Church briefs for April 30-May 1

SANDUSKY • First Congregational United Church of Christ, at 1158 Cleveland Road in the Sandusky Plaza, invites you to in-person worship for each Sunday at 10 a.m. Join us this week for a sermon entitled "Living Responsively" from Rev. Lenore Kure, along with a service of Holy communion. It is Care & Share Sunday, so we will be accepting donations from Care & Share's list and dropping them off next week. Fellowship will take place after the worship service, followed by devotions with Rev. Lenore at 11:20 a.m. Children's Sunday School will be offered during the worship service as well. On April 30 from 9:45 a.m. to noon, we will host a workshop entitled "Where's Your Peace?" brought to us by The Center for Peace through Understanding and The Center for Cultural Awareness. This will be a free workshop that was originally planned for January 2022, but cancelled due to COVID-19. The workshop aims to help you find inner peace by strengthening person, professional and spiritual growth, as well as help you identify supports and community resources. This is expected to be a fun, interactive and educational event guided by community experts. Registration is not required, but for more information, please contact Tory Yarbro at 567-215-2675 or at tyarbrocca@gmail.com. If you would like a flyer for this event, please call Stephanie at the church office and you may pick one up, or she can email one to you. Upcoming and weekly events include: - An open 11th Step Meditation Alcoholics Anonymous group gathers at the church from noon to 1 p.m. every Tuesday. For more information about the church, worship services and any events/groups taking place, please call the church office at 419-625-8105 or check out our Facebook page (@firstconguccsandusky). • Zion Lutheran Church, at 503 Columbus Ave., will host the following events. In addition to being in-person, the communion services can also be viewed on the church's "The Hill of Zion Sandusky" YouTube channel. - Saturday, April 30: Women of the ELCA Northeastern Conference gathering at 8 a.m.; Communion service at 6 p.m. - Sunday, May 1: Communion service at 8 a.m.; Faith Formation for all at 9:15 a.m.; Communion service at 10:30 a.m.; Confirmation class at 1:30 p.m. - Monday, May 2: Temple Caretakers at 2 p.m.; Firelands Chorus at 7 p.m.; Troop 8 Scouts at 7 p.m. - Tuesday, May 3: Quilters at 9 a.m.; Text study at 1:30 p.m. - Wednesday, May 4: Lectionary study at 8 a.m.; Circle of Friends at 2 p.m.; AGAPE at 6:30 p.m. - Thursday, May 5: Priscilla at 9:30 a.m.; Senior Choir practice at 7 p.m. - Saturday, May 7: Communion service at 6 p.m. - Sunday, May 8: Communion service at 8 a.m.; Faith Formation for all at 9:15 a.m.; Communion service at 10:30 a.m. • St. Stephen United Church of Christ, at 905 E. Perkins Ave., has worship at 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Sundays, with Sunday school at 9 a.m. All are welcome. • Emmanuel United Church of Christ, at 334 Columbus Ave., has worship at 10 a.m. Sundays All are welcome. Masks are optional. • First Presbyterian Church and St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church are worshiping together at 10 a.m. on Sunday mornings at First Presbyterian, located at 265 Jackson St. The pastors are the Revs. Dr. Richard Henderson, Lance N. Franke and Philip A. Gardner. • Trinity United Methodist Church, at 214 E. Jefferson St., has in-person worship at 11 a.m. Sundays. The pastor is Rev. Dr. Diane Bell. Masks are optional and social distancing is observed. The worship service is also broadcast live at trinitysandusky.net or on the church's Facebook page. • Grace Episcopal Church, at 315 Wayne St., hosts in-person worship at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m Sundays and 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Everyone is welcome. Grace Episcopal's 10 a.m. Sunday service can also be viewed via live-streaming. To join, go to Grace's website, gracesandusky.org, and click on the teal "Boxcast Sunday Streams" box. The service can also be heard by calling toll-free 888-477-9081 or by visiting Grace Episcopal Church-Sandusky Facebook page. Grace Episcopal Church will also provide free carry-out meals to the community from 4:30-5 p.m. April 23 and 30. • Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, at 502 Bardshar Road, has worship services at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sundays, with children's Sunday school at 9 a.m. The first and third Sundays of the month will have Communion services and the fifth Sunday services will occur at 9 a.m. and are lay led with no Sunday school. • Christian Singles Fellowship is a group that promotes Christian support, social activities and fellowship for all born-again single adults, whether divorced, widowed or single by choice. It provides singles with positive fellowship and interaction with other singles within the context of Christianity and to minister to people's special needs. For questions, call Karson at 419-433-0085. Upcoming events include: - Saturday, April 30: Spring Amish trip; meet at 10 a.m. at Norwalk Alliance Church on U.S. 250 to carpool. Pack a lunch or snack. After shopping, we will meet dinner at Mrs. Yoder's Restaurant. - Friday, May 6: May nature walk at 6:15 p.m.; meet at Sheldon's Marsh at U.S. 6 west in Huron. Afterward, we will eat dinner at the Sand Bar. - Monday, May 9: Planning meeting at 7 p.m.; meet at North Point Baptist Church, 3702 Hayes Ave., Sandusky. - Saturday, May 14: Singles trip to Tiffin Flea Market at 10 a.m. Carpool meet at North Point Baptist Church. After shoppin,g we will eat dinner at a local Asian buffet. Bring the kids too. - Friday, May 27: Bike & Bible night at 6:15 p.m.; meet at Karson's home, 1401 Berlin Road, Huron. Barbecued ribs will be provided. Bring a covered dish/dessert and pop. Bring the kids for some physical and spiritual exercise. • St. Stephen AME Church, at 312 Neil St., hosts church school at 9 a.m. and worship at 10:30 a.m. Sundays. Everyone is welcome. • Father's Heart Family Church, now located at 2211 Mills St., has worship at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sundays. • Faith Christian Ministries, at 200 Hancock St., is a non-denominational church located that invites you to join us for Sunday worship at 11 a.m. We have Bible study at 11 a.m. Wednesdays, where we study God's Word together. A Wednesday evening Bible study takes place via conference call (617-691-8135) at 6 p.m. All are welcome and please call 419-366-0057 for more information. NORWALK • St. Paul Episcopal Church, at 87 W. Main St., celebrates this third Sunday of Easter with a service of morning prayer. This is a service of Light, Hope; of prayers and hymns of rejoicing, of proclaiming "The Lord is Risen." The readings for this day are Acts 9:1-20; Psalm 30; and Revelation 5:11-14. The Gospel reading is from the Book of John 21:1-19. The resurrection of Jesus on Easter Day and his 40 days on Earth until His ascension is a time to recognize and appreciate that we are restored to grace and holiness because of His sacrifice. This is the time to renew our commitment and to proclaim, with joy, our place in the ministry of the whole people of God. This is the time, this "sunny side" of Easter, to consider doing a random act of kindness: in person, online, by mail or by phone. Perhaps once or more often, to reach out to someone, family, friend or stranger. We welcome you to St. Paul Episcopal Church — no exceptions. • St. Peter Lutheran Church, at 243 Benedict Ave., invites you to join us for worship on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. or Sundays, at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion is offered at all weekend services. The 10:30 a.m. worship service is broadcast on WLKR 95.3 and Facebook. Chair Aerobics is offered for free on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:30 am-12:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Anyone is welcome to join us, come and bring a friend. We will spend time getting our heart rates up, stretching and doing some body toning. Christian Day Nursery School is having open registration from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Registration forms are available in the church narthex, the preschool office or on the church website, stpeter-elca.org/, click education, then Christian Day Nursery School. • This Sunday at Norwalk First United Methodist Church, at 60 W. Main St., the sermon will be taken from Proverbs 1:1-19 and is entitled "Like Father, Like Son." Please join us. For all community members who are anxious to have their little ones learn about the love and forgiveness of God, we are offering KidVenture Sunday Ministry at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday. This week, utilizing a friendly sloth named Moe, the children will learn about patience from Psalm 145:8. Saturday, April 30 is the final day of our spring rummage sale. Please come from 9 a.m. until noon and fill a bag for $4. We have several items to choose from, including men's, women's and children's clothing, kitchen items, toys, books, jewelry, tools, various pieces of furniture, household goods and decorative items to please every taste. All money collected goes to local charities and nonprofits that serve local communities. Please plan to attend. Call the church office at 419-668-1938 for more information. • First Baptist Church of Norwalk, at 67 E. Main St., is moving forward with its search for a new pastor. For the next three weeks, we will have Pastor Art Concord, giving our message. His message this week is "Take Heart, It is I" with scripture from Matthew 14:22-33. If you are a member, we encourage you to come, listen and give your opinion. We will have another guest pastor the last two weeks of May, then a vote will be called. If you are looking for a church, you are also invited to come and check us out. We are still live-streaming for those who can not come in person. You can watch us on YouTube by searching Norwalk First Baptist Church. Our office is open from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Our phone number is 419-668-4144. We have had wonderful success with our "Hangin At The Haven - Part 2" program from 5:30-7 p.m. Mondays for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. Our goal is to introduce the kids of our community to the love of Jesus. This is a nondenominational group meeting. There is a game time, devotion time, and snack time. Children will gather every other Monday until the end of the school year. Parents are welcome to stay. For more information, call the church office. We are a family of believers in Jesus, centered in the Word of God, worshiping our Lord and serving others. We want to remind you that our Lord has a plan for each day and wants us to be part of it. We are "The Friendly Church with a Warm Welcome." • First Presbyterian Church, at 21 Firelands Boulevard, welcomes you to its worship times at 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Sundays. The new broadcast radio time on 92.9 is 10 a.m. First Presbyterian will host Vacation Bible School from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. from June 13-17. Registration for this year's VBS is now open. This year's theme is being creative-in arts-in music-in life- and its called "Spark Studios." Lots of fun activities, food and friends in store for Bible School kids. Try painting, try singing, try musical instruments, try new friends, it's all fun. If you have children who will be finishing a year of preschool to sixth-grade, we'll see you at "Spark Studios" to learn we are created in Christ and designed for God's purpose. You can register for this free event at firstpresbyterian.net/vacation-bible-school, or call the church office at 419-668-1923. Invite all of your friends, neighbors, classmates, cousins and all other kids who can come and celebrate Jesus with us. • St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, at 91 E Main St., continues to celebrate the Easter season with evening prayer 7 p.m. Wednesdays at the church. All are welcome to join us for this time of prayer, song and quiet reflection. HURON • First Presbyterian Church, at 225 Williams St., will have its rummage sale drop off on Monday May 2 after 2 p.m.; the sale will take place on Saturday, May 7. First Presbyterian continues to serve community meals indoors, however, face masks are required to enter. Lunch is served every Monday at noon, and dinner happens at 5 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesday each month at the church. CASTALIA • Castalia Congregational United Church of Christ, at 205 Main St., hosts weekly worship and Sunday school at 10 a.m. Sundays. Communion occurs on the first Sunday of the month. COLLINS • Collins United Methodist Church at 4290 Hartland Center Road, Collins, offers worship at 8 a.m. or 11 a.m. West Hartland United Methodist Church, at 1401 Zenobia Road, Norwalk, has worship at 9:30 a.m. This Sunday at Collins, Dale Hopkins will be bringing us the message. Dale wears many hats in our church. Among other things, he sits on the board for the preschool, is chair for our staff-parish committee and plays a great drum with the praise team. Listen in as he brings the Good News from God's holy Word. At West Hartland, Cathy Seamans leads our Sunday morning worship. She too is very active as she chairs the board at West Hartland, leads a Sunday School class and plays a mean guitar. Such gifted servants are bound to bring an encouraging word. Won't you join us? We are open to all and are handicapped accessible. A "junior church" is optional for children at the 11 a.m. service. A nursery is also available. If you have questions, please call 419-668-6203. GREENWICH • He is risen! (Matthew 28:1-8). Imagine, you and a friend go to the tomb where Jesus' body was laid, the earth starts to shake as the angel of the Lord descends from heaven and rolls back the stone from the door of the tomb. This angel tells you that Jesus is not here. You look and the body of the Lord is not there. Can you imagine the joy and yet the shock of what you have just experienced? He lives! The Church At Huron County under Gerusalem Order, at 30 Orchard St., has its worship service at 11 a.m. Sundays and Bible study at 7 p.m. Mondays. The phone number is call 419-964-6533. If you need help in knowing who God is, reach out to us. God would love for you to get to know Him personally as an individual in Christ Jesus. To contact the church, write to Box 271, Willard, Ohio 44890 or go to gerusalem.org. The Churches Under Gerusalem Order consist of every temple (individual) of God who is a part of His Spiritual Kingdom. These individuals' hunger and thirst after righteousness and do not desire the traditions of man. But they desire every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the living God, being led by the Holy Ghost in faith, which reveals God's nature to us and in us. NEW LONDON • Fitchville United Methodist Church, at 1593 U.S. 250, New London, hosts worship at 9 a.m. Sundays. Adult Sunday school classes occur at 8 a.m. and children's Sunday school classes take place during the worship service. PORT CLINTON • Trinity United Methodist Church, at 135 Adams St., will resume outdoor worship at the Sutton Center in Port Clinton on Sunday, May 29. Services are at 9 a.m. and all are welcome to attend the 63rd year of our "come as you are and worship in your car" service. • The congregation at Peace Lutheran Church invites surrounding communities to join them for hybrid services. The church will host hybrid services while the weather permits it to do so. People can choose to be either in the large parking lot outdoors in a car or lawn chair, weather permitting. Masks and social distancing are required when outside in a car. People are also welcome to come into the sanctuary masks and social distancing required. For questions, call the church office at 419-732-3800. Weekly services are 10:30 a.m. Sundays. MARBLEHEAD • St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, at 505. E. Main St., will once again serve Lake Erie Perch, cod and shrimp dinners from 4-6 p.m. Friday, May 6. Lakeview dining and take out dinners are prepared to order. Lake Erie perch are $17; cod or shrimp are $12. Dinners include French fries or pierogi, cole slaw, tartar or cocktail sauce, rolls and butter. No reservations needed. Homemade baked goods and raffle baskets will also be available to benefit the church. St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church is located adjacent to the historic Marblehead Lighthouse. • First United Church of Christ-Congregational hosts its worship service at 10:30 a.m. Sundays. Masks and distancing are of individual choice. BELLEVUE • Lyme Congregational United Church of Christ, at 5451 Ohio 113, hosts worship at 8:15 a.m. Sundays. The interim pastor is Bryan Niebanck.