Annual Meeting Pastor’s Report – February 4, 2024

February 4, 2024 Annual Meeting Slides

Sunday Services

See below for a link to the live streaming of our services or to see previous services:

YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYF6JWnNARixsYXmVVp-ImA/?guided_help_flow=5

Community Meal

Tuesday, April 29

The community-wide dinner is offered at no charge for anyone who is hungry, who is feeling stretched, or who might need to be reminded that they are loved.

Menu:  Baked ziti, garlic bread, green salad, chocolate cake

If you are interested in helping, we will be cooking meals from 9:30-11:30 a.m.; assembling from 3-4 p.m.; and distributing / delivering from 4-5:30 p.m.  In addition, if you would like to bake a chocolate cake (your recipe of choice) at home, please drop off by 10 a.m. on April 29th.

To sign up to volunteer, click below:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F44AAAA2BA4F49-free#/

To sign up for the meal, click below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZJATUPyJo8QH8TWOSNW1h3-YLZ37RiTHGg15iYiz6ExH-nQ/viewform

May 15, 2025

“Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” (Psalm 95:6)

Members and Friends of Valley,

Forgive me if you have heard this story before:

When I was a seminary student, I worked one year at a historic Lutheran church in downtown Louisville, located near the hospitals.  On Sunday mornings, visitors would often appear who belonged to many traditions and, thus, held different expectations about worship.

It was the tradition of this congregation to invite participants to kneel at the front rail to receive communion, cupping their hands so that a wafer could be placed in them.  One Sunday, while I was serving, I came to a kneeling woman who, instead, had closed her eyes and opened her mouth – expecting, based on her tradition, that the wafer would be placed on her tongue.

Since I was not particularly comfortable putting my hand into this stranger’s mouth, we found ourselves at a brief stand-still.  I tried subtly clearing my throat, but her eyes remained closed.  So, after a moment, I tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to the folks next to her with their hands extended.  She took the wafer and, thankfully, I moved on.

In the scriptures, we encounter many examples of people kneeling, bowing down, or prostrating themselves before God as a sign of humble respect.  So, while this practice is not a part of our worship tradition, I can appreciate its symbolism.  Instead, we show honor for God in different ways.

One is the way we offer our gifts, dedicating them to God and for God’s purposes.  Several weeks ago, during a joint gathering at Bainbridge Church, we planted seeds for our respective pantry gardens, asking participants to take them home and care for them as they germinated and began to grow.  We invite you to bring those seedlings – vegetables and companion flowers – back over the next two weeks so that they can be planted in our gardens as honored gifts, dedicated to our service to God.

This Sunday, we will, again, worship jointly with our friends from the Bainbridge Church – this time at Valley – and we will gather together during fellowship time for another Town Hall.  We do this as a continuation of our discernment of how we might worship and work together so that God might use us – and our gifts – to help feed the world and serve those in need.

Our joint-merger team has been meeting to discuss this possible pathway forward, and we encourage your input in the process.  Here are a few of the questions that we plan to discuss on Sunday – you may want to think about them in preparation for our discussion about what a re-unified congregation might look like and what the team might learn:

1. How did congregations help grow your faith and value being part of the church?
2. What about Bainbridge’s worship and congregational life do you enjoy?
3. What about Valley’s worship and congregational life do you enjoy?
4. What changes are you looking forward to, and what do you not want to change?
5. What might a reunified / merged congregation look like in a year?

It is our belief that this discernment work – using our energy, intelligence, imagination, and love – is, also, a way of symbolically bowing down before God, kneeling in honor to the One whose purpose we are seeking to serve.

We look forward to seeing you – and listening to you – as we gather together this Sunday.

In Christ,
Pastor John

_______________________________________

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(additional announcements are in the bulletin and newsletter)

Celebrating the Life of Dottie Batchelor

Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Valley Presbyterian Church
1:00 p.m. service with a time of reception to follow

Upcoming Worship Schedule

Sunday, May 18 – Worship with Bainbridge UCC at Valley – Town Hall Meeting during Fellowship Time
Sunday, May 25 – Memorial Day Weekend Worship at Valley
Sunday, June 1 – Worship and Communion at Valley
Sunday, June 8 – Pentecost Worship at Bainbridge UCC – Community Celebration during Fellowship Time

Knitting For Others

Inviting all folks from 12-100 years of age, who like to knit or who would like to learn, to be a part of Valley’s Knitting Group.

The group will meet Sunday, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.:
May 25

This group has been busy knitting prayer blankets and shawls for members of our congregation.  It takes a lot of yarn to knit or crochet these items.  Many of us have made items in the past but not used quite all of the yarn.  Knitting for Others can use the leftover yarn to make items to share with others.  If you have any worsted size-4 or bulky size-5 yarn that you will not be using and could share with Knitting for Others, we certainly would appreciate your donation.  Yarn can be left in the box marked “yarn” in the Library.  Thank you so much for your help.

For questions, please call one of our Co-Chairs, Beverly or Bev:
Beverly Wahl  – 502-553-7255

Bev Keough – 330-888-5385

2025 Year-long Bible Study

Everyday for Everyone
365 Devotions from Genesis to Revelation

This collection of reflections encompasses the entirety of the Bible – taking you on a journey from the beginnings of creation and humanity’s journey with God in Genesis through the history of Israel to the life of Jesus and the birth of the church in the New Testament.

Each daily devotion includes:

· Scripture Reference (usually not more than 1 chapter)
· A one-page, thoughtful commentary on that day’s passage
· A prayer echoing the Scripture and reflection from that day

Join Pastor John on a 2025 journey through the Bible; group times for discussion will be planned throughout the year.  Books are available through the church office for $17.

Every Day for Everyone – Daily Bible Study discussion

Those participating in the Every Day for Everyone Daily Bible Study (and anyone else interested) are invited to gather for questions and discussion:

Group Discussion Times

Sunday, May 25
Noon-1:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary

________________________________________

LINKS

Link to Service at Bainbridge UCC:

https://youtube.com/live/hnnQqp43xcI?feature=share

Link to Facebook

Link to Prayer Request List

Link to Sermons

Service Bulletin:

Sunday, May 18, 2025, service bulletin

May 8, 2025

“Honor your father and your mother.” (Matthew 15:4)

Members and Friends of Valley,

Each year, the second Sundays of May and June are designated for honoring parents.  While these may not technically be religious holidays, the church joins the larger society in these celebrations; remembering that women and men in other roles, also, help to nurture, love teach, care, and provide for one another in our families and communities.

Congregations sometimes provide unique opportunities for inter-generational relationships to develop and thrive beyond the traditional definitions of family.  I fondly recall those saints in my home church who functioned – and some who still feel – like extra grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Honor them, we certainly should.

While the church is not an exact replica of the family, we do believe that, through Christ, we have been “adopted” as his brothers and sisters, fellow children of God.  Though folks may come and go in congregations, the bonds of our relationship persist.

So, I would like to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all who birth and raise, adopt and care for, nurture and teach; thus, fulfilling the divine call and earthly joy of growing in relationship with God and one another.

In Christ,
Pastor John

_______________________________________

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(additional announcements are in the bulletin and newsletter)

Service of Witness to the Resurrection for Rev. Rollin “Chip” Steele

Saturday, May 10, 2025, at Valley Presbyterian Church
10:30 a.m. service with a time of reception to follow

Celebrating the Life of Dottie Batchelor

Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Valley Presbyterian Church
1:00 p.m. service with a time of reception to follow

Upcoming Worship Schedule

Sunday, May 11 – Mother’s Day Worship at Valley
Sunday, May 18 – Worship with Bainbridge UCC at Valley – Town Hall Meeting during Fellowship Time
Sunday, May 25 – Memorial Day Weekend Worship at Valley
Sunday, June 1 – Worship and Communion at Valley
Sunday, June 8 – Pentecost Worship at Bainbridge UCC – Community Celebration during Fellowship Time

Serving at North Church

Our long-time ministry partnership with North Presbyterian Church continues to evolve.  Last year, we began to share serving meals with members of Christ Presbyterian Church in Chesterland – for instance, one church might provide the main dish and the other a side dish and dessert.  This year, rather than serve every Sunday in October, we are scheduled for four Sundays spaced throughout the year, which comes at the risk of conflicting with dates considered less convenient than others.  Our first Sunday to serve was in February, our next Sunday will be on Mother’s Day, May 11.

We realize this causes a conflict for some who have plans with family, but we are still in need of 2-4 volunteers to join with members from Christ Presbyterian Church on May 11 to deliver and serve the meal.  Volunteers typically carpool from Valley, leaving at 10 a.m. to arrive at North Church in time for worship, and then serve the food to guests after the service, returning to Valley approximately 1:30 p.m.  It is a very rewarding experience.

The food will be prepared at Valley on Friday morning, May 9, from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.  Please contact the church office or Pastor John; if you are interested in helping either time.

Knitting For Others

Inviting all folks from 12-100 years of age, who like to knit or who would like to learn, to be a part of Valley’s Knitting Group.

The group will meet Sundays, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.:
May 11, May 25

This group has been busy knitting prayer blankets and shawls for members of our congregation.  It takes a lot of yarn to knit or crochet these items.  Many of us have made items in the past but not used quite all of the yarn.  Knitting for Others can use the leftover yarn to make items to share with others.  If you have any worsted size-4 or bulky size-5 yarn that you will not be using and could share with Knitting for Others, we certainly would appreciate your donation.  Yarn can be left in the box marked “yarn” in the Library.  Thank you so much for your help.

For questions, please call one of our Co-Chairs, Beverly or Bev:
Beverly Wahl  – 502-553-7255

Bev Keough – 330-888-5385

2025 Year-long Bible Study

Everyday for Everyone
365 Devotions from Genesis to Revelation

This collection of reflections encompasses the entirety of the Bible – taking you on a journey from the beginnings of creation and humanity’s journey with God in Genesis through the history of Israel to the life of Jesus and the birth of the church in the New Testament.

Each daily devotion includes:

· Scripture Reference (usually not more than 1 chapter)
· A one-page, thoughtful commentary on that day’s passage
· A prayer echoing the Scripture and reflection from that day

Join Pastor John on a 2025 journey through the Bible; group times for discussion will be planned throughout the year.  Books are available through the church office for $17.

Every Day for Everyone – Daily Bible Study discussion

Those participating in the Every Day for Everyone Daily Bible Study (and anyone else interested) are invited to gather for questions and discussion:

Group Discussion Times

Monday, May 12
6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Church Library

Sunday, May 25
Noon-1:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Mid-week Lunch Group – May 13

All are welcome to gather for lunch together at Buckeye Café (located across from the church in Tanglewood Square) at noon on the second Tuesday of each month (May 13, June 10, July 8, etc.) for a time of good food, great coffee, and even better conversations.

Sarah Circle – Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Sarah Circle 2024-2025 meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month, September through May, at 10:30 a.m. in the Church Library.

This year’s study is:
“Words of Love”
by Eugenia Gamble

All are welcome for membership or just a visit.  Contact Glenna Pool with any questions.

________________________________________

LINKS

Link to Service at Bainbridge UCC:

https://youtube.com/live/hnnQqp43xcI?feature=share

Link to Facebook

Link to Prayer Request List

Link to Sermons

Service Bulletin:

Sunday, May 11, 2025 Service Bulletin

Pass-It-On Mission Store