-
8/9/2019 June 2015.Pub
1/8
JUNE 2015
www.highlandsucc.org 1910 Saint Paris
[email protected] Springfield, Ohio 45504-1206
937-399-7493
rom the Pastor…
The movie, "The Bucket List," depicts two terminally ill men and
unlikely companions — Edward and Carter
(played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman) who escape from a
cancer ward and set o on a road trip with a
list of exploits they hope to accomplish before they die. Edward
is Chairman of the corporaon that owns the
hospital in which they nd themselves and is used to geng his
way—unl his cancer diagnosis. Carter expresses
frustraon as a man who gave all his me to his family for 45
years, yet now is faced with missing out on the all the
joy and majesty he feels life has to oer.
The bucket list includes items such as kiss the most beauful
girl in the world, make someone laugh unl they cry,
skydiving, seeing the majesc view from Mt. Everest among others.
Though in a twist of irony, both men’s
ashes are laid to rest on top of Mt Everest in
“Choc-Full-O’Nuts” coee cans.
This movie serves as a parable that asks the big quesons. Carter
and Edward discuss faith and the existence of
God and the varying methods by which people measure their lives.
Carter tells Edward about the Egypan belief
about death. He says, “You know, the ancient Egypans had a
beauful belief about death. When their souls got
to the entrance to heaven, the guards asked two quesons. Their
answers determined whether they were able to
enter or not. ‘Have you found joy in your life?’ 'Has your life
brought joy to others?’” The movie is just as much a
movie about the healing we experience through fellowship and
shared experience, bearing one another's burdens,
and giving and receiving joy through oenmes the small every day
events of our lives. Although all the items onthe list are
eventually accomplished, they are not accomplished in the ways
Edward and Carter envisioned when
they made the list.
So I pose these quesons; “Where have you found joy? Where have
you brought joy to others?” Are there things
that you would like to accomplish during your lifeme, no maer
how small or grand? What would a bucket-list
in the spirit of experiencing joy or bring joy to others contain
for you? Perhaps, a good place to start is the
commandment to “Love our neighbor as ourselves”. How can we do
that we might ask? Maybe we could
intenonally pray for others for whom we may not normally pray.
Perhaps, we could smile or speak to a stranger.
Maybe, by serving at a soup kitchen, food pantry, standing with
persons who may be pushed to the margins.
Somemes we might think we have to spend money or give a lot of
me—but never underesmate the joy
you might bring from smiling at or speaking to a stranger.
Perhaps it is the one gi they needed. Never
underesmate the joy you will receive from bringing joy to
others. Perhaps you may discover your own joy inbringing joy to
others.
-
8/9/2019 June 2015.Pub
2/8
Pastor’s Office Hours
Monday and Thursday 9:00 a.m. — 12:00
noon Wednesday 12:00 noon — 3:00 p.m. You can
reach Pastor Avery in the church officeduring these hours or at
937-429-1536.
A Safe Zone Outside the pastor’s office is a
sign that says, “This is a SAFEZONE”. You can talk about anything
here. The sign lists some ofthe many things you can discuss. Check
it out!
Worship Helpers for June Greeter Barb KornLiturgist Dixie
Jenkins-6/7;
Barb Romaca-6/14;Cindy Bowen-6/21;Flo Keaton-6/28
Sound System Kathy Howard
Highlands’ Leadership
Pastor: Rev. Avery Sledge Assistant to the Pastor: Ebony
Speakes-HallChurch Officers: Pam Dixon — Moderator
Jan Kushmaul — Vice ModeratorLinda
Owens — Treasurer
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon.
LIVING THE QUESTIONS The Adult Discussion Group meets most
every Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. Currently
we have a continuing study of the Living the Questionsseries
which explores Christianity through looking at how the Bible and
our Christianlife applies in the modern world. This is a video
series and each week stands on its
own so no advance reading is required. Please grab a cup of
coffee, tea, or hot cocoa, and join us! .
Don’t Forget the Food Cart
We collect food and non-perishable items for Open Hands
Free Store’sfood pantry. In May we collected 56 items! You can help
feed the hungry by dropping off items to
Highlands Church, 1910 St. Paris Pike, from 6:00 am to 5:30 pm.
Come through the front doorunder the covered walkway and the
grocery cart is outside the office doors.
Ushers needed
Please consider being an usher inJune. The sign-up sheet is on
thetable in the narthex.
-
8/9/2019 June 2015.Pub
3/8
Mark your Calendars!Cancer Relay for Life
June 12th 6:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m. At the Clark County
Fairgrounds
Relay for Life is an opportunity to unite as a community to
honor cancer survivors, to learn
what we can do to reduce cancer risks, and to raise money to
help the American Cancer
Society ght the disease.
Luminaries can be purchased in honor or memory of someone who
has cancer. Forms are
available on the table in the narthex. Give to Bey Mougey to
turn in.
We are planning to sell walking tacos at the event.
We will have walkers on the track all Friday evening. If you
would like to walk please sign up
on the sheet on the front door. If you cannot walk, come out and
visit and enjoy the event.
This is just one of the thing HIGHLANDS does in the
community.
Springfield Celebrates PRIDE Month
On Saturday, June 13, Equality Springfield will celebrate PRIDE
month on
the City Hall Plaza in downtown Springfield. Beginning at
12:00 noon and
running to 4:00 p.m., there will be food, entertainment, local
celebrityspeakers, and opportunities to showcase all the ways
Springfield supports its
gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities.
Highlands will be present with materials that show our welcome
and support
of all God’s creation. We need a few people to attend the event
and represent
Highlands United Church of Christ. A sign-up sheet is on the
table in the
narthex.
Update from Shema Church in Havana Cuba. Many of you
provided much needed medical items for Shema Church to use in its
ministry to people in the community surrounding the church.
Several of you met the pastors of Shema, Bety and Gustavo when
they visited us April 20th and we shared stories of
ministering to allGod ’ s people. Bety
returned home to Havana and found that a severe storm had caused
extensive damage toher home (which also serves as the church). Due
to the damage, she will likely have to sell herhome and find a new
location. (Repairs and building supplies are not as readily
available in Havana as they are here.) Please keep Bety in
your prayers as she goes through this difficulty. Please keep
the Shema Church in your prayers as they look for a place to
worship. ShemaChurch meets the needs of many people throughout the
community desperate to know a lovingGod.
-
8/9/2019 June 2015.Pub
4/8
Recycle at Highlands
Paper, plastic, metal, cardboard all are collected and taken to
the recycling centers 1602 W. Main St. andbetween the Project Woman
building and the Clark County Combined Health District building
on
East Home Road.
Household hazardous waste is collected for a fee of $1.00 per
poundat the West Main Street location on the First Saturday of
April, June, August and October.
CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE EQUALITY!
In anticipation of a positive June ruling by the U.S.
Supreme Court for marriage equality for everyone, a
coalition of Miami Valley interfaith congregations,
includingHighlands UCC have come together to respond with boldness
andclarity that we are congregations who welcome and celebrate
thisdecision. We want to respond to this ruling with joy that we
are
communities of faith who value hospitality, equality and justice
asessential, life-giving characteristics of an experience of the
Sacredin our midst. We do not know exactly when the US Supreme
Courtwill release their ruling but it is expected by the end of
June. Morethan likely it will be the last Thursday of June
-- June 25th. Butwhatever day it happens, we are preparing to
respond and we willdo it in 3 strategic ways:
*** Present a full-fledged press conference at 2:00 p.m. on
theday the ruling at Harmony Creek Church. All are
invited to attend. *** Gather people in an Interfaith
Celebration Service at 7:00 p.m. on the evening of the ruling
at Harmony Creek Church. All are invited to
attend .
*** Place a full-color page ad in the Dayton Daily News (both
print and on-line) the
Sunday after the ruling is released, naming 17 congregations who
are part of this WE DO SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALITY campaign.Of
course, all of this will cost money. We are seeking to raise
$10,000 for this effort, most of whichwill go to pay for the Dayton
Daily News ad, which will be in print form and on -line for several
days.Each participating congregation is being asked to contribute
toward this effort, either through indi-vidual gifts, or direct
gifts from congregational funds, or a mix of both.
You are invited to give now to support our Pride Month
Celebration of Marriage Equality!Each contributor of $25 or more
will be listed in the Interfaith Celebration Service program
accord-ing to their giving level: $ 25 - $ 49, $ 50 - $
99, $100 - $249, $250 or more. We are asking people to
make their contributions to “WE DO” by June 14th! You can
sendchecks to Harmony Creek Church, 5280 Bigger Road, Kettering, OH
45440 and please note thatyour gift is for the WE DO campaign and
note Highlands UCC as your home church. Or you can
give electronically by clicking on the link on the front of the
church’s webpage: http://harmonycreekchurch.org/p08/wedo/
THANK YOU for lifting up the positive, loving and life-giving
values of justice and love. With the anticipatedSupreme Court
decision coming, this is a time for us to CELEBRATE and share the
good news of 20 faithcommunities throughout the Miami Valley who
practice equality and extravagant hospitality and lift up
justice, peace and love as important spiritual
values!
http://harmonycreekchurch.org/p08/wedo/http://harmonycreekchurch.org/p08/wedo/http://harmonycreekchurch.org/p08/wedo/http://harmonycreekchurch.org/p08/wedo/http://harmonycreekchurch.org/p08/wedo/
-
8/9/2019 June 2015.Pub
5/8
If you no longer wish toreceive this newsletter, please call
937-399-7493and ask to have your name removed from the Outreach
newsletter
mailing list.
What does Highlands Stand For?
Each of the last four newsletters has had an article titled like
this. Each month wehave looked at one of the statements in our
Vision Statement. The fifth and finalstatement is as follows:
To do justice and pursue peace.
What do we mean by that?
To understand why Highlands chose this statement as one of its
primary visions, weneed to look at the life of Jesus. Jesus set the
example of what God calls Godspeople to do and to be. Story after
story is told of Jesus not just healing the sick andinfirm, but of
walking, talking, eating, and living with those at the margins of
thatsociety. He associated with women, tax collectors, and lepers.
He shared a messageof equality and compassion. He told the people
to do more than love those who lovethem, but to love their enemies,
to walk the extra mile, and to give the coat off their back to
those who have need.
“Jesus didn’t reject people. Neither do we.” At least, that is
what the banner saysthat hangs on the front of the building. The
real question, though, is “Do we livethat?” Do we treat each other
and all who enter our doors with understanding,compassion, and
appreciation? The first step in doing justice and pursuing peace
iswhat we do right here in the church.
There is another step, though. It is what we do outside the
church. We have pledgedto help those efforts in the community that
support justice and peace. Some of that
support has gone to Project Woman (the domestic violence
prevention program), ThePeace Alliance (a local effort attached to
a national initiative to promote peace at alllevels of society),
and Equality Springfield (the group that leads the challenge to
addinclusive LGBT language to Springfield’s nondiscrimination
ordinance).
It is Highlands’ vision and mission to BE the body of Christ in
the world and to DOwhat Christ would do. We are God’s heart and
hands reaching out to those at themargins of society wherever they
may be found.
-
8/9/2019 June 2015.Pub
6/8
The May 2015Children’s ‘Noisy’
Collection totaled $33.50
As determined by the children of Highlands,donations have
already been made to Onthe Rise in Clark County and The
HeiferProject through Heifer International. Acheck has been
made out to the Blanket
Project through Church World Service and another will be
sent to Project Jericho in Springfield.
Noisy’ Collection is thesecond Sunday of eachmonth. Next
‘noisy’collection will be June 14
Box Tops & Labels collected for
Oesterlen Services for Youth
A number of organizaons collect
BOX TOPS and food labels to raise funds for
their non-prot agencies.
Highlands received a plea from
Oesterlen and we have responded.
If you would like to help, a list of the items that
are being collected is on the bullen board inthe fellowship
hall
outside the kitchen window.
A can is located on the table in the
narthex to place the box tops and labels. When
we have collected a number of them, we will
take them to Oesterlen.
Items for Interfaith Hospitality Network are being collected
Some of the members of Highlands Church are collecting items for
Interfaith Hospitality Network. We have a box in the narthex
if you wish to join us in this effort. In May, we collected 19
books,
3 crayons, and 54 toiletries. Once we have several items, we
will take them to IHN.Here are a few things needed:
Hygiene, such as bath, hair, and body products. Household, such
as cleaning, storage, paper,products. Health care, such as
ointment, band-aids, baby items, pain relievers, over the
counter
medications. A complete list is located on the Community News
bulletin boardin the fellowship hall outside the kitchen
window.
Clark County Fair
Save these dates!
July 24—31
Geng ready! Clean up day is Thursday, June 18, starng at 6:00
p.m.
All hands are needed. Meat prep will be July 8 & 9 from 8:00
a.m. to noon.
Supplies arrive on Tuesday, July 21, salad prep is Thursday,
July 23, and Fair startsFriday, July 24.
These are very important dates to put on your calendar! We will
need all of your
help to get this big job accomplished. What a wonderful way to
serve the
community and help the church with its one big money making
acvity, not to
menon we will enjoy some wonderful fellowship me!!
-
8/9/2019 June 2015.Pub
7/8
J u n e 2
0 1 5
S
M
T
u
W
e
Th
S
1
2
3
4
R e l a y f o r L i f e
M
e e t i n g
6
p m
5
6
7
A d u l t C l a s s
9 : 3 0 a m
W o r s h i p
1 0 : 3 0 a m
C h i l d r e n
1 0 : 4 5 a m
F e l l o w s h i p
1 1 : 3 0 a m
D i a c o n a t e
1 2 : 0 0 p m
A A
8 : 0 0 p m
8
S p r i n g f i e l d Z e n
G r o u p
7 : 0 0 p m
9
1
1
1
1
2
R e l a y f o r L i f e
E v e n t
6 p m - 1 2
1
3
S p r i n g f i e l d
P r i d e
C e l e b r a t i o n
1 2 - 4
1
4
A d u l t C l a s s
9 : 3 0 a m
W o r s h i p
1 0 : 3 0 a m
C h i l d r e n
1 0 : 4 5 a m
F e l l o w s h i p
1 1 : 3 0 a m
T r u s t e e s
1 2 : 0 0 p m
A A
8 : 0 0 p m
1
5
S p r i n g f i e l d Z e n
G r o u p
7 : 0 0 p m
1
6
1
7
1
8
C l e a n - u p t i m e a t
F a i r g r o u n d s
C a f e t e r i a
6 : 0 0 p m
1
9
2
2
1
A d u l t C l a s s
9 : 3 0 a m
W o r s h i p
1 0 : 3 0 a m
C h i l d r e n
1 0 : 4 5 a m
F e l l o w s h i p
1 1 : 3 0 a m
C o u n c i l
1 2 : 0 0 p . m
.
A A
8 : 0 0 : p m
2
2
S p r i n g f i e l d Z e n
G r o u p
7 : 0 0 p m
2
3
2
4
2
5
2
6
2
7
2
8
A d u l t C l a s s
9 : 3 0 a m
W o r s h i p
1 0 : 3 0 a m
C h i l d r e n
1 0 : 4 5 a m
F e l l o w s h i p
1 1 : 3 0 a m
A A
8 : 0 0 p m
2
9
S p r i n g f i e l d Z e n
G r o u p
7 : 0 0 p m
3
3
1
-
8/9/2019 June 2015.Pub
8/8
Highlands United Church of Christ
1910 Saint Paris Pike
Springfield, Ohio 45504
www.highlandsucc.org
Mission Statement
Our Mission is to be the loving heart and healing hands of God
in the world;we are a welcoming community of faith, seeking to
accompany and support all
on their journey to Christ, and bearing authentic witness of
God ’ s inclusive love
as proclaimed through Jesus.
Highlands United Church of Christ, is called by God
To open doors for all who seek a safe place for their spiritual
journey To extend extravagant hospitality To set an
open table for all who hunger To provide sanctuary for
all who seek forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing
To do justice and pursue peace
Highlands Open and Affirming Statement
The worshipping family within the faith community of
Highlands United Church of Christ believes inChrist's gospel of
unconditional love. We joyfully welcome into full participation,
membership, andleadership of this congregation persons of every
race, language, age, gender identity and expression,sexual
orientation, physical or mental ability, economic or marital
status, and faith background. Weaffirm and celebrate all loving,
committed relationships affirming that all families defined by love
areblessed." Adopted by the congregation January 13,
2013
Return Service Requested
