THE VISITOR September 2009 Scott Holland, Pastor Along The Way ... Another new month of ministry is upon us already and fall is on its way. We are kicking off several new ministries this fall and I want to encourage everyone to join in and be a part as we learn and grow together. The Christian Education Board has been quite busy this summer. They have agreed to recommend Julie Joliat as our new Director of Children's Ministries. Praise God! In addition, many of the new ministries we are starting are under the di rection of Christian Education. New ministries this fall include; Children's Church, Crave631 Youth Ministry. Adult Life Groups, Class 101 -Discovering Pilgrim Christian Church, Class 201 -Discovering Spiritual Maturity, and Class 301 -Discovering My Ministry. Children's Church is a special worship service just for kids ages 3 years old through fifth grade. When you arrive for worship on Sunday morning, children check in at the Fellowship Hall for Children's Church. Parents receive a matching tab from their child's cool wristband and head for the sanctuary where they are free to worship knowing their kids are in a safe, nurturing environment. The kids hear a children's message, sing some fun songs together, put their offering in the cross, and head upstairs for a great Sunday School lesson. Children's Church is a whole hour of having fun while learning about Jesus. Crave631 Youth Group is our excitin~ new joint venture Youth Ministry for 6th through 12 graders. Pilgrim Christian Church has joined with several other Chardon churches and Dean Carlo of Youth For Christ to start a dynamic weekly youth ministry. Crave631 meets at 6:31 pm on Wednesday evenings at the Assembly of God Church on the opposite corner of Chardon Square from Pilgrim Christian Church. Every week there will be fun, food, youth worship, teaching. and small group time with curriculum from Student Life. In addition to the weekly meetings, our youth will be attending outings throughout the year like; Acquire The Fire, Freeze Fest, Alive, and many others. We all have a craving Mary Carson, Editor, 286-1101 for the things of God and Crave631 is designed to fill that craving in our youth. Adult Life Groups will kick off a new season of groups that will meet from Rally Sunday week until mid-June of 2010 and then take the summer off. We are planning on having several different Life Groups that will be meeting on different days, at different times. Life Group meetings can be designed to be flexible to the schedule of the group. Our first Life Group study will be the book The Purpose Driven Church by Pastor Rick Warren. This study will run approximately 13 weeks and take us up to the Christmas holiday break. After the break we will begin a new study. Adult Life Groups are a great way to connect with other members of the church and have fun while growing in your relationship with God. As your Pastor, I highly recommend joining a Life Group. It's a lot of fun and very rewarding. Also this fall I will begin offering a series of classes which I hope everyone will take the opportunity to attend. It really doesn't matter how long you've been a part of the church, there will be fresh and interesting information in each of these classes. Class101 -Discovering Pilgrim Christian Church focuses on what it means to be a Christian and a member of the church. It will also focus on how Pilgrim Christian Church operates and does ministry. Class 201-Discovering Spiritual Maturity focuses on spiritual growth and how to be intentional in our Christian walk. Class 301 -Discovering My Ministry focuses on finding out what our spiritual gifts are and determining how God wants to use them. I will be making more announcements about how these classes will be presented and what the class schedules will be on Rally Sunday. Be sure to attend worship September 13th, Rally Sunday. We will be celebrating these ministries and sharing about the blessings in our lives that come from being a part of the Body of Christ at PCC, along the way ... Scott The Visitor UP-BEATS .... Despite the depressed economy, I hope that all P.C.C.'ers have been able to sneak away for some refreshing R&R sometime during these past couple of months. I'm sorry Folks, but the re cess is coming to a close. Although it seems sum mer has just arrived, temperature-wise, the calen dar is not supporting the idea. Fall will officially be here in less than a month. That observation will probably get me a shin-kick from my loving wife; she doesn't like being reminded that the days are shortening. Yet, Labor Day pretty well indicates the end of leisure and the resumption of routine. The good news is that we still have influence over the routine. Well, some of it, anyhow. Earning a living is a necessity, so those lucky enough to have jobs can enjoy that blessing. Raising a family is another source of reward. But there are more diverse opportunities to enjoy satisfaction, as well. Some are in making efforts to help those who might be struggling due to the economy. If not in a helping hand or an extra dollar, at least a word of recognition and encouragement can ease their burden. The feeling of invisibility can exaggerate the perception of one's load. Recall that in loving our neighbors we worship our Lord (Matt 22:39). Now that we get back into routines, let's include the needs of others as part of our concerns. But recreation is essential, too. Recreation, literally, means "re-create." Maybe we can recreate neglected talents like singing or playing an in strument in church groups like the Chancel Choir, Bell Choir, Brass Choir, or Praise Ensemble. One doesn't have to have a strong musical background to enjoy joining one of these groups. Inspiration, in my opinion, is more important than talent. Be bold! Talk to someone from one of these groups, if participation sounds appealing. Or start your own group. We love variety. One important way to grow in the church is through socializing. Coffee hour and pot-lucks are wonderful, especially for those of us who have a habit of eating. Socializing can be taken beyond the realm of the oral intake of luscious foodstuffs. Participating in Men's and Women's Fellowships is more interactive than simply eating. Granted, there is usually food involved, but the gathering has a focus other than the gustatory. Page 2 Enjoy sharing with others, whether it be a field trip or a clambake (oops, there's the food thing again.) Starting now there is yet another way to recreate and socialize at Pilgrim Christian Church. There are small groups forming that meet during the week and will be addressing specific interests. The groups can be centered on any sort of mutual interest: young parents, only women (or men), golfers, grandparents, gardeners, tradesmen, and "traditionalists" are just a few suggestions. Think of six or eight people you'd like to know better and join a group. Pastor Scott will get you going. The idea is for people with similar interests (implying a high comfort expectation) to meet weekly to study a spiritual or Biblical topic. Mary and I were in such a group over the last few months and can attest to the potential for growth in spirit and friendship. This is a wonderful way to get to know other P.C.C.'ers more intimately and rewardingly. I'm seeing new faces at Pilgrim; I'm missing a few "old" faces. For us to grow, we don't replace members of our flock; we add to the flock. I am sure many who I miss are simply temporarily diverted due to summer activities. Well, let us call all back into the fold as we gear up with a fresh school and church year. Join in, join up, and enjoy the new beginnings. God will be there. In Christ's spirit, Steve Wick, Moderator ALTAR FLOWERS We will resume flowers on our altar from A.H. Christianson's beginning on September 13. Sign up to remember or honor a loved one by choosing a Sunday on the orange flower calendar, located next to the kitchen serving window in the Fellowship Hall. You can order one bouquet for $15 or two bouquets for $30, checks made payable to Men's Fellowship. LJ~BOR DAY SUNDAY September 6, Both Services Paul Moore will be our guest speaker, while Pastor Scott enjoys the weekend with his family. The Visitor TEA PARTY All women of the church are cordially invited to attend a Te~ Party on Thursday evening, September 17 at 7:00 pm at the home of Agnes Sojka-Sperry. This will be the first meeting of the year of Friendship Guild. Hostesses will be Cindy Hopkins and Mary Carson. Friendship Guild is a very active group of women. We incorporate fellowship, social time, Bible study and service projects in our meetings. New attendees are always welcomed. Come once and see what we are all about. If you enjoy it, come again! The meetings are held on the third Thursdays at 7 pm each month. Meetings are now being held in homes. Watch the bulletin for the place of each meeting. Hope you will join us for a cup of tea. Please bring your own cup and saucer. MISSION'S NEWS The Mission Committee would like to thank you for the wonderful response of school supplies for Westside Ecumenical Ministry and Geauga County children. Likewise, thank you for the personal items for Cleveland Christian Home. Your generosity was greatly appreciated by everyone. Our goal to help others can not happen without your continued support and your help has always been amazing. In September, our Project Hope dinner will be Italian casseroles. In October, our Project Hope dinner for the homeless will be a chicken casserole dinner, green beans, salad, bread and a dessert. If you'd like to make your favorite chicken casserole, or provide another part of the meal for the second Thursday, October 8, please see Linda Arotin to sign up. We are responsible for a meal each month, so if you can't contribute this month, maybe another month will fit your schedule. Hope you can help us at some time. God bless, Mission Committee Page 3 RALLY SUNDAY September 13 Come join us for this year's Rally Sunday on September 13. Hear what's new and exciting about this upcoming season of Children's Sunday School, Crave631 Youth Group, Adult Life Groups, and Pastor Scott's new Discovery Series: Class 101, Class 201 and Class 301. Please bring your friends and family so they too can hear what's going on at our church! PRAYER CONCERNS, JOYS AND BLESSINGS Prayers for Healina Bill Hanna in a nursing home in Texas Kay Beer's mother-in-law, Susanne Beer Hash Reiter is in Geauga Hospital. Claire McClelland Cathy Baluch, Jan and Bill Boyles' daughter Nancy Rhodes, healing from eye surgery and a fall. Janette Staple, Ken Temple's sister is in Geauga Hospital. Prayers of Protection Keith Temple, on active duty in Iraq. Prayers of Praise Lu Wilder is now back at the Residence. Prayers of Sympathy Maria Burkhammer's father, Herb passed away. Larry Baker's wife, Peggy passed away. CROP WALK SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 The Visitor CRAVE 631 Community Youth Group For Teens CRAVE 631 is a community youth group currently consisting of five Chardon area churches looking to expand their involvement in the everyday lives of their youth. The vision is to INVITE youth to experience God, provide INSIGHT and growth in their relationship with God and IGNITE their faith in God into action in our own community. The end result will be to create, nurture, and graduate lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. The source of the name "CRAVE 631" comes from the definition of "crave" and Psalms 63:1. It's most immediate significance that the group meets on Wednesdays from 6:31 to 8:00 pm. The immediate real-time goals for the youth are to break down barriers, tear off their labels and get out of the box others may have put them in. I attended the August 26th meeting and was very impressed with the leadership as well as the students, many of whom I know from subbing at Chardon and Berkshire high schools. There were 23 youth there even though the kickoff will not occur until September 2nd when projections are for 50 youth. How can you help support this ministry without obligating yourself to something else in your already packed schedule? Consider signing up as one of 12 families to supply the foodl refreshments for the third week of each month. Involvement can be as little as providing only the funding to purchase the items or as much as purchasing and delivering the items to the Assembly of God Church on the designated Wednesday night. Our first Wednesday night is September 16th• Let me know if you are interested. -continued- Page 4 Suggested options are: 60 people ... 3 gallon drinks or 60 sodas, 3 bags chips, 6 dozen cookies ...this is a great combination. Other items to consider: Pizzas (120 slices), Donuts (6 dozen), Veggie Tray (3 trays @ 75 pieces), Finger Fruit Tray (3 @ 75 pieces). HELP SUPPORT THE YOUTH OF OUR COMMU NITY// Contact Paul Hederstrom, CRA VE Staff rep from Pilgrim Christian Church, iouchrist@vahoo.com or 286.8669. YOUTH IN GRADES 6th-8th Come to the 11:00 am Contemporary Worship; then, after the opening worship, go upstairs with Vickie Craig, who will be your group leader. She's got good stuff planned! Bring a friend! (Youth in grades 9th-12th remain in the sanctuary. LIFE GROUPS Interested in a small group experience? New Life Groups will be starting the week of Rally Sunday to kick-off this school year's season of ministry. We will be studying The Purpose-Driven Church by Pastor Rick Warren. Please see Pastor Scott for more information. Come for the blessings! FALL BIBLE STUDY Like a chessboard, your mind is a battlefield. And doubt, worry, confusion, depression, anger, and condemnation are the enemy's pawns. Fortunately, The Battlefield of the Mind, Book and Study Guide Pack will show you how to recognize and stop damaging thought patterns, effectively use spiritual weapons, begin seeing the truth by thinking correctly, find peace, and win the match! Starting September 22 on Tuesday nights from 7-9 pm for 12 weeks. Book and study guide $16.25. Contact Diane Comer in the church office to sign up by September 7. September 2009 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 10Lunch 251219252831416212330 Trustee's 11 15 22 24 LABOR DAY 4182691729Handbells1 pm pmpmpmpmpmpm Pilgrim Guild6 pm Brass rehearsal 7 777778 888 pm pmpmpmpmpmpm Chancel ChancelChancel Choir ChoirChoirElder's meeting meetingmeeting rehearsal rehearsalrehearsalrehearsalrehearsal65:30 Project Hope8 88Dinner7 Brass BrassBrass rehearsal rehearsalrehearsalFriendship meetingConsistory 61 Chancel ChancelChancelChoir ChoirChoirGuild Tea Party 27 13 October 2009 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 8 pm Choir Rehearsal Christian 7 pm Hand Bell Re hearsal hearsal 1926851216233010 hearsal hearsalhearsal r 23139151722242113202914286277 7777777 pm pmpmpmpmpmpmHand HandHandHandBell BellBellBell Re- Re-Re-Re-Consistory meeting meetingmeetingmeetingElder'sTrustees 6 66665:30 pm Project HopeDinner1LuncheonBrass BrassBrassBrassBrassPilgrim Guild 8 pm pmpmpm8pmpm88 pmpmpmpm Choir Rehearsal RehearsalRehearsalChoirRehearsalChoirChoir RehearsalRehearsalRehearsalRehearsal 7 Friendship Guild I I Education meeting 1 7pm I 18 25 A Worldwide Day of Extraordinary Pra~ for Children & Schools Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street. lamentations 2:19 Saturday, November 14, 2009, 9am to 1pm Celebrating 25 years of prayer for children & schools, Moms In Touch International is hosting a. historic prayer event, inviting Christian women from around the world to t~r;se! C:ry Out!" for the generations. Register now at www.MomslnTouch.org Fern Nichols Miles McPherson Crimson Bridge President and Founder Moms In Touch International Miles Ahead Ministries Senior Pastor Worship Team Rock Church, San Diego Chester Christian Center A/G location Contact Joanne Harris, 440.338.5921 • ~ @ 11815 Chillicothe Road, Chesterland, 44026 INTERNATIONAL Join women from around the world October 9-10, for the Arise! Cry Out! Live Event in San Diego. The four-hour prayer event on Saturday will be recorded, and the professional DVD will be used on November 14 to facilitate a powerful time of small-group and corporate prayer for children and schools in our community and around the world. Ministry Partners: D, j,~V€(Q~~At% If=I1i/f J' J~ ~~::?~__ ~'-------:] [8.---. 1 -~~ I}Iw" ".1 II"'''' [P.,A YINGUFEf()UNDATION II i EUf!] ,':;:~"~~~1," Non-Profit Org. THE VISITOR September 2009 u.s. Postage PAID Chardon, OH Permit No. 2a Pilgrim Christian Church 202 S. Hambden Street Chardon, OH 44024 Office: 440-285-8791 Fax: 440-285-3116 Web: www.chardonpcc.org. E-mail: pcc@chardonpcc.org OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE DEACONS Steve Moore, Captain Holly and Chuck Boros Mary and Bruce Carson Carol Wolfe Corey Godine ELDER Phil King TRUSTEE Ken Temple The best mathematical equation I have ever seen: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! September 5-Gil Wellman, Casey Griffin September 6-Carol Penrod September 7-5teve Wick September 8-Kathie Cseplo, Emily Cosimano September 1o-Jim Rayl September 12-Jenny Gilles September 13-Virginia Young, Jerry Griffin September 15-Mary Cosimano September 18-Joanne Ettenger September 19-Gertrude Allyn, Terry Boggs September 2Q-Connie Hamilton, Kaitlin Kobuszewski September 21-Lisa Laino September 22-Carol Dodd September 23-Hannah Cseplo September 25-Josh Arndt September 26-Gene Burkhammer, Ken Bevington September 28-Anne Wick September 29-Judy Hederstrom September 3D-Kristin Carlson