2025 Financial Stewardship Campaign Kickoff on All Saints’ Sunday – November 3
Long before we begin the annual stewardship campaign each November, LPC’s leaders begin planning and preparing for the church’s mission and ministry in the new year. At the September Session meeting, the Finance and Administration team asks each committee, in consultation with the church staff member who resources them, to spend the following six weeks determining the financial resources needed to accomplish their ministry goals and responsibilities in the upcoming year. Church financial secretary Sara Gresh provides up-to-date current year financial data to everyone along with a budget preparation worksheet that includes expenditures from three prior years. Committee chairpersons then submit their proposed budgets to the Finance team for development of a new church-wide operating budget, which is then reviewed for final changes and approval by the Session at their November meeting.
While all of that is happening, LPC Pastor Jim Butler, along with Sara Gresh, develops a stewardship campaign packet that is distributed to each member household following the All Saints’ Sunday worship service (this year on November 3). The packet includes: (1) a brief letter from the pastor that includes the theological foundations for generous giving and a request that every member prayerfully submit a pledge or estimate of giving, (2) a “narrative budget” that uses words rather than numbers and confusing line-item spreadsheets to describe how the church spends the money it is given, and (3) a pledge/estimate of giving card.
Our 2025 campaign theme is inspired by words from the Apostle Paul: “As you excel in faith and in your eagerness to do God’s will, so we want you to excel in generosity in this new undertaking…” (2 Cor. 8:7). Paul had a vision and plan for a new ministry project, and he was asking the Corinthians for their financial support for it. It seems Paul was a very competent and trustworthy fundraiser. Believers trusted him to use their gifts for spreading the faith, never squandering a penny. LPC also enjoys a reputation for the ethical stewardship of finances and resources, including an annual audit by an outside CPA, financial policies that guide annual budget development and monitoring, standards and limits for use of endowment resources, and a policy that requires the congregation to tithe 10% of contributions to support mission initiatives and other service provider organizations.
Please plan to be present on November 3 for All Saints’ Sunday with Holy Communion and the Procession of Memorial Flowers. Campaign packets for 2025 will be distributed in the Atrium during coffee hour. Packets remaining will be mailed. Pledge cards will be dedicated on Sunday, November 17, followed by a light luncheon in the Atrium. Thank you for generously supporting your church.
New Perspectives on Paul and His Theology
Sunday Adult Faith Formation Series – November 3 & 10 at 11:20am
Several prominent Bible scholars are concluding that Paul’s theology has been misunderstood and wrongly interpreted through the lens of western Protestant theology, which began with Luther and Calvin. On Sundays, November 3 and 10, LPC Pastor Jim Butler will explore the recent research and conclusions of James Tabor on Paul, who called himself the “Apostle to the Gentiles.” Tabor is a scholar of biblical Greek and first century middle eastern religion whose doctoral thesis at the University of Chicago focused on Paul’s mystical experiences. He argues that popular evangelical “end times rapture” theology is a misinterpretation of Paul’s actual teaching that “Christ Jesus,” the “first-born from the dead,” would return (in Paul’s lifetime) and rule a transformed earthly kingdom with a new genus of glorified humans who would be “changed in the twinkling of an eye…”
The Music Corner with Dr. Kaori Hongo
Fall is one of my favorite seasons. The vibrant colors of the trees, the brisk feel of the air and the sense of warmth from within always give me an immense amount of joy. My father is a mountain climber and has taken me to many beautiful mountains in Japan. During these trips he always pointed out the beauty of nature and God’s amazing design for everything we see, smell and touch. He taught me the importance of the intricate plan God has for every living thing. In the Japanese culture, “Kachofugetsu” 花鳥風月, is a word that is seen as a way to connect with nature and to find peace and tranquility in one’s life. Each Chinese character in this word has a meaning: 花 (hana) means flower, 鳥 (tori) means bird, 風 (kaze) means wind, and 月 (tsuki) means moon. It is easy to see how this word is often used to refer to the beauty of the natural world. It can also be used for artistic pursuits that have nature themes. This is one of the many reasons why the Japanese bell choir members decided to take this word as the group’s name. Kachofugetsu is a group of twelve Japanese people who meet every Monday to practice the bells and have an exciting hour talking about family, work and food!
We are so blessed to have a variety of musical groups at LPC. Our youngest members of the church just started playing colored bells during our Children’s Musical Activity time after church on Sundays. Amongst our many talented young musicians, we are very fortunate to have some amazing students from CIM and Oberlin Conservatory. These musicians sing with us for Sunday services and come on Thursday evenings for our weekly rehearsal. They have also been rehearsing for their school opera productions this semester and would love to see you all at their performances. Please refer to the information below.
OPERA PERFORMANCES
Lucie Freeman (Chancel Choir, alto section leader/soloist)
- Oberlin Conservatory
- Jules Massenet’s Cendrillon
- Dates: November 7–10
- Double cast: Lucie’s cast will perform on Friday the 8th and Sunday the 10th.
Nick Schneider (Chancel Choir, tenor section leader/soloist) and Zara Smith (Chancel Choir, soprano section leader/soloist)
- Cleveland Institute of Music
- L’Étoile – Emmanuel Chabrier
- Dates: November 16 and 17
Men’s Bible Study Resumes
The Men’s Bible Study resumes on Tuesday, November 5 (vote!) from 8–9 a.m. in the Reed Conference Room. Join Parish Associate Steve Gorman for donuts, coffee and good discussion as we do a parallel study of Galatians and Philippians. We’ll include Bible insight, theology and, yes, practice … prayer, of course. Let’s put some muscle on our faith and learn to exercise it as our Lord guides us. Laughs are free! See you November 5 at 8 a.m.
Hand in Hand November Program
Hand in Hand will meet on Friday, November 8 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Reed Room. We will have an open discussion on current events from our Christian point of view. All are welcome to join us and contribute to the conversation.
Baby Shower for The Haven Home Scheduled for November 17
On Sunday, November 17, the Mission, Outreach and Justice Ministry invites you to gather for a baby shower in the Atrium to support The Haven Home’s new mission to serve pregnant and parenting women. Please bring one or more of these needed supplies:
For Babies: baby wipes, pacifiers, Desitin or similar, crib sheets, seasonal clothing, receiving blankets, swaddling blankets, diapers size 4, 5, and 6
For Moms: umbrellas, rain ponchos, Vaseline, Chapstick or similar, body wash, lotion
For Haven Home: laundry detergent pods, postage stamps, batteries (all sizes), nonperishable snacks, coffee, creamer, 30-gallon trash bags, gallon storage bags.
Gift cards are also appreciated. Walmart gift cards are preferred in $10 denominations.
Thanksgiving Service on Christ the King Sunday – November 24
Thanksgiving comes later this year — the last week of November. As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends, we will lift up our thanks in church on Christ the King Sunday with a very different kind of service. Christ the King is the culmination and end of the liturgical year. A “new year” begins the next Sunday — the first Sunday of Advent —December 1. So, we are going to remember with thanks the blessings of God along with the inspiring worship experiences we enjoyed through the past year. Beginning with Advent and Christmas, we will revisit the “seasons” and special Sundays of the liturgical year with brief readings, hymns, anthems and service music.
Faith Formation News for Youth & Children
Youth Pie Fundraiser & Friendsgiving
Add a little sweetness to your Thanksgiving and give the youth something else to be grateful for! The youth are baking pies again for Thanksgiving to help raise money for Triennium. We were so grateful for all who donated to our Fall Breakfast! We raised just over $900 of our $8,000 goal. Let us take something off your plate for the holiday. Imagine having Thanksgiving dessert already taken care of, or breakfast the morning after (pumpkin bread!). You can choose from pumpkin or chocolate silk pies. Order pie for the whole family with our 8-inch for $10 or get yourself an individual serving-sized mini pie for $5. We will also offer pumpkin bread for $7 per loaf or $5 for half-loaf. The Youth will be attending a Friendsgiving event at Middleburg Heights Community United Church of Christ to help make the pies sold to benefit the youth heading to Triennium next summer.
- Prepay with cash or check designated “Pie Fundraiser”
- Orders and payment are due by Tuesday, November 19.
- Pick up orders on Sunday, November 24 after worship or Monday, November 25 from 3–5 p.m.
Chapel Drama Club and Christmas Pageant News
Faith Formation will present “Make Room” for its annual Christmas pageant on December 22 during worship. This year’s show will focus on the Inn at the time of Christ’s birth. As we find ourselves busy during this time of year, we can relate to the busy innkeeper as he reminds us not to lose focus on what is important during the Christmas season. If you have a child or youth who would like to participate in the pageant, we will rehearse each week in November at 4 p.m. before Youth Group. In addition to our Christmas Pageant, we will be starting the Chapel Drama Club, which will officially meet beginning in January. The Chapel Drama Club will get together on Sundays at 4 p.m. for improv exercises, to learn about theater, and perform a spring show. Contact Aliyah Kennedy in the church office to participate in the Christmas pageant or for more information about the Chapel Drama Club.
Stories with St. Nick
It is hard to believe the holidays are coming soon. Join us for story time with St. Nick on Saturday, December 7 from 2–4 p.m. Santa will visit with children and families and will read a story with each group of children. Your child can then take pictures with and tell their Christmas wishes to Mr. Claus. This is a free event. Treats and refreshments will be available as well as a few simple crafts to commemorate the season. Please register with SignUpGenius or sign up with Aliyah Kennedy so that we know how many to expect. If you are available to volunteer as a greeter or to help with refreshments or crafts, please contact Aliyah.
Project Noelle Christmas Angel Opportunity
Last year we had the opportunity to be angels to children through Project Noelle’s Christmas gifting program. Many members of the congregation enjoyed shopping for these children and said they’d like to participate again. We will receive “wish lists” for five children in early November. After worship, stop by the office area to select the gift/gifts you’d like to provide to one of these little angels. The gifts need to be delivered to the church by Sunday, December 8.
Project Noelle was founded to address the needs of the thousands of children who have suffered because of the opioid epidemic. The Project organizes events to show those children and surviving family members that they are loved.