September-2013-edite.. - Lakewood Presbyterian Church

Volume 37, Issue 8
September, 2013
Hope • Friendship • Service
Open Door
Gathering Day ● Sunday, September 8 ● 9AM
From Sock Hop to Hip Hop, we all agree Sunday School Rocks at LPC!
Come join in the Gathering Day fun for all ages, in the Atrium, beginning at 9 a.m.
with a Continental breakfast! Wear your poodle skirt or saddle shoes. Whether you
were a ʼ70s flower child or a beatnik from the ʼ50s, come and rock out as we kick
off our new program year at LPC. After we’ve had some fun rocking and rolling,
everyone will be dismissed to their respective Sunday School locations.
Nurturing Faith in All Ages at LPC! ● 9:30–10:15AM
Elementary Age Kids ● Unger Family Children’s Center, “Journeys” Rooms 2 & 3
Our children enjoy experiencing Bible stories and the life of Jesus in multiple
learning venues including story-telling, arts and crafts, cooking, and drama.
Midways for 6th – 8th Graders ● Unger Family Children’s Center, “Midways” Room 1
This year, Christine Smith will introduce the mid-highs to some of the “Ancestors
of the Faith” in the Old Testament — Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses.
Senior Highs ● Youth Room on Upper Level
Tedd Roos and Matt Greif will again team teach the class, discussing issues that
are important to youth from a perspective of biblical faith.
YOUth Group ● Lawther Hall ● 5–7PM every Sunday
Open to youth in grades 6–12, with some special programs for mid-highs and
combined multi-age fun activities. Light dinner provided. YOUth group leaders
are Christine Smith, Matt Greif, Jim Butler and others.
SEE
Inside this issue:
Message from the Pastor
2
Rev. Budin’s Farewell
2
Sheryl Buckley’s New Class
3
Rummage Sale Update
3
Personals & Fellowship
5
GATHERING | 2
Coming in October:
 Sunday, October 6 – World Communion /
Peacemaking Sunday
 Saturday, October 19 – PWR PW Fall
Gathering – Willoughby
 Saturday, October 24 – Chocolate Walk
 October 25-26 – Synod Assembly, Maumee,
Ohio
A Message from the Pastor
– The Rev. Dr. James C. Butler
B
y now you have learned that
Sharon Budin will be leaving
LPC to become the pastor of Bethany Presbyterian Church in the Gordon Square neighborhood on Cleveland’s west side. It has been a joy to
work with Sharon these last nine
years and I will surely miss her creative spirit, her listening ears, and her
supportive presence. I am confident,
however, that Sharon is ready and
now skilled and experienced to serve
as Bethany’s pastor. Together we
have seen Sharon become ordained
as a Minister and then develop into a
gifted preacher and a compassionate
care giver. Our loss is Bethany’s
gain. But I am confident that the Ho-
A Farewell from the Rev. Sharon Grace Budin
I
t has been a little over nine years
since I arrived at Lakewood Presbyterian Church. They have been
years of growth and change, challenge and joy. Together we have
walked the paths of Advent and
Lent, the road to the cradle and the
grave figuratively and literally. We
have baptized babies and done blessings of the sick and dying. We have
welcomed confirmands and new
members into our church. We have
celebrated weddings and funerals.
My days have been filled with the
myriad of blessings of ministering to
and with you.
We have worked to build the already
and not yet kingdom. Together we
built the WeeKirk program and
transformed the Sunday School into
a Workshop Rotation Design. We
have had some grand parties — Rally Days, Guess Who’s Coming to
Dinner, Advent Workshops, and
Epiphany Parties! It has been fun,
even in the difficult times. I recall
with laughter how often my offices
Page 2
in the old building flooded! It
seemed no matter where I was put,
water found me. Jim and I survived
sharing an office space during the
construction process. And as you
know from the differences in our
styles and tolerance for chaos and
mess, that was no doubt a bigger
challenge for Jim than for me. Yet
even in the shared office space, the
water poured down on my desk and
did not touch his ...
I have grown in my faith and my
confidence while here. With your
support and encouragement I have
moved out of my comfort zone and
pushed the growing edges. And it is
because of my opportunities here,
that I am prepared for my new call at
Bethany. I look forward to joining
with that diverse and urban community. I look forward to working with
the neighborhood of the Gordon
Square Arts District. I am excited to
brush up on my Spanish and welcome artists into our Presbyterian
community. Gordon Square is a dynamic and changing community,
which brings with it joys and challenges. Bethany is poised in a prime
location to minister to this community in its transition and beyond. I am
blessed to have the opportunity to
minster with Bethany now, as I have
been blessed to minister with you all
over these last years. Thank You!
ly Spirit will guide our leaders as we
prayerfully discern future leadership
for faith formation at LPC. God
speed Sharon! We all wish you
God’s blessings of joy and deep satisfaction as you begin your new ministry with our sisters and brothers at
Bethany! We will miss you!
Gathering
(Continued from page 1)
WeeKirk ● The Kathleen Gruber
Classroom, Room 208
An age-appropriate worship experience for children in pre-school
through 3rd grade following the children’s message during the 10:30
a.m. worship service. On Communion Sundays (first Sunday of month),
children return to the sanctuary during the Offertory in order to participate in the sacrament.
Adult Faith Formation Offerings
Bible Study Class meets weekly in
the Parker Room and will use a
DVD-based curriculum on the Old
Testament books.
Special Offerings Planned (meets for
a limited number of Sundays and
will be announced in worship bulletins and Open Door newsletter):
 “Mortal Dilemmas” with Sheryl




Buckley, M.D.
“Experiencing Jesus” DVD with
Marcus Borg
“Jesus, Bombs & Ice Cream”
DVD study
“Painting the Stars” DVD study of
science, religion, and evolving
Faith
“One Thousand Gifts” Exploring
journaling as faith practice
OPEN DOOR
Mission Updates
Rummage Sale 2013
Back to School Thank You
What a huge success! I am so grateful to our committee
(Jan Soeder, Joyce Olson, Mary Redifer, Carol Cox, Kay
Jones, Sandy Shaw and Claudia Meyke) for donating
their time, ideas and muscle. Without them this sale
wouldn’t have been possible. The support from the congregation in donated items was better than we ever expected. There were several times we didn’t know if it
would be possible to sell or move it all in two days. We
saw many from the Lakewood community benefit from
our low prices. Some came back two and three times.
One mother stood at the entrance, before coming in, telling her four children that they only had ten dollars to
spend between all of them. It was heartwarming to see all
the children leave with a game or toy and mom with a
$5.00 bag stuffed with clothing. Many times we were
told to “keep the change” or people made donations in
addition to buying items. Our community meal guests
also benefited from being able to select clothing, cleaning supplies and small household items free of charge.
The power of cookies, pies and brownies was undeniable
(and appreciated) by all. The bake sale brought in over
$120 over the two days. The leftovers from our sale benefited H2O’s clothing drive, Yankee Peddler (Lakewood
Hospital’s thrift store), Veterans of America and Easter
Seals. We enjoyed each other’s fellowship and the joy of
working together for God’s purpose. The total raised
came to approximately $2,570. All proceeds raised will
go to support our youth programming.
School is open and many students are going back well
prepared thanks to the generosity of LPC members. We
delivered bags of school supplies to “Supplies 4 Success” which is a joint effort among several local agencies. The supplies were sorted by H2O members and
delivered to the schools. They hope to maintain a supply
closet in every school so that they can also respond to
needs throughout the year.
Thanks to each of you who contributed. When we combine our efforts, we can make a big difference.
Sheryl Buckley to Teach Sunday Morning Class
NEWS FLASH! Death is not optional! One day each one
of us is going to die. You can, however, exert control
over many of the circumstances surrounding your death
by doing some preparatory work now while you are
healthy and have the luxury of thinking about your death
as an abstraction in the future. Once you receive a diagnosis which might be terminal, you enter a crisis situation where contemplation is replaced by the need for immediate choices. Starting Sunday, September 15 and
continuing through October 13, we will explore what you
need to know about dying before you are dying with
Sheryl Buckley, M.D., long-time ruling elder at LPC and
immediate past Moderator of the Presbytery of the Western Reserve. Dr. Buckley practiced medicine for over 30
years and led hospital ethics committees for more than
20 years. She has also taught bioethics and philosophy at
Hiram College for over two decades. The first class on
September 15 will examine recent sociological changes
V O L U M E 3 7, I S S U E 8
in American life that make death more difficult to deal
with than in former times, including the extensive use of
the metaphor that medical practice is “warfare against
disease.” While this metaphor is accepted by medical
professionals and the general public alike (think of the 40year “war on cancer,” for example), it turns out not to be
helpful during final illnesses. On September 22 we’ll
look at the idea that human life is sacred and how that
sanctity interfaces with medical technology, especially at
the end of life. We will also explore whether we can
think of death as a sacred event, too. In the final classes
we will think together about choices for the end of life
like palliative care and hospice, the difficult question on
whether a serious illness should be allowed to be the one
which is fatal, the possibility of personal and family
growth during terminal illness, and the difference between pain and suffering. The class will meet from 9–
9:50 a.m. in the Reed Room.
Page 3
Nurture & Discipleship Updates
Fall into a Good Book in Our Library

God’s Promise for Men

Love Wins by Rob Bell — A book about heaven, hell
and the fate of every person who lives. Recommended
by Judy Bulloch.

The Complete Jesus by Ricky Alan Mayotte — First
compilation of the sayings and teachings from ancient
documents through the fifth century.

Noah Built His Ark in the Sunshine by James W.
Moore — He prepared in advance for the storm that
was to come. How do we reach that level of maturity?
For the Children:

Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler — Illustrated journey for children through the greatest stories ever told.

Read with Me — Bible Stories for children
Parents: Addresses Wanted!
If you have a child in college or in the military, the Nurture
& Discipleship Ministry would like to send him/her an occasional care package and the monthly Open Door newsletter.
Please contact the church office with your child’s address.
Faith Journeys Sunday School
September Rotations
Tower of Babel: September 8
 Abraham & Sarah Antioch
Art: September 15
 Abraham & Sarah Thessalonica Theater: September 22
 Abraham & Sarah Galatian
Games: September 29

Purcell Concert at LPC
On Friday, September 27, Malina
Rauschenfels, soprano; David Ellis,
viola da gamba; and Paula Maust,
harpsichord will present a concert
of songs by Henry Purcell at 7:30
p.m. in the sanctuary. A freewill
offering will be collected. Please
come and bring a friend!
Good News at LPC
Our youth participate in, and LPC
contributes to, Help To Others
(H2O) at Lakewood High School.
When young people share their
time and energy, wonderful results
occur.
Page 4
OPEN DOOR
OPEN DOOR (USPS 0094-870) is published monthly, except
for the combined July/August issue, by Lakewood
Presbyterian Church, 14502 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio
44107-4388. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to OPEN DOOR, 14502
Detroit Avenue, Lakewood, OH 44107-4388.
Periodical Postage
Paid
Cleveland, Ohio
We are an open and welcoming
community of Christians committed to:
 Proclaiming Christ’s message of hope
and salvation
 Nurturing faith and the exploration of
our beliefs
 Celebrating the faith we share in joyous
worship
 Relieving poverty and oppression, and
eliminating social and economic
injustice
 Watching over and affirming one
another in love
Church Staff
Pastor/Head of Staff
James C. Butler
Minister of Discipleship
Sharon Grace Budin
Organist and Director
of LPC Bell Choir
and Chapel Choir
Paula Maust
Director of Chancel Choir
Karen Weaver
Administrative Secretary
Marie Andrews
Financial Secretary
Beth Ann Starks
Childcare Provider
Kimberly Hook
Evening Receptionist
Custodians
Becky Schneider
Bonnie Peeples, Todd Strunk
Honored Retired Staff
Minister of Music Emerita
Margaret Limkemann
Contact Information
14502 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood OH 44107
216-226-0514
E-mail: info@lakewoodpresbyterian.org
www.lakewoodpresbyterian.org
E-mail articles to Leslie Stewart, Newsletter Editor at
lesliestewart@prodigy.net. Submission deadline for
Open Door is the 15th of the month for the following
issue. Submissions are subject to editing for length
and clarity.
THIS FALL, LPC’S MUSIC ENSEMBLES will be undergoing some exciting
changes in leadership, structure, and rehearsal schedules. The Chancel Bells and the Chapel Bells are combining forces and reforming as
the LPC Bell Choir, which will be directed by Paula Maust. The LPC Bell
Choir will rehearse in the Hook Music Room from 7:30–9 p.m. on the
2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, beginning September 12. Anyone
Grade 6 – Adult is invited to participate in the LPC Bell Choir.
The Chancel Choir, directed by Karen Weaver, will rehearse from 7:30–
9 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, beginning September 5. Paula Maust is forming a new ensemble this fall, the Chapel
Choir, which is open to any child Kindergarten – Grade 12. The Chapel
Choir will rehearse in the Hook Music Room from 9–9:30 a.m. every
Sunday, beginning September 15. The music staff hopes that these
changes will allow more people to participate in LPC’s music ensembles and looks forward to working with you this program year! If you or
a friend are interested in participating in a music ensemble, please
contact the appropriate director.