Newsletter for August 17, 2014

The Bearing Fruit

August 17, 2014

Our Church

Happy Anniversary to:  Grant & Edie Nebel (8/18),

    Don & Phyllis Headrick (8/20)

Offering for 8/10/2014:  $1,700 (regular)

***To meet our financial obligations for the church year we need approximately $16,000 during the month of August.  Keep this in mind as you prepare your offering.***

Myron Graber has been confirmed by the congregation to serve as elder for Washington Mennonite Church for an upcoming 3-year term.

Keep bring school kit supplies!  The supplies will still be used even if there are not bags left.

Bike to Church Sunday:  Start lining up your sponsors for  Bike to Church Sunday sometime soon.  We’ll meet in Central Park for juice and donuts and then actually bike to the church for the Sunday morning service.  Get people to sponsor you at $1 or $5 per block for the $16 block trip to benefit MCC.

Annual Reports need to be turned in to Andrea by August 31^st.  They can be emailed to wash.mennonite at juno.com or left on the Andrea’s desk.  Thanks!

If your address, phone number, or email address have changed in the last 2 years, or if you were not included in the last directory, please make the corrections/additions on the forms in the fellowship hall for the new church directory.  Or you can email your information to wash.mennonite at juno.com.

Iowa Mennonite School

IMS parents are invited to the first Parent-Teacher Organization meeting of the year on Monday, Aug 25^th, at 7pm.  The gathering will be in Celebration Hall, and will include introduction of faculty members, pertinent information regarding the beginning of the school year, and beginning preparations for the organization’s Apple Fritter Booth at Kalona’s Fall Festival.  All parents are encouraged to attend.

IMS’ Compassion Club is sponsoring a blood drive at the school (in the Celebration Hall lobby) on Thursday, Aug 28^th; donation time is from 6:30-10:30am.  Walk-ins will be accepted, and appointments are encouraged, by contacting Gloria Yoder: gyoder at iowamennonite.org or 656.2073.

Central Plains Conference

Women’s Retreat at Swan Lake Christian Camp is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Sep 20^th and 21^st.  Conference pastor Shana Peachey Boshart is speaking on the topic “Growing in God – What’s Working for You?”  Presentation sessions will focus on children, young women/mothers and empty nest/beyond.  There will be time on Saturday afternoon to enjoy activity sessions and a variety of music/singing throughout the weekend.  Pre-registration is requested and due by September 15^th by contacting Edie Tschetter at letschetter at gwtc.net; home: 605.925.7009 or cell: 605.660.2714; 28020 US Highway 81, Freeman, SD 57029.  Please check out the poster sent to your local church for details on cost, lodging, etc.

The Sower Prayer Request:  Pray for the Central Plains Conference Board and committee chairs as they meet next weekend in Freeman, South Dakota.

Mennonite Agencies

Support the MCC Bike Hike!  On Sept 4, 5, 6, and 7, thirty people from Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois will meet in the Black Hills to participate in a 175 mile bike ride or 40 mile hike to raise money for MCC’s Indigenous Vision Center.  You are invited to support the rider or hiker of your choice by pledging per mile or per participant.  Checks can be sent to MCC Central States, PO Box 235, N Newton, KS 67117.  Please mark the check with participant’s name (if applicable) and Bike/Hike.  Contact Elizabeth Janssen at 605.925.4859 or elizabethjanssen at mcc.org with questions.

MC USA Announcement:  Mennonite Church USA website under construction.  You may have noticed that the Mennonite Church USA website has a new look.  We’re converting our old website into an upgraded resource center that will be easily searchable and that we hope will make resources easier to find.  Please bear with us as we make this transition.  If you have specific concerns or questions, e-mail Hannah Heinzekehr, director of communications: HannahH at MennoniteUSA.org.

Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  MMN’s Laura Schlabach serves as the JCS International representative for Bayanhongor, a rural province in Mongolia.  Pray for Laura as she works with this consortium of Christian organizations to help people enjoy more abundant life through development and relief, while encouraging the growing church.

Prayers for faith and learning:  Pray for students entering Eastern Mennonite Seminary for the first time this fall, either online, at our Harrisonburg campus, or at our Lancaster extension.

Food for Thought

10 Things Jesus Never Said:

1)        You’re too far gone to be saved.

2)       I’m so disappointed in you.

3)       This wouldn’t be happening if you were a better Christian.

4)       It’s okay not to love certain people.

5)       Everyone should believe and act like you do.

6)       It’s all up to you.

7)       You don’t have to forgive someone who really hurt you.

8)       You missed my will for your life.

9)       I’ve given up on you.

10)   This is a cross you must bear alone.