Rejoice is a congregation of the ELCA | December 2018

Rejoice! Lutheran Church

7855 Stow Road

Hudson, OH 44236

interim pastor

Rev. Mark Sherwindt

330-285-3927 (cell)

amsherwindt@msn.com

contact R e j o i c e !

330-653-5980

office@rejoicelc.org

www.rejoicelc.org

chu r ch coun c i l

Chad Bryant

Scott Morgan

Janet Juliano

Francine McBride

Jean Binger

Connie Cichon

Paige Giannetti

Chris Marshall

Marilyn Olzmann

Jeanne Verser

bu l let in and

news letter

office@rejoicelc.org

Sunday Worship

at

Rejoice! Lutheran Church

Worship: Sundays 9:30am

Sunday School: 10:45am

Sept—May

ou r m i s s io n “To rejoice in, and share

the good news of Jesus Christ

A Word from the Interim Pastor ...

Happy New Year! Out with the old year, and in with the new! However you say it, a new church year begins with the First Sunday in Advent. Another year of waiting for the Lord’s return concluded with our celebration of Christ the King Sunday to end a great Thanksgiving weekend. Ohio State won! The Cavs won, twice! The Browns won, too! Actually, the Browns won two … in a row, for the first time in years, and on the road, again, for the first time in years. We ended the year on a high note, at least, as far as area sports teams are concerned. But will this good news continue? I suppose we could say the same thing about Rejoice! The new Interim Pastor is no longer all that new. We received two new members on Christ the King Sun-day. Attendance has stabilized, sort of. It’s not what it once was, or what it should be; but it is an improvement from September, and is improving.

2018 has been a year we’ll remember, but would like to forget. Pastor Mike, our pastor of thirteen years, accepted a call to serve his new congregation in Michigan. Farewells leave a little bit of sadness, and a big hole in the heart of a church family, which will not be made whole until the beginning of our next chapter in ministry. In the meantime, we have to wait for the call process to proceed, with all the worries of last year, except that now – dur-ing this interim – we are told that we can expect a drop-off in attendance and in giving, too! That doesn’t sound very good. And these new “intentional” interim ministries add another phase with the creation of a Transition Task Force to help us find our footing faster on our way to our next chapter. Will that add more time to our waiting? The quick answer is No. The intention isn’t to add waiting time, but a time for focusing more ef-fectively on where we’ve been, who we are, what God is calling us to be, and where the resources we need will be found.

Our first priority will be to focus on attendance. Average attendance at wor-ship in September was 31. In October it was 41. In November it was 42. Can we increase it to 50 in December as we prepare to celebrate Christ-mas? The good news is that we do not need anything we do not already have to reach this goal. We just need to tell ourselves that it is important to Rejoice at this time in our life to support one another with attendance at worship. Let your first New Year’s resolution be a desire to come to Rejoice, literally, come to rejoice in the good news that God is with us, God’s prom-ise kept with the birth of the Babe in a manger, whose life and death changed the world. The whole world now takes notice of this humble birth. Let’s do better than the world’s acknowledging Christ birth, by opening our hearts so that this Christ Child will transform us – each of us individually, and all of us together.

Continued on page 2…..

Rejoice Voice

PAGE 2 R EJO IC E VO IC E

President’s Letter to the Congregation Hello Rejoice!

Rejoice! is here to stay. That is right. Rejoice! isn’t in the business of just surviving anymore. We all have felt that for some time. From here on out, we have reason to move to THRIVING! YOUR HELP IS NEEDED.

There are a few things that each one of us needs to swing the pendulum back the other direction with in order to make THRIVING happen. In every part of life, it is just a reality that nothing stays constant. We need reminders to “get back on the wagon”- eating healthier, spending more family time, not eating out as much, practicing the guitar more, working out, whatever it is. Church is no different.

To accelerate the thriving factor, each and every one of us needs to look at our own dedication factor to Rejoice!. Take an honest inventory of your engagement level with Rejoice! in the last year. Tests show that if you engage just 5% more each month, your church life and overall happiness grows 10%. That’s right! OK, there isn’t an official study I’m referencing in a medical journal. This is a personal account and results I have gotten from countless others.

Where is your commitment/engagement level today?

What has to happen at Rejoice to enable you to increase your desire to engage more and commit to being a more active member of this congregation?

1. Here is an exercise to jog the memory. Get a piece of paper or open the “notes” on your phone and put down how you have engaged with Rejoice! in the last year - service participation, committees, office help, any outreach activity, social activity, inviting, altar guild, etc.

2. This is an exercise that you can use with any “get back on the wagon” subject. My subject for now is Rejoice!. Rejoice! cannot thrive without you. We cannot grow without you. If you are stuck, ask me about it. Chances are I have been in your shoes or have talked with someone over the years that has. You are never alone.

3. Write down things the church is doing that you can join in. Also things you enjoy period. Maybe Rejoice! can do those things.

4. If Rejoice incorporated more of what resonates with you could you choose 1-2 things to join or engage with in December and 2019.

Continued on page 3….

From the Interim Pastor…Continued from page 1…

That’s the hope with which we begin the season of Advent. The four Sundays in Advent will focus on hope, peace, joy, and love. Hope redirects our focus from ourselves to the One who promises more. Peace reminds us that we fill our lives with anxious worry as we keep our focus on us. Joy lets us know that the new life God promises begins by focusing on Jesus first, others next, and ourselves last. Love is not an acronym. It’s the heart of the story, from beginning to end, its original aim and ulti-mate end. The longest journey begins, as they say, with a first step. We’re certainly not at the begin-ning of our journey; but it is important that our next step be one that puts our mind and our heart on the same page, matching heartfelt desire with the will to value worship with our presence. That’s a good next step for now. When January arrives, we will already be on our way in preparing for what comes next.

In His service, and yours

Pastor Mark Sherwindt

Acme Community Cash Back Program The Acme Community Cash Back Program began on Aug. 9 and runs through Dec. 29, 2018. Purchase Acme branded items and earn Community Cash Back dollars, which will be listed on the bottom of the receipts. Acme will donate 5% of the total amount submitted back to non-profits. A box is located on the Wel-come Desk for receipts.

Rejoice! Annual Congregational Meeting

M a r k y o u r calendar! The annual congrega-tional meeting will be on Sunday, D e c e m b e r 9 immediately after worship.

PAGE 3 R EJO IC E VO IC E

President’s Letter to the Congregation Continued from page 2…

As displayed above, a renewed or larger engagement at church can have a resounding positive impact on the rest of your life. I feel it all the time. When we get busy and life takes over, I feel a differ-ence. When we realize it and reconnect, life gets calmer. The relationships here with our Rejoice! family DOES make a difference.

Our time of “someone else will do it” or “I’m just too busy” needs to be over. “Get back on the Rejoice! wagon”. It can start with just one thing. I know, “But Chad, once I do that, I will be asked to do every-thing!” I take that as a compliment that I am asked. The key is moving forward at your comfort level. Start with one and stick to it. Listen to your heart.

Rejoice! is a place that people are looking for (good aura, family feel, focused on others, & warm are all outside comments that have been shared). Know that. We can only grow and make more of a difference if we have a strong foundation and people know about us. This organically happens with engagement.

Please engage in 1 or 2 more things this year. CHOOSE to make Rejoice! a larger part of your life. You won’t regret it. My reason for sharing this important topic is the health of all our members. Especially in the last 5 years, our church has run on the 80-20 rule for stretches (80% of work done by 20% of members). I don’t want our leadership to get so burnt out that thriving is difficult. I pray that the added engagement of our congregation enables current leaders to look at new things while our foundation grows stronger with each new engagement. You can make a world of difference in our future.

NOW IS THE TIME TO ENGAGE! What better time of year than Christmas! Forgiveness, Joy, Peace, Love, Happiness & Family.

I strongly feel God has a plan for us. He is with us. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Chad Bryant Rejoice! President 216-577-3442 As always, please call.

R EJO IC E! VO IC E PAGE 4

December Birthdays

October 2018 Financial Report

If you do not see your birthday or anniversary listed, or it is incorrect, please help us update our info. Contact C a r l a M a u r e r a t office@rejoicelc.org

Prayer Group and Bible Study Rejoice Prayer Group continues to meet on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm. See Tom Freborg if you have any questions.

Also, the Bible Study group continues to meet on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm. Bible study is open to both Rejoice and Community of St. John members.

Christmas Eve Worship Service The Christmas eve worship service will be at 7:00pm. Worship helper sign-up is on the Welcome desk.

Hattie Larlham The December 9, 2018, Hattie Larlham Service will feature Christmas Carols. Join us at 1:45 pm, for a 2:00 pm service and fellowship with the Hattie residents. A friendly smile is all you need. Please see Janet Juliano if you have questions.

Christmas Decorating at Rejoice Come help us decorate the sanctuary for Christmas! We plan to decorate at 10 a.m., Saturday, December 1st. The tree needs to be placed and decorated as well as putting up the advent banners and other decorations around the building. If you can help, please let Janet Juliano or Marilyn Olzmann know.

6 Chelsea Yanda

11 Christopher Marshall

13 Scott Morgan

15 Evan Juliano

16 Mike Ramsey

17 Felicia Leipzig

20 Jean Binger

3 Chris & Ellen Wisbar

December Anniversaries

2018 Oct Actual Oct Budget

Oct Variance to Budget

YTD Actual YTD Budget YTD Variance

to Budget 2018 Budget

INCOME:

General Revenue $8,531.30 $11,709.50 ($3,178.20) $118,397.27 $117,095.00 $1,302.27 $140,514.00

Capital Revenue $2,266.34 $4,405.87 ($2,139.53) $43,310.40 $44,058.70 ($748.30) $52,870.00

Comm St John $1,200.00 $1,200.00 $0.00 $12,100.00 $12,000.00 $100.00 $14,400.00

Total Income $11,997.64 $17,315.37 ($5,317.73) $173,807.67 $173,153.70 $653.97 $207,784.00

EXPENSES:

General Expense $8,499.82 $14,545.29 $6,045.47 $129,783.21 $145,452.90 $15,669.69 $174,543.00

Capital Expense $7,300.00 $5,200.17 ($2,099.83) $44,924.75 $52,001.70 $7,076.95 $62,402.00

Total Expenses $15,799.82 $19,745.46 $3,945.64 $174,707.96 $197,454.60 $22,746.64 $236,945.00

VARIANCE

Total Variance ($3,802.18) ($2,430.09) ($900.29) ($24,300.90) ($29,161.00)

Benevolence Giv-ing $182.26 $416.67 ($234.41) $1,951.85 $4,166.70 ($2,214.85) $5,000.00

*YTD income does include 2018 prepaid giving

7855 Stow Rd. Hudson, Ohio 44236

REJOICE! LUTHERAN CHURCH

Phone: 330-653-5980 Fax: 330-653-5981

E-mail: office@rejoicelc.org

We’re on the web!

www.rejoicelc.org

Paying it Forward Rejoice has been so

blessed by many

mission partners. Let

us pay it forward to

others who need our

blessings!

D e c e m b e r ’ s 3 r d Sunday of the month loose offering will be given to the Rejoice Samaritan Fund.

Many thanks to those who contributed in November to the OASIS Youth program in Akron, OH. We collected $85.00

Men’s Group Rejoice Men’s Group

will meet at Perkin’s

restaurant, in Hudson,

on Dec. 15 at 8:00 a.m.

Please come out and

join us for breakfast

and conversation.

Christian Unity Prayer Service and Luncheon - Jan. 24, 2019 The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated each January. A worldwide observance, this week is also an important expression of ecumenical events at the local level. Hudson churches will gather for the 2019 Christian Unity Prayer service on Thursday, January 24, 2019 at 10:00 AM with a prayer service and luncheon. This interdenomina-tional service will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church in Hudson, located at 340 N. Main St.

Each year, a Scripture verse is selected to set the theme for the week. For 2019, the theme is, " J us t i c e , O n l y J us t i c e , Yo u Sh a l l Pursue" (Deuteronomy 16:20).

After the prayer service, ticket holders will enjoy a luncheon catered by Hudson’s Restaurant.

Our featured speaker after the luncheon is Sr. Anne Victory, who represents the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking. Their mission is to educate and advocate for the prevention and abolition of human trafficking while connect-ing services on behalf of trafficked persons.

Ticket price is $15.00 per person and may be obtained from Carla Maurer or Ginny Pillsbury after Dec. 12. Make checks for tickets payable to Rejoice Lutheran Church. Reservation deadline is January 20, 2019.

The prayer service is open to all and does not require a ticket to attend.

Rejoice Christmas Party Saturday, Dec. 8, at 5:00pm at the home of

Gordon and Francine McBride,

1697 Stonington Dr.

Hudson, OH 44236