Family gatherings are a great time to catch up -- unless you can't hear well. For those with hearing loss, crowds and background noise make conversation extra hard. You may not realize family members have lost hearing; they may not be aware of it either. For them, what should be a wonderful time can be a trial.

I have a severe hearing loss and wear hearing aids. I have learned to ask for help, but many suffer in silence. If you know or suspect someone is hard of hearing, try these tips to communicate better:

*Be visible. I need to see your face because, like all people with impaired hearing, I depend heavily on reading lips and interpreting facial expressions. Get my attention. Politely tap my shoulder or wave so I know to look at you.

*Don't shout. Speak in a normal voice, but articulate clearly.

*State the context. I only hear part of each syllable, in my case, mostly vowels.

*Rephrase. If I don't understand something, don't keep repeating, only louder. Rephrase it to give me more clues.

*Talk one-on-one. Background noise -- music, kids, tableware clattering -- makes it much harder to understand what is said. For a long chat, let's find a quiet place such as the guest room.

*Don't laugh. If I misunderstand what you say, I may go off on a conversational tangent. Correct me politely.

*Keep trying. The worst thing you can say is, "Oh, never mind." It makes me feel like I'm not worth being included.

*Find out more. Try these Web sites: Hearing Loss Association of America (hearingloss.org); Association of Late-Deafened Adults (alda.org).

 

NEW CHILDREN’S CHURCH COORDINATOR

After three great years as the Children’s Church Coordinator, Susan Harris has now become an Elder and would like to focus her full energy there. So, Casey Blake is becoming our new Children’s Church Coordinator. Thank you to both Susan and Casey!

Children’s Church is the ministry during worship where we invite two adults to care for our children up to the age of 6 years. The "nursery" is the site for this time of a lesson, snack, and friendly play. Adults are asked to volunteer for two weeks at a time. We still need volunteers for the rest of the Spring months, so contact Casey Blake or see the 5^th Street bulletin board for the sign-up.

 

 

 

About a dozen Sundays are still available in 2009

for offering the flowers for worship. To give this gift,

sign up for a Sunday on the flower chart in the foyer

and let Flower Coordinator, Laura Barnett, know you

have selected a Sunday (342-3476). For your Sunday,

make arrangements with an area florist to deliver the

arrangement of your choice and contact Laura Barnett

for the wording of your dedication for the bulletin.

Specific open dates for 2009 are March 8 & 29, April 19,

June 7, 21, & 28, July 19, August 9 & 23, September 20 & 27,

and November 1 and 8, if you want to call Laura Barnett to sign up.

The Summer Intern Search Committee of Pastor Tracie, Laura Barnett, Bob Branstetter, Darrell Hollis,

and Bill Moore are thrilled to report that our offer to be our Summer Intern this summer has been

accepted by Michael Ludwig, who will graduate from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary this May.

Michael grew up in Michigan and is a graduate of the College of Wooster with a degree in Archeology.

He is married to Rachel, who is a 7^th grade math teacher in the Pittsburgh area, and who will join him here

this summer when her classes end in mid-June. Rachel will also be candidating to fill Marty’s chaplaincy position at the Windy Hill Presbyterian Home this summer. In addition, this wonderful couple is

expecting their first child, due September 1, 2009.

Michael and Rachel have years of ministry experience in the church, with a year together as

missionaries in Eastern Europe. They bring prayerfulness, energy, graciousness and initiative to

their work with us this summer. We are delighted to see how well God has provided for our

church during Pastor Tracie’s sabbatical.

Our work as a church this summer will be to welcome and befriend Michael and Rachel, to learn from

them as well as teach them about small church ministry, to give feedback, attentiveness, and

encouragement to them, and to pray for and initiate community with them. This ministry is not just the

work of their mentor, Bill Moore. We are called as a community of faith to help this new minister and

his wife prepare in a practical way for their call to the pastorate. God’s gift to us in Michael and Rachel

Ludwig is also God’s call to us to continue to be his faithful community of faith as our pastor is renewed through a sabbatical and we offer education and renewal to the Ludwigs.

Thank you, in advance, for your ministry with the Ludwigs this summer!