/6, 4/13 Sound system: Steve Harbaugh 4/20

Lunch Bunch

How would you like to have a free lunch with really good food and great conver-sation? Every month except July and December, you are invited to join the Lunch Bunch at 12:00 noon on the last Wednesday of the month. The only cost is a donation of food for the Food Pantry or a cash donation if you choose. Join us. Invite a friend.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014 Highlands United Church of Christ

12:00 noon

Recycling Continues Members of the congregation at Highlands continue to bring paper, cardboard, metal, glass, and plastic # 1 & #2 for recycling. The collected items are taken once a week to the recycling bins located near the Clark County Combined Health District on East Home Road. If you do not have recy-cling at the curb where you live, you may bring your items to the church

Make this look like this There are so many people in the Springfield/Clark County area that find it hard to get the food they need by the end of the month. Highlands has been helping the Open Hands Free Store Food Pantry for several years. You can be a part of this valuable ministry by sharing your bounty with others. There is a food cart at Highlands Church just inside the double doors off the entry. Nonperishable food items may be brought to the church between 6:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Enter on the right hand door under the walkway. Your contributions help feed the increasing number of hungry families in Springfield.

Kroger Community Rewards Program

Thank you to each of you who has registered your Kroger Plus card and named Highlands as your charitable organization. You have already begun earning funds for Highlands. If you have not yet registered your card, and you are not sure how to do it, please call Jan Kushmaul at 206-1005. She can walk you through the process.

The March 2014 Children’s ‘Noisy’ Collection

totaled $26.00!! ‘Noisy’ Collection is the second Sunday of each month. The contributions you make during this collection will go to a ministry that shares God’s love in the world.

As the children collect the coins, they learn how to give to others in need. The next collection is April 13. Have your metal money ready to make a loud noise.

Many thanks go to Warner Wilson through the Wilson Charitable Trust for the gift of $1,000.00 to be used as the church chooses. Warner tells us he appreciates the support the church has given to him and to the community in which he has lived for so many years. He now resides with his son and daughter-in-law. His address is: Warner Wilson c/o Nathan Wilson 20 Stark Highway North Dunbarton, NH 03046-4162.

Relay for Life June 13, 2014 June 14, 2014 By the time you are reading this, a sign-up sheet will be on the door. This sheet is for Team Members. We need to get a team ready to help us reach our goal. Who is a Team Member? A person or persons who are willing to ask people to sponsor them. This could be fellow workers, family, neighbors, old friends, etc. They suggest that a team member try to raise at least $100.00. We say whatever you can raise will be a big help towards our Highlands’ team goal. It would be great if team members could also help with other fundraising if asked. Please give this a lot of thought and then sign up to be a team member. Beginning the first of May (at the latest) the next sign-up sheet will go up. This will be for walkers for certain slots. It will not be easy to fill all the slots and have someone walking the entire 24 hour period, however, we know we can do it. GET FIRED UP, GET EXCITED! Cancer has touched most of us and we need to do what we can to help. Keep watching for more news, we might just have a theme, or a way to make some more money. What to expect at a Relay Event: 1. Opening Ceremony 5. Luminaries Ceremony 2. Survivor Lap 6. Individual walking, family games, 3. Caregiver Lap activities, entertainment 4. Opening lap 7. Fight Back Ceremony Go Highlands! Thank you for your support. Tammy, Victoria, Stewart, and Betty

What is Springfield Zen Group? You have seen the Springfield Zen Group listed on our calendar for over a year. We have asked a member of the group to share with us what the group is. We are pleased to have them with us. “Springfield Zen Center is a Zen practice group in Springfield, Ohio. We are a Zen Center in Five Mountain Zen Order and are under the spiritual direction of our Guiding Teacher, Haeja Sunim. Cur-rently we have group practice on Mondays at 7:00 pm. If you would like to practice with us, please contact: Kwanjin Sunim at Kwanjin1125@gmail.com 937.831.2785 ‘You know, our practice knows no limits, Christian, Catholic, Episcopal, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, or atheist; what am I? Don’t know! Will suffice!’ Wonijhi Dharma founder Five Mountain Zen Order

Are you looking for quality child care?

Check out Kids World located at Highlands Church, 1910 St. Paris Pike. Krista or Kelly will be happy to answer all your questions. Kids World provides a warm, caring environment that helps children grow physically, socially, emotion-ally, and spiritually.

937-399-2444

Would you like to honor a loved one or a special occasion with flowers on the worship table? Sign up on the flower calendar on the wall in the secretary’s office. Flowers are $27.00. You may place the donation in the offering plate or send to the church.

Semper Fidelis

Meeting

Date: Thursday, April 10, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. Hostess: Wanda Kohl Devotions: Cathy Vlcek Roll Call: Read Ephesians 3:19

During this meeting we will make gifts for our shut-ins.

Wear an Easter bonnet.

Everyone welcome, come join our group!

Serving a Meal

Monday, April 7, 2014, at 6:00 p.m. Semper Fidelis will serve the Delta Kappa Gamma sorority. Help is needed. Call Betty Mougey at 399-1437.

Looking Ahead

Sunday, May 4th, at 8:00 a.m., all the women of the church are invited to Golden Corral for breakfast.

Semper Fidelis to provide items during Lent

1. Altar flowers for the Lenten Service, March 26. 2. Fellowship Hour during the Palm Sunday Easter Egg Hunt. 3. Palms for worship on Palm Sunday.

Looking ahead to May: Mother-Daughter Banquet will be held May 14, 2014 at 6:15 p.m. in the Highlands’ Fellowship Hall. Mark your calendars.

Women and daughters are served the meal by the men and boys and friends.

We MUST have some of the men and boys to help with clean-up (dish, pots, and pans washing, etc.) following the serving and eating.

SONKA Gathering April 26, 2014, the churches of SONKA will gather at First United Church of Christ, 2000 East High St., Springfield.

The theme for the day is “The Living Church: co-creating with God” and will be demonstrated by presentations from congregations that are passionately engaged in the living, co-creating work of the church.

This promises to be a conversation that will cause you to be inspired about your own ministries.

Registration can be made on-line. If you are interested in attending, tell Pastor Avery or Pam Dixon. Registration is paid by the church.

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Highlands United Church of Christ 1910 Saint Paris Pike Springfield, Ohio 45504

www.highlandsucc.com

Return Service Requested

Mission Statement

Our Mission is to be the loving heart and healing hands of God in the world; we are a welcoming community of faith, seeking to accompany and support all

on their journey to Christ, and bearing authentic witness of God’s inclusive love as proclaimed through Jesus.

Highlands United Church of Christ, is called by God

To open doors for all who seek a safe place for their spiritual journey To extend extravagant hospitality To set an open table for all who hunger To provide sanctuary for all who seek forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing To do justice and pursue peace

Highlands Open and Affirming Statement

The worshipping family within the faith community of Highlands United Church of Christ believes in Christ's gospel of unconditional love. We joyfully welcome into full participation, membership, and leadership of this congregation persons of every race, language, age, gender identity and expression, sex-ual orientation, physical or mental ability, economic or marital status, and faith background. We affirm and celebrate all loving, committed relationships affirming that all families defined by love are blessed." Adopted by the congregation January 13, 2013