Reaching Heights May 2020

Heights Christian Church Icon of Two Followers Lifting a CrossReaching Heights May 2020

Links to this month’s news:

WORSHIP AND STUDY
Worship – in this Easter Season
Pentecost – May 31
Adult Study – “Change, Fear, & Faith”
Children’s Story Time – with Kate

FROM THE STAFF
Along the Path – thoughts from Pastor Roger
Kate’s Cogitations

UPCOMING EVENTS
Shaker Food Drive – Continues

OTHER NEWS
Prayer List Requests

See the Serving Schedule – Go to the church calendar

Worship in a Season of Easter and Pandemic 

Even as we remain physically separated, we continue to worship together online.  With music, scripture, a message, and prayer, you will want to be a part of each week’s worship as we explore the theme, The Heart of the Matter.  Details for joining worship on Zoom are available on the church website (www.heightscc.org/worship)

May 10 – No Trouble in My Heart – Pastor Roger preaching

May 17 – Kept in our Hearts – Rev. Kris Eggert preaching

May 24 – Open the Eyes of My Heart – Pastor Roger preaching

PENTECOST IS COMING! – May 31

On May 31st we will celebrate Pentecost! We anticipate a different celebration this year as we are likely to be still physically apart and won’t be waving streamers in the sanctuary and eating birthday cake during fellowship in the Campbell Room.

Nevertheless, Pentecost WILL come and we WILL celebrate! On that Sunday morning, you are encouraged to wear red, bake a Pentecost cupcake to enjoy during post- worship fellowship, color and display a flame page which will be electronically sent to you and in general bring a celebratory spirit to Zoom worship that morning. We have paper “flame crowns” for children and will deliver them to families with small children if you want them. Just send Jane Troha an e-mail or call her. She will do contactless delivery with proper social distancing!

Watch the weekly reminders for updates, additions and changes to this plan. Remember the words of the hymn, On Pentecost They Gathered, as we gather virtually to say “Happy Birthday” to the church:

O Spirit, sent from heaven on that day long ago,
Rekindle faith among us in all life’s ebb and flow.
O give us ears to listen and tongues aflame with praise,
So people of all nations glad songs of joy shall raise.

…Jane Troha, for the Worship Ministry Team

Adult Study – Thursday’s at Noon

Change, Fear, and Faith

Join us for the resumption of our Scripture Study on “Change, Fear, and Faith”

As individuals, as communities, and as nations, we experience a lot of change and a lot of fear. God calls to us to “Fear Not!” and to follow Jesus. Each week we will explore scripture, reflect individually, and share our perspectives as we seek to embrace God’s message and call to us.

5/7         Fear of God; Courage and Community
5/14       Faith, part 1        New Ways of Seeing
5/21       Faith, part 2        The Paradox of Control

Here is the Zoom link for the first week:
Topic: Fear and Faith Study
Time: May 7, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Time
From your computer: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2528142283?pwd=OGpQRHUzVFg2amtGTk82SXNFaTFKZz09
Meeting ID: 252 814 2283
Password: 820810
From your smartphone: One tap mobile +19292056099,,2528142283#,,1#,820810#
From your landline (you’ll need the meeting ID and password above):
+1 929 205 6099 US

Calling all families – join us for HCC Children’s StoryTime on Zoom!

Each Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 pm Kate checks in with our HCC children, reads a story or two, and closes with a simple prayer. Lasting 15-20 minutes, this is important time for your children to feel connected to each other and the church. Connee Choi often participates as well, and others are welcome to join in the fun.

Here is the Zoom link, which is good each week:
Topic: HCC Children’s StoryTime
Time: Tuesday 03:00 PM Eastern Time
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/229020711?pwd=dTVXZ04vY2xQai9sc1hza3NVVVVwQT09
Meeting ID: 229 020 711
Password: 656828
One tap mobile +13017158592,,229020711#
Dial by your location +1 301 715 8592

Along the Path

It is a strange path that we are walking these days and a path that is much more solitary than the one we were walking in mid March.  We are all feeling increased levels of anxiety, fear and uncertainty but even in the midst of pandemic there are rays of hope and possibility.

I’ve heard people talk about time for introspection and meditation.  I’ve seen people come together to gather and distribute food and a smile to those who need both.  I’ve had time to watch the birds in our back yard and actually find time to turn our compost pile.  And as the world turns greener and the flowers grow and prepare to bloom I am reminded that “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for [God] has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.” (Psalm 24:1-2).

See you online!

Peace… Pastor Roger

Kate’s Cogitations

Church…not cancelled! 
One of the memes that has floated around Facebook and Instagram during the pandemic lists activities that are not cancelled in this time: 
“Conversations will not be cancelled.
Relationships will not be cancelled. 
Love will not be cancelled.
Songs will not be cancelled. 
Reading will not be cancelled. 
Self-care will not be cancelled.
Hope will not be cancelled.
May we lean into the good stuff that remains.” 
This is an indicator of our entire society re-examining what is important as well as what is possible. It is like a great big values clarification exercise for individuals as well as communities. The rules of our common life have changed with stay at home orders, many business and social activities cancelled, and a new way of working, shopping, meeting, and worshipping. At HCC, we have risen to the challenge of doing church in new ways – by worshipping online, using the phone to check in with folks, and by using our location and partnerships to gather and distribute food to the hungry and cards to seniors.
I hope that we can spend some time reflecting on what this pandemic has to teach us – what is most important about HCC? How can we continue our mission of worship, fellowship, outreach, and learning? What is “not cancelled” for us as a church?   I invite your reflections on what matters most to you about HCC – feel free to send me an email, text or phone call…or we can meet on Zoom! 
~Kate Gillooly 

Shaker Food Drive

The food drives on April 27th and May 4th went well thanks to the generosity of our Shaker neighbors. Over 120 people have volunteered for the food drives and distributions, and some volunteers when they saw that the food drive did not yield enough of some needed items, they went to the grocery and bought more of those items.

The food drives are an integral part of enabling the food distributions, and so this is a reminder about the food distribution and drive planned for May, so you can share the information widely:

FOOD DRIVE: Wednesday May 6th , 3-6 pm: Heights Christian Church (17300 Van Aken) and Christ Episcopal Church (3445 Warrensville Center Road)

DISTRIBUTION: Monday May 11th 10 am till 2 pm: Heights Christian Church, 17300 Van Aken Boulevard (enter from Winslow Road). Here’s the link to the social media posting: https://www.facebook.com/events/161373078635507/. Once again we will do deliveries for Meals on Wheels clients and families without transportation.

Volunteer sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084ba4a62ba6fc1-unity

Prayer List Requests

Our current prayer list is in limbo since we are not printing a bulletin and do not want to put prayer lists online.  If you have a prayer request, you can use the online prayer request form (https://www.heightschristianchurch.org/prayer-request/) or send an email to Pastor Roger.  These requests will be forwarded on to the Elders and our Prayer Ministry Team.

Social Media outreach

HCC is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and 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!