Put Your Good Intentions to Work!

When we join the United Methodist Church, we vow to support it with our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.  But sometimes, our good intentions get lost in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of life.  As a church, how are we doing with our promises?  Can you help fill in the blanks?  Here are some ways that you could be of service to others:  serve as an usher, become a church closer, teach or assist with a Sunday School Class or volunteer for the mowing team.  Contact the church office to volunteer! 440-526-8938 or office@brecksvilleumc.com

Box Tops

UMW continues to collect Box Tops for Education!  Clip and save the symbol from participating products and bring them to the bin in the first floor coat room.  These labels are sent to Henderson Settlement Mission in Frakes, KY and the proceeds are used to support their work.

Food Drive for Brookside

Brookside Food Center disperses meals to local families in need. The success of their program depends on the kindness and generosity of people like you!

On the third Friday of each month, our United Methodist Women deliver our donations to Brookside.  Please help us fill the bin in the coat room with food like:

Canned fruits
Canned vegetables
Apple sauce
Dried Fruit
Grains
Peanut Butter
Bisquick
Pasta and pasta sauce
Canned soups
Tuna and other canned fish
Other healthy non-perishable foods!

Paper products, such as napkins and paper towels, are also greatly appreciated. 

Your contributions make a world of difference to families in need.

Getting Ahead, In a Just-Gettin'-By-World

The Missions Committee is excited to introduce a new partnership among suburban and urban churches in our district.  Getting Ahead in a Just-Getting-By World  is a 16 week workshop designed to give people the tools and resources they need to move out of poverty.  The weekly workshops will be held at Saint Matthew United Methodist Church, 8601 Wade Park Ave in Cleveland and is limited to 15 participants.

“The most important things Getting Ahead has helped me with are recognizing the different causes of  poverty and ways to build resources so that I could get out of poverty and help others get out of poverty.”  - Miyonna Jones, Getting Ahead Graduate

We are one of the four churches in our district supporting the program by providing dinner and childcare on one night each month.  (The other churches are Berea UMC, Brunswick UMC and the host church, St. Matthew.)  Our nights will be January 29, February 26, March 26, and April 23.  Would you like to help others move out of poverty? Sign up on Sunday or call our Church Office 440-526-8938.  Have questions?  Contact Janet Kleckner or Lynn Spencer — or the church office! 

Stitch'n'Time

Come to “Stitch’n’Time” our church’s daytime knitting/crocheting group!  We meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 10 am in the Parlor. No experience necessary. Everyone is welcome!  Projects include prayer shawls and lap blankets, hats and mittens, and baby blankets.  Contact Sandy Crist 440.526.1494 for more information.

Bread Ministry

“Would your church be willing to take over a wonderful ministry?”  The woman on the other end of the telephone line explained that - for years- she had been going to the turnpike stations (off of Edgerton and Towpath Roads) every Saturday morning to pick up unsold baked goods to deliver to a soup kitchen downtown. She and her brother used to do this together, but he had died and she was finding the bags too heavy to handle on her own.  Would we be willing to take over?

WE ARE and we currently have 8 -10 teams committed to taking turns weekly gathering the baked goods and delivering these pastries, bread, rolls and bagels to places like the Parma Height Food Pantry, which provides food to nearly 300 families and St. Augustine and St. Herman’s which each serve thousands of meals every week.  This food will feed hungry families.

Some of the pastries are being set aside to replace the goodies coffee hour volunteers have been purchasing or baking.  Monetary donations made during coffee hour will go directly to the Hunger Fund.  In the first two weeks, we generated over $80!  That is amazing.  Thank You!

During coffee hour as you enjoy a muffin, bear claw, cookie, etc. think about the many lives we are touching through our small monetary donations as well how many people we will help with approximately five very large plastic bags filled with baked goods we take to a pantry or hunger center. 

Special thanks to those who have signed up to be a part of this new ministry: Mary & Craig Kotnik, Beth Smith, Alan & Debbi Scheufler, John & Carole Brachna, Jeff & Sue Hastings, George & Jenny Gee, Tim & Leslie Miller, Brent Barnum and Cara Santora.  If you would like to learn how you can get involved, contact Mary Kotnik, Missions Committee Co-Chair at mekotnik@yahoo.com.

Where to donate

Spring cleaning? Don’t send your unwanted items to the dump! These organizations all offer FREE PICK UP! 

AMVETS 
866-388-0046
Clothing, household, toys,
books, etc.

City Mission (donatestuff.com)
216-662-4483
Clothing, household items

Cleveland Furniture Bank
216-459-2265 x 101
Furniture, household items

Gathering Place Warehouse
216-595-9546 (will pack up, too)
Furniture, household, antiques, china, crystal, silverware, art, rugs, lamps, mirrors, costume jewelry

Habitat for Humanity
216-429-3631
Furniture, appliances, building materials, household.

Salvation Army, 800-728-7825
Furniture, clothing, household

Have an old bike you've outgrown or no longer use? 
Donate it to Brecksville UMC's Bike Ministry!

Background Checks

"The education and spiritual formation of children, youth and adults is why the church exists. We're here to make and mature disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world." said Gary Jones, Director Spiritual Formation, East Ohio Conference United Methodist Church. "If we're not teaching, if we're not keeping those people we're charged to teach safe, there's really not a reason for us to be here."

At Brecksville UMC, we conduct background checks on all volunteers who work with children. Parents want to know that their children are safe in the care of others. Background checks protect children, protect volunteers, and protect the assets of the church!

Read our church's child protection policy    here.
   

If you are interested in working with children, please contact Jenny Gee, Director of Christian Education, to learn more about background checks.

North Coast District Poverty Simulation

Saturday, May 11 9 - 12 noon
Cory United Methodist Church
1117 East 105th Street, Cleveland

Join us for this poverty simulation and begin to experience what it's like for typical low-income families trying to survive from month to month. This free public event is a simulation, NOT a game.

Free childcare will be available as well!

Lunch is not included, but there will be morning refreshments

Registration is due May 3, 2019

A Multicultural Ministries Perspectives event, in partnership with the East Ohio Board of Church and Society, Bridges Out of Poverty, Committee on Religion & Race, Great Lakes Bridges & Thrivent Financial.

Register on Eventbrite:

Click Here