#MM340 - Church, There’s no shortage of symbolism in our tradition of faith, from the art in stained-glass windows to the colors of the liturgical seasons and even many of our scripture stories themselves are highly symbolic. Jesus even speaks with metaphors, trying to ignite our imaginations as we attempt to get our heads around what this wild “kingdom of God” actually *is*. Is it a mustard bush tree? A bunch of leavened bread? A fine pearl, a valued plot of land, or a fishing net? This Sunday Jesus gives us a cornucopia of imagery to choose from as we dream together about how God’s love changes our lives and world. Which symbol grabs *you* most?

• Bulletin for this Sunday: https://bit.ly/3RSLZrW

• Birthday Sunday Fellowship Hour – July 26: Join us for Fellowship Hour after the service for our renewal of Birthday Sunday to honor everyone who celebrates a July birthday. All are invited for refreshments and fellowship.

• Book Club: The book club has resumed meeting at Messiah this summer in the Sittler Lounge and/or the library. We will next meet on August 11, 2026 at 7pm to discuss the book The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Contact Nancy Pittard if you have questions: nlp1097@att.net.

• Shoes and Clothes for Kids – July 27 at 10am: Volunteer Opportunity hosted by Social Ministry; July 27 from 10 a.m. to noon at Shoes and Clothes for Kids, 15500 South Waterloo Road, Cleveland, OH. Shoes and Clothes for Kids is a non-profit organization which provides school clothes and school supplies for students in need at Cleveland area schools. 

• New Member Sunday: We are hoping to welcome new members during the summer months if there is interest. Talk to Pastor Paul or another friend at the Church if you’d like to learn more!

Dear Church,

I hope this letter finds you well in the new year. As most of you are aware, Messiah has gone through some changes lately as we adjust our staffing to fit our budgetary commitments for 2025. I would like to take a moment to update you on the status of some of the different positions and how we can use your help as a congregation moving forward. 

First, Sheryl Trost volunteered to step down from the Community Faith Facilitator position in favor of focusing on Christian Education with our Sunday School program. While this will take her away from the Connections Team leadership, this has yielded a salary savings as part of the revised budget. The Connections Team will continue their mission with the existing committee members. 

Second, we parted ways with our long-time Custodian, Steve Newcomer. While we have really appreciated his years of service, the required budget cuts made it difficult to sustain a dedicated custodial position. Snow removal will continue under our current contract and the Council has an action item to explore lawn care alternatives. For inside the church, we've contracted with a professional cleaning company that will be in twice a month for a thorough review of the church. This new schedule will require a bit of an adjustment so I'd like to empower the entire congregation to take action to keep our church and building clean if you see an opportunity to do so. 

Third, the Council has authorized the search for a Property Manager/Rental Coordinator position. This new position will help coordinate the property and maintenance activities at the church as well as providing a meaningful focus on generating revenue from our outstanding facilities that will help support our congregation and mission into the future. The job description will be available in the church and online if someone you know is interested in this exciting opportunity. 

Finally, the rest of the church staff took a small pay cut so that we could maintain the important positions that directly affect worship. You may see changes to our bulletin, order of service and music presentation. I'd encourage you to reach out to the Council with any questions about these changes as we navigate our budget for 2025 and beyond. 

In order to better keep the congregation in the loop, I've started posting financial information and the Pastor's report on the bulletin board in the hallway outside the library. In addition, the new job posting can be found there as well. 

As always, your church council is available to answer any more particular questions. 

Best, 

Ben Johnson / Church Council President