#MM338 - Church, Images of seedlings and the growth of tiny plants may capture our imagination, as we wait to see exactly what sort of mature flora might emerge. In the Gospels, Jesus often uses metaphors of farmers and seeds and growth to talk about God’s reign among us. What might it mean that God is the source of the water that nourishes our fields? What might it mean that God sows the seeds of life so generously, perhaps even indiscriminately? What might it mean to be gathered into such a kingdom of generosity and life? Come this Sunday as we are gathered for a Service of the Word (no communion) and are grafted into God’s good love.

• Bulletin for this Sunday: https://bit.ly/JULY12thBulletin-MLC26

• Book Club: The book club will resume meeting at Messiah this summer in the Sittler Lounge and/or the library. We will meet on July 14, 2026, at 7pm to discuss the book Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization by Neil de Grasse Tyson. Bring your own beverage. We will also hand out the book The Correspondent by Virginia Evans to discuss on Tuesday August 11 at 7pm. Contact Nancy Pittard if you have questions: nlp1097@att.net.

• Shoes and Clothes for Kids: Volunteer Opportunity hosted by Social Ministry. Please join us on July 27 from 10am to noon at Shoes and Clothes for Kids, 15500 South Waterloo Road, Cleveland, OH. Shoes and Clothes for Kids is a non-profit which provides school clothes and school supplies for students in need at Cleveland area schools. We will help to organize clothing and school supplies for the upcoming academic year. If you can help, RSVP to Karen Dickerson at kdickerson630@gmail.com by July 20; you will then receive a form to complete required for all volunteers.

• 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