June 3 – Rev. Schnell - Communion both services

                                         Confirmation at 9:30 AM

                                         Senior Recognition at 11 AM

June 10 – Rev. Horak

June 17 – Rev. Horak - Father's Day

Worship Attendance

April 22 – 9:30 – 166, 11:00 – 137, Total – 303

April 29 – 9:30 – 133; 11:00 – 113; Total – 246

May 6 – 9:30 - 154; 11:00 - 102; Total – 256

May 13 (Mother’s Day) – 9:30 - 200; 11:00 - 189; Total – 389

May 20 – 9:30 - 157; 11:00 - 123; Total – 280

News of Members and Friends

Weddings – Courtney Ripley & Matthew Foust

Erica Schuck & Bryan Karazia

Kimberly Christine Stemnock & Paul John Yungman

Shannon Elizabeth Miller & Michael Paul Cottle

Memorials – Edna Altman, Aunt of Greg Hogan

Harold Matthews, father of Marilyn McFerren (past member)

Margaret Harmon

NEWS OF OUR MEMBERS…Did You Know?

For more details, see the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall.

Sydney Shock donated her hair to the Locks of Love Foundation.

Katie Clark advanced to the state level in the Power of the Pen competition.

Jessica Cohen will be a student People to People Ambassador in the British Isles this summer.

Jimmy Eavenson won the Chagrin Valley Conference championship in tennis in doubles.

Jennifer Messner has been named a Rotary Student of the Month for May.

Congratulations to our College Graduates!

Carolyn Wong from Washington University with a degree in Architecture.

Kyle Ramsay from Wake Forest University with a degree in Business Administration.

Nancy Hogan from Gettysburg College with a double major in Management and History.

Joe Ciammaichella from Baldwin-Wallace College.

Dan Jaeger from Case Western Reserve University summa cum laude with a degree in Chemical Engineering.

Kristin Chapman from Connecticut College with a double major in Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience.

Morgan Kimmel received her juris doctorate degree from the University of Dayton Law School.

Tony Smith from Kent State with a degree in Computer Science.

Drew Love from Boston University with a degree in Philosophy.

Jonathan Pace from USC last year with a degree in film and from Culinary school this year!

BAKE SALE UPDATE – The 5th and 6th Grade Girls and Boys Classes Bake Sale raised over $488 for Heifer International in March.  The goal of being able to fund a pig and llama was far exceeded thanks to our wonderful bakers and generous customers.  A goat, a flock of chickens, a flock of ducks and honeybees will be added to the original gift.

Confidential! – That’s what Stephen Ministry is.  Everything a person tells his or her Stephen Minister is kept in strict confidence.  People are often afraid that if they tell someone what is troubling them, word will get around and others will look down on them.  But a Stephen Minister keeps everything a care receiver shares confidential, and through the sharing God works miracles of healing and peace.

VBS – 2007 – Registration begins Sunday, May 20 for Vacation Bible School.  This year we will travel to "Galilee by-the-Sea" to Catch Jesus in Action.  A registration form is included with this month's Spire.

Completed forms may be mailed to the church, given to Kay Oxford, Jodie Fritinger or Dotty Channel, or turned-in at the VBS Table during Coffee Hour.  A $10 registration fee per child is requested in lieu of craft/snack donations.  For more information, please call the church office or Kay Oxford at 440-543-1756.

“Who’s Your Neighbor?” A brand new program has been planned for Jr. High and High School Youth this summer.  We will be visiting seven culturally diverse congregations of faith beginning in June.  Some we will visit in the morning, some in the evening, most on Sundays. We will be stopping after

each service at a culturally similar food venue to share a meal. Let’s stretch ourselves to understand

the beliefs and worship styles of all of God’s children. By the end of the summer, we should be much

more aware and appreciative of the diversity of God’s people. Please visit the church web-site and The

Youth Newsletter for a full listing of this program.

PROPS NEEDED FOR VBS – We're looking for a small wooden boat (or canoe) and fish nets to "set

the stage" for this year's Vacation Bible School - Galilee by the Sea. If you have these items and

will LOAN them for use during the week beginning June 25, please call Kay Oxford at 440-543-1756.

Rummage Sale: We had another successful Rummage Sale. Thanks to you we collected $1,787.65.

Your donations and volunteer hours are very much appreciated. Please mark you calendar for our fall

Rummage Sale on September 26 and 27. Joy Evans

Bill & Kevin’s Excellent Adventure – Our 12th consecutive adventure will find us returning to Canal

Park to watch the Akron Aeros take on the Bowie Baysox on Thursday, August 20. Twenty-five tickets

are being pre-purchased for $6 each (a $4 savings). The group will meet at the church at 6:00pm to

caravan down to Akron in time for the first pitch to be thrown out at 7:05pm. Parking is plentiful and

reasonably priced, as are refreshments. To sit with our group and receive the discounted price, you

must get your payment to Patti in the Church Office (first come, first served). After the first twenty-five

tickets are sold we will try to accommodate extras, but no guarantees. Minor league ball fields are

intimate, the action is spirited, the players are accessible for autographs, the management aims to

please and the weather is perfect (usually). Call now!

HABITAT LUNCH MUCH APPRECIATED – Our church volunteer cooks served lunch to Habitat of Portage County volunteer workers on Saturday, May 12, at the rehab house project on Oak Street in Kent.  Those who prepared the food were Elaine Duncan, Joy Evans, Margi McDonald, Fran Rassin, Betsy Tomasko, Winnie Hale Tucker and Marti Wagner.  The lunch was delivered and served by Lillian Papp and Carol Repella.  A picnic style lunch of hot dogs, chips, tossed salad, pasta salad, fruit tray, brownies, cookies and iced tea was much appreciated by the 15 workers!

The house on Oak Street is now finished inside and was described as "beautiful" by those seeing

the finished interior of the house. The outside still needs landscaping and lawn work to be completed.

Our next lunch opportunity will be in August, so please stay tuned! If anybody has a desire to

help with the volunteer construction work on Saturdays please contact our own Dick Rowley who is

President of Habitat for Humanity of Portage County board. (drowley1@adelphia.net). Also you may

check volunteer possibilities at the Habitat website: www.habitatofportage.com.

Thank you for your continuing support of Habitat. Any questions call Margi McDonald at 995-0850.

Missions Sub-Committee for Christian Action

2009 WILL BE HERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT! The church will celebrate its bicentennial that year and we are already getting ready. Let us know what you would like to see as part of that very special celebration. All ideas and suggestions can be forwarded on to Rev. Horak.

Church Camp – Camp will be held at Tar Hollow from Sunday, August 5, through Saturday, August 11.

The cost is $180 if paid by June 16 ($195 afterward). A sibling discount will save each youth from the same family an additional $15. Applications for campers and staff are available online at www.sfacamp.org. Campers cannot drive themselves to camp, but parents may coordinate with each other to transport campers to and from camp.

Prayer Chain – Have you ever wondered where those small white Prayer Cards go? Have you ever needed a helping hand? Fortunately, The Church in Aurora has some very special members who take time to pray over your concerns regularly. We have all seen the value of their efforts and can thank Johnnie Moulton, our Prayer Ministry Chairman, for her years of faithful dedication. What a blessing!

Weekly, a Prayer Chain “letter” is forwarded by post or e-mail to all those willing participants who give their time to pray for others. At this time, and in order to continue, we are in need of additional members to share in this task by providing the weekly Prayer Chain letter. This is a caring congregation and a very worthwhile endeavor. For more information, contact Diane Brubaker.

WOMEN OF FAITH CONFERENCE coming to Cleveland June 22-23. This year’s theme, Amazing Freedom, is based on John 8:36: “So if the Son makes you free you will be truly free.” The purpose of the conference is to encourage, entertain, inspire and refresh women in their relationship with the Lord and with each other. For more information visit www.womenoffaith.com.

Special I.R.S. Treatment for Charitable Giving from Your IRA – You only have seven months left to take advantage of a special IRS ruling that allows a person to direct Tax Free Payouts from their IRA to charities. This exception to the rule is expected to disappear at the end of 2007. A donor individual may direct up to $100,000 from a regular IRA or Roth IRA to charitable groups or institutions without paying any taxes on that distribution. The gifting individual must be at least 70 ½ years of age and cannot have a fiduciary advisor role in the charitable recipient’s organization. If you are fortunate enough to have an IRA that is “over-stocked” and you wish to perpetuate The Church in Aurora in its future programs, physical plant and community involvement, you may want to consider a gift of this nature to the Endowment Fund for The Church in Aurora. As always, we suggest that you consult your financial and legal advisors regarding this I.R.S. program. For more information on the Endowment Fund please speak with any member of the committee (below). Source-Kiplinger Tax Letter

Betsy Tomasko, Chuck Leamy, George Roemich, Rodger Shaulis, Muriel French, Dick Rowley

Annual Conference in Nashville – Consider joining Rev. Schnell, Toni Harris and voting delegates Bob Harris and Elaine Duncan at the International Council of Community Churches Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee from Sunday, July 29, through Wednesday, August 1. Registration fees are paid by The Church in Aurora for its members to attend (reduced rates are available for hotel, and Nashville is within driving distance). Join the “Larger Church” for worship, Bible lectures, workshops, exhibits, banquets, tours (read: Grand Ole Opry), plenary sessions and more. For more information, contact Rev. Schnell (330/562-8266).

3H PM Please join us on Thursday, June 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Stephen Ministry room as we work on our afghans and prayer shawls; we will also be sharing with each other Part 10: The Risen Hope.  Questions?—call Kathleen Horak, 330-562-1903.

Wanted: New Teddy Bears and other Animals. The 7th and 8th grade girls Church School class is collecting new stuffed animals for Providence House. This is a temporary home for infants to children age 5 who have been removed from an unsafe environment. Please keep in mind that these animals will go to small children, so please – no buttons. There will be a box in the Great Hall through Sunday, May 27th. Thank you.

Free to a Good Home: Black Metal Wheelchair Ramp from American Ramp Systems. Excellent condition. Full ramp includes (5)- 32½ x 98½ pieces, (1)- 32½ x 70½ piece and (1)-49½ x 50 wheelchair turn-around. Hand rails and adjustable stands are also included. Grating allows rain and snow to fall through to reduce the chance of slipping. A metal sidewalk ramp with hand rails and 2 metal doorway thresholds are also available. Does not require footings, excavation or permit to install.  Free to an individual, church, organization or business in need. Please call Karen Pope at 330.562.3192, for more information.

A Gentle Reminder – If you and/or your group use one of the rooms in the church, please make sure you leave it the way you found it. Return chairs to their homes, take all of your papers and books with you, turn out the lights. Your consideration is appreciated.

Summer Volunteer Opportunity – Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center (FFTRC) is looking for volunteers 14 years and older to help with our Equine Adventure Club. (FFTRC offers programs designed by professionals to foster personal growth and individual achievement for people with disabilities.) No previous horse or disabilities experience required. We’ll teach you everything you need to know. Students – this is a great way to get a jump start on service hours! For more information, see the flyer on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall, contact Julia Zellner at (440) 708-0013 ext. 124 or email jzellner@fieldstonefarmtrc.com. Our own Nancy Brainerd is a volunteer at Fieldstone so could probably tell you more about it.

Board Meeting – The Church in Aurora Board met on Monday, May 15, 2007.  Jim Niebuhr, Treas., reported that both income and expenses were slightly below our ytd budget through April. 

Tom Siewiorek, Stewardship, reported that Doug Kirsop has had to resign from the committee due to his new job and that a replacement will be needed.

Don Motulewicz, Trustees, reported that the Trustees are working on bids and costs for painting the church, waterproofing a section of the foundation, and painting the interior of the Escape.  These data will be presented to the Board as soon as possible so that a funding plan can be developed.

Toni Harris, C.E. and Youth Director, added that she hoped funds could be found soon, as the Escape painting needed to be done in the next couple of months to insure that it would be completed in time for our fall youth programs.

Ted Hollo, Elders, advised the Board that Gay Yonkers had notified the Elders that for personal reasons she would not be able to continue as Dir. of the Basic Choir next year. The Elders and Sally McGill , Minister of Music, are conducting a search for Gay’s replacement.

Jimmy Eavenson, Missions, reported the church had adopted an African village.  He also noted that Workcamp is going well and that 37 youth and adults are expected to participate.

Heidi Rudolph, Membership, updated the Board on new member activities.  She added that Membership was thinking of producing a new church pictorial directory in combination with the church’s Bicentennial celebration and they would like help from other committees. 

Board discussion followed and it was felt that a new directory was needed before then.  A sub committee will be formed to see what needs to be done to try and produce a new directory this year.

Under new business, the Board approved the following Committee appointments:

Anna Lebas, Receptions Committee, to fill the unexpired term of Kim Stover ’09;

Jeff Evans, Trustees Committee, to fill the unexpired term of Mark Yonkers ’09; and

Liz Sutter, Christian Education Committee, to fill the unexpired term of Marilyn DeVaul ‘10.

Please contact Peter French, Moderator, if you have any questions regarding the Board meeting 330-562-3353, pefrenchsr@aol.com.

May Trivia - What year did the April Stephen Ministry program start at The Church in Aurora?

1987 under the direction of Jane Van Auken and Cheryl Nordgren

June Trivia - What two out-buildings had to be razed to make room for an expanded Church parking lot?

Host Family Needed – Rohit Waikar from Nagpur Maharashtra, India, will be attending Aurora High School during the 2007-2008 school year, as part of the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. He will arrive in August and will stay until the following summer. Rohit is interested in hiking, mountain climbing and soccer. Rotary is seeking 2 – 3 host families for Rohit.  He would stay with each family for 3-5 months.

Requirements for Host Families:

• A heart – large enough to share a portion with a child from another land for a part of a year (but probably for life).

• A mind – open to the different life and culture the student will bring with them.

• A slice of laughter and gaiety to shrink the problems that may come up and to strengthen the bonds of communication.

• A bed – The student must have their own bed and if they share a room, it must be with a child of similar age who would have similar hours.

Talk it over in your family. Hosting an exchange student often results in unexpected rewards, growth in maturity and experiences which can last a lifetime.

For more information please call Barb Trudick @ 330-995-9915 or Bill Pogue @ 330-995-5275 (Rotary Club Youth Exchange Coordinators).

Mission of the Month – This month the Missions Committee is focusing on World Neighbors and their Adopt-a-Village Program.  World Neighbors is a not-for-profit community development organization working in partnership with the rural poor in hundreds of villages throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America. Since 1951, they have helped more than 25 million people in 45 nations improve their lives and the communities where they work.

The Adopt-a-Village Program helps sponsor projects specific to one locale. Donor organizations and individuals help people become self-reliant, build their communities and promote justice. The Missions Committee will support the village of Bonbonchiargu, Burkina Faso in West Africa in 2007.