#MM288 – “Lord, teach us to pray,” the disciples as in the Gospel this Sunday. We continue to reach out to God in prayer, but what if prayer is more about God reaching out to us? What connectedness does such a prayer practice reveal? Come and worship this weekend as we are gathered into the many prayers that “rise like incense” to God

• Bulletin for this coming Sunday (7-27-25): https://bit.ly/July27thBulletin-MLC25

•  July 27 – Birthday Sunday Fellowship Hour: 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.

• July 28 – Shoes and Clothes for Kids: Please join us on Monday, 7/28 from 12-2 pm to volunteer with Social Ministry at Shoes and Clothes for Kids. This is a non-profit entity providing school supplies, shoes, and clothing to K-12 Cleveland area students. Transportation will be available from the church parking lot, leaving at approx. 11:30am. Messiah volunteers will be helping to organize clothing and school supplies for the upcoming school year. Interested? Email Karen Dickerson at kdickerson630@gmail.com for more information and to add your name to the volunteer list!

• ELCA – Call of a New Presiding Bishop: Messiah Lutheran Church is not only part of the Northeastern Ohio Synod (Lutherans in this nearby part of the country), but we are also a member of the nationwide denomination known as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Each of our synods is guided by the pastoral leadership of a bishop (in our case, Bishop Laura Barbins), while our denomination has the privilege of being shepherded by a single Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton. In August, our national Churchwide Assembly will gather to worship, grow in faith, and work together to faithfully continue in the ministries of the ELCA. Part of the Churchwide gathering this session includes the election and call of a new presiding bishop, and I ask that you pray for our siblings in faith who are part of this important undertaking in the coming month while also giving thanks for the steady leadership of Presiding Bishop Eaton these past years. Bishop Eaton’s daughter, Beckah Selnik, reflected on her mother’s ministry with the church, and I commend her words to you as we mark this turning point in our denominational leadership: https://www.livinglutheran.org/2025/07/ordinary-and-extraordinatory/

• Keep the Heat On! Can you believe that our current church boiler has been in service for 70 years? Unfortunately, it has finally come to the end of its serviceable life and we are looking to raise the funds to replace it before the cold sets in late this fall. Thank you to those who have contributed to the campaign for its replacement – over $6000 has already been given towards our $35,000 goal. Make sure to mark any contributions with a "Boiler" memo so that funds can be attributed properly. 

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