St. Paul's

Evangelical Lutheran Church

127 Cherry Rd. NE, Massillon, OH 44646

330 832-7409

May 2026 Newsletter

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. 

Bell Choir Rehearsals:  April 29th, May 6th, May 13th, 6:00 pm

Canton Symphony Orchestra: May 3rd, 2:00 pm

Blood Drive: May 4th, Noon - 6:00 pm

Congregational Meeting: May 17th, following Worship

Game Night:  May 17th, 5:00 pm

Scholarship Application/Renewal Deadline:  June 1st

Sunday School after church service, 11:30 am

Wednesday: Snip-N-Stitch, 9:00 am

Wednesday: Steelband practice: 6:00- 6:45 pm

*On Bell Rehearsal Weeks - Sundays 1:00 - 2:00pm*

Wednesday: Chancel Choir practice, 7:00-8:30 pm

Thursday Chair Yoga following Bible Study, 11:00 am

He is Risen Indeed!  We "gathered at the tomb," listened to The Holy Gospel according to John, the 20th Chapter, and processed to our seats singing "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today," ELW 365.  The brass band, organ, choir, and the cheerful voices of one hundred seventy two in attendance added to a very special Worship Service.

Kathryn Myers and Rev. Jim Lutz - April 19th, 2026

Rev. Jim Lutz Jim graduated from Capital University and Trinity Lutheran Seminary. He served parishes in Aliquippa, PA, North Canton, and retired from Living Word in Medina. He currently attends St. Luke Lutheran in Cuyahoga Falls and serves in several areas in the congregation. He is married to Kate, has 2 children, and 5 grandchildren.

Rev. Jim Lutz and Kathryn Myers are brother and sister.  Kathryn added,  "It was so meaningful to me to have this opportunity to do a worship service together. He was always my hero growing up and we have remained close over the years. I know my mom and dad were smiling down from heaven."

You can watch any of our Worship Services and download the respective bulletins on the following link:

2026 Blood Drives 12-6 pm
Monday, May 4, 2026
Monday, August 24, 2026       

Click on or copy and paste the link below to schedule an appointment for our next blood drive.

https://www.redcrossblood.org/

After Sunday Worship: 11:30 am, second floor of Parish Hall

Redeemed for What?

You were bought with a price… (1 Corinthians 6:20a)

As we continue through Eastertide, we will reflect on the meaning of redemption. If we believe the death and resurrection of Jesus redeemed us, perhaps we must ask, now what? For what purpose have I been redeemed? What difference should it make in how I live now?

Please join us for Bible study and conversation as we meet together at 11:30 on Sunday morning, top floor Parish Hall. An elevator is available for easy access.

It's time to apply for, or renew, scholarship applications for the 2026 fall semester. 

All renewal applications are sent via email to the recipients from the previous semester.

New applicants can request an application starting April 1st, 2026 by emailing the church office

officeadmin@stpaulsmassillon.org for the application.

DEADLINE to be considered for the scholarship is June 1st, 2026.  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.

Join us in the lounge, on May 17th, at 5:00 pm for a fun night of games and fellowship. Bring your favorite board or card game(s), beverage, and an appetizer to share. Bingo for prizes will also be available.  

This event is for all ages – adults, children, and adults who act like children. Don’t miss out on the fun!

Pastor is on his sabbatical trip and so was not present for Council. He did leave the report that Impact Massillon for this year is being finalized and that details will be coming soon.

Our 40 Days of Giving project was very successful. As of council meeting, Dan reported that we have collected $4,446. We are so thankful for our generous congregation.

Jim Johnson reported that the leak that we had on Good Friday was the result of a heat cable being pulled into and clogging a drain on the roof. This caused water to get under the shingles. This has been taken care of. He also reported having one finalized bid for the Parish Hall heating and cooling project with 2 more bids coming. We hope to get this project underway in a timely fashion because we will need the AC up and running for the coming hot months.

There was a lengthy review of the proposed budget for next fiscal year. We thank Dan Farrar and his committee for their dedicated work on this very difficult task. The proposed budget was then approved by council to bring to  the congregation.

Barb Palmer and I reported that we are trying to clean up the Education Building and  find what is usable and what can be recycled or thrown away. Suggestions were made to have a congregation-wide clean up day in the near future. We would possibly like to have a garage sale to help with the disposal of items.  Bethany Kirk, my daughter, has taken a pickup truck full of rusted scrap and will most probably do another in the future.

The Congregational Meeting was set for May 17th.

Respectfully submitted, Kathryn Myers

With joy and gratitude, we continue to celebrate the completion of our new entrance and bathrooms. For the past nine months, these improvements have already been a blessing—offering a warm welcome and greater accessibility to all who enter. Thank you for the generosity and faith that made this possible.

Yet our work of caring for God’s house continues.

As we look ahead, several significant needs have emerged:

Parish Hall Window Wells Repair – Estimated cost: $169,000
Addressing these issues is essential to protect the integrity of the building and prevent further damage.

Completion of the Heating & Cooling Conversion (Parish Hall) – Estimated cost: $150,000
Finishing this project will ensure a comfortable, efficient, and usable space for ministry year-round.

Organ Maintenance and Restoration – Estimated cost: $100,000–$200,000
Our organ plays a vital role in worship, and necessary maintenance will preserve its voice for future generations.

These are substantial projects, but they are also opportunities—opportunities to care for the spaces where ministry happens, where lives are touched, and where the Gospel is proclaimed.

Through your continued generosity, we can preserve and strengthen this place of welcome, safety, and worship. Together, we are ensuring that our church remains a living witness to God’s grace for generations to come.

Thank you for your faithfulness and your partnership in this shared ministry.

We continue to be blessed with musicians during Worship at St. Paul's.

Karlis Graufelds

Karlis Graufelds, from Lansdale, PA, is a first-year student at the Cleveland Institute of Music studying classical viola performance under the direction of Professor Jeffery Irvine. Karlis previously served as the principal violist of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra under Maestro Luis Scaglione. Karlis was the principal violist in Adriana Linares’ ArCoNet Youth Orchestra and has participated in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State, Regional and District Orchestras.

Karlis has attended Oberlin Conservatory’s Intensive Viola Workshop, the Dali Quartet International Music Festival and the Kutztown University Summer Music Festival, where he was named principal violist of the festival orchestra and placed first runner-up in the festival concerto competition. This summer Karlis will be attending the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival where he will study in their intensive senior program. Karlis is a current member of the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, CIM chamber groups and guest violist for church services in both Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Jackie Pritchett is the Bridge editor starting with the May, 2026 issue. Send all contributions to her at officeadmin@stpaulsmassillon.org. Deadline will still be the 21st of each month.

For the last two years we have had small annual surpluses.  So far this year we have a year-to-date deficit of $29,487.  The three largest expense increases compared to last year at this time are repairs up $16,544 or 124%, insurance a $10,999 increase that is 55% higher than last year and utilities up $7,808 a 28% increase.  While donations are down $10,537 about 4%.     

Dan Farrar, Treasurer   

Report from Kim Oberlin:

Welcome back to all our ladies at the April Friendship Circle! Sue Ambrosic and Tracie Schmolt were our hostesses, serving up a nice dinner and yummy desserts! I led the Bible Study, speaking of everything Spring that is mentioned in the Bible about this beautiful time of year.

We’d love to see more of our lady friends at our next get together. We meet on the first Thursday of each month at 6:00 pm, in the lounge,  from April-December.

Report from the Clothing Closet Committee: 

We are in desperate need of donations.

The last several months have ended with empty racks and depleted reserves in our clothing closet. We typically serve 70 to 80 patrons each month, demonstrating an urgent need in our community for quality clothing, bedding, shoes, housewares, etc.

If you or anyone you know are planning a garage sale, we will happily relieve you of unsold items.

We have been, and continue to be, so blessed by your support.

We usually work in the closet on Saturday afternoons. In addition to sorting clothes, we can use volunteers to help keep our floors swept and mopped, shelves dusted, and a variety of cleaning needs.

We are open to the public the second Friday of each month, 3:30 to 6pm. Please feel free to join us and experience the great joy of helping those in need.

Thank You St Paul’s family for your generous support.

Feel free to contact us for information about our ministry,

Tracie Schmolt, Carol Stoner and Cindy Lash

The St. Paul's Steelband will be rehearsing on Wednesdays from 6-7PM. If there are any questions, please feel free to reach out to Eleanor or catch her after service. 

There's no need to bring anything for the first rehearsal. For those of you that just  want to watch and listen, you are free to stay for as long as you like. We can't wait to get started making music together! 

*On Bell Rehearsal Weeks, we will meet Sundays from 1:00-2:00 pm

Note from our music director / organist / pianist / choir director / bells director, Abby Haake:

We are an intergenerational ensemble, and no music trading is required. Let me know if you plan to join us, and come make a joyful noise!

Rehearsals April 29, May 6, May 13 at 6:00 PM to ring May 17 in worship.

St. Paul members who are a part of the Chorus: Rev. Mark Kreemer, Veronica Kreemer, Carol Butler, Dwight Butler, Ellie Manes.

The Canton Symphony Orchestra Chorus will present several movements from Brahms' A German Requiem, from the Masterworks Concert on March 28. Brahms' Requiem was in part inspired by his deep devotion to his mother, who had died not long before this was written. The program will also have several other pieces inspired by mothers in honor of Mother's Day coming on May 10.

CONCERTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO ALL. YOUR FREEWILL OFFERING IS GRACIOUSLY RECEIVED.

Favorite hymns and verses: 

Barb Starrett, May 14
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love."                                     (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Loren Veigel, May 14
“And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own."                                           (Hymn: In the Garden)

Gayle Jackson, May 29:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Georgiana Sombrio, May 30: 
"Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. " (Psalm 30:5)

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!

Congratulations!

 Richard & Mary Jo Theiss, May 12th

Ed & Lori Davila, May 23rd

Michael & Rachel Deerwester, May 25th

Jan & Monte Geuy, May 26th

Eric & Carla Myers, May 27th

Robert & Marilyn Perkowski, May 30th

Monte and Jan Geuy are celebrating their 47th anniversary. They were married on May 26,1979 by Reverend Thomas England in St. Paris, Ohio.

Our own Chuck Richards was DJ for our Spring Fling Dinner Dance.

Good Food, Fellowship, and a night of "busting a rug."  

Rumor has it that there's video of some pretty fancy moves on the dance floor.  However, you'll have to go to the next dance to see the action.  

We have many youth and young adults that are very active in a variety of areas, and we want to spotlight them.  If you know of someone you'd like to feature, please submit the information to the church office:  Officeadmin@stpaulsmassillon.org

Matt Blaine is a Freshman at Kent State University.  He played High School Baseball for the Jackson Polar Bears and has continued his love of the game with Kent State's Club Baseball team.  Matt primarily is a pitcher, but also plays 3rd, 1st, and any position he is needed.

In a recent game, Matt rang up 13 strikeouts in a 5-0 victory over Denison Club Baseball.  He gave up one hit and zero runs over seven innings.  He faced 23 batters throwing 93 pitches with 60 of those being strikes.

If you are interested in serving for a future month, click on the contact person's email link.

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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

ELCA Vision: A world experiencing the difference God’s grace and love in Christ make for all people and creation..