May 2014

www.highlandsucc.com Highlandsucc@sbcglobal.net 937-399-7493 1910 Saint Paris Pike Springfield, Ohio 45504-1206

From the Pastor

Happy Easter! Wait, you say, Easter was last month on the 20th! We had flowers and everything! Are you completely daft, Pastor Avery? How could you miss it with all the wonderful worship services we had during Lent and the real Easter Sunday?

The Easter season begins Easter Sunday and continues until Pentecost Sunday50 days after Easter. In the Western Christian tradition, each Sunday during the Easter season is treated as Easter. The roots of this tradition go back to the Jewish tradition of celebrating the time period between Passover which celebrates the liberation of the Hebrew people from Egypt and the Festival of Weeks, which celebrates God giving the Torah to the Hebrew people on Mount Sinai.
During our season of Easter, we will explore the Early Church through The Acts of the Apostles and the lessons we might use today, as we prepare ourselves for Pentecost next month. During this season of celebrating the risen Christ, let us each consider, what does it mean to be church in todays world? What does it mean for Highlands? What do we need to do as a beloved community of believers to be a vital witness? Are we doing all we think we can? Is it enough? The realities are that in todays society, the church is becoming less and less relevant. Increasingly folks identify as spiritual but not religious. I wonder how the church will respond. I ask you to prayerfully consider each of these questions as we look at the early church during this Easter Season.

Mother/Daughter Banquet ATTENTION !! There is only one Sunday left to sign up.
Highlands United Church of Christ Fellowship Hall Wednesday, May 7, 2014 6:15 p.m. Come one! Come all! All women and girls are invited to this very special evening out. Bring along family, friends, and neighbors. You will enjoy great food (men cooking and serving), good fellowship, and entertainment. Sign up on the sheet on the table in the narthex. A freewill offering will be taken. This event is sponsored by the Semper Fidelis Class. If you cannot be at church to sign up, call Betty at 399-1437.

Womens May Morning Breakfast Sunday, May 4, 2014 8:00 a.m.

Females of all ages are invited to join in this annual event at the Golden Corral, 1740 Bechtle Ave., Springfield. What a wonderful way to celebrate together the beginning of this beautiful season that God has given us! Sponsored by the Semper Fidelis Class.

Highlands Leadership
Pastor:
Church Officers:

Rev. Avery Sledge

Pam DixonModerator Jan KushmaulVice Moderator Linda OwensTreasurer Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9:00 a.m.12:00 noon

Pastors Office Hours

Monday and Thursday 9:00 a.m.12:00 noon Wednesday 12:00 noon3:00 p.m. You can reach Pastor Avery in the church office during those hours or at 937-429-1536.

Office Hours:

Creation Care Opportunity

We announced during our Earth Day Celebration that Highlands UCC has agreed to pick up trash along the roadside from Harding Road along St. Paris Pike to the St. Paris Connector. Supplies have been provided by the Clark County Waste Management System and are available in the fellowship hall for pickup. Be sure to sign the sheet so we know who is participating. If you wish to help but you see that the trash has already been gathered in the area you select, you may collect trash near where you live or an area that has not yet been cleaned. You may collect trash in your bag all during the month of May. Please bring your collected trash to the church so we may keep track of what weve collected as part of our commitment to care for Gods beautiful creation. Bags may be placed along the wall of the church over the hill between the parking lot and the air conditioners.

Adult Discussion Group Continues Its Study

The study of the book An Altar in the World: a geography of faith written by Barbara Taylor Brown, continues at 9:15 a.m. each Sunday morning in the church lounge. Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are prepared and ready to be served along with lively discussion of how we live a Christian life in the world. All are welcome to join the discussion at any time.

Fair Committee to meet

Calling all members of the Clark County Fair Ministry Team. The meeting to plan the 2014 Fair Ministry will be held Thursday, May 15, at 7:00 p.m. at the church. Many items of discussion need to be addressed.

Worship Helpers for May

Greeter: Acolyte: Liturgist: Betty Mougey 5/4, 5/11, 5/18, 5/25 Emylee Siebold 5/4 Teena Siebold 5/4 Kathie Harbaugh 5/11 Jan Kushmaul 5/18 Vicki Conway 5/25 Kathie Harbaugh 5/4 Barb Korn 5/4, 5/18, 5/25 Maire Conway 5/11 Vicki Conway 5/11 Scott Siebold 5/4

Semper Fidelis to serve meal

Women of the church, please mark your calendars for this special event. Tuesday, May 27, 2014 7:00 p.m. Semper Fidelis will be serving a meal to a community organization. All hands are needed for this effort. Please let Betty Mougey know if you can help. Call 399-1437. Door greeter: Sound system: Ushers:

Steve Harbaugh 5/4, 5/11

Lunch Bunch
How would you like to have a free lunch with really good food and great conversation? 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, May 28, 2014 Highlands United Church of Christ 12:00 noon Sign the sheet on the bulletin board on wall of the fellowship hall or call 399-7723 for reservations.

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 recycling 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. In March, we donated 42 items and in April, 37. We can do better than that! 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.

The April 2014 Childrens Noisy Collection totaled $70.50!!

Noisy Collection is the second Sunday of each month. The contributions you make during this collection will go to a ministry that shares Gods love in the world.
As the children collect the coins, they learn how to give to others in need. The next collection is May 11. Have your metal money ready to make a loud noise.

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.

Relay for Life 6:00 p.m. Friday, June 13 to noon Saturday, June 14 Clark County Fairgrounds
What is Highlands doing as one of the registered teams? We have a team organized to raise funds for Relay for Life. Relay for Life is an opportunity to unite as a community to honor cancer survivors, to learn what we can do to reduce cancer risk, and to raise money to help the American Cancer Society fight the disease. Luminaries can be purchased in honor or memory of someone who has cancer. Forms are available on the table in the narthex. Give to Betty Mougey to turn in.

We are planning to sell walking tacos at the event.

We will have walkers on the track Friday evening and during the entire night. How wonderful if Highlands could have someone on the track the entire time. Please sign up for a time to walk. If you cannot walk, come, sit, and visit and be a part of this very important event. If you can help with taking down our camp site, please let Tammy or Betty know. This is just one more good thing Highlands does in our community.

Special thanks to the Romaca Trust for the gift of $5,226.26. These funds have been added to the $1,000.00 received from the Wilson Charitable Trust and special gift of $5,000.00 from the Rev. Don Norenberg family. Trustees have established a policy on special gifts. 10% will be set aside for ministries in the community that provide assistance to those in need. 45% will be placed in a special account that is designated to special needs but not to be used for regular budgeted expenses. The remaining 45% will be added to the building/capital expenses account for such things as parking lot repair, roof maintenance, or other capital improvements.

Christian Education
Special thanks to all who helped with Spring Fling. It was a fun time of fellowship and good food. We consumed 60 hot dogs and had fun at the sundae bar. The egg hunt was enjoyed by all of our young people. Thanks to all who helped in any way. Thanks to our young people for being part of our attendance incentive. You did a great job of getting your hands and feet on our banner. It still needs a little work. More hands are needed. Thanks also to Lisa Mougey for making the banner. IMPORTANT INFORMATION! The last day of classes for children during worship will be May 18th. We will plan to have snacks and play outside on the 25th. Starting June 1st, we will do one classroom for all. We need volunteers to help make this a fun Summer for our children. Watch for the sign-up sheet to help with this.

Chili Supper Helps Food Pantry On March 29, The Diaconate of Highlands UCC hosted the annual Chili Supper to collect food and money for the Open Hands Free Store Food Pantry. The supper was well attended by members of the church and the community. We collected a cart full of food and $97.00. Pastor Avery blessed the food during worship on March 30.
The Free Store provides clothing, small household items and food to those in the Springfield area in need. Clients can use the services of the Free Store once per month. The mission of this ministry is to support the material and spiritual needs of people in the Springfield/Clark County area by providing economic and religious activities which enhance the quality of life. Through the distribution of food, clothing and household items, the Open Hands Free Store provides unique relationship-building opportunities for its clients and those who support the ministry. The Open Hands Free Store Executive Director, Rev. Sherri Blackwell also serves as Pastor at Yellow Springs United Methodist Church. There is always a need for food to feed hungry people in Springfield-Clark County. Highlands UCC collects food weekly for the Open Hands Free Store. You may drop your donations by the church anytime the church is open. The food cart is located in the narthex. for I was hungry and you gave me food Matthew 25:35

Festival of the Ascension of our Lord

Highlands United Church of Christ is invited to an ecumenical worship service celebrating the Festival of the Ascension of our Lord on Thursday evening, May 29, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. at the Weaver Chapel on the campus of Wittenberg University. Since it is a festival service, the Sacrament of Holy Communion will be administered, open to all who worship. Bishop Suzanne Dillahunt of the Southern Ohio Synod (E.L.C.A.) will preach. A reception will follow the service. The service is sponsored by the Lutheran clergy (ELCA) of Springfield and their congregations.

Save These Dates Clark County Fair July 1825, 2014

These are very important dates to put on your calendar. We still need all of your help to get this very big job accomplished. In the next newsletter, we will be able to let you know the clean-up and meat preparation dates. What a wonderful way to serve the community and help the church with its one big money making activity not to mention that we enjoy some wonderful fellowship time.

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, emotionally, and spiritually.

937-399-2444

May 2014
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Sun

1 Pick up trash along St. Paris Pike all month 5 Springfield Zen Group 7:00 pm Christian Education 7:00 pm 13 14 15 Fair Committee 7:00 pm Mother/Daughter Banquet 6:15 pm 6 7 8 9

3 Planned Parenthood Training 10

4 Womens breakfast 8am Adult Class 9:15 am 10:30 am Worship 10:45 am Children Fellowship 11:30 am 12:00 pm Diaconate 12 Springfield Zen Group 7:00 pm 16

17

11 Adult Class Worship Children Fellowship 19 Springfield Zen Group 7:00 pm 20 21 Trustees 6:00 pm 22

9:15 am 10:30 am 10:45 am 11:30 am

23

24

18 Adult Class Worship Children Fellowship 26 Memorial Day 27 Meal served by Semper Fidelis 7:00 pm Springfield Zen Group 7:00 pm 28

9:15 am 10:30 am 10:45 am 11:30 am

Council

7:30 pm
31 Lunch Bunch 12:00 pm

25 Adult Class Worship Children Fellowship

9:15 am 10:30 am 10:45 am 11:30 am

29 30 The Festival of the Ascension of our Lord 7:00 pm

Highlands United Church of Christ 1910 Saint Paris Pike Springfield, Ohio 45504 www.highlandsucc.com

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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, sexual 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

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 Gods 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