UCC Women’s Week will be observed
February 5-11. The Current issue of Common Lot magazine features
articles for each day from women around the country, writing
about women of the Bible and women today reflecting on this
year’s theme, "Sustaining Ministry."
Reference materials will be on display in the parlor.
Wednesday Bible Study
Starting January 25, our Wednesday
D.I.V.E. discussions will become Wednesday Bible Study sessions.
Each Wednesday we will have a 12:00 noon and a 7:00 PM Bible
study (more)
Pastor's Bookshelf
Each month in 2012, Pastor Jenkins
will be recommending a book to the congregation. We are
encouraged to read along each month with Pastor Jenkins. (more)
New Beginnings Report
All the members of the New Beginning
Committee and fifteen other members of the church attended an
open meeting on December 3, at the East 30th Street Church for
three hours. (more)
In a letter that went out to several
members of the congregation in November, Pastor
Jenkins wrote, “Over the last year it has become evident to me
that we need a group
of consistent leaders who will assist in ensuring that our
mission remains
Christ-centered and that the needs of our members are met. You
might have heard me
speak of our need to have ‘Deacon-like’ servant-leaders here in
our congregation who
will assist the pastor in serving the people of God.” In
December, the year-long
training of the Servant Leaders began. Their responsibilities
will include – but
will not be limited to – serving Communion and visiting those
who are shut-in, sick,
or incarcerated. Some of those listed below may decide that
Servant-Leadership is
not their calling, but they will all be beginning both the
training and the serving
in the new year:
Kathy Baker ● Al Parks
●
Marguerite Bibb
●
Madge Potts-Williams
●
Linda Brewer
●
Dean Sieck
Dave Buckle
●
Judy Sieck
●
Mary Guen
●
Charles Williams ●
Darryl Harris
●
Karol Harris
●
Helen Humphrey
OPPORTUNITIES TO DONATE
Read below to learn more about two
funds to which you can contribute to further the
work of the church. In either case, make out your check to
Euclid Avenue
Congregational Church and indicate the name of the fund on the
memo line.
The Pastor’s Benevolence Fund
(Formally the Minister’s Fund): The purpose of Pastor’s
Benevolence Fund is to provide financial aid to individuals who
are in need of urgent
assistance. The Pastor’s Benevolence Fund may not be applicable
to all urgent cases,
especially for those who have other financial options or for
cases which need long
term financial support. The church has the right to adjust or
deny an individual’s
request and the church may also consider providing support other
than monetary
assistance. Monetary assistance cannot be provided directly to
the individual
requesting assistance.
The Pastor’s Vision Fund:
Throughout any program year, it is expected that the Pastor
of the church will have ideas that help to assist Euclid Avenue
Congregational Church
to fulfill its vision to be a church that Reaches up, in, out,
across and beyond.
The Pastor’s Vision Fund exists to afford the Pastor
opportunities to continue to
move the vision of the church toward reality. The pastor,
members, visitors or
outside institutions may contribute to the Pastor’s Vision Fund
to support these
initiatives.
COMING SOON
Cyndi Henderson and Jesse Paulson
are working together to update the church website,
and are open to suggestions.
The second worship service that
you’ve been hearing about will begin March 25, in the Music
Room. A Praise Team is being recruited to consist of 4–7 singers
who will lead the music. There will also be a band: keyboard,
guitar, bass, drum, and horn. See Alcee Chris or Jesse Paulson
if you are interested in joining either the Praise Team or the
band, or if you have suggestions for the service.
GREATER CLEVELAND CONGREGATIONS
On Thursday evening, December 8, 16
EACC members were among the over 800 people who crowded into
Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in support of the children
who attend the Cleveland Public Schools and their families.
Greater Cleveland Congregations, a coalition of 40 religious
congregations and community organizations committed to working
together to make Cuyahoga County a more just and prosperous
place, sponsored this event. Every member congregation of GCC
was urged to send as many people as possible to thank both the
Cleveland Teachers Union and the Cleveland Metropolitan School
District leaders for resolving their differences so that serious
cuts in services will not be required this year, and to urge
them to take action so that cuts will not be required in the
future. This gathering demonstrated that there is power in
numbers, and that people of faith can work wonders if they work
together.
THANKSGIVING GIFT BAGS
The day before Thanksgiving, 30 EACC members gathered in the
church office to stuff 41 bags with nonperishable food items.
These bags were handed out at Shiloh Baptist Church at a
Thanksgiving Day worship service, which 10 EACC members
attended. It was a wonderful way to connect with the community;
at least two people who received bags of food showed up at
worship Thanksgiving Sunday!
NATIONAL YOUTH EVENT The National Youth Event (NYE) of the United Church of
Christ is the largest gathering of UCC Youth from around the
country with 3,000 participants. This mega-event is held every 4
years and is scheduled for next summer, July 10-13. NYE2012 will
be held at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. The
youth (ages 13-18) of Euclid Avenue Congregational Church of the
United Church of Christ are invited to help us Imagine—our 2012
theme based on the scripture Isaiah 43:19. Share in four days of
faith and leadership formation and engage peer-to-peer
mentorship. We will have enormous fun, celebrate our faith and
return home inspired to change lives. Learn more about National
Youth Event 2012 at www.ucc.org/nye. Contact Waltrina Middleton,
your National Minister for Youth Advocacy and Leadership
Formation at middletonw@ucc.org or call
216-736-3871.
We want Euclid Avenue UCC’s presence felt at NYE2012!
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Over the next few months EACC will begin the process of writing
policies and procedures to be implemented during the 2012
program year. This is an attempt to improve communication across
the board. If you are interested in assisting the pastor with
this important work, please speak with her.
GETTING OUT OF THE PEWS
If you are interested in becoming more active at EACC beyond
Sunday worship services, you might want to consider joining the
Nominating Committee, Enlistment Committee, or Budget Committee.
See Pastor Jenkins if you are looking for a way to “test the
waters” and be of service.
GREATER CLEVELAND CONNECTIONS Greater Cleveland Connections, an organization that brings
members of many churches, temples, mosques and other places of
worship together is beginning to discuss ways that we might join
forces to solve some of Cleveland’s most pressing social and
economic problems. Several members of EACC are on the various
“teams” that have come up with the following vision statements:
Education: GCC imagines a community
that works together to provide quality educational opportunities
for all children in Greater Cleveland so that each child may
develop his/her innate abilities for the common good.
Jobs: GCC imagines a Greater Cleveland with a thriving economy
that provides meaningful job opportunities for all.
Health Care: GCC imagines a healthy
Greater Cleveland where everyone gets the health care they need.
Criminal Justice: GCC imagines a Greater Cleveland where every
citizen experiences restorative justice, is equally protected,
and receives fair and just treatment before the law.
Food Accessibility (formerly Sustainable Foods): GCC imagines a
Greater Cleveland where everyone has access to healthy,
affordable, environmentally friendly food.
THREE REMINDERS
We recycle our Sunday
bulletins at EACC. Please do not throw your bulletin in the
trash. Look for the basket on the cart to your right as you
exit the sanctuary and leave your bulletin there. Thank you.
Before coming to the church
office it is recommended that you call to be sure that
the office is opened. Leave a voicemail message and your
call will be returned. Occasionally, emergencies may occur
and it is possible that with such a small staff the office
may not be open. Please call ahead, to prevent wasted time
and gas.
EACC members are frequently
asked to contribute to special offerings through the
church, and have a history of generosity in helping with
special needs. However, we should remember that EACC’s
ministry depends on each member fulfilling his or her pledge
to the church. These special offerings – such as the One
Great Hour of Sharing, camperships, the recent appeal for
Somalia – are not included in the church budget, so
donations to them should be in addition to fulfilling
pledges to EACC.
FIRST FRIEND OF EACC
Our congregation is growing. In an effort to retain our new
members we are asking you to be a “First Friend” to those who
join EACC. First Friends will give new members a phone call,
help them become acclimated to the church and help them find a
place to serve. To become a “First Friend” please call Mary Guen
at 216-561-0857.
“THROUGH THE FIRE” VIDEO
The video that was made to commemorate the first anniversary of
the fire that destroyed our church building at 9606 Euclid
captures our past, present and future as a church family. The
film contains reflections from members and pieces of the Hope
and Healing Service that was held March 23, 2011. DVDs are now
available for distribution at $15 each. Call the church office
to order your copy; please make checks payable to JR
Productions.
EACC’S PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
At Pastor Jenkins’ invitation, several friends and members of
EACC have written about our church’s present, past, and/or
future. The following is by Rev. Randy Hyvonen, who became a
member of EACC in 1978 and served as our pastor from 1983-1993:
March 16, 2011
“Dear EACC,
I’m sitting in a hotel in Indianapolis – part of a fascinating
group of 66 people of faith focused on the leadership training
that has grown out of the thoughtful writings of Parker Palmer
with his decades of focus on building community and supporting
habits of the heart.
As this time in our retreat we’ve
been invited to write a ‘love letter’ to a faith community that
has been significant in our lives, and this was a no-brainer for
me…not only because of the ways you helped shaped my ministry
and family for nearly 15 years but also because one week from
now we will all remember the pain of losing that beautiful
building we all loved so much.
I hope that one year out you have
moved beyond the shock and pain of loss to a realization that
what has made you so special over many decades was not the
building but instead the special witness you have given to the
City of Cleveland, to the Western Reserve Association, to the
Ohio Conference, and indeed to all of the United Church of
Christ.
You made a decision over 50 years
ago to stay in the city to bear witness to integration and to
serve those who have had to live with less, and you have done so
with class and substance, - notably with the music that has
permeated your life (chancel choir, gospel choir, children’s
choir, Music and Meditation series, and classical music of all
sorts): and then also your annual arts festivals, chancel drama,
day care center, openness to 12-step groups, Saturday Fun,
InterAct (formerly ESIM), and multiple other ways you have
served the community.
The building may be gone, but all
that has happened in it over the years can still happen. May God
be with you as you work to make it so!
Lenten Blessings – Randy Hyvonen
(and Karen sends greetings and blessings, too)
FIRE ANNIVERSARY AND HEALING
SERVICE, photo
gallery
Exactly one year after the 2010 fire that destroyed our church
building at 9606 Euclid
Avenue, “A Service of Healing and Hope” was held on the land
where the church once stood
and also in the church office at 9411 Euclid. We might have
stayed longer on the 9606
property, but it was a bitterly cold evening; we were grateful
that the daylong rain had
stopped, however. We poured a libation of oil upon the ground
where the church had been;
we anointed one another with the same oil saying, ”Thank you,
God, for the memories of the
past and grant us courage for the road ahead,” and then we
continued our service in the
warmth of 9411.
The part of the service that was at
9606 was an exploration of the past; the parts at 9411
acknowledged the future as the children planted lilies of the
valley, words were spoken
and a song sung, and a white dove was released (outside, of
course) as a symbol of peace
with a prayer ending, “Let this be a time of Holy listening,
Holy conversation and Holy
movement. We are open to You.”
After the benediction, we were shown
a DVD of interviews of various church members, often
superimposed on photos of the church building we had lost. Those
interviewed expressed a
hope for a new beginning and for a future with our members
growing closer as we reach out
to welcome others.
Those members in attendance – and
there was a sizeable crowd in spite of the weather –
received gifts of commemorative bookmarks and also vials of 9606
earth. Gratitude and
appreciation were expressed to Pastor Jenkins for the effort
that had gone into this
service and for helping to create a new spirit of hope and
renewal at Euclid Avenue
Congregational Church.
Please call the church office if you
were unable to attend the service and would like to
order a DVD ($15) or receive your gifts.
The white dove that was released
during the service returned to its home on Thursday
afternoon.
USE OF SPACE FORM
A form to reserve space for events has been revised and is
available at the church office.
Requests for events need to be submitted 60 days in advance.
Please call the church
office to obtain an event form.
DID YOU SEE THE VIDEO?
If you missed seeing the video that Pastor Jenkins showed us
during fellowship hour on Sunday, February 6, you can play it over and
over. You are probably in some of those photos! Pastor Jenkins
created this video, “A Year We’ll Never Forget,” out of the
photos she collected before Christmas...
You can also find this video at:
http://www.youtube.com/eaccucc
PUBLICITY COMMITTEE FORMED Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
Members of the EACC Publicity Committee have been identified and
will be meeting to develop a purpose statement and guidelines
for sharing ministry programs and events with members and the
community:
Rhonda Crowder - Writer and Reporter
with the Call and Post
Elizabeth Stuart - Account Executive with WCLV Radio
Charlene Higginbotham - Former Public Relations and Marketing
Coordinator; Program Development
Leon Bibb, a journalist and reporter for Channel 5 News, will
serve as advisor to the committee.
The EACC Publicity Committee is a ministry of Church in the
World.
- Charlene Higginbotham
Flowers and
Liturgists Needed
If you would like to donate flowers or be a liturgist, please
use the sign-up sheet during fellowship hour or call Carolyn
Smith or the church office. You may take the flowers home
following worship or give them to someone if you wish. At this
time we do not have materials for wrapping the flowers to
distribute them, so that will be your responsibility.
MEMORIES OF EUCLID AVENUE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH SAFELY
STORED AT WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
CLEVELAND, OH – In the aftermath of the tragic loss of the
historic Euclid Avenue Congregational Church this week, some
solace may be found at Western Reserve Historical Society where
hundreds of records documenting church history are safely stored
and available to the public.
The WRHS Library/Archives & Genealogy Center has been the
official repository for the Church archives since 1973. The
extensive holdings date from 1822 through the 1990s and comprise
over 60 containers of manuscripts, photographs, publications and
ephemera.
The collections include the administrative and financial
history of the church; sacramental, genealogy, baptism and
marriage records; and photographs of church founders, members,
activities and the Euclid Avenue building as well as mission
churches in other Cleveland neighborhoods including Hough. The
collection details the activities and motivation that led to the
founding and early history of the church in the mid-19th
Century. It also illustrates early Western Reserve history,
including details of prominent families in Cleveland such as
Cozad, Mather, and Ford.
The Church’s association with the East End neighborhood, the
home of the Cozad, Bates and Ford families, made it a central
player in the 19th century struggle for abolition, a cause many
church members supported. Similarly, the Church was sensitive
to, and active in accommodating racial change in Cleveland in
the post-World War II period.
“These are much more than simply church records,” said WRHS
Vice President & Krieger-Mueller Historian Dr. John Grabowski.
“They are documents that relate to major and transcendent issues
in American history during the past 170 years.”
Having these records in our library at this historic and sad
time for the city of Cleveland illustrates perfectly the
importance of the Western Reserve Historical Society in
preserving our community history for current and future
generations, according to WRHS President & CEO Dr. Gainor B.
Davis. “These are the types of records that we must preserve to
fulfill our duty and mission,” she said. “Places of worship are
integral to the founding and growth of communities. Knowing why
they were formed, by whom, and how they contributed to the
community teaches us our roots and lends inspiration for our
future.”
The Euclid Avenue Congregational Church, part of the United
Church of Christ, grew out of a Sunday school started in 1828 at
Doan’s Corners by Sally Cozad Mather and associated with the
“Plan of Union,” a cooperative church-founding effort between
Presbyterians and Congregationalists. It organized as the First
Presbyterian Church of East Cleveland in November 1843 and
incorporated in 1847 with 62 members.
The congregation met in homes and barns until a plain 2-story
brick building was built in 1845 at Euclid Avenue and Doan
Street (E. 105th). In February 1852 the church severed its
connection with the presbytery and for a decade was known as the
Independent Presbyterian Church. The congregation adopted the
Congregational style of church government and, in 1862, became
known as First Congregational Church of East Cleveland. In
1867, a larger brick building of Ohio sandstone was built at
Euclid and Logan Street (96th). Dedicated in 1868, it had a
capacity of 600 and cost $25,000. The congregation numbered 109.
The name was changed to Euclid Avenue Congregational Church in
1872. A Romanesque building of Ohio sandstone was dedicated on
the same site, 9606 Euclid, in September 1887.
Euclid Avenue Congregational Church started four churches as
missions, including Park Congregational, at Crawford and Hough
avenues, and Lakeview Congregational, both ca. 1890. Hough
Avenue Congregational was merged into Euclid Avenue
Congregational in 1934. As the population of the surrounding
neighborhood changed in the late 1940s and 1950s, the church
decided against relocating in the suburbs. Membership declined
from a peak of 1200-1400 in the 1950s to 212 by 1995, but the
church remained a viable multicultural institution, offering a
wide variety of community outreach programs such as daycare, the
Hough House Service Center, and a program for chemically
dependent mothers. The church building was refurbished in the
1980s.
For a complete listing of the Euclid Avenue Congregational
Church archives available at Western Reserve Historical Society,
please visit our website at
www.wrhs.org.
RECYCLINGG
Thank you for placing your Sunday bulletin and other
recyclable paper in the blue basket underneath the visitors
stand at the parking lot entrance. Please do not place trash in
this receptacle.
Thanks also, to Cathy Russell, Dean Sieck and others for
taking the plastic juice containers and communion cups to the
recycle center.
Your E-Mail Address is Requested
A special, Members only area of the Website is under
construction. This area will be accessible only to members who
have registered and received a password. The first piece of this
area will be an online Membership Directory of phone numbers and
e-mail addresses. In order for this to be a useful tool for our
membership, it should be as complete as possible. Please visit
the
Member's Only form to submit
your e-mail address for listing and/or to apply for a password
to the member-only area.
Now
available ONLINE in the Members Only Area: Disbursement Request Form Use of Church Facilities Form Revised Constitution (including two amendments passed at
the Annual Meeting on January 27th) Pictorial
Directory