ALUCC Fellowship Hall
Welcome to ALUCC Fellowship Hall, a podcast where we gather to share a tapestry of stories that weave through the congregation of Avon Lake United Church of Christ. Each episode, we’ll journey together through the diverse experiences, fun stories and journeys of church leaders and our fellow members. From the pews to the pulpit, from youth ministry to our mission programs, Avon Lake UCC is more than just a church; it’s a vibrant community of individuals with unique perspectives and shared values. Join us as we sit down with members of our congregation to uncover the narratives that have shaped us, the challenges we’ve overcome and the moments of inspiration that bind us together. Throughout this series, we’ll explore a myriad of topics, from faith and spirituality to mission and community service. We’ll hear from guests who have found solace and strength within our walls, as well as those who have embarked on journeys of self-discovery and transformation. We’ll also have plenty of fun! Grab a seat, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join us in Fellowship Hall as we delve into the heart of Avon Lake United Church of Christ, one story at a time.
Episodes
Jun 9, 2025
Jun 9, 2025
41 min
Today we have two guests who’ve given a week of their summer to serve as adult volunteer leaders on our Senior High Service Trip to Charleston, West Virginia. Not only are they rookie leaders, but they’re both veterans of service trips as members of our youth group not too long ago. You’re going to love learning more about Gabbie Sterling and Evan Taylor as we pick their brains about the value of youth group, why they volunteer every Wednesday night with the senior high and advice they have for today’s young people. We’ll also find out plenty more about them outside of church activities and some of the questions might get a bit crazy. You’ll have to listen all the way to the end to find out!
Welcome to ALUCC Fellowship Hall, a podcast where we gather to share a tapestry of stories that weave through the congregation of Avon Lake United Church of Christ. In each episode, we'll journey together through the diverse experiences, fun stories and journeys of church leaders and our fellow members. Grab a seat, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join us in Fellowship Hall as we delve into the heart of Avon Lake United Church of Christ, one story at a time.
Be sure to subscribe to the ALUCC Fellowship Hall podcast on your favorite app so you never miss an episode.
Resources:
Learn more about Avon Lake United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, Ohio: https://www.avonlakeucc.org/
Follow ALUCC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AvonLakeUCC/
Instagram: @avonlakeucc
Watch weekly services on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/avonlakeucc
Like Waypoint Youth Ministries on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avonlakeuccyouth/
Instagram: @waypointym
Follow ALUCC Kids on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1199223630209636
May 28, 2025
May 28, 2025
41 min
Our guest today is Tom Coy—a lifelong Avon Laker and member of our church for more than 30 years. Tom is just about the friendliest person you’ll ever meet, and his positive vibes make for a fun episode. He is a man of many talents—mechanical and as it relates to sharing wisdom. You can expect plenty of stories (Tom roofed and painted his own house and got a ’68 Camaro AFTER his days of dirt bikes and Harleys ended!) He also took his equally-awesome wife Carolyn to their first date on a snowmobile …
But the funny stories are only part of the episode. Tom is a super proud dad of two wonderful grown children has been very active at ALUCC over the years, serving multiple times as a trustee and in a critical stint as church moderator. He’s been an adult volunteer on many service trips and is excited to go again this summer. You’ll learn why he feels serving with our youth programs is so important and advice for getting engaged with the church. You’ll definitely want to listen all the way to the end of this episode!
Welcome to ALUCC Fellowship Hall, a podcast where we gather to share a tapestry of stories that weave through the congregation of Avon Lake United Church of Christ. In each episode, we'll journey together through the diverse experiences, fun stories and journeys of church leaders and our fellow members.
Grab a seat, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join us in Fellowship Hall as we delve into the heart of Avon Lake United Church of Christ, one story at a time.
Be sure to subscribe to the ALUCC Fellowship Hall podcast on your favorite app so you never miss an episode.
Resources:
Learn more about Avon Lake United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, Ohio: https://www.avonlakeucc.org/
Follow ALUCC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AvonLakeUCC/
Instagram: @avonlakeucc
Watch weekly services on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/avonlakeucc
Like Waypoint Youth Ministries on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avonlakeuccyouth/
Instagram: @waypointym
Follow ALUCC Kids on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1199223630209636
Apr 20, 2025
Apr 20, 2025
40 min
Our guest this time is someone we often see and hear play guitar with the worship band and in concerts at the church but unless you’re well-versed in the Cleveland music scene you might not know how lucky we are to have him in front of the church sharing his talents. Pete is a highly-respected musician who’s played with some of the best in Cleveland and across the world, from blues legends to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and his own extremely talented family members.
During this episode, Pete shares stories from his career playing and teaching music that’s spanned decades—tales from gigs at Cleveland clubs now long gone, celebrity friends from the Cleveland scene and when he and his family lived just off Bourbon Street in New Orleans and much, much more. He also talks about why music is integral to a church service and as a reflection of spirituality. Pete is an amazing storyteller, as well as guitarist and you’ll definitely want to listen all the way to the end of this episode!
Welcome to ALUCC Fellowship Hall, a podcast where we gather to share a tapestry of stories that weave through the congregation of Avon Lake United Church of Christ. In each episode, we'll journey together through the diverse experiences, fun stories and journeys of church leaders and our fellow members.
Grab a seat, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join us in Fellowship Hall as we delve into the heart of Avon Lake United Church of Christ, one story at a time.
Be sure to subscribe to the ALUCC Fellowship Hall podcast on your favorite app so you never miss an episode.
Resources:
Learn more about Avon Lake United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, Ohio: https://www.avonlakeucc.org/
Follow ALUCC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AvonLakeUCC/
Instagram: @avonlakeucc
Watch weekly services on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/avonlakeucc
Like Waypoint Youth Ministries on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avonlakeuccyouth/
Instagram: @waypointym
Follow ALUCC Kids on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1199223630209636
Mar 8, 2025
Mar 8, 2025
1hr 6 min
We have two guests today, Dave and Sandy Dibbell, and they’ve been members of ALUCC for more than 40 years. Both born in Vermont, they had many adventures on the East Coast and down South, including college, marriage, Army assignments, career beginnings and more before settling in Northeast Ohio, specifically Avon Lake. They’re truly a fascinating couple with different interests, hobbies and talents for serving in the church and community … but very much a shared sense of mission, work ethic and desire to live life to the fullest. Throughout this episode you’ll no doubt come to appreciate their dedication to ALUCC and charming relationship honed over 60 years of marriage. It was a pleasure getting to know the Dibbells a bit better.
Welcome to ALUCC Fellowship Hall, a podcast where we gather to share a tapestry of stories that weave through the congregation of Avon Lake United Church of Christ. In each episode, we'll journey together through the diverse experiences, fun stories and journeys of church leaders and our fellow members.
Grab a seat, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join us in Fellowship Hall as we delve into the heart of Avon Lake United Church of Christ, one story at a time.
Be sure to subscribe to the ALUCC Fellowship Hall podcast on your favorite app so you never miss an episode.
Resources:
Learn more about Avon Lake United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, Ohio: https://www.avonlakeucc.org/
Follow ALUCC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AvonLakeUCC/
Instagram: @avonlakeucc
Watch weekly services on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/avonlakeucc
Like Waypoint Youth Ministries on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avonlakeuccyouth/
Instagram: @waypointym
Follow ALUCC Kids on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1199223630209636
Feb 23, 2025
Feb 23, 2025
30 min
Our guest today is Kristen LePrevost, the current manager at our church’s Good Neighbor Thrift Shop. In the six years Kristen has led Good Neighbor there’s been unprecedented growth and expansion—all to serve community members, local organizations, more than 100 volunteers and just about anyone who interacts with this amazing mission of ALUCC. In this episode, we talk a lot about the thrift shop and how it impacts so many, but you’ll also get to know Kristen a bit better. She grew up in Rocky River, has a background in estate sales and liquidation, currently resides in Avon Lake with her husband Jim and two sons and couldn’t be prouder of the shop she manages. Kristen has a love of thrifting herself, vintage items but most importantly a passion for helping and serving others—which makes her role with Good Neighbor such a perfect fit.
Welcome to ALUCC Fellowship Hall, a podcast where we gather to share a tapestry of stories that weave through the congregation of Avon Lake United Church of Christ. In each episode, we'll journey together through the diverse experiences, fun stories and journeys of church leaders and our fellow members.
Grab a seat, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join us in Fellowship Hall as we delve into the heart of Avon Lake United Church of Christ, one story at a time.
Be sure to subscribe to the ALUCC Fellowship Hall podcast on your favorite app so you never miss an episode.
Resources:
Learn more about Avon Lake United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, Ohio: https://www.avonlakeucc.org/
Follow ALUCC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AvonLakeUCC/
Instagram: @avonlakeucc
Watch weekly services on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/avonlakeucc
Like Waypoint Youth Ministries on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avonlakeuccyouth/
Instagram: @waypointym
Follow ALUCC Kids on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1199223630209636
Dec 18, 2024
Dec 18, 2024
57 min
Our guests today are a dynamic duo within our congregation—Jim and Valerie Tanzilli! They’ve been members of ALUCC since 1971, which gives them not only a unique perspective on our church but also what it takes to maintain energy and excitement within one congregation for so long. We can all learn a lot from the Tanzillis and we will during this conversation. This episode explores a bit about their lives, their family, their service, involvement and employment within ALUCC, fun church stories and plenty of wisdom and insights.
ALUCC Fellowship Hall is a podcast where we gather to share a tapestry of stories that weave through the congregation of Avon Lake United Church of Christ. In each episode, we'll journey together through the diverse experiences, fun stories and journeys of church leaders and our fellow members.
Grab a seat, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join us in Fellowship Hall as we delve into the heart of Avon Lake United Church of Christ, one story at a time.
Be sure to subscribe to the ALUCC Fellowship Hall podcast on your favorite app so you never miss an episode.
Resources:
Learn more about Avon Lake United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, Ohio: https://www.avonlakeucc.org/
Follow ALUCC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AvonLakeUCC/
Instagram: @avonlakeucc
Watch weekly services on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/avonlakeucc
Like Waypoint Youth Ministries on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avonlakeuccyouth/
Instagram: @waypointym
Follow ALUCC Kids on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1199223630209636
Oct 22, 2024
Oct 22, 2024
50 min
Welcome to ALUCC Fellowship Hall, a podcast where we gather to share a tapestry of stories that weave through the congregation of Avon Lake United Church of Christ. In each episode, we'll journey together through the diverse experiences, fun stories and journeys of church leaders and our fellow members.
Our guest today is Dave Witzigreuter, an amazing person and somewhat of a legend at ALUCC. As Nate Taylor explains in the intro, Witz is a true servant and mentor, as well as being an all-around amazing guy. He’s impacted many lives, built and renovated many structures and led by example throughout his life. And he’s not done—by any stretch of the imagination! Get ready to hear service trip stories, childhood memories, lessons learned and shared as we dig into what makes Witz tick.
Grab a seat, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join us in Fellowship Hall as we delve into the heart of Avon Lake United Church of Christ, one story at a time.
Be sure to subscribe to the ALUCC Fellowship Hall podcast on your favorite app so you never miss an episode.
Resources:
Learn more about Avon Lake United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, Ohio: https://www.avonlakeucc.org/
Follow ALUCC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AvonLakeUCC/
Instagram: @avonlakeucc
Watch weekly services on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/avonlakeucc
Like Waypoint Youth Ministries on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avonlakeuccyouth/
Instagram: @waypointym
Follow ALUCC Kids on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1199223630209636
Sep 30, 2024
Sep 30, 2024
32 min
Welcome to ALUCC Fellowship Hall, a podcast where we gather to share a tapestry of stories that weave through the congregation of Avon Lake United Church of Christ. In each episode, we'll journey together through the diverse experiences, fun stories and journeys of church leaders and our fellow members.
Our guest today is Kyle Rose, an active church member and current ALUCC Moderator. What are the duties of a church moderator, you may ask … Kyle breaks it down for host Bill Calkins in a way that underscores how important this role is within a church—especially a highly active and growing church with many committees and boards. The moderator also plays a crucial role in the pastoral search process, which is of course a timely discussion. But serving as moderator is only a portion of what Kyle does for the church and in his day-to-day life as a husband, father, employee and all-around good (and humble) guy with a variety of interests and skills. Get ready to hear how ALUCC has positively impacted the Rose family, who Kyle’s favorite athletes were when he was a kid, a bit about his tastes in music and much more.
Grab a seat, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join us in Fellowship Hall as we delve into the heart of Avon Lake United Church of Christ, one story at a time.
Be sure to subscribe to the ALUCC Fellowship Hall podcast on your favorite app so you never miss an episode.
Resources:
Learn more about Avon Lake United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, Ohio: https://www.avonlakeucc.org/
Follow ALUCC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AvonLakeUCC/
Instagram: @avonlakeucc
Watch weekly services on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/avonlakeucc
Like Waypoint Youth Ministries on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avonlakeuccyouth/
Instagram: @waypointym
Follow ALUCC Kids on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1199223630209636
Sep 16, 2024
Sep 16, 2024
49 min
Welcome to ALUCC Fellowship Hall, a podcast where we gather to share a tapestry of stories that weave through the congregation of Avon Lake United Church of Christ. In each episode, we'll journey together through the diverse experiences, fun stories and journeys of church leaders and our fellow members.
Our guest today is director of membership & media, Tim Schulz. Throughout this episode, it became very clear that working tirelessly to help members of our congregation stay engaged and constantly finding new ways to bring ALUCC community members together seven days a week is truly a ministry and a mission for Tim. You’ll learn how membership and engagement has evolved during the time he’s been in this role and how ALUCC has been on the leading edge (even ahead of its time in some cases) using digital strategies, while still building membership the “old fashioned way” by providing opportunities for everyone to get involved in church activities.
Tim takes you behind the scenes with his team of A/V gurus who are onsite every Sunday to make sure all things technological run smoothy and shares the value of consistent email communications and social media. We also have a chance to learn about some of Tim’s hobbies, hear stories from fun travel adventures, mission trips and retreats and how he balances his church family and his family-family—both of which mean quite a lot to him. By the end, you’ll no doubt wonder how he fits all these activities into 24 hours each day.
Grab a seat, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join us in Fellowship Hall as we delve into the heart of Avon Lake United Church of Christ, one story at a time.
Be sure to subscribe to the ALUCC Fellowship Hall podcast on your favorite app so you never miss an episode.
Resources:
Learn more about Avon Lake United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, Ohio: https://www.avonlakeucc.org/
Follow ALUCC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AvonLakeUCC/
Instagram: @avonlakeucc
Watch weekly services on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/avonlakeucc
Like Waypoint Youth Ministries on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avonlakeuccyouth/
Instagram: @waypointym
Sep 3, 2024
Sep 3, 2024
46 min
Welcome to ALUCC Fellowship Hall, a podcast where we gather to share a tapestry of stories that weave through the congregation of Avon Lake United Church of Christ. In each episode, we'll journey together through the diverse experiences, fun stories and journeys of church leaders and our fellow members.
Our guest today is director of music ministries, Scott Ewing. Get ready to learn more about the “man behind the music” at ALUCC—how he got started in music (a passion and a career), how he approaches each season and service when developing the soundtrack, why he feels blessed to work with so many talented musicians in the congregation and local community, the role of church music over time and why he feels called to a role in music ministry. Scott also shares a bit about why piano is the form of expression he feels most connected to and what instruments he’d like to learn to play. He talks about traditional and contemporary church music and how they both play a role in worship and why he includes so many different genres in his Sunday setlists. And that just scratches the surface of what you can expect this episode …
As a bonus, here are some links to classical music pieces that will no doubt expand your horizons and help to illustrate Scott’s mission of blazing trails to new musical appreciation. As he says, “Classical music is SO much more than ‘The Four Seasons!’”
'The Beech Tree' from 'Plan and Elevation', Caroline Shaw: https://youtu.be/Ttkl0h6PQog?si=iLzWMC1iAMDUWv0d
'Lollapalooza', John Adams: https://youtu.be/LbNu5BikuYo?si=eauNHRayMg9dFksC
'Sure on This Shining Night', Morten Lauridsen: https://youtu.be/JK7lFAoE_3s?si=OYi0YZfc6Ri1v8kT
'Three Irish Legends' for piano, Henry Cowell: https://youtu.be/Y4TQosZe_IM?si=uMWcRYaDEIikR5Dn
Grab a seat, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join us in Fellowship Hall as we delve into the heart of Avon Lake United Church of Christ, one story at a time.
Be sure to subscribe to the ALUCC Fellowship Hall podcast on your favorite app so you never miss an episode.
Resources:
Learn more about Avon Lake United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, Ohio: https://www.avonlakeucc.org/
Follow ALUCC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AvonLakeUCC/
Instagram: @avonlakeucc
Watch weekly services on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/avonlakeucc
Like Waypoint Youth Ministries on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avonlakeuccyouth/
Instagram: @waypointym
Follow ALUCC Kids on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1199223630209636