Update and Resources

March 20, 2026

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

~ John 10:11

Fifth Sunday in Lent Worship at 10:00 AM

Join us for worship this fifth Sunday in Lent. You can always worship online via our live stream or anytime on our Kent UCC Video page. Click here to print the bulletin for an order of worship for those worshiping online.

Parking

Due to the construction, questions have been raised about parking at the church. If there is not an open space for you to park for Sunday worship or other events, please know that parking is free on the KSU campus on weekends. You may park in the Administration Building lot across the street from our back lot (on Horning Road) or across from the Newman Center in the KSU Performing Arts lot. You can also now park in the front half-circle lot by driving around the barriers.

One Great Hour of Sharing

One Great Hour of Sharing One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) is a Special Mission Offering of the United Church of Christ that supports partners worldwide with ministries that fund health, education, and agricultural development, emergency relief, refugee ministries, and both international and domestic disaster response.

We will receive this offering THIS Sunday, March22.  

Creation Justice Ministry

When something threatens our environment, it’s important for us to “show up.” The Portage County Commissioners are proposing a ban that would prohibit wind and solar farms in 8 rural townships. It is critical that residents show up and let them know that you oppose the proposal. You don’t have to live in a township to be impacted by this decision. As a Creation Justice church now is the time to show up to protect God’s creation by supporting renewable energy. 

What:  The Portage County Commissioners are holding a Special Public Meeting on the designation of Mantua, Hiram, Nelson, Freedom, Paris, Rootstown, Randolph and Atwater Townships as restricted areas in accordance with Section 303.58 of the ORC to prohibit the construction of economically significant wind farms, large wind farms, and large solar facilities, as defined in ORC 303.57, ORC 4906.13 and ORC 4906.01. 

When:  Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 6:30 pm.

Where: Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Operations Center, 2978 State Route 59. Ravenna. Parking may be limited, so carpool if possible.

Kent Social Services

Easter Baskets

Quick heads-up re: baskets...Marquice, the Director at KSS, revised the due dates, so if you are putting together an Easter Basket or two, you may wait until Sunday, March 22, to help yourself to something you might need from the bin. If you can get your basket to KSS yourself, please do so by the 25^th; if you need me to take it over, please try to get to the church by the 23^rd. Thank you!

Questions? Text, call, or email me: Megan Snyder at 330-208-7238

UCC Statement on Iran War

The United Church of Christ’s General Minister and President/CEO, the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson issued a statement Saturday, February 28 condemning the bombing of Iran by the United States and Israel. She urged people of faith to continue to call on elected officials to reject war. “We call for an end to the abuse of government might that is poured out on people who are not the ones making decisions yet bear the brunt of the ensuing violence, casualties of actions they do not support,” said Thompson in the statement. Read the full statement here.

Nora Neus at Kent UCC April 12

Join Emmy-nominated journalist and author of 24 Hours at the Capitol: An Oral History of the January 6 Insurrection, Nora Neus, in conversation with Pastor Amy about her new book, the rise of white supremacy in the US, and people of faith’s place in all of it. The program will be in the chapel following worship. Social Justice Ministry will serve light refreshments. Nora’s book can be pre-ordered from Books A Go Go in Ravenna using the QR code. Select “store pickup,” and you can either pick up the book in advance or at her talk. She’ll sign books after the talk.  

Rummage Sale Committee Volunteers Needed

With so much need in our world today, we wonder, as followers of Jesus, what can we possibly do to help. Kent UCC offers us many opportunities to make a difference, but our biggest event, a time when we share our time, talent, and treasures, is our annual Rummage Sale. In the past few years, our proceeds have exceeded $7000, money that we then share with our various Outreach partners, locally, nationally, and internationally. And it truly takes a village to assure the success of this sale. If you are interested in joining our Rummage Sale Committee, please let Donna Hess or Sue Otterson know by April 15. We will begin our planning sometime in late April. The Rummage Sale dates are Friday September 18 and Saturday, September 19.

Flower Ministry

Flowers are a beautiful gift of God. You are invited to offer flowers for an upcoming worship service. They are a wonderful way to mark an important or special occasion in your life while decorating the sanctuary or chapel for worship. There is a sign-up chart hanging in the narthex for you to choose a date to offer flowers. 

You are welcome to bring in your own flower arrangement (already in a vase) before Sunday morning worship and our worship assistant will place them in the chancel, or you can order them from Oregon Corners Florist in Stow if you’d like them delivered directly to the church. Your dedication message will be printed in the worship bulletin and announced on Sunday mornings. After worship, you can choose to take your flowers with you or our deacons can also deliver them to someone who may just need a bit of color and cheer. Be a part of our Kent UCC flower ministry! 

Host Coffee Hour

We need one or two volunteers each week to simply brew a pot of coffee or two, prepare some pitchers of cold water and perhaps bring a few snacks. Members of Fellowship are happy to coach you through it. Sign up here!

Kent Social Services

Volunteers Needed!

Our primary local partner, Kent Social Services, helps us provide food security to our neighbors. We are seeking volunteers on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from 10am -1pm to help serve lunch. Sign up here to indicate when you can help. Thank you so much for your willingness to work in our community, share God’s love, and help those in need.

Sign Up to Greet

Please sign up to be a Kent UCC Greeter. This is an easy but IMPORTANT job! Just come to church before the service at 9:35am, stand by the lower doors and welcome and greet people as they come in! It is so imperative to have a friendly face to welcome everyone as they come in to church. You are coming to church anyway so just come a little early and spread our Kent UCC extravagant hospitality to all who enter our doors. Click here to access the greeter sign up sheet! If you have any questions please contact Gayle Wall. 

This Week’s Sacred Text

John 10: 1-15

“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.