Concert performers JoNell and Stephen Aron will perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, June 30 at New Life.

The concert by soprano Jo Nell and Aron and classical guitarist Stephen Aron is free and open to all thanks to a grant from the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio. A reception for the performers will follow in the church social hall. The duo have performed at chamber music series and at universities across the U.S. as well as being featured in concert series in both Italy and France. Aron and Aron plan to perform Elizabethan lute songs, German lieder, American folk songs and favorites from the vaudeville tradition from their CD "Shine on Harvest Moon." The Arons have been performing together since 1994.

Stephen Aron is professor of music and chairman of guitar studies at the University of Akron as well as teacher of classical guitar and founder of the classical guitar studies program at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. In addition to her solo work here and abroad, JoNell Aron has taught music since 1989 in Ohio public and private schools and is currently music instructor at Madison Schools, Mansfield.

The duo's concert performances have been reviewed as "beautiful, thrilling, and spectacular." JoNell's voice has been described as "magical, sunny and soothing" and Stephen has been called "one of America's foremost guitarists." The duo have released two CDs, "Shine On Harvest Moon" and "In My Heart." As a soloist, Stephen has released eight CDs including the remarkable performance of Chopin's complete Mazurkas, arranged by Aron, as well as arrangements of other great composers and his own original works. Stephen Aron's arrangements and compositions can be found in print in published by Tuscany/Theodore Presser, Mel Bay and Clear Note Publications.

New Life will be sponsoring a series of workshops on Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases.

Know the 10 Signs

The first workshop is titled "Know the 10 Signs: Early Detection Matters".  At this workshop you will learn the differences between Alzheimer's and typical aging, how to recognize warning signs of Alzheimer's, the process of Alzheimer's diagnosis, and why early detection is crucial.

This workshop will be held on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 at 7:00pm at New Life. Registration deadline is May 29 and you may register by calling the church at 330-699-3554.

The Basics

The second workshop is titled "The Basics: Memory Loss, Dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease".  At this workshop, you will learn the basics of Alzheimer's and how it may differ from other types of dementia or memory loss conditions.  Additional topics will include risk factors, diagnosis, stages, and treatments.

This workshop will be held on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 7:00pm. Registrations for this workshop are due by July 3.

More Information about Alzheimer's

These workshops will be presented by the Alzheimer's Association - Greater East Ohio Chapter. More information about Alzheimer's, including detection and support options, can be found on their website.

As part of our diocesan partnership between the Diocese of Ohio and the Diocese of Tanga in Tanzania, New Life has been instrumental in collecting supplies/donations to be sent to St. Raphael's Hospital in Korogwe.  Those supplies make their way halfway around the world through the coordination and hard work of Medwish International.  Brendan Knoblauch, who is coordinating this partnership for the Diocese of Ohio, posted a video to Medwish which shows a recent shipment being unloaded at St. Raphael's.  This shipment included monitors for the operating theater, manikins for the new nursing skills laboratory, and many other critical items.

The New Life Vestry is challenging the congregation to raise $400, which the Vestry will match, to purchase an $800 Hand-held Doppler Ultrasound System for use at the St. Raphael's Hospital Maternity ward in Tanzania. New Lifer Linda Heitger, a neo-natal intensive care nurse and recent traveler to St. Raphael's Hospital, explained that the hospital is using a Pinard Horn to monitor the heart rate of fetuses. The Doppler Ultrasound is the standard in the US for monitoring fetal heart rate, and it is capable of much, much more, such as detecting problems early.

We hope to present the new Doppler Ultrasound to Dr. Damian Mpundu, Director of the hospital, when he visits New Life for the second time this coming March. New Life helping with new life! Make your donation during the offering at any service, or mail/give your donation to Treasurer Bill Miller. Be sure to note that the donation is for the Doppler!

New Life's successful merger was featured in a story in the Akron Beacon-Journal on January 12.  The article touches on the history of the two parishes, as well as the recent renovation project and New Life's many outreach efforts.

The Rev. Patricia Hanen was full of doubt when she learned of the merger between St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Akron's Firestone Park and St. Michael's and All Angels Episcopal Church in Lake Township.

"I said, 'Oh, no! Mergers never work,' " said Hanen, who worked in congregational development for the Ohio Episcopal Diocese at the time. "I asked the bishop, 'What are you trying to do to these people? All the research shows that mergers don't work.' "

That was 10 years ago.

Read the whole article...

It's been a busy time at New Life, but we want to remind you to keep Larry Mackey, Kelly Mackey, and Linda Heitger in your prayers, as well as fellow travelers; husband and wife priests from St. Michael's in Toledo Greg and Peg Sammons, Lisa Roth from Cleveland Clinic, and Collaborative Mission Coordinator Brendan Knoblauch. They left January 3 and will return January 16 from Tanzania, Africa.

They continue the work of the Diocese of Ohio with the Diocese of Tanga and St. Raphael's Hospital. You will recall that the Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr. Mpundu, visited New Life last year and inspired us with his personal story of faith. He also inspired us with stories of healing and grace, some due in part to the people of the Diocese of Ohio and New Life who contribute their time, talent and treasure to this relationship and mission. The travelers involved in the mission have inspired us as well as they have shared their experiences.

Interesting to note that on this trip to Tanzania, the Ohio delegation happened to share an airplane ride with a group from the Lutheran Diocese of Iowa.  The Lutheran group are building wells and working with the farmers in the southwest.  Here they are on the plane sharing notes about their work.

There is a blog on the whole program here: tangaohioconnection.wordpress.com. Kelly intended to keep it updated for us, but evidently connecting to the internet is an issue!

Kelly writes in a facebook post on January 6:

I think Internet connectivity may very well be higher on my list than running water. Sad but true. Things are going well but have not really had Internet since Dar es Salaam. We have been very busy and hot but they are taking very good care of us. Yesterday I got to go to the market with Linda and Mama Gawile and back to her house to prepare pulau and other local favorites. We have been well fed by some wonderful cooks in the community. Church today was beautiful, though in Kiswahil. Occasionally we have running water but the battery powered shower is a dream. A few pots on the stove and it was even hot today. Lots of great photos to share upon my return! :)

We will look forward to hearing about the trip when they are back! In the meantime, please continue to keep them, and the mission, in your prayers!

Our 10th Anniversary/Building Rededication Ceremony was held on January 6, 2013. This special afternoon service was presided over by the Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Bishop of Ohio, and featured our current rector, the Rev. Patricia Hanen, and our founding rector, the Rev. Stephanie Pace.  People from across the diocese joined us as we rededicated the building from the front door to the kitchen to the parlor, and finally into our "new" sanctuary.  The service was a reflection on the trials and challenges that were faced by the people of St. Peter's and St. Michael and All Angels, as two congregations ventured into uncharted territory to be reborn as one, new, church.

During the celebration, we heard reflections from Jan Szwast and the Rev. Stephanie Pace, in addition to the sermon delivered the the Rev. Patricia Hanen.  If you missed the service, you may listen to these reflections here.

Readers who opened up their copy of the Canton Repository, or went online Saturday were treated to a full page article detailing the merger that brought the parish into existence in 2002.  In the words of our current rector, the Rev. Patricia Hanen, as well as Jan Szwast, Bill Miller, and MJ Maling, the article gives a brief history of the merger, the challenges faced, how the parish overcame them, and what we have grown into.  The article appeared as we were set to celebrate both the 10th Anniversary of the merger and a building rededication following our recent renovations.

Back in 2000, when the Rev. Patricia Hanen was asked to oversee the possible merger of two Episcopal parishes, she was dubious.

"I didn't believe mergers worked," she said. "We never had one in Ohio that worked, where people forgot where they came from. There was nothing I read, where anyone else had a handle on mergers, either."

But New Life Episcopal Church has been an exception to that rule.

Read the whole article...