EASTER BREAKFAST IS COMING!

Between services celebrating the resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday, we will enjoy the fellowship of a meal together. Bring your guests; all are welcome.  Volunteers are needed for baked goods, pancake flipping, serving and cleaning up.  Look for the sign-up sheet in the narthex.

On Easter Sunday, April 8, all children are invited to be a part of our Easter Egg Hunt at CHLC.  Meet in the Gathering Room (1^st floor Ed. Unit) at 10:00 a.m. to begin the festivities.  Bags for the Easter Egg collection will be provided.  Everyone is welcome to come watch our younger members and to search for eggs -- and to enjoy some tasty treats.

SUPPORT COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHT

Where Our Members’ Offerings Go

How Our Benevolence Funds Are Used

CRC organizes its services around the needs of three population groups: families, youth, and older adults.  Through Family Services programs, CRC provides traditional services such as Food Pantry and referrals to other services on an as-needed basis.  Beyond those services, the Creative Families program allows CRC staff to work intensively with families to help identify issues that prevent the family from becoming self-reliant.  Goals are set with the family and they are linked to programs and services that will help them achieve those goals.  Links include housing, education and training, employment, childcare, and health care services.  Eight hundred thirty-three households were served last year through all of the Family Services programs.

Youth Services are designed to provide a safe and productive after-school environment. By attending the Kids Club, children in kindergarten through fifth grade benefit from homework help, supervised outdoor play, crafts and game time.  This program was so popular with attendees that a Middle School Club was formed to meet the needs of graduates of the Kids Club who wanted to stick around.  Clinton Heights members may be familiar with the Summer Lunch program in which some of our members volunteer.  Children up to age 18 are welcomed for lunch and educational and recreational programming during the off-school months.  An average of 96 youth were served in the summer and about 60 youth regularly attend the after-school programs.

On average, older adults make up 10% of the population of Franklin County.  In the zip code area of 43214, just north of our church, seniors represent 19% of the population.  The Senior Supportive Services from CRC meet the needs of older adults in the 43214 zip code area as well as the zip code area immediately surrounding our church of 43202.  In order to promote physical and mental well-being for older adults, CRC provides transportation for medical appointments, helps eligible seniors with emergency, safety-related home repairs, and arranges for blood pressure checks and flu shots.  The Breakfast Club, a long-standing monthly program for seniors, provides a fun, sociable get-together with food and speakers on topics of interest to this population.  Last year, services were provided to over 246 individuals.

In addition to our members who provide volunteer services in CRC’s program, Clinton Heights offers our building for use in an annual Christmas gift workshop.  We housed the Breakfast Club until it outgrew our space!  Bill Owens, the Executive Director, and all the staff are very appreciative of the support they receive from our congregation and willingly contributed their time and thoughts for this article.  And they remind us many more volunteer opportunities are available

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UPDATES

The final layout of the picture directory was sent to Olan Mills the week of March 19^th.  We apologize that it took a little longer than anticipated, but we are also excited that the book is now in the hands of the publishers, and the finished product should be back into our hands soon.

The Time and Talent sheets which were first distributed in January continue to trickle in.  At this time, the evangelism committee is tallying your responses and will get those results to the leaders of the ministries involved.  It is not too late to fill one out if you have not done so yet; copies are available in the church narthex.  You are encouraged to let us know how you would like to be part of the ministry of Clinton Heights Lutheran Church.

COME OUT FOR THE OLD BALL GAME

The youth of Clinton Heights will be going on an outing to eat dinner and to Gameworks on the Thursday of Spring Break, April 12.  We will meet at the church at 6:30 p.m. to get something to eat and then go to Gameworks for their “All you can play” special from 8:00 to 10:00.  The youth fund will cover the charges for dinner and game card, but will not pay for friends who come along and extra food or drinks purchased at Gameworks.  Please sign up in the narthex to give us an idea of how many are going.

MEN’S BIBLE STUDY AT PANERA

All men of the church and their friends are invited to Panera Bread on High Street at Dominion for food, fellowship and Bible study on Saturday, April 21, from 9 – 10:30 a.m.   We will study The Lord’s Prayer, digging into its Biblical wordings, how the historic church has shaped its present form, and check out what Luther had to say about it in his Small Catechism.