August 21, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
We need you to be a part of our Community Grant funding.
The Ministry for Justice and Mission, in our continuing efforts to deepen the involvement of the congregation in our work, are asking that nominations for community grant funding come from you.
Think about what organizations you volunteer with or know about that are doing good work in our community and need some funding to do what they do better or to do more.
Read the parameters of the grants and then complete the form and get it back to us by September 8.
The form is online at https://bit.ly/FHCCGNomForm and available in hard copy in the lobby of the church. If you have any questions or need support to complete the form, please email jm@fhcpresb.org.
April 11, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
A Few Interesting Facts About Ancient African Kingdoms
Join us Saturday morning, April 29 ( via Zoom) from 10:30 to noon (when we will discuss the book African People in World History, by John Henrik Clarke. To request the Zoom link you can email racialequitybuddies@fhcpresb.org, sign up on BREEZE or call the church office.
Are you aware of the numerous African kingdoms south of the Sahara? Africa and her people have been deliberately mischaracterized as having no culture, history, or civilization prior to the intervention of Europeans beginning in the 15th century. However, civilizations and kingdoms like Benin, Zimbabwe, Mali, and the Kongo will disabuse you of that notion and enlighten you about Africa’s glorious past.
Following are some images and a brief synopsis (with links to supporting articles) of a few of the African civilizations we will discuss on April 29. We hope you will join us.
Benin 1200s-1800s
According to the 1974 edition of the Guinness Book of Records, the Walls of Benin were the “world’s largest earthworks carried out prior to the mechanical era.” Elsewhere, it is claimed that they were “four times longer than the Great Wall of China and consumed a hundred times more material than the Great Pyramid of Cheops.” Furthermore, it is asserted that the walls “extended for some 16,000 km [9,942 miles] in all, in a mosaic of more than 500 interconnected settlement boundaries,” and that it covered an area of 6,500 square kilometers (2,510 square miles). This grand project is thought to have been carried out completely by the Edo people, and it took an estimated total of 150 million hours to complete (Ancient Walls of Benin were four times longer than Walls of China. Destroyed by British in 1897 | The African History).
(Representational image, not the actual walls of Benin) Before the earthwork and stone walls of Benin, the ancient city was still walled off using wood and brush.)
The Kongo Kingdom, 1301-1665
This kingdom and civilization reveal the sophistication, political, military, technological, and economic advancement and structure of these African people. (The Kongo kingdom | Royal Museum for Central Africa – Tervuren – Belgium (africamuseum.be).
Dom Miguel de Castro was an ambassador of the Kongo kingdom in the Netherlands in the 1640’s.
Painting by Jasper Beckx (active ca. 1627-47). Oil on canvas, 75 x 62 cm. Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen
Below marble portrait bust of Antonio Manuel, ambassador of the Kongo in Rome. Bust made by Francesco Capatore (1606-1630) and kept at the Battistero di Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome
Kingdom of Zimbabwe, 1200-1450 AD
Kingdom of Zimbabwe (1220-1450 AD) – Think AfricaThis civilization was built on trade, mainly of ivory and gold, which fuelled the economy of the kingdom. They were also expert stonemasons, and examples of their centuries-old construction and stone artifacts are still standing tall to this date
ABOVE: Aerial photograph from Wikimedia Commons of a portion of the ruins of the sprawling medieval city of Great Zimbabwe in southeastern Zimbabwe
Tags: Adult Ed, community, Immigration Task ForceApril 5, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
Justice & Mission invites you to lunch – on April 16, after worship!
The ministry of Justice & Mission (“J&M”) invites all FHC members and friends involved in justice work to join us for lunch on Sunday, April 16, after worship. So many folks in our community work, organize and volunteer to “respond to injustice and human need” through “acts of mercy and justice” through personal volunteering, church volunteering, community work, and our professional jobs, as well. On April 16, we’ll gather to share a simple meal, pray together, connect across our projects, and share updates with each other. We hope you can join us, and we welcome you sharing this invitation and information with others – we know there are SO MANY folks who might be interested.
Let us know if you’re interested and can join us – more info and RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfx8yPBVcvWJT2Gy6FZTmHfd0n-3jb7e0F2oQrCmkDGG6TbOA/viewform
March 29, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
Forest Hill Church Food Pantry is open to accepting volunteers each Tuesday. If you are interested, please sign up here: https://fhc.breezechms.com/form/180187.
March 29, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
When people lack the resources to get through today, it’s difficult for them to focus on tomorrow. Soles4Souls turn shoes and clothing into opportunities for education and employment so they can have a more hopeful future.
If you wish to make a donation, you may donate on the website (https://soles4souls.org/) or donate in person Monday- Friday during FHC office hours (9 am-6 pm).
For more information, feel free to contact Gail at gduranys4s@gmail.com.
March 29, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
The GenderSphere Support Group
Our next meeting: Tuesday, April 18
What is it? A group to support transgender and gender diverse folks of all ages, as well as their family members and allies.
When: the 3rd Tuesday of each month, 7-9 PM
Where: Forest Hill Church, 3031 Monticello Blvd., Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
Values: We believe that everyone has the right of self-expression. We honor and respect all people who come to our meetings.
Leadership: Sarah Jackson, Jodi Solomon, and Ann Williams are the planners and facilitators.
The GenderSphere Support Group is affiliated with Camp Lilac, in honor of gender-diverse children and youth.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ann Williams, spiritgrowth@fhcpresb.org.
March 29, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
Fiber and FellowshipWe will continue to meet and grow on the Second Saturday of each month. We will be meeting from 10 AM -1 PM (note the time change).
Upcoming Date:
August 12
September 9
As a group, we are working on quilts for donation and a special project to provide quilts for children who have been admitted to the hospital. Knitters are going strong with car seat blankets and Prayer Shawls.
Personal projects are welcome, as advice and tips are freely given. All are welcome- beginner to experienced. We are happy to teach.
Contact Carol Gifford for additional information.
February 15, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
Using the Follow Me curriculum during the Education Hour on Sunday mornings (9:15-10:15 AM), we welcome you to join us by Zoom.
The following is a brief description: We forgive because God first forgives us. When we forgive one another, we participate in God’s way of being in the world. At its root, the word forgiveness draws on a Greek word meaning “to let go.” When we forgive one another, we let go of anger over wrong; we let go of a desire for getting even; we let go of the burdens of shame and guilt. To forgive is not to forget; it is an active decision to not live in the past and to build toward a future. Forgiveness does not deny the realities of sin: betrayal, violence, anger, and jealousy. It ensures that wrongs do not have the last word. The final word in forgiveness is God’s grace, available to those who seek to forgive and to move beyond separation and brokenness toward restored relationships with God and one another.
There is an Adult Reflection guide available for pick up in the office. The cost is $9.00 for those who want to contribute to its cost.
A second option for a Lenten study is the class titled -Discovering the Beloved Community in the Gospel of Matthew. This class is already in progress by Zoom on Sunday mornings from 9:15-10:15. Each session is an independent exploration. It is not too late to join. The class would be glad to have you join it.
If you wish to join, please register here: https://fhc.breezechms.com/form/448ccd.
July 20, 2022 Antoinette Richardson
| This week, I encourage you to stop by the library to browse through the selection of magazines that round out the collection. If you used to enjoy going through the magazines in the library and have missed paging through them during the last few years, you will find a selection of older issues that you are welcome to take home, keep and read. These giveaway magazines are on a church pew by the library windows. They are free to anyone interested. ~Zivile Khoury |
August 12, 2018 Peg Weissbrod
A year ago this weekend the country was transfixed by the protests that rocked the town of Charlottesville, VA. The deadly violence there lifted the national consciousness and brought into focus in a broader way the nation’s struggle with white fragility and privilege. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, anthropologist, community, compassion, Desmond Tutu, divisiveness, Front Porch, I am because we are and we are because I am, King David, Montreat, Psalm 150, Scripture interprets scripture, Shirley Guthrie, Ubunto, United Voices
RSS
