Newsletter for July 28, 2013

Bearing Fruit

July 28, 2013

Our Church

Happy Birthday to:  Liz Widmer (7/28), Wes Widmer (7/31),

        Dick See (7/31), Katie Miranda (8/2)

Happy Anniversary to:  Monte & Lori Asbury (8/2)

Offering for 7/21/2013: $3285.00 (regular)

VBS is coming up!  We’d like a volunteer (or volunteers) to provide a noon meal on Saturday the 10^th.  Saturday noon will be teachers and students, likely totally 30 or less.  If one person or group would volunteer to provide a simple, kid-friendly meal, that would be excellent.  Contact Amanda if you’d be willing to bring lunch on Saturday.

Sunday the 11^th we’ll be having a VBS celebration picnic at Crooked Creek.  We’d like everyone to bring lots of food in case we have VBS visitors!

In your mailboxes you’ll find job descriptions for the church ministries that you’ve agreed to be a part of in the coming year.  Descriptions are included even for those who have been on ministries for several years, knowing that it’s been awhile since many of these descriptions have been reviewed.

Grant and Edie will be gone next week to visit family in PA.

With our year-end fast approaching we need to consider our giving if we are to meet all our obligations for this year.  There are five Sundays left in this church year including today and our spending blueprint has $24,000 remaining.  Please give thought to your offers over the next four weeks.

All pledge contributions for the cabin building fund need to be made by AUGUST 1^st.  Please make your check payable to Washington Mennonite Church and designate for the cabin fund.  Thanks to everyone for your support of this project.

All who write reports for our year-end Annual Report need to submit their reports by August 28^th.  They can be  emailed  to the church or placed on Andrea’s desk or mailbox.

There will be an Everence meeting here on Aug 6^th at 7pm.  David Gautsche, Everence Senior Vice President of Products and Services, will be here to answer questions about health care and insurance.  The topics covered will include how health care reform will affect individuals and employers, how you will get health insurance coverage, and how reform has affected Everence health plans.  This is a particularly important meeting for those under 65.  Please call 877.656.4242 by Aug 2^nd so they can plan ahead.

       

Iowa Mennonite School

The IMS Search Committee would covet your prayers as they begin the process of finding the school’s next principal.  The team will be gathering information from multiple sources to help determine what leadership characteristics are important to meet the future needs of IMS.  The position will be advertised in the near future.  If you have any questions, please contact Paula Buckwalter at 319.646.2456 or tpbuck at netins.net.

All students attending IMS in the fall – new and returning – are asked to come in to register on Aug 2^nd or 5^th (7:30-6:00).  Students will finalize schedules, chat with principal Norm Yoder, and should be prepared to make initial incidental payments with Kris Brenne,an.  Please contact the school to arrange an alternate time.

Join us for a morning of golf at the 3^rd annual IMS Fairway Fun golf outing on Aug 17^th.  Bring a foursome or sign up individually for the 4-person best-ball tournament.  There will be prizes, lunch, 18 holes of golf (and a cart) included in your $75 entry fee; proceeds will benefit our Student Aid Fund.  Principal Norm Yoder will join us and be available to chat as well.  Please contact Larry Swartzendruber at the school to register.

 

Crooked Creek Christian Camp

Don’t forget to sign up for the canoe trip down Skunk River with CCCC on Sat, Aug 24^th starting at 8:30am.  We will spend the day canoeing 16 miles down Skunk River.  Registration fees are $20/adult and $15/child (12 and under).  The day includes snacks, lunch, transportation, canoes and life jackets.  Register online at our website www.crookedcreekcamp.org/programs or call the camp to save your spot today!  319.653.3611  Half day option is available.

Central Plains Conference

Engage the Mystery!  Advent worship planners, you have a special opportunity to learn about the Advent 2013 Leader materials from those who wrote them!  There will be breakouts that demonstrate the visuals, the dramas, sermons and music/children’s stories.  Join us at Manson Mennonite Church on Saturday, September 7, from 10-3:30 for Engaging the Mystery: Introducing Advent 2013.  The cost is $25 per person.  Ask your church office for a brochure or go to goo.gl/yZXOo.

The Sower Prayer Request:  Pray that members of Central Plains Mennonite Conference would seek to grow continually in Christ-likeness in order to embody a holistic witness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Mennonite Agencies

MCC Central States is accepting applications for an Office Manager/Bookkeeper in the North Newton, KS office.  Check for more details at serve.mcc.org (look for Office Manager/Bookkeeper-Central States) or email mwaltner at mcc.org.

You are invited to the MCC Learning Tour “Ukraine: Addressing the Basic Social Issues of a Broken-Down Society” July 25^th-Aug 4^th, 2014.  Contact Anna Yoder, annayoder at mcc.org or 316.283.2720, for more info.

Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:   Praise God that the Mongolian government has granted Joint Christian Services International a six-month extension of its registration, permitting mission personnel to renew work permits and visas.  MMN works through JCSI, a consortium of organizations collaborating in Christian ministry in Mongolia.  Pray that visa extensions will continue throughout the coming year.

Area Events

Invite your friends and join us for a community evening of worship through music and scripture.  The evening will include music ensembles as well as plenty of congregational singing.  This event will be held at Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church on Sunday, Aug 4^th at 7pm.