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MESSIAH MEMOS Messiah Fairview Park Issue 6: October 2017
Celebrating the Reformation
at Messiah Lutheran Church
We are a few weeks away from one of the
most important anniversaries our church will ever celebrate!
500 years ago, on October 31, 1517, an obscure professor at a 15 year-old university turned the Western world on its head. He did it in the oddest of ways, by posting an academic objection, in nine-ty five numbered sentences, to the practice of sell-ing indulgences to raise money for church pro-jects.
Fumes of discontent choked the air of late medie-val Europe. Luther is the hero—or culprit, depend-ing on your point of view—whose sparking pen made them explode.
Luther’s heirs today have another way of looking at it. We dare to trust that God was involved, deeply and graciously, in that Reformation explo-sion. That's why Lutherans are making a special fuss of celebrating it this year, and of thanking God for it too.
At the heart of our fuss and our thanks is the
simple fact that people around the globe are able to hear the Gospel in 2017. It seems obvious to us that Luther's igniting spark of 500 years ago has much to do with this.
I realize that "the Gospel" is a piece of shorthand church-talk that confuses lots of English speakers in 2017, so let me explain what we mean by it at Messiah Lutheran Church.
In simplified terms, the Gospel is Christ offering himself and his benefits, no questions asked, to
every person who comes to meet him in Holy Communion.
In other words, the Gospel is any set of words that delivers the promise of God's unwavering commit-ment, anchored in the death and resurrection of Jesus, to hold people in his love today, no matter who or how or where they are; and whether they deserve this love—not a one of them does—is en-tirely beside the point. That Christ deserves it for them is the only thing that matters.
Were it not for Luther and the Reformation,
chances are strong that the only thing we'd be hearing in churches these days is the same old reli-gious talk about all those things a person has to do to get to heaven. Instead we get to hear the far better story of how God in heaven is reaching down to grab hold of us and bring us home, with joy and laughter along the way.
We have a great celebration in the works for Octo-ber 29, when we mark the anniversary at Messiah. With all my heart I encourage you to be on hand that day to enjoy God's Reformation gifts. Yes, he still insists on giving them, and no, he will not quit.
--Pastor Burce
“The Gospel cannot be preached
and heard enough, for it cannot be
grasped well
enough…”
- Martin Luther
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Back-To-School Highlights at Messiah Lutheran School
From the Interim Music Director
Calling all those who enjoy singing – Messiah Choir needs more voices! I ask you to prayerful- ly consider if you are called to serve in the music ministry at Messiah. The choir rehearses from 7-8:30 pm on Thursdays in the balcony.
Cantors are needed for both Sunday services to chant and lead the congregation in singing the Psalm and the Gospel Acclamation. If you are interested in trying chanting, please contact me.
- Linda Kempke, Interim Director of Music, [email protected]
Did you know that Messiah Lutheran School supports one of only FOUR ELEA accredited K-8 schools in the entire ELCA nationwide? On behalf of all students, families and staff of Messiah Lutheran School, I thank you for your continued support of this unique ministry! Your day school min-istry is off to a great start this year. We welcomed new staff and stu-dents, many of them in preschool and Kindergarten, and our total enroll-ment is up! Trends show that 75 percent of our preschool students attend Messiah Lutheran School for Kindergarten, so growth in preschool is very encouraging.
We’re off to a great (and busy) start this year. Our teachers and students are already planning some great fall field trips to libraries, orchards, farms and more. Our school lunches have featured peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from the school garden. We’ve had internationally known speaker Bob Lenz present to our students in grades 4-8, and sixth and seventh grades have already led chapel. Our fifth-eighth grade students are now all reading our first community novel, Wonder, and we invite you to read along with us. Middle school students are stepping into their roles as leaders of our youngest students as reading buddies, lunch help-ers and more.
We’d love to connect you with this ministry. We’re looking for volunteers for a few different activities, in-cluding tutoring, teaching Junior Achievement courses about economics and business, and more! Contact me at [email protected] or 440.331.6553 to use your gifts in this special ministry of Messiah Church. We continue to pray for members of Messiah Church, and we appreciate your prayers as well!
- Helen Casselberry, Principal
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Stewardship 2017: Let’s Celebrate
Messiah - It’s time to Party!
In the Lutheran Christian tradition, Refor-mation Sunday is a big deal. Many, but not all, Christian traditions celebrate the Reformation, and when it is celebrated, it is most often cele-brated on the last Sunday of October each and every year. In this way, Reformation Sunday is a yearly celebration.
This year, the celebration is again happening the last Sunday of October. Just like Christmas is celebrated every year in the Western tradi-tion on December 25, Reformation is celebrat-ed every year. But this year is different. This year is special. This year the Reformation is being celebrated for the 500th time. Pause for a moment and say that out loud … 500 years!
What a long time! What a magnificent ex-panse of God’s activity of goodness and mercy which leads us to Celebration.
Messiah - Let’s Celebrate!
This year’s theme for the annual time of Stew-ardship 2017 will focus on Celebration. God has already given it all, and we simply get an opportunity to say “thanks” and participate in what God is up to in this world. Stewardship
2017 is a time to both look backward and for-ward. We recognize in this Reformation, that you and I are here and that we have heard the Good News. We have heard the Good News because of the faithfulness of generations that have gone before us. We are able to read the Bible because of those who preserved manu-scripts and made God’s Word available to oth-ers. We oftentimes sing hymns written hun-dreds of years ago because musicians were supported and encouraged to create music to the Glory of God. We worship in this marvel-ous facility because of the vision of others who saw the possibilities for a congregation on Lo-rain Road, and our sanctuary is enhanced by the vision of the congregational leaders, gifted stained glass crafts-people, and generous do-nors throughout the last 88 years.
As we look to the future and what God is do-ing with and through us, let us pray that we will be as faithful as those that have preceded us.
Let’s celebrate and praise the Lord through the gifts and our offerings of thanksgiving.
+ Pastor Seth
For more information, or to volunteer,
contact Kristine Kascak at 440.331.2405
Sunday, October 22, 4 pm
Messiah Lutheran Church & School
21485 Lorain Road, Fairview Park Gather your ghouls and goblins for trick-or-treating from car trunk to car trunk in the
Messiah parking lot.
Stay for hot dogs and fellowship!
FREE event for the community.
All are invited! Join us, rain or shine!
Want to Help?
Join the Fun
Be a Trunk Host
Food & Treat Donations
Also Needed
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“God’s Work. Our Hands.” Sun-day Results
Messiah donated more than four grocery carts
full of groceries and toiletries to the Fairview
Park Hunger Center and Love INC. After the
items were collected on Rally Day, they were
prayed over in worship, that they might help
nourish and benefit our local community mem-
bers in need.
Mission & Outreach
October Coat Drive
Time to clean out your closets and do-
nate new or gently worn coats and
jackets to Love in the Name of Christ, a
local non-profit that supports Cuya-
hoga County residents in need. Please bring your coats
to church during the first four Sundays in October, and
place them in the box outside the church office. The
coats will be picked up, cleaned and delivered to the
homeless and poor throughout Cuyahoga County. If
purchasing a new coat, please buy sizes XXL and larger.
Laundry Love Ministry
Update
On the last Thursday of each
month, five to ten Laundry Love
Messiah team members gather a
mile east of our campus at Leo’s
Laundromat on Lorain Road for a
creative ministry that helps en-
gage with people in our communi-
ty “where they are.” Here we provide free laundry ser-
vices and a meal, helping alleviate the financial burden
for those in need. As of our September event, we have
paid for over four tons of laundry at a cost of about
$200 a month.
Starting this month, we will be accepting donations of
new and gently used children’s books to donate to the
children who come to laundromat with their families.
As many of our Laundry Love volunteers are educa-
tors, we also will be offering tutoring to students as
needed.
Thank you Messiah for your continued support of our
ministry. If you would like to get involved or contribute
financially, please contact Janice Snyder at
Hurricane Relief Matching Gifts
Total
2017 has been one of the most active and de-
structive hurricane seasons on record. Messiah
Lutheran Church & School have been collecting
donations for Lutheran Disaster Response, one
of the most respected disaster relief agencies.
Thanks to a generous match by Thrivent Finan-
cial, the $4,000 collected by Messiah Lutheran
Church before Sept. 30 will be doubled by
Thrivent before being donated to Lutheran Dis-
aster Response. You can still make a donation to
hurricane relief work online at messiahfair-
view.org, or by making a check out to Messiah
Lutheran Church and writing “Hurricane Relief”
in the subject line.
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FAMILY NEWS
WEDDINGS
EMILY GOODLIVE & BEN SAYERS
SEPT. 23
IN MEMORY
ANDREA SCHUMANN
NOVEMBER 6, 1932-SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
JUNE SCHULTZ
JUNE 5, 1935-SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
High School Youth Fundraisers
More than 25 Messiah youth have registered to attend the 2017 Youth Gathering in Houston next Summer. While this is an amazing demonstration of blossoming faith in our young people, it means our youth need to get busy raising more than $30,000 for our large group to attend the event. Here are a few unique fundraising opportunities:
Do You Have Odd Jobs? Do you have odd jobs around your house and could use a helping hand? Messiah youth are ready and available to help! For a free-will donation, a student or team of students will come to your house with an adult to complete various job re-quests. Work will be done through Nov. 15, and again in the spring. For more information or to schedule a re-quest, contact Darlene Waugh at 440.331.2405 or [email protected].
Join us for an Applebee’s All-You-Can-Eat Flapjack Breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 8-10 am at the Westgate Applebee’s! Enjoy unlimited pancakes, soft drinks and coffee with a side of potatoes, bacon and juice. Tickets are $10, ages 11 and up; $6, ages 4-10; kids 3 and under eat free! See a youth group member, Kate Ilg or Darlene Waugh to purchase tickets; or con-tact Kate Ilg at [email protected].
Scrap Metal Fundraiser: On Saturday, Oct. 7, Messiah Senior High Youth will be collecting scrap metal (copper, aluminum, and other metal) from 9-10:30 am in the Messiah parking lot. Simply bring your scrap metal to Messiah, trucks will be waiting in the circular entrance. Need help transporting or need a pick up? Please con-tact Tom Ratvasky at 216.785.6542. The scrap metal fundraiser will take place the first Saturday of each month.
We’re Under Construction
Thanks be to God for the generous
Saints at Messiah who have contributed
to our facilities campaign and are help-
ing make our renovation projects this
fall a possibility. Construction projects
began at Messiah in September and will
continue throughout fall. So far, work
crews have been repairing and painting
exterior windows and stained glass.
Other scheduled projects for this fall in-
clude demolition and replacement of
our front steps, roof repair, HVAC unit
replacement and other general exterior
facilities projects. As of this time, there
will be no disruptions to weekday or
weekend parking or traffic flow. Howev-
er, we will do our best to notify Messiah
Church & School families of any poten-
tial disruptions in the future. We look
forward to refurbishing and renovating
our facilities to better glorify our Savior
here at Messiah!
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October Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 8:30a Holy Communion 9:50a Education Hour 11a Holy Communion
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7p Joy Ringers
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7a Faith at Work
7p New Mem-ber Class
4 9:10a School Chapel 10:00a Bible Study 7p Church Annual Meeting 8p Pints with Pastor
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7p Choir Rehearsal
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78-10a Apple-
bee’s Pancake Fundraiser 9a Scrap Metal Fundraiser 5:30p Holy Communion
8 8:30a Holy Communion 9:50a Second Sundays Education Hour 11a Holy Communion
9 7p Joy Ringers 7:30p Men’s Basketball
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7p New Mem-ber Class
11 9:10a School Chapel 10:00a Bible Study 6:30p Crossways 8p Pints with Pastor
12 Messiah School Closed 7p Choir Rehearsal
13 Messiah School Closed
14 5:30p Holy Communion
15 8:30a Holy Communion 9:50a Education Hour 11a Holy Communion 12p Youth Gathering De-votions 7:30p AA
16 7p Trustees Meeting 7p Joy Ringers 7p Monthly Women’s Bible Study 7:30p Men’s Basketball
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7p New Mem-ber Class
18 9:10a School Chapel 10:00a Bible Study 6:30p Crossways 8p Pints with Pastor
19 7p Choir Rehearsal
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21 5:30p Holy Communion
22 Christ the King Sunday
8:30a Holy Communion 9:50a Education Hour 11a Holy Communion/New Member Sunday 4p Trunk or Treat 7:30p AA
23 7p Joy Ringers 7:30p Men’s Basketball
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25 9:10a School Chapel 10:00a Bible Study 6:30p Crossways 8p Pints with Pastor
26 7p Choir Rehearsal
27 7p BHITC Hymn-Fest
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1:30p Kreps/Dickey Wedding No Saturday Service
29 Reformation Sun-
day! 8:30a Holy Communion 9-11:30a Reformation Breakfast 9:50a Adult Forum 11a Holy Communion/ First Communion
30 7p Joy Ringers 7:30p Men’s Basketball
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Non-Profit Org. US. Postage
PAID Cleveland
Ohio 44126 Permit No. 3829
Messiah Lutheran Church
21485 Lorain Rd,
Fairview Park, OH 44126
Phone (440) 331-2405
www.messiahfairview.org
Dated Materials
Issue 6
October 2017
Messiah Memos
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Join Us for a Reformation Celebration!
Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017
Worship at 8:30 & 11 am
Retired Messiah Pastor Gerald Miller, Preacher
Linda Kempke, Organist
Adult Forum 9:50-10:40 am
Roundtable Discussion with Pastor Burce &
Pastor Miller
No Sunday School or Confirmation Classes
Fifth Grade Students Receive First Communion
at 11 am Worship Service
Reformation Breakfast from 8-11:30 am
Trivia, Music, Luther Cut Out, Old Lutheran
Prize Baskets, Coloring Contest
Let’s Party Like Its 1517!
Reformation Breakfast Volunteers Needed!
Name: ____________________________
Phone: ___________________________
I would like to volunteer:
Hall Set-up (Sat, 10/28) 9a-Noon ____
Clean-up (Sun, 10/29) 11:30a–1 pm ____
Or to volunteer, contact Sharon Ratvasky at
440.391.1511 or [email protected]
All proceeds benefit the Messiah High School
Youth Group in its fundraising for the
2018 National Youth Gathering!