Reaching Heights December 2025
Reaching Heights December 2025
Links to this month’s news:
- Worship Themes for December
- Kate’s Cogitations
- A Service of Covenant and Celebration
- Worship Notes
- Education Ministry
- Mission Ministry
- Blue Christmas
- Wednesdays Together with Plymouth
- Gift Cards for the Holidays
- Social Media
- Birthdays
See the Serving Schedule
HCC Worship Themes December 2025
This season we are using materials from A Sanctified Art to help tell the ageless story of the anticipation and birth of the Messiah. This year’s theme is “What Do You Fear? – Insisting on Hope this Advent.”
The writers share their thoughts about the series:
Luke’s Gospel begins the story of Jesus with this opening line: “In the time of Herod…” This detail may seem minor to modern readers, however, it reveals layer of information about the fearful world Jesus entered, one filled with rampant oppression, economic disparity, uncertainty, and instability. A world not so unlike our own. And yet, throughout the stories of Christ’s birth, we hear the whispers of angels delivering a surprising message:” Do not fear.” In our own time we might ask: is it even possible to be fearless in a fearful world? When Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the magi are each called into God’s redemptive story, they do not deny their fears – they move through them. They ask questions, hold fast to courage, trust in good news, and say, “Here I am, Lord.” When we find ourselves in fearful times, can we acknowledge our fears while also insisting on hope?
November 30 First Sunday in Advent:
In the Time of Herod, We Long for God to Break In
Luke 1:5-13, Lamentations 3:55-57 Luke begins his gospel by orienting us within “the time of King Herod,” and we begin the series by fleshing out what it might have been like to live in the days when Jesus was born — a time not all that different from our own.
December 7 Second Sunday of Advent:
When We’re Running Out of Hope, God is at Work.
Matthew 11:1-11 and Isaiah 43:19-21 John the Baptist sends word to Jesus from his prison cell, asking “Are you the one?” Like John, even the most confident of us wonder from time if it is all worth it or whether we are on the right track. How might we keep hope alive?
December 14 Third Sunday of Advent:
Even In Our Fear, We Are Called Forward
Luke 1:26-39 and Jeremiah 1:4-10 Sometimes saying “yes” to God’s call fills us with fear. Yet God calls us forward, inviting us to live fully into who we are created to be and promising to be with us.
BLUE CHRISTMAS worship service
Tuesday, December 16 at 7:00 p.m.
Hosted by: Church of the Redeemer UMC 2420 S Taylor Road, Cleve. Heights
In collaboration with Fairmount Presbyterian Church,
Church of the Saviour UMC, Heights Christian Church
& Plymouth UCC. Join us for a time of reflection on both grief and hope. The service will be accessible on Zoom: The link is: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/97782770301?pwd=SktsRFFkTmZRZk9WTEpwMUR2TmNVUT09
December 21 Fourth Sunday of Advent:
When You’re Afraid, Give Me Your Hand
Matthew 1:18-25 and Isaiah 41:5-10 “Give me your hand” might be counter to how we usually respond to fear, but what if fear can result in connection instead of isolation? How can we support one another and stand in solidarity with people whose lives are at risk?
December 24 CHRISTMAS EVE
Worship at 7:30 p.m. with Carols, Candlelight and Communion:
Good News Is Louder Than Fear Luke 2:1-20 What would it look like to proclaim the good news loudly, with overflowing joy?
December 28: Sunday After Christmas: Let Fear Fuel a Fire for Justice Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 This service will be “lessons and carols” with communion (and no sermon).
January 4, 2026 Epiphany Observed:
Fear Doesn’t Stop Us Matthew 2:1-12 The magi model for us what it looks like to be led by hope, moving through fear without letting it paralyze you. As this series ends and a new year begins, we proclaim: our journey continues, and fear won’t have the last word. “Star Words” for inspiration and guidance in the new year will be distributed during the service.
Kate’s Cogitations
Welcome to Advent – the season of expectation and preparation. This church season begins 4 Sundays before Christmas and grants us time to prepare spiritually for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. This year we begin on November 30 and Advent technically goes right up to Christmas (although we celebrate Christmas on the day before, Christmas Eve).
With its call to quiet reflection, its scriptures filled with the need for a Savior, this church season stands in stark contrast to our secular world, filled with Christmas carols and decorations as early as Halloween, the constant barrage of advertisements to buy early and often, and the pressure to put on a perfect (and perfectly joyous) holiday.
How fortunate we are to have a different invitation from the Church! Scripture and tradition invite us to a time of quiet (what some have called “the Hush in the Rush”) so that we might prepare our hearts and minds for a great celebration. The materials we use from A Sanctified Art provide a beautiful devotion booklet, gorgeous and provocative artwork, poetry and prayers to help us enter more deeply into prayer and reflection. Our Adult Study on Sunday mornings and MidWeek Bible Study on Tuesday afternoons help us explore the meanings behind familiar words of the season. Our Sunday worship is designed to offer both praise and meditation, both teaching and inspiration.
How might YOU enter into this holy season with intention?
Celebration of Shared Ministry
What a wonderful event! As congregants, community partners and interfaith clergy and laity gathered to celebrate the shared ministry of Dr. Kate Gillooly and Heights Christian Church the Spirit was surely present! Opportunities to see shared faith in action are very special and it was a blessing to Pastor Kate and HCC to host such a time. This formal kick-off to Dr. Kate’s ministry with us as our settled pastor was indeed meaningful and joyous!
Celebrations such as this one do not happen without lots of “behind the scenes” planning and arranging. Sincere thanks to all those who helped make this a most special day in our life as a church. The participants and leaders in the service of consecration devoted time and energy into preparing the very meaningful liturgy and we are so appreciative of their efforts and their message. Truly they presented a unique and significant gift to everyone present. Thanks also to the community leaders and members who prioritized witnessing to the power of this ministry by attending and supporting it.
The committee that planned and executed the day’s activities gave so willingly and lovingly of their time and service and we extend a special thank you to them. The members of the committee were Lynda Ackerman, Linda Durham, Bobbi Phelps, Donita Singerman, Dr. Kate and Jane Troha. The reception following the service was beautiful and provided time to share fellowship with one another. Many hands made the food, served, set up, cleaned up and hosted a stellar spread! Thanks to all who contributed food and helped in any way. It was a rousing success!
As we look back on this special day and look forward to our shared ministry in the days to come, we especially give thanks to God. As Pastor Kate reminds us often, “God is good all of the time.” And we enthusiastically reply in faith, “All of the time, God is good”! Thanks be to God!
From the Treasurer:
Worship Notes
It is wonderful to welcome everyone to worship both in the Chapel and on Zoom. In October worship attendance averaged 35, including those on Zoom and visitors. November was off to a strong start with 49 people on All Saints Sunday on Nov. 2. Twenty three people were remembered during the All Saints service. Special thanks to Amanda Powell for filling in for Irwin on the 2nd, and to Julie Yu on the 9th. Both enriched our worship experience so much!
Education Ministry
The Messiah
Advent Educational Offering
During the Advent season this year, the Sunday morning class and the Tuesday Mid-Week Bible Study will share the same study. This means that any congregants are welcome to join either group or both! Feel free to switch from Sundays to Tuesdays as best fits your busy holiday season. Drop in for one or more sessions as you are able!
The course offering is called The Messiah, and is based off a book written by world-renowned Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann. This four-session adult study takes a critical look at the four royal titles used in Isaiah 9:2-7: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. We will be challenged to learn how the people understood those titles during Jesus’ time and discuss how Jesus did or did not fulfill the titles. We will also reflect on how Christians interpret Jesus as representing each title.
Carolyn and Jane Troha will co-lead this study. We hope you will join us! There are no materials to purchase, but we will send out a Participant’s Guide before each session so if you want to participate, please let us know and we will be sure you get one. It’s hard to believe, but Advent is just around the corner. We will begin on Sunday, November 30th at 9:30 a.m. in the Chapel and again on Tuesday, December 2nd at 2:00 p.m. on Zoom. Join us for this interesting study as we wait together for the Messiah’s birth!
Advent Adventure for All!!!
November 30th – 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Can you believe that it is already time to think about Advent? The Education Ministry Team is planning an Intergenerational event for the Sunday after Thanksgiving, which is the first Sunday of Advent!
Join is for a pizza supper and a variety of activities, crafts, games, etc. to celebrate the beginning of the Advent season. It will be a fun way to share fellowship and eat something other than left-over turkey!
Missions Ministry
Family Promise Holiday Shop 2025
Once again this year, we will help Family Promise brighten the Christmas of the recently housed families they serve. Please bring new and unwrapped gifts such as housewares, warm clothing and pjs for adults and children, bath and beauty products, games, ethnically diverse dolls, sporting goods and fan gear, toys for children from newborn to teenagers, superhero toys, arts and crafts, gift cards for Walmart or Amazon, and wrapping paper and stocking stuffers. Take an ornament with a gift idea off the tabletop tree in the Chapel and make your purchase. We’ll gather these gifts at the church between Sundays November 30 and December 7. Everything must be new and unwrapped. Thanks to Santa Andrena for making this happen!
Throughout the cold months, we’ll continue to gather needed items for children and families at Boulevard and Lomond Elementary Schools. Items should be new and unopened. Questions? Ask organizer Nikki Crosby.
| Boulevard Care Closet
kid’s sweatshirts & sweatpants |
Lomond’s Wall of Love
hats & scarves
|
Practicing Abundance
The church budgets $7000 each year for contributions to a variety of organizations serving our neighbors locally and globally. In November, the Board of Trustees voted to donate money to AMIS, a local organization serving refugees and immigrants; the Hunger Network; Cleveland Food Bank; World Central Kitchen for Jamaican relief; Edwin’s Leadership Institute for Ukrainian relief efforts; and the International Rescue Committee and the Christian Church for crisis relief as needed. We have a small amount of money left for the year while we do some more research. Members of HCC are invited to make recommendations for donations to be made from these funds. We especially appreciate requests for projects our members have personal connections with. Speak to any member of the Board to make your recommendation. These contributions are in addition to Hunger Funds and Outreach Grants provided by the church.
Upcoming Events
Saturday, December 6, Join IGAH members for a visit to the Maltz Museum (2929 Richmond Road, Beachwood) for the special exhibition: El Sueño Americano/ The American Dream, followed by coffee and conversation with IGAH members at the Nervous Dog Coffeeshop (2101 Richmond Road, Beachwood). We’ll gather in the lobby of the museum just before 1 pm. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors (60+) and children (- 12).
The exhibit includes nearly 300 photographs by Tom Keifer plus a revealing selection of migrant belongings. Additionally, the exhibit features the work of contemporary Mexican American artist Elizabeth Z. Pineda, whose artwork explores complex issues related to immigration, including identity, displacement, and migrant deaths in the Arizona desert.
Tuesday, December 9, the Planning Committee of IGAH will meet at Congregation Mishkan Orr (26000 Shaker Boulevard, Beachwood) at 6:30 pm. The focus for this meeting will be to make decisions for IGAH for our next steps to address what we learned from the recent membership survey. (While this is called the Planning Meeting, it really functions as the Membership meeting for the organization and members of participant congregations are invited to attend and participate. This means you!
Saturday, January 17 and Sunday, January 18, Shaker Heights will celebrate Martin Luther King with a donation drive and community meal. The 17th, community volunteers will conduct a drive through donation at the Shaker Middle School on behalf of several organizations meeting human needs in the local area. On the 18th, we’ll 
hold a free community meal and discussion at St. Dominic’s cafeteria. The theme will be Building the Beloved Community for Such a Time as This. These events are sponsored by the Shaker Schools, the City of Shaker Heights, the library, the PTO, and the Schools Foundation. More information will be forthcoming.
Saturday, January 31, you are invited to the home of an IGAH Community Committee member in Orange Village for brunch and fellowship. Registration will be limited to 10 people. This will be an opportunity to get to know IGAH members from different congregations and religious traditions and to learn more about the mission and work of IGAH and the Community Committee. More information to follow about registration.
Book Recommendation
We are living in difficult times, facing climate change, the breakdown of democratic norms and civil society, rising levels of inequality and violence. But troubling as our present time is, it’s not unprecedented. We can look to the witness of Christians in other times and places to help us find our way today. People of faith and others of good will overcame slavery and Jim Crow and the Nazis, among other challenges. Hanna Reichel, a theologian and student of the Confessing Church, has written For Such a Time as This: an emergency devotional of 28 meditations arranged in four movements related to the worship service: gathering, hearing the Word, communion, and sending forth. Each meditation is 4 or 5 short pages and is written to help us develop the spiritual resources to speak truth to power, stand with the poor and vulnerable, and live out our faith for such a time as this. This powerful little book is available from Amazon or from Hoopla with your library card.
BLUE CHRISTMAS
worship service
Tuesday, December 16 at 7:00 p.m.
Hosted by: Church of the Redeemer UMC
2420 S Taylor Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
In collaboration with Fairmount Presbyterian Church,
Church of the Saviour UMC, Heights Christian Church
& Plymouth UCC.
For many, Christmas can be a time of grief and sadness, rather than joy. Join us at this special candlelit service for gentle reflection of our grief and remembrance of the hope we have in Christ.
Wednesdays 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 – First Wednesday
The Book Group is going to meet for lunch at Bar Italia (corner of Richmond and Cedar, next to Cedar Creek Grille), on Wednesday, December 3rd at 12:00. If you have any questions/concerns, contact Nancy Carpenter.
Meditative Arts Group – Second Wednesday
Our Meditative Arts group will hold our monthly gatherings on Wednesday the 10th. 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 – Wednesday, the 17th at 12:30 pm – Third Wednesday
Join 
us for lunch and fellowship, as well as what has become a festive yearly tradition. Diane Julin Menges will present a holiday music concert in the Chapel following lunch, and lead us all in singing in a few carols and Christmas standards. This year, she’ll be joined again by Dillon Shipman at the piano.
The suggested donation for lunch is $10. RSVP to Pastor Dillon at dshipman@plymouthchurchucc.org or the sign-up sheet in the Welcome Center by December 14, which is necessary for food preparation.
Mid-week Meditations – Fourth Wednesday
The Holiday season is upon us, so we will join together again in January 2026. Enjoy time with family and friends!
Gift Cards for the Holidays in 2025
Christmas shopping has or will soon start. Retailers will advertise early sales with the hope of earning your purchase dollars with good prices. But is that what your giftee wants?
Try gift cards! Gift Cards let you avoid the crowded stores and the post-season credit card bills. And your loved ones can spend the card(s) where you know they shop or eat. They are good in person and for internet buys. (I use them with Amazon all the time). Don’t know what store card to buy? Amazon and Target are easy choices. Grocery cards, like Heinen’s, Giant Eagle or Meijers can make the holidays brighter. Many restaurant cards, like Panera or Starbucks are available. Gas station and airline cards can help pay for family to join you for the holidays.
The earlier you shop for gift cards, the sooner you can sit back and relax. We have a Special-Order Form (attached and available in the Chapel). Special orders will be placed:
Order your special gift cards by Sunday December 7th for delivery about December 14th (we will order these as a Rush shipment).
We can arrange delivery if needed. Don’t see what you want? Please ask – our vendor has Disney, airlines, restaurants, and other cards too numerous to mention.
Support Heights Christian Church while you shop. Get your shopping done early. Make your life less stressful. Gift cards are easy and appreciated. (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!
December
1 – Lois Clark 3 – Andrena Jones-Sharp 6 – Heather Dills
7 – Val Sgro 10 – Bernadette LaGuardia 16 – Bridget Peterson-Droszcz
23 – Doug McWillams 26 – Roger Osgood 27 – Aliyah Benson
29 – Lloyd Ackerman
January
23 – Nancy Newman 28 – Madison Durham 30 – Allen Harris
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 in our list. We want to celebrate you!