Reaching Heights June 2025
Reaching Heights June 2025
Links to this month’s news:
- Worship Themes for June
- Kate’s Cogitations
- Annual Meeting of the Congregation June 1 after worship
- RenewalWorks Event – Kids’ Art and Ice Cream
- Mission Ministry
- All Church Study: The Faith We Affirm
- Resonance Project
- Advocacy Training
- 2025 Porch Talk
- Memorial Day Parade
- Wednesdays Together with Plymouth
- Gift Cards
- Social Media
- Birthdays
See the Serving Schedule
Worship Themes for June 2025
June 1 Acts 16:24-34 “An Amazing Liberation”
June 8 Day of Pentecost John 14:15-17; 25-27 and Acts 2:1-4
“The Promise of the Spirit”
Plan to wear RED to church on Pentecost!
We’ll gather in the Parlor after worship for cake to celebrate
the birthday of the Church!
June 15 Psalm 100; Romans 5:1-5
“Thankful & Grateful: Joyful Noise”
Guest Preacher: Minister Erika Harris, Bethany Christian Church
June 22 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 and Psalm 118:1, 5-9
“Thankful & Grateful: Steadfast Love”
June 29 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 16-17 and Psalm 143:1-3, 10-13 “Thankful & Grateful: God’s Goodness”
Worship start time changes to 11:15 on June 29.
Kate’s Cogitations
The month of June has always seemed to be a time of both beginnings and endings. We hold school commencements, to end the academic year but also for new endeavors to commence. We celebrate the end of the program year, looking back on all we have accomplished together, while nominating a new slate of officers and ministry team leaders for the coming year.
As the beginning of summer, June feels a bit like the “Friday” of the year. We can catch our breath and build in some sabbath rest even as we consider new projects that may require more attention than we can give them during the busy months of the program year. We might plan longer trips (even if we aren’t regulated by the school calendar anymore), or think it might be time to re-paint the bathroom or update our landscaping.
I think this change in the rhythm of our lives is healthy – a time for work and a time for rest, a time to travel and a time to paint. I look forward to celebrating all we have accomplished together and to welcoming new leadership and fresh ideas. Just like on the weekends, I’m hopeful of all I can accomplish with more unstructured time.
So I wonder – how will you approach this change of seasons, this upcoming “weekend” of the year? How will you build in time to rest and re-create? What new adventures will you welcome?
Annual Meeting of the Congregation
June 1, 2025 following worship
The Annual Meeting of the congregation will be held June 1 at 12:15 pm in the Chapel and on Zoom. The Nominating Committee will present the slate of officers and leaders for 2025-26 program year. In addition, the Board of Trustees will present a motion to call Dr. Kate Gillooly as the Minister of HCC. The congregation will vote on the motion at the meeting. We will also hear from this year’s Peace Award winner. Please plan to be present on June 1.
Kids’ Art and Ice Cream
RenewalWorks Team Event Announced
One of the many things HCC’s RenewalWorks Team does is keep in touch with our members who are unable to attend worship in person. At least once each quarter, we send cards, notes and devotional materials to them. This summer, we want to send them notes including watercolor art created by our young people!
On Sunday June 15th and Sunday June 22nd children and youth will leave worship with Lynda Ackerman and Connee Choi to create watercolor art to send to our shut-ins. This can also be done on Sunday, June 29th, if necessary. We need about 20 pieces of art.
The entire congregation is invited to see this art collection and enjoy ice cream treats following worship on June 22nd. We will hope to gather outdoors at the picnic table near our entrance to the building.
Come and join us for fun and fellowship as we enjoy the opportunity to celebrate the joy that children’s art brings! See you there!
Missions Ministry
- Little Free Pantry: Bring something nonperishable (but 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.
- Egg Cartons: We continue to collect egg cartons. I am amazed at how many we have already collected. Ask your friends and neighbors to give you their clean cartons. One farmer who did not come to the farmer’s market in the winter told me he went to another farmer from the market to ask if he had any extras from us that he could use! When we started collecting egg cartons, I seldom saw others donating as well. I don’t know if we have inspired others, but it is common to see others donating as well. So… if you have any doubts that we are being useful, and helpful, put them to rest!
- Grants: We are currently evaluating two more grant requests. Hopefully, we will have that completed by next month and can let you know the results!
- IGAH (Inter-Faith Group Against Hate) and WAMWAO (We are Many. We are One). There are lots of events. Check your monthly Reaching Heights Newsletters, weekly church bulletins, and weekly news e-mails to see if there are events which interest you. A few examples:
- On Tuesday, May 27th the monthly planning meeting will take place at Christ Episcopal Church, from 6:30 – 8:00. These meetings are informative, and also give us a chance to network with other congregations.
- On Saturday, June 7th we are again meeting at the Nervous Dog at 2:00 for networking and socializing. This time we will also write postcards. Supplies will be provided, but if you wish you may donate postage stamps (for postcards). The Nervous Dog is at LaPlace Shopping Center, 2101 Richmond Road. So, sign up and come and have a good time, do some good, and make some friends! Click this link to register: https://forms.gle/NfH1SUgkJ9dgqTCQ8
- On May 12th, HCC joined other IGAH congregations in a press conference in a response to library book burning in Beachwood. It was widely covered by local and national news. Pastor Kate and Cindy both gave speeches. There will be more opportunities to participate in this push back against hate. IGAH intends to contribute 1,000 books and we will have opportunities to help. (1,000 books is the target – 10 books for each book burned.) Find out more at http://igahcle.org
- IGAH is forming a veteran’s groups against hate. If any HCC veterans would like to be included, let me know and I will pass the information on to the appropriate people.
Keep up the good work. We are a small congregation, but that does not mean that we can’t have a big impact! Something ventured, something gained!
~ Connee Choi
The Faith We Affirm – Churchwide Study
The whole church is invited to join Rev. Terri Hord Owens, General Minister and President, for a churchwide study of The Faith We Affirm by Ronald Osborn. Clarity about the basics of our faith and God’s covenant of love is more important than ever. We identify as a movement for wholeness, as people of the Bible, and as an anti-racist church that affirms the limitless love of God through how we practice our faith. All are welcome to attend one or all three Zoom sessions in this three part, interactive, churchwide study.
The Resonance Project
The next concert in the series “Songs of Nature” is Sunday June 1 at 5:00 pm at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church in Cleveland Heights. More info at RMseries.com.
When You Feel Like Flipping Tables:
Effective Advocacy for These Times
Tuesday, June 17 at 6:00 pm
Community of St. Peter 7100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland OH 44103
Offered by NETWORK: Advocates for Justice, Inspired by Catholic Sisters
In this special training, NETWORK staff members Sr. Ellis McCulloh, HM and Catherine Gillette will help you hone your advocacy skills and build community with other faith-filled advocates in the Cleveland area.
Parking is available off East 71st St. behind the Baker Electric Building. Please use the northeast entrance from the parking lot. Our space is just inside on the right.
NETWORK has an excellent reputation for successfully advocating with Congress from a faith perspective. Cindy has registered and plans to attend.
For more information and to register, click here: https://www.mobilize.us/network/event/783535/
ANNUAL PORCH TALK ANNOUNCED: Sat. August 23 @ 5 pm
Rev. Dr. Velda Love will speak, a combined choir from all 3 sponsoring congregations will sing, as well as the Greater Cleveland Choral Chapter Youth and Young Adult Choir. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and join the call for justice!
Memorial Day Parade
We were glad to participate in the Shaker Memorial Day Parade again this year! Thanks to Donita for organizing us for this event. We had walkers and bicycle riders and car drivers and riders; we carried our 2 banners “Heights Christian Church Welcomes You” and “You Are Loved” we wore our HCC T-shirts, and we handed out a LOT of candy to spectators!
Wednesdays 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 will seek to expand our relationship is through sharing “Wednesdays Together.” On the first three Wednesdays of each month, 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
To celebrate the end of the year, the book group will meet for lunch on Wednesday, June 4th at 12:30 at Alfredo’s, located in the Holiday Inn on Wilson Mills Road in Mayfield Village. Hope to see you then. Contact Nancy Carpenter for more information and/or questions.
Meditative Arts Group – Second Wednesday
Our final Meditative Arts gathering for this year will be on Wednesday, June 11. We will meet at 1:00 pm in the Atrium. We will not meet during July and August but will resume again in September.
Lunch Club – Third Wednesday
We’ll resume in September.
Mid-week Meditations – Fourth Wednesday
We’ll resume in September
Gift Cards
Remember gift cards are available on Sunday mornings and in the office every weekday during normal office hours.
We now have a limited supply of Arby, Burger King, Walmart and Wendy’s cards, as well as Amazon, Home Depot, Panera, Starbucks, Subway and grocery store cards.
Support Heights Christian Church while you shop. Make your life less stressful. Gift cards are easy. (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!
June
2 – Annette Sutherland 3 – Grace Loudenstein 6 – Mike Droszcz
17 – Sally Donald 27 – Donita Singerman 29 – Kate Gillooly
29 – Carolyn Troha
July
5 – Greg Gillooly 6 – Carson Crosby 13 – Christopher Crosby, Sr.
20 – Alicia Benson 31 – Ed Weisheimer
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!