Memorial service this Saturday, April 2nd at University Circle UMC to honor the life of journalism pioneer Thom Greer

This Saturday, April 2, marks another pioneer moment in the life of Cleveland journalist Thom Greer, as friends, associates and family gather at 10:30am at our University Circle United Methodist Church to honor this unique person and his impactful life.

Thom came all this way "on purpose." He was born in segregated Nashville, Tennessee, and went on to study history at traditionally-black Dillard University in New Orleans. He got his first newspaper job in 1964 in Trenton, N.J., when African-American journalists were a rarity even in Northern newsrooms.

In 1983 Thom became the first black sports editor with a major American newspaper, The Plain Dealer, and within three years he was managing the paper's daily news operation. In 1990, he became the paper's Editor, succeeding Thomas Vail, whose family had owned the paper.

Thom brought people together and "full circle" in virtually every aspect of his life. And so it is only fitting that, as a merged congregation, we come "full circle" and, together, honor this pioneer and his exceptional life achievements.

Maxine and family invite you, following the memorial service, to join them in the church’s Great Hall for a luncheon gathering. And in lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the church for the Thom Greer Scholarship Fund.

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RSVP FORM: The Big Read Join Us For A “Dine And Discuss” Event In April at University Circle United Methodist Church

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Ladies...Have you signed up yet for the FIRST ANNUAL UCUMC WOMEN’S RETREAT?

“A Day of Gratitude”
is scheduled for Saturday, April 30, 8:30am – 4:30pm
at River’s Edge at the St. Joseph’s Conference and Retreat Center.
Registration forms are available in the church office.
 ALL WOMEN – members, non members, friends -
 are invited to share in this day of personal enrichment.
The cost of $60 includes continental breakfast, lunch and all materials.
(There are limited scholarships available.)
Following the Retreat will be an optional High Tea
at the Emerald Necklace Tea Room for $20.
Space is limited for both the Retreat and the Tea.
Contact Judy Sockman, 216-421-1200 or jsockman@churchinthecircle.com,
with questions or for more information.

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DONATIONS TO HELP JAPAN AND THE PACIFIC EMERGENCY

Relief needs in Japan and elsewhere related to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami also will be the focus of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), which is in contact with partners in the region. Their purpose is to provide emergency relief and long-term recovery support for disaster-affected communities.

The Rev. Cynthia Fierro Harvey, UMCOR's top executive, urged prayers for those affected by the disaster. "Once again, in the wake of disaster and in the face of widespread need, we rely on the ever-expansive generosity of United Methodists and all people of goodwill to help us respond to those whose lives have suddenly been turned upside down," she said.

Donations can be made to: UMCOR Advance #3021317 and turned in through the church office so that UCUMC receives credit for these contributions, which is applied to apportionments.

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RSVP FORM: 1st Sunday Potluck - April 3 International Food & Dance Inaugural Ball

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Please Assist The University Circle UMC Music Search Committee Complete This Survey

AND RETURN IT TO THE CHURCH OFFICE

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University Circle United Methodist Church March & April 2011 Calendar of Meetings & Events

3/20: Gospel Choir rehearsal, 9:30, Chapel
Holy Communion following worship, Chapel
Confirmation Class Luncheon, 12:30, Great Hall
Hye Ji Hwang's Recital, 3pm, Sanctuary
3/22 Ladies' Lunch Bunch, 12 noon, Reception Room
3/23 Sup 'n' Study, reservations needed for dinner, 5:30, Great Hall
3/27 Holy Communion, following worship, Chapel
3/27 Neighborhood Lunch, 1pm, Great Hall
3/27 Confirmation Conversation, Great Hall
3/29 Admin Staff Meeting, 10:30am, Reception Room
3/30 Sup 'n' Study, reservations needed for dinner, 5:30, Great Hall

APRIL
4/6 Sup 'n' Discuss: A Big Read Event, reservations needed for dinner, 5:30, Great Hall
4/12 Staff-Parish Relations Committee meeting, 6-7:30, Reception Room
4/13 Marketing Committee meeting, 6-7:30pm, Room 303
4/13 Outreach and Local Mission Committee meeting, 6-7:30pm, location TBD
4/13 Trustees, 6-7:30, Reception Room

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Easter Sets Equal Exchange • Organic • Fair Trade Offered by University Circle UMW

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SIGN UP NOW for Two Sup 'N' Study Events with Dr. Chalker Wednesdays: March 23rd and March 30th dinner at 5:30, class from 6-7:30pm

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Lenten Events and Holy Week at University Circle United Methodist Church

Holy Communion: Following worship on March 13, 20 and 27, a service of Holy Communion will be offered in the Chapel. It's a time to reflect on Jesus' personal sacrifice for us all, as he said, "Do this in remembrance of me."

Two Wednesday Sup 'N' Studies entitled The Gnostic Gospel of Judas: Secrets that will change Christianity forever...REALLY? – in two parts and led by Dr. Chalker – are scheduled for March 23 and March 30. Dinner is served at 5:30pm, followed at 6pm by Dr. Chalker's presentation with discussion. Reservation forms are available in the church office.

Fauré Requiem: Sunday, April 10, the University Circle UMC Chancel Choir performs the powerful Fauré Requiem with a 31-piece orchestra during the 11am worship service. French composer, teacher and organist Gabriel Fauré composed this now-famous funeral composition in 1888, following the death of his father. His emotional loss is reflected in every section of this rich tribute to the life of Christ.

Palm/Passion Sunday – April 17, 11am. Commemorate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem amid waving palm branches and shouts of "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." And then, before the end of this service, listen for the distant shouts of "Crucify him!"

Holy Wednesday – April 20, 6pm. Learn more about how the Jewish Passover and Last Supper of Christ led to our practice of communion as we gather for a shared supper and simple communion this Holy Wednesday in our Great Hall at 6pm. Children and adults are invited to participate. Rather than a time of worship, this experience will enrich our understanding of communion and the events of Holy Week. Reservations are needed and can be made through the church office.

Maundy Thursday – April 21, 7:30pm. This contemplative Maundy Thursday communion service of Impending Shadows remembers Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples. "Maundy" comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning "commandment" and referring to the new commandment Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper…to love one another as he had loved them (John 13:34).

Good Friday – April 22, 7:30pm. Christians around the world set aside time on this Good Friday to contemplate Christ's suffering and death on the cross. Our 7:30pm evening service is one of solemnity, prayer and meditation.

Easter Sunday – April 24.
8:45am – "Son-rise in the Circle" – a brief service on our south lawn.
9-10:30am – Pancake breakfast in our Great Hall.
11:00am – Alleluia! Christ is Risen! After the solemnity and sacrifice of Lent and the passion of Holy Week, join us as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the fulfillment of his promise of life everlasting.

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ANNOUNCING: THE BIG READ!

What is a "Big Read," you ask? It's one giant congregational book group - think "Oprah's Book Club" for literary Methodists! We hope you will join us in our Big Read for Spring 2011.

Here's how it works: All who would like to participate in the Big Read are asked to purchase or borrow a copy of Living into Hope- A Call to Spiritual Action for Such a Time as This, by the Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, and read it during the coming weeks. During the month of April we will have opportunities to meet in small groups for fellowship, discussion and reflection on the book we've read together. On Sunday, May 1st, we will welcome Joan Brown Campbell to University Circle United Methodist Church. She will lead a forum at 9:30am, preach during our 11am service and then join us for a potluck lunch and book signing after worship.

Joan Brown Campbell was born in Youngstown, Ohio, received her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan and was a married housewife raising three children in Shaker Heights during the 1960's. She writes, "My story veered off its expected course when I was thirty-two and a minister entered my life who challenged my unexplored commitment to a life of faith…. With dizzying speed, my neatly comfortable, predictable life changed." Joan became involved in the civil rights movement, meeting Martin Luther King Jr. and working for the election of Carl Stokes, the first African American mayor of Cleveland. At the age of 50, she became an ordained minister and began ecumenical and interfaith work that continues to this day. Dr. Campbell is the former Executive Director of the U.S. Office of the World Council of Churches, former General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and currently serves as Director of Religion at the historic Chautauqua Institution in New York. (By the way, she is also the mother of Jane Campbell, the first woman elected mayor of Cleveland!)

In Living into Hope, Joan Brown Campbell relates personal and biblical stories to our own challenges as people and as a nation, and helps us envision a world without boundaries in which expressions of faith have visible results. Addressing politics, international relations, war, science and prayer, she explores how faith can guide us in making the pivotal decisions in life, as well as the everyday ones.
The "Big Read" promises to enlighten and challenge us while providing opportunities for fellowship and reflection during the season of Lent. All are welcome! Please join us! Living into Hope is available for purchase from bookstores and online at Amazon.com. Copies of the book are also available for sale ($15) or loan from the church. Stop by the church office to buy or borrow a copy! For more information about the Big Read, please contact Amy Wheatley, Director of Education, at 4wheatleys@sbcglobal.net.

Living into Hope- A Call to Spiritual Action for Such a Time as This
by the Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell

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Lent & Beyond at University Circle United Methodist Church

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By The Rev. Kenneth W. Chalker - Sabbath is meant to be enjoyed: Messages of Faith | cleveland.com

By The Rev. Kenneth W. Chalker

In the days immediately after the December death of Indians pitching legend Bob Feller, there were many articles filled with remembrances of his life and times.

One of the stories was of Feller describing his religious upbringing (or perhaps lack of it) in Van Meter, Iowa. Feller was quoted as having said, "We started out Roman Catholic. But the priest told my father he shouldn't play ball with me on Sundays. So, we became Methodists."

Feller and his family may have become Methodist. But it is quite likely that the Fellers did not spend very many spring and summer Sunday mornings in a Methodist church. If they had, it is very likely that in those years many Methodist preachers would have been just like the priest, advising Feller's father that playing baseball with his son on Sundays was a prohibited activity because it violated proper observance of the Sabbath.

When I was a child growing up in the Methodist tradition observed in the Midwest, Sunday religious restrictions on such things as playing baseball, going swimming, playing golf or involvement in any activity remotely associated with experiencing joy in life -- other than an occasional church picnic -- were carefully enforced.

via cleveland.com

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Jesse Lee Strickland designed most of NASA Glenn | cleveland.com

Jesse Lee Strickland meticulously prepared meals, outfits, cars, NASA facilities and nonprofit services.

The pioneering architect and presidential honoree died Feb. 18 at home in Shelbyville, Ind. He was 87.

"He had talent that was unbelievable," said Julian Earls, who led what's now NASA Glenn Research Center in Brook Park. "He developed most of the campus and Plum Brook. He reached out to all new African-American employees as a mentor."

Rev. Kenneth Chalker of University Circle United Methodist Church, heading to Indiana to conduct Strickland's funeral on Thursday, Feb. 24, called him "a marvelous, cosmopolitan gentleman. He had a grace and humanity about him that drew people from all walks of life."

via cleveland.com

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University Circle United Methodist Church March 2011 Calendar of Meetings & Events

3/6: Communion during Worship at 11am
Confirmation Retreat at Aldersgate
UMW Forum Speaker, Victoria Grant, 9:30am, Yoder Room
Potluck and outreach project, 12:30pm, Great Hall
3/9 Ash Wednesday Services offered at 12 Noon and 7:30pm in the Chapel
3/9 Trustee meeting, 6-7:30, Reception Room
3/9 Outreach and Local Missions committee meeting, 6-7:30, Yoder Room
3/10 Shelter Ministry outreach
3/13 Women's Sabbath, 9:30, Second-floor classroom
3/13 Holy Communion, following worship, Chapel
3/13 Confirmation Class Luncheon, 12:30, Great Hall
3/15 Staff Meeting, 10:30am, Reception Room
3/15 Finance committee meeting, 6-7:30, Reception Room

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University Circle United Methodist Church welcomes 10 new members to its faith community

Front row, left to right:  Jane Ehrman, Victoria Igboeli-Ilodi, Margaret Igboeli.

Second row: James Ehrman, Michael Bilovecky, Gregory Hawk, Dr. Chalker, Douglas Gardner, Stanley Nithianantham, Marcia Lucietta

Not pictured:  Lisa Taylor

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University Circle United Methodist Church launches new website ChurchInTheCircle.com

As a diverse and inclusive faith community, we welcome and support all who desire to worship, study, commune and share life with us, including those of any race, gender, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation or socioeconomic position, for we believe that in God’s house, all are welcome all the time.

via churchinthecircle.com

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