MESSIAH MESSAGE MAY 2021 - Messiah Lutheran Church
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MAY 2021
MESSIAH MESSAGE
Love God. Love People. Serve Others.
Our Best Self
“I do not fear the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks, I fear the man who has practiced one kick
10,000 times” (Bruce Lee).
From fanboying the ght scenes in action movies, to spending a lifetime absorbing sporting events,
I’ve seen a lot of dominate competitors. When it comes to success, it’s often depth, not breadth, that
separates the greats. One of the most valuable lessons that I have learned from having a successful
football coach as a dad is the importance of perfecting one skill. Anyone can achieve success by
even perfecting one speci c aspect of a certain skill. Would you believe me if I told you that two state
championships and a 15 year playo streak was accomplished with only 5 di erent plays? The game
plan isn’t complex, but it’s awless.
I wonder, what lessons we can glean from this as a church? Especially when we mistakenly try and
compare ourselves to bigger congregations in the surrounding area, we slip into the mentality that we
have to do everything. The truth is, we don’t have to be everything to everyone. When we adopt this
mentality, we spread ourselves thin and become mediocre across the board, rather than excel at
anything. When we take on too much, we become burnt-out. In my experience, burnout stems not
from being overworked, but from wondering aimlessly without a clear direction.
To be crystal clear, I’m not de ning “success” as increased worship attendance. The church is about
living into our fullest potential as Christ-followers. Our goal is about being authentically and genuinely
us. Ministry is about unleashing our passions, living generously, and working together to reveal Christ
to the world. If we don’t know who we are ourselves, the broader community has no chance of
knowing. Our drive and determination to accomplish our mission is what people want to be a part of.
When we glorify God by loving and serving others, we become a community that seeks to make the
world a better place. The drive to be di erence-makers is inherit in all of us as disciples of Jesus.
Now that the pandemic is wrapping up, though we still need a few more months of diligence, it’s time
to get in the game. Congregational life is not something to spectate, it’s not something that happens
to us, but rather something that we participate in. It’s a life-giving treasure to participate in what God
is doing all around us. The church is a one-of-a-kind community. We come together with di erent
backgrounds and opinions, with no obligation or
judgement. With Christ in common, our identity
is not mandated or predetermined. We can be
whomever God is calling us to be. Once we
harness who we are, lets go get it, lets be it,
and lets live it!
Mastering the Crane Kick,
Pr. Lucas McSurley
Email: pastor@messiahlutheran.cc
Cell: 937-725-5587
Blog: revre ections.com
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Messiah Message
At a Glance...
National Day of Prayer - Thurs, May 6
Green Food Drive Ends - Sat, May 8
Cookie Sunday - Sun, May 9 at 11am
Discipleship Meeting - Sun, May 16 at 11am
Confirmation Sunday - May 23
Memorial Day Parade - Mon, May 31 from 10am-12pm
Walk for Hunger - Sat, June 5
Youthers Begins - Sun, June 6 from 11am-2pm
Synod Assembly - Fri & Sat, June 11-12
Serving Food Bank - Sat, June 12 from 8am-11am
Living Word Learning Series - Sun, Jun 13 - July 18 at 9am
VBS - Mon. - Fri, July 26-30
Recurring Ministries
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
10am - Warm-up 10am - Bible 8am - Serving at 11:00am - Women’s 8am - Men’s 9am - Learning
Study Green Good Neighbors
Portage Lakes *Social Hall Brunch Bunch Bible Study Hour *Social Hall
9am - Property *2nd Thursday, *3rd Saturday, FLC
6:30 pm Children Social Hall
Maintenance 9am - Choir
of Alcoholics *currently inactive
6pm - Steps Beyond
7pm - Boy 10am - Bible
7pm - Venturing 10am - Worship
Scouts Study *Online
Crew *Sanctuary
6pm - AA
Thank You For Your
Generosity!
Congratulations Graduates!
Gathering Grounds
We’ve been hard at work
transforming our Office
Space into “Gathering
Lance Anenson Grounds” a place to sip
Plans to attend Ohio State for
dentistry. Grandson of Larry and coffee and enjoy
Dody Anenson. fellowship on Sunday
mornings. It will also
Ava Cranmer
Plans to attend Wright State for be a nice place to
Radiology. Sister of Alex McSurley. gather for meetings and social
get-togethers. We want this space to feel
Katelyn DeMuesy
Graduating from Cincinnati College. like it really belongs to the Messiah
Granddaughter of Jim and Dianne community, so if you’re looking for a
Yarian.
place to grab coffee or hangout
throughout the week, consider Gathering
May 9 Grounds.
at 11:00am
In-person Open Sun-Weds, 8am-1pm
Memorial Day Parade Con rmation
Mark your calendars for Con rmation
The City of Green will proceed with the Memorial Day Sunday on Pentecost, May 23rd. We
Parade. Though it may look di erent, Messiah is missed Luke Ludrosky and Lane
excited to participate. The parade will be held on Mooney’s Con rmation last year, so we
Monday, May 31st. The parade will step o promptly have seven Con rmands: Averie
at 10am from the Green High School parking lot. The Altrichter, Rorie Altrichter, Emily Hunter,
parade route is Boettler Road to Massillon Road; Jillian Sanders, and Evan Reed. Get
Massillon Road to Steese Road; and the nal leg is pumped to celebrate their
Steese Road back to the high school parking lot. The accomplishment!
ceremony will take place at 12:00pm at the Veterans
Memorial Park. Together, we express our deepest
gratitude for the ultimate sacri ce given by so many
brave American men and women in uniform. Pentecost
Sunday
Youthers
Messsiah’s High School group (Youthers) will meet
after Worship from 11pm-2pm. This will begin on May Men’s Bible Study
6th. We will focus fellowship, community service, and
faith formation. When we pause from regular meetings Please inquire about whether we will meet in
for our Learning Series, Youthers will be encouraged the Family Life Center on Saturday, May
to attend. Service opportunities will likely include 15th. Together, we socialize and chat about
excursions within the surrounding area. a faith-based topic. We’d love to welcome
you to our conversation and fellowship.
Please connect with Mark Ludrosky with further
questions.
Brunch Bunch WMLC
The women of Messiah’s next meeting will be Thursday,
May 13, 2021 at 11:00am. After the meeting we will
Wednesday Morning
order pizza from Guiseppe’s and enjoy lunch for those Bible Study
who want to stay. All women of Messiah are welcome.
Now that Lent is over, on Wednesday’s at
10am, Pastor Lucas will lead an online
NE Ohio Synod Assembly Bible study live on Facebook. Mostly, this
brief study is an overview from the
This year’s Synod Assembly is taking place on June devotional resource, the Upper Room.
11-12. Messiah is looking for at least two participants to
represent us online. Pastor Lucas is taking a leadership Tuesday Morning
position in the production of Friday’s workshops. The
bulk of business items will take place on Saturday. This Bible Study
is the rst year with our new Bishop, Rev. Laura Barbins, We are planning to resume in-person Bible
so there’s a lot of excitement generating. Please let the Study on Tuesday April 6th at 10am,
o ce know if you are interested by May 16th. If enough following Easter.
people are interested, we could easily hold a watch
party in Messiah’s Sanctuary.
Discipleship Meeting
Church Council
We have one position still open for our council leadership. Messiah’s Discipleship leaders will meet
Please prayerfully consider if God is calling you to lead our after worship on May 16th to prepare for
faith family. VBS and other learning opportunities.
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Living Word Learning Series
How do Lutherans read Scripture? Together, we’ll explore what it means to understand the Bible as the living,
breathing, and inspired Word of God. If God is not done speaking to us, how do we know what God is saying?
Come learn, dialogue, and wrestle with tough questions.
Typically, we do not gather for a Learning Hour during the Summer, but we’ve had a long enough break.
Remaining physically distant in the Family Life Center, we will meet on Sunday mornings at 9am, from June 13 -
July 18. Open to all ages, we’ll prioritize youth and adapt the curriculum based on who is present.
Co ee Collection Messiah is scheduled to
serve at the Food Bank
As always, Messiah continues to on June 12 from 8am to
collect coffee for Haven of Rest. 11am. They have adjusted
Don’t forget to bring coffee with to make sure volunteers
you on Sunday or drop it in the are regularly washing
Narthex during of ce hours. hands, wearing masks,
Thank you for your generosity! and keeping a distance.
Covid Update
COVID-19 Vaccination
Although we have returned to in-person Pop-Up Sites
Worship on Sundays, Messiah leadership will
remain attentive, diligent, and hold safety as Beginning May 3rd, Summit County Public Health will be offering pop-up.
our highest priority. You will always be able to COVD-19 Vaccination clinics throughout the county over the next 2 weeks.
join us for Worship online at 10am on
Facebook Live or at our website, No appointment is necessary to attend.
www.messiahlutheran.cc. Please do not attend
if you feel uncomfortable, if you have been Da te s & Loca ti on s
exposed, or feel even the slightest bit
abnormal. Other ministries will gather in- Monday, May 3rd from 3p-6p
person at the discretion of that group and its Firestone Community Center | 1480 Girard St, Akron, OH 44301
leaders. Masks must be worn at all times in the Thursday, May 6th from 12p-6p
church building. Messiah hopes to continue to Summit Lake Community Center | 380 W. Crosier St, Akron, OH 44311
see our folks receive the vaccine. The sooner
this happens, the sooner we can get back to Friday, May 7th from 12p-6p
church life as we prefer it. Currently, all adults Barberton City Block 7 | purple lot across from McDonald’s
are eligible to receive the vaccine. If you need Saturday, May 8th from 9a-3p
help signing up, Messiah can get you in touch Summit County Fairgrounds | 1050 North Ave, Tallmadge, OH 44278
with someone who can help.
Thursday, May 13th from 12p-6p
Perkins Park (near the swimming pool) | 899 Diagonal Rd, Akron, OH 44320
WE CAN DO THIS! Saturday, May 15th from 12p-6p
For those that are Twinsburg Community Center | 10260 Ravenna Rd, Twinsburg, OH 44087
comfortable
gathering, the better
we are at adhering to At Summit County Public Heal th
SCPH will also accept walk-ins at the health department every Wednesday from
safety measures, the May 5th through June 30th at our drive-through clinic.
sooner we can Moderna will be provided from 9a-11a and Pfizer from 1p-3:30p.
Please call 330-926-5795 to schedule an appointment but
implement familiar no appointment is necessary for vaccination.
community practices. Summit County Public Health Working today for a healthier tomorrow.
1867 West Market Street, Akron, Ohio 44313 (330)923-4891 scph.org
1867 West Market Street, Akron, Ohio 44313 (330 )923-4891 sc ph.or g
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A Vision For The Future!
Recently, Messiah’s Council gathered to establish a vision for the year ahead. It will take all of us to
participant in the meaningful, yet di cult, work of keeping Messiah thriving into the future!
The GOAL is to welcome a new generation of Messiah members.
The PROCESS for accomplishing the goal will take place by increasing the foot tra c in the Family
Life Center, which will require an intentional e ort that seeks to build relationship between visitors
and Messiah members. It’s important that we are fully capitalizing on the investments that we have
already made as a congregation.
The ACTIONS required for success are...
1. Have the FLC visioning board set a direction for the kinds of events that we
host, ensuring that they t into the goal of welcoming a new generation of
Messiah members.
2. Hire a director of Community Engagement that has the skills and vision for
seeking users that will work toward welcoming a new generation of Messiah
members.
3. Beyond hosting, Messiah will conduct events ourselves that work to welcome
a new generation of Messiah members.
4. Establish a “welcome brigade” that focuses on the hospitality of our visitors.
This e ort will not only make sure our visitors are greeted and cared for, but
also seeks to make the process of using our space as convenient as possible.
Mother’s Ministry
Messiah has been collecting diapers for the last few months. Since
MOPS began, we have made an intentional e ort to show our
support for new and struggling moms in the community. Are you
feeling called to donate a few diapers as we transform our space
into a focus on outreach. There is a need and Messiah is called to
meet it. Thank you for your e ort and donations! Now that generous
donors have gotten the ball rolling, we’re looking forward to
launching this ministry!
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Messiah Lutheran Church
Council Meeting Agenda
March 28, 2021
(April was our Advance Gathering)
Devotion: Laura
Treasurer/Generosity Report:
- Looks like we’re a little behind, but
nothing to panic about.
President’s Report: (Kirk)
- April’s Council meeting will be our
extended “advance meeting” April 25,
Did you know that one in five people in the Cleveland area lunch provided.
struggle with food insecurity? Hunger Network supports 70+ - Council installation that day in
worship as well.
Hunger Centers and a Cuyahoga County Wide Food Rescue
Program that gets food and people connected to end hunger in Property: Jack (on vacation)
our communities. Join the 33rd annual Hunger Walk & 5K Run - Jennifer, Ray, Bill, and Pastor are
for Hunger Network to help support this vital program. working hard to transform co ee
room. Flooring was $730.
Participate virtually, May 24 through June 4, or in person at the
- Painting at least two more handicap
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on June 5. Find out more, and register parking spots
here: https://give.hungernetwork.org/lutherans - We have a couple people willing to
donate AED,who should get
certi ed, any reason not to move
forward?
Social: (Laura)
- A ton of Co ee and Diapers were
donated
- Continuing to explore Family Promise
Fellowship: (Mark)
- Planning Spaghetti Dinner for the Fall
Messiah is putting quotes together - Easter birdhouse building
to purchase an AED. You’re invited
to get involved as you feel called. Worship:
- Holy week coming up
- Slowly incorporating regular liturgy
- Covid protocol going well
Save the Date!
Discipleship:
National Youth Gathering in Minneapolis. July 24-28, 2022. - Con rmation is May 23rd
- Vacation Bible School July 26-30
- When to begin Sunday School hour?
Military Service Wall Evangelism:
Messiah is in the early stages of looking - Easter drive thru was success!
into honoring those who have served - Messiah’s calls are now being
our country by displaying a military forwarded to Pastor
service wall indoors. Eventually, we’ll
add memorial bricks to our garden Pastor’s Report:
outside. You will receive an email - Dates he’ll be out of town.
outlining more details about the wall and
how to add a family member to the wall.
THANK YOU to those who have served! Prayer
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Worship Attendance Anniversaries MAY
4 Elizabeth Sanner
March April Vic Maschmeirer
MAY
7 - 109 online 4 - 118 online 2 Jim & Dianne Yarian 6 Faye Evans
24 in-person 77 in-person 10 Ladd & Cindy Hughes Jeff Evans
14 - 75 online 11 - 67 online Judy Hentosz
19 John & Siobhan Vamosi
29 in-person 42 in-person
21 Bill & Kathy Wagner 7 Rick Robbins
HAPPY BIRTHDAY !
21 - 90 online 18 - 70 online
37 in-person 54 in-person 27 Matthew & Kelly Sanders Benjamin Gwinn
28 - 71 online 25 - 61 online 8 Jennifer(Hancock)Hobbs
42 in-person 45 in-person 10 Judy Vlcek
11 Joan Robbins
12 James Yarian
Ray Tait
Messiah Lutheran Church Finances January - March 2020 13 Lyn Gwinn
17 Karen Keasling
Income Expense Income - Expense
Alan Stennett
$250,000
18 Clayton Hughes
Income is $8,800 less than budget.
Expense is $600 under budget.
Brook Zager
$224,300 $224,300
Balance is $8,200 deficit vs budget. 24 Daniel Hentosz
Projected Balance of $10,00 deficit at end of year.
Lucas McSurley
27 Kent Downing
$200,000
Jack McMillen
28 Gary Walker
Diane Jasso
29 Richard Schrader
Robert Schrader
$150,000 Gail France
30 Stephanie Peterson
Readings
May
$100,000
2 - 1st Reading: Acts 8:26-40
2nd Reading: 1 John 4:7-21
Gospel: John 15:1-8
$56,700
$58,800 $57,300 9 - 1st Reading: Acts 10: 44-48
$50,000 2nd Reading: 1 John 5:1-6
$50,000
Gospel: John 15: 9-17
16 - 1st Reading: Acts 1:15-17;
21-26
2nd Reading: 1 John 5:9-13
$1,500 Gospel: John 17: 6-19
$0
$0
23 - 1st Reading: Acts 2: 1-21
($6,700) 2nd Reading: Romans 8: 22-27
Gospel: John 15:26-27;
16:4b-15
30 - 1st Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8
($50,000) 2nd Reading: Romans 8:12-17
Year To Date Actual Year To Date Budget Annual Budget Gospel: John 3: 1-17
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