By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Thursday June 5, 2025
Advocacy IS Ministry: It’s Not Political & It’s Not A Distraction ~ When I was in high school I was thoroughly invested in several student organizations, but most especially in Student Council. It is fair to say that a significant amount of my early leadership skills were learned and honed through the activities of Student Council. For at least a couple of years I co-chaired the program committee, which was the service aspect of Student Council. Each year we would choose a different non-profit organization and then would have fundraisers for that organization and present them with the check at the end of the year. Depending on the type of organization we would also provide volunteers for programs and events. Two service projects I remember distinctly were the March of Dimes and Special Olympics. The March of Dimes was meaningful to me as I did a deep dive into researching the organization and became fascinated with how it was singularly focused on ending polio through global vaccinations. Since then, it has expanded its focus to be on maternal health in general. We would do bake sales, car washes, and all the usual fundraising techniques to raise money for the organization, but I also made it my practice to try to help educate my classmates on the mission of the organization and how that affected people who were my age in lived in my context.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Wednesday May 7, 2025
Can Curiosity Save The Church ~ When I was young, I loved to read, as did my mother, although her interests leaned more towards romance novels and mine towards mysteries and biographies. I recall a particular mystery book I read, given to me by my mother because it was written by one of her favorite romance novelists, Phyllis A. Whitney, but written for teenagers. In her teen mystery book, “Mystery On The Isle Of Skye,” (1) a young girl, an orphan, named Cathy MacLeod who has been brought up by her beloved grandmother, who is now gravely ill, is flying to visit relatives in Scotland, from whence the MacLeod’s first came. On the trip Cathy carries a special box with her from her grandmother. It is filled with fascinating “surprises” and clues that she must open in the course of her trip taking her on what we would recognize as a scavenger hunt. She, and two young relatives about her own age, are drawn into a search for the answers to a series of mysteries connected to the surprises in the box. She learns about her family history, her own abilities and gifts, and gains a new sense of purpose and strength for her life from following the “path” that her grandmother invited her to follow. Cathy did not have to do anything her grandmother had offered to her through the box of treasures, but she chose to do so and found herself open to new and more richly meaningful possibilities for her future.
Continue Reading
By - Tuesday April 22, 2025
On behalf of the If Not Now, When? If Not You, Who? Campaign Committee Campaign Coordinator, Jim Bane, Chairperson, Roger McKinney, our Regional Church Moderator, Brenda Sanford, and Regional Church Treasurer, Lena VanBuskirk, I wanted to give you an update on our major fundraising campaign. The Campaign Committee and many volunteers working with it have been hard at work for the past year designing, launching, and leading the campaign. We began soliciting major gifts last summer and that effort continues steadfastly. We presented the campaign to the Regional Church at our Regional Assembly last September. In late February of this year a series of Congregational Cluster Meetings began to take place, and the Congregational Phase of the campaign will begin in many congregations immediately after Easter or later this year.
Continue Reading
By Christian Church in Ohio - Tuesday April 22, 2025
The Psalmist proclaims a great truth: “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it!” (Psalm 24:1)
From the moment we read in scripture that God placed humanity in the garden with the expressed purpose of caring for it (Genesis 2:15), we understand that we humans have been tasked with being good stewards of God’s good earth. As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ this past Sunday, we are invited to commit ourselves to new life and new hope and renewing our dedication to caring for the earth as a wonderful way to do just that.
Continue Reading
By - Wednesday February 19, 2025
After a thorough search process and interviews guided by the Christian Church in Ohio Personnel Committee, and following unanimous votes of the Executive Committee and Regional Church Council, David Stonebraker-Martinez was called to be our next settled Camp Christian Facilities Manager. Dave has been serving as the Interim Facilities Manager since last June and will begin full-time on March 1st.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Saturday December 28, 2024
As 2024 comes to an end, I want to take a moment to not simply review the mission and ministry in which the Christian Church in Ohio, your Regional Church, has been engaged, but offer a deep word of gratitude to all who have held our Regional Church staff, Council, Commissions, Teams, and Committees, close in prayer. Additionally, I offer a word of profound gratitude to those who have taken the time to show your tangible support through volunteering and financially supporting our ministries through either a direct gift, supporting the 2024 Renewal Initiative or the 2024 Christmas Offering, giving to Disciples Mission Fund, or putting the Regional Church Operations or Camp Christian Endowment in your end-of-life giving documents or your will. Of course, we are also grateful to all who have already given to our major fundraising campaign for the future, our “If Not Now, When? If Not You, Who?” effort. More will be coming about the latter when we launch the Congregational Phase in February!
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Wednesday December 25, 2024
Please read Luke 2:1-20 ~ “But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) ~ With all the various versions and perspectives of “the Christmas story” in scripture, I appreciate how our common lectionary*, over the entire course of the Advent Season, tries to guide us through the text in an organized and meaningful way. The lectionary walks us through the different versions of the story, making historical connections in the Hebrew Scriptures, and building our expectation for the ultimate moment in the story, the birth of Jesus Christ. But for Christmas Day, the lectionary simply focuses on the most concise telling of the story, which is found in Luke 2:1-20. In these twenty verses most of the story is summed up.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Erica L. Brown - Tuesday December 24, 2024
Please read Luke 2:1-20 ~ Mary and Joseph, on the road to Bethlehem. Mary, great with child – not even Joseph’s child. Likely frightened, certainly anxious, as so many mothers-to-be are. Surely, she has passed the point in her pregnancy where travel is really the best plan. Joseph, his new bride in tow, perhaps wondering if he was doing the right thing, as if there was a protocol for what might constitute the “right thing” in such a situation. The innkeeper, booked solid what with this census. Sure, it’s good for business, but – he’s even got people where people ought not to be. Perhaps he was worried he would lose his license or be shut down by the Board of Health – sending a pregnant lady out to the stable! The shepherds, tending their flocks, are overcome by, of all things, angels. “The glory of the Lord” shining around them, likely scaring the sheep, not to mention the shepherds… Out of their element, all of them. Standing on unfamiliar ground, hoping beyond hope that they are making good decisions, wise choices.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Kara Swartz - Monday December 23, 2024
Please read Luke 2:1-20 ~ “Have You Heard the Good News?” ~ “Have you heard the Good News?” It seems like an inane question to ask in a time where much of the ‘news’ we hear and see is not always what most would call “good.” Yet, those words resonate in my soul during this season. Every year, growing up, I would hear this question asked of the people who came to our Church’s Live Nativity. It would be silent, every person in the scene as still as they could be until the question was spoken: “Have you heard the Good News? Have you heard the Good News?” followed simply by the rest of Luke 2:1-20 (RSV, if a more stylized version).
Continue Reading
By Rev. Roger McKinney - Sunday December 22, 2024
Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~ Dave Brubeck's Christmas carol, "God's Love Made Visible!” is one of my favorite songs in the entire Chalice Hymnal! But it is not everyone's favorite by far, partly because it is the only song in the Chalice Hymnal in 5/4 time. For you non-musicians, that means that there are five beats per measure instead of the traditional four. This makes it harder to sing for casual singers.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Jeff Gill - Saturday December 21, 2024
Luke 2:4–5 - Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. (NRSVue) ~ As we are reflecting on the stories around the birth of Jesus, and the many stories that intersect with his life, it’s worth putting the journeys around Advent and Christmas in context . . . Ohio context! To travel from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea is about 90 miles. You can travel up the Jezreel Valley to the Mediterranean coast and work along the Plain of Sharon (roses, etc.) to Joppa then inland through Jerusalem, or head around the lower end of the Sea of Galilee and down the Jordan Valley to Jericho and up into the Judean highlands. But either way, it’s about 90 miles. Mostly on foot, tradition holds that Mary being near term would have had a donkey to ride, but if you read the text we don’t know that.
Continue Reading
By Reverend Julie Cory - Friday December 20, 2024
Please read Deuteronomy 8:7-10 ~ I’m sure you have noticed how food seems to dominate our lives through the holiday season. From late October through to New Year’s Day, our news feed is filled with recipes from main dishes to delicious snacks. The posts, pictures, recipes and reviews all encourage us to eat our fill and more. ~ Today’s text is filled with food as well. Seven foods, to be exact, that are to be revered and remembered as God’s special gifts to God’s people – signs of God’s providential love made visible in a new land so different from the wilderness the Israelites have been wandering in for years.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Stephanie McLemore - Thursday December 19, 2024
Jeremiah 29: 11-13 - "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart." ~ I’ve written several Christmas Pageant scripts along the way. I write “y'all come” pageants on the theory that rehearsals for a precise children’s pageant will really come out the same quality as an unrehearsed pageant. The kids will remember the feeling of participating, the teens will help out and the adults will celebrate that the kids are leading worship and that they look cute. In a “y’all come” pageant, everyone who wants to participate comes 45 minutes before the service and puts on a costume. Everybody gets to be whoever or whatever they want. If you have three Marys and two Josephs, then that’s what you have. I always advocate for toddlers being sheep and cows, because when they crawl all over it is in perfect character. There can never be too many angels.
Continue Reading
By Rev Heather S Schimmel - Wednesday December 18, 2024
Once while Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to burst. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all who were with him were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. Luke 5:1-11
Continue Reading
By Rev. Timothy McCollum - Tuesday December 17, 2024
Hey, my name's Tim. I'm the pastor here at Bazetta Christian Church. I have a quick devotion for you today, an Advent thought. I want to start with a scripture from Matthew 7, verses 7 and 8 in the First Nations version, an indigenous translation of the New Testament. Let your prayers rise like smoke to the great spirit, for he will see you and answer you. Every step is a prayer, and as you dance upon the earth for the things you seek, the way will open before you. In the same way, as you search for the true ancient pathways, you will find them. Answers will come to the ones who ask. Good things will be found by the ones who search for them, and the way will open before the ones who keep dancing their prayers.
Continue Reading
By P. Diane Fonderlin - Monday December 16, 2024
“But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.” - Ephesians 5: 13 ~ “Going Barefoot” ~ So often in our time as Global Ministries missionaries, people would say to Tim and me, “Thank you for being willing to serve God’s people around the world. You must have blessed many people.” However, each time I heard this, I thought, “We are the ones who are blessed. It is we who have learned so much from so many and, as a result, our lives are forever changed by our experiences.”
Continue Reading
By Rev. Cynthia Klingemier - Sunday December 15, 2024
The petite man wearing thick glasses, sporting graying hair and a full beard, met the pastor on the sidewalk beside the church sign announcing a free meal that evening. The pastor noticed the man’s involuntary movements as his arms and legs appeared to dance to a rhythm only he could hear. The pastor looked at her watch and noted that the meal wouldn’t start for another ninety minutes. The man wasn’t concerned about the wait, only concerned that he had found the correct location for the night’s dinner.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Robin Myers - Saturday December 14, 2024
Please read Luke 2:8-20 ~ Did you see the Aurora Borealis? It has been seen this year in places where it never has been seen before. Even if you did not see it, the photos and videos are awe-inspiring. We look at them in wonder and amazement. In the sky on the night Jesus was born, was a different spectacle, even more awe-inspiring. On the night Jesus was born, the shepherds in nearby fields were visited by an angel, and then by a heavenly choir. There was a brilliant light, brighter than our brightest day. There was an angel choir in the sky, singing praise to God. The music was more beautiful than any music here on earth. The shepherds were astounded at what they saw and heard.
Continue Reading
By Rick McVicar - Friday December 13, 2024
Look Within to Find God’s Light ~ African American poet Audre Lorde writes about the light of poetry in her essay, “Poetry is Not a Luxury,” found in The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, Volume 2. Lorde sees poetry as the light that is used to scour the depths of one’s inner life. “It is within this light that we form those ideas by which we pursue our magic and make it realized” (p. 643). Poetry’s light reaches into those aspects of ourselves that we like to hide from ourselves and others. Poetry shines light on those aspects of life that were previously unknown to us. Poetry gives words to emotions that otherwise leave us speechless.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Michael Doerr, - Thursday December 12, 2024
Ephesians 4:11-13 NRSV [11] The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, [12] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, [13] until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. - We make God’s love visible as we live out our faith, sharing for the common good the gifts God has given us. What are your gifts? Are you sharing them for the common good?
Continue Reading
By Rev. Terry Bartlett - Wednesday December 11, 2024
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it." ~ The church I pastored before my retirement, South Haven UCC, housed a local hunger center through the Southeast Clergy Association in Bedford, Ohio. The center was open every Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the basement of our church. Since space was limited, the guests who arrived sat in metal folding chairs on either side of the long hallway, patiently waiting to be called into one of the converted Sunday School rooms to receive their groceries. My office was on the main floor and when I had occasion to speak with the hunger center staff I would walk down the steps and down the hallway past the folks waiting for their food assistance. The faces of our guests often looked sullen as they patiently, waited in those uncomfortable metal chairs for their turn. Often I hurried past, intent on communicating an "important" message to the staff or lost in my own thoughts.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Joy Fenton-Jones - Tuesday December 10, 2024
A Reading from the Continuing Testament - We are all here, struggling to live up to the values we share, so join the crowd. Join the band of everyday folks falling down and getting up again, failing, trying, often shining with compassion and kindness, sometimes backsliding into pettiness and fear. Welcome to being human. Do your best, right where you are, to love someone into healing. When you are off your game, someone else on the team will step up and do the work. ~
Fierce Love, p. 136 (print version), by Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis [2021]
- It’s always such a blessing to gather with friends and loved ones in a spirit of community and togetherness, particularly around the holidays. There’s nothing like the gift of presence, whether of friends, family, church members, or even new people! At this joyful time of year, no amount of gathering is too much. - No amount is too much? Really??
Continue Reading
By Mike Valentine - Monday December 9, 2024
Scripture Lesson: This is my prayer, that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. (Philippians 1:9-10) ~ Each day we are offered the opportunity to have some say as to what enters our minds. In choosing to read and meditate on scripture we are indicating our intention to fill our minds with what is pure and wholesome. Each day we are also bombarded with a myriad of less than wholesome sounds, words, and images. Add it all up: the priority of technology, institutions, and profit over persons; the easy acceptance of gun violence; the growth of sexploitation; the betrayal of public trust by elected officials; an angst, even an anger, toward the immigrant; the global demise of basic human rights; the blind eye being cast over the bombing of so many innocents just to reclaim land; a blatant disregard for the aging; and the continual demeaning and denigration of women over their reproductive choices, just to name a few. Each image or word demanding our attention in all sorts of sizes and colors and with all sorts of gestures and noises. Whether we ask for it or not is not the question. We simply cannot go far these days without being engulfed by social and political division and scaremongering.
Continue Reading
By Rev Heather S Schimmel - Sunday December 8, 2024
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6 - There was a woman when I growing up that I thought was amazing! She was kind and patient to me, and with me, as a child and I loved spending time with her. As I got older she had amazing advice for me that probably saved my marriage many times over the years. In her I learned so much about love and God’s presence in the world. In my memory she is always smiling and wise. God was visible in her life for me.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Cynthia Klingemier - Saturday December 7, 2024
The cancer center’s waiting room was quiet, although silent, serious thoughts were traveling through the air as oncology patients listened for their names to be called by the nurses. As I sat waiting, I thought I recognized a woman coming through the sliding entrance door, grabbing an available wheelchair, returning to her car, helping her ailing husband from car to chair, then back through the entrance door to sign in for his blood work and chemotherapy appointments. From previous conversations with the woman, I was aware that he had been enduring the illness called cancer for some time now. From all outward appearances, the battle was wearing him down. I wondered if it were a foe that in the long run, he might not conquer.
Continue Reading
By Stephen Bentley - Friday December 6, 2024
Please read Ruth 2: 8-13 - I love the theme for Advent this year: “God’s Love Visible.” It can also be said, “God’s love made visible.” So many places throughout the scriptures God’s love is visible. The book of Ruth holds a special place in my heart, and it holds so much relevance to what is going on in our country today. You might remember that the story of Ruth is a story of immigrants. Naomi, her husband and two sons are forced by hunger to migrate to a new land and people. There, her two sons took wives, one of them being Ruth.
- Naomi’s husband and her two sons all died leaving Naomi with nothing. She determined to go back to her people now that the famine was over, and one daughter-in-law went back to her family, but Ruth would not leave as she had grown to love Naomi very much. So touching were her words that Julie and I had them read at our wedding:
Continue Reading
By Rev. Jeff Gill - Thursday December 5, 2024
Please read Isaiah 60:1-7 (NRSVue) ~ In our liturgical calendar, Advent is the period of prayerful preparation leading up to Christmas Day. Advent is traditionally seen as a commemoration of the Incarnation, of God entering into this world in the person of Jesus, first as a tiny, helpless baby, but also as a penitential season preparing us for Christ’s return, sometimes called the Second Advent of Jesus. In either case, it is a season of waiting. Which we’re terrible at. Wait? Have you heard of one-click ordering? Wait? Do you know what my office sounds like when I’m getting on a video conference with people from multiple time zones, many of whom I’ve never met and may never meet, but will soon see and converse with, but first the window pops up: Updates are now downloading. Aiiiieeee! You mean I will have to WAIT a minute or two to do something that not all that long ago required a long car or train trip, perhaps a plane flight, a taxi to a conference center, checking in, then walking up to a meeting room? Instead of all that, I can do it NOW, unless I first have updates to download . . .
Continue Reading
By Rev. Erica L. Brown - Wednesday December 4, 2024
Please read Luke 3:1-6 ~ One voice cries out in the wilderness – Prepare the way of the Lord. A lonely voice, a coarse and gravelly voice, a voice that warns, a voice that disturbs. Prepare. Make sure all is ready. Sweep aside the brush, whatever may litter the way. Shovel the sidewalks, sprinkle the rock salt. Chip away at the thick accumulation of ice. The valleys – they will be filled; the mountains and hills – they will be made low. Everything must change. The crooked – it shall be made straight; the rough places – they shall be made smooth. Everything must change. Everyone must be open to being changed.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Ralph S. Wearstler - Tuesday December 3, 2024
"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." Matthew 1:23 (NRSV)
~ As we journey through this Advent Season, I’d like to share some words and insight from the great writer and preacher Oswald Chambers, which I have adapted for this devotional. “His Birth in History. ‘… that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God’ (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not emerge out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being the human race can boast of. He is a Being for whom the human race can take no credit at all. He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate, God coming into human flesh from outside it. His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Our Lord’s birth was an advent—the appearance of God in human form.”
Continue Reading
By Rev. Kara Swartz - Monday December 2, 2024
Please read John 1:4-5 ~ “The Light” ~ Have you ever noticed the lights all around us at this time of year. Not just Christmas lights but other lights as it is naturally darker outside, we see more lights. Porch lights, window lights, streetlights, headlights and more…even the stars seem brighter and more visible on clear nights. All of these are made more brilliant again the backdrops of evening and morning darkness and gray winter days. Most of us are probably so used to these little glimmers of light that we forget we are rarely in the true dark unless we live or vacation remotely. Even then we generally have phones and electronics that provide light. So… we really are rarely, truly, in the dark.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Brenda Sanford - Sunday December 1, 2024
First Day of Advent ~ Perfect Timing ~ Luke 1:5-7 “During the rule of King Herod of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. They were both righteous before God, blameless in their observance of all the Lord’s commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to become pregnant and they both were very old.” - This is the beginning of a long, sad story for a couple who loved God. Every day they did their very best to follow God’s commandments as they understood them. In those days there was no “if we want to have children” or “how many children do we want?”. It was a cultural expectation that you would have as many children as the Lord wanted to give you. They were a blessing, especially boy babies. Becoming a mother was a primary accomplishment for a woman…not much else mattered!
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Friday October 11, 2024
The writer of the book of Hebrews speaks very clearly of the need for members of the faith community to care for one another. In Hebrews 13:1 the author urges us to "Let mutual love continue.” One of the marks of a faithful community is how its members care for one another, as well as offering hospitality to the stranger in their midst (for one might be entertaining angels without knowing it – Heb. 13:2).
But scripture is also clear about a special need to care for the shepherd of the flock, as 1 Thessalonians 5:12 entreats us, "But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you.” While yes, most likely your pastor or clergy friend is paid, and that is a blessing to them, it is still true that the emotional and spiritual weight of caring for others 24/7/365 as a pastor does is worth their wages and far, far more.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Friday August 9, 2024
“Where are all the pastoral candidates?” ~ I have been getting this question a lot in the two-and-a-half years since being called as your Regional Pastor. To be clear, it was on the minds of congregations in the Capital Area Region where I previously served pre-pandemic as well, but it was not vocalized as much as it is today. It has become even more pronounced since our world changed in profound ways in recent years: when COVID-19 swept the globe, as racial-justice uprisings emerged (again) this time following the deaths of George Floyd and Breanna Taylor, following the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and in the context of the stark reminder of climate change which has made the last few years the hottest in recorded human history.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Monday May 20, 2024
State of the Church A Presentation - TRANSCRIPT - As we begin I want to make sure you know about my sermon earlier today which was livestreamed and is available on our YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/ldUVMrMrk7A?si=WEAWV5aOQBxZkj7G. It presents the state of the church from a more faithful and theological vantage point. I also want to urge you to watch the State of the Church address by our General Minister and President, the Rev. Teresa Hord Owens, offered at the General Board Meeting in April which provides a much better understanding of the church from her unique position. You can find it on the Disciples of Christ page on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9jeJHhORN4&t=6s
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Sunday May 19, 2024
TRANSCRIPT - Thank you, so very much, for taking time to watch this State of the Church address, whether you have joined me via livestream or are watching the recording later on. I offer it in two parts: as a sermon, which you are now watching, and a little longer presentation, which will happen at 5 p.m. today, also livestream and recorded. I am preaching this sermon on Pentecost, which is the 33rd anniversary of my ordination to ministry, and I’m sharing it from the beautiful sanctuary of Franklin Circle Christian Church in Cleveland where I was Senior Pastor for 14 years. Thanks to their current Pastor, the Rev. Richard Hinkleman, for helping to make this happen. All of this makes for a perfect day to explore the current state of the Church as we prepare for and live into its future.
Continue Reading
By Christian Church in Ohio - Monday May 13, 2024
Our Regional Pastor and President, the Rev. Allen V. Harris, shared in the last Regional Church Newsletter that he would offer a "State of the Church" Address live on Pentecost Sunday. (Read the entire Newsletter article here: https://www.ccinoh.com/ccio-blog/2024/may/3/around-the-region-and-in-my-heart.aspx) Rev. Harris has decided to provide his reflections in two parts, both which will be live on Facebook and YouTube as well as recorded and available for future watching. The first will be a 15 minute sermon that will be live-streamed from the sanctuary of Franklin Circle Christian Church in Cleveland at 2 p.m. next Sunday, May 19th. The second will be a 45 minute presentation with more detailed information and visuals that he will offer at 5 p.m. the same day.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Friday May 3, 2024
The Church Of Jesus Christ Is Alive And Well… But It Will Be VERY Different Than We Expected! ~ First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Roswell, New Mexico – my home church as a child and a youth – stood as one of the prominent churches in town. Not only did it occupy an exceptional space on South Main Street across from one of the two hospitals in our city, it had in its membership lawyers, bankers, high school teachers, and even the owner of a major real estate firm in town. Our Senior Pastor (yes, there were two pastors on staff) was a respected leader of the community, serving on the Ministerial Alliance and a member of the Rotary Club. Before worship each week every single Sunday School classroom had students in it, from the nursery to the “Crusaders Class.” Youth group on Sunday night found the youth wing of the church overflowing with middle school and high school students. The summer that we took a ten-day “Disciples Heritage Tour” we had three large vans full of high school youth and adult sponsors, and both our Senior and Associate Pastor went on the trip!
Continue Reading
By Rev Heather Schimmel - Saturday March 23, 2024
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8: 38-39 ~
Lent is the perfect time to reflect on whether my life is in line with my beliefs. We all step out of line as the days go by and we all need to evaluate, readjust and set our lives back into correct alignment. Lent is the perfect time for this. Lent leads us to Good Friday and then Easter. Now, I know that theologically there are a lot of ways to encounter the Cross on Good Friday. But for me, personally, I’ve taken to seeing on the cross the ways my actions or lack of actions have hurt God’s children and mostly, God. My worst moments have a tendency to rest on the cross of Good Friday and stare back at me waiting for a response.
Continue Reading
By Jeff Gill - Wednesday March 20, 2024
If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. ~ Romans 14:8 ~ Most of the last year, I was sitting with death. My father-in-law was declining slowly, but steadily, inexorably. Getting better was not in the cards. He was 94, tired, and ready, something he said often. When I first came to live with him, as his mobility and memory were on a race to deteriorate the fastest (memory was winning that particular race), I would hear certain stories on constant repeat, but that was something I was used to, working with elderly people over many years. The challenge was to see if, by gentle nudging, I could also get some new stories out of him. To my satisfaction and his apparent enjoyment this was successful. There were side trips off the beaten track I could get him to take, and by a judicious mix of carefully timed questions and well placed silences, I learned a number of things about Buck's childhood and early maturity.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Deborah Bolen - Tuesday March 19, 2024
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 NRSVUE). ~ The unknown writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews goes on to recount characters we are most likely familiar with. Whether they lived or “died in faith without having received the promises” (v. 13), we still remember their faith. Did they get everything they wanted in life? Hardly. But they were faithful, according to scripture. I see faith as something we live, something we trust, something we know in our heart. It is one thing to say we believe in something with our mouths, it is another to live our faith and trust in it. I’ve spent my life asking questions and seeking answers, seeking deeper understanding and clearer meaning, with a hunger to draw closer to the heart of God. It’s the way I’m wired and it has sustained me through many sorrows and yes, joys as well.
Continue Reading
By Christian Church in Ohio - Thursday March 14, 2024
The Regional Church Office is excited to announce that we are introducing a new online portal that will interface with our database, and directly connects with easy online event and camp registration on all your devices! - This online portal is call "CDM+ Engage.” Each person can have a profile that they can update themselves. Plus when you go to register for a CCIO event, it will automatically populate your profile information. On our administrative side the program will fill in the registration information into our database seamlessly, which will make the registration process even easier for both attendees and staff.
Continue Reading
By Rev. David Zerby - Thursday March 14, 2024
“Is not this the fast that I chose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help and he will say ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday” (Isaiah 58:6-10) ~ A number of years, and several churches, ago (thus the life of a transitional minister) I began my appreciation for ‘sparkle ash’ to begin the Lenten season. Yep, that’s right, sparkle ash. Too often I had heard and experienced churches weaponize the beauty of this season to harshly call for account the lives that have been lived with their failures and fragility. With an all too heavy hand we can beat ourselves and each other up for falling short of what we have perceived as the ideal and perfect lives of faith. Many a times I have had members of congregations share with me how they feel so inadequate in who they are. While I don’t believe this was necessarily the original intent of this liturgical season, I have witnessed too often how people take the words “I am not worthy” to heart.
Continue Reading
By Michael Doerr - Tuesday March 12, 2024
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23a (NRSV) ~ Some wonderful teachers have reminded me through the years that everyone has a spiritual formation (Dallas Willard for sure, but others too). The question throughout life is, "What kind?" Who are we being formed to become? What do we give our hearts and minds to? In the current North American context, what Dr. Willard has written is true: "Consumer Christianity is now normative. The consumer Christian is one who utilizes the grace of God for forgiveness and the services of the church for special occasions, but does not give his or her life and innermost thoughts, feelings, and intentions over to the kingdom of the heavens. [emphasis added] Such Christians are not inwardly transformed and not committed to it." (From The Divine Conspiracy)
Continue Reading
By Seth Stout (Rev.) - Sunday March 10, 2024
Psalm 107 "1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south..." ~ We live in troubled times. In this, as in so much of being human and in relationship with Divinity, we are not alone. I argue with scripture like a beloved, close sibling: I get passionate, and, because I know that this relationship is too precious to walk away from or treat lightly, I come back no matter how hurt, frustrated, and angry I feel. The voices transcribed in our scriptures are so precious to me because they are so often written by other struggling, striving hearts seeking to be true.
Continue Reading
By Joyce Wealand - Friday March 8, 2024
Too Good to Be True ~ I often wonder how I would have responded if I was one of the disciples following Jesus. Would I have been quiet and reflective, trying to absorb and learn as much as I possibly could? Would I have been boisterous, almost running on adrenaline, trying to keep up with him and trying to be a part of everything he was doing? Would my pragmatic brain have gotten mired down in details of traveling, where would we stay and what would we do for meals? Or would the logical side of my nature have taken control and told me that everything he was saying could be ours through our relationship with Spirit was just too good to be true? - I want to take everything Jesus taught and accept it with no question. But it’s hard sometimes. There’s so much about the world and our lives that seems to refute it all. God’s love is for all – yet so many are hurting. God’s peace is for all – yet our world continues to be at war. God’s justice is for all – yet our systems perpetuate the injustices that have fueled our culture for generations. Sometimes, Jesus’ message for us just seems too good to be true.
Continue Reading
By Vickie Rankins-Anderson - Thursday March 7, 2024
“Anyone” ~ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].
2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP ~ Oh, that beautiful word, “anyone” gives me such hope I can hardly articulate the joy that fills my soul! Nearly 7 years ago this verse became alive to me! While I met the Lord at a very young age and walked with Him for many years, God highlighted for me the load I was carrying in my attempt to measure up to society’s demands. On one hand, I presented myself as a confident, smart, caring, God-serving, loving, understanding person. This was the self that I thought I had to be, in order to be accepted. This was the self I thought I needed to be to gain respect. It was the self I projected out to the world/church. On the other hand, my hidden self was drowning in what felt like a sea of emotions that no “good girl” should ever feel. I felt a huge amount of disappointment in myself and others, I worried that I couldn’t get things right or didn’t measure up, I worried about making mistakes, looking stupid and I was angry, but I didn’t realize it. It was all covered up by my projected self.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Patrice R. Fatig - Tuesday March 5, 2024
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them” Matthew 18:20 (NRSV) ~ Being the oldest of a set of fraternal girl twins, I have always known life and love in community. Beginning with the community of my family, my life has been filled with many manifestations of community: friends, school, clubs, church, Sunday school classes, youth groups, Church Camp, Bible study groups, prayer groups, co-workers, mission trips, work groups, volunteer groups,... While some think this passage from Matthew deals with small groups gathered in small groups for prayer or worship, the context of this verse relates to a process of resolving conflict. Community, while a place of love, is also a place of conflict. Some have reworded the passage to “When two or three are gathered together in Jesus name, there will be conflict.” When we ignore conflict, it festers. - It ends up hurting us and others more and more with each passing day. Rather than ignoring it, we need to deal with it. Fortunately, this passage doesn’t just deal with conflict; it includes the theme of reconciliation and forgiveness. Love and forgiveness go together. In Christianity, we read in the Peace Prayer attributed to St. Francis Of Assisi, “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.” and it is one of the requests included in the Lord’s Prayer.
Continue Reading
By Mark Garrett - Monday March 4, 2024
A GOD-KIND-OF-LOVE - Ephesians 1:3-8 - 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. - About 10 years ago a major shift occurred in my life. It was the year our first grandchild was born. I’d never quite understood the “grandchild love” that people talked about. And then I discovered that they undersold the whole thing.
Continue Reading
By Albert Brantley - Thursday February 29, 2024
Scripture reference 1 Peter 4:1-19 ~ Lent is traditionally looked upon as a time to demonstrate our love of God and the sacrifices Jesus made on our behalf by fasting and abstinence. The most common is to restrain from eating meat during Lent. Some of us give up something we enjoy as a symbolic sacrifice like chocolate, or fast food. Today I would like to challenge us not only to give up something but also take on a renewed Christ like attitude. Even more intentional than we currently live. The scripture I chose from 1 Peter 4:1-19 is subtitled in my Bible is “Christ’s Example to Be Followed” (given to me over 30 years ago by my dear brother in Christ Min. Rodney M. Young). Another version of the Bible I use for study subtitles this chapter as “Continue to Love One Another”. This chapter has a three-part message. The first part of this chapter reminds us of all the pitfalls that are in the world to tempt and distract us from doing the Will of God. Interestingly enough after over 2,000 years these temptations have changed names in some cases, yet they are still the same. Secondly, I would like to highlight 1 Peter 4:7-8 “But the end of all things is near.
Continue Reading
By Michael Doerr - Wednesday February 28, 2024
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:4-6 (NRSV) - "Appa!? Can I play on your phone? Appa!? I'm thirsty. Can you get me some apple juice? Appa!? Can we snuggle? I love you, Appa!" - I don't know what it is, but the joy of being "Appa" to my grandsons is overwhelming. I am so proud of them. My heart overflows with love for them. From deep within the deepest parts of who I am, I long to share with them the best kind of joyous life they can have, where they know just how much they are loved and treasured, where they experience the confidence to live without being afraid of rejection or exclusion, and where they discover and share the special and unique gifts God has placed inside of them.
Continue Reading
By Tom Madden - Tuesday February 27, 2024
Random Thoughts ~ Years ago, Dr. Byron Arledge, then Juvenile Court Chaplain, said that “God acts, then we learn about it.” -
Albert Schweitzer ended his book “The Quest for the Historical Jesus” with a similar statement: “He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lakeside. He came to those men who knew Him not. He speaks to us the same words: “Follow thou me!” and sets us to the tasks which He has to fulfill for our time. He commands. And to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and, as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience Who He is.” - Aging is surely our individual book of those special times God acted and sometime later, we came to that realization. The more such events occur, the more our faith finds sustenance and evidence.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Sunday February 25, 2024
Psalm 30 - Verse 5: “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” ~ Verse 11: “You have turned my mourning into dancing.” - This Psalm is very special to me for many reasons, some so personal I cannot share with anyone else. But its specific examples and overall themes are vivid and powerful reminders of God’s love in my life, and I am certain to many others as well. - What I find most meaningful in the Psalm, and other places in scripture and theology, is the honest understanding that there will be difficult challenges in our lives – sometimes very difficult challenges – and that these challenges come to those who are faithful as well as to those who do not ascribe to any faith. Faith is not a protection against the troubles of the world. In biblical language, this expresses itself in lament, the kind of prayer to God that cries out from the depths of our souls, that reflects the profound hurt we have experienced physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Our churches and faith communities are at their very best when we allow time and space for such honest lamentation, without judgment, without pity, and certainly without trying to “fix” people or their problems.
Continue Reading
By Heather Schimmel - Saturday February 24, 2024
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27 ~ The phone had rung the morning before and we had grabbed a few things and hit the road thinking the situation was minor and we would be home in a few days. By the time we got there the situation was critical and we were helpless. It was up to God and the power of prayer.
Continue Reading
By Rev. David T. Chafin - Friday February 23, 2024
A thought on 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 - We are preparing in most of our communities to enter into a solemn night of remembrance and thanksgiving. It is a high moment in the midst of Holy Week as we claim for ourselves the life that has been given to us in the offering of Jesus to his people in the upper room. In doing so, we are taking our places in a tremendous chain of liturgy and prayer that binds us with God's people across the whole Church through the ages.
Continue Reading
By Heather Schimmel - Wednesday February 21, 2024
Lonely! ~ There are times when being alone is a blessing! After being in a crowd or being overwhelmed by the world, being alone is a gift. But then there is the profound sense of loss I found in lonely lostness. Definitely not the blessing of quiet alone time! ~ We had taken Bekkah to College. I was all excited for her and knew she would be AMAZING! Moving her into her new dorm, meeting her roommate and her parents, walking the campus and watching her start this new chapter was good. Then I went home.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Kara R. Swartz - Tuesday February 20, 2024
“Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have wrestled with God and with humans and have overcome.”” - Oh, these words from Genesis 32:22-32 and this story have been one I have turned to often over the years. For those that may not know I was a wrestling statistician in High School. Yes, that is a thing, and it basically meant that among other things I kept score of the matches. Points are awarded based on what you do against someone…and it is also important to know that that person you wrestle against is generally in your same weight class.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Bruce Bowerman-Jett - Sunday February 18, 2024
All Roads Lead To The Cross!!! ~ This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 ~ As I turn 40 years old, I would think wisdom comes with age, right? Or at least that’s what we hope; to get not only older but wiser, too. Over time, we start to integrate the experiences we've had so far into more informed decisions and healthier practices. My childhood was anything but normal with my mother being a single hearing-impaired individual who had limited support. As I grew up in the church I didn’t follow the normal path. My pastor at the time at FCC was Jeff Bartlett who would become a mentor to me during my young years.
Continue Reading
By Gladys Davis - Saturday February 17, 2024
When we were asked to write a devotional for this booklet, it was suggested we reflect on how God has been with us on our personal journey over the past couple of years. During that period of time, I have been completing the Master of Divinity program at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, anticipating graduation in May 2024. I will graduate from seminary 40 years after graduating from high school. That’s forty years wandering in the wilderness of trying to find my niche, my purpose, my calling. I wandered through careers in non-profit, accounting, teaching and instructional design but I still had not found the “promised land,” that role in life where my talents, my passion, and the world’s need all aligned.
Continue Reading
By Vera Burton - Friday February 16, 2024
Serving ~ In the fall of 2011, over a dozen years ago, I had a once in a lifetime experience of going to Africa my very first time. I may return but I am sure it will not equal the first trip. The opportunity to go came out of the blue as a coworker challenged me to travel to Benoni, SA to check on the progress of a sizable grant from my employer’s trust to an organization located there. After considering the opportunity, it seemed unaffordable. I decided that since I was retired, I should stay for more than a few days, maybe a month.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Thursday December 28, 2023
Our theme for Advent and Christmas this year has been “abide with us,” taken from scripture and the Christmas Carol, “O Little Town Of Bethlehem.” As I have said elsewhere, the concept of “abiding” is a beautiful expression of being fully present with another, whether it is us asking God to abide with us, as in the carol, or the Divine inviting us to abide with God and Jesus, God-In-Christ. In any case, abide means much more than simply “drop by” or “pop-in” for a visit, but to dwell or reside with, to journey alongside, to deepen relationships.
Continue Reading
By Christian Church in Ohio - Friday December 15, 2023
The much loved Christmas Carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” includes the words central to our Advent and Christmas theme this year, “abide with us”: “We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our God, Emmanuel.” While “abide with us” is a bit of an old fashioned phrase, the notion of abiding is as beautiful as it is comforting. It is a well-used word in Holy Scripture and can be found upwards of 96 times in the Bible. To abide is to “dwell,” “remain,” “be present,” and to “be held and kept,” and many of the uses refer to us abiding with Christ, however, the Christmas Carol urges the opposite, and voices our plea to Christ, Emmanuel or “God-with-us,” to abide with us. And isn’t that so much of what the season of Advent is about, inviting the Christ Child to come, once again, to our hearts, our communities, our world so very much in need of the presence and peace God has promised us?
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Friday October 27, 2023
We are stronger together - “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other…. And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 - Dear Ministry & Mission Partner, From my earliest childhood days growing up in my home church I was aware there was a larger church beyond the people and the building I knew and loved on South Main Street in Roswell, New Mexico. What made me aware of this were the many times the broader church connected with my local church in positive and helpful ways. Whether it was in the study materials prepared for the women’s group, the assistance and insight given when the congregation was looking for a new pastor, the education, worship, and fellowship activities with other Disciples of Christ congregations around our area and region, or the summer camp program that was so formative for my own Christian faith and leadership skills: the Regional Church was supporting us!
Continue Reading
By Christian Church in Ohio - Friday October 6, 2023
Greetings in the name and by the grace of Jesus Christ! We pray you are well and that the mission and ministry of your congregation is healthy and serving your community well. We hold you regularly in prayer and are eager to learn from you how the Regional Church Council and Staff can serve you more fully. We are aware that sometimes it feels like the ministry of the Regional Church is not well known by or connected to the leaders and members of our local congregations and faith communities. We are working diligently to improve lines of communication, both through rebuilding personal relationships and upgrading our communication methods and insuring the highest excellence and regular frequency of the flow of information.
Continue Reading
By Christian Church in Ohio - Thursday October 5, 2023
Celebrating And Honoring Our Clergy All Year Round – And Especially In October - Clergy who have committed their lives to serving God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, whether it is as a chaplain, an educator, a non-profit leader, a local church pastor, or who are retired from ministry are to be honored and celebrated. This should take place all year round, but the month of October has been designated as “Clergy Appreciation Month” so that a special emphasis can be made on showing appreciation for their service. We hope that church members and leaders across Ohio take this opportunity to lift up and honor the clergy in their lives.
Continue Reading
By Week of Compassion - Thursday September 21, 2023
Week of Compassion Refugee Resettlement Informational Workshops around Ohio, October 23, 24 & 25 - Have you or your church ever wondered if there are ways you could support Afghan evacuees, people displaced from the war in Ukraine, Sudanese refugees, or any other refugee population? Ohio as a state is ranked 16th in refugees resettled per capita, ahead of states like Texas, Florida, California, New York, and Illinois. Tens of thousands of refugees call Ohio home and that number will only be increasing in the coming years.
Continue Reading
By Rev. E. Regis Bunch - Wednesday September 6, 2023
Fifth Christian Church of Cleveland, Ohio ran a Children's Defense Fund Freedom School this Summer serving over thirty children in the historic Lee - Harvard area of Cleveland, OH. The mission of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is to ensure every child a healthy start, a head start, a fair start, a safe start and a moral start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. The CDF Freedom Schools® program provides summer and after-school enrichment through a research-based and multicultural program model that supports K-12 scholars and their families through five essential components: high quality academic and character-building enrichment; parent and family involvement; civic engagement and social action; intergenerational servant leadership development; and nutrition, health and mental health.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Dr. Kate Gillooly - Wednesday September 6, 2023
While the threat of rain drove us inside, our 2023 Porch Talk was a success! Heights Christian Church (HCC) partnered with East View UCC and Plymouth UCC to present a talk by the Rev. Dr. Marvin McMickle to the community of Shaker Heights and greater Cleveland. Begun in 2019 by HCC alone, this annual event continues the call to racial and social justice described by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he spoke from the steps of the church in 1965. His visit was not without controversy — when some members of the congregation heard he had been invited to speak at their church, they announced it was time to renovate the sanctuary and remove the pews. Undeterred, other congregational leaders arranged for him to speak from the church porch, which resulted in many more people able to see and hear him. There were protests and police presence, but his words carried the day and continue to inspire.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Tuesday August 8, 2023
To say it has been a busy summer for the Christian Church in Ohio is to understate a huge reality. In addition to a full summer camp season, with a dedicated but innovatively pieced-together cadre of newer and well-seasoned individuals serving as Summer Camp Staff, we also had several projects going on including the General Assembly of the Christian Church in the United States and Canada. This biennial event did not happen on site two years ago because of the pandemic, and so many were especially looking forward to us being physically together again. I have been attending General Assemblies since I was in high school going to my first one in St. Louis in 1979. I have continued to attend because I think it is the very best place to witness the mission and ministry of the entire church and to engage with those involved in ministry on our behalf, whether across the United States and Canada or around the world. Plus it is just plain old fun!
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Monday July 24, 2023
General Assembly 2023 - In just over a week thousands of members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will gather in Louisville Kentucky for our biennial General Assembly, and a healthy portion of those will be from our very own Christian Church in Ohio. We are looking forward to showing Ohio pride throughout the Assembly. We do hope those who cannot attend in person will join worship via live stream or get the digital access package, both described elsewhere in this special newsletter. - If you are attending the Assembly in person, whether you currently live in Ohio or formerly lived here, we hope you will be ready for the Regional Roll Call that will happen at Saturday morning's opening session. Please plan to wear a shirt/T-shirt representing any institution in Ohio you would like to celebrate such as your local congregation, Camp Christian, Hiram College, the Methodist Theological School of Ohio, OSU, the Cleveland Christian Home, or any school or institution in Ohio.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Thursday December 29, 2022
Dear Christian Church in Ohio members, leaders, and friends, Blessed Holiday Greetings from your Regional Church Staff and Regional Church Council! We pray that as we celebrate Christmas and New Year's you know exactly how much we appreciate each and every one of you, how we rejoice in the ministry of clergy and lay leaders alike and we celebrate the mission that pours forth from our congregations, our camp, and our ministry partners. For all of this, we hold you close in prayer. Just as God became present with humanity in an exciting and powerful way in Christ Jesus, so we as the Body of Christ try to bring God's presence to those we serve in our families, our communities, and in the world. As John's gospel proclaimed it, "And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory…, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
Continue Reading
By - Friday October 7, 2022
The Christian Church in Ohio seeks to honor, educate about, advocate for, work alongside, and celebrate our Hispanic/Latinx members, leaders, and communities all year long, and we use this special month as a way to focus our appreciation and efforts.
Continue Reading
By Camp Christian - Wednesday September 7, 2022
The Free Store at Camp Christian is in need of some donations to replenish the Food Pantry and Blessing Box. The Free Store at Camp Christian has served over 2,300 people in need over the last eleven years. It has been a meaningful ministry and much needed resource for folks in the surrounding area around Camp Christian. It is a blessing to be able to serve our community with this ministry. Thank you for your continued support of The Free Store at Camp Christian! The most needed items right now are:
Continue Reading
By Christian Church in Ohio - Thursday August 4, 2022
Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ
Congregations Unite In Festival Of Sharing!
PLUS, there will be a special collection at the Regional Assembly!
For years both the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Ohio and the Heartland Conference of the United Church of Christ have participated in Church World Service’s annual Festival of Sharing. This year we are joining together to amplify our efforts. We have set a joint goal to collect 2,022 kits for this important global disaster relief effort this year.
Continue Reading
By Christian Church in Ohio - Friday July 15, 2022
In response to some very helpful feedback the Regional Assembly Planning Committee has redesigned our Saturday, September 24 Regional Assembly, "A Family Reunion” at Camp Christian. It is now going to be shorter and FREE!* Through the generosity of a donor, all of the food costs will be covered. We are hoping to still receive other donations to cover the program, utility, administrative, and staffing costs for Camp Christian, but the Regional Assembly Planning Committee is thrilled to offer this day of celebration at no cost to those who pre-register. *For persons who register the day of the event, or show up on site without pre-registration, a $5.00 registration fee will be required. We are also asking exhibitors and vendors with booths to register for the original $40 to help underwrite the costs. A new Registration Form is now available on the Regional Assembly page of our website.
Continue Reading
By - Wednesday July 6, 2022
I offer the family, friends, and community of Jayland Walker my deepest sympathy and heartfelt prayers. Even more so, I am committed to following the updated reports of what happened in order to seek to ensure that justice is secured. I also recommit myself to the work of our Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism Commission in the Christian Church in Ohio and to hearing and responding to the concerns of our African American, Hispanic, Asian American, and racially-diverse clergy, congregations, and communities
Continue Reading
By - Wednesday June 15, 2022
We know many of us, especially parents and students, were so busy getting things finalized for the end of the school year that we may have forgotten to register for one of our wonderful and inspiring Christian Church in Ohio camps, conferences, or retreat. After all the hustle and bustle slowed down and the dust settled, you may have thought to yourself,
“Oh golly gee wilikers! It’s too late to register for camp!”
Well guess what?
IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER FOR CAMP!!!
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Friday June 10, 2022
Hopefully by now you have seen one or more of our wonderfully successful social media posts celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander month in May. We lifted up four leaders across Ohio who shared in their own words a bit of their history and why such a month of celebration and education is important. I found them absolutely fascinating and deeply moving, even though I thought I already knew these leaders. You can find their stories and pictures on our Regional Church website here: https://www.ccinoh.com/ccio-blog/2022/june/7/asian-american-pacific-islander-month.aspx
Similarly, June is considered Pride Month for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities. This time of education and celebration is important to the Christian Church in Ohio for many reasons, but first and foremost we have congregations who have done the faithful and good work of studying, prayerfully discerning, committing themselves, and proclaiming the good news that, like Peter after his vision in Acts 10, “God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean.” They are officially Open & Affirming Congregations in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). These congregations include:
Continue Reading
By Allen V. Harris - Tuesday June 7, 2022
May was Asian American Pacific Islander Month. The month of May has been designated as a month to lift up and celebrate the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and to highlight significant achievements by persons with such identity and heritage. Of course, we celebrate and support Asian Americans and Pacific Island people year round, so this is just a chance to focus our appreciation and educational efforts.
Throughout the month the Christian Church in Ohio highlighted on our social media platforms some of the church leaders from around Ohio who identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander. We also want to encourage persons to learn about the North American Pacific/Asian Disciples of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. Led by their Executive Pastor, Rev. Chung Seong Kim (pictured left,) this General ministry helps local congregations and individual church leaders affirm the cultures and heritages of Pacific/Asian peoples within the historic and living Christian faith. Find out more about NAPAD here: http://www.napad.net.
Continue Reading
By Tom Bowerman-Jett - Wednesday May 25, 2022
One of the priorities our Campsite Manager, Tom Bowerman-Jett, has named is to focus on deferred maintenance projects and to address them in as cost effective way possible. He is committed to the best possible good stewardship of the Regional Church's resources and your financial gifts.
In this (below) article Tom describes a significant repair project that has been needed for some time in which he not only did an excellent job repairing the damage, but did so with incredible cost savings!
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Tuesday May 17, 2022
We have a favor to ask of you... would you invite someone to consider attending one of our wonderful retreats, camps, or conferences this summer? As much as we thank you for your volunteer efforts at our Camp Work Days, and as much as we are grateful to you for your gifts to our scholarship fund or capital improvements or endowment funds, what we REALLY need is for you to invite someone to attend one of our wonderful summer retreats, camps, and conferences. We have something for everyone of any age!
Share with your family members, neighbors, or coworkers this link https://www.ccinoh.com/camp-christian/summer-programs.aspx and help them choose the right event for themselves or their children. If they say money is an issue... it doesn't need to be! We have abundant scholarship funds that anyone can have access to! Our Summer 2022 Camp, Conference, and Retreat program is only great if people attend, so please consider registering today and invite someone else to attend. It can be life changing!
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Sunday April 17, 2022
In the wonderful way of a four-gospel faith tradition, the details of the resurrection of Jesus Christ are mixed and perhaps even muddled. Exactly who arrived first and what they saw there, who talked to whom and how many were present, how they felt about the experience and what they did with the information they received is simply not clear. I find this variety of details in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John quite refreshing, for it keeps us from worrying so much about the literalism of scripture and instead seeks to capture the deeper meaning as well as the multiplicity of perspectives that make faith real and transforming for all of us.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Sunday April 10, 2022
Holy Week has such mixed emotions for most Christians, and it’s place in the life of individuals and communities of faith is central as evidenced by the larger number of worshippers in Palm/Passion Sunday services (onsite and online), the time and attention given to planning and leading such services as Maundy Thursday or Tenebrae Services, Good Friday Services (often done ecumenically or by groups of churches in a district or area), as well as the growing number of Protestant congregations offering some variation on a Easter Vigil service on Holy Saturday. I firmly believe that Holy Week remains central to the spiritual life of the vast majority of Christians, no matter what particular tradition, language, culture, or part of the world in which they live. Its importance can be verified by how many faithfully participate in some form at least one aspect of this sacred span of six days. You reading this devotional illustrates my point!
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Friday April 8, 2022
Video message from your Regional Pastor and President, Rev. Allen V. Harris
Continue Reading
By Rev. Tyler Andrew Thompson - Sunday April 3, 2022
“Give the winds a mighty voice, Jesus saves, Jesus saves; let the nations now rejoice, Jesus saves, Jesus saves; shout salvation full and free, highest hills and deepest caves, this our song of victory, Jesus saves, Jesus saves.” -We Have Heard A Joyful Sound - The Messianic Hope, that salvation would be shouted full and free, a song sung of victory, that all of creation, even the stones would sing out. That has been, and is, the hope. And the question of this deepest longing… “What is Messiah saving us from?”
Continue Reading
By Rev. Kristin Wolf Peters - Sunday March 27, 2022
Matthew 12:18 says, “‘Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.” ~ Divine Love
~ This scripture recalls Isaiah 42, a proclamation of hope to a post-exilic people who were upset with God. They had lost faith after the Babylonian exile. They felt defeated and abandoned by God. The people were weary and questioning the power and presence of divine love in their lives. I believe the writer of Matthew borrowed this scripture from Isaiah because the people he was writing to struggled with the same feelings and questions, and he wanted to give them hope.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Dr. Deenabandhu Manchala - Sunday March 20, 2022
“Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” ~ “Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred…. Or we can walk through lightly, …ready to imagine another world”, writes Arundhati Roy, a well-known Indian public intellectual.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Bere Gil Soto - Sunday March 13, 2022
My granny’s table has always been more than a place to eat, it is a place where the soul and the heart are nurtured too. The table is the most sacred place at their home; back in the day, when a friend or family would visit them, they would not sit in the living room. My granny would always invite them to table. She would offer them café con pan (or a whole meal!), and then they would talk for hours. Most visitors used to be folks from the rancho where they grew up; and names such as María, Juan, Marta, or José were common during that time. They would always refer to them as “Juan de…” and the street they lived in, or the parents/spouse they had, so they could know who they were talking about.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Monique Crain Spells - Sunday March 6, 2022
In the time of Jesus and well before, a name meant plenty. It built a narrative about a person that one could not develop by simply looking at them. Names are sometimes a story, a hope, an answer, or prophecy. We call Jesus by many names. The biblical writers offer us ample descriptions for our Beloved. Depending on our congregational upbringing, we may only be in the practice of hearing or referring to the “popular” names of Jesus. Like in most families, we have formal names and nicknames. In the church, it can be easy to nickname Jesus and in doing so, there is a risk we box him in. There are endless life-giving attributes we can attach to Jesus. Those found in the bible and in our lived experiences are ripe for more circulation in our meditations and community conversations. It is fair to say Jesus is much more than any of us have understood him to be.
Continue Reading
By Camp Christian - Wednesday March 2, 2022
The Camp Christian Summer 2022 Camp and Conference registration forms and information are now available through our website. They are all available for download in one place on the Summer Forms, Downloads, and Links page. They can all also be accessed through each of the Ministry's web pages and on each of the corresponding dates on the Regional Calendar. Please feel free to post and share this information with as many people as possible.
Continue Reading
By Christian Church in Ohio - Wednesday March 2, 2022
Today is Ash Wednesday, which begins the liturgical season of Lent. Many of our congregations across Ohio come together tonight for an Ash Wednesday Service. One of the traditional scriptures for the worship is Psalm 51, a prayer to God of confession, repentance, and a plea for renewal. Verse 10, perhaps the most famous line of the Psalm, reads, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” (NRSV) While it was written in a personal tone, with what is happening in our world at this moment in history it takes on a powerful communal quality.
Continue Reading
By Camp Christian - Wednesday February 23, 2022
Every summer our Christian Church in Ohio Camp and Conference program needs Summer Camp Staff to ensure the facilities are maintained, meals are prepared, and the camp office is managed. This summer we will hire ten Summer Camp Staff members to help our existing Regional Church Staff to do just that.
Ask anyone who has ever been on Summer Camp Staff before: this is more than just a summer job, it is an opportunity for personal spiritual growth, leadership development, and lots of fun.
Continue Reading
By Christian Church in Ohio - Wednesday February 16, 2022
The Clergy Support Group provides a safe encouraging environment where clergy share their faith and spirituality while they experience worry, irritability, loss of motivation, or fatigue in their daily life. This group will discuss coping strategies, share information, and find relief from isolation that may be experienced through life’s challenges. Meets on the third Thursday of the month at 10:30am - noon. This group meets once month beginning in February through October.
Continue Reading
By Camp Christian - Friday February 11, 2022
Following the work of a subcommittee of the Camp Christian Committee and the Personnel Committee, Bruce Bowerman-Jett was called to be our next Camp Food Services Director. Bruce officially began this last week. His culinary efforts will include three kinds of food service: Summer Camp and Conference, Christian Church in Ohio Events (non-camp), and rental groups (congregations and outside groups.) You can contact him via his new email address bbowerman-jett@ccinoh.org starting next week.
Here is Bruce's introduction:
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen V. Harris - Monday December 27, 2021
Dear Members, Friends, and Partners of the Christian Church in Ohio,
Blessed Holiday Greetings from your Regional Church Staff and Regional Church Council! We pray in this week between Christmas and New Year’s you know exactly how much we appreciate you and hold you close in prayer. As Romans 12:5 so simply and confidently reminds us, “so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.” While the sinews of the body have been strained and the weaker members are hurting even more, this year has reminded us nonetheless that we are interconnected by covenant love, and those bonds of faith are stronger than anything the world brings that could threaten to pull us apart. Thank you for staying connected in community.
Continue Reading
By Rev. Allen Harris - Saturday December 25, 2021
Please read Luke 2:1-20
Verse 17 reads, “When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child.”
While Matthew and John both have something to contribute to the Christmas narrative, whether it is in further details about the famous and not-so famous people around the blessed birth, the lineage of the Christ Child, or a theological poem of epic proportions, In Luke’s Gospel we have the most complete and detailed description of what we now call “The Christmas Story.” I’m taken by these 20 verses, especially since almost two thirds of them are devoted not to Mary or Joseph or, most pointedly, the baby Jesus, but to the shepherds who were out in the fields, “keeping watch over their flock by night.”
Continue Reading
By Rev. Denise Cunningham-Doggett - Friday December 24, 2021
“Imagine God’s Love Revealed in a Name”
Each year I fall in love with a hymn that shares in the narrative of the Birth of Christ. My joy is this is that as a minister and a musician I can meditate and reflect over what the true essence of the Advent season is for me. One of my favorite songs of the Advent season is “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”" It is a Christian hymn for Advent and Christmas. It is a translation of a Latin hymn, "Veni, Veni, Emmanuel." The 1861 translation, by John Mason Neale, from Hymns Ancient and Modern is the most notable in the English-speaking realm, but other English translations also endure. Adaptations into other modern languages (particularly German) are also in broad use.
Continue Reading
By Camp Christian - Thursday December 23, 2021
The Christian Church in Ohio - Camp Christian located in Marysville, Ohio is currently seeking a Food Service Director (Part Time/Full Time during the summer camp season). The full job description can be viewed...
Continue Reading
By Rev. Cynthia Klingemier - Thursday December 23, 2021
“Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above. These gifts come down from the creator of the heavenly lights, in whose character there is no change at all.” James 1:17 ~ Imagine this with me. It’s like a package. It arrives on your porch. Do you leave it on the porch? Do you call the carrier and request a pickup? Do you carry the package inside? It’s entirely up to you. As for me, I want to see what’s inside.
Continue Reading
By In Memory of Mary Beth Cascio - Wednesday December 22, 2021
Please read Isaiah 40:1-11 ~ “Hope in the Wilderness” ~ We all have times in our lives when we feel like we’re in a wilderness; whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual, or even a bit of all three. There are times when we find it hard to trust in God. We struggle to see the bigger picture. We search for our escape but it is if we are in a maze and we keep hitting dead ends. We are lost in a world that is constantly changing.
Continue Reading
By Hymn Reflection - Tuesday December 21, 2021
Reflect on the Hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: Chalice Hymnal 119 ~
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here,
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
Continue Reading