THIS SUNDAY - WORSHIP AND MORE |
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June26 is Pride Sunday! We're celebrating all God's beloved people across the wide spectrum of sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions. No matter who you are, that means you!
We are worshipping in person and also by livestream on our Youtube channel or Facebook page at 11:00 am on Sunday and anytime afterward. The video includes the readings and hymn lyrics, but if you prefer to see a bulletin as you follow along, you can find it online here.
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NAME TAGS FOR ALL!
Please remember to wear your name tags to be hospitable to visitors! We also have blank name tags for those who are new or can't find their name tag. Pronoun stickers are available for all and we encourage you to wear one. If you need a new name tag, email Nori at MAPC, and she’ll make one for you.
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REFLECTIONS FROM THE PASTOR
Dear Friends,
As you know, my sabbatical begins after worship on Sunday, so this is the last weekend I will spend with you until September. I want to express again my gratitude for this time to rest after two years of particularly taxing ministry, to reconnect with people and places that refresh my soul, and to renew my energy and creativity. I look forward to returning to you on September 7, rejuvenated and ready to start envisioning with you the next steps in our future as a congregation.
A sabbatical for a pastor is in some ways an opportunity for a congregational sabbatical as well. Of course, you will have Rebekah still with you, keeping up the rhythms of worship, pastoral care, and anything else that arises. They are fully empowered to act as pastor in my stead and make decisions - with other leaders as appropriate - that I would normally make. But it's summer, after a busy spring. Many of you will be traveling or taking time to do things that have been too risky for the last two years. Committees will meet less, choir and Encounters will take a break, there will be fewer activities.
As I spend these 10 weeks intentionally reconnecting with God, myself, and life-giving people and places, I encourage you to be intentional with some part of your summer in taking not just a vacation but a sabbatical: a time of sabbath rest that resets your spirit. Perhaps this can be a time for all of us to take a holy breath and prepare ourselves for wherever God might lead us together in the fall.
However you are spending this summer, I pray that God will bless you with the peace and rest you need, and I look forward to sharing our stories of reconnection in the fall.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Stacey
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PRIDE PARADE AND FESTIVAL
The Cincinnati Pride Parade and Festival are on June 25. Those riding or marching in the parade should plan to meet between 10:00-10:45 in the lineup area, which runs west from the corner of Plum and 7th Streets. Our float is Row A, Number 41, and will likely be on the I-75 overpass. Then stop by our booth at the Pride Festival, located in the furthest section to the east between the I-471 bridge and the Montgomery Inn.
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POSTER MAKING FOR PRIDE PARADE
Want to have some fun and join in some camaraderie before the PRIDE parade and festival on Saturday, June 25? Dan Davidson will have the Treehouse space open for poster making on June 24 from 6 to 10 pm. If you have not seen and enjoyed the Treehouse space, this is a great time to step through the threshold and share some creative energy with others. It is time to sparkle!
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MAPC FALL PICNIC AND RETREAT
Please mark your calendars for a day of fun and fellowship on September 24 at Winton Woods. Mt. Auburn will have an all-day gathering filling with walks, biking, kayaking, corn hole and games, lunch and dinner and a campfire. You can participate in all or some of the events. Watch the newsletter for more information.
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DONATIONS NEEDED FOR OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT!
Are you down sizing? Are you getting rid of garden equipment? If so, our grounds crew can use some items. or, would you consider buying one of the items above and donating. Please Let Eric know if you have something to donate!
Wheelbarrow
Cordless String trimmer, battery or 2 cycle
Cordless hedge trimmer
Rakes
Spade shovels
Battery operated hedge clippers
Battery operated weed wacker
Also, we have 4 old working air-conditioners left in the basement. Two are large 20 amp heat pump/ air-conditioners that are probably 25,000 BTUs and two are room air-conditioners about 12000 BTU sized. If you or anyone you know could make use of them please let me know. Thanks again for all your contributions at the workday.
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TWO WAYS TO HELP CINCINNATI SCHOLAR HOUSE
Briana Stottman , the new volunteer coordinator for HER Cincinnati, contacted Linda Ford with a request for help. There will be Summer Safety Program on July 12th from 10 to 11:30 am for the children and families of the Scholar House. This program will teach the families about weather-related safety issues like sunburn and dehydration as well as about supervision safety during a time when the children have fewer structured activities than during the school year. Swimming safety will also be covered, and the families will be linked to the neighborhood recreation center’s free swim lessons. Learning to swim is a basic skill, and yet 79% of children from lower income families have low to no swimming ability. Special guests from the fire and police departments will teach the children about safety. There will be games set up on the playground for outdoor family fun.
Three volunteers are needed to help in three locations:
1. Standing (or sitting, we can provide a chair) by the gate of the playground to monitor kids/families coming in and out. We plan on having the fire and police departments bring cruisers and a truck for the kids to look at behind the building, which is why there would be traffic in and out. This volunteer would not be solely responsible for keeping track of the children, rather he/she/they will be an extra set of eyes.
2. Supervising games in the playground space. Games like giant jenga, connect four, checkers, etc. are planned. The parents of the children will guide the children in game play. The volunteer is again an extra pair of eyes.
3. Inside, we will be playing a swim safety video on a loop and would like a volunteer to make sure the video is running smoothly.
Donations are also needed: Check out the chart below. CHS is trying to gift 65 children with items that enhance safe and fun pool experiences. PLEASE place your donations on the designated table in the Social Hall by July 10. If you have questions about volunteering or donations, please contact Linda Ford.
AGE GROUP - NUMBER OF CHILDREN - ITEMS NEEDED
0 to 2 yrs - 19 Children
Swim diapers; infant floats; swim vests
3 to 5 yrs - 23 Children
Swim diapers; swim vests; swim caps
6 to 10 yrs - 16 Children
pool noodles; goggles; swim caps
11 to 17 yrs - 7 Children
pool noodles; goggles; swim caps
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THE CLASSICS CLUB
The Classics Club explores works that grapple with the great universal questions that concern both religion and art. We return to such works again and again, always finding more than we expect— unforgettable characters, magnetic plots, and soul-stirring insights. T.S. Eliot once declared, "Dante and Shaespeare divide the world between them. There is no third." There's certainly no doubt that the Bard is the greatest of English poets. We invite you to join us for "Shakspeare in his Time and Ours", a journey through selected plays and contemporary films they have inspired, including Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, As You Like It, Hamlet, and A MIdsummer Night's Dream. We meet by Zoom every Monday evening at 7:30. Please email John Tallmadge for details
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OPEN STACKS BOOK CLUB
We will meet on Friday, July 1st. We know it is the 4th of July weekend. Let’s be festive and celebrate in style…4th of July attire perhaps? 4th of July treats? We gather at Judy Cunningham’s house (watch for an email for directions) at 7pm and discussion begins at 7:30 in person and on Zoom. Please bring what you like to drink and a snack to share.
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SESSION SNIPPETS JUNE 2022
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Our meeting norms of Leadership are: Openness, Honesty, Loyalty, Healthy Conflict, Positive attitude, Faith sharing. That’s the framework.– and your Session met on June 22…… via a combined in person and ZOOM structure. The hi-lites of that meeting are …..
Shared Joys & Concerns - Elder Yana Keck led us in prayer about those. We lifted in prayer - Presbytery’s Racial Equity Group, safe Pride parade & festival, traveling mercies for those traveling during the upcoming holiday, personal friends undergoing challenges and for Pastors Stacey & Rebekah as Stacey begins her sabbatical and they take over the pastoral reins. Yana then shared a meditation via a poem by Mary Oliver.
Among other regular kind of things this past month, Pastor Stacey reported conducting staff evaluations, co-ordinated several MAPC Pride needs for the festival, and met with Cocoon/HER reps to talk future partnerships.
Among other regular kind of things this past month, Pastor Rebekah reported they are working with Nori and CEC to get a new picture directory up and running and also helping Earth Care get ready for the upcoming art show this summer in the connector gallery called “Sacred Places”.
They both participated in meeting with our Living Churches Team. They co-hosted a community wide “Queerly Faithful” discussion reporting it was received with energy and seeming interest for additional conversation. They also worked on passing the torch for the next few months.
We received a recommendation from Finance & Stewardship Committee to make a minor allocation change to MAPC’s investment policy. Due to Market volatility, Elder Sara Bick and Susan Ingmire presented a recommendation from 5/3 bank to increase targets for fixed income and reduce those in real estate and alternatives to help stabilize assets. This also affects a change to the benchmarks of performance for 5/3. F&S approved the reco and Session approved the changes.
There was a bit of discussion around Pastor Stacey’s upcoming sabbatical (6/27- 9/7), expectations for Session are to continue regular leadership and support Pastor Rebekah in whatever they need.
A longer, heartfelt discussion was around our inclusive principles and our practices of inclusion. With regard to proper pronoun use – to make sure we are leaders in embodying inclusive values - while our congregation is in a learning curve, we must examine our progress ( or lack of ) AND ALWAYS remain respectful, diligent, intentional, educational, coaching, and even grace filled confrontational, among other things. We have work to do and future discussions down the road about what does it mean AND look like to be inclusive in many ways. Walk our Talk.
Pastor Rebekah adjourned us with prayer.
A list of Session members can be found on the MAPC newsletter. If you have any questions about our work, please reach out. Please remember that anyone is welcome to attend the Session meeting – currently the 4th Wednesday of the month. We meet at 7 pm via Zoom and have now added in person. You will be in observation mode, unless you request “privilege of voice” at the beginning of the meeting.
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LETTER TO UVALDE, TEXAS
On May 26, Stated Clerk Faye Burdick sent the following letter from the Session of MAPC to the First Presbyterian Church of Uvalde, Texas on behalf of our congregation.
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Last evening the Session of Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church lifted the congregants of First Presbyterian Church of Uvalde and the people of Uvalde who grieve over the tragedy at Robb Elementary School. We pray for courage and insight as you minister to those around you and those who are in need in Uvalde. Although Mount Auburn PCUSA is located in Cincinnati, our membership come from Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio and we are aware that you are needed in many areas of your ministry.
We will continue to hold you in prayer and will share with our Congregation so they may also keep First PCUSA and the people of Uvalde in prayer as they deal with loss and change.
May God Bless you,
Session of Mt. Auburn PCUSA
Faye Burdick, Clerk of Session
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CONNECTOR ART GALLERY
Sojourns and Odysseys
Featured Artist: Jamie Schorsch, April – June 2022
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SACRED PLACES IN NATURE
During the season of Lent here at MAPC, our community considered the theme “You are Here,” an exploration of the physical places we find ourselves and the continued presence of God, no matter where we are. Reflecting on the significance of the places we inhabit and the places that have shaped us over the years, we encountered the Sacred through nature, community, and telling our stories of place together. We encountered some hard truths, learned some new things about ourselves and our community, and started to make new maps of our beloved place here at Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church.
Throughout the summer months of August and September, the Earth Care team will expand on the theme of place, through an installation in the Connector Art Gallery called “Sacred Places in Nature.” This gallery of images is an invitation to continue to tell stories of the places in our lives that have shaped, inspired, and challenged us, and stories of where people have encountered God in our beautiful natural world. Everyone is invited to participate and submit images for this upcoming gallery installation and participate in continuing our collective storytelling process. Those interested in participating can submit a digital image (jpeg) to Julie Malkin by July 8th, along with an artist statement. Artist Statement instructions will be available soon. Images will be printed and displayed in the connector gallery for July 17th thru September 26th.
You’ve probably heard it said, “wherever you go, there you are.” But sometimes it is hard to know exactly where that is, especially in this post-pandemic world, in the aftermath of an era of such profound loss and separation. Looking at the landscape and forms around us, the places we find ourselves in can feel unfamiliar and strange, even if we’ve been here for decades, and yet we know God is with us wherever we find ourselves. As we embark on this journey of imagery of Sacred places in nature, we remember that God meets us where we are, where we have been, and where we will be. No matter where you are or where you go, God is there, from the highest of mountain peaks, to the driest of deserts, to the humble campground you spent your childhood summers in. God is there. Where have you encountered God in this wild and wonderful world?
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1 Nathan Hancock
2 Gordon DeVinney
3 Geoff Sutton
5 Nathan Nash
6 Sara Bick
Jennifer Timm
7 Clare Williams
13 David Chalk
Anna Kelma
Lana Petrou
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14 Diane Sauter
17 Kathy Bower
18 Floy Ann Marsh
19 Cate Sherron
22 Brian Anderson
26 Laura Marsh
27 Eric Burgmann
30 Margaret Breidenbaugh
Janet Lowry
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JUNE ANNIVERSARIES
4 – Bob & Tish Clary
10 – Lisa Butler & Datha Harrison
16 – Sherrie Conner & Lauren Clark
23 – Ben & Stephanie Marston
25 – Rich Bitting & Diane Smith
26 – Susan & Peter Steele
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OHIO DEATH ROW INMATES WITH JUNE BIRTHDAYS
Cards have been sent to the following inmates. (Remembering Jesus’ words, “I was in prison and you visited me”, please, take time to read the list and offer a prayer for each of them.) Bobby Sheppard, Walter Raglin, Robert Williams, Jr., Timothy Hoffner, Clifford Williams, Richard Bays, Richard Beasley, Jose Loza, Gregory Lott, Cleveland Jackson, James Conway III, Jason Robb
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If you want to see something on the prayer list,
and note how long it should remain on the list.
- Prayers for our Living Churches team, which will have its third meeting on Sunday.
- Please keep Phil Melton, Mary Carol’s son in your prayers. After 30 years as a successful kidney transplant recipient, Phil now needs another transplant. He is in the process of being placed on the donor registry in Dallas, where he lives.
- Prayers for Rich Bitting and his family as they grieve the loss of his mother, Doris Bitting.
- Prayers for Amy Grady.
- Prayer's for Ruth Anne Van Loon's husband as he continues treatment, and for Ruth Anne as she cares for him.
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OFFICE AND PASTORAL COVERAGE
Pastor Rebekah is available for all pastoral needs over the summer. They are off on Fridays; they can be reached at other times at 717-476-6297 or [email protected]. Pastor Stacey is on sabbatical through September 7. The Church Office is open Tuesday-Friday from 8-3.
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MAPC OFFICERS
The Session is: Sara Bick, Sandee Ernst, Amy Grady, Julia Malkin, Marlene Muse, Sequoia Powers-Griffin, Dave Simon, Susan Thomas, Yana Keck, Carl Ward, Ellen Muse, and Lisa Foster. Faye Burdick serves as stated clerk.
The Deacons Board is: Elizabeth Marsh Singh, moderator. Linda Vaccariello, Earl Apel, Lynn Hailey, Patty Muhlemann, Bonnie Bohn, Nan Costello, Rick Sowash, Deb Carle, Van Ackerman, Deborah Ramey, and Amy Beegle.
The committees of the church and their primary contacts are:
Operations - Eric Burgmann and Dave Simon
Finance and Stewardship - Susan Ingmire and Sara Bick
Worship - Van Ackerman and Julie Malkin
Education and Spiritual Nurture - Carl Ward, Yana Keck, and Faye Burdick
Justice-Seeking - Linda Ford and Sequoia Powers-Griffin
Congregational Engagement - Elizabeth Marsh-Singh and Sandee Ernst
Outreach - Lynn Hailey, Ellen Muse, and Marlene Muse
Personnel - Dave Simon, Susan Thomas, and Jeana Lawson
Nominations - Lisa Foster and Amy Grady
Earth Care Leadership Team - Julie Malkin and Yana Keck
Please contact any of these people or Stacey or Rebekah if you have questions about the Session, Deacons, or Committees of MAPC!
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MAPC HAPPENINGS!
All gatherings and worship services are virtual unless otherwise noted.
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Friday, June 23
6-10 Poster making for Pride Parade, Treehouse
Saturday, June 25
11:00 Pride Parade
Sunday, June 26
8:45-9:45 Closed AA Meeting, Geier Room
9:45 Encounters
Monday, June 27
6-9:30 Sierra Club, Geier Room
7:30 Classics Club, Zoom
Tuesday, June 28
9:30 Preacher Bible Study, Zoom
Wednesday, June 29
11:00 Staff Meeting, Conference Room
2:00 St. John's Seniors, Geier Room
Sunday, July 3
8:45-9:45 Closed AA Meeting, Geier Room
9:45 Encounters
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DONATE ONLINE
Now you can participate in the mission and ministry of Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church through convenient online giving! Scan the QR code with the camera on your phone and it will bring you directly to our donation website. Thank you for your generous support.
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MAPC ONLINE DIRECTORY
Updated as of May 2022
You can find the online version here. Please note that this is an ever-evolving document, and it's been especially hard to keep track of people over the last couple of years. If you notice any changes or errors, pass any updates on to Nori!
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If you would like to add anything to this weekly e-newsletter, please email Nori [email protected] by Thursday morning. This includes ALL events, prayer requests, and other items of interest. If you want to see it in the e-newsletter, email it to Nori!
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