Dear Church Family,

Happy September! There are so many great things happening this Fall at LCC, so be sure to scroll through this Fall Edition of The Columns and mark your calendars for various opportunities, and click the button below to read my Columns letter, in which I reflect on the love, support, and care of "Church Family."

[Click below to continue reading...]

Greetings from your new Director of Music Ministries!

I want to thank you all so much for the warm welcome over the past few weeks. I hope that I can continue in the tradition of excellence and inspiration that this church is used to in their music ministries, and I look forward to making music alongside many of you in the coming months and years.

Fall is an exciting time for music (although really, what season isn’t?). At church we have Rally Day and the return of the Chancel and Handbell Choirs, and special music surrounding celebrations like World Communion Sunday, All Saints Day, and Thanksgiving. In the broader spectrum we observe Hispanic Heritage, LGBTQ+ History, Native American Heritage, and so many more important cultural and social groups. Whether exploring the choral works of Carlos Chàvez or casually singing along to Lady Gaga, I hope that you’ll find time to celebrate or reflect with some music.

Join us in a rehearsal:

• Handbell Choir rehearses every Thursday evening from 6:45pm-7:45pm, in the sanctuary
• Chancel Choir rehearses every Thursday evening from 8:00pm-9:00pm, in the sanctuary

Looking forward to a great Fall!

Peter Hampton, Director of Music Ministries

MIRACLE JAR - Heifer International 

Many of you may be familiar with Heifer International as LCC has supported the organization in the past and has sent our youth to their farm in Massachusetts for two mission trips.

Their mission is to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way by supporting and investing alongside local farmers and their communities throughout the world. They provide a seed investment of livestock or agriculture and then mentorship to help project participants build a business, ultimately gaining access to supply chains and markets. Families are able to earn a living income and pass on their knowledge to the next generation of leaders.

This year, the children's Miracle Jar collection will be donated to Heifer International. We will also hold a Living Gift Market in December, offering members the opportunity to "purchase" animals in honor of a loved one at Christmas. Our children will be learning more about Heifer International in Faith Formation.

The past few months in and around the building and the grounds has been focused on continuing to recover from the social hall renovation. In a good way!

Now that we have one nice new space it is time that we allow the rest of the building to catch up, so we have started to take the necessary steps to make the many rooms in our church fully functional again.



Read Full report HERE from David Spahr, our Buildings and Grounds Exec Team Liaison

Memorial Garden Paver Bricks

Orders for a Paver Brick for our LCC Centennial Garden are being taken until SEPTEMBER 7TH.

Order forms are available in the church office.

These bricks began in 2005, in Celebration of our church’s 100^th Birthday. Bricks have been sold occasionally since then … and now we are back!!!!!

Stroll the Garden if you need ideas of how to set up your brick, or talk to Patti Komperda for ideas! 

If you do not know what The Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC) is, then you must talk to Patti Komperda! Ask her questions about the organization, its mission and vision, and its membership. Or, attend an ENGAGEGCC meeting the 4^th Thursday of every month at 7:00pm, the location varies each month, so check the bulletin board in the West Clifton hallway…or, ask Patti Komperda!



There will be an informational/planning GCC meeting for LCC CORE Team members, or anyone else interested in learning more about the non-profit, non-partisan, faith-based, justice-focused organization after worship/after coffee hour (11:30ish) in the LCC Chapel on Sunday, October 12, 2025.   

You are encouraged to explore the Greater Cleveland Congregation’s (GCC) website at greaterclevelandcongregations.org to find out more information about it.

GLOBAL MISSIONS UPDATE

For the 2025/26 church year, Lakewood Congregational Church will again be supporting two projects sponsored by Global Ministries and we hope you will join us in providing financial support for one or both of them in the coming months.

The church is looking forward to welcoming Dr. Peter Makari, Ph.D., Global Relations Minister for the Middle East and Europe with UCC Global Ministries for World Communion Sunday on Sunday, October 6. We are thrilled to have a representative from Global Ministries visit our congregation. He will be present during the service as well as holding an after-church question and answer session about Global Ministries work.

READ GLOBAL MISSIONS FULL UPDATE

LCC Action Postcard / Phone Call Gathering

A REMINDER that you are invited to write postcards to local, state, and federal legislators to express your concerns about any of the plethora of decisions being made in our country daily. We gather in the LCC Parlor from 10-11:30am after the Second Saturday (9/13) gathering. Postcards, addresses, possible scripts, and pens are provided. (Donations for postage will be gladly appreciated.) 

Do you have an idea for an Event or Program?

We'd love to hear about it. Please use the attached form here (or found on the West Clifton Bulletin Board). Upon completion, turn your form into the office and we will get it to the appropriate chair for review. EVENT/PROGRAM FORM

ESL - Conversational English

Sociable discussions with immigrants who already have a basic understanding of English, but who need practice to improve employment and social prospects. Classes are small and by appointment only, usually on Monday and Thursday evenings.



IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE AS A TUTOR:

(no training required as all we do is chat), or if you know of someone who might participate as a student, please contact Ron Petrie, 216-789-2301.

REJOICE!!!



The Advent Devotional for 2025-2026 is on its way, and we are calling for any interested writers who can lend their voices in reflection from the First day of Advent to Epiphany. Additionally, this year we would like to call for any individuals who are interested in contributing a piece of art to further illuminate our pages this season. We have many contributors who look forward to this annual ministry, but we are always excited to welcome new ones. Our theme this year will revolve around practicing Hope, and I sincerely hope you will join us.

If you feel the call and would like to contribute to this year’s devotional, please contact Paul Pierce at pauljpierce@gmail.com or (216) 409-9207. Blessings to you all!!!

Please join us for Second Saturday on Saturdays

September 13, October 1, and November 8, at 9 am

Please join us for Second Saturday. We meet at 9am in the church parlor for an hour of discussion, reflection and prayer. All who identify as female are welcome to join this intergenerational group. It's a great chance to get to know each other better in a relaxed setting. Hope to see you there!

The Prayer Shawl Ministry will meet on the following Tuesdays at 7pm

September 9, at the Kaspers

and in the Parlor October 14 & November 11

Bring whatever project you are working on, even if it's not a shawl. 

We have a pretty creative group, and the conversation is always terrific!!!Questions?

Call or text Debi Kasper 440-554-8798

ADVENTURES IN READING

CALLING ALL READERS

Come to Adventures in Reading

(LCC Book Club)

the second Wednesday of each month

Next Meeting: September 10

All are welcome

Discussion leaders and books have been chosen for our 2025-2026 season of reading.

Our 9 selections in random order are:

1. The Pull of the Stars (2020) by Emma Donaghue

2. A Gentleman in Moscow (2016) by Amor Towles

3. Coyote Waits (1990) by Tony Hillerman

4. March (2015) by Geraldine Brooks

5. The Hate U Give ( 2017) by Angie Thomas

6. The Day the World Came to Town (2002) by Jim DeFede

7. The Nightengale ( 2015) by Kristin Hannah

8. State of Terror (2021) by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

9. How to Read a Book (2024) by Monica Wood

We meet the second Wednesday of the month - September - May. We gather in the LCC parlor - 12:00pm for lunch and conversation.  Our discussion begins at 12:30pm. All are welcome.

There are copies of many of the Adventures in Reading books available for borrowing for LCC members.

The books are in the library/archives and can be signed out.

Tai Chi at LCC

Just a reminder that we have been finding our Chi and experiencing Zen (and a lot of laughter) for over 15 years in our LCC Parlor during our weekly Tai Chi class led by Jeannie Koran. The class is for beginners right up through experienced tai chi-ers and is held in the LCC Parlor on Mondays from 5-6pm.

There is NO FEE for your first time, and then the cost is $10 per class.

See Patti Komperda or Ceil Dorsch if you have any questions.  

Men's Group

We meet for fun and conversation monthly. For more information email Tom Leatherman.



Mark your calendars for the 3rd Wednesday of the month:

The Wednesday, September 17th meeting will be at Tom Leatherman's home. Look for emails with more details to come.

Look for more information in the weekly emails. Sign Up to host: HOST

Office Hours:

Monday - Friday: 9:00am-3:00pm