Newsletter for January 31, 2016

The Bearing Fruit

January 31, 2016

Upcoming Events:

Jan 31   –                 Fingerfoods and Fellowship, 5:30pm

Feb 6     –                Birthday Breakfast Club, 9am

Feb 7     –                IA Women’s BBall Game, leave at 11:45

Feb 28  –                 Soup and Game Night, 5:30pm

Our Church

▪ Offering for 1/24/16: $3,433 (regular); $297 (sat. kitchen)

▪ For Christmas, Amanda gave the church a new large calendar that’s now hanging in the foyer near the library. This calendar will replace the events calendar that used to be located in the kitchen. All calendar events should be scheduled through the church office. We hope that this large format calendar will aid us in communicating the events of our church-life together, and in coordinating usage of the church building.

▪ Come to Fellowship & Fingerfoods – an evening at church spent eating, laughing, and serving together TONIGHT at 5:30pm.  We will pack boxes for our college students, pack MCC relief kits, knot a MCC comforter, make valentines, and fellowship together!

▪ MCC Relief Kits:  The need is great for MCC hygiene kits!  Kits require 1 large bar of soap, 1 adult sized toothbrush, 1 dark hand towel, and 1 (good quality) fingernail clipper.  A box in the foyer will collect these items until we pack up the kits TONIGHT.

▪ College Student Boxes:  Show our college students we care!  Bring trinkets, cards, non-perishable foods, etc. to send to our college students for Valentine’s Day.  Items are

being collected in the colorful gift bags in the foyer labeled Jacayla and Tanner.  We will pack boxes for college students TONIGHT.

▪ February 6, 9:00am - Birthday Breakfast Club, January and February birthdays: If you celebrate your birthday in January or February, join Amanda at the church for breakfast and fellowship.

Iowa Mennonite School

▪ IMS’s Chamber Singers, under the direction of Josh Tyson, are available to present their annual “Singing Valentines” on Friday, Feb 12.  For $35, the select group of seven singers will present two songs and a box of chocolates to individual recipients ($60 for a group).  Please contact the school to reserve a spot for the day.

▪ 8^th grade students – and students considering a transfer – are invited to visit IMS for a day on Monday, Feb 15.  The day includes visiting classes, attending chapel, eating lunch on campus, and meeting other students and faculty members.  To register, contact the school or visit www.iowamennonite.org.

Central Plains Conference

▪ The Sower Prayer Request:  Tim Detweiler began chemotherapy treatments on January 20.  Pray for courage, strength and for God’s healing as he begins his journey of fighting cancer.

Mennonite Agencies

▪ MCC has large scale, multi-panel displays available for your congregation to use on the topics of mass incarceration and immigration.  To help you engage in these topics, MCC will cover the cost of shipping the displays to your church.  All you have to do is let us know when you’d like them!  When a Parent is in Prison gives a glimpse of life for the two million children with a parent in prison.  Ladder without Rungs explores metaphors of suffering and trauma from survivors of violent crime to express their experiences, and from life-sentenced prisoners to describe the sentences they are serving.  People on the Move tells the human stories of migration.  If your church would like to help with the cost of shipping, your donation would be accepted, but for 2016 it is not required.  Call 316.283.2720 for more information and email exhibits at mcc.org to make your reservations today!

▪ You’re invited to join the MCC Central States Board and Staff at our annual Community Engagement Event on Saturday, Feb. 27.  Our event this year will be held in the chapel at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan. From 8:30-10:45am focusing on Mass Incarceration.  We will have a variety of speakers share with the group and time for questions and answers.  Please call our office to let us know if you’ll be attending at 316.283.2720.  All are welcome to attend this informative event with opportunity to engage with MCC board and staff!

▪ Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  Pray for MMN personnel and their colleagues in Nepal as they share the good news of God’s providence through the creation of small businesses, including a coffee shop.  Praise God for the success of this hospitality ministry that is prospering and giving hope to many visitors.

Area Announcements

▪ God’s Bodies: Theology & Sexuality in an Age of Certainty – a seminar sponsored by Christ Community Church in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, February 6^th.  For more information see the poster in the foyer by the mailboxes.

▪ You are invited to a Valentine coffee house and chocolate buffet at Kalona Mennonite Church on Sunday, Feb 14^th, 5pm-7:30pm.  Come join us for a night of java, lots of chocolate, personal stories and performances by various local musicians.  Come alone or bring your family and friends.  Everyone is welcome!  Proceeds will benefit KMC’s International Student Aid Fund.  Our current project is Rudi Mucaj who is currently attending Goshen College.