The Trumpet

Firelands Presbyterian Church

2626 East Harbor Road
Port Clinton, Ohio 43452
419-734-6211
Fax 419-734-5411
www.firelandschurch.org

Rev. Mark Cooper, Pastor

Dave Moore, Clerk of Session
Susan Larcey and Kay McIntosh, Musicians

April 2016 Volume 33 Issue 4

Musical Art
Series
Amanda Powell
and Friends
Sunday April 3
at 3:30 PM
Authentic and Vibrant Jazz
celebration sponsored by Crown Battery and Dubberts
Outdrive Service. Following the concert, there will be a
reception for the audience to meet the artists. Tickets
are available at the door for $15 ($12 for Firelands
members); students are admitted free of charge.

Darrell Brand, Treasurer

Musical Art Series

Michiko Otaki,
Piano
Saturday April 16
at 7:30 PM

Rachel Johnson,
Preschool Director
Janine Dress,
Administrative Assistant
Mark Owen, Custodian

Table of Contents
Events & Notes ..................................... 2
Pastors Page ........................................ 3
Preschool News, Sharing Cupboard &
Lectionary Texts ................................... 4
Stated Session Highlights .................. 5 &6

Celebrating her 25th

Anniversary Appearance in Port
Clinton sponsored by Arbys
Port Clinton and Shumaker,
Loop & Kendrick, LLP and Jack
Hilbert Following the concert, there will be a reception
for the audience to meet the artists. Tickets are
available at the door for $15 ($12 for Firelands
members); students are admitted free of charge.

Monthly Prayer List................................ 6

Birthdays, Calendar ............................... 7
Ministry Schedule .................................. 8
Musical Arts 2015-2016 Season .............. 9

MAS Senior
Concerts
The Toledo Symphony
Brass Quintet
Thursday April 21, 2016
Edgewood Manor 1:30 PM
Otterbein North Shore
Retirement 3:00 PM
(refreshments will be
offered from 4:00 to 4:30. should call Martha (419-7988247) if they plan to attend.)

April 2016

Page 2

Meditation
and Yoga
begins
April 7
Linda Green, certified
Sivananda Yoga
instructor of
Omnigreen Yoga, will
be leading Yoga
classes on Thursdays
April 7-May 12 6:00
pm- 7:00pm cost is $10.00 weekly.
Linda will also lead an on going meditation at 5:30- 5:55
it will be free will offering to the church instead of a fee
for the meditation class.
This a combination level class. Bring a mat, wear lose
comfy clothing, and bring straps or props if you choose.
Dont eat prior to class.

Volunteers are needed! Please contact Joyce Jagucki if

you would like to give some time before or during our
opening events. And, once we are officially open for
lunch Monday Friday, and brunch on Saturday, more
volunteers will be needed to serve our customers. Our
official logo and signage are in the hands of a
professional, so that all may know we are open for
business in the Sutton Center, when the time comes in
May. Sufficient tables and chairs are on order to boost
our seating inside the bistro to 40.
Bistro 163 will be a non-profit, pay-what-you-can afford
restaurant. Everyone who enters Bistro 163 will be
welcome to eat a meal. Those who are able will be
encouraged to pay-it-forward to defray the cost of
someone elses meal. If someone is unable to pay, they
may volunteer one hour in exchange for their meal. We
desire to build relationships, to really get to know each
other. Our mission is to increase food security and
offer all neighbors a place to eat and come together as
one community.

Relieve stress through proper stretching, breathing and

relaxation.

Mary Caracci

Tone your body, as you build energy.

Alleviate physical tension including backaches.
Strengthen your body and mind.
For questions contact Linda at 419-635-2337 or email at
linda@omnigreen.com.

Friendly Reminder from your

Administrative Assistant
If you leave a note on my desk, please sign it. I may
want to call you with a question regarding your
message. Thank You.
Janine

Bistro 163 Update

Bistro 163 is moving deliberately forward, as many of
our plans are coming to fruition. We are hoping and
praying for an opening sometime during the month of
May, depending upon the installation of a grill and hood
up front, and the resulting necessary inspections. The
terms of our lease are being finalized, and we have
signed employee commitments with our front-of-thehouse management team of two, and our cook. Chef
Stacy Maple is crafting an innovative menu of fresh,
locally grown foods, including salads, soups, flat breads
and sandwiches. We are revealing all the details as they
are known on our Facebook page, follow Bistro 163.

Online Outreach Update

March visits to our church Facebook pages and web site
are on the rise, after some very quiet winter months.
These online resources provide current information to
people seeking to know more about Firelands
Presbyterian Church. Our web site was consulted by 109
people this month; 67% of visits were first time
viewers; an average of 2.5 pages were viewed. Web
pages most often viewed were the preschool, worship,
and sermons.
Facebook entries that reached the highest number of
people in March included:

Good Friday Ecumenical Service 33

WCWA visit to the film Risen 38

Port Clinton News Herald Feature on Janine

Dress 96

Pastor Mark and Jills visit to Florida 627

Mary Caracci

Thank Yous
Thank you to all who donated a love offering for Mark
Owens computer. It was totally paid for by your
generous donations. Please continue to pray for Mark
Owen, he is really struggling with his nursing class tests.

April 2016

Page 3

Pastors Page

One of the things that has occupied my thinking over the past yea these many years has been church growth. When
I went into the ministry I thought that I was going to be such a dynamic, compelling preacher that people would come
flocking from miles around just to hear what I had to say on a Sunday morning. Maybe, on occasion, there might
have been some people who did exactly that. For the most part, though, it didnt happen often enough in greater
enough numbers to be measured. There never was a mass movement. Churches did not experience dramatic growth
during the time I was serving as their pastor. Perhaps if I had been good enough a preacher, it would have happened.
Apparently I wasnt and it didnt. At the same time, I didnt see it happening in other places either, with the possible
exception of famous preachers on television. And as to churches that were growing, it didnt seem as if the people
were going to them because the preaching was so extraordinary, there simply seemed to be something mysterious at
work, drawing people together at that place. Preaching itself seemed to have experienced a decline in influence, and
preachers were not often turned to as thought leaders in the community.
As far as church growth itself, there did not seem to be a lot of it going on anywhere. In many communities there was
a church, or several, that sprang up and grew rapidly, but they apparently did so not by winning new people to the
faith, but by drawing people from other churches in the community, which then experienced decline much as what
happened to small businesses when a Wal-Mart opened. A lot of people talked about how to grow a church, but no
one seemed to know a formula that would work for any church that applied it. What we saw, of course, was nearly all
churches, especially churches like ours, main-line Protestant, and Presbyterian, declining in membership and
attendance, with many of them closing. It was the reverse of church growth. Many factors played into this. Most of
them were very large societal issues, which were hard for a local church to overcome. For example, people in general
are turning away from religion. Thats big.
In recent years I have encouraged churches to relax, to stop fretting about getting bigger and celebrate who they are,
whatever size they are. Were Americans, and that means we respect big-ness and flashiness, but we shouldnt be
depending on that when it comes to our community of faith. There is something very special about small churches.
Still, most of us would like to see our church grow, if only to give greater assurance that our church will survive us.
So, what does it take to grow a church? All the studies that have been done about why new members join a church
indicate that about 75% of them came to their new church not because of advertising, not because of the music, not
because of the incredible preaching, but because someone from the church invited them. It is as simple as that.
Preachers, it turns out, dont grow congregations. Congregations grow themselves.
So, if you want your church to grown, stop depending on your preacher to turn your congregation around. Get out
there and find somebody and turn them into a committed member of your church. If everybody did it, our church
would double in size.
How bout that?

Fondly,

Mark

April 2016

Page 4

Preschool News
March was a fun and busy month in preschool. We

celebrated Dr. Seuss by reading several of his books and

making silly art projects. We spent a lot of time working
on opposites and rhyming words. We also talked about
Spring time weather. We learned about rain and wind.
March also brought the Leprechaun to our classroom.
Although we were unsuccessful in catching him, he did
leave us some gold coins to share. The Easter bunny
also visited us. He left behind eggs for an Easter egg
hunt. The kids also learned about why we celebrate
Easter. We spent the last week of the month reviewing
letters, shapes, numbers, and colors.
Rachel Johnson
Firelands Preschool Program
Director and Teacher

Sharing Cupboard
As you are spring cleaning please, remember to bring in small items for our sharing cupboard.
All money generated by these sales, contributes to the One Great Hour of Sharing, out Presbyterian Relief Fund.

Lectionary Texts for April

April 3 Easter 2

April 10 Easter 3

April 17 Easter 4

April 24 Easter 5

Acts 5:27-32

Acts 9:1-6[7-20]

Acts 9:36-43

Acts 11:1-18

Psalm 118:14-29 or
Psalm 150

Psalm 30

Psalm 23

Psalm 148

Revelation 5:11-14

Revelation 7:9-17

Revelation 21:1-6

Revelation 1:4-8

John 21:1-198

John 10:22-30

John 13:31-35

John 20:19-31

April 2016

Page 5

STATED SESSION MEETING HIGHLIGHTS FOR March 8, 2016

Pastor Mark Cooper opened the meeting with prayer.
Treasurers Report- Darrell Brand, Treasurer. Total General Fund Year to Date YTD Income of $17,465.33 minus
Total General Fund YTD Expenses of $28,207.69 results in a loss of $10,742.36. The budget projected a YTD loss of
$6,609.33 but the actual loss is $4,133.03 more than projected.
Total YTD Preschool Income of $16,346.34 minus Total Preschool Expenses of $12,109.00 results in a Preschool gain
YTD of $4,237.34.
COMMITTEE

REPORTS

Mission Karen Vardyan, Chair. A Love Offering was received in February to pay for a new computer for
custodian Mark Owen. The generosity of our congregation covered the total cost. Prayers are asked to continue for
Mark in his nursing studies.
Offerings will be collected on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday for the PCUSA One Great Hour of Sharing.
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep continues to distribute beds to Ottawa County children.
We are grateful to St. Johns Lutheran Church for helping with delivery and to Grace Baptist Church for donating their
Christmas Eve offering of $581.00 to this mission.
Outreach - Mary Caracci, Chair. Progress continues toward the opening of the ComeUnity Caf. Our caf in Ottawa
County will be known as Bistro 163. This will distinguish us from others to come in the future. Why Bistro? This
confers the idea of fresh food prepared from scratch using locally grown ingredients - a farm to table approach. Why
163? This adds our local identity on State Route 163 which runs the entire length of Ottawa County and is travelled
by all who will come to Bistro 163.
Bistro 163 will be a non-profit, pay-what-you-can-afford restaurant. All who enter will be welcome to eat a meal.
Those who are able will be encouraged to pay-it-forward to defray the cost of someone else who may not be able to
pay. That person may then volunteer one hour in exchange for their meal. We desire to build relationships, to really
get to know each other. Our mission is to increase food security and offer our neighbors a place to eat and come
together as one community.
Our market research with more than 315 Ottawa County residents and 75% of Sutton Center occupants produced
these very positive findings:

56% are familiar with the community caf concept

87% will pay-it-forward to help those who are food insecure

75% find the pay-it-forward concept a unique reason to choose Bistro163

83% live in Ottawa County all year good news for winter business

Solid feedback on possible hours of operation & menu pricing was also provided

Our web site was consulted 110 times in February - 70% were first time viewers. Facebook entries included: Ash
Wednesday 34; Harold Brown, Tuskegee Airman Monument 265; ComeUnity Caf OC 143.
Property Management - John Pugh, Chair. John continues to investigate our water usage. He is receiving
estimates for replacement of the water line from our building out to the main line by the road.
New Business: The new doorbells at the office and pre-school entrances have been installed and are working well
and greatly appreciated. In a further move to improve security, Session approved Catawba Security to install cameras
and locking mechanisms on both doors which can be controlled by church personnel from wherever they are in the
building. This will come out of the Building and Grounds budget.
Our current phone system and answering machine work sporadically with incoming calls to the church being missed.
Karen Coffin presented a bid for both a new phone and answering machine plus wiring. Action was approved and work
has proceeded.
Karen Vardyan reported that Session had already approved purchasing a new computer for our custodian Mark Owen
for his studies. The funds will come from Community Needs, Undesignated Funds and a special Love envelope giving
opportunity.

April 2016

Page 6

Karen Coffin is looking for names of inactive members who might be moved to our Friends of Firelands list. She,
Janine and Dave Moore are working on this as it impacts our annual Per Capita financial responsibility to Presbytery.
Mary Caracci pointed out that at the next Presbytery Meeting, May 24th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the speaker will be J.
Cliff Christopher, author of Not Your Parents Offering Placte.
The meeting was closed with prayer by Pastor Mark.
Next Session meeting will be April 12, 2016.
Highlights from minutes of Dave Moore, Clerk of Session

Ongoing Prayer Concerns

For those receiving medical treatment or therapy, or undergoing medical tests:
Debbie Ballinger, Jenatha Boose, June Gahris, Harold, Kim Hudson, Craig Kaiser, Arlene Kakareka, Stephen
Kessler, Angjuli Lele, Judy McCollough, John McLaughlin, Ele McLaughlin, Simon Mercurio, Michael, Jordan Moore,
John Rick, Sarah, Sue, Jack Schmidt, Justin Waugh, Ann Wagnitz, Phil Wierzba
For those facing the infirmities of age:
Carolyn Doane, Tom Gahris, Clara Maag, Shirley Ohles, Jamie Petty, Betty Rodwancy, Bob Rodwancy,
Gordan Wahlers, and Irene Wilson
For those seeking freedom, security, and hope:
Bobby, Justin, Sara, Val, and CASA Families
For those in the service of our country:
SMGT Jeff Bundy, Steven Coffin, FBI; Brant Crandall, USA; Cole Daniel, USCG; Mathew Devries, USAF;
Stu Gliwa, USMC; Aaron Haynes, USA; Ted Livingstine, USMC; Sanju Shinde, USMC;
For those in mission for our Lord:
Our missionaries in the Middle East; Phillip and Elizabeth Prasad in India;

The National Presbyterian Church of Mexico, Berea Presbytery;

The Rev. Hazael Compuzano and our sister congregation, Dios es Amor, Mexico City;
The Monte Sinai Mexican Mission in our Presbytery
To add or delete someone from this list, please contact Janine Dress in the church office.

April 2016

Page 7

April Celebrations
Tom Gahris

Kristin Williams

21

Ernie & Nila McCullough

Jeanne Black

Margaret Black

21

Wayne and Sally Walter

Mary Caracci

Don Williams

23

Dean and Maxine Myers

20

Shirley Tatlock

10

Nila McCullough

25

Bill Koster

18

Irene Wilson

29

Is your birthday or anniversary

missing or incorrect? Contact the
office so we can make the changes
to the list!

April 2016
Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

10 Mission
Committee

9:30 Sunday School

11

9:30 Sunday School

10:30 Worship

12

13

9:30 Quilting
at Fishers

10 Bible Study @
Magruder

18

19

10:30 Worship

14

15

16

6 Firleands
Family dinner
out

7:30 MAS
Concert

22

23

29

30

20

21

10 Bible Study @
Magruder

MAS Senior
Concerts

26

27

28

9:30 Quilting
at Fishers

10 Bible Study @
Magruder

10:30 Worship

9:30 Sunday School

7 Session

9:30 Sunday School

24

4 Financial/
Stewardhip
Committee

3:30 MAS Concert

17

10 Bible Study @
Magruder

10:30 Worship

10

25

April 2016

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Dont Forget Your Time to Serve!

Monthly

Ministry
Deacon of the Month
Communion Steward

Names
Bob Reynolds
Marilyn Umlauf

Apr.3

Greeter(s)

Moores

Reader
Communion Assistant
Servers
Nursery Volunteer
Pianist

Jim Wagnitz
Bill Sharp
Jim Wagnitz, Dave Moore, Joyce Jagucki, Joyce DellaSantina
Janet Gray-Moore
Susan Larcey

Greeter(s)
Reader
Communion Assistant
Servers

Coffins
Karen Coffin
Bob Black

Apr.10

Nursery Volunteer
Pianist

Marilyn Umlauf, Marsha Bordner, Dave & Sally Wahlers

Heather Stouffer
Susan Larcey

Apr. 17

Greeter(s)
Reader
Communion Assistant
Servers
Nursery Volunteer
Pianist

Heather Stouffer
Ernie McCullough
Heather Stouffer
Karen & Dick Coffin, Bill Sharp, John McIntosh
Lily Stouffer
Kay McIntosh

Apr. 24

Greeter(s)
Reader
Communion Assistant
Servers
Nursery Volunteer
Pianist

OMalleys
Marta Vielhaber
Karen Coffin
Sally Walter, Ed Bettendorf, Joyce Jagucki, Joyce DellaSantina
Anne OMalley
Susan Larcey

April 2016

Page 9

The Musical Art Series / Port Clinton, OH

2015 2016 Season
Sunday, October 11, 2015

ERIE WATERS THE GREATER CLEVELAND AREA

FLUTE CHOIR

3:00 PM

The mellow voices of sixteen flutes

Sponsored by The Van Der Giessen Family
1812 Food & Spirits

Saturday, November 7, 2015

7:30 PM

JAMES DLEON, PIANIST

Powerful emotion and dazzling artistry
Sponsored by Dr. Jay M. and Margaret N. Mann

The Stouffer Family & Catawba Island Club

Saturday, December 5, 2015

7:30 PM

CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC

FASQUELLE, MEZZO-SOPRANO
ANDREW ROSENBLUM, PIANO
Amber Fasquelle, mezzo-soprano and Andrew Rosenblum, piano
Sponsored by Roth & Bacon Attorneys at Law

Neidecker, LeVeck & Crosser

Sunday, January 17, 2016

3:30 PM

ANDREW BOVA, BAGPIPES

Traditional music by Scottish-trained Highland bagpiper
Sponsored by The Frederick Insurance Agency
Otterbein North Shore Senior Lifestyle Community

Sunday, April 3, 2016

AMANDA POWELL, JAZZ WITH PIANO & BASS

3:30 PM

Authentic and vibrant jazz celebration

Sponsored by Crown Battery
Dubberts Outdrive Service

Saturday April 16, 2016

MICHIKO OTAKI, PIANO

7:30 PM

Celebrating her 25th anniversary appearance in Port Clinton

Sponsored by Arbys
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP and Jack Hilbert

Friday May 6, 2016

JINJO CHO, VIOLINIST HYUN SOO KIM, PIANO

7:30 PM

Next Stop Carnegie Hall (really!)

Sponsored by Bassetts Market
Miller Boat Line to Put-in-Bay

Friday, June 3, 2016

TRINITY CATHEDRAL CHOIR TODD WILSON, DIR.

Clevelands acclaimed cathedral choir

Sponsored by Dr. Gil and Jan Bucholz
The Jet Express
All concerts at Firelands Presbyterian Church, 2626 East Harbor Rd., Port Clinton, OH
Tickets $15 at the door; students and children admitted free.
For information or season tickets, call 419-734-6211, go to WWW.MUSICALARTSPORTCLINTON.COM,
or find us on Facebook (The Musical Arts Series/Port Clinton).

7:30 PM