The Outlook

an edition of

The United Methodist Reporter

Two Sections

Summer Work Mission Trip | 8A

Financial Update | 8A

Neighborhood Basketball Begins | 8A

Section A 909160 Vol. 159 No. 2 May 11, 2012

chalk talk
BY DR. KENNETH W. CHALKER

~MARK YOUR CALENDAR~

Summer Services Start at 10am
Just a reminder that, beginning June 10, Sunday services start at 10am in the Great Hall, where temperatures will be in a more acceptable range than is often experienced in the sanctuary during the hot summer months.

Rite-Aid Cleveland Marathon, May 20

Set up your lawn chair on our south lawn before worship, Sunday, May 20, and enjoy the music and refreshments as you cheer on this years marathon participants.
Sarah Ehrman and Bishop Sally Dyck

OK. Confession time. As I write these lines for our May Outlook, The General Conference of the United Methodist Church is in the last four days of its 2012 session in Tampa, Florida. This means, among other things, that the conference delegates are involved in long, plenary sessions making decisions which will guide the denomination for the next four years. The decisions are based in large part on the recommendations of the various legislative sections in which the 2000 delegates to General Conference have been involved since April 24. In the coming weeks you and I will discover what the various decisions of General Conference have been and their impact, if any, on our local church. But, here is the confession. I miss being there as a delegate voting in that decision process. I didnt think I would, but truth be told, I do. I have been a delegate and/or an officer of the Commission on General Conference since 1996. This means that I have been a part of the decisions being made, for better or worse, for the past four quadrennial General Conference sessions; sessions meeting respectively in Denver, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Fort Worth. I am not in Tampa now. Change happens and sometimes change is REALLY difficult. Change can mean that things go onwithout us. Change can mean that the decisions which can affect us are being made by others. And, to be sure, others means, in this case and if I let myself have a pity party, that I am out of it. It is hard to be out of it when we have been accustomed to being in the thick of it. OK. Confession over. When we think of ourselves as out of it, there are some spiritual exercises that are essential. There is the spiritual exercise of GET OVER IT. There is the spiritual exercise of GET ON WITH IT. There is the spiritual exercise of recognizing that, THIS IS THE DAYTHIS IS THE DAYTHAT THE LORD Continued on back page

Authors Share Perspectives on Earths Future

Sunday, April 15, authors Bishop Sally Dyck and Sarah Ehrman brought to our congregation opportunities to consider the concerns raised in their book, A Hopeful Earth: Faith, Science, and the Message of Jesus, which focuses on how faith and science can influence our decisions about using and preserving Gods creation. The Saturday prior, they also conducted a stimulating and challenging workshop on this topic, held at the Dunham Tavern Museum, and drew over 50 attendees from churches here and across Ohio. Before being appointed Bishop of the Minnesota Conference of the United Methodist Church in 2004, Sally Dyck pastored two Cleveland-area churches. Sarah Ehrman is a high school educator specializing in environmental science in Napa, CA, and is the daughter of UCUMC members Jane and Jim Ehrman.

New Members Welcomed

We are honored and excited to welcome an enthusiastic group of new members into the University Circle United Methodist Church family. Each was introduced during worship, Sunday, April 29, by their Faith Friendscurrent members who will help them learn even more about our church in the coming months.

Rock On!

Front row, L to R: Shirley Jefferson, Tiffany Favers, Molly Holland Avery, Tempie Cameron, Ester Crawl-Bey, Heidi Denman, Anita Jensen, Thelma Walton, Dr. Chalker. Back row: Maureen Fleming Bargas, William Avery, Bruce Cameron, Dale Goode, Rose Stanford, Larry Jensen, Dr. Joanne Ngeow. NOT PICTURED: Rick Stanford, who was out of town; Roy Gentles, John and Melissa Hanson who joined on May 6.
The United Methodist Reporter (USPS 954-500) is published weekly by UMR Communications, 1221 Profit Dr., Dallas Texas, 75247-3919. Periodicals postage paid at Dallas Texas. and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to: The United Methodist Reporter, P Box .O. 660275, Dallas, Texas 75266-0275.

Deadline for the next Outlook issue is Friday, May 25, 2012 outlook@churchinthecircle.com

Even if you dont get popular music yet, youre sure to appreciate the message our Jr./Sr. High Youth convey through their genuine musical expression during worship, May 20, Confirmation Sunday, when they are confirmed as members of this church. With the help of Kristen Klehr, a recent Baldwin-Wallace grad in percussion performance and drummer in the churchs FullCircle combo, and Director of Music Nathan Motta, our teen youth interested in music, vocals, drums, guitars and more will join with FullCircle to offer the churchs first youth band presentation! Join us for a unique musicaland genuinely spiritualexperience.

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THE UNITED METHODIST REPORTER

MAY 11, 2012

Traffic Alert for Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard

If you use Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (MLK) to access the church and/or to park on Sundays, you need to be aware that a road rehabilitation project began the week of April 29. This extensive effort includes repaving the existing roadway from North Marginal Road at the I-90 interchange south to Chester Avenue. As a result, access to the boulevard will be significantly restricted for several months. The first phase of the project begins at Chester and travels north to the intersection of MLK, E. 105th and East Blvd. It is our understanding that parking will not be available on MLK until the work on this section is completed. The remaining section of MLK to the I-90 interchange is scheduled to begin in June. We hope that you will not let this newest challenge discourage your attendance.

GRACENOTES
B Y N AT H A N M O T TA
Director of Music & Arts

ABOVE: Liturgical Dancers take part in Easter Sunday service. RIGHT: Dr. Ed White and Fran Adams cook up some delicious pancakes Easter morning.

OUTREACH in ACTION
Outreach Committee members want you to know about these opportunities to help others: Walk for HungerSaturday, May 12 As part of the Outreach Committees spring focus on the nourishment-related needs of our community, a group of UCUMC participants will take part in the Hunger Networks 24th annual Walk for Hunger, Saturday, May 12, at Burke Lakefront Airport. Although the registration deadline has passed, contributions will still be accepted. A huge thank you to all who will walk in this event. HandsOn Work at MedWishMay 19, 10am-12:30pm MedWish receives medical supply surplus from local hospitals, repackages the itemswith your help and sends the supplies overseas to areas in need. The work is simple yet rewarding. If you are already a volunteer in the HandsOn NEO network, simply log in at www.HandsOnNEO.org and sign up. If you are NOT in the HandsOn network, please talk with Doug Blank (dblank3@gmail.com) about joining us. Summer Work MissionJuly 15-21, 2012, Endicott, NY Members of our church will be participating in a Summer Work Mission trip to the Endicott, NY, region to reconstruct area homes and churches damaged by flooding during the 2011 summer storms. Over 15,000 families in the Southern Tier of NY (Binghamton region) were severely impacted by the flooding. You can still sign up to help with wiring, insulation, drywall, painting and general carpentry, as well as culinary and general cleanup needs. Contact Cheryl Drake, Work Mission Coordinator, at 216.921.7040 or cheryldrake@sbcglobal.net for more information.

After a memorable Lenten season and the excitement of Easter Sunday, Music and Arts continues to find ways to add new dimensions and expressions to our weekly worship experience. Recently, for example, we had an exceptional Rossini anthem written in an opera chorus style, featuring a superb solo by soprano Shannon Eller. Moving forward, there will be other inspiring anthems by the Chancel Choir and an exciting presentation by the youth of UCUMC on Confirmation Sunday led by FullCircle Combo drummer Kristin Klehr. Plus, while our Gospel Choir continues to impress and inspire, the Bell Choir will be sharing their gifts in what will be a beautiful Mothers Day service. And it doesnt stop there. Our last Sunday before moving downstairs from the sanctuary for summer worship will be June 3, when

worship will be built around the theme of music theater pieces that deliver messages vital to being a Christian in todays world. This effort reflects UCUMC Music and Arts commitment to not only presenting standard church music, but also finding the sacred in the secular. This helps Sunday morning messages and experiences be even more relevant and accessible, reinforced by real world events during the week ahead. Continuing to make a commitment to various genres and styles of music also helps open minds and hearts, perhaps even enabling us to see God in places where, on the surface, there might appear to be no spiritual connection. We look forward to an uplifting month of May as we worship together, followed by the intimate and dynamic summer worship experience in the Great Hall starting June 10. Please remember that you can check out the plans, pictures and comments regarding Music and Arts at UCUMC by logging on to our Facebook page, updated weekly.

FINANCIAL UPDATE
Nicole Lewis, Chairperson, Finance Committee After review of the first quarter financial figures at our April meeting, the Finance Committee decided it was a good time to communicate with the Congregation about how we are doing financially. Here are some key figures. First: Congregational support received from January through March 2012 was $144,131. Our Budgeted figure for that time was $177,500, meaning gifts were short $33,369. You may recall that we approved a balanced Budget for 2012. So, we really need all of our budgeted congregational support. Statements of first-quarter giving were recently mailed to pledgers. Please take note and catch up with your pledge if your gifts made through March 31 were short of your pledge. And if you did not pledge, please consider whether an additional gift is possible at this time to help us stay on track. We have other sources of income, but congregational support is the largest and most significant one. Next: Total Expenses from January through March 2012 were $218,495. Our Budgeted figure for that time was $241,201. Our first-quarter expenses were well under control and have resulted in a good bottom line so far. However, in the major areas of Marketing and Programming, exciting and meaningful initiatives are planned for the duration of the year which will cause our expenses to catch up to Budget. After all, as weve said, it does cost money to grow and nurture this active congregation. Catching up on our pledges will get us a long way toward this goal. Thank you for your support, financial and otherwise, for the work of University Circle United Methodist Church.

Neighborhood Basketball Begins

Even if it doesnt have the glamour of the Cavaliers, its definitely a major-league accomplishment. Under the leadership of Hassan Lee, a member of our Facility Care Team, our newly renovated gym has once again become the site of a Neighborhood Basketball Program. Following a successful 10-week trial period this spring, during which nearly 40 players have shown up to play on Monday nights, our church has elected to continue and expand this vital and viable community service. The seed money provided through the Outreach Committees budget enabled Hassan to not only re-recruit previous participants but encourage new players to take part in this oneof-a-kind venue in an inner-city Cleveland church. Neighborhood participants have a safe place to play basketball, enjoy nutritional refreshments and upbeat music, and engage with others from the area. And with its publicized success, additional support has come in to continue the program, although more is definitely needed. Additional plans include these options: Two colors of jerseys with the churchs logo, to differentiate teams during scrimmages Videotaped sessions, replayed during the next Monday session for those waiting to play; requires additional AV equipment A moveable scoreboardwhich needs significant, recognized funding Volleyball nighta co-ed venue for men and women to have a nearby place to compete Monthly dinner for participants and families after a shortened session Special INvites to attend this church, once participants have been IN already If you are willing to volunteer to help Hassan in this effort on any Monday evening, please let him know. And if you want to monetarily support this inspired program, please be in touch with Kay Hogg or Heather Howard in the church office. Lets hope we score big with this genuine effort to reach out to our neighbors with a strong and safe athletic venue.

chalk talk
Continued from front page

HAS MADE. REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT! Change is often difficult and carries with it hard lessons. But they are lessons that are vitally important for our spiritual lives, our spiritual health, and for the vitality of our souls. Here is the key to profiting from the hard lessons: ITS NOT ABOUT US; ITS ABOUT JESUS. This is not a platitude. It is an attitude. The spiritual exercises listed above help us develop this attitude. Developing it is so very, very important. The attitude saves us from such spiritually terminal diseases as cynicism and despair. Here is the wonderfully terrific, life-giving, life-enhancing thing! When we follow in the way of Jesus, new opportunities, new directions and new areas of service open before us. Most of all, when our spirits are refreshed, exercised and nurtured, we come to

rejoice not only in our DOING things, but in the privilege of just BEING; being a part of the family of God and an heir to Gods Kingdom. This IS the day that the Lord has made. It is a day for rejoicing.

THE UNIVERSITY CIRCLE OUTLOOK

published every four weeks as an edition of THE UNITED METHODIST REPORTER for University Circle United Methodist Church Dr. Kenneth W. Chalker, Senior Pastor 1919 E. 107th St., Cleveland, OH 44106 www.churchinthecircle.com; 216/421-1200 Outlook Editor: Jim Hogg outlook@churchinthecircle.com Photographers: Jeff Day, David Hughes, Brain Misch Editorial Staff: K. Shamp, E. Prince, C. Day, M. Abele