St. Paul's

Evangelical Lutheran Church

127 Cherry Rd. NE, Massillon, OH 44646

330 832-7409

August 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. 

Church Picnic: August 2nd 

Annual Congregational Meeting:  August 16th

Blood Drive:  August 24th Noon to 6:00 pm

Staver Stable Outing: August 25th 10:30 am

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

Thursday:  Summer Read, 10 am 

Thursday: Chair Yoga, 11:00 am

Thursday Mornings at 10 am 

Over the past several months, many people have asked an important question: What is a faithful Christian response to the times in which we live? Others have wondered how we can speak with family members, friends, neighbors, and fellow Christians who may see the world very differently than we do.

We continue to read the book The Separation of Church and Hate together in August.

The book explores the intersection of faith, politics, culture, and Christian witness in today’s world. It raises challenging questions about how followers of Jesus are called to live with both conviction and compassion.

This conversation will not be for everyone, and that is perfectly okay. The goal is not political agreement, nor is it to debate winners and losers. Rather, the hope is to create space for thoughtful reflection, respectful conversation, and faithful listening.

As Christians, we are called to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). That means we can hold differing opinions while still treating one another with dignity, grace, and respect. Our congregation will continue to be a place where questions may be asked honestly and where people are valued as brothers and sisters in Christ, even when perspectives differ.

I’m frequently asked when I’m in the office.  

My office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9am – 1pm.

Office Email:  officeadmin@stpaulsmassillon.org

Office phone:  330.832.7409

Jackie Pritchett, Office Volunteer

Our next blood drive is Monday, August 24th, 2026 from Noon to 6 pm.

The American Red Cross is declaring an emergency blood shortage as the blood supply fell nearly 25% in June. Blood donors are urgently needed to give now to help ensure patients receive lifesaving medical care without delay.

Unlike other medical treatments, blood cannot be stockpiled. It must be constantly replenished because it is only viable for transfusion for a few weeks and in some cases, as with platelets, only a few days. Without it, lifesaving treatments and critical access to care are not possible. Emergency rooms can’t function; maternity wards can’t operate; cancer patients must wait.

The blood collected at St. Paul’s drive has already been allocated to assist a patient in need. Please consider donating and encourage others to do the same. 

         *Our Final Blood Drive for 2026 will be November 16th, 2026 from Noon to 6:00 PM*

Click on the link below to schedule an appointment for our next blood drive.

Staver Stable Outing

All women of the church are invited to travel to the Staver Stables on Tuesday, August 25th for a 10:30 "meet and greet" of the four horses who reside here. This visit will include a horsemanship demonstration, a brief discussion of the importance of good nutrition in equine care, and a chance to touch them and give them treats, which will make them your friends forever! These two mares and two geldings (Yes, we will discuss gender-related topics.) are from some of the top bloodlines of their various breed types and have all been trained to do something successfully. 

Following our time outside we will travel to the Dalton Dariette for lunch - but without the horses!

Bring lawn chairs if you need to sit for a longer period of time. (I have some and also a glider near the barn.) This will be a fun event for those who always wanted to own a horse but never got the opportunity in younger years.

The address is: 12690 Sinclair Street SW, Massillon, in Tuscarawas Township south of the Elms Golf Course.

The horses and I are looking forward to seeing all of you!

Psalms 118:24 (NRSVUE)

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

We have many blessings around and within our building. Please take time to enjoy and give thanks.

A special thanks to Barb Palmer for her dedication to the flowerbeds. Her regular weeding and care are much appreciated.

Please plan to participate in the Annual Congregational Meeting on August 16th following worship.

We have several important topics to discuss, and your input is appreciated and needed.

Pastor Mark gave a brief report on those in our church family who are sick or homebound. He gave details on the funeral of Larry Rollins.

Pastor Mark gave a brief presentation on a company who provides funerals at a greatly reduced price because the company does not maintain an actual funeral home location. Visitation and the funeral occur at the church with the company providing all the needed services. We will make this information available  to the congregation at a later date and the company may want to make a presentation to interested people.

The elevator is not in use at this time due to a lightning strike which disabled parts. The parts are on order and will be installed as soon as they arrive. Note: Since the meeting, the parts arrived and the elevator has been repaired.

The needed air handler for the sanctuary is on order and installation will be scheduled around the weather as it will take about a week. We are hoping the air handler lasts to complete repairs when the fall switchover for the boiler occurs.  

Jim Johnson went over the many repairs which are needed for the church building and these will be presented at the August congregational meeting. There are many areas which need attention.

The organ repair was briefly discussed but at this point, Music and Worship has not yet settled on a company to do repairs. This matter will also be a topic of interest at the August meeting.

Several requests from Mission Endowment were easily passed.

There was discussion as to exactly what matters need to be discussed at the August meeting. We will make committee reports very short so that main attention can be given to repair decisions..

Respectfully submitted,

Kathryn Myers, Council President

Church council authorized the sale of our cemetery lots at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens. 

Rose Hill is charging $1,250, plus a $125 title change fee for these lots.  

St Paul’s is offering them for $1,000 plus a $125 title change fee. 

See Kathryn Myers or Dan Farrar if interested.

August 2nd Following Worship

Join us August 2nd,  for our annual picnic following the 10am Worship Service. 

We will be grilling hamburgers and hot dogs with an ice cream bar as a special treat.

Please bring a covered dish.  If your last name starts with

  A-F – bring a side dish

  G-N – bring a dessert

  O-Z – bring a salad or appetizer

We will have special music from Ellie playing the steel drum.

After you have plenty to eat, you can join in on the fun outside. 

There will be games on the lawn including a corn hole tournament with prizes.

Note: The Fellowship Committee will be in the kitchen to accept food before church.

Please send all contributions for the Newsletter to:

officeadmin@stpaulsmassillon.org.

The deadline is the 21st of each month.

Report from Kim Oberlin:

Our July Friendship Circle started with a light, summery dinner of chicken salad sandwiches and pasta salad prepared by Joyce Mitcheal and Becky Johnson. 

Judy Fichter invited Rebecca Studer from “Legacy Project of Stark” to give a presentation on what this organization is about and how we can volunteer. It seems like a wonderful program that can help our youth here in Stark County.  If anyone has some free time, just once a week for an hour during the school year, this may be an opportunity for you!  Judy is currently a volunteer and I’m sure that she could share some of her experiences. Thank you for your consideration.  For more information, click on the button below.

All ladies are welcome to join us on the first Thursday of each month, April thru December at 6:00 for a light dinner, fellowship and Bible study…. Always happy to welcome new faces!

During the month of August we will be collecting paper products for the local CommQuest Family Living Center located on Lincoln Way E.

Their needs include:

Paper plates
Paper cups - both solo and Styrofoam
Bowls
Napkins
Plasticware

It was mentioned that Styrofoam anything cannot be heated in a microwave so please choose actual paper products except for coffee cups. Anything you are able to donate will be much appreciated!

We hope to deliver these items by Labor Day weekend. Boxes will be placed in various locations for this project. Many thanks for your generosity!

Contact Phyllis Staver with any questions. 

We were busy again this month with approximately 70 shoppers. There were many new grateful community members. Feel free to join us on the second Friday of the month to see your contributions in action. We never leave without feeling gratified to provide this needed service and are grateful for our personal blessings.

Thank you all for the wonderful array of donations. The patrons of the closet thank you as well. Looking for another way to help those in need? A portion of your monetary weekly donations can also be given to the clothing closet to purchase items for hard to fit shoppers and special events. Please, notify Dan Farrar or Tracie Schmolt of the portion you would like to give.

Remember, items left over from garage sales are welcome. Shoppers love the variety of items.

Questions! please contact: Carol Stoner or Tracie Schmolt.           

Please pray for our partner Cindy Lash as she recovers.

Are you needing some island vibes this summer?

Come join the St Paul's Steelband as we learn about the music and culture of Trinidad!

We meet on Wednesdays from 6-7pm in the education building. No music experience is required and all age groups are welcome.

Nervous about your first rehearsal or just curious but can't come to class?  See Eleanor before or after service to set up a free demo lesson!

While our Chancel Choir is on summer break, we are blessed with a variety of talented individuals during Worship.  

Bells are always a delightful addition to our Worship Service.  Thank you, Heidi Hall, Kim Oberlin, Richard Evert, and Patty Long.

Richard Evert, from Sturgis, MI, plays clarinet and the family of saxophones. He attended the University of Michigan for two years and traveled to Russia with the University Symphonic Band under the Presidents Cultural Exchange Program. Following this, he played in the United States Air Force Band in Washington D.C. Richard has received degrees in Music Education and Clarinet Performance from the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He worked for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for 15 years. As a teacher, Richard has taught preschoolers through college students. He has appeared as a soloist with concert bands, jazz bands, polka bands, chamber ensembles as well as in church settings. For the last six years, Richard has traveled the 50 states while RVing full time. He plays in the Canal Fulton Community Band and enjoys reading in his spare time.

Heather Evert (daughter of Dick) has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Akron in ballet and has studied violin with members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. She lives in Marshallville, on her grandparents’ farm, and has goats, cats, indoor rabbit and guinea pigs. In the summer, she has a large garden that keeps her busy. She also sings in the Cantate Singers that perform in the area.

Phyllis Staver is a member of the Class of 1969 at Tuslaw High school and continued her studies at Ashland (College) University where she graduated Magna cum laude with a degree in Music Education in 1972. She studied piano with Elizabeth Pastor who was also on the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music and choral conducting with Dr. Calvin Y. Rogers, a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Her teaching responsibilities included stints in the Jackson, Fairless, and Tuslaw Public Schools where she taught K – 12 choral and general music while maintaining an active private studio, teaching voice, piano, and flute. Her choirs received superior ratings in OMEA adjudicated events as did her private students. During those earlier years Phyllis was also a children’s choir director here at St. Paul’s with three well attended youth choirs and later became an adult choir director and handbell director at other churches as 13 well as a fulltime organist. She has performed on numerous recitals using repertoire from a variety of composers, both classical as well as contemporary. For the past 20 years Phyllis has also served as an OMEA adjudicator of vocal and piano events as well as Large group events for choirs. She has a husband and four adult children plus four grandchildren with four horses in the barn and an English Springer Spaniel in the house. Piper was recently given the title of Service Dog so that she and her owner can visit hospitals and nursing homes in the role of emotional support animal. Her other volunteer position is with Meals on Wheels where she has delivered meals and emotional support for 18 years. She still derives pleasure from adding music to worship services where we are admonished to “Make a joyful noise to the Lord”; she just prefers that it be in tune!

Blooming Strings Quartet are: Kayla Brant, violin I; Cynthia Snyder, Violin II; Barb Phelps-Hutson, Viola; and Carol Butler, cello. The Blooming Strings Quartet is comprised of current or past teachers, a group of friends who have journeyed together over the years in the Alliance Symphony Orchestra and the Tuscarawas Philharmonic. Composer, music producer, arranger, music educator, and music minister Daniel DiMarino holds a music composition and violin performance degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Keith Fitch and Olga Dubossarskaya Kaler and graduated in the class of 2022. He also studied film scoring at the IU Jacobs School of Music with Larry Groupé and Steven Wayne Thomas. DiMarino was selected as the 2018 Marvin Hamlisch International Film Scoring Contest youth winner and went on to pursue music for media during his studies. DiMarino also has had a growing passion for educational music, being selected to compose a custom work for the Canton Youth Symphony for the 2022 spring performance and receiving a feature by Clifford Hall in Strings Magazine in the 2025 July/August issue. DiMarino is currently the composer-in-residence for StringTime, a nonprofit organization in the greater D.C. area, founded by Lourdes de la Peña, with the goal of providing stringed instrument education for young students. So far, DiMarino has composed over 50 original short pieces for the organization to use for student instruction. DiMarino serves as the Minister of Music at Saving Grace Bible Church in Venice, Florida, where he hopes to lead and grow the music ministry over the next several years.

Lexi Johnson is a vocalist, private voice teacher, and musical director based in Canton, Ohio. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a focus in voice from the University of Akron in 2020, studying under Dr. Laurie Lashbrook after training with Dr. Katherine Rohrer at The Ohio State University. While completing her degree, she provided music instruction to immigrant and refugee families through Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services in Columbus. During the pandemic, Lexi collaborated on remote freelance projects with musicians around the world. She has since returned to the North Canton Playhouse, performing, teaching, and directing in a community she has called home since 2004. Her directing credits span youth, community, and high school theater, including Alice by Heart (2025), Mamma Mia! (2025), Anastasia (2024, 2025), Little Shop of Horrors (2024), Finding Nemo Jr. (2024), and Something Rotten (2023). As a performer, she specializes in sacred and classical repertoire, with highlights including Carmina Burana, The Marriage of Figaro (excerpts), and Fauré’s Requiem.

We are excited to give you a preview of the 26-27 Cathedral Concert Series.  Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details.

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

Favorite hymns and verses: 

Tracie Schmolt, Aug 14:

"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.", Psalm 23:1

Tracie invites you to read all of Psalm 23 by clicking the button below.  

Jim Myers, Aug 15:

"On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,.."

This famous refrain belongs to the classic Christian hymn "The Solid Rock." Written in 1834 by Edward Mote and composed by William B. Bradbury in 1863, the song is a powerful testament to finding unshakeable faith in Jesus. 

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!

David & Marsha Paul, Aug 17

Robert & Nancy Morningstar, Aug 9

Gregory & Lynda Klein, Aug 3

Russell & Mary Ann Poling, Aug 28

Scott & Jennifer Larson, Aug 21

Acolyte

Follow the etymological path of acolyte back far enough and you'll arrive at kéleuthos, a Greek noun that means "path" and that is itself the parent of akólouthos, an adjective that means "following."

Akólouthos traveled from Greek, leaving offspring in Medieval Latin and Anglo-French; its English descendant, acolyte, emerged in the 14th century. Originally, acolyte was exclusively a term for a person who assisted a priest at Mass, but by the 19th century, the word had acquired additional meanings, among them "attendant body, satellite" (a meaning used in astronomy) and "attendant insect" (a zoological sense), as well as the general meaning "assistant" or "sidekick."

Merriam-Webster, Acolyte, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acolyte#did-you-know

We give thanks to Thomas Haake and Scott Larson for serving as acolytes during Sunday Worship.

Note:  Committee Members will be updated after the July Council meeting

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..