The Builder
October 2022
Join Us for Worship In-Person or Online
Funeral Arrangements for Shirley Chavis
Today, Saturday, October 1, 2022
Visitation 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at Broad Street United Methodist Church
Funeral 11:00 a.m., at Broad Street United Methodist Church
Entombment at Sunset Cemetery (Galloway, OH) following the funeral
A reception will be hosted at the church following the cemetery entombment service.
Arrangements by Newcomer Funeral Home, Grove City
Shirley’s funeral service will be livestreamed on Facebook, YouTube, and our website, all linked above.
November 11, 1931 - September 21, 2022
Year of the People Report
The busy month of September has ushered in a new season at Broad Street church. September brought several deaths, diagnoses, treatments, and transitions all related to the Broad Street community. As October moves us to the fall season of cooler temperatures and changing colors, it also brings a season of new programs and new growth at the church.
We’ll start with World Communion Sunday on Oct 2nd. On World Communion Sunday, we don’t just love others by imagining all of us gathering for Holy Communion around some big metaphorical table with enough chairs for everyone. World Communion Sunday calls us to love our neighbors by nourishing them beyond the bread and cup of Holy Communion. It calls us to nourish them in all the ways we want to be nourished. And it calls us to help them become the world-changers God created them to be.
Oct 2nd is also the field trip to Columbus Museum of Art to see Raphael—The Power of Renaissance Imagery: The Dresden Tapestries and their Impact. These tapestries were woven in England in the 17th century, and the Columbus Museum is the only place in the US these are being shown. Cindy Foley, CMA’s Director of Learning and Experience, has coordinated a special program just for Broad Street church and friends. The program will feature the Dresden Tapestries—but not in the form of a simple tour and docent speech. Cindy Foley makes the case that Art’s critical value is to develop learners that think like Artists, which means learners who are creative, curious, that seek questions, develop ideas, and play. If you haven’t registered for the 12:30 p.m. program there’s still time to register on Sunday morning. Bring a sack lunch to eat before the program begins at 12:30.
October also begins our Stewardship Campaign, Growing In Generosity. The Stewardship and Finance teams have been hard at work creating this fall campaign with a fresh look and feel. You’ll find more information about Growing In Generosity later in this newsletter, and you’ll hear more about it throughout the month. In my nearly 20 years of parish ministry, I’ve never worked with a team of leaders who have made a stewardship campaign fun and enjoyable, until I came to Broad Street. Every conversation in the planning of this program has brought smiles to the faces of those participating. Of particular interest is the “What’s Your Story” portion of the stewardship program. You’ll find more in this edition of The Builder about this project. What six words will you pick to tell your story?
In conjunction with the Growing in Generosity campaign, we’re also featuring an October Sermon Series: “Four Prayers That Don’t Work.” The sermon series focuses on fundamental aspects of prayer, empowering us to speak to God more boldly and more honestly, and steering us away from the fear of “praying wrong.” This won’t be a “how to pray” series, but rather an encouragement for honest, unfiltered conversation with God.
The middle of the month will include a staff appreciation celebration as well as Laity Sunday in which Pastor Angie and I get to appreciate you. Keep watching for more information as we’re planning a reception to honor and celebrate you!
October 23rd is a special day for Broad Street! Our very own Associate Pastor Angie Cox has been named the 2022 Bishop Melvin Talbert Award recipient! The Rev. David Meredith and the Clifton UMC Reconciling Ministry Team will present Angie with this prestigious award on October 23 at Clifton UMC. Angie is preaching at Clifton UMC that morning, and I’d like to encourage as many of you as possible to consider a road trip or carpool to Clifton that morning to support and celebrate Angie’s award recognizing her insatiable pursuit of social justice.
And lastly, the month of October will propel us into November, when we’ll celebrate All Saints Sunday on Nov 6. On All Saints Sunday, we remember the church members of Broad Street who have died and joined the Communion of Saints since last year’s All Saints Sunday.
Well, dear ones, there is much going on in the life of Broad Street this month, and you are at the heart of it. Broad Street is people passionate about people. Thank you for all the ways you are breathing new life, new passion, new energy, and new excitement into ministries old and new. The Year of the People is exactly that, and I love you for it!
Pastor John Girard
Broad Street’s Generosity Campaign
Mark your calendars! October 9th is kickoff Sunday for “Growing in Generosity!” God has blessed us with so many gifts and talents to do God’s work here on earth and we invite you to consider prayerfully how we might do even more. This isn’t the same stewardship effort you might be used to. It’s not a program or plan to entice you to give money. Instead, it’s an invitation to make a bold and radical choice to live what we believe: that we are the church in the heart of the city, with the city in our hearts. Because of your generosity in the last year, we have been able to continue and even increase our mission here on the corner of Broad and Washington and beyond. In this, the Year of the People, we’re going to share our stories with one another. We’re going to dream and make plans for bringing God’s love to the world.
Ways you can participate in this exciting adventure:
SAY IT IN SIX: Consider sharing your story of growth and generosity at Broad Street with our Story in Six program (see the article in this newsletter or click here).
TRIBUTES: November 6th is both Commitment Sunday and All Saints’ Sunday, and we’ll be offering a special opportunity to honor or remember friends and loved ones.
PHOTOS: Send us your photos (individual or family) so that we can begin to get a picture of the People of Broad Street. You can also send us photos of some of your favorite times at Broad Street for use in future programs—Pride Parades, CROP Walks, Sunday services, Heart of the City Walks…etc. You can send them to bsumc6@gmail.com, and please include your name and a description of the photo, if possible.
Keep an eye out for the Growing in Generosity brochure you’ll receive in the mail or at church, and use it as a reflection guide as you consider your own generosity. We hope you’ll fill it out and bring it back to the church by November 6th so that we can celebrate our gifts together as we prepare for the coming year.
We are grateful for you!
Generosity Team Members,
Pastor John Girard, Karen Haylor, Kylie Smith, & HL Wright
What’s Your Story, Broad Street?
Share with Us!
Everyone at Broad Street has a story, and we want to know yours! We have an incredibly unique, loving, joyful community of people here and it’s a community worth knowing. What drew you to Broad Street? What keeps you here? But here’s the catch—we want to know your story in six words.
Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Wouldn’t you like to know the background on that one? Madeline Albright once responded, “In 1948, I was a refugee.” We know Broad Street is amazing and has amazing people with amazing stories. We want to get to the heart of it. We want to know what makes Broad Street, Broad Street!
So won’t you share your story at Broad Street in six words? Click here to submit it online. You can call (614) 505-9305 and leave a voicemail. You can email bsumc6@gmail.com.
You can scan the QR code below and enter your six word story in the form that opens.
You can download, print, and fill in the slip linked below and drop it in an offering plate.
We’re hoping to use the stories we gather for lots of things throughout the year, so if you’re comfortable including your name, please do so. If you’d like to submit anonymously, that’s fine, too.
You have until November 6th to submit your story but please consider sending it sooner!
The Generosity Team
Pastor John Girard, Karen Haylor, Kylie Smith, HL Wright
Fall Bible Study
As a Bible study opportunity this fall, we will be exploring some of Jesus' most famous stories, or parables. Our curriculum will center on the book, Short Stories of Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi, by Dr. Amy-Jill Levine.
Held on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom, each Bible study session will consist of prayer, scripture, and discussion. The dates for the study meetings are 10/11, 10/18, 10/25, 11/1, 11/8, and 11/15. You do not have to be able to make all dates to be able to join! Contact Pastor Angie with questions.
Pastor Angie to Receive 2022 Talbert Award from Clifton UMC
The Reconciling Ministries Team at Clifton United Methodist Church, located in Cincinnati, is pleased to announce that Pastor Angie is the 2022 recipient of the Bishop Melvin Talbert Award.
Established in 2014, the Bishop Melvin Talbert Award recognizes individuals, groups, or congregations that make significant contributions to social justice work, especially but not exclusively related to ministry with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer persons. At the 2012 General Conference, Bishop Talbert said, “I declare to you that the derogatory language and restrictive laws in the Book of Discipline are immoral and unjust and no longer deserve our loyalty and obedience.” Bishop Talbert received the inaugural Bishop Melvin Talbert Award in 2014.
As part of the Talbert Award, Pastor Angie has been invited to preach at Clifton on Sunday, October 23rd, and there will be a time of discussion later that evening. We will share the exact details as soon as we have them, but know that you are invited to make the trip to Clifton for both the morning’s worship and the evening session!
An Update on Our Ethiopian Family
Last January, Broad Street’s Deborah Gavlik had a really good idea. As a former Peace Corps volunteer and a professional currently working with college-level international students, she understands the needs and goals of people from other cultures and countries, and now also as they live and work in the U.S. Deborah began a conversation with our pastors and with Craig Vander Veen, our coordinator of Outreach Ministry at Broad Street. The result is a wonderful, welcoming ministry of Broad Streeters who are caring for the Ethiopian family of LemLem Deste Berhe and her two children, Kalkidan, age 8, and Robel, almost 3. Their dad, to whom they speak every day, is still in Kenya, and will hopefully be able to join them at some point.
This ministry group has connected with CRIS, Community Refugee and Immigration Services, and works regularly with their caseworker and volunteer services coordinator. It’s a small group of 5 or 6 regulars, but they have pulled in helpers and contributors from our congregation at large. So far, they, and we, have completely furnished an apartment, including a functioning kitchen, all necessary furniture, bedding, blankets, a widescreen TV, school supplies, a stroller for little Robel, and even stuffed animals and toys to welcome the children when they arrived last month.
Individual volunteers have taken the family regularly to grocery shop, to buy clothing, to visit the library, swimming, and nice outings to places such as the Slate Run Living Historical Farm. The team hosted a picnic, the first time LemLem and the kids tried American hamburgers, veggie burgers, brownies, and Rice Krispie treats! They are a lovely family and the volunteers truly enjoy the time spent with them.
As a pulled-in helper, I was able to use my elementary teaching experience to give a few lessons and to test Kalkidan’s reading level, and I was glad to see that she is bright, well-spoken, and will do well in American classrooms. I hope you enjoy this picture of her first composition; she spelled every word independently. She likes her new school, and new experiences, but thinks maybe she will bring her lunch instead of eating American “kid food!” As a former teacher of many international kids, I assure you this is very normal and just fine. What a blessing to be a part of this family’s beginning adjustment to their new life here!
Much remains for the CRIS team at Broad Street to do as they work to help with groceries, transportation, bus riding, American-style management of finances, and finding an Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The family visited Broad Street one Sunday, and the team was happy and honored to welcome them.
Eventually, LemLem will find a job, and, with the support of all concerned, continue to settle in, and make a new life for her family. Many congratulations to all who have helped, supported, contributed, and shown Christ’s love in their actions.
Submitted by Nancy Roberts
The Butterfly Effect
Have you heard of the butterfly effect? In non-technical terms, it is defined as the way one small change, say the beating of a butterfly’s wings, can affect a larger system, such as the formation of a hurricane.
I think of this phenomenon often as I listen to Sunday sermons. Pastors say, “Take the love of God and pass it on to others in the world.” To me that means responding in daily tangible ways…sending cheery notes, making cookies for Manna, smiling at strangers, greeting others on Sunday morning. Who knows how our small actions can make a difference in the world. I believe they can. Yours can, too. Be a butterfly!
Submitted by Karen Haylor
Own a Piece of Broad Street History!
A recent “treasure hunt” through the basement under our Sanctuary revealed several of the pews that once sat in the front corner areas that are now occupied by the piano and the bell tables. Though some of the pews are no longer in good shape, several are still in very good condition and might make a great addition to your home! Stay tuned for more information about an opportunity to own one of these pieces of Broad Street’s history.
“When Kids Come Out” – A Four-Session Class for Parents of LGBTQ+ Children Offered on Zoom
When a child comes out to their family, it often raises many questions for both the child and for the family. For example:
What does it mean for the family when a child comes out to their parents?
What does it mean for the parents’ relationship to their church?
What does it mean for the parents’ own faith?
How do parents navigate their own “coming out” after their children have come out to them?
What is the impact on you and your family and especially your LGBTQ+ child if the congregation you attend is considering disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church or has voted to disaffiliate from the UMC?
The sessions are designed to provide a safe space where questions and concerns can be dealt with openly and honestly.
Wednesdays, Oct. 26, Nov. 2, 9, 16
This session of the class will be held on Zoom this fall. The meetings will begin at 7:00 pm and conclude by 8:30 p.m.
If you want to participate in the class, please email Jim at jwaugh3@mac.com. Put “Kids Class” in the Subject line. A few days prior to the class session, you will receive a Zoom invitation from Jim for the sessions.
The Rev. Jim Waugh, a retired pastor in the West Ohio Conference, will lead the group. Jim and his wife, Carol, have an adult daughter, Lisa, who came out to them over twenty years ago. Jim just completed a four-year term as the chair of the Parents Reconciling Network Board (a group related to the Reconciling Ministries Network).
If you have questions or need more information, please feel free to email Jim at jwaugh3@mac.com.
Supporting Broad Street’s Ministries
Your continuing faithfulness in giving to the mission and ministries of Broad Street is deeply appreciated. We are especially grateful to those who have switched to online giving, as we do not have to process checks to receive those gifts. To give via check or cash, you are welcome to give in-person on Sunday mornings or mail your offerings directly to the church. To give online, we encourage you to use one of the options below.
Go to broadstreetumc.net and click on “Giving” or click on the button directly below.
Text the dollar amount to (614) 665-0525.
Recurring Events:
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. — Livestream & in-person Worship
Monday–Thursday: 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. — Church Office Open
Monday–Saturday: 12:00 p.m. — 501 AA Group
Tuesday–Thursday: 1:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. — CCH Drop-In Center
Tuesdays: 7:30 p.m. — Ringers on Broad Rehearsals
Thursdays: 7:30 p.m. — Chancel Choir Rehearsals
Wednesday: 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. — Manna Café
Thursday: 7:00 p.m. — Heart-to-Heart NA Group
Events and Meetings:
October 2, 12:30 p.m. — Field Trip to Columbus Museum of Art
October 9, 12:30 p.m. — Central Ohio CROP Walk, Scioto Audubon Metro Park
October 10, 6:45 p.m. — Sack Lunches with Paulist Community, Kitchen/J.T. Hall
October 12, 7:00 p.m. — Finance Subcommittee
October 14, 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. — Staff Appreciation Event, off-site
October 15, 10:00 a.m. — Heart of the City Walk, Broad Street UMC
October 16, 6:45 a.m.–10:30 a.m. — Columbus Marathon Open House
October 16, 12:00 p.m. — Laity Appreciation Party
October 17, 7:00 p.m. — Leadership Board, via Zoom
October 23: Pastor Angie preaching, receiving Talbert Award at Clifton UMC in Cincinnati
October 24, 6:45 p.m. — Sack Lunches with Paulist Community, Kitchen/J.T. Hall
