The Trumpet March 2021 Volume 38 Issue 2

Firelands Presbyterian Church One Great Hour of Sharing

2626 East Harbor Road Offering Continues Through
Port Clinton, Ohio 43452
March
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

Vicki Wheatly, Treasurer

Janine Dress,
Administrative Assistant
Table of Contents
Session Highlights & News ..................... 2
News & Notes....................................... 3
Pastor’s Page & Monthly Prayer list .......... 4
February Lectionary &
February Celebrations ........................... 5
Calendar ............................................. 6
Where learning to save proves lifesaving
We the People of Detroit (WPD), a community-based
grassroots organization that “aims to inform, educate,
and empower Detroit residents on imperative issues
surrounding civil rights, land, water, education and the
democratic process,” is similarly strengthening its
commitment to water justice and water access through
the One Great Hour of Sharing and its Presbyterian
Mission Agency (PMA) partner, Self-Development of
People.
“We were immediately attracted to WPD because of the
PMA’s Matthew 25 invitation, which calls us to serve the
‘least of these,’ in this case, those who are most
affected by water shut-offs,” said the Rev. Alonzo
Johnson, coordinator of the Presbyterian Committee on the
Self-Development of People. “Just imagine how you would
survive during a pandemic without water to wash your
hands. This organization is a good amalgam of
community activists and scholars who work to educate
and mobilize the residents of Detroit, especially those
living in poverty — not only about water, but also other
basic human needs and rights.”

Please mail in your offerings marking your check

OGHS or Mark your offering Envelope. Offerings
will be accepted until April 11.
March 2021 Page 2

Highlights of Stated Session

Meeting on 2/9/2021
1. Session approved the Treasurer’s Report.

2. Session passed an omnibus motion authorizing

weekly Communion, together with the Pastor’s use of
“duly chosen and trained” lay servers for “homebound”
members and friends of the congregation—a motion
called for in the Book of Order requiring session to
“provide that the Sacraments may be rightly
administered and received” (see G-3.02b.); and,

3. Session received a report from the PNC as to the

status of the search for a new pastor; specifically,
learned that the PNC is open to, and now has advertised
SAVE THE DATE FOR for, a “full- or part-time pastor” candidate. This
PASTOR MARK & JILL development may require reconfiguring the 2021 Budget
to fill a FT position.
COOPER’S
RETIREMENT CELEBRATION!
Thank You
We are pleased to announce a Retirement Celebration
Luncheon for Pastor Mark and Jill Cooper. The event will Dear Firelands Family,
be held at the Catawba Island Club on Wednesday, May Here is the picture of the
19, 2021, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Additional details will Floral Arrangement. It
be forthcoming at a later date. matches my carpet in my
This event will be no cost to you. Mark your calendars to Sunroom. Every time I go
“SAVE THIS DATE” as we would like everyone to attend to Siesta Key this Osprey is
to help us celebrate. Happily, in order to have the around. Boat pic is taken from Intracoastal in Nokomis.
Celebration closer in time to Pastor Mark and Jill’s Notice sunny and not a cloud in the Sky!!!
departure, Mark has agreed to remain in the pulpit and In God’s
serve as our Pastor through Sunday, May 16, 2021—for peace,
which we are all very grateful.
Janine
Jean Witkowski, Deacon & Chair of the

Pastor Mark & Jill Cooper Retirement Celebration

Join our VFH

(Virtual Fellowship Hall)
This a new and different
invitation
Try visiting with friends LIVE after the Sunday service -
on Zoom. As the postlude plays, we are turning on a
Zoom meeting to create a Virtual Fellowship Hall. Bring
your own refreshments. Here is the link and meeting
information:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89074484936?pwd=WnYrM
XBHSjJGalpUeFYzNWJGOHh0UT09

Meeting ID: 890 7448 4936

Passcode: 691914
March 2021 Page 3

Music and Worship Committee
Our services will continue on-line with the notion that
we will return to in person worship as soon as our
medical committee deems it safe to do so. We rejoice
knowing that many congregation members are receiving
their vaccines as soon as possible.
We will have a Maundy Thursday service (April 1, 2021)
either online or in the sanctuary depending on the
session's decisions.
If we decide to return to worship together, we will make
plans to order Easter flowers for the sanctuary. Watch
for a special email from our church secretary. Flowers
will once again be available to order from Wistinghausen
Greenhouse in Oak Harbor. If possible, members will be
able to again order flowers in memory or in honor of
family members. The cost will be $9.00 per pot of lilies,
tulips, hyacinth or daffodils.

Bistro 163
Bistro 163 is working to extend the reach of the twice monthly Free Community
Dinners on the second and fourth Monday of each month. This is being done by
offering free delivery of those fresh nutritious meals to seniors, shut-ins, GRANDlove
and TNT Mentoring families, and those living far from the restaurant. The Growth
Committee at Bistro 163 is promoting this “free delivery” opportunity through several
channels. WTOL TV Channel 11 was invited to visit Bistro 163 to produce a video
report for the evening news on February 10th. On that same day, reporter Jon
Stinchcomb from the Port Clinton News Herald, published an article entitled, “Bistro
163, where no one is turned away, looks to expand reach of free dinners”.

https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/good-news/bistro-163-free-meals-delivery

https://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/story/news/2021/02/10/bistro-163-looking-expand-
reach-free-community-dinners

Next, all ten of the food pantries in Ottawa County were provided with written notice of the Free
Community Dinner delivery option to distribute to their patrons on the day(s) that they are open
for distribution. And finally, that same written notice will be given to the sixty churches located
in Ottawa County, so that they may in turn promote the delivery option to members of their
congregations through their worship bulletins and newsletters. In order to make this growth happen, Bistro 163 has
also been recruiting volunteers to help prepare and deliver a growing number of Free Community Dinners. And
donations and contributions from individuals and organizations are essential to support the cost of so many free
meals.

Evidence of that growth was documented in the month of February:

• February 8th – 219 dinners served, 75 of them delivered.

• February 22nd – 258 dinners served, 108 of them delivered.

The next Free Community Dinners will be offered for take-out or delivery on March 8th and 22nd. To enroll for free
delivery, Ottawa County residents are simply asked to call Bistro 163 at (419) 734-9887 and give their address and
number of meals requested. During the pandemic shutdown in 2020, Bistro 163 gained relevant experience in
preparing and delivering free meals, serving more than 23,000 dinners between March 18th and August 4th, paid for
entirely by donations. The “pay it forward” restaurant is open for lunch 5 days a week, Tuesday through Saturday,
from 11:00 – 2:00, but only at 25% of the former seating capacity. The luncheon menu is also available for take-out.

www.bistro163.org/menu

As the plate on the wall outside the Firelands Church kitchen reminds us:

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
- Hebrews 13:2
March 2021 Page 4

Pastor’s Page
It is a pleasure to see March roll around. It is still winter, of course, but right now the weather has moderated from
the snow and bitter cold we had a week or so ago. We never know what March will bring us, but we can take some
comfort from what we used to hear about this month, “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.”

The promise of March is that three-quarters of the way through it Spring makes its appearance. Spring is joyful. It is
a time of hope. One day we might find ourselves surprised by a breeze that feels strangely warm. We will be thrilled
as crocuses and daffodils begin to break through the soil. We can allow ourselves to think of getting out on the lake,
of the golf course, or of simply sitting on the deck. It is all coming, sooner now rather than later.

This year spring brings even more promise and more hope. We have been suffering through this pandemic for an
entire year. Now, maybe we can see the end of it coming. Not this month, or even next, but, hopefully, sometime in
the not-too-distant future. Many of us have now gotten our vaccinations, and the supply of doses seems to be
increasing rapidly. There are those who are cautiously saying we may reach herd immunity sooner than we thought.
And, certainly not least of all, we may be worshipping together as a congregation very soon.

We’re not there yet. Even after we get our vaccinations, we cannot afford to let our guards down. For a while we must
still take the precautions we have been taking. Even if the vaccination means our chances of getting covid-19 have
been greatly reduced we can still spread the virus. That means we still need to wear our masks and maintain social
distancing as best we can. It’s the right thing to do. It is a way of showing concern for others. Someday even those
restrictions will be lifted, but until then we must be grateful for the progress we’ve seen and not try to hurry things.

All in all, it is almost spring. There is hope. So, let us be joyful. Let us rejoice.

Mark

Ongoing Prayer Concerns

For those receiving medical treatment or therapy, or undergoing medical tests:

Alan, Debbie Ballinger, Jenatha Boose, Harold, Kim Hudson, Diane Jordan, Joseph Kakareka, Craig Kaiser,
Stephen Kessler, Angjuli Lele, John McLaughlin, Ele McLaughlin, Christopher Longaker, Simon Mercurio, Michael,
John Prestbo, Sarah, Sue, Jack Schmidt, Jeff Thompson, Justin Waugh, Ann Wagnitz.

For those facing the infirmities of age:

Jeanne Black, Phyllis Crisp, Jane Kaiser, Jamie Petty, Betty Rodwancy, Bob Rodwancy, 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; Matthew Devries, USAF;
Stu Gliwa, USMC; Aaron Haynes, USA; Andrew Hogue, USA, Ken Lewis USA Army Chaplain, Ted Livingstine,
USMC; Sanju Shinde, USMC.

For those in mission for our Lord:

The National Presbyterian Church of Mexico, Berea Presbytery.

To add or delete someone from this list, please contact Janine Dress in the church office.
March 2021 Page 5

March Lectionary

First reading Psalm Second reading Gospel

March 7, 2021 Exodus 20:1-17 Psalm 19 1 Corinthians 1:18- John 2:13-22

Third Sunday in Lent 25

March 14, 2021 Numbers 21:4-9 Psalm 107:1-3, 17- Ephesians 2:1-10 John 3:14-21
Fourth Sunday in Lent 22

March 21, 2021 Jeremiah 31:31-34 Psalm 51:1-12 Hebrews 5:5-10 John 12:20-33
Fifth Sunday in Lent or
Psalm 119:9-16

March 25, 2021 Isaiah 7:10-14 Psalm 45 Hebrews 10:4-10 Luke 1:26-38
Annunciation of the Lord or
Psalm 40:5-10

March 28, 2021 Psalm 118:1-2, 19- Mark 11:1-11

Liturgy of the Palms 29 or
Sixth Sunday in Lent John 12:12-16

March 28, 2021 Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm 31:9-16 Philippians 2:5-11 Mark 14:1-15:47
Liturgy of the Passion or
Sixth Sunday in Lent Mark 15:1-39, (40-
47)

March Celebrations

Cindy Constien 14 Chuck Coykendale 21

Bill O'Malley 16 Janet Gray-Moore 24

Joyce DellaSantina 18 Pr. Jeanne Gay 25

Shawn Rogers 20 Karen Vardyan 25 Is your birthday or anniversary missing

or incorrect? Contact the office so we
can make the changes to the list!
March 2021 Page 6

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6
9-12 Office 9-12 Office Open 9-12 Office
Open Open

7 8 9 10 11 12 13
9 PNC Comm 9-12 Office 7 Session 9-12 Office Open 9-12 Office
Open Open
10:30 Worship on 1:00 Reservoir
4-6 Bistro
Facebook Zoom Meeting
163
11:30 VFH on Zoom Community
Meal-
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
9 PNC Comm 9-12 Office 9-12 Office Open 9-12 Office
10:30 Worship Open Open
on Facebook 1 Pastoral
11:30 VFH on Zoom Friends
Zoom
Meeting

21 22 23 24 25 26 27
9 PNC Comm 9-12 Office 9-12 Office Open 9-12 Office
Open 4-6 Open
10:30 Worship on Bistro 163
Facebook
Community
11:30 VFH on Zoom Meal-
28 29 30 31
9 PNC Comm Holy
Week
10:30 Palm/Passion Begins
Sunday Worship
on Facebook
11:30 VFH on Zoom