ALUCC Fellowship Hall

This episode is part of a podcast miniseries getting to know some Avon Lake United Church of Christ mission partners! Host Bill Calkins is joined for this episode by Senior Director of Recovery Services, Michael Plas and Misty Hendricks, the program director for Trinity House, a Road to Hope sober living facility for women with children. They discussed the organization’s history, some ways our chu...

This episode is part of a podcast miniseries getting to know some Avon Lake United Church of Christ mission partners! Host Bill Calkins caught up with Dr. Roger Dorsey (president and executive director of Good Knights) and Kurt Zbin, the vice-chair of the organization’s board and our church’s mission team liaison for an awesome conversation that will help us all better understand the organizations...

This time, we sat down with TJ Frie to discuss a wide range of topics from his childhood in Michigan and his first job to his years with the US Coast Guard and his decades of involvement with our church. TJ talks about his family and the impact ALUCC has had on his life. We dig into the importance of service and why he loves working with youth ministries, as well as his year serving as church mode...

This time we’re joined by Mark Spaetzel—a longtime ALUCC member, community leader and someone whose dedication to service runs deep. From his career in law enforcement and local government to his hands-on roles in countless church committees and youth group service trips, Mark has spent a lifetime leading with integrity, compassion and commitment. In this episode, we’ll explore some experiences th...

Our guest this episode is ALUCC’s Senior Minister Mark Pettis. If you’re listening in real time—Fall 2025—Pastor Mark is about 7 months into his tenure at our church and although many have heard his sermons and hopefully had an opportunity to talk with him, there’s still a lot to learn and that’s our goal for the next half hour or so. *NOTE: This episode was recorded in Spring 2025 for release the...

This episode, we’re joined by Savannah Stobe, a longtime member of our Junior High and Senior High Youth Groups and now wrapping up her first summer as ALUCC Youth Ministries summer assistant working alongside Nate Taylor to plan and execute activities and trips for our junior and senior high youth programs and service trips. We caught up with Savannah to debrief on her summer, learn about her pas...

This episode we’re joined by Dan Walther. Dan the Man! Dan has led the Junior High Service Trip for 12 years and has seen a lot in that time—from the transformation many kids experience to the good work done in Camp Washington by the ALUCC group and others who travel there each summer to help with summer youth programs and serve with other outreach functions of Washington UCC in Cincinnati.   Many...

If you went to Sunday School as a little kid or sent your own kids off to learn about the foundations of faith when they were young, you probably appreciate the importance of Christian education through the church. ALUCC has a legacy of offering faith-based education for kids of all ages and our Sunday School program is truly excellent. Much of this is due to Eileen Zakel, ALUCC’s Christian Ed coo...

This episode, we’re excited to be joined by Maddie Stiles, a life-long Avon Laker and church member who’s been involved in ALUCC youth ministries as a kid and now as an adult volunteer with the senior high youth group. Maddie was also a summer intern for a few years and is clearly all-in on this element of our church. In the fall, she will embark on her career as an educator having just accepted a...

Our guest today has been a member of ALUCC for 40 years and has been super-involved since day one—although she spent a handful of those years as a member of another UCC church but still sang in our choir! Many of you know Judy Reich, especially if you sing in the choir, ring in the bell choir, participate in faith and fitness classes, engage with Stephen Ministers or attend the 9:00 service. If yo...

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...

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...

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...

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 talen...

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 a...

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 thei...

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...

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 t...

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, i...

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 t...

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.   This episode, we have two guests, Janice Bell and Candy General and the reason they’re on the...

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.   This episode is different than the first three but fits perfectly into the mission of Fellows...

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 youth ministries, Nate Taylor. If you know Nate, then you migh...

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 minister for families and children, Beau Dansizen. Throughout 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.   Our guest today is none other than our current pastor, Kelly Brill. Over the course of this e...