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St. Paul's
Evangelical Lutheran Church
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127 Cherry Rd. NE, Massillon, OH 44646
330 832-7409
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Contact Us: Click to send an email
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- Summer Devotion: “Built on the Rock”
- Upcoming Events
- Pastor's Ordination Anniversary
- Blood Drive Dates
- Chair Yoga
- Church Council Highlights
- Income and Expense Summary
- Capital Fund Update
- Mission Endowment Fund
- Accessible Building Entrances During Construction
- July Community Meal Report
- Community Clothes Closet
- Invitation to Graduation Recital
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- Scholarship Application Deadline August 8
- Snip-N-Stitch Welcomes Fabric Donations
- Prayer List Update
- Welcome to Our New Member
- August Birthdays
- August Wedding Anniversaries
- Thank You Notes
- Flowers for the Altar
- Council Members
- Committee Members
- Serving During the Month of August
- New Assisted Hearing Devices Available
- St. Paul's Phone App
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Summer Devotion: “Built on the Rock”
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"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” – Matthew 7:24
Dear Friends in Christ,
There’s something about summer that invites us to look back and take stock. The slower pace, the longer light—it gives us space to reflect on the foundations we’ve built our lives upon.
This summer marks 25 years since I was ordained into ministry. And as I reflect on those years—on the joys and heartbreaks, the holy conversations and quiet prayers—I keep coming back to a moment even earlier: the day Veronica and I were married. Pastor Karen Asmus Alsnauer, who blessed our marriage that day, chose Matthew 7 as the Scripture for the service: the story of the wise and foolish builders.
“Build your house on the rock,” Jesus says—not on shifting sand.
Twenty-five years into ministry and 28 years into our marriage, I can say that storms do come. Winds blow. Rain falls. Plans change. But what has kept us steady is not perfection or planning—it’s the foundation. It’s the Rock. It’s Christ. On our wedding day, Veronica and I made a covenant—not just with each other, but with God. That covenant, grounded in grace and sealed in promise, has shaped the love that sustains us. It’s a love that deepens over time, that forgives, that grows stronger in challenge, and that continues to be built, brick by brick, through everyday acts of faithfulness and care. In many ways, the same is true in ministry. The covenant made in ordination—to preach the gospel, to serve God’s people, to walk humbly—also calls us to return again and again to the Source of our strength.
That same truth holds for the Church, too. Buildings rise and ministries evolve. People come and go. But when we are rooted in the love and grace of Jesus Christ, we are not washed away.
This August 24, Pastor Karen will preach again—this time for the anniversary of my ordination. I’m grateful for that full-circle moment, and even more for the steady foundation beneath it all: God’s faithfulness through every season.
So wherever you find yourself this summer—on the beach, in your garden, or quietly pausing amid the busyness—take a moment to reflect:
What are you building your life on?
Is your spirit resting on solid ground?
And how might God be calling you to renew that foundation?
Prayer:
Steadfast God,
Thank you for being our rock when life is uncertain. Thank you for the years You have held us steady—through ministry, through marriage, through storm and sun. Help us to build our lives on Your Word, so that we may stand strong and serve with joy.
Amen
Blessings,
Pastor Mark
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The church calendar is always available on every page of the church website on the right side, along with the church address, phone number, email address, and Youtube link for the online services. The online calendar contains the most up-to-date listing of events.
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Thursday: Chair Yoga 10:00 am
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Tuesday, August 5, Worship and Music Committee (1st Tuesday of month)
Thursday, August 7, 6 pm: Friendship Circle. (1st Thursday of month)
Friday, August 8, 4:30-6:00 pm: Community Meal and Clothes Closet
(2nd Friday of month)
Tuesday, August 12, 7 pm: Church Council (2nd Tuesday of month)
Tuesday, August 19, 6 pm: Finance Committee (3rd Tuesday of month)
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August 2, 2 pm: Graduation Recital for Anderson Rambler
August 17: Congregational Meeting, Annual Report (2024-2025)
August 24: 25th Anniversary in Ministry for Pastor Mark, Special Service and Celebration
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Pastor's Ordination Anniversary
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We will be celebrating Pastor's 25th anniversary of ordination on August 24. We hope everyone can join in this happy milestone event. A catered dinner will follow the church service, and all are invited to celebrate with Pastor Mark and his family. A signup sheet will be available so that we have some idea of the number of people attending.
If you would like to contribute to a gift for Pastor, you can simply use a pew envelope and mark it Ordination Gift. Also feel free to mail a contribution to the church and simply earmark it for this celebration. Thank you in advance.
I know we will all be looking forward to this special Sunday.
Kathryn Myers, Congregational President
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The need is constant.
The gratification is instant.
Give Blood.
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Stay in shape this summer! Barb Palmer has graciously agreed to lead a Chair Yoga class. We will meet every Thursday around 10 am in the Parish Hall top floor classroom. This very low impact class lasts about half an hour.
And the cost? IT IS FREE.
Hope to see you there.
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Church Council Highlights
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Pastor Mark reported that Jack Norton is home and doing well. Judy Hall continues rehab at Amherst Meadows and Darlene Lewis is having surgery in the upcoming weeks.
Pastor Groenke gifted the church a large, framed collage of various pictures of St. Paul. It is now in Pastor's office.
Pastor will be taking a few vacation days at the end of July but will not include any Sundays.
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Capital Campaign and Construction
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We appreciate your continued patience during this time of renovation and construction. You can certainly see the progress as you come to church each week. As Pastor remarked one Sunday, many of us are using the front entrance for the first time!! Everything seems to be right on schedule with only an occasional delay of outside work because of weather. The new bathrooms are ready for flooring and electrical work.
The entry doors across from the Parish Hall will be repurposed and used as entry doors to the sanctuary when construction nears completion.
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Council approved a motion brought before council to send $5000 to the ELCA for their work with the flooding disaster in Texas.
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There was a problem with the air conditioning in the sanctuary having to do with a fan motor. Repairs are underway, and all should be much cooler very soon.
Water leaks in the Education Building and in the Parish Hall are being addressed and repaired. The pipes in the Parish Hall are aging, and therefore estimates on some longer-range repairs will be sought in the near future.
The new boiler for the church will, hopefully, be installed before the end of the month.
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New visitor bags have been purchased and will now have a water bottle instead of a coffee mug. We are looking, perhaps, to purchase other items for these bags.
The water bottles are also for sale for $5 to any congregational member who would like to purchase one.
Many thanks to Sue Reid for helping with this project.
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Respectfully shared,
Kathryn Myers
President, Church Council
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Income and Expense Summary
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Financial notes: We finished our fiscal year with a surplus. Thank you to all who donated and volunteered to help make this possible.
Dan Farrar, Treasurer
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Capital Campaign Update Notes from Pastor Mark
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Construction is well underway on our new entrance and restrooms, and we are deeply grateful for the generosity of our members that has made this possible—the project is fully funded!
However, this is not the end of our building and maintenance needs. Two important projects still lie ahead: addressing the window wells around the base of the Parish Hall and upgrading the heating and cooling system in that same space. While we do not yet have formal estimates for these projects, we know they will come at a significant cost.
That’s why we are asking everyone to continue supporting the Capital Campaign. Your continued giving will ensure that we can maintain a safe, welcoming, and comfortable environment for all who come through our doors.
We hope to have estimates for the next phase of work by the end of the summer and will keep you informed as those plans develop. In the meantime, thank you for your ongoing faithfulness and generosity.
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The Mission Endowment Fund was established by a congregational vote in 2010. The monetary amount of undesignated memorial donations is invested. The accumulated growth from these invested gifts becomes available for giving to charitable organizations, according to the church's direction on outreach and initiatives.
In this past fiscal year, this committee met four times with the following nine church council approved distributions:
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The church received and invested one undesignated gift of $500 in December 2024.
The committee members were Sue Ambrosic, Karl Kalk (financial secretary), Lynda Klein (recording secretary), Craig Maurer (chairperson), and Phyllis Staver.
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Accessible Building Entrances During Construction
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New handicap spaces will be ready in the fall.
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Due to construction, the chairlift will be unavailable starting May 25.
Beginning Tuesday May 27, the east side entrance under the archway into the church building will be unavailable for use.
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- Those who park in the lower lot on Sundays are encouraged to use the sidewalk along First Street and access the church through the west side door.
- Those parking in the upper lot and along the street may enter the church building through the Cherry Street doors.
- Parish Hall may be accessed through the main door facing Cherry Rd.
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Watch for signs updating access as the construction moves forward.
Updates will also be announced on our website, Facebook, and in the church app.
Thank you for your patience!
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Flooring for the bathrooms has been installed.
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July Community Meal Report
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On a hot and sunny afternoon, we fed 86 guests with a grilled chicken breast sandwich, homemade pasta salad, a bag of salties, pickles, celery, carrots with dipping sauce and flavored ice pops. The dining room was decorated in red, white, and blue, celebrating the month of July. As usual, many attended our clothing closet and were very grateful.
If you’re interested in providing desserts for our meals, please deliver them to the church by noon on the Friday of our meal. If you don’t have time, or are not a baker, financial donations are always welcomed. Our next meal is August 8th.
Thank you for your continued prayers for our mission; that is so much appreciated.
Please reach out to Kim or David with any questions.
Blessings and Peace,
phone links: Kim Oberlin and David Stoner
email links: Kim Oberlin and David Stoner
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Great news: we are expanding! This month we cleared and opened an additional room.
We had many new customers as well as our regular patrons.
We can use good, clean, used clothing, shoes, household, and miscellaneous items, children's toys, books, and pet items. This month in addition to the clothing, we delighted customers with a VCR, a Hamilton Beach stand mixer, a fish cleaning stand, and a timing light,
We were graced with the addition of a new volunteer for our Women's Room: we welcome Samantha. We thank volunteer Danny for his faithful care of the Men's Room and for helping shoppers take their items to their cars.
Please feel free to join us to share in the joy this ministry offers.
Contacts: Cindy Lash, Tracie Schmolt, and Carol Stoner
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Invitation to Graduation Recital
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You are invited to hear the beautiful music of our frequent guest soloist and Chancel Choir member, Anderson Rambler. He recently graduated from the Akron School for the Arts at Firestone High School.
Andy has distinguished himself in vocal competitions, earning 1st Place in the Schmidt Vocal Competition (Ohio), 1st Place in both the Classical and American Spiritual categories at Ohio NATS, and 2nd Place at Shining Star CLE. Andy was a member of Firestone’s Symphonic and Madrigal Choirs, which we enjoyed so much in the Advent season. Next fall, Andy will attend the Oberlin Conservatory of Music to pursue a degree in Vocal Performance.
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Scholarship Application Deadline August 8
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It's time to apply or renew scholarship applications for the 2025-2026 fall semester.
All renewal applications are sent via email and texted to the recipients from the previous year.
New applicants can request an application starting July 13 by texting Barb Palmer at 330-244-1602 for the application link.
DEADLINE to be considered for the scholarship is August 8. Scholarship recipients will then be voted upon by the Scholarship Committee. Recipients will be notified, and rewards will be sent via postal mail to the address on the application within the month of August.
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Snip-N-Stitch Welcomes Fabric Donations
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Whether you have leftover fabric from a sewing project or you're cleaning out your closets--or maybe hitting the summer garage sales, we would welcome any fabric that you might like to donate to Snip-N-Stitch! We can use large pieces of fabric or small remnants.
This small but mighty group has been busy this year making our quilts for Lutheran World Relief. These quilts provide comfort and warmth to communities and families all over the world who are struggling with poverty or need humanitarian assistance after a disaster strikes. LWR offers aid and our quilts to American families as well, most recently due to the catastrophic tornadoes, high winds and flooding in the Southern and Midwestern states.
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Olivia Harrington, Darlene Lewis, Cindy Nash, Michael Jordan, Paul Daily, Rick Thesis, Stephanie Brooks, Jerry Sturtz, Judy Hall, Richard Green, and Randy Balder.
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Welcome to Our New Member
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Randy Balder was welcomed into church membership on June 29.
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Favorite Bible or hymn verses: Every month we invite those celebrating birthdays to share their favorite verses. Be ready to send in yours!
Niall Slater, August 19:
"Jerusalem, my happy home! Would God I were in thee!" ("The beginning of the 6th verse as printed in the old red hymnal of my childhood.")
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Aug 3--Richard Stern
Aug 3--Grant Lash
Aug 5--Barbara Palmer
Aug 5--Jeannie Tidwell
Aug 6--Paul Mutchler
Aug 7--Kim Gray
Aug 9--Brian Johnson
Aug 10--Riley Hostetler
Aug 10--Jared Lafferty
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Aug 11--Michael Skelly
Aug 13--Diane Books
Aug 14--Tracie Schmolt
Aug 14--Rebecca Moden
Aug 14--Gary Collard
Aug 15--James Myers
Aug 16--Larry Rollins
Aug 19--Niall Slater
Aug 20--Jonathon Stuck
Aug 21--Lori Davila
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Aug 22--Karl Kalk
Aug 23--Alexander Myers
Aug 23--Haven Dovel
Aug 24--Natalia Monastra
Aug 25--Antonio Davila
Aug 28--Sabrina Skelly
Aug 29--Patricia Long
Aug 30--Phillip Downey
Aug 31--Amy White
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Has your birthday or anniversary been missing from the published lists? If so, please contact the office so we can add it to our database. Thank you!
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August Wedding Anniversaries
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We celebrate with these couples and congratulate them on another milestone in their lives together!
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Aug 3--Gregory & Lynda Klein
Aug 7--Paul & Karen Daily
Aug 9--Robert & Nancy Morningstar, 50th anniversary!
Aug 12--Benjamin & Danese Bunting
Aug 16--Christopher & Sharon Johns
Aug 21--Scott & Jennifer Larson
Aug 22--Gary & Deborah Brown
Aug 28--Russell & Mary Ann Poling
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I want to thank Pastor Mark, Pastor Lynn and LaShell, and Jim and Becky for their visitations while I was in the hospital and at home. Also, I would like to thank my church family for sending me the get well and recovery cards; they were very much appreciated.
--Jack Norton
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I want to express my deepest gratitude to all St. Paul’s members and friends who offered prayers for my recovery, sent cards, and offered well wishes during my recent health issues. These have all been a source of comfort and strength and helped me through some rough times. Through your prayers and God’s healing powers, I am on the road to recovery, hope to be home soon, and be able to attend worship in church once again.
Thank you,
Judy Hall
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Dear St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church,
On behalf of VANTAGE Aging and Meals on Wheels of Northeast Ohio, thank you for your generous contribution of $500.00 toward our Plates with Purpose campaign. Your financial support helps ensure that seniors in our community receive nutritious meals, wellness checks, and the caring connection they deserve.
Because of your generosity, older adults can count on a warm meal and a friendly visit from our dedicated volunteers and drivers. Your kindness is more than a meal—it's a lifeline. Your support of Plates with Purpose directly impacts the well-being of seniors who rely on Meals on Wheels to maintain their health and independence. Together, we are making sure that every senior has the care they need to age with dignity.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Anna Clendenin
Development Specialist
Thank you SO much for supporting Meals on Wheels!
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Flowers for the Altar for 2025
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Please text Sue Ambrosic at 330-844-7648 if you would like to have the Altar or Throne flowers for 2025.
The cost of Altar flowers is $40 per Sunday; the Throne flowers are $28. Please contact Patty Carmola if you have any questions at 330-832-9405. You will be billed directly by Carmola's Flowers in Massillon.
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Council members were commissioned during the June 29 church service.
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Dwight Butler
Gary Collard
Shane Jackson
Jim Johnson
Lynda Klein
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Dennis Morgan
Barb Palmer
Sue Reid
Brady Rupp
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Kathryn Myers, Chair
Amy Burkett,
Sue Ambrosic
Gayle Jackson
Becky Johnson
Cindy Lash
Deidra Monastra
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Dan Farrar, Chair
Shane Jackson
Greg Klein
John Liebermann
Patty Long
Brady Rupp
Tracie Schmolt
John Stanko
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Greg Klein, Chair
Carol Butler
Dwight Butler
Abigail Haake
Karl Kalk
Patty Long
Kathryn Myers
Kim Oberlin
Phyllis Staver
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WELFARE AND SOCIAL ACTION
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Barb Palmer, Chair
Christine Bates
Judy Fichter
Lynda Klein
Deidra Monastra
Kathryn Myers
Kim Oberlin
JuDee Reed
David Stoner
LaShell Williamson
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Jim Johnson, Chair
Dave Allman
Joe Hepler
John Liebermann
Dennis Morgan, Liaison for Chair
Paul Mutchler
John Stanko
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YOUTH AND PARISH EDUCATION
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Serving During the Month of August
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If you are interested in serving for a future month, click on the contact person's email link.
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Contact Karl Kalk
8/3—Sue Reid
8/10—Veronica Kreemer
8/17—Scott Larson
8/24—Patricia Long
8/31—David Stoner
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Contact Kathryn Myers
8/3--Dennis Morgan &
Kathryn Myers
8-10--Brady Rupp & Sue Reid
8/17--Dwight Butler & Jim Johnson
8/24--Jackie Pritchett & Gary Collard
8/31--Shane Jackson & Barb Palmer
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Contact Karl Kalk
8/3--Pastor Lynn & Lashelle Williamson
8/10--Dick & Robin Cordes
8/17--Russ & Mary Ann Poling
8/24--Greg & Linda Klein
8/31--Sue Ambrosic
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New Assisted Hearing Devices Available
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Four assisted listening devices are available at the sound system table in the back of the sanctuary at the beginning of worship. Please see Jim Johnson or John Stanko if you need assistance with these devices.
You can also use your smartphone to access the system. Go to your app store and download the WaveCAST app. Then connect to the sanctuary Wi-Fi:
Network: sound media
Password: Sound127
Once connected to the Wi-Fi, open the WaveCAST app and tap on St. Paul’s to access the worship service. If you need help, please see Jim or John.
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Choose My Church by Pushpay from the App Store.
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To take advantage of all the app’s features, you must create an account. Get notifications and reminders of upcoming events, access our live stream worship and worship bulletins, send prayer requests, see the church calendar, and give electronically.
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St. Paul's
Evangelical Lutheran Church
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We are a community of believers called together to be the Body of Christ for the sake of our families, community and our world. We invite you to join us for worship on Sunday mornings as we celebrate God’s redeeming and freeing grace in Jesus Christ our Lord.
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The Reverend Mark Kreemer officiating.
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Thank you to all who have submitted photos for this newsletter. To see more photos, follow the Facebook pages listed below.
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Cathedral Concerts Facebook Page
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St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church
127 Cherry Rd. NE, Massillon, OH 44646
330 832-7409
Office Hours: T, W, F 9am-1pm
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ELCA Vision: A world experiencing the difference God’s grace and love in Christ make for all people and creation..
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