In reflecting on ways in which he's seen the Lord working through ResoundingJoy Church's outreach, Pastor Edward Goode recalled chatting with a family waiting in line for the church's Practical Grace Non-Food Pantry.
They were looking for a church home and relief from some financial challenges. He spoke with them a few days later, connecting them to the church's King's Closet for clothing and helping with other specific requests. They joined the church services for a while until a move to another part of town meant it wasn't practical to attend.
"That was a beautiful example of how the church, in a variety of ways, stepped up, not just in my own ministry but in what other people did. They embraced this family, supported them and had they not had to
move, they'd still be here," he said.
ResoundingJoy Church, at 8735 Cheviot Road, is celebrating its first anniversary of hundreds of stories like this one after merging Northwest Community Church, Pleasant Run Presbyterian Church and Greenhills Community Presbyterian Church into one. They retained the Northwest Community Church building next to Colerain High School.
The high school is a focal point of current work and plans for outreach. In addition to recently feeding the football team a meal before their game, the church has taken note of the young people who hang out in the church parking lot after school because it's easier for their rides to pick them up at the church.
"One of the things I really am hoping is that we can find a way to reach out to them, even if it's simply when it's really cold outside, to say, 'Hey, come inside where it's warm, have some hot chocolate and warm cookies until your ride gets here' ... so they know this is a safe place for them."
Brad Caldwell, the church's music director, and Howard Helvey lead the Cincinnati Music Ensemble, which provides community concerts and resources/training for young people (As an aside, that's the professional ensemble that sang onstage with Josh Groban at Riverbend recently).
Winton Woods High School students in that program, for example, have joined the church choir and gotten into college music programs through their vocal and, in some cases, instrumental training. In fact, one of those kids was ResoundingJoy's first baptism.
Now, they're starting to work with Colerain and other local high schools to bring more students into the fold.
"It's connecting young people into the life of a church that they might not have entered a church before," he said.
Following the 10:30 a.m. worship service Sunday, Sept. 27, the Colerain Chamber of Commerce will have a ribbon-cutting and an ice cream social in the fellowship hall. The church will have tables sharing information about the different areas of ministry, such as Practical Grace Non-Food Pantry, King's Closet, 513ReliefBus and The Help Squad.
The reason for the merger involved aging congregations and buildings and, really, a purpose that's revealing itself in real time.
"I believe churches have life cycles just like any other living being; it has a birth, life and eventually of death," Goode said. "We as Christians believe that death is not the end, that God can do resurrections, that God can bring new life out of something that is dying or has died. That's what I saw with these three churches: the willingness to embrace that idea."
He said it was not a failure but, rather, a step of courage.
Goode likened the challenges the church has faced to those that partners in a second marriage might face, except that there are three groups involved. They bring to this church marriage physical things, like baptismal fonts, as well as traditions, emotions and memories.
"How do we both honor what the three congregations have each uniquely brought?" he said.
"We've helped people grieve some of the things they've left behind."
Part of that strategy was including three important structures from each former church in the sanctuary − the communion table, the baptismal font and the pulpit.
While that decision brought comfort and continuity, members Donna and Jim Hadley, who came from the Greenhills congregation, felt at home right away before the actual merger.
"I felt the spirit was here among the folks ... I loved our church. I loved the congregation but there wasn't much of our church left. Not much hope. It's here," Donna said.
Doris Nell said it took many sessions of the three churches working through problems and making concessions before the new church took shape.
"We understood we could become something vibrant, whereas we were simply looking at a diminished church. People loved where they were, but it couldn't continue," said Nell, who attended the Pleasant Run church.
Edwin Bowman attended North Presbyterian Church in Northside for more than 30 years before coming to Northwest Community Church. He said that when North closed in 2021, he didn't have good thoughts about what would happen next. But once the three-church merger came together, he felt it needed to happen.
"That's what God gave to me," he said.
Jim said he didn't have any misgivings once things started moving.
"It feels like the spirit of God is moving more in this congregation than it was in Greenhills, specifically things like Practical Grace," he said.
He said they were asked to make every effort to separate themselves from the old churches, by not saying "we did it this way or that way." He said that's exactly what happened.
"We are ResoundingJoy, period," he said. "I think we have nothing but growth and good things ahead of us."
Want to join?
Questions? The church phone number is 513-385-8973. Email: resoundingjoychurch@gmail.com. Facebook: ResoundingJoy Church. Website: https://resoundingjoy.church/
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: ResoundingJoy Church steps up for community, grows in its first year
