1

Minister’s Message 1

News & Updates 2-9

Thank You 4

SPY News 8

Scout News/Nursery School News

10

Birthdays 11

Remember in Prayer 12

Calendar 13

THE EPISTLE

OF ST. PAUL

Inside this Issue:

St. Paul United

Church of Christ

6997 Hamilton Ave.

Cincinnati, OH

45231

Ph. 513-931-2205 Fax 513-931-2206

Email: office@stpaulnch.com

Website: www.stpaulnch.com

Worship Opportunities

Sundays:

9:50 AM Traditional

Worship in Sanctuary

Sunday School

March 2019

Ponderings From The Pastor

For an electronic version of

THE EPISTLE, please visit our

website at: www.stpaulnch.com

A Contemplative Lent: Learning to Live A Soulful Life

“Men often say, ‘I have a soul.’ That is not the highest truth. We must learn to say, ‘I am a soul, and I have a body.’ This at once gives the right point of view.” The above quote might be thought by some people as New Age claptrap. Those who think that would be wrong, though; it is taken directly from a YMCA training manual…from 1900. The origins of this thought go back even further, having been heard on the tongue of the great 19

th century Scottish minister, poet, and

fantasy writer George MacDonald. I doubt however that he made it up…because the thought is part and parcel with what the mystics of all the great world religions have taught for thousands of years! This truth—that we are spiritual beings on a human adventure, and not the other way around—is really a quite remarkable assertion. Ponder it for a bit…and it’s stunning ramifications for what most of us have been taught about ourselves by the Church, for most of our lives! What you’ve been taught as “the truth” is…sort of. Just not all of it. You see, the Church (and many parts of religion in general) have always been about power and control…whereas Jesus was about healing and liberation!....and a whole different kind of power. Soooo….as we enter the season of Lent this year, I will tell you up front that it’s going to be a little different! The mood of Lent is often somber and penitential, reflective and even sad (and soaked with guilt) toward the end, as Holy Week comes upon us. We are not going to take a bath in guilt this year, and Lent—though very much still reflective and thoughtful—is not going to be somber and penitential. We will in fact be going deep to the root of ideas like “repentance” and “sin” and “resurrection.” We will learn the whole, powerful truth about Jesus, what he really did and what really happened during that final week in Jerusalem, and what it means for us today. And along the way, we will learn much more about ourselves as powerful, spiritual beings. We’ll confront some of our greatest, most stubborn fears—and see how illusory they really are! For those who really want to “go deep”, join me for our weekly Lenten series “Return to Eden,” which will run on Wednesday evenings, March 13 through April 24, from 7 to 8:30 PM. And on each Sunday in Lent we’ll touch upon a different spiritual discipline, which you’ll be invited to practice during Lent—and for which there will be a “take home” insert in the Sunday bulletins to help guide you. So buckle up, fasten your seatbelts, and come along for the ride…remembering you ARE a soul…and that God wants you to live a deeply soulful—and JOYFUL—life!

Love, Peace, and Lenten Blessings!

Pastor Barry

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THE EPISTLE March 2019

PLEASE HELP US with LIGHTS AND DOORS

On several occurrences lately, we have found an outside door unlocked. Please be sure to check doors before you leave, especially if you are the last one out. Please do your diligence to make sure that the lights are off in the building when you leave.

APRIL EPISTLE DEADLINE

The Epistle deadline for the April edition is Wednesday, March, 20, 2019. Please submit the information either by email to Anne or drop it in the Epistle box in the main office. There is also a folder in the blue mailbox outside the office.

ZWOSTER SCHOLARSHIP

Zwoster Scholarship applications and criteria are on the kiosk table in the Narthex. Applications are due in the office no later that Wednesday, May 1. Any questions, please contact Sandy Blevins, 513-851-8808.

NEW BEGINNINGS UPDATE

Our New Beginnings “house group” meetings are completed! (no thanks to the weather!). THANK YOU to all our SPUCC members who committed the time and energy, as well as their own spiritual investment, in helping the church look openly, directly, and hopefully at our current realities AND toward the “FUTURE STORY” that God wants to unfold here at St. Paul UCC. Sharing your voices and your prayerful discernment was the first huge step forward. SPECIAL THANKS to our house group FACILITATORS as well: Joan Allen, Diane Banker, Judith Lewis-Combs, Nancy Klusmeier, Paul & Lynn Kluesener, and Linda Woods...your faithfulness and leadership was and is still HUGE for our congregation! The NEXT STEPS in the New Beginnings process will begin on March 4. Our Facilitators will meet that evening, after preparing in-depth summaries of all the house group gatherings and consensus-sharing documents that are part of the house group guidebook. Then, once all the shared information is gathered, discussed, and analyzed—the results, and whatever group consensus was discerned about our “future story”—will be written up and shared through a report to the whole congregation. Pastor Barry will also share this information with our New Beginnings “coach” (Jill White); he will then, working with the Facilitators and Church Council, begin working on any implementation plans needed to start us down the road on our “future story.” Any major decisions about the church’s ministry, property, by-laws, etc., would be brought before a congregational meeting for discussion and action. Keep praying for ALL your church leaders as we take these crucial steps towards a New Beginning!

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THE EPISTLE March 2019

We have many things going on in the church at this time. We are always striving to make St. Paul a place you can definitely call YOUR church HOME, If you find that you have questions or concerns in a particular area of the building or within a committee, please be sure to talk with the chairman of the committee with your question or concern. Here is the list of all members of the Church Council. President - Judith Lewis-Combs - 729-3152 Vice President - Jan Apro - 931-2417 Secretary - Nancy Klusmeier - 923-1369 Finance - Donna Hodson - 904-333-9422 Treasurer - Anne Zimmer - 513-260-0573 Care Team - Margie Fassnacht - 574-0354 Nurture Team - Linda Woods - 513-289-5335 Facilities - Rick Davis - 574-8345 Welcome Team - Diane Banker - 522-3318 Worship Team - Vicki Ritz - 741-7868 Endowment - Jan Apro - 931-2417 Sr. Minister - 513-317-8146 Office Administrator - Office - Anne Zimmer - 931-2205

The next Council meeting is Monday, March 18, 2019 7:00 PM.

Pastor Barry’s… “TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE” UPDATE!

BY NOW you’ve probably seen this picture of me from over seven years and over eighty pounds ago! Back then I was in the midst of one of the greatest physical transformations I have ever experienced, before or since! Both for me personally (again) and for our church, we are in a time of transformation! SO HERE ARE SOME UPDATES!!... I am now HALFWAY in my self-imposed challenge to LOSE AT LEAST 50 POUNDS BY EASTER (April 21, 2019)...and by the end of March I hope to be close to 35 lbs. “down” --- and it’s not too late to sponsor me! You can “encourage” me to stay on track with my weight loss regime, AND help support a good cause: HOLY JOE’S CAFÉ. What is Holy Joe’s? Started in 2006 by First Congregational UCC in Wallingford, Connecticut, Holy Joe’s Café now serves thousands of free cups of coffee every day to our troops in 70 countries worldwide, and helps U.S. Military Chaplains offer a “café” where troops can gather, talk, and relax in stressful environments. With your sponsor donations I will buy HOLY JOE’S coffee for our church Café, and it will help send coffee and caring to our troops! You can sponsor me any amount you want—PER POUND, or any total amount. Sponsor forms are available IN THE CAFÉ...look for the BIG BLUE BOX (with snowmen on it). Drop COMPLETED sponsor forms in the blue box That’s all there is to it!

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FACEBOOK PAGE https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Paul-United-Church-of-Christ-NCH/451020504934791.

THE EPISTLE March 2019

To the Ladies who prepared and served the Coffee Hour on Sunday, February 10, 2019, in honor of my 99th Birthday, Thank you, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. To Judith, for the lovely flower arrangements, Thank you! The cake was delicious. I really appreciated it so much! Erma Amrein

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THE EPISTLE March 2019

COMMUNITY EASTER EGG HUNT - HELP NEEDED

The Scout units and SPY, St. Paul Youth, are teaming up together to put together a Community Easter Egg Hunt. We are aiming for Saturday, April 13 and a rain date for Saturday, April 20th. We will have two age groups, 5 & under and 6 to 12 years old. We will begin the 5 & Under group at 11, and the 6 to 12 group at 11:30 AM. We will however need some help…. Plastic eggs and candy to put in the eggs…. Please help? There is a box in the Narthex where donations can be placed. Any donations can be brought to the main office. We will also need help with having adults standing around the grounds to make sure the kids do not go near Hamilton Avenue. If you would be interested in helping the day of the event, we would welcome any and all help as well. Any questions, please speak with Anne…. THANKS!!!!

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THE EPISTLE March 2019

SPUCC MIDWEEK LENTEN STUDY:

Wednesdays at 7 PM March 12 - April 24

Are you TIRED of fear-based religion? What’s the TRUE meaning of Jesus’

“sacrifice?”...and did he really have to die?

If religion teaches LOVE, then why all the WARS and PAIN caused by it for so many centuries?

Does your heart ever ACHE for “something more?”

Do you have REAL questions...about faith, life, God, self-worth?

JOIN Pastor Barry each week in Lent—we’ll explore all this and more as we look anew at the CORE of our Christian faith and theology...and learn together were it is going, and how it affects us ALL!!

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THE EPISTLE March 2019

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THE EPISTLE March 2019

JR. NEWS: As you read in February’s Epistle, the St. Paul Youth Group has been divided into two groups, the Senior SPY and the Junior SPY. Lucky for me, Cheryl Brodenkircher volunteered to help me with the Jr. SPY. Last month we had our first lock-in. The Spy in attendance were Travis Johnson, Isiah and Makhia Spyers, and along with Vickie’s granddaughter,

Madelyn Bryant, (who will be floating back and forth between the Jr. and Sr. SPY, in order to help us out). We invite anyone in grades 3

rd thru 6

th to join our youth. We will be planning fun

activities along with learning what Jesus does for us and what we should do for him. We welcome any ideas or suggestions for activities for us. We will be helping Sr. SPY every 3

rd Sunday

with the breakfasts. Our next lock-in will be March 22nd

, details will follow. Thank you in advance for all your trust you have in us with your children

Vickie Bryant and Cheryl Brodenkircher

SR. NEWS: We also welcome all youth 6th to 12

th grade to join the SR. SPY. We had several SPY’s

at the 1st lock-in of the year. We began to make plans for the 2019 year. In March we will have Pet

Pictures on March 2nd

from 10am to 1 pm. Please sign up to have your pet (or person) picture taken for $5.00 or we can email your picture to you for an extra $3.00. We will be seen working the Choir Fest on March the 10

th. Please come out and enjoy the wonderful songs of some of the sister

churches in our Cluster. On March the 22

nd and 23

rd will be our next lock in. We will be going on the “Donut Trail”. We will be

spending the night at church and the next morning (weather permitting) we will be headed to Hamilton to explore 13 of the finest donut shops in Butler County. All are welcome on this outing. Pastor Joan, Kim Ferry and Pastor Barry

SPY MAKING VALENTINES FOR OUR SHUT-INS

Jr.& Sr. SPY NEWS

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THE EPISTLE March 2019

The 2019 Confirmation Class and their Mentors finally got to go on their long awaited bowling outing. We met at the church and did a scavenger hunt (wondering though the church to find items). Then we left and went to Brentwood Bowl for a little “Glow Bowling.” A wonderful time was had by

all, as the kids and mentors had time to cheer each other on and laugh (very loudly) at the scores!

Some of our kids had never bowled before (and from the score we are questioning the adults). It

was a great time to get to know each other and to interact as a team.

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THE EPISTLE March 2019

SCOUTING NEWS The Cubbies have started making their Pinewood Derby cars. They are having a Blast making their designs, sanding, and painting their cars in their own special way. The Boy Scout Troop is busy working on advancements requirements and the leaders have been helping Anne with knife safety and sharpening for the new girls in the Troop. The girls have one more requirement for their Scout Rank and they will receive that at the Scout Banquet. The girls are super excited. They are also working on learning their required knots. It is so great to see their smiles and see the excitement of them learning new stuff and also for the leaders and the boys to be helping them to learn new things. The Crew has been working on details for the Easter Egg Hunt. They have also started planning their Hiking and Camping trip for April. They are headed for Red River Gorge. They will be taking a CPR/First Aid class on Sunday, March 17th and taking their Weather Hazard Training class on Monday, March 25th. So many new things happening for the Scouts, and all seem to be super excited and willing to help. Their Scout Banquet will be held on Sunday, March 24, at 2:00 PM. If anyone is interested in attending to see everything that the Scouts are doing, we welcome you to join us. Just let Anne know you are coming. A special Thank You to St. Paul for all they do to help our Scouts and this beautiful place to meet.

NURSERY SCHOOL Please help the Nursery School by having lunch or dinner at Skyline on Thursday, March 21. The flyer needs to accompany the check for the Nursery School to receive the donation. Thanks,

Karen Rieman and Staff

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THE EPISTLE March 2019

3/1 3/2 3/4 3/7 3/8

Doris Dunn Ryan Erickson Robert Jensen Gay Steinhauer Sharon Frazier Venessa Mittler Anne Zimmer

Elaine Sloan Brody Overholts Karen Chalfin Jessica Jester Vicki Prather William Reed

3/9 3/10 3/11

3/12 3/15

3/19 3/20 3/25 3/26

Jann Apro Cheryl Davis Nathan Bierkan Adele Werden

4/2 4/3 4/4 4/7

4/8

4/9

Christian Kluesener Elmer Seesing Michael Keller Matt Chalfin Michael Chalfin Sandra Blevins Marlene Sheward Owen Chalfin Michael Dermody

Virginia Duffy Marian Faller Diane Banker Ray Bates Carolyn Dykes Susan Erickson Carol Chalfin

4/10

4/11 4/14

4/15 4/17

4/20 4/21 4/23 4/26 4/30

Trudy Jester Megan Erickson Jenna Mangold Addison Mangold Dorothy Dumford Miriam Tucker

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If you would like to add

someone to the prayer

list, please call the office.

THE EPISTLE March 2019

Please keep the office informed on the status of those you have placed on the prayer list.

Geraldine Cooper Bob Dickman Marian Faller Mary Lou Heiden Mary Heineke Charlotte McCauley Albert Mueller Dot Sunnenberg Anne Timme Dolores Ungerbuehler Sharon Wagner Lucille Walters

Our servicemen and women Peggy Adams Chad Willcocks Melody Hoff Kathy Aker Ginny DuPriest Debbie DuPriest Erma Amrein John Allen Gay Steinhauer Alice Graber Don Beresford Tony Mancini Helen Mason Jessica Obert Gay D. Smith Rev. Virginia Duffy Ruth Meissner

Barbara Williamson Skip Zimmer Mike Chalfin Elaine Sloan Nancy Lanza Barb Walbrun James Stokes Tommy Moorehead Howard Seaman Lindsay Pitcher June Ward Kim Caudell Paul Maus Mike Cornish Clara Kemplin Rhonda Lahmann Joann Ernst Owen Erickson

Nancy Basil Kellie Whitaker Marlene Sheward Derek Nuckols Justin Nuckols Will Maier Brian Criswell Bodde Scudder Emma Spence Susan, a friend of Linda

Woods Bob Harbaum Greg Rice Barb Nuckols Norma Carrier

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April 2019 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 Nursery School Carnival 10 - 12 Noon SPY Pet Pictures-Chapel 10 am -1 PM

3 Communion

4 AARP 9 - 2 PM Facilitator’s Mtg. 6:30 PM Meeting Room

5 6 Ash Wednesday Services 7 PM Chapel Brownies 6:30 PM

7 8 9

10 Choir Fest 3 PM Daylight Savings Time Begin

11 AARP 9 - 2 PM

12 NS - 3’s Mom’s Day - 9-10 AM

13 Exec Team Mtg. 5 PM Lenten Study 7 PM

14 NS - Pre-K Mom’s Day 9 - 10 AM

15 NS - 4’s Mom’s Day 9 - 10 AM

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17 SPY Breakfast After Worship

18 AARP 9-2 PM Nurture Mtg. 5:30 PM Council Mtg. 7 PM

19 20 Epistle Articles Due Brownies 6:30 PM Lenten Study 7 PM

21 Staff Mtg. 9 AM Cluster 2 mtg. 7 PM NS—Dine to Donate Skyline

22 SPY Lock In

23 Donut Trail

24 Scout Banquet 2 PM 31

25 AARP 9-2 PM

26 27 Lenten Study 7 PM

28 29 30

Standing Dates: Mondays: Crafty Critters - 10 AM Scouts:6:30 - 9:00 PM Tuesday: Community Dinner 5:00 PM weekly Fridays/Saturdays: AA Meeting 8 PM

FH = Fellowship Hall NS = Nursery School

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THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL

St. Paul United Church of Christ 6997 Hamilton Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45231 Phone: (513) 931-2205 Fax: (513) 931-2206 Website: www.stpaulnch.com Email: office@stpaulnch.com

Church Staff: Rev. Barry Bordenkircher, Sr. Minister

Joan Allen, Lay Minister

Rick Tallarigo, Organist/Interim Music

Director

Anne Zimmer, Office Administrator

Jim Maybury, Sexton

Anne Zimmer, Treasurer

Parish Nurses: Vicki Celenza, R.N., Coordinator Roxanne Reed, R.N.

Office Hours 9:00 a.m.– 2:00 p.m. Monday - Wednesday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Thursday - Friday

Nursery School Staff: Karen A. Rieman, Director Susan Ehrhardt, Amy Miller, Angela Oaks, Jenny Birdsong, and Jessica Whitis.

St. Paul United Church of Christ 6997 Hamilton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45231