Reaching Heights February 2025
Reaching Heights February 2025
Links to this month’s news:
- Worship Themes for February
- Stewardship Annual Campaign: “Imagine Together”
- Kate’s Cogitations
- MLK Events
- Worship
- Education Ministry
- Mission Ministry
- Week of Compassion
- Wednesdays Together with Plymouth
- Gift Cards
- Social Media
- Birthdays
See the Serving Schedule
Worship Themes for February 2025
February 2 Imagine Together: Enough at Every Table (Isaiah 55)
February 9 Imagine Together: A Rested Community (Matthew 11:28-30)
February 16 Imagine Together: Vitality (John 3:1-10)
Commitment Sunday/Ingathering of Pledges
Milestone Moments
Hospitality Hour after worship
February 23 A Good Measure Pressed Down (Luke 6:27-38)
Minute for Mission
Stewardship Annual Campaign Fiscal Year 2025 “Imagine Together”
The 2025 “Imagine Together” Stewardship Annual Campaign kicked off on Sunday, January 26th and will run through Commitment Sunday on February 16th.
During this time you will receive correspondence about HCC’s stewardship and your pledge card for Commitment Sunday. There will be opportunities for you to hear about some of our congregation’s accomplishments in our world, and to provide your input as we seek to continue our legacy of making positive impact by doing God’s work in the church and the greater community. Join us in Imagining Together as we do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.
January 26 Campaign Kick-Off
Board Retreat after worship with a preview of our Imagining Together process.
February 2 Stewardship Gathering – Focus Group
(small group of invited folks)
February 13 – Stewardship Gathering on Zoom for ALL who wish to participate in Imagining Together what HCC can be and do (7:30 pm).
February 16 Commitment Sunday
Bring or send your Commitment Card to be blessed in
the worship service.
Plan to stay afterwards for Hospitality – hosted by YOU!
(Please bring an appetizer to share if you can.)
Kate’s Cogitations February 2025
“Remembering and Renewing”
By now we all know that February is Black History Month. It has been official for 55 years in this country and is also celebrated in Canada. More recently it has been celebrated (in October) in Ireland and the United Kingdom. According to Wikkipedia, its precursor was Negro History Week, begun in 1926 by historian, Carter, G. Woodson. These days we see commemorations in schools, libraries and churches, as well as some businesses.
There are plenty of ways to honor the month, including reading books by African American authors, learning more about historic leaders in the Black community, and assessing where we are as a culture concerning systemic racism and efforts to eradicate it. This is the power of remembering – it is an important step in building awareness, creating common ground, and facilitating reconciliation.
At its best, this remembering, of history that might otherwise be forgotten or buried, is critically important to the health and truth of our country as well as our individual and more local relationships. We all have much to learn – from history and from each other. This remembering (or “re-membering”) helps to fit us back together as community. It strengthens our bonds and allows for renewal of our purpose. The church knows something about the power of remembering, from studying scripture to coming to the Table each week. We might think of commemorating Black History Month as a spiritual practice of sorts.
This month, I encourage you to do something specific and intentional in honor of Black History Month. Read an article or book you might not otherwise read, see a movie outside your regular viewing habits, attend an event or speak to a person that will broaden your perspective and enhance your knowledge of African-American heritage. Consider signing up to receive a daily email during the month from 28 Days of Black History (link is here: https://www.28daysofblackhistory.com ).
Learning more helps us do better. It renews our minds, opens our hearts, and may just inspire our actions.
in peace,
Kate
MLK Events
On the snowy Sunday afternoon of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, a couple hundred residents of Shaker met at St. Dominic School for a Community Conversation focused on Dr. King’s Core Principles for building the beloved community. This event was the third year that leaders from Shaker city government, school administration and PTO, library, and school foundation collaborated to offer a chance for large and small group discussion. Members of SGORR (Student Group on Race Relations) were present and active, as were representatives from Youth Ending Hunger who collected items for care kits for people undergoing chemotherapy. Both organizations are lively student groups at the high school. HCC members Cindy Maxey and Andrena Jones-Sharp participated, along with Dr. Kate, who was quoted in the Plain Dealer article published that evening. Here’s the link to the article:
https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2025/01/shaker-heights-honors-mlk-with-community-conversations.html
Cindy and Andrena also participated in the event MLK: Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, January 20, 2025 at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church where they heard from a panel, held small group discussion, and enjoyed a meal together. This event was organized by Greater Cleveland Congregations, and all IGAH (Interfaith Group Against Hate) congregations were invited.
On the evening of Monday, January 20th, Cindy and Andrena, along with Connee Choi and Dr. Kate braved the cold to attend an Interfaith Inaugural Gathering at Refine Church in Brooklyn, Ohio, where we heard powerful prayers in different languages and statements of inclusion and calls to defend the vulnerable, lift the oppressed, band together in solidarity, and persevere in hope. We enjoyed a homemade meal of arepas and rice and discussed ways to strengthen our network and continue together in the work for justice and peace.
HCC was well represented in this important community and justice work!
The Worship Team would like to thank everyone who helped decorate the Sanctuary every Sunday in Advent. It looked beautiful and could not have been accomplished without your help!
We also appreciate all of you who helped undecorate on Epiphany Sunday. We appreciated all the running up and down the stairs to the storage room!!Thanks once again, everyone!
Happy New Year, The Worship Team.
Education
Snack boxes for HCC college students
At this time six HCC college students are well into their second semester. To let them know that we are thinking of them and wishing them well in their studies, we will be sending snack boxes to them in the third week of February. Last year we sent gift boxes which were very much appreciated. This time we are asking members of HCC to contribute a snack pack of your choice –a box of individual bags of pretzels or crackers, granola bars, M&Ms, individual cookie packs – there are lots of things to choose from! There will be a black bin in the chapel to collect the snacks. The packages will then be opened and divided among the boxes for the students. Any extra snacks will be donated to the library snack program for kids after school. In this very cold and snowy winter, these snack boxes will warm the hearts of our students and let them know how much we care about them.
Other snack ideas: microwave popcorn, instant soup, Welch’s fruit snacks, ramen, little boxes of cereal. No liquids please – boxes will be mailed.
Due date for contributions for college snack packs: Sunday, February 9.
Lynda Ackerman
Sunday Adult Study
Starting January 5 and extending until Lent, the Sunday morning Adult Study group will examine prayer in the Old Testament, focusing on the prayers of Abraham, Moses, Hannah, David, Solomon, Jonah, Jeremiah, Hezekiah, and Ezra. Along with studying their prayers to Yahweh, we’ll play with creating our own prayers using various media. Everyone is welcome to join us. No advance preparation is needed. Background information for the study will be drawn from Walter Brueggemann’s book, Great Prayers of the Old Testament though it is not necessary to have your own copy. Our focus will be on passages from scripture so access to one or more translations of the Bible will be more helpful.
We meet at 9:30 in the sanctuary and online through the Sunday worship link. We’ll be happy to have you join us.
Mid-Week Bible Study February Offerings
The Mid-Week Bible Study Group will follow a short session exploring the issues surrounding immigration at the Mexican border with another short series exploring the war between Israel and Palestine. We will be working from an introduction to the history of the conflict in a book titled, Rooted in Faith and Justice: Christian Calls to Conscience and Cries for Peace in Palestine. The Foreward to this book is written by the Co-Executives of Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. The second session will be a discussion of an article from The Christian Century titled “Tear gas over the soccer field.”
No materials will need to be purchased for this study. Feel free to join us on Tuesday, February 4th and Tuesday, February 11th at 2:00 p.m. on Zoom. Contact Jane Troha if you wish to participate so that a copy of the materials can be e-mailed to you. Hope to see you there!
Missions Ministry
Time is flying! It is already February, and it is cold outside. It’s time to keep our sleeves rolled up and help our neighbors as much as possible! Here is what we can do.
Little Free Pantry: Bring something nonperishable (and not in a glass jar) for the Little Free Pantry. It’s easy to do. The Little Free Pantry is just steps away from the HCC entry into the Herr Chapel where we worship. Help our hungry neighbors.
Items for Lomond School Children: We are still collecting items for Lomond School. This will continue through March. We have been asked to collect socks, gloves, scarves, hats, underwear and T-Shirts (sizes 6-8 and 10-12) for Lomond children (grades Kindergarten through fifth grade. Tissues (i.e., Kleenex, Puffs, etc.) are also needed for classroom use. Three big black bags full of clothes and tissues will be delivered when school starts after Martin Luther King Day. Again, the collection continues through March. Keep up the good work. Let’s keep our young scholars warm and dry!
Egg Cartons: We collected 11,208 at the last count on January 19, 2025. This does not include cartons donated by church members independently and neighbors who previously donated through our church who now do so individually. It does include donations made in partnership with Plymouth Church. Ask your friends and neighbors if they want to help as well. If we can collect this astonishing number of egg cartons, there may be lots of other things we can do! (Is world peace next on our agenda?)
Yarn: Although we are not officially collecting yarn at this time to be passed on to Grafton Prison through a Lutheran initiative, we received another donation which was passed on to the Lutherans, who were grateful. Think of the homeless and school children who will benefit from new hats and scarves and think of the prisoners who now have something to keep them busy and make them feel useful.
Tutoring: We have the opportunity to tutor Boulevard Grade School students in basic English and/or Math skills. If you have the time and can read and do very basic math, consider volunteering. It is expected that the number of hours and the schedule will be flexible, so you may be able to do this in your “spare time.” If you are interested, see Jane Troha. The program is expected to be up and running very soon.
Rain in Zambia: Good news! We have received a message from Rev. Osward Mwaanga in Zambia. We donated money to feed about 600 people for a month in Zambia. Mwaanga has informed us that the rain has started. If they continue, he is hopeful for a good corn crop this year!
IGAH (Inter-Religious Group Against Hate) and WAMWAO (We are Many, We are One): There are lots of events. WAMWAO is a group of representatives from IGAH who meet with leaders of local immigration support agencies to be informed and strategize about how to help immigrants and their families given the current political backlash against them. Check your church bulletins and weekly news e-mails to see if there are events which interest you.
Did you know that a portion of money collected each week goes to the Outreach Fund? Did you also know that the Board of Trustees also has additional funds set aside for both local and global mission? The Outreach Funds are distributed through grant applications by charities. The Board of Trustees encourages anyone in the congregation to submit a suggestion for an HCC contribution to a worthy cause, local, national, or international . In short if you know of a worthwhile organization that can make God’s Love visible speak up!
We have been busy trying to spread God’s Love to our neighbors.
Keep up the good work!
~Connee Choi
Week of Compassion Special Offering March 2, 2025
As the relief, refugee, and development mission fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),
Week of Compassion works with partners to alleviate suffering throughout the world.
For more than a week, massive wildfires have been burning in Southern California, scarring thousands of acres, destroying thousands of homes and structures, and displacing hundreds of thousands of people under evacuation orders. Week of Compassion remains in frequent contact with pastors and regional leaders, responding as needs emerge and joining partners in conversation about the long-term recovery ahead.
This disaster is just one of many – including hurricanes, war, and famine – to which Week of Compassion is still responding. Increasingly severe and frequent weather-related and human-caused disasters continue to fragment communities around the world. Adding to the destructive impact of disasters in these regions, political unrest and climate change continue to increase the number of displaced people worldwide and complicate the work of recovery.
This is the essence of Week of Compassion – the work of the church in creating sanctuaries of healing, joy, and hope in the face of trauma and devastation. The gifts you give ensure that the stories, needs, and celebrations of vulnerable communities are heard and seen – and that our whole church is equipped to respond. As our General Minister and President Rev. Terri Hord Owens often says, “When Week of Compassion is there, the whole church is there.”
HCC will receive this special offering on March 2. Please plan to contribute on that day or beforehand by sending a check to the church office or making a contribution online via our website. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and generosity as we seek to be the Church in the world.
What a delight to see Bridget and her family in worship on December 29! They were home for a brief visit from the Netherlands where they are currently living. We’ve been able to stay in touch with the family via email, but there’s nothing like seeing each other face to face to warm the heart.
[Photo credit: Linda Durham] 
Wednesday’s Together
Plymouth Church, UCC and Heights Christian Church are both blessed to call our building at 2860 Coventry Road home. This coming year, both congregations are looking forward to growing friendships between our members, as well as discerning what ministry opportunities and events we can embark on together! One way we are seeking to expand our relationship is through sharing “Wednesdays Together.” Each Wednesday of the month (except at holiday time), we will share in fellowship and formation with one another. We look forward to seeing many folks from HCC and Plymouth at each gathering!
Book Group – First Wednesday
The Book Group will meet on Wednesday, February 5th in Room 102 at Plymouth Church. If you would like to have lunch before this meeting, bring your own and come at 12:30 pm. We will be discussing the book Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephaine Butland.
All are welcome to join at any time.
Meditative Arts Group – Second Wednesday
Our Meditative Arts group will begin our monthly gatherings on Wednesday the 12th. 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, February 19 at 12:30pm – Third Wednesday
Lunch Club in Fellowship Hall and Chapel @ Plymouth Church.
Join us for a homemade lunch and fellowship, as well as a time of honoring and celebrating Black History Month. The suggested donation for lunch is $10. RSVP to Pastor Dillon at dshipman@plymouthchurchucc.org, which is necessary for food preparation. Reservations are due Sunday, February 16.
Wednesday, February 26 at 1:00pm – Fourth Wednesday
join us for 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!
February
3 – Don Troha 8 – Dell Bigham 8 – Joan Fronck
14 – David Blackwell 16 – Aaron Sharpley 20 – Jack Bigham
March
1 – Victor Mullen 3 – Avery Dunn 5 – Neil Chase
9 – Jani McWilliams 12 – Vel Scott 15 – Michele Moreland
16 – Danielle McDonald 18 – Nikki Crosby 20 – Daniel Chase
24 – Kese Webb 30 – Jane Troha
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!