Sunday Worship
All are welcome.
Sunday worship service is at 10:30 a.m.
17560 Chillicothe Road
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
Sunday School available during the school year with childcare
What We Believe
Valley is a member of the Presbyterian Church, (USA) and the Presbytery of the Western Reserve.
Links to those umbrella organizations can be located here:
Whether you are new to the area or are looking for a new place to worship – we welcome you!
At Valley Church, you will find a vibrant expression of the gospel of Jesus Christ and a place for you to grow in your faith. We invite you to join us for a Sunday service!
Sunday Bulletin
Community Meal
Online Services
Community Meal
Tuesday, September 15th
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: Chicken casserole, green beans, dinner rolls, apple crisp
If you are interested in helping, we will be cooking meals from 9:30-11:30 a.m.; assembling from 3:00-4:00 p.m.; and distributing / delivering from 4:00-5:30 p.m. In addition, if you would like to bake apple crisp (your recipe of choice) at home, please drop off by 10:00 a.m. on September 15th.
September 17, 2026
“What do people gain from all the hard work that they work so hard at under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3)
Members and Friends of Valley,
This is the first week that it has seemed to me that the new church season has really begun:
• Our chancel choir was back leading music in worship last Sunday;
• Heart of Valley Preschool is filled with children for the first full week;
• The kitchen was full of volunteers Tuesday morning preparing this month’s community meal;
• Pass-It-On volunteers worked at sorting donations well into the afternoon on Tuesday;
• The last of the tomato crop was picked from the community garden;
• Fellowship Time returns to its “regular” format this coming Sunday after worship;
• A new book study group will begin this coming Monday evening.
In the church, we sometimes keep ourselves so busy that we might forget to stop and wonder, with this Old Testament writer, What do people gain from all the hard work…? In Ecclesiastes, the reward for working so hard under the sun is not clear; maybe, the author suggests, it is just vapor (here now but gone the next moment, impossible to grasp) or mere vanity (just for show, ultimately unimportant).
I could easily name some of the benefits of the hard work I see happening in and through these various activities at Valley, but – and I think this is really the author’s point – the worth or value of everyone’s work is judged differently. Sometimes, we labor for subsistence (to put food in our mouths and a roof over our heads), other times to help others, to feel good about ourselves, or simply to be doing the right or just or merciful thing.
One of the central tenets of our Protestant faith tradition is what the Reformers called “the priesthood of all believers.” Each of us is gifted and called to use those talents and resources in and for the sake of the community. No individual person is solely a provider nor recipient; we are meant to trust in and rely on one another. In our do-it-alone, me-first world, this can seem counter-cultural. But, as God’s people, we work (and, also, rest), we give, and we take as members of a body that functions at its best when working together.
And so, as fall arrives and we assess whether our schedules are either too light or overly crowded, I hope you (and those in community with and around you) will find purpose and God’s gracious calling – beyond mere vanity or vapor – in both work in all its forms and in rest from those labors.
In Christ,
Pastor John
Announcements
(additional announcements are in the bulletin and newsletter)
Outdoor Chapel Worship
Sunday, September 20
Come and join us on Sunday, September 20, for worship in the beautiful outdoor chapel. If the weather does not allow us to be outside that day, worship will be in Fellowship Hall.
Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who provided special music for the summer worship services!!! The variety of music and the talent that we are blessed with here at Valley is a “GIFT!!!”
Book Study – Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters
by Dr. Carmen Joy Imes
I was recently introduced to the deep theological insights and scholarship of the author during my study leave seminar at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship in Michigan. Her book is insightful, but easy-to-read, and includes suggested scripture readings and discussion questions for each chapter. Weekly sessions will last 60-75 minutes and include an accompanying video from The Bible Project: https://bibleproject.com/videos/all.
Eleven weekly sessions – Mondays at 7:00 p.m. (beginning Sept. 21) in the Church Library. Books are available in the Church office for $15.
Good Futures – I-Spy Community Assessment
Valley members are invited to assist the Good Futures Initiative Team by participating in an I-Spy activity. This tool is about gaining a deeper understanding of the wider community in which our congregation is located. All that is required of you is to take a 30-minute walk around your neighborhood (or some of the places beyond work and home that you regularly visit) and take note of what you see; and to engage in three short conversations with locals that you encounter in those locations. All the materials you will need to complete this activity will be available when you sign up at the Church (or by contacting the Church office) beginning Sunday, August 30.
On Sunday, September 27, we invite all participants to a 30–45-minute community conversation, beginning at 11:45 a.m. in Fellowship Hall, where we will share what we have seen and heard.
Choir Starting for 2026-27
The Adult Choir started rehearsals on September 10th at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. We practice in the front of the Sanctuary until 8:30. SO……….We are always looking for new members to join us and add their talents to our choir!!!!!!
Choir practices are unforgettable,
Harmonies are created,
Our fellowship is strong,
Individual talents are shared, and we
Rejoice through song to praise and worship our Lord!
Choir Practice in Sanctuary
Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.
COME!!!!!!!!!!!
Sarah Circle
We’d love to have you join us!
The next meeting for 2026-27 will be:
Tuesday, October 13
Our study this year:
United Through Christ, Bound to Each Other —
Paul’s First Letter to Corinthians
Meet September – May the second Tuesday of each month, 10:30 a.m. – noon, in the Church Library. For more information, please contact Glenna Pool at 419-789-9446 or e-mail gpool205@yahoo.com.
Mid-week Lunch Group - Tuesday, October 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 (October 13, November 10, December 8, etc.) for a time of good food, great coffee, and even better conversations.
Faith Garden
In Valley’s Faith Garden (located outside of the Church Library), we grow fresh produce to be donated to the Chagrin Falls Park Community Center Food Bank. There are garden gloves and tools in the shed, or feel free to bring your own. Summer garden workdays are below:
Summer Garden Workday
Wednesday at 10 a.m.
September 23
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 on Sunday, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.:
September 27
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 have not used quite all the yarn. Knitting for Others can use the leftover yarn to make items to share with others. We are currently making items for babies and young children. If you have any size-3 or 4 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
Food Bank Needs - September
Please consider donating the following items to help stock the shelves at Chagrin Falls Park Community Center:
Any meat, fresh fruit / vegetables, milk, eggs, lunch meat, bread, snacks, or anything you would like to donate.
CFPCC is receiving donations at your car. Someone will come out and retrieve donations. You can, also, leave them in the blue donation bin in the Narthex.
Links
Online Services at Valley
Prayer Request List
Sermons
Service Bulletin
Pass-It-On Mission Store
The store will be open:
Friday, September 25, 2026
(1 – 4 p.m.)
Saturday, September 26, 2026
(10 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
Donations are now being accepted.
Pass-it-on is a mission of and is located behind Valley Presbyterian Church.
Get In Touch
EMAIL:
PHONE:
phone: 440-543-1071
ADDRESS:
17560 Chillicothe Road
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m