The
month of May brings with it Pentecost Sunday,
the day we formally remember the birth of the church. It’s
the appointed time for us to read from the second chapter
of Acts and to hear the account that speaks of the rush
of the mighty wind; tongues of fire; and, people speaking
in different languages. Pentecost is the Sunday we come
face to face with the power of God’s Spirit.
Years
ago, I attended a breakfast at an area church. To be honest
I really wanted to sleep in that morning, but something
told me to get up and go. It never registered with me that
it was the Spirit that was telling me to get out of bed,
but I realized afterwards that God had something to say
that morning that he wanted me to hear. I now wonder how
many times I might have missed out on an important message
from the Lord because I didn’t recognize his voice.
The
breakfast planning committee had invited a member of a cult
to give his testimony after breakfast. He spoke for over
an hour and kept me on the edge of my seat. God had delivered
him from more than the bondage of a cult. He was also recovering
from a life of drug abuse.
He admitted to us that after he became a Christian, he continued
to abuse prescription drugs. But the Lord spoke to him one
night just before he climbed into bed. “Have you ever
stood in a room and thought someone was looking at you?”
he asked us. “Well, that’s the feeling I had
that night as I looked at the bottle of pills on my nightstand.
Someone else was in that room with me. I finally realized
that I had the Spirit of God dwelling in me. Both of us
were looking at that bottle.”
For the first time in his new life, he understood what it
meant when he asked Jesus to come live in his heart. His
whole perspective about his drug use changed when he remembered
what the Bible says about our relationship with the Lord.
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are
God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in
you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy
him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that
temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:17)
A
noted theologian once said, “Every time we say, ‘I
believe in the Holy Spirit,’ we mean that there is
a living God able and willing to enter human personality
and change it.” That’s exactly what that former
cult member was trying to tell us.
All of us are able to experience the life-changing power
of the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit has the ability
to be present in every place at the same time. “Where
can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?”
(Psalms 139:7)
When
Jesus walked among us, he was not able to be everywhere
at the same time. But, when he ascended to heaven, he promised
that he would always be with us. And so he is, through the
power of the Holy Spirit. In fact, Jesus and the Father
dwell in us through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Paul once said, “For in Christ all the fullness of
the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given
fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and
authority.” (Colossians 2:9-10) But, it was Jesus
who tied it all together when he said, “But the
Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in
my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of
everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
The Holy Spirit can and will change our lives if we allow
him. But remember, apart from Jesus we will never experience
the fullness of life that God promises. That’s what
prompted another Christian writer to observe, “If
you have the Spirit without the Word, you blow up. If you
have the Word without the Spirit, you dry up. If you have
both the Word and the Spirit, you grow up.”
May we find this Pentecost season to be a season
of growth; a time for Spirit and Word to come together within
our own lives.
Pastor
Kathy
Do
you have a prayer request?
Please use the bulletin board over
the water fountain to make your prayer concerns known, or Click
Here to submit one for inclusion during our next
service.
Volunteer
at First Church!
Update
your Gifts
Inventory or commit to a volunteer opportunity.
Forms are available on line or at the Welcome Center at
church or, you can fill out the on-line
version and send it in.
Don’t
know what your spiritual gifts are? Fill out a Gift
Inventory (short form) or contact Connie at
(440/238-7890) for a more in-depth survey.
Church
News, Photos, etc..
Important
Dates - Church Events - Stuff.....
Please
click on a link below to view the current
newsletters published by First Lutheran Church.
Have you ever wondered how life-changing a mission
trip can be? If so, we are looking for 5 to 12 volunteers
who may be interested in going on a mission trip
to El Salvador in 2013. The trip,
organized through Living Water International,
will last 6 to 7 days and will provide the practical
service of digging a new well or repairing an existing
well for an impoverished community that desperately
needs clean water and sharing the Good News of Jesus
Christ with those we are serving. No experience
is required and training will be provided.
Exact dates for the trip have yet to be determined
and will be based on availability from the group
of volunteers that expresses interest in the trip.
Endowment has set aside funding to subsidize the
cost of the trip. The expected contribution
per volunteer will be $1,000 to $1,500,
depending on the number of participants. Minimum
age requirement is 14. Volunteers under 18 must
be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
If interested, please sign up on the sheet outside
of the church office. For questions, please contact
Reiner Mueller (440.846.0532 or reinermueller@sbcglobal.net).
Our
Prayer & Care Group prepares and sends
cards to those of us, young and old alike, who are
lonely, suffering from illness or injury, or those
with on-going issues. Join us the first Friday of
every month at 10 AM. Questions? Contact Sue Ludwig
(440.238.5164 or suziezoo24@yahoo.com).
First
Lutheran Busy Bags contain quiet items,
crayons, and books for children to use during the
service. They can be found under the table at the
back of the church. Just ask an usher if you would
like one of these bags for your little one.
Mental
Health Services/Children Who Witness Violence is
in need of men’s business clothes and shoes,
furniture, cleaning supplies, pots, pans, and casserole
dishes. If anyone has donations, please place them
in the Fellowship Hall entrance. Questions? Please
call Tammy (216.548.2761).
The
Street Ministry continues to collect
men’s socks for the homeless. Please place your
donation in the marked box by the Fellowship Hall
entrance. Questions? Contact Steve Gall (440.238.3019).
WOW
continues to collect travel & regular size women’s
toiletries. Please place them in the container on
the Welcome Center.
Nursery attendants needed!
If you are available to help in the nursery,
please contact Bonnie Bailey (440.572.5044).
Join
the Red, White, and Blue Team!
A
new Mission Ministry is being kicked
off to help military families within
our congregation and community that
have a parent or loved one currently
deployed overseas. We are looking for
volunteers to provide meals, home handyman,
and babysitting services for military
families that could use a little extra
help and support.
Help
fulfill your patriotic duty while doing
the work our Lord has called us to do!
The
ELCA Malaria Campaign intends to contain
malaria on the African continent by 2015.
To help, make a donation using the special envelope
in the pews. Make checks payable to First Lutheran
Church, and place envelopes in the offering
plate. Our goal is to raise $5,100.
Do
you have a prayer request? Please use the bulletin
board over the water fountain to make your prayer
concerns known.
Need to
get rid of your old cell phone? Recycle
the old one! Please drop off old cell phones
and used ink cartridges – boxes located
on the table under the youth bulletin board
by the Fellowship Hall entrance. Questions?
Contact Debbie Brighter (440.572.2627).
Stop
by the Welcome Center, in the
lobby, for additional information on our activities
and ministries.
Donate
your altar flowers to local nursing
homes or our own church shut-ins. If anyone
is interested in assisting with delivering these
flowers, please contact Penny Stupka (440/238-1667).
Cleaning
for a Reason - If you know any woman
currently undergoing Chemo, please pass the
word to her that there is a cleaning service
that provides FREE housecleaning – 1 time
per month for 4 months while she is in treatment.
All she has to do is sign up and have her doctor
fax a note confirming the treatment. Cleaning
for a Reason will have a participating maid
service in her zip code area arrange for the
service. http://www.cleaningforareason.org.
Strongsville
Emergency Food Bank - The Food Bank
is open to Strongsville residents year-round:
Monday thru Friday, 9:30 – 11:30 AM and
including the 2nd Saturday of every month. Call
440/846-0197 for more information. Nonperishable
food items can be placed in the shopping carts
by the side and Fellowship Hall entrances. This
is taken to the Strongsville Food Bank.
Both pastors offer open office hours
for anyone who wants to stop by to share &
concerns. It is helpful to call in advance for
an appointment. Drop-in visitors are received
on a first come, first served basis. Pastor Chuck’s hours are 10
- noon on Tuesday.
Pastor Kathy’s hours are 10 – noon
on Wednesday
Celebrations,
parties, or just everyday living ... if you
shop at GFS - don’t
forget to mention First Lutheran when checking
out and help First earn credit to supply future
church functions.
c
c
Worship Service
Recordings
for Shut-ins
First
Church has a program to provide CD recordings,
currently of the lesson readings, Gospel
reading, and sermon, for members who are
unable to attend regular services.
The
shut-in will be provided with a CD player,
on loan from the church, with which to listen
to the service recording mailed or delivered
to them each week. Plans are to expand the
recording capability to the entire service
in the future.
If
you know of any or our members, or nonmembers,
who may be interested in participating in
this program, please contact the church
office or click
here.
We
now have a special page on this Web site
devoted to the prior sermons from each week
of service.
Please
click
here to view the sermons you
can download.
The
following are church events and fellowship opportunities
at First Church. A complete listing of all of the
Church Events can be downloaded by clicking on the
"Weekly Revelations" located in the box
to the left.
Constitution
Update
Periodically,
we are required to update our Constitution to bring
it into compliance with the ELCA Model Constitution.
Because of the volume of the most recent changes,
we are making our Constitution available for you
on the Web site for anyone who would like to review
it. A limited number of hard copies are available
in the church office. These changes will be voted
on as a whole at the Congregational Meeting
on May 20, then forwarded to the Northeastern
Ohio Synod for their approval.
Contemporary
Worship
( 2nd, 3rd and 5th Sunday ONLY )
Faith and Family Connecting
at First – Copies of the newsletter
“Faith and Family Connecting at First”
are available at the Welcome Center. This is a newsletter
offered through the Youth and Adult Enrichment Committee
that features parenting tips, Sunday school news
updates, and a synopsis of youth activities here
at First. The newsletter is also available online
attached to the monthly Revelations.
First
Lutheran Legacy Update – We recently
received another $2,000 in planned gifts for our
First Lutheran Legacy program. At this time of year,
many of us may have received bonuses or tax refunds.
If that applies to you, won’t you consider
sharing a portion of that blessing with a Planned
Gift to First Church? For more information, pick
up a brochure outside the office or see Wayne Mosley
or Brenda Jacob.
Vacation Bible School is
quickly approaching and we need help! If you are
able to help July 9-13 from 9 AM to noon,
please let us know immediately. We need people to
teach, to help with snacks and crafts, and people
to help with the general organization and planning.
Please contact Pastor Kathy immediately if you are
able to give some of your time to this important
ministry.
Nursery
Policy: Please note that the nursery is
reserved for children through age 3 only. Older
children are invited to attend Sunday school or
worship with their families. Thank you.
Sunday
School - Education Hour
Topics:
3 yr – 6th gr – “Philip and
the Ethiopian”
Adult – “Embracing the Prophets in
Contemporary Culture”
Offer
YOUR special music for a worship service this
summer! Sign up on James’s (music office)
door.
Help
beautify First Church on Pentecost
by donating red geraniums! $6 each. Order forms
available at the youth table in the lobby or CLICK
HERE.Deadline is
Sunday, May 20.
Come
and enjoy a night of fellowship, food, and fun to
benefit the youth headed to the National Gathering
in New Orleans! This adult-only fundraiser will
be held Saturday, May 19, 6–9
PM at McCarthy’s (13339 Pearl Rd).
Tickets are $25 and include rigatoni, wings, pizza,
salad, rolls, and drinks – draft beer, wine,
and well drinks. Basket auctions, 50/50 raffle,
sideboards, and more! Tickets on sale at the youth
table in the lobby.
Congregational
Meeting, Sunday, May 20, following the
11:15 AM service. Election of officers plus other
business. We must have 75 to conduct business.
Open positions are Vice-president,
Member-at-Large, Treasurer, and Cabinet Liaison.
If you are interested in any of these openings,
please contact Pastor Chuck, Dawn Zima, Mark Kuritzky,
or Erin Hinojosa.
Live
U2 music by Bonofide in a unique,
contemporary worship setting in partnership with
Children Who Witness Violence. Sunday, May
20, 6:30 PM. Learn more about the important
ministry of CWWV, participate in an interactive
worship environment. Church can be fun and inspiring!
Come and check it out. Bring your friends!
All Youth – Sunday, May 20, 12:30
PM – Swings-n-Things. $24
Sign up on the youth board.
Bible
Study with Pastor Kathy - Monday, May 21,
7:00 PM – Though she is rarely mentioned in
the Gospels, she is doubtlessly the most important
and most revered woman in biblical history. Come
and join us as we explore the topic of Mary of Nazareth,
the mother of our Lord.
Interested
in learning more about the ministry of the Northeastern
Ohio Synod? Two delegates (1 male, 1 female)
are needed for the Synod Assembly on June
1 in Akron.Contact Pastor Chuck if interested.
Interested in helping to inspire and empower homeless
families to transform their lives, become self-sufficient,
and get back on their feet again? Then become part
of Cleveland’s largest local organization focused
exclusively on serving homeless families, while keeping
all types of families together, Family Promise
of Greater Cleveland (formerly Interfaith
Hospitality Network). Our church helps by supporting
Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Brecksville
as they provide supper, evening hosting, and overnight
lodging for families in the program for an entire
week. The next volunteer opportunity will be the week
of June 3 – 9.
Volunteers are needed to provide dinner (5 to 7 PM),
host during the evening (7 to 9 PM), or spend the
night. If interested, or have questions, please contact
Dennis Beckman (denbeck@sbcglobal.net
or 440.238.0176) or Pat Sauernheimer at (peprpat@sbcglobal.net
or 440.891.1505).
Beginning Sunday, June
17 our summer worship schedule takes effect:
- 8:15 AM Traditional
- 10:00 AM Traditional (first
and fourth Sundays); Contemporary
(second and third Sundays)
Please mark your calendars
and plan to be with us through the summer!
Running with a Mission
Saturday, June 23, 9:00 AM – Benefiting
Laura’s Home.
See Welcome Center for more information.
Do
you like money?
Do you like counting money?
Please consider attending a Counting
101 Class on Sunday, June 24, after the 10 AM service.
No obligation … see if it is for you …
6 teams, counting every 6 weeks. If interested,
please respond to Terri Mosley (terrimosley@sbcglobal.net
or 440.238.6470).
Vacation Bible School is
quickly approaching and we need help! If you are
able to help July 9-13 from 9 AM to noon,
please let us know immediately. We need people to
teach, to help with snacks and crafts, and people
to help with the general organization and planning.
Please contact Pastor Kathy immediately if you are
able to give some of your time to this important
ministry.
We have a group going to the Maltz
Museum July 27 for a dinner and tour of
the museum. If interested in going, please call
Shirley Mack (440.842.2585).
Hobo
Lunch, Tuesday, August 14, we will be entertained
by Debra Rose, a professional singer. Any questions,
call Dorothy Krenz (440.238.2693) or Shirley Mack
(440.842.2585)
Red Number
indicates "New Record" in monthly hits
Blue Number indicates
"Highest All-time Month" in hits
The
month of May brings with it Pentecost Sunday,
the day we formally remember the birth of the church. It’s
the appointed time for us to read from the second chapter
of Acts and to hear the account that speaks of the rush
of the mighty wind; tongues of fire; and, people speaking
in different languages. Pentecost is the Sunday we come
face to face with the power of God’s Spirit. 
Years
ago, I attended a breakfast at an area church. To be honest
I really wanted to sleep in that morning, but something
told me to get up and go. It never registered with me that
it was the Spirit that was telling me to get out of bed,
but I realized afterwards that God had something to say
that morning that he wanted me to hear. I now wonder how
many times I might have missed out on an important message
from the Lord because I didn’t recognize his voice.
The
breakfast planning committee had invited a member of a cult
to give his testimony after breakfast. He spoke for over
an hour and kept me on the edge of my seat. God had delivered
him from more than the bondage of a cult. He was also recovering
from a life of drug abuse.
A
noted theologian once said, “Every time we say, ‘I
believe in the Holy Spirit,’ we mean that there is
a living God able and willing to enter human personality
and change it.” That’s exactly what that former
cult member was trying to tell us.
When
Jesus walked among us, he was not able to be everywhere
at the same time. But, when he ascended to heaven, he promised
that he would always be with us. And so he is, through the
power of the Holy Spirit. In fact, Jesus and the Father
dwell in us through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Pastor
Kathy
Do
you have a prayer request? 
Volunteer
at First Church! 
First
Lutheran Busy Bags contain quiet items,
crayons, and books for children to use during the
service. They can be found under the table at the
back of the church. Just ask an usher if you would
like one of these bags for your little one. 
A
new Mission Ministry is being kicked
off to help military families within
our congregation and community that
have a parent or loved one currently
deployed overseas. We are looking for
volunteers to provide meals, home handyman,
and babysitting services for military
families that could use a little extra
help and support. 
The
ELCA Malaria Campaign intends to contain
malaria on the African continent by 2015.
To help, make a donation using the special envelope
in the pews. Make checks payable to First Lutheran
Church, and place envelopes in the offering
plate. Our goal is to raise $5,100.
First
Church has a program to provide CD recordings,
currently of the lesson readings, Gospel
reading, and sermon, for members who are
unable to attend regular services. 
Periodically,
we are required to update our Constitution to bring
it into compliance with the ELCA Model Constitution.
Because of the volume of the most recent changes,
we are making our Constitution available for you
on the Web site for anyone who would like to review
it. A limited number of hard copies are available
in the church office. These changes will be voted
on as a whole at the Congregational Meeting
on May 20, then forwarded to the Northeastern
Ohio Synod for their approval.
First
Lutheran Legacy Update – We recently
received another $2,000 in planned gifts for our
First Lutheran Legacy program. At this time of year,
many of us may have received bonuses or tax refunds.
If that applies to you, won’t you consider
sharing a portion of that blessing with a Planned
Gift to First Church? For more information, pick
up a brochure outside the office or see Wayne Mosley
or Brenda Jacob.
Nursery
Policy: Please note that the nursery is
reserved for children through age 3 only. Older
children are invited to attend Sunday school or
worship with their families. Thank you.
Offer
YOUR special music for a worship service this
summer! Sign up on James’s (music office)
door.
Help
beautify First Church on Pentecost
by donating red geraniums! $6 each. Order forms
available at the youth table in the lobby or 
Come
and enjoy a night of fellowship, food, and fun to
benefit the youth headed to the National Gathering
in New Orleans! This adult-only fundraiser will
be held Saturday, May 19, 6–9
PM at McCarthy’s (13339 Pearl Rd).
Tickets are $25 and include rigatoni, wings, pizza,
salad, rolls, and drinks – draft beer, wine,
and well drinks. Basket auctions, 50/50 raffle,
sideboards, and more! Tickets on sale at the youth
table in the lobby.
Congregational
Meeting, Sunday, May 20, following the
11:15 AM service. Election of officers plus other
business. We must have 75 to conduct business.
Live
U2 music by Bonofide in a unique,
contemporary worship setting in partnership with
Children Who Witness Violence. Sunday, May
20, 6:30 PM. Learn more about the important
ministry of CWWV, participate in an interactive
worship environment. Church can be fun and inspiring!
Come and check it out. Bring your friends!
Bible
Study with Pastor Kathy - Monday, May 21,
7:00 PM – Though she is rarely mentioned in
the Gospels, she is doubtlessly the most important
and most revered woman in biblical history. Come
and join us as we explore the topic of Mary of Nazareth,
the mother of our Lord.
Interested
in learning more about the ministry of the Northeastern
Ohio Synod? Two delegates (1 male, 1 female)
are needed for the Synod Assembly on June
1 in Akron.Contact Pastor Chuck if interested.
Do
you like money?
