Feb 5, 2012 Newsletter

Bearing Fruit
Feb 5, 2012

Our Church

Happy Birthday to:  Mike Bruegge (2/3), Phyllis

       Litwiller (2/7), Erika Widmer (2/10)

Prayers of Washington Mennonite --

·         Kaylene Miller

·         Cindy Widmer’s recovery

·         Mike Bates and Gay Widmer as they return from Haiti

·         Roger Farmer as he returns from Ecuador

·         Mennonite Church USA denomination’s 10^th Anniversary Celebration

Sing the Story songbooks have been purchased for use in our worship. Contributions are welcome to assist with the cost of this addition to our worship.  Cost is $10/book. Please indicate your donation for songbooks on your check. Goodies and a free will offering will also provide an opportunity to contribute to this purchase in the coming weeks.

Happy birthday, Mennonite Church USA! On Feb. 1, 2012, our denomination turns 10 years old. We invite you to join us in celebrating this milestone and giving thanks for the countless amazing ways that God’s Spirit has been at work among us in this last decade—in our lives and relationships, in our congregations and communities, in our agencies and organizations. May God bless each of our congregations and strengthen us all in our efforts to live out our denominational vision: God calls us to be followers of Jesus Christ and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to grow as communities of grace, joy and peace, so that God’s healing and hope flow through us to the world.
—Mennonite Church USA national staff

Iowa Mennonite School

The IMS Chamber Singers are offering Singing Valentines on February 14 for your special person!  The Valentine

package for an individual will consist of two songs, a flower and a photo for $35. The Chamber Singers will also sing songs for a group for $60.  The songs this year are You Are the New Day by King Singers, I Will Be There by Steven Curtis Chapman, In the Still of the Nite as recorded by Boys II Men. To reserve a singing valentine call the school office at 656.2073 or 683.2586.

On Saturday, February 18, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the IMS gym, there will be a fund-raiser dinner for Arevik Torosyan, an exchange student at IMS three years ago.  She is currently 19, from Armenia, and was hosted by Larry and Bonnie Pickard.  Now she is fighting a life- threatening disease and has asked if we can help her as her natural parents are not able to afford the treatments she needs.  The current World Link students, along with their coordinator (Sherrie Nisly), are hosting this fundraiser to help with her medical expenses.  IMS students will also be involved.  There will be a nice variety of international soups, stews and breads, and “global” ice cream for dessert.  Exchange students will be performing native music and will have cultural items on display.  For more information, please contact Sherrie Nisly at 319-430-1547 or Tony Miller at IMS: 319-656-2073.

Prospective Student Day - IMS is hosting an information and visitation day on Monday, February 20, from 8:00 a.m.-3:10 p.m.  Interested 8th-grade students are invited to visit classes, attend chapel, eat lunch on campus (no charge to the student), meet potential classmates and teachers, and experience life on the IMS campus!  Parents are also invited to a brief informational session at the beginning of the day (8:00 a.m.).  Please contact Candi Schmieder (candi.schmieder at gmail.com) for further information, or call the school office at 656-2073 or 683-2586.

The IMS Board invites you to join them in prayer for IMS every Wednesday morning at 7:30 AM.  Come to IMS or ask to have the prayer guide emailed to you.  Join us either way as we invite God’s guidance and blessing for IMS each week.

Crooked Creek Christian Camp

Crooked Creek Christian Camp invites you to join us for: Exploring Foods and Farming Conference; The Myth of Sustainability on March 2-3, 2012. Are you a farmer? Conventional or Organic? Do you garden? This conference is for anyone who eats food and anyone who produces food. Our keynote speaker will be Neal Eash. Neal is an Associate Professor in Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science at the University of Tennessee. His research area is in soil fertility and carbon cycling in organic production systems.  He has ongoing no-till research in Lesotho, Mozambique, and Thailand.  He also continues to farm his home 160-acre farm in Ohio using only no-till methods. This event will focus on bringing together conventional and organic farmers to discuss and learn how all farmers (conventional or alternate) can move towards more sustainable and restorative practices. Diane Zaerr Brenneman will lead activities that help unpack how our language and assumptions affect our conversations. How do we build bridges between farmers who produce food differently and consumers in hopes of creating community?

Mennonite Agencies

The 2012 National MDS Meeting will be in Sarasota, Florida on February 10-11.  Early registration must be sent by January 10.  For a registration form and more information, go to mds.mennonite.net or call John Schrock at 646.2260.

You are invited to the Mennonite Central Committee Central States Annual Meeting at New Creation Fellowship Church in Newton, Ks. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7pm.  Joanna Hiebert Bergen, MCC's HIV/AIDS Program Coordinator will share how MCC is touching the lives of millions by caring for people living with HIV/AIDS, supporting children orphaned by the disease, teaching prevention and addressing the poverty and injustices that perpetuate the spread of the disease.  New Creation Fellowship is located at 221 Muse St in Newton and refreshments will be served following the meeting.  

Mennonite/s Writing VI: Solos and Harmonies

You’re invited to a literary arts festival March 29-April 1, 2012 at Eastern Mennonite University, co-sponsored by Conrad Grebel University College. Features playwright Vern Thiessen; poet Greg Orr; a growing list of Mennonite scholars and writers including Katherine Arnoldi, Stephen Raleigh Byler, Todd Davis, Dora Dueck, Jeff Gundy, Ann Hostetler, Jean Janzen, Julia Spicher Kasdorf, Keith Ratzlaff, Sofia Samatar, Hildi Froese Tiessen, and Rudy Wiebe. Learn more and register by March 16 at www.emu.edu/mennos-writing  Early registration discount available through February 3.

Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  Laura Schlabach of MMN has ministered in Mongolia for nearly two decades.  Pray with her as she discerns whether God is calling her to Altan Soembo, a new location within the country.

The Sower Prayer Request:  The conference board meets on Saturday, February 11, at East Union Mennonite Church near Kalona, Iowa.  Agenda items include conversation with staff, how the work of the committees is aligned with our mission, budget revisions, and reporting on fundraising.

Washington Area

IMS Potato Bar: Come join us at Upper Deer Creek on Super Bowl Sunday for our annual potato bar in support of IMS. We will be serving from 11:45am-1:00pm on February 5th. Donations will be accepted on behalf of IMS. Bring your friends and family to enjoy a great meal before the big game!

Bethel Mennonite is hositng Randy Davis of Drawing Closer Ministires. Randy does a chalk art drawing as his wife plays background music. Randy will be at Bethel on Sunday, February 19th at 7pm. For information see the poster on the bulletin board.

The Goshen College Men's Choir is on a Mid-west tour and will be giving a concert at First Mennonite Church on Wed., Feb. 29th at 7:00 pm.  Dr. Scott Hochstetler directs the choir of 48 men (two from this area). All are welcome to attend this concert of singing on the theme of "Light in the Darkness."