July 18 - sonkaucc.org - Southwest Ohio Northern Kentucky ...

SNIPPETS July 18, 2011
SOUTHWEST OHIO NORTHERN KENTUCKY ASSOCIATION
OHIO CONFERENCE­UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
‘From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth,
and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the
places where they would live.’ (Acts 17:26)
* SONKA EVENTS / NOTICES *
Bwana Asifiwe! (Praise God!)
Travel Team Has Memorable Visit to SONKA’s Kenyan Friends
SONKA’s Kenya Travel
Team returned from Africa
July 6, weary but happy
about the visit to the
association’s partners in
Rubate. Many are praising
God for having had the
opportunity to visit and
fellowship with people from
the remote Kenyan village.
Members of the team would
like to share their experiences
with SONKA churches and
update them on the Rubate
Hospital, which people from
this association helped to
fund. Team members are
available for worship services
or mission moments. Email
Lollie Kasulones of the
Global Partnership Team at
Lollie@fuse.net to schedule a
visit. (More photos, page 3.)
SONKA travelers and hospital staff gather in front of the Rubate facility.
Churches Team Up to Offer Free Summer Lunch Program
United Church of South Vienna and Plattsburg UCC in South Charleston have joined forces again this
summer to offer Tabitha’s Lunch, a free summer lunch for children of the area offered Tuesdays and
Thursdays at 12 noon. Children, accompanied by a parent or adult guardian, can select a sandwich, a fruit,
a snack and a drink at the United Church of South Vienna, UCC, fellowship hall at 227 East Main St.
The program was conceived by South Vienna Pastor Scott
Griswold and former Plattsburg Pastor Glennyce Grindstaff,
who were concerned about the children who receive free
lunches during the school year, but don’t have access to that
federal program during the summer months. Tabitha’s
Lunch began in 2010 to fill that gap. While the school
district notified parents of children who qualify for the
federal school lunch program of Tabitha’s Lunch, the
churches turn no child away. The program this year started
June 7 and will continue until school resumes in August.
Last Thurday, the church served 27 lunches. Tabitha’s
Lunch was named after Tabitha in Acts 9, who was
“devoted to good works.”
­­Lynne Wise

THIS WEEK
SONKA’s Summer Stewardship Event this Wednesday
SONKA’S annual Summer Stewardship Event will be held this Wednesday, July 20, at 7 p.m. at Oak
Creek UCC in Kettering. Ministry and Mission in Uncertain Times will be the theme of
the workshop, presented by Sandy Lueschen Lindahl, Ohio Conference Minister for
Financial Development. The annual stewardship event is free, but registration is required.
To register, go to the SONKA website, www.sonkaucc.org, and click on the registration link
on the home page, or call the SONKA office if you don’t have computer access. The workshop
to be presented was developed by the Alban Institute to assist clergy and church leaders in offering
care and guidance to their congregations, both at the personal and institutional levels.
NEW! Lunch and Learn Program
Christ Church UCC in Fort Thomas, KY, will
begin a new Lunch and Learn Program Tuesday,
July 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church.
Lunch, at a cost of $5, will be provided, and a
speaker, suitable for all ages, will be featured at
each gathering. The July 19 speaker will be
Dave Maile, owner of Greenfield Plant Farm,
who will talk about perennials, house plants and
gardening in general. Dave has a master’s
degree in horticulture from Ohio State
University. Call the church for reservations at
859/441­2565. Future plans include a travel
lunch opportunity.
Highlands at County Fair
Once again Highlands UCC in Springfield will
operate the White House at the Clark County
Fair, scheduled this year for July 22­29. The
people at
Highlands have
served
nutritious food
to the fair goers
since 1955.
Work shifts run
from 6 a.m. to
12 midnight
and involve
dozens of
Highlands UCC members, their families and
friends. The White House is a major fundraiser
for the Springfield church. The Clark County
Fair takes place at the fairgrounds on South
Charleston Pike.
NEW! Troy Family Fun Night
First UCC in Troy will have a Family Fun
Night at the church on Friday, July 22, from 6­
9 p.m., featuring
homemade food, a
large selection of
desserts, games for
all ages, door prizes
and raffles. In
addition, a variety of
vendors will be present, including
representatives from Pampered Chef, Lia
Sophia, Party Lite Candles, Tomboy Tools and
more. Family and friends are invited.
David’s Rummage Sale
David’s UCC in Kettering will have its annual
rummage sale July 22­23 at the church, 170
West David Rd. The hours on Friday, July 22,
will be noon to 6 p.m. On Saturday, the
rummage sale will be held 9 a.m. to noon.
NEW! Union Church Ice Cream Social
St. John’s Westminster Union Church in Delhi
Township will have an ice cream social
Sunday, July 24, beginning at 6 p.m. The
event will feature homemade and UDF ice
cream with toppings and cookies.
SONKA In­Care Student to be Ordained at West Virginia Church
SONKA In­Care Candidate Forrest “Cutch” McAtee will be ordained to ministry in the UCC by SONKA
during a service at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in St. Albans, WV, Sunday, July 31, at
4:30 p.m. Cutch has been called to serve the St. Albans DoC church as an associate pastor, and will soon
transfer his standing in SONKA to the Central Southeast Ohio Association, which includes this region of
West Virginia. Cross Creek Community Church Pastor Mike Castle will participate in the service, as
representative of the local church which sponsored Cutch. First Christian Church (DoC) is located at
2121 Kanawha Terrace, St. Albans, WV. Anyone who wishes to receive more information or to RSVP
may contact Cutch at cutchmcatee@hotmail.com.
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Travelers’ Photos Hold Memories of Inspiring Trip to Kenya
Kenya Travel Team members Lisa Gagel of Cross
Creek Church, adult leader, and Anna Ulrich of Nexus,
youth traveler, captured some memorable moments on
camera during their recent trip to Rubate. Pastor Dan
Weyand­Geise of First UCC, Cincinnati, (at l.) is given
the honor of breaking ground for the new hospital
morgue. Each SONKA visitor took a turn with the hoe
after Dan. The morgue is being constructed with funds
donated by SONKA people and churches, and will be
equipped by the Kenyans. Four youth travelers (below,
l. to r.), Amanda Krebs, Becky Clausing, Anna Ulrich
and Beth Clausing, celebrate reaching the equator in
Kenya, a long way from O – H – I – O and decidedly
colder on top on the mountain they traversed.
Look for more from our travelers
in next week’s Snippets!
NEW! Reading Survivors Group
St. John UCC in Reading has a Survivor Lunch
Bunch which will meet at the church at noon on
Thursday, July 28. The group is open to anyone
who has lost a spouse, a relative, a friend, a pet
or a job. Participants are asked to bring a brown
bag lunch and an open heart. Call the church for
more information at 513/821­1740.
NEW! Greenmont Outdoor Worship
Greenmont­Oak Park UCC in Kettering will
have an outdoor worship service in in the park
at Greenmont Village beginning at 10:45 a.m.
COMING UP
on Sunday, Aug. 7. A picnic will follow, with
games, singing and lots of good food.
GS 28 Briefing at Nashville
Nashville UCC Pastor Lynn Labs, who was a
delegate to the recent General Synod of the
UCC, will report on the actions at GS28 and
answer questions on Sunday, Aug. 7, beginning
at 5 p.m. at the church. Cluster 8 churches have
been especially invited, but all are welcome to
attend. A light dinner will be served, with a free
will offering taken to offset expenses. Call the
church office to RSVP at 937/698­5867.
New in SONKA Library: Books of Children’s Sermons
The Shining Light and Wipe the Tears, two books from The Pilgrim Press containing children’s sermons,
have been added to the SONKA library collection. The Shining Light, by Randy
Hammer, a UCC minister and pastor, contains 26 children’s sermons with ideas for
related activities. The selections are intended for children from kindergarten
through the earlier elementary school years, and include titles such as “Going out
on a Limb,” “Peer Pressure,” “Filled with the Spirit” and “Little but Large.”
Wipe the Tears, written by a trio from Active Learning Associates, Inc., offers 30
children’s sermons on death. Intended for children in kindergarten through the
higher elementary grades, the sermons deal with some tough topics, such as war,
suicide, natural disasters and terminal illness.
Both volumes may be borrowed from the SONKA office.
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* UCC NATIONAL AND CONFERENCE *
NEW! Senior High Fall Youth Event
This year the Ohio Conference’s Senior High
Fall Youth Event will be held Nov. 18­20 at
Pilgrim Hills Camp. The theme will be “Let
Justice Roll,” and musicians and leaders will
include Andra Moran and Stephen Daniel King.
Each November, the Ohio Conference offers a
retreat for senior high youth, their advisors and
pastors. It’s an experience of personal selfdiscovery
and enjoyment which includes
worship, speakers, bands, workshops and Bible
study. Senior high is defined as 9th through 12th
grades. For more on this event, contact Margaret
Mills at mmills@wraucc.org.
NEW! Day with God and Self
The next Day with God and Self, a retreat
opportunity offered by the Ohio Conference, will
be Saturday, Sept. 10, at Pilgrim Hills Camp.
The cost for the day is $30, or $40 if you would
like to come the night before. For registration
call the Ohio Conference office at 800/282­0740,
or go to www.ocucc.org. For more information,
call Janet Burkhart at 330/682­3791.
Widening the Welcome Confab
The second Widening the Welcome Conference,
sponsored by the UCC’s Disabilities Ministries
and Mental Illness Network, will be held in Ohio
this year Sept. 29 – Oct. 1 in Columbus. Ohio
Conference Minister Bob Molsberry and
SONKA minister Terri Tyson will be among the
featured leaders at this national conference.
Eighteen workshops will be offered on topics
such as creating an A2A team at your church,
interventions for returning military and Mental
Health 101. Early registration at $115 is
available until Sept. 9. For details or to
register, go to WideningWelcome
GLAUCE Meeting Details
“The DNA of an Inclusive Church” will be the
theme of the GLAUCE meeting as United
Church Educators from the Great Lakes
Association, which includes our area, get
together in Angola, IN Oct. 11­13. The event
will take place at Potawatomi Inn at Pokagon
State Park. Sessions are planned on “What Is
your DNA?” and “The Teaching Ministry as an
Agent of
Change.”
Workshops
Balloons soar at the ’10 meeting.
will include
“Getting
People
Connected
and
Helping
Them Stay
that Way,”
“Personal
Care Boundaries,” and “Justice LED,” among
others. The member cost is $315. Registration
must be received by Sept. 9. To learn more, go
to http://auce­uwcc.org. To register, call Jan
Davis at 920/499­6901.
* PRAYER REQUEST *
Please hold in prayer Ohio Conference Minister Bob Molsberry and his family. Bob’s mother, Connie,
died July 10 died in Grinnell, IA. A memorial service will be held later in the fall.
* SWAP SHOP *
Wanted: St. John UCC in Reading is looking for any unused letters and numbers for a church sign.
These are plastic, 4" letters, clear background, to slide in a church sign. Call the church at 513­821­1740.
Christ Church UCC in Ft. Thomas has 56 red pew cushions in good condition to give away to any church
which can use them and can pick them up. The cushions are 15 inches by 8 feet. Call 859/441­2565 or
email admin@christchurchuccft.org.
Association Minister Ruth Brandon: ruthb@sonkaucc.org
Snippets Editor Lynne Wise: lynnew@sonkaucc.org
Bookkeeper Wilda Peters: wildap@sonkaucc.org
Registrar Jim Hill: jimh@sonkaucc.org
SONKA: 937/438­8050 or Toll Free: 888/631­9578
SONKA WEBSITE: www.sonkaucc.org
NATIONAL UCC WEBSITE: www.ucc.org
OHIO CONFERENCE WEBSITE: www.ocucc.org
Where in the World is Rev. Ruth?
Association Minister Ruth Brandon will be on vacation July 22 through 29.
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