This Sunday, we gather for our All Saints Day service, a time to remember the faithful who have gone before us and to give thanks for the ways their lives continue to inspire ours. Hebrews 12:1 reminds us: 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.”

All Saints Day has a long tradition in the church and marks the time when we honor the saints who have gone before us, those known and unknown, those whose names we speak aloud and those whose stories live quietly in our hearts. It is a day to celebrate the love of God which binds together all generations. Our service this year will have time to offer gratitude for memorial gifts, our annual tribute video, and some multi-cultural learnings as we acknowledge the Dia De Los Muertos celebration. Please remember to bring a token of tribute to loved ones passed…see the description below from Rick and Kathleen. We will also be bringing our Pledge Cards to offer in worship as well.

We are grateful to Rick, Kathleen, Christina, Lauren, and Adell for their thoughtful planning and preparing for this meaningful service. Their care and creativity will help us experience this day as a vibrant celebration of memory and hope.

After the service, we will gather for fellowship and a dessert celebration. Please bring a dessert to share as we continue to honor the lives and legacies of the saints among us.

We hope you’ll join us in person or online as we celebrate this sacred day together remembering, giving thanks, and looking forward in hope.

With gratitude, Pastor Chad

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From Rick Painley and Kathleen Leigh-Lewarchick

Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos) is a two day holiday that reunites the living and dead. Families create ofrendas (Offerings) to honor their departed family members that have passed. These altars are decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, photos of the departed, and the favorite foods and drinks of the one being honored. The offerings are believed to encourage visits from the land of the dead as the departed souls hear their prayers, smell their foods and join in the celebrations!

While the most recognizable aspects of Day of the Dead are the representations of skulls and skeletons, the tradition that holds the most meaning is the Ofrenda (Spanish for offering). The Ofrenda is what the whole celebration is about; it’s a collection of offerings dedicated to the person being honored. A brightly colored Oilcloth covers the table and on top of that sits a collection of photographs and personal items of the departed person.

Many of us see death as a sad event but those who celebrate Day of the Dead view death as a welcomed part of life. That is why you will see brightly colored skeletons and skulls everywhere during the holiday. They often are seen smiling, as a friendly nod to death, even mocking death.

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MCCC Announcements – November 2, 2025

MCCC Announcements – November 2, 2025

1. NEW! The Mitten Tree mission will begin November 2 nd and will continue through the month of November. We are asking for donations of hats, scarves, mittens, & gloves in all sizes. Especially needed are items for teenagers or young adult sizes. Items may be store bought or handmade. These items will be distributed to some of the kids Weekend Meal families and anything left over will be donated to Portage County charities. Your donations may be placed in the large plastic bin at the rear of our church. Please help us provide items for those in need!
2. NEW! All Souls Sunday is this Sunday, Nov. 2 nd ! If you have pictures of past loved ones that have not already been submitted to Jon Secaur, please do so ASAP! Also, we will have a multi-cultural celebration as well! Please wear bright colors on Sunday and feel free to bring a small item as an offering to place in honor of your loved one in the back of the church at the altar there. Following service we will be celebrating with desserts in honor of you and your loved ones. Please bring a dish to serve 6-8 people for our Dia de los Muertos party! 
3. NEW!! Please save the date for our Annual MCCC Christmas Party on December 14th in the Fellowship Hall. Stay tuned for the time!
4. The next “4 th for the 4C’s” food collection will be Sunday, October 26th. Items needed for October are: Pasta Sauce, Canned Corn, Canned Green Beans, & Jello. Remember . . . NO DONATION IS TOO SMALL WHEN COMBINED WITH OTHERS! (Note: We also collect baby items and trash bags for the Free Clothing & Diaper Giveaway along with the 4C’s items. See #13 in this list for details)
5. Chi-Rho gatherings have returned! Our Halloween Party will be held on Oct. 26 from 4-6:30pm at the O’Malley House! Stay tuned for any email updates! (Chi-Rho is for kids in grades 5-8.) Bring a friend, or two! Our next events will be on Nov. 9 th 12:30-2pm helping with KWM, and on Nov. 23 rd 12:30-2 our Annual meal of abundance made with leftovers from Thanksgiving!
6. CYF will meet Sunday, Oct. 26th at 6pm at MCCC. Feel free to bring a friend to enjoy this time together! (Grades 9-12). It will be fun!
7. “Dwelling in the Word” continues every Wednesday from 1:30 – 2:30 pm with Pastor Chad!. Please come and join in our scripture discussions!
8. Life Study: Big Ideas, Small Practices with Kathleen Leigh-Lewarchick! Don’t forget that every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 pm Life Study has resumed. Join us in the Campbell Room for “Big Ideas, Small Practices”. Each session we will meet to explore some of the big Christian theologies alongside one of the spiritual practices. Each week brings a different topic and a different practice,
   e.g. 1) Creation Doctrine and Terra Divina, or 2)The Doctrine of the Trinity and Lectio Divina. 
9. Attention Hilltop Knitters! Our future meetings in November will be at Hilltop Church on Monday, Nov. 3 rd & 17th. We are on our regular schedule, meeting on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month, from 1:30-3pm. All yarn and hand work creators are welcome to come, work on their projects, and visit!
10. Nora Brant’s quilt raffle will be ending soon! The winner will be notified by phone after the Oct. 31 st drawing and posted on Facebook. We are in the process of planning a MCCC Winter Retreat at Camp Christian! This would be a weekend from a Friday night to Sunday mid-morning. We would stay in the lodge, eat meals together there (and sing some camp songs!), have a guest speaker or workshop and potentially do a service project at camp. For younger kids, wewill lead an activity or a craft so adults can participate with the workshop/speaker. We’d also incorporate some free time for reading, relaxing, going for a walk, or games! We’re still very much in the planning stages, so your input is appreciated! Camp is BEAUTIFUL in the winter, and with a fire in the fireplace in the lodge, it is so peaceful. As of right now, we’re between 2 dates– February 6th-8th, or January 30th-February 1st. If you’d be interested in attending, please fill out this form! This is not a commitment, just to help us get an idea of interest and preference. If you are interested but the form is giving you issues, please email Ally Bozeka (ally.hurd@gmail.com) so she can collect your response.
11. Story Time has returned for preschoolers! Every Tuesday from 10:30-11:30am – ALL kids are welcome – no fees. Includes a reading time, music, crafts, etc. Questions? Contact Pam Auble (216) 308-7930.
12. The next date for the Free Clothing & Diaper Giveaway is Saturday, November 15th, from 9am-12 noon at St. Joseph school building. Spread the word – ALL ARE WELCOME!! This will be the LAST Giveaway for 2025. The ONLY clothing shed that is utilized for the Free Clothing Giveaway is on the south side of the MCCC parking lot, and it is currently open for donations! They need diapers (Revised sizes needed are: 2T, 3T, 5) & baby wipes, large black trash bags (30-33 gal), and regular trash bags (13 gal.). You can bring the baby items or trash bags to the church at your convenience by leaving them in the outside bin at the lower-level entrance of the church, OR bring them on October 26th to donate with the 4C’s food collection during worship. Questions? Call Nancy Tafel at (330) 416-0752. Thank you for your support.
13. Remember to save your can tabs (from soup, pop, pet food, etc!) The collection jar is located just inside the lower-level entrance window. After collecting the tabs, please drop them in the jar at your convenience. The proceeds will benefit research for NFS (Neurofibromatosis) – a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form in the brain, spinalcord, and nerves. (Family members within our community are currently afflicted with this disorder.) Thanks to Mike & Pat Hoskin for collecting these tabs to raise awareness and money for research.

Mantua Community Events

1. The Mantua Area Restoration Society (MARSI) continues to have suppers at the old Mantua Center School on the 2nd Friday of each month from 4-7pm and it’s open to ALL! The “2nd Fridays Supper” is by donation only. Join us on Friday, November 14th and take a night off from cooking! They even have live music provided by our own MCCC member, Steve Stork, for your enjoyment!
2. Activities for the “older generation” are happening in Mantua! The Crestwood Community Center meets every Wednesday at 4810 East High Street in the Mantua Lodge at Buchert Park, from 11am – 3pm. Check out updates on our website: https://sites.google.com/view/crestwoodcommunitycenter/home or at Crestwood Community Center on Facebook. You can also email: CrestwoodCommunityCenter@gmail.com