Ocepek Pottery News
2-16-10
Hello Dear Friends,
Quick reminder about our wheel-thrown communion pottery.
Every year, about a week before Easter, we get calls from folks who just realized they need to replace, or add, a chalice or paten right away in time for Holy Week. But since this is our busiest time, often times by then we have run out of the item they need.
Easter is now only six weeks away and we are taking the final special orders this week. Regular items like chalices, patens, flagons, travel items, are being made and will continue to be available as long as the supply holds out. Special order items (pouring chalices, ciboria, host boxes, baptismal bowls, dish patens, intinction servers, candle holders - see Special Order Items) have a six week lead time which puts us right at Holy Week. Multiples of the Upper Room Set (Upper Room Set ) if needed by Maundy Thursday, must also be ordered this week, by February 20th, in order to arrive in time.
Also, we wanted to let you know about a new combination we have created. We've had several customers create this selection of individual pieces: Full size Chalice, 6 1/2" Paten, Host Jar, 2 Cruets. So, we have officially grouped them into what we call the "Eucharist Set." Please see Eucharist Set . The individual item total would be $140.00, but as an introductory price we are offering the 5 piece set at $117.50. The Neuhaus Eucharist Set is a special order; Otoe and Memorial are within the standard line.
Thanks for your continued patronage. It is a blessing to us to be of service to you and those you serve in Jesus' name.
1-24-10Happy New Year! This time of year, so soon after Christmas, always sneaks up on us. It is the time when we are making pottery for Lent and Easter. Lent begins on February 17th this year (Ash Wednesday), and Maundy Thursday will be on April 1st. This is the time to order any Upper Room pottery! See Upper Room Set. During Lent, many churches prefer to use the Memorial pattern which you will see on this page. It is rustic, earthy, very one-of-a-kind, and seems to convey a sense of history. You can imagine Jesus serving the first communion from such pieces in the Upper Room. Please order as early as possible if you will be needing multiple sets. With only one potter, there is a limit to the number of pieces we can produce in time for Upper Room presentations.
12-24-09Merry Christmas!
Christmas blessings to you and those whom you serve, from Debra and Adam Ocepek, Ocepek Pottery.
11-23-09NEWSLETTER:
Happy Thanksgiving!
We hold close in prayer all those who share the Lord's Supper, joining Christians together throughout the world. And we are so thankful for all those who have chosen to use our pottery for communion over the years. It is an honor we don't take lightly; in fact we are constantly amazed and humbled by the gift of this ministry.
As is our custom at this time of year, we are holding a drawing for a $100 gift certificate on our website:
Gift Certificate 2009
One $100 gift certificate will be awarded on Thursday, December 24, 2009. The certificate may be used for new purchases on the Ocepek Pottery website, or applied retroactively as a credit to any purchase that was made between 10-1-09 and 12-24-09.
Also - the non-communionware sale page has been updated (a good place to look for family and friend gifts.) See
Specials 2
11-4-09CLEARANCE SALE! Non-communionware items from our retail shop which is now closed. See specials2.htm
10-11-09We received a nice comment from a customer about one of our travel sets. They sent a picture of a case which they made for it, and have suggested that others may be interested. If you would like information about purchasing a wooden case for your travel communion set, let us know and we'll put you in touch with these talented folks!
Click to see photo of wooden case
Here is the message we received:
"My communion set has served me very well. My husband made this box for the set and it travels very well. If any one is interested the box has a slot for server, a holder for wine cruet, a slot for chalice and an indent for Paten. All travels and nothing gets lost or broken. My linens are placed on top. It has a latch to close and a handle. He made dovetails joinery and finished it with a high gloss. Please let me know if it interests you he can make them. Thanks Lil and Al"
9-17-09NEWSLETTER:
Dear Clergy Friends,
World Communion Sunday will be observed this year on October 4th. This yearly event is very dear to us. We have been so blessed to have found our way into this communionware vocation, and we sense the connection to all those who use in worship the vessels we have made with God's help. A true sense of communion is in our hearts, especially on that day.
We have gathered some information for you which we hope you will find useful in planning for World Communion Sunday. We'll be holding you all close in prayer as we celebrate communion together on October 4th.
You will find the links on this page:
World Communion Links
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POTTERY NEWS:
We have seen an increase in demand for the Pouring Chalice. Though this is usually a special order item, we have made a few ahead and have more in the works. We are guessing that the increase may be related to concerns about the flu, as use of the Pouring Chalice lessens the number of hands involved in sharing communion. We sincerely hope that communion itself in our churches will not be diminished by any concerns that may arise in the coming months.
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8-6-09This would be a good time to look ahead to the fall program and assess needs for additional or replacement communion ware. We are well-stocked on the Otoe pattern right now, and are working on increasing the supply of Memorial pieces. World Communion Sunday is October 4th, 2009. We usually see an increase in demand just prior to that day, but will try to be as prepared as possible. Shipping by Express Mail is an expensive option, so please try to plan ahead if you are able to. We'll need additional time, usually about 6 weeks, on any of the special order items (see communionware.com/tempcomm.htm )
5-26-09Thankfully, we are beginning to be caught up with production. We should be able to fill most orders promptly. Thanks for your patience! This is the time to look toward fall, when church programs usually start up. If you will be needing any communion pottery please place your orders as soon as you determine what your needs might be, especially if you'll need Pouring Chalices, Baptismal Bowls, Host Boxes, or any of the other items that need to be special-ordered.
5-11-09There are two new features in place now in our Google Checkout shopping cart which we think will be helpful in some cases. One is a gift card option, and the other is a buyer-note where you can send along any pertinent info with your order. You will find these on the checkout page after you have clicked on the Google Checkout icon.
Due to recent high demand, orders may require up to a six-week lead time. Please call us at 800-426-7687 for more information regarding specific items. Thank you for your patience; we regret any inconvenience this may cause.
4-7-09We're out of Memorial chalices without cross, and down to two Memorial patens. Well, we almost made it to Easter without running out!
4-2-09As of now, we are almost out of Memorial chalices without cross, Memorial patens, Otoe chalices with cross and Otoe patens. Call for specific info on availability, 1-800-426-7687. We are making more, of course, but they will not be available until sometime after Easter.
3-30-09Time is now getting short for Easter orders, and available suppy is also getting short. We just unloaded the last few Otoe patens from the kiln. The next ones that come through will be available after Easter. Call for specific info on availability, 1-800-426-7687.
2-17-09The new PINK GLAZE is now available on the First Communion Set page. Supply is short so far, but additional pieces can be ordered.
2-10-09Watch for a new PINK GLAZE, coming soon. It will be available on the First Communion Set and on other pieces by special order. (We have some of the First Communion Sets in Pink now, but no picture yet. Call to order, 1-800-426-7687.)
12-24-08Thanks to everyone who entered the $100 gift certificate drawing. The winner is MARGARET FLEET of Norfolk, Virginia. Congratulations!
UPDATE 12-18-08The Post Office is now recommending Express Mail for all shipments due by Christmas. We ship by Priority Mail unless you call to make other arrangements. 1-800-426-7687.
UPDATE 12-15-08
There's still time to enter the <$100 Gift Certificate Drawing! The drawing will be held on Christmas Eve.
We ship by Priority Mail, which usually takes 2 to 3 days. It could be longer at this busy time, but so far so good. If you need to ship by Express Mail instead you'll need to call us at 1-800-426-7687. Please be aware that it is very costly and is not necessarily guaranteed for next day delivery. We'll do our best to help, but please try to order very soon for Christmas delivery. We are usually able to ship orders of in-stock items the same day if ordered early in the day. We do not ship by FedEx or UPS.
Update on availability
We are very low as of this date on Memorial Congregational items. No flagons, few chalices. We have a good supply of Otoe chalices, patens, and some flagons. We have all travel items, though supply is limited.
The Specials page has been restocked! Please visit for some excellent deals.
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Newsletter 12-08 (emailed to customer list on 12-03-08)
GIFTS
Do you need a gift for a pastor friend, a seminary graduate, or someone else in the ministry? We have found that sometimes folks will give a gift of communionware to their church at Christmastime too. A good place to start looking for ideas might be here:
Gifts
There are photos that link to various pages on our website, and perhaps you will find something that will please. We can ship directly to the recipient if you like. If an order is shipped as a gift we top off the inside of the box with colorful wrapping paper and attach your gift card - a less-expensive (in fact free) alternative to gift-wrapping. Also see Catalog
DRAWING FOR GIFT CERTIFICATE
Traditionally, we offer our customers the chance to participate in a $100 Gift Certificate Drawing at this time of year. You'll find the entry form and more info at
Gift Certificate 2008
SPECIALS
We run some text ads on Google, and lately the ad that has been receiving the most clicks by far is "Affordable Communionware." That bit of information served to reinforce something that we already knew: the economy is affecting churches along with everyone else, perhaps more so. So we thought we should try to help as much as we could, beyond our constant diligence in keeping prices low.
There's a new feature on our website which you may not have found! On this page
Specials
you'll find a constantly updated selection of Specials and One-of-a-Kinders. Look for some very good prices here. As always, the price shown is what you will pay - nothing extra for postage. Most of these items are available in only single quantities, so if you see something you like, snap it up quickly. We will add more specials during this month, so keep coming back!
GOOGLE CHECKOUT
The last time we wrote you, we were in the midst of a crisis. Banks and credit card companies have been making it difficult for little online businesses these days. The provider of our digital certificate, which is required in order to take credit card orders online, was experiencing a backlog of orders. As a result, our certificate expired and we could not seem to expedite it. Online ordering went kaput.
Well, as you know, sometimes problems are a blessing in disguise. We searched for an agreeble, customer-friendly solution and quickly found one that we think you will like. Google Checkout has now been installed for your use. It's a very safe, secure and trustworthy system, widely used on the Internet. Just click on the "Add to cart" buttons. There's a neat little interface that shows you what's in your cart, at the right hand top of the screen. You can edit quantities or remove items easily, and when you're ready to check out, just click on the Google Checkout icon (ignore the standard google message about shipping charges being added on next page - your shipping is free and it will calculate that way.) If you have not yet established a Google account, you will be asked for your information next. It is just as easy as filling out our old order form. We receive the orders through Google very quickly and will process them as usual - just like you are used to. Of course, you can always call and place your order directly if you prefer or if you have any questions. Our number is 1-800-426-7687.
AVAILABILITY
So far, so good. Most of our standard line is available to ship immediately as of this date, 12/4/08. One option is unavailable until the end of January - that is the wheat style Flagons. We do have flagons without the wheat. We are in the process of firing more of the most popular items, so we should be in pretty good shape for a week or more. One effect of sending out an email to our customers like this is that it tends to produce orders soon after sending, so it's hard to say how long our inventory will last. The best thing to do if you know you will be needing something for Christmas is to place your order now. We can ship it closer to Christmas if you prefer - just let us know.
We also have in stock some of the special order items (like the ciborium, pouring chalice, one-piece intinction server, etc.) Call to order or check availability, 1-800-426-7687. These typically have a six-week or longer lead time, but we do have some on hand now. All other special order or out-of-stock items can be ordered, with a delivery date at this time of 1/31/09. This date will push back as we fill up our production schedule.
Looking ahead, Lent begins on February 25th with Ash Wednesday. We're looking toward that time and hope to have a good supply of the Upper Room Set available ( Upper Room Set ), though it wouldn't hurt to order in advance, especially if your church does an Upper Room presentation.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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