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Volunteers needed for Hunger Center

Parma Hunger Center, a ministry of Parma Lutheran, is in great need of some helping hands!!!

 

We need someone to answer the cell phone, schedule clients and produce a simple spread sheet whether in good handwriting or over the computer. This person will have the cell phone at their own home, may set their own call schedule, sign up our clients into time slots for distribution and produce a schedule be given to the HC on Tuesday and/or Friday AM. 

 

We need someone to be a door person on Tuesday from 1-4 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. This person will take the names of the clients arriving and compare them to the schedule. This person could also input the information in the computer (Fridays).

*this could be the same person or 2-3 different people

 

We also need people willing to move large boxes into cars during distribution. 

Tuesday 1-4 and Friday 9-12.

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Please consider volunteering in one of these needed roles. Call the Church Office if you can help. We will train anyone that is willing to give it a try. 

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Easter flowers orders

The flowers will be yours to take home after personal pictures are taken on Easter morning.

Fill out your slip, place it, with your payment, in the offering plate or call the Church Office 216-351-6376

 by Sunday, March 22. Or, click here to email the church office with your order. 

 

Tulips $7.00 each. Color options: Pink, Red, Purple, Orange

Hyacinth $7.00 each. Color options: White, Blue, Pink

Daffodils $7.00 each

Single Stem Lilies $8.00 each

Hydrangeas $13.00 each. Color options: Blue, Pink

Azaleas $13.00 each. Color options: White, Pink, Reddish Fushia, Lavender

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​Gloria Ann Book Club

We are Growing!!! For our next Book Club, we will be reading:
Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber
Monday March 30th at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Let’s come together to discuss and fellowship!

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Community Dinner Update

February’s Community Dinner on Thursday, the 19 th was another great success! We had 4 “new” friends, 5 volunteers, with 14 people in attendance overall. We enjoyed homemade meatloaf, mashed potatoes with
gravy, mixed veggies, dirt cups and rice Krispie treats. Our next meal will be on Thursday, March 26 th from 5-6:30pm. If you would like to “host” this event (plan the menu and help serve) call the Church Office. 216.351.6376. We would LOVE more volunteers for this new event through the Community Ministry.

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PLC Game Night 

A PLC Game Night has been requested! We would love for someone (many) to host this event!
Let’s get this on the calendar in April! Call the Church Office if you want to help plan this.
216.351.6376

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Helping Hands 

Thank you to those who…

• scrubbed the Big Kitchen’s floors & baseboards. They look great!

• helped with our Community Meals

• installed the AEDs

• shovel and salt the Courtyard and entry sidewalks

• come and clean the building and prepare us for worship

• shampooed the chairs in the Lounge

• moved all the Christmas decorations to the basement

• are organizing some of the rooms throughout the building

• are working on getting us information and answers on the future of our building

• gathered some our paraments and took them to the dry cleaner

• designed the bulletin boards in the hallway outside the Community Room

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Important feedback needed

We are beginning to study our church building usage and research possible paths forward that

would make the most sense for our congregation. Our current building was built when we had one of

the largest Lutheran congregations in the area. Much of our current building is no longer used, and we have been

able to rent out many of those spaces, with more space available for rental. Our sanctuary could possibly benefit

by creating a smaller more intimate space. There are also areas of the building that are needing renovation such as

the bathrooms and brick lobby. We are looking for input from our PLC members.

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• What areas of the building would you like to see updated, including the sanctuary? Please share your vision.

• What renovations do you think are important? Which are absolutely necessary?

• Would you be willing to help fund these renovations? How would you feel about the church taking out a loan to finance the renovations?

• How do you feel about re-purposing areas of our current building including additional rental of unused space or possibly even selling our unused spaces to others?

 

It’s very important to share your input and ideas concerning the future of our church building. Any and all ideas

are welcomed. Your responses will be kept confidential but will aid us in creating a report which will be shared

with you this fall. It will then be put up for a congregational vote. We greatly appreciate your prayerful consideration of this topic and look forward to hearing from you as we research options. The future of our church home is in our hands as we collectively determine the best way forward. Email Barbara Tibbitts at soldwithbarbara@gmail.com with your responses.

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​Welcoming North River Church

At the November Congregation Meeting, we voted and accepted the rental contract for the North River Church with Pastor William P. McKisic. Their church service will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays in the Fellowship Hall. Their congregation is smaller than ours, but the parking will get full. We are asking our congregants to park closest to the Sanctuary side of the building, and their congregation will park towards the Fellowship Hall side of the building. Their congregants will enter through the Courtyard. They will end their worship shortly before ours. Say hello and introduce yourself if you see a new face in the building!

 

Questions and Answers:

Q: Will we be able to host events in the Fellowship Hall after our Sunday worship?

A: Yes! We will have to plan to make sure we can move tables and chairs directly after their and our worship.

 

Q: We use the FH in the summer; will we still do that?

A: Yes! They will move their worship location or time once warmer temps arrive.

 

Q: What space do they need?

A: They will use the FH from 8am-12pm each Sunday. They will have the (locked) use of the closet beside the Big Kitchen. They will have the (locked) use of an office upstairs (while knowing if we get a full permanent rental, they will have to relocate their things from that room). 

 

If you have any other questions, please call the Church Office 216.351.6376

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Community Outreach Dinner

Some have asked about the difference between a Community and Fellowship Dinner. 

A Fellowship Dinner is put on by the Fellowship Ministry and is to have Fellowship amongst our PLC members, guests and family.  A Community Dinner is put on by the Community Ministry and is a meal for the people of Parma, outside of our church, whether they are in “need” of a warm meal, a couple wanting to fellowship with people over food or a single friend that just isn’t in the mood to cook. 

 

These two ministries can overlap for sure, but they are different also. 

 

The Community Meal is “hosted” by an individual(s). This means you can choose what you would like to make or purchase. The funds to cover this meal come out of the Community Ministry so you do NOT need to pay for this yourself. With the help of the Church Office, we will choose and make the meal, get the notifications out about the upcoming meal and ask for volunteers. 

 

For our first meal on January 22nd, we had chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes with salad on the side and cake for dessert. We had 6 amazing volunteers that served our 1st and only guest, Paul. Paul, a young gentleman who works in the area and lives downtown by himself, saw our post on Facebook and was very excited to enjoy a warm meal with new friends. All 8 of us sat, ate and fellowshipped for over an hour. It truly was joyous. 

 

We will pray for this ministry to grow, and we will hold our next meal on Thursday, February 19th. 

 

Who wants to host this event, with the help of the Church Office and a great group of volunteers??

Call 216.351.6376 or write on the back of your yellow slip. ​

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New Youth Eduction time

Youth Education and Confirmation have been MOVED to the Second Sunday of each month DIRECTLY after worship (12:00 p.m.). Come enjoy a light lunch and a Youth educational lesson and activity. All are welcome! Bring a friend!​​​​

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2026 Offering Envelopes are here

Thank you for using the new way we will be accepting our offering in 2026. Simply by using generic, but labeled, envelopes, we are saving our budget $500. You will receive the number of envelopes you requested. If you need more, you may always ask the Church Office. You may also use the unlabeled envelopes in the pews at any time. ALWAYS remember to write your name and/or your Church # somewhere on your envelope or payment. 

Inside each envelope is a sticker with the options: General, Capital, HC and Other. 

 

As a reminder:

• General offerings go into an account that can be used for ANY church needs. 

• Capital MUST be used on physical building needs. It can NOT be used on any other church need.

• HC offerings are placed in the Hunger Center account and can ONLY be used on Hunger Center needs.

• Other, is a place holder for everything else, (e.g. Pastor’s Discretionary Fund, a special Youth donation or an offering purchase of flowers).

 

Important things to remember:

• You can give electronically through our updated and secure payment portal via the button on this page.

• Talk to your tax advisor on ways to give to Parma Lutheran Church (possibly tax free).

• ALWAYS use your name and/or your Church # with any offering. This is the way we calculate your end-of-year offerings. 

• If you have any questions, please call the Church Office 216.351.6376

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Men's and Ladies' Breakfasts Invitation

Did you know that you are invited to the Men's and Ladies' Breakfasts each month? Men get together on the second Tuesday of each month, and men and ladies get together on the fourth Tuesday of each month. They meet at 8:30 a.m. at Demetrio's Family Restaurant located at 7851 Broadview Rd. Seven Hills, OH 44131.

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2026 schedule:

• January: 13th (Men); 27th (Men & Ladies)

• February: 10th (Men); 24th (Men & Ladies)

• March: 10th (Men); 31st (Men & Ladies)

• April: 14th (Men); 28th (Men & Ladies)

• May: 12th (Men); 26th (Men & Ladies)

• June: 9th (Men); 30th (Men & Ladies)

• July: 14th (Men); 28th (Men & Ladies)

• August: 11th (Men); 25th (Men & Ladies)

• September: 8th (Men); 29th (Men & Ladies)

• October: 13th (Men); 27th (Men & Ladies)

• November: 10th (Men): 24th (Men & Ladies)

• December: 8th (Men): 29th (Men & Ladies)

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Reminder: Fellowship / Meet & Greet Signup​

Our Fellowship Meet & Greet with coffee and light refreshments has resumed in the Brick Lobby from 9:45 a.m. until 10:20 a.m. The sign-up sheet to bring bakery items and make coffee is located near the Sanctuary. Or, contact the office to sign up as well. We will supply the juice, and it will be in the refrigerator. Coffee-making instructions will be by the coffee maker. Everything will be organized in the cupboard, so it will be ready to be placed on the table. Please check the sign up sheet and help to make this popular Fellowship time happen. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Let me know if you have questions or need some instructions. Thank you in advance for any help you give to our growing congregation. Please see Brenda Hinz for more information.​​​​​​​

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Communion Ministers Needed for Homebound

We have eight homebound members of the Parma Lutheran Church family.  I (Pastor Jay) try to bring Communion to them once a month. I say “try” because some months I don’t get to all of them. Even if I do visit everyone on our list, a once-a-month visit from me is not enough if our shut-ins are going to feel connected and a vital part of our church family. I’d like for every homebound member of our church family to receive at least two Communion visits per month, a visit by me, and a visit from one of our Lay Home Communion Ministers. I’d like a group of lay people (non-ordained/non-pastors) available to be assigned to one of our shut-ins to visit once a month to assist me by bringing already consecrated elements of bread and wine to them. To serve as a Lay Communion Minister is like serving as a Communion Assistant, except you will be bringing the consecrated bread and wine from our church altar to one of our homebound members once a month. If you volunteer to bring Communion to one of our homebound, I will individually train everyone interested in this important ministry. I will train you in the theology of this ministry (why we do this ministry), and I will train you in how to conduct this ministry.  It will require one hour of training with me scheduled at your convenance, and then you will visit one of our homebound members once per month. On your first visit you will accompany me so I can introduce you, and get you acquainted. You will be welcome to end the ministry at any time for any reason. Please know how important this ministry is to our shut-ins and to you. Please pray on this and reach out to me with any questions or if you would like to become a communion minister. 440.502.1192. God Bless, Pastor Jay

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Yellow Slips in Bulletins

The yellow slip in your bulletin is important. This slip is your direct line to the Church Office or Pastor Jay. We use your filled out slip to update our files, which then updates the ELCA’s files, that you have attended worship and if you received communion. You may use your slip to send messages to the office or Pastor Jay, such as a prayer request for yourself or others, just write on the back of your slip. You may also add suggestions to enhance worship or questions you may have about worship. Lastly, if you have an extra slip you don’t use, please put it back into the basket you took your bulletin from, on your way out.

 

 

Reminder about Sonbeams

The Sonbeam is our monthly newsletter. It holds all the information from the month we have closed and the upcoming month. You can receive your copy electronically, through the mail or by picking up your copy in the Narthex or Church Office. If you would like to start receiving it electronically, let the Church Office know this by writing on the back of your yellow slip.

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AEDs purchased for PLC

Our church has purchased an AED and has also graciously received a free AED from Linda Kranski. These AEDs are being installed on the wall by Pastor Jay’s office and on the wall right outside the Fellowship Hall. The money that was used to purchased these critical devices was raised through the support or our Youth Pasta Dinner fundraiser.

 

AED stands for Automated External Defibrillator. An AED is a portable device that analyzes heart rhythm and delivers an electric shock to treat sudden cardiac arrest. Early defibrillation within minutes of collapse dramatically increases survival chances for sudden cardiac arrest. Our AEDs are maintained by the Church Office monthly. We are also a registered AED location through the City of Parma. Below you will read the easy steps to use the AED. Please, take the time to read these steps and revisit these steps often. It could save a life. The most important thing to do…is DO. The AED literally talks you through the process. No need to be scared or feel you don’t know how. 

 

Step-by-Step Guide to Using an AED

• Assess the Situation

  • Ensure the area is safe.

  • Check on the person. If they are unresponsive and not breathing normally, it might be sudden cardiac arrest.

• Call for Emergency Help

  • Dial 911 and ask someone to get an AED.

• Retrieve and Turn on the AED

  • Open the AED or press the power button and follow its voice prompts.

• Attach the Pads

  • Remove clothing from the chest, including the bra if the person is wearing one.

  • Place the electrode pads as shown on the diagrams on the AED.

• Analyze the Heart Rhythm

  • Allow the AED to detect whether a shock is necessary.

• Deliver a Shock if Advised

  • Ensure no one is touching the person.

  • Press the shock button if instructed. Some AEDs are fully automatic and will deliver the shock on its own.

• Perform CPR if Necessary

  • Continue with chest compressions if advised by the AED. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest

• Follow Additional Prompts

  • Keep following the AED’s instructions until professional help arrives.

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Reminder: Pastor's Cell Phone Number

Pastor Jay will continue to use his OLD phone number which is 440.502.1192. He will no longer use the "new" number of 216.231.2733. And a reminder that Kim Cummings has a cell phone number for work purposes 216.481.0635. Kim still has her personal cell phone number, and it can still be used by her church family. The Church Office is not always staffed. When calling the Church Office 216.351.6376, PLEASE leave a voicemail. Voicemails and emails to office@plcparma.org get checked three times a day regardless if anyone is in the actual building. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​To contact Pastor via email, please also use the office email address. If the message is personal for him, please signify that in the subject line. 

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Reminder: On-going Help Needed

We need on-going help around the church. Currently, we need help installing the microwave in the big kitchen. Please call the Church Office 216-351-6376.  There is always work to be done, and we can find a job for you!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​