September,
2001 Wesley News of the Strongsville
United Methodist Church
All are welcome to a
“Journey to Joy”
The United Methodist Women proudly present guest speaker
Robin Swoboda
Monday, Sept. 24th at 7 pm in the sanctuary.Reception
following in the Atrium.
$5.00 donation will be accepted at the door.
RSVP Church Office: 238-6135
Questions, please contact Linda Dewitt - 878-1748
Fall Sunday School begins Sept. 2nd
The lazy, hazy days of
summer are almost over and it’s back to school! That also means it’s time
for
our Sunday School program to gear up and run full steam ahead. On Sunday, September 2nd the fall
quarter begins. There will be classes at 9:30 for Crib Room through
Senior High. At 11:00 am there will be
classes for Crib Room through 5th
Grade.
SAFE SANCTUARIES
The Safe Sanctuaries program will be in effect
starting September 2nd. This
means there will be some changes in our Sunday School policy and
procedures. Each class will have two
approved volunteers. Helpers must be
five years older than the students.
TEACHERS
We are still in need of teachers and
substitutes. If you are interested,
please contact Carol Williams at 846-0513. If you have not completed your Safe
Sanctuaries forms, please do so as soon as possible and turn it in to the
church office or church school office.
If you have not attended a Safe Sanctuary workshop, watch for dates. If
you have lost your form please stop in the church or church
school office for another one.
SIGN-IN / SIGN-OUT
PROCEDURES
The procedures instituted last year will
continue. Parents will need to sign-in
and sign-out their children from Crib Room through 3rd Grade. Parents will need to pick up their 4th
and 5th graders from their classrooms.
When
the children’s choirs sing, there will be sheets in the practice room for
parents to sign. The sign-out sheets
will be in the atrium after the children sing at the 11:00 service. If your child is not singing at 11:00,
please stop in the Sunday School office to sign him/her out. If
your child decides to stay
in church with you and you have signed him/her in,
please notify the Sunday School teacher or church school office immediately.
ROOM LOCATIONS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
9:30 AM
Crib room – room 10 (birth–12 months; infants and
crawlers)
Toddlers – room
11 (12-24 months; walkers)
Enrollment in age-level classes will be based on
the child’s age by September 30.
2-Year-Olds – room 9 3-Year-Olds – room 8
4-Year-Olds – room 7 Kindergarten – room 6
1st Grade – rooms 3 & 4 2nd Grade – room 5
3rd Grade – room 2 4th Grade –
room 1
5th Grade –
Tiber Hall (back)
Middle School (7th & 8th) –
room at side of Tiber Hall
Senior High (9th-12th)
– Gifford Parlor
11:00 AM
Crib
Room – room 10 (birth – 24 months)
Preschool
– 5th Grade – rooms 3-4
Confirmation
Class – rooms 1-2
IMPORTANT
DATES
Sept. 2nd Fall quarter begins
Sept. 4th Committee on Education meeting, 6:30 pm
Sept. 16th Confirmation potluck
Sept. 23rd Education
Sunday: dedication of Education Work
Area people;
Presentation of Bibles to 3rd graders
S.S.
Teachers Potluck, 6 pm, Tiber Hall
Welcome to Our New Organist
After a long search, we are very pleased to have
Adeline Huss joining the staff of the Strongsville United Methodist Church as
our organist. A resident of N.
Ridgeville, Adeline has both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Organ
Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) and has continued her
studies in several areas of music. She
teaches at CIM and has extensive experience as an organist in area churches.
Most recently, she has been the Organist/Choir Director at Parma Lutheran
Church. We wholeheartedly welcome her
to our faith community and look forward to her musical leadership at the organ
in our worship services.
We
also would like to thank Anita Evans, both prayerfully and joyfully, for her
invaluable assistance at the organ bench since February. She unselfishly responded to our need and
rearranged her life to be our substitute organist in these past months.
Additionally, she was a valuable resource person in our search for a new
organist. It has been a pleasure to have her assistance and we hope that we can
continue to call upon her to share her musical expertise.
Fall Worship Schedule
On September 1st
we will return to the regular worship schedule:
Sunday Worship: 9:30 am & 11:00 am
Saturday Contemporary
Worship Service: 5:00 pm
From the
Pastor’s Study
“A Lesson from the Lake”
“For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is
God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it;
he did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be
inhabited!): ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other.’” Isaiah
45:18
Often, I am asked a question in regards to our summer home,
“Why do you enjoy it so much there?”
My first thought can be the things I don’t enjoy: trying to
maintain two yards, keeping up with the demands of two homes, the hour and a
half drive each way, never knowing what food or clothes are in what location,
waking up in the middle of the night disoriented as to where the bed lies in
regards to the bathroom.
However, my initial response (given with light spirit and often
received with laughter) is, “Because I don’t have to make the lake do
anything.” Residing on the edge of Lake Erie is a powerful reminder that God is
far greater than human creation and that the world that God placed in order is
a reminder of my humanity.
Far too often, I get caught up with deadlines, time
restrictions, or compounding obligations. I lose perspective. I begin to
believe that much revolves around Ron instead of Ron revolving around my
Creator. I begin to think that what I do is somehow key to the ongoing work of
the church or supremely integral to my task on earth.
Oh yes! God has granted me gifts and opportunities. God has
made me accountable for obligations and responsibilities. But I am finite and I
am human. I can become so wrapped up in life that I forget that there is one
far greater than I and, while my life is important to God, God does not depend
upon me to do everything.
As I sit by the lake, I do not control the southern
northeast wind that turns a still lake into six foot waves. Nor do I have the
power to move the beach overnight from one side of the pier to the other. Nor
can I calm the winds and make it so still that the mourning dove sounds as
though it is on the chair next to me. I cannot remove all the spiders who want
to co-habit our abode. I cannot stop the rain from blowing through closed
windows because of sheer force. I cannot create a moonlit, cloudless night when
I can walk the rocky shoreline without needing a flashlight.
I am reminded that God, and God only, is the Creator. I
recall that the ultimate power of this world rests in the Divine. I reaffirm
that, as important as I am in creation, it is God who is over all. I witness
the majesty, power, and glory of our creating Lord.
Thus, I cannot take myself too seriously and the work that I
do, however important, is not the end-all. God’s work will be done through me
or in spite of me. My abilities have limitations. God’s power is limitless. My
human efforts will ultimately be blessed only through the grace of the Holy
Spirit.
So, why do I enjoy our summer home so much?
Because I don’t have to do anything to make the lake flow.
O Lord, forgive us lest we become so involved with ourselves
that we forget that you are the true creator and giver of life. Amen.
Rev. Ron Mowry
From Pastor Paula’s Desk
Your beauty should come from within you - the
beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit that will never be destroyed and is very
precious to God.
I Peter 3:4
In all the work you are
doing, work the best you can. Work as though you are doing it for the Lord, not
for people.
Colossians 3:23
Recently I was reading through a book I received as a gift
when I was ordained. It was given to me by a very special friend from
seminary. We often would share the struggles of ministry and envision
ourselves doing incredibly great things for the Kingdom of God.
In the midst of our sharing we learned a very important
lesson. God did not need us to do great things, He needed us to be His hands
and feet in the every day tasks of life.
When any one of us is
willing to learn this concept, then we are able to allow the beauty of Jesus to
be revealed in us.
As you consider the words
of the Scripture, read this love note taken from the book, Postcards from
Heaven by Claire Cloniger.
Dear child,
You look for great ways to bring me glory. You feel
frustrated and somehow stuck in the ordinary things of life. Know this: I
delight in the ordinary. I delight in a life lived simply and obediently before
me. When you choose to embrace the
small struggles and simple pleasures of
this one day, you honor me. You cannot offer higher praise to me than the
praise of a calm and joyous life. Do each small task as an offering to me, for
I see and appreciate your work. Enter into each conversation with a
determination to let my words come out through you, for I hear and delight
in such conversation. In this way, the most common life becomes extraordinary.
The simplest day becomes holy. I am with you in this ordinary day. ~~ God
Experiencing
the joy of the ordinary,
Pastor
Paula
Friday
Fellowship
Friday Fellowship will resume monthly
meetings on September 21. Plans are to
go to Elm Farms Ice Cream and Dairy Museum.
The bus will leave the church at 11 am.
After
a light lunch we will tour the museum, followed by some delicious ice
cream. If time permits we will be
making a stop at a nearby apple farm.
Make
your reservations with Betty Smith.
There is a $4.00 fee for the museum tour, which can be paid when making
your reservation.
Let’s
all get together for a joyous reunion after the hot summer days!
September Birthdays
4th Grace Kellner
6th Ken Emch & Louise Bedford
7th Frank Allwood, 83 yrs.
8th Thelma Holtz, 83 yrs.
19th Ann Croner, 93 yrs.
20th Leatrice Hoeferle, 89 yrs.
23th Opal Russell, 90 yrs.
26th Sarah Preidt, 93 yrs.
Anniversaries
1st James & Helga Morrison, 34
yrs.
7th Arthur & Frieda Kara, 55 yrs.
Food for Thought
“Children grow up so
quickly. All of a sudden you look at
the phone bill and realize they’re teenagers.” Erma Bombeck
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN
Elizabeth
Circle will resume monthly
meetings on Monday, September 10th at 7:30 pm, in the church atrium. Please
watch the church bulletin for further information.
Welcome back, ladies of Lydia
Circle. Our meeting will be Thursday, September 6th
at 12:30 in Tiber Hall. Bring a box
lunch; coffee will be provided. You will need to bring scissors for
preparing labels for Red Bird Mission.
All ladies of the church and friends are welcome to join us. For more information, contact Betty Berry
(238-6495) or Grace Kellner (234-0938).
Stephen Ministry
Have
you ever felt as though you were mired up to your eyeballs in the muck of life?
A
Stephen Minister can help you pull yourself out of that muck. He or she
can be there to listen to you, walk with you and care for you.
If
this sounds like something you could use, please contact one of the Stephen
Leaders: Jim Boyer (572-4976), Hildi Fitzpatrick (572-5004), Mark or
Karen Milia (572-0602), Bev. Wells (572-1415), or Rev. Ron or Pastor Paula.
All
relationships are strictly confidential.
If
you are “stuck in the muck,” give Stephen Ministry a try!
Notes
from the Nurses
September
is Prostate Health Month. Surprisingly,
many men have no idea what or even where their prostate is. The prostate gland is a walnut-sized gland
that surrounds the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder and
out through the penis) and lies at the base of the bladder.
The
prostate in a newborn male is about the size of a grain of wheat. At puberty the size increases dramatically
until the age of 20. It then remains fairly constant until after the age of 40,
when due to hormonal changes, it can grow to many times its normal size and in
extreme cases can grow as large as a grapefruit. This is referred to as benign
prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH. As the prostate enlarges it narrows the diameter
of the urethra and puts pressure on the bladder, which can result in discomfort
and other troubling symptoms.
Many men have heard of the PSA test. The “Prostate Specific Antigen” measures a
protein produced by both benign and malignant prostate cells. Heightened PSA levels can occur in BPH,
inflammation of the prostate, and prostate cancer. A PSA level between 0 and 4 is normal, while a PSA over 10 is
indicative of prostate cancer. The
American Cancer Society recommends yearly screening for men at or over the age
of 50.
There is good news.
There are safe, non-surgical, natural remedies that work as effectively
as prescription drugs in healing common prostate conditions. Saw palmetto, pygeum africanum, and stinging
nettle root are three herbs shown to be beneficial. Some urologists, however, advocate getting a baseline PSA level
before taking any herbal preparations.
Monthly blood pressure checks will be on September 30th
after each service. Hope to see you
there!
Betsy
Mowry & Gail Spence
Join the fun & games with “Pushing 30’s”
“Pushing
30’s” is hosting a dessert and game night. Anyone heading towards
30 or past 30 is welcome to come and join us for a night of games and
fellowship on SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 22nd at 6:30 pm!
Come
for worship at 5 pm, and stay for laughter and fun starting at 6:30pm! Bring a
dessert to share with the group. Whether you are single or married, you are
invited to join us! Child Care will be provided! Please call to let us know if
you are coming and the ages of children coming! (238-6135)
Sometimers to roast steaks,
rain or shine!
Our
annual Steak Roast will be on Friday, September 28 at 6:30 pm at Albion Woods
in the Metroparks. (Please note that
this is a Friday). Cost will be
$7.00. Reservations and money must be
turned in to Betty Smith no later than September 24. Bring your own table
service and your appetite! Plan to join
us, rain or shine, as this is an enclosed facility.
M ’n M’s head to Amish
country for home-cooked meal at Yutzy’s
Summer’s
over. . .school has started. . .M ‘n M gatherings are just beginning. Join us September 8 on a trip to the Yutzy’s
in Millersburg, Ohio. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and delicious, Amish
home-cooked meal. The cost is $18 per
person.
We will be going by bus, or carpooling if
possible. All reservations must be paid
in full by August 31. Please see Barb
or Don Shearer (846-1916) for information and/or reservations.
Joys & Concerns
Weddings
Best wishes to Michelle Christian & David
Siroky, who were married by Rev. Mowry on August 11.
Births
We celebrate three recent births within our church
family:
Ashley Lenee Elliott
was born on July 3 to Chad & Lisa Elliott.
Proud grandparents are Don & Judy McKee, and proud
great-grandparents are Russ & Ginny McKee;
Emma Gabrielle Gruss
was born on August 4 to Bill & Becky Gruss;
and Molly Josephine Casey was born on August
16 to Brian & Sharon Casey.
Baptisms
We
rejoice with the families of those children who received the Sacrament of
Baptism on Sunday, July 22:
Ryan Jacob Liss, son of Eric
& Heather Liss; Aren Connell and Brenden Connell Stewart, twin sons
of Christian & Amy Stewart; Alyssa Nicole Beas, daughter of Marcus
& Andrea Beas; and Damien Lee-Hayes Smith, son of David Smith &
Angela Surrarer.
From our church’s mailbox
Dear SUMC,
Thank you so much for awarding me one of the
Chapman scholarships. The church has
been a major part of my life and I hope to keep it there.
Thank
you again,
Bill
Lawrence
Dear SUMC,
I would like to say thank you to the entire
congregation for choosing me as one of the Chapman Scholarship recipients. I’m
looking forward to my next four years at Bowling Green and a future in criminal
justice. I’ve received much help and
guidance from you over the last ten years.
I’ll do my best to be worthy of the Chapman Scholarship. Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Brad
Bakeman
Dear Rev. Ron, Pastor
Paula, and the Chapman Committee,
I am so thankful to have been selected for a
Chapman Scholarship. All the
experiences, and everything I have learned at our church will always be a part
of me. I hope for your continued
prayers and support as I head for Ohio State this fall.
Thank
you,
Daniel
Powell
Dear Congregation,
We would like to thank the church for the
tremendous outpouring of love and kindness bestowed upon us after the death of
our husband and father. Pastor Paula
and Dave were a great comfort, the choir touched us deeply with their gifts,
and Carol Williams and sister Grace were like two angels – always there and
always helping. We sure do appreciate
our wonderful church family!
In
Christian love,
Janet
Wilford and sons
To the Congregation,
There are no words which can begin to express my
"THANKS" for the prayers, cards, flowers, food and other gifts of
love which so many of you have lavished upon me. Your prayers and visits
have helped me to begin this road to recovery. Your continued prayers are
appreciated for the days of recovery ahead.
Love,
Mary
Beth Holman
Study offered on Spiritual Gifts
This fall we as a
congregation will launch into Scriptural Study of SPIRITUAL GIFTS!
What is a spiritual gift? These are gifts as outlined in Scripture which God
has gifted individuals to do that which will build up the body of Christ.
God has gifted each of us with one or more of these gifts, but together we will
learn what the Scripture says about them, and through our work together discern
what these areas are for each of us. Then we will examine how we can use them
in ministry within the congregation of Strongsville United Methodist
Church.
The study will meet for a
total of 8 hours, with the classes being held on September 23rd and 30th from 6 to 9 pm, and on
October 14th from 6 to 8 pm. This is a short time commitment of study
with long-term impact for the kingdom of God! Come join us!
Child care will be provided while we meet. If
interested call the church office or for more information talk with Pastor
Paula. If you need child care we must have the name(s) of child(ren) and
ages when you register!
Calling all women!
On the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month
all Women of the church are invited to be a part of a Women's Bible Study
titled Breaking Free, written by Beth Moore. Based on the book of
Isaiah, this video-based study will help you to identify and remove
spiritual obstacles and enjoy the abundant life promised every believer.
Five
benefits of a relationship with God and five obstacles which hinder this
relationship are explored. We will meet together at the home of Pastor Paula as
we begin the study on September 18th at 7pm and will finish at
9pm. If you are interested please call the church office or speak
with Pastor Paula so we can order your workbook. At the first meeting you
will be given the schedule of meetings for the entire study!
Parent Growth resumes Sept. 10th
Parent
Growth will begin meeting again on Monday, September 10th at 9:30
a.m. We will be studying a book from
the Women of Faith Bible study series called Finding Joy. Parent Growth meets every other Monday from
9:30 am to 11:00 am. It is open to
anyone who has children of any age.
Child care is available for a minimal fee. For more information contact Brenda Soja at 572-3401 or the
church office.
Try a
Christ-centered approach to conquering eating
Do you struggle with
self-control when if comes to food? Beginning this fall on the 2nd
and 4th Mondays of each month, come join others who are seeking
a healthier way of life, both physically and spiritually. This group will
work through a study book on Conquering Eating with a Christ- centered
approach. (This is NOT Weigh Down Workshop.) A study book will be made
available at the first class. This is not for women only, but for
anyone!
The
first class will meet on MONDAY, September 24th at 7:30pm in
the Gifford Parlor! If you are interested call and leave your name in the
church office so a study book can be ordered. A complete schedule of
meeting dates will be given at the first study!
Souled Out
Something
to Think About
by Greg
“Not
a novice, lest being puffed up with pride, he fall into the same condemnation
as the devil.” I Timothy 3:6
Sometimes when we read
the word of God, it makes us feel good, sometimes it affirms us, but sometimes
we read something that shakes us to our core. This verse shakes me to my core.
It literally terrifies me. Paul was informing Timothy of the strict standards
and levels of accountability that church leaders must be held to. I can’t help
but wonder what Paul was thinking as he wrote this letter to Timothy. It’s
difficult to believe that Timothy would have had a problem with pride. After
all, Paul speaks in another letter of Timothy’s proven character (Philippians
2:22), and we know that Timothy sometimes struggled with his reserved nature.
Could this have been a warning? At the time Paul wrote this letter, Timothy
(still a young man) was a leader in the church at Ephesus. Perhaps he began to
feel deserving of the position. Perhaps I’m beginning to feel deserving of my
position. This terrifies me.
I like what Paul
says in Galatians: “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ.” Anytime I see a youth step out of the boat and walk on
water, I remember this verse; anytime I see tears of joy or healing during our
worship time at Souled Out, I remember this verse; anytime I begin to feel like
I’d make it just fine in the world without that whole “grace” deal, I remember
this verse. Suddenly I realize that I wasn’t the man kneeling at our Savior’s
feet as he was being crucified, I was the soldier who nailed him to the cross.
September
Calendar
Sunday,
September 2nd
6:30
- 8:00 pm
Pizza Party
Funny, crazy,
goofy games
Sunday,
September 9th
6:00
pm
Mission Trip
Spaghetti Dinner
All youth are
welcome to come
Friday,
September 14th
5th
Quarter Dance
Open to all
students
in grades 9 -12
After the football
game till midnight
(If you would like
to help, talk to Greg)
Sunday,
September 16th
6:30
- 8:00 pm
Regular Meeting
Sunday,
September 23rd
6:30
- 8:00 pm
Regular Meeting
Sunday,
September 30th
6:30
- 8:00 pm
Regular Meeting
Mission
Opportunity at Cory United Methodist Church
Did you know that
on the last Tuesday of every month Mrs. Peck takes a group of youth to Cory
United Methodist Church in East Cleveland to help serve the evening meal? You
can be part of this mission outreach! The group leaves the church at 4:30pm
(3:30 after the end of daylight savings time) and the youth are dropped off at
their homes around 7:30pm. If you would like to know more, call Mrs. Peck
(572-6008).
Words
of wisdom from Andy Rooney:
“I’ve
learned... That I can always pray for
someone when I don’t have the strength to help them in some other way.
I’ve learned... That being
kind is more important than being right.”
Youth Ministry
Mission Statement
Our mission is to
equip youth with a solid foundation in Jesus Christ, with excitement for spiritual
growth, that they may be alive in their faith and make a difference for Christ
in the world.
Baptism Schedule
The
Sacrament of Baptism will be administered on September 2nd and 16th.
If you wish to be baptized or have a child you would like to be baptized,
please contact the church office immediately (238-6135).
Adult New Members Classes
If you wish
to investigate membership in the Strongsville United Methodist Church, we invite
you to be a part of our next Adult New Members Classes. These classes will be
held on Sundays, September 23rd from 2:00-6:00pm, September 30th
from 2:00-6:00pm, and October 14th from 6:30-9:30pm. Please contact
the church (238-6135) for further information or to register for the classes.
If you need child care, it will be provided by the church.
New members
will be received into the fellowship of the church at both services on Sunday,
October 21st.
Property Search Update
During the
summer, several things have happened in our search for property. First, a study
of the geographic location of our church membership was completed. We found
that 168 families live in Ward 2 (the Southeast quadrant), 105 families in Ward
3 (the Northwest quadrant), 104 in Ward 4 (the Southwest quadrant), and 100 in
Ward 1 (the Northeast quadrant). 37 of our member families live in Brunswick,
16 each in Medina and No. Royalton, 15 in Berea, 9 in Columbia Township, 8 in
Middleburg Hts., 7 in Olmsted Falls. The balance of our members is located in
various other surrounding communities.
Second, the
Committee has decided to expand its search beyond the original boundaries of
Pearl Road (between Albion and Drake) and Royalton Road (between Howe and
Prospect). A meeting was held with people who are familiar with available real
estate in Strongsville. Property descriptions are being obtained and several
property owners have been contacted.
Again, the
congregation will be asked to make a final decision before any property is purchased.
The Finance Committee has begun looking at sources of loans.
Watch For
It!!
On
September 4th, for the first time in our denomination’s history, the
United Methodist Church will advertise on most major cable and network television stations throughout
the United States. A schedule of the national campaign spots is available
online at The campaign theme is “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open
Doors - The People of the United Methodist Church.” Watch for these
television ads.
TV ads
alone will not bring people to our church. They simply open the door for us to
make a special effort to invite people to our congregation and welcome them in
Christ’s name. If there is someone interested in attending, why not invite them
to a Contemporary Worship on Saturday evenings at 5:00? It’s a good way to set
one’s foot into the church. Be on the lookout for new attendees and visitors.
If we do not
warmly welcome people here, their return is not likely and no advertising
campaign will help us out. Let’s be praying for people who need the Lord and
for this opportunity to invite them to church.
Special
opportunities to give during September!
On
September 16th, we will be receiving a special offering to support
Kelly Brand. Kelly,one of our Chapman Scholars and recently graduated from
Valparaiso University, has prayerfully decided to follow God’s will to serve in
England for the next 11 months. “With a strong love of working with youth,
traveling, and spreading God’s love, I am so excited to take on this challenge
that God has presented to me. It is evident that student’s lives continue to be
changed by the power of God’s love. I want to be a part of what the Lord is
doing in London.” Kelly will be working with Time For God, an ecumenical
program based in the United Kingdom that exists to create an environment
through which young adult volunteers are encouraged to explore and grow in Christian
faith. She will be working with the Youth Director and Children’s Director at
Holy Trinity Church and St. Paul’s Church, two large and lively Anglican
churches, in Hounslow, West London. As
you can imagine, Kelly’s costs for this program are great. Thus, we are
supporting Kelly with this special offering. If you wish to contribute to
Kelly’s needs, place your contribution in an envelope and mark it “Brand.” It
will be directed to this mission outreach that Kelly has undertaken.
Also, this
summer the states of Virginia and West Virginia were hard hit by flooding. You
can make special contributions for this need by marking your offering “Flood.”
Your contributions will serve those whose homes were damaged or destroyed in
the flooding.
Spirit
and teamwork make softball team a winner!
What a season for SUMC’s men’s softball
team! Many of the guys hadn’t played ball for years, and their muscles
certainly reminded them of that. Some
of the season was pretty comical, with balls rolling between their legs, easy
fly balls missed, and players hiking up their pants as they rounded the bases.
There were, however, times of excellence.
The team’s first victory was awesome, with the players really coming
together as a team both offensively and defensively. Some miraculous catches were made throughout the season, and the
highlight had to be the eleven-run inning when they came from behind to win the
game.
Even with a final record of 3 wins and
13 losses, the season was a huge success. The team came together in fellowship
and forged friendships which transcended any disappointment from their
losses. The excitement of playing ball
together was evident from the number who consistently showed up week after
week. There were often enough players
to put two teams on the field!
Special thanks to Ron Spence for
organizing and managing the team. His
patience was commendable (at least most of the time!) and he did his best to be
fair. Jim Heiser printed the uniforms,
and as one player put it, “We may not play the best, but we look darn
good!” Thanks also to Lori Karpinsky, Katie Jasko, and Gail Spence for their
scorekeeping. The number of fans
continued to grow each week, and their support was certainly appreciated.
The first season is over! Perhaps next year the number of errors will
decrease and the number of wins will increase. If nothing else, it certainly
will be fun trying!
Congratulations, team, on your efforts!
The Wesley News is published
monthly by the Strongsville United Methodist Church. Deadline for articles is
the 15th of every month for the following month’s newsletter. Articles can be
mailed or dropped off in the church office or e-mailed to either Steller5@AOL.com
or BevW@StrongsvilleUMC.org
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