Reaching Heights April 2026

Reaching Heights April 2026

Links to this month’s news:

WORSHIP AND STUDY

• Worship Themes for April

FROM THE STAFF

• Kate’s Cogitations

FROM THE BOARD 

• Administration Team
• Worship Notes
• Fellowship Ministry 
• Education Ministry
• Mission Ministry

OTHER NEWS

• Wednesdays Together with Plymouth
• Book Group and Meditative Arts Group
• Gift Cards
  
• Social Media
• Birthdays

See the Serving Schedule

Worship Themes April 2026

Maundy Thursday April 2      Worship 7:30 pm
Chapel and Zoom

A service in 3 movements: Invitation, Intercession, Communion
(optional dinner with Plymouth at 6:15 pm –  donation of $10/person, reservations due to Church  Office by March 29)

Maundy Thursday draws us into the quiet intimacy of Jesus’ final meal with his friends. On this night we remember the towel and basin, the bread and cup – simple sacred gestures of love shared around a table, as well as the time Jesus spent in prayer for his disciples and for the world.

The good news is even Judah gets his feet washed. This reminds us that grace does not draw boundaries; even betrayal cannot stop love from bending low. In that spirit, this service calls us to receive and to give, to serve and to be served, and to honor the sacredness woven through all creation.

(adapted from liturgy developed by Dr. Cláudio Carvalhaes I A Sanctified Art I sanctifiedart.org )

Good Friday—April 3 Noon to 3:00 pm  Community service at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 2747 Fairmount Blvd. Cleveland Hts. The service is divided into 7 segments, each lasting about 25 minutes and focusing on one of the final statements of Jesus in the gospels. (Come and go as you need to, entering/exiting during the hymns.) Pastor Dillon will preach on the 4th word between 1:15 – 1:45 pm.  The service will also be live-streamed at  http://www.stpauls-church.org/live

Easter Day  Sunday April 5    Worship at 11:00 a.m.
The Good News Is Alive in the World             Matthew 28:1-10

Death cannot stop the good news. It is alive, unbound, and wild in the world. As we celebrate the good news of Easter, let us go out seeking Christ in the faces of neighbors and strangers, and in the good works that are alive in this world.

Join us for a joyous celebration of resurrection – through scripture, prayer and music.

Flowers will adorn the chancel and we will celebrate communion and join our voices together in praise of God’s redeeming love!

Sunday, April 12                     Second Sunday of Easter   
                                            John 20:19-31       Dr. Carolyn Troha will be preaching

Sunday, April 19                     Third Sunday of Easter       
Recognizing Christ       Luke 24:13-35

Sunday, April 26                     Fourth Sunday of Easter   
***Joint worship with Plymouth Church   Note worship time change 10:30 am in Plymouth Sanctuary***

We will worship with the Plymouth congregation this day to experience “Sermon in Songs: Holy Scripture Alive with the Sounds of Music” by Dr. Calvin Taylor. Worship will include hymns, prayers and communion. A reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall.   The service will be live-streamed through Plymouth’s website and You-Tube page. More information here:  https://www.plymouthchurchucc.org/livestream

A concert with Dr. Taylor will take place at 4:00 pm in the Sanctuary. It is free and open to the community. Invite your friends!

An extra opportunity to give thanks and praise!
Our friend and colleague, Pastor Dillon Shipman, will be ordained at Plymouth Church on Saturday, April 18 at 3:00 p.m. Your prayers and presence are requested!

Kate’s Cogitations

As Easter draws near and Spring promises to reappear, I am grateful for both our liturgical church year seasons and our seasons of changing weather. Over the course of the liturgical church year, we remember various events and teachings from church history – hopeful anticipation in Advent gives way to joy at the birth of the Messiah; Epiphany offers new insight; Lent brings self-reflection in preparation to Easter’s hope and joy. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and enter a long “growing season” in the summer and fall when we revisit the basics of discipleship and retell ancient stories.

Just as Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall have their own moods and characteristics, the same can be said about the liturgical year. Each season emphasizes a different part of the Christian Story and can speak to us in different ways. Of course, we feel whatever we feel regardless of what season we’re in – but sometimes the current season can be a reminder to pay attention to certain moods and practices. If we allow our feelings to be determined only by current events or our personal circumstances, we could spend a lot of time worrying about the state of the world or our declining health or limited finances, clouding out any chance for joy or hope.

But because of the changing seasons (both in liturgy and in weather), we are reminded that Hope is on the way, that there’s always Good News, and that we shouldn’t sit in ashes and penitence all year. It WILL get warm again. Birds will sing; flowers will bloom. New life is promised for all. The Spirit will move through the world and within us. Moments of celebration are in our future.

So, take heart, for after the long weeks of a fearful winter, the Easter season comes once again to re-kindle hope and joy.

in peace,

Kate

FROM THE BOARD: 

Administration Ministry

Worship Notes

During the past four Lenten Sundays, Dr. Kate has preached on the theme of “Tell Me Something Good”.  On March 1, she shared the story of Katurah, which means “incense” or “perfume” in Hebrew one of the women of the Bible (the woman with the alabaster jar).   On March 15 Representative Shontel Brown and members of her staff attended worship with us. A hospitality hour provided an opportunity for members of the congregation to speak with her. On the next Sunday Dr. Kate preached as Eliana (which means “My God has answered” in Hebrew) , the woman who was about to be stoned for her actions. Dr. Kate’s personifications of women from the Bible really bring these stories alive to us!  Attendance for these four Sundays in Lent averaged 44 including from 7-12 on Zoom or Facebook with us. We all now look forward to the services for Holy Week, starting with Palm Sunday on March 29.

Hospitality 

Education

Intergenerational Space
The Education Team is excited to invite worshipers to enjoy our new intergenerational space. Located at the rear of the Chapel on the pulpit side, you will find activities for all ages. Currently there is a jigsaw puzzle set up, as well as drawers with adult and children’s coloring pages, word searches and paper to draw. There are also art supplies and clipboards on the cart for people to use. Stop by before or during worship to find some activities to work on, just remember to return any unused supplies at the end of worship. Feel free to hang your art on the whiteboard so all can enjoy!

Joint Book Study with Plymouth Church:      For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional by Hanna Reichel

Are you asking yourself what it means to live faithfully in these times? Where will we find the wisdom and courage to meet this moment? How will we support one another and look out for our neighbors?
Join a group of Plymouth and Heights Christian members for 4 Sunday afternoon discussions on this devotional guide to help us build our faith and discern our Christian witness in these perilous times. The guide is divided into four weeks of seven devotions each, arranged according to the liturgical order of a worship service. We encourage you to read a devotion (3-4 pages) each day of the week prior to the discussion. We’ll discuss the week’s devotions and our reactions and engage together in a related experiential activity, facilitated by Cindy Maxey, Kate Gillooly, and Dillon Shipman.
Each session will be at 12:15 pm (12:30 on 4/26). The first week we’ll enjoy vegetarian soup and bread. Then we’ll discuss how to handle lunch on the following Sundays.
April 12: “Prepare Yourself” or Gathering
April 19: “Hear the Word” or Listening and Responding
April 26: “Become What You Have Received” or Communion
May 3: “Go into the World” or Sending
Copies of For Such a Time as This: an Emergency Devotional by Hanna Reichel can be ordered for purchase at Loganberry Books at this link: https://www.loganberrybooks.com/product/such-time-emergency-devotional
They will also have a small number of copies on hand for purchase. An e-book version is available for borrowing through Hoopla on your library’s website.
Copies ordered from Loganberry’s link will take about a week to arrive.
We urge you to have the book in hand and start reading the devotions by April 5 or early in that week.
Please sign up in the Welcome Center (by the Church Office) or contact either church office via phone or email.
Kese at HCC: (216) 561-4800   kese@heightscc.org
Brenna at Plymouth Church: (216) 921-3510  BMinniear-Threatt@plymouthchurchucc.org

Adult Study
This April we will be taking a break from Sunday morning Adult Study and encouraging people to join in our join study with Plymouth Church that is being led by Cindy Maxey and others after worship.
Midweek bible study will resume at the end of April on Tuesday April 28. Topic and leadership to be announced. Watch your bulletin and weekly news for updates.

IG Activity
Save the Date for Sunday May 17. The Education Team will be holding an intergenerational scavenger hunt at the Cleveland Museum of Art. More details in your May newsletter.

Mission Ministry

Thanks to the many people who helped organize, gather, shop, and deliver needed food and hygiene supplies to a church serving immigrants threatened by ICE. While lots of people contributed, special thanks go to Connee Choi, Scott Phelps, Larry Watson, the Crosbys, and Lori Peterson.

Thanks also to everyone who contributed needed supplies to Boulevard and Lomond Elementary Schools. Because of your contributions (and Nikki’s shepherding of this project), children in our community have warm clothes, essential hygiene supplies, and the awareness that others in the community care for them.

Community members continue to work for the Kin-dom of God on earth in myriad ways.

Saturday, March 28, there will be No Kings demonstrations in Shaker Heights [https://bit.ly/4bCglVv] and at the Cleveland Free Stamp [https://bit.ly/4rNLETg]. If you are able, please join us in speaking out against hate and for a democratic and inclusive country.

The Shaker Rapid Response Team is one of many organizing across the region to serve and protect our immigrant neighbors on very local basis. Please talk to Cindy if you want more information about the Shaker group or another one nearer you. Neighbors are needed for a variety of tasks, some of them very low risk and doable by people of different abilities.

Our congregation is part of the Interfaith Group Against Hate, a coalition of congregations from multiple faiths that have organized to counter White supremacy in all of its forms. IGAH has worked to counter anti-immigrant sentiment and violence along with other forms of hate and division. To that end, IGAH spun off a group specifically focused on addressing immigration, We Are Many, We Are One (WAMWOW) which includes religious groups and social service providers. WAMWOW held a rally and prayer vigil in March that several HCC members attended. That group is now developing four teams to serve immigrants and counter anti-immigrant violence: Advocacy (to public officials), Accompaniment (with immigrants going to court and to other appointments), Aid (direct assistance), and Action (coordinating trainings, actions, and prayer services). If you’re interested in connecting with this effort and joining one of these teams, sign up at https://bit.ly/4lPGDIE .

Meanwhile, IGAH will hold teach-ins on countering youth radicalization on Tuesday, April 28 and Wednesday, May 6. The first session will be held at Congregation Mishkan Or in Beachwood at 6:30 pm. Register here: https://forms.gle/a4Nx3oowP6ek3hqx9

Hold the date: Ann Hill of AMIS (Americans Making Immigrants Safe) will speak to our congregation following worship on Sunday, May 17. In March, our congregation donated $1000 to this organization from our 3500/ 3500 funds. Come hear from Ann the work they are doing to advocate for and provide for newcomers in our community. Coffee, lemonade, and something sweet will be served.

You may recall IGAH held a series of wonderful book discussions last year on Black, LGBTQ+, Jewish, and Islamic books. We’re holding another book discussion Tuesday, May 19 on The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez. This is a beautiful novel about a group of Latine immigrants to the U.S. living and loving and hoping for a better life for their children (and yes, it’s heartbreaking). The book is available in a variety of formats from Clevnet libraries. Grab a copy, start reading, and register for the discussion (to be held at Fairmount Presbyterian): https://bit.ly/4srTBif

Cindy Maxey, Ministry Team Leader

Irwin Shung in Recital:  The Goldberg Variations    Friday, April 10 at 7:30 pm in Herr Chapel, Plymouth Church. This is part of the Resonance Project regular season. The Resonance Project was founded by Dr. Irwin Shung and Dr. Qin Ying Tan.

Two monumental late works will be presented: J. S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and Johannes Brahms’ Four Klavierstücke. Written at opposite ends of the keyboard canon — Bach in 1741 and Brahms in 1892 — these works offer strikingly different meditations at the twilight of two great careers. The Goldbergs, with their dazzling invention and architectural elegance, unfold through thirty variations on a single aria. By contrast, Brahm’s Opus 119 distills a lifetime of expression into an inward-looking cycle of miniatures. Heard together, these works trace a line from baroque transcendence to late-romantic introspection, offering a panoramic view of the keyboard’s expressive power.

Tickets and more information are available at http://rmseries.com 

How blessed we are to count Dr. Shung among our staff! Don’t miss this opportunity to show support and enjoy his talents beyond weekly Sunday worship.

Wednesday’s Together

Plymouth Church, UCC and Heights Christian Church are both blessed to call our building at 2860 Coventry Road home . Every Wednesday of the program year, we will share in fellowship and formation with one another and we seek to deepen our relationships. We look forward to seeing many folks from HCC and Plymouth at each gathering!

Book Group

The Book Group will meet on Wednesday, April 1 – 1:00 pm in room 102 at Plymouth Church.  We will be discussing the book, Three Days in June by Ann Tyler.   In May we will be reading the book, The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick.
If you would like to have lunch before this meeting, bring your own and come at 12:30 pm.  All are welcome to join at any time.

Meditative Arts Group

Our Meditative Arts group will begin our monthly gatherings on Wednesday the 8th.  We will meet at 1:00 pm in the Atrium at Plymouth Church as we enjoy some quiet music and meditative artwork.  Please join us to draw, knit, stitch or work on your choice of relaxing projects.

Lunch Club
Join us for a homemade lunch and fellowship. The Lunch Club on April 15th. will celebrate “Poetry Month” with Poems by Guest Readers & Members. Please plan to attend & invite a friend.
The suggested donation for lunch is $10. RSVP to Pastor Dillon at dshipman@plymouthchurchucc.org or sign up in the Welcome Center, which is necessary for food preparation.  Reservations are due Sunday, April 12.

Mid-Week Meditations – Wednesday, April 22 – Fourth Wednesday

Mid-Week Meditations in Herr Chapel.  This simple service will center on prayer, study, song, meditation on scripture, and devotions to take with you for the week ahead.  Just bring an open heart to deepening your spiritual journey with God and your fellow pilgrims!

Gift Cards

Remember gift cards are available on Sunday mornings and in the office every weekday during normal office hours.   Support Height Christian Church while you shop.  (Cash or check only, please)

Social Media outreach

HCC is on Facebook, Instagram, Linked-In, and You-Tube !  Our Sunday morning worship services are live-streamed on Zoom and FacebookLive. Several recordings of special worship services have been uploaded to our channel on You-Tube. If you see something you like, share it on your page! This will increase our reach and may draw in our next visitor!

April
9 – Shirley Blackwell     13 – Max Osgood and Owen Osgood
23 – Bobbi Phelps     28 – Bill Dunn

May
5 – Val McMillan     8 – Felix McDonald     15 – Cindy Maxey
15 – Brian McDonald     20 – Nancy Carpenter     22 – Autumn Mehring
25 – Claire Dunn     26 – Sylvia Farley     30 – Connee Choi

We are glad to share the birthdays we have on record each month and encourage members to reach out with greetings. We apologize if someone’s name has been omitted – please call Kese in the church office to share your birthday if we don’t have it on our list. We want to celebrate you!