Newsletter for February 28, 2016

The Bearing Fruit

February 28, 2016

Upcoming Events:

Feb 28  – Soup and Game Night (5:30pm)

Mar 2   – Council Meeting

Mar 4   – World Day of Prayer Service (1:30pm)

Mar 13 – MYF (5:30pm at Amy’s)

Mar 15 – Elder’s Meeting

Mar 16 – Mennonite Women Sewing

Mar 24 – Maundy Thursday Service (6:30pm)

Mar 26 – Saturday Kitchen (UP Church)

Mar 27 – Easter Potluck (8:45am)

Our Church

▪ Offering for 2/21/16: $1,851 (regular);

$19.01 (coins for camp)

▪ Soup and Game Night, 5:30 – TONIGHT    Bring your favorite game and something to accompany soup.  We’ll join in games and supper with one another.

▪ This year, Washington Mennonite has the honor of hosting Washington’s World Day of Prayer Celebration.  Women, men, and children in more than 170 countries and regions around the world will celebrate World Day of Prayer, Friday, March 4, 2016.  This year, services have been planned by the World Day of Prayer Committee of Cuba.  Join us in learning about and praying for Cuba at this prayer service for those around the world who are suffering from poverty, violence and injustice.  Our service will be on Friday, March 4 at 1:30pm.

Crooked Creek Christian Camp

▪ Lenten Quiet Day is March 12 at the Retreat Lodge.  There is still time to sign up.  Though there’s no cost for the day, please register so we have an accurate count for lunch.  More information online.

▪ Hey High Schoolers!  Save the date and mark your calendars for the High School Retreat April 2-3.  And yes, we will be playing Capture the Flag.

Iowa Mennonite School

▪ Interested 8^th-grade students, potential transfer students, and parents are invited to an evening of information and getting acquainted at IMS.  This opportunity will take place Monday, Feb 29 at 7pm in Celebration Hall.  In addition to meeting faculty members and other families, there will be opportunity to receive course and financial information, as well as receive tours and ask questions.  Please contact the school (656.2073) for more information.

▪ The IMS Alumni Association and Washington Township Optimists will once again team up to serve the Turkey Steak Supper on Saturday, Mar 12, from 4-7pm.  The meal also includes a baked potato, tossed salad, dinner roll, homemade dessert, and coffee and/or water.  It will be held in the school’s cafeteria on a donation-only basis.  Following the meal, Hesston College’s Bel Canto Singers will join the IMS Touring Choir for a concert in Celebration Hall, at 7:30pm.  Come enjoy dinner and a show!

▪ IMS’ Compassion Club is hosting a blood drive for the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center on Thursday, Mar 17, from 6:30-10:30am in the lobby of Celebration Hall.  Please contact Gloria Yoder at 656.2073 if willing to donate.  Each donation provides a critical and lifesaving resource for three or four people!

▪ IMS’ Culinary Arts class is once again offering the popular ‘restaurants’ for the public!  Come and enjoy tasty breakfast fare from four different regions of the world.  The four-member class, under the direction of Ranee Brokaw, will research and prepare the menus, as well as serve and host the meals.  Dates are as follows; Mar 23 (French Patisserie Brunch); Mar 30 (Down Home Breakfast); Apr 20 (English Tea Brunch); and Apr 27 (Mexican Fiesta Breakfast).  The meals will be served at 8:30am each time; reservations can be made by calling 656.2073.  Cost is $8/person, and the seats are filling fast!

Central Plains Conference

▪ The next Central Plains Fellowship and Learning Tour to Ecuador is scheduled for June 3-15, 2016.  8 people from CPMC will join two people from the Colombia Mennonite Church to visit two areas of Ecuador: the rain forest where we will learn from the indigenous people about their faith and sustainable living practices and Quito where we will get to know members of the Mennonite churches and their work in peace education and refugee assistance.  Details and an application form are at http://www.central plainsmc.org/upcomingtrips.html.  Direct questions to Joetta Schlabach, jschlabach at faithmennonite.org.  Applications are due by the end of March.

▪ The Sower Prayer Request:  Today, Josh Lundberg, associate pastor at Kalona Mennonite Church, will be licensed toward ordination.  Pray for Josh, lead Pastor Scott Swartzendruber and the congregation in their shared ministry.

 

Mennonite Agencies

▪ IOWA ANNUAL MDS MEETING will be held March 19 at Fairview Mennonite Church in Kalona.  Church Contact Training will be from 9:30-11:30.  After a light lunch, the annual meeting will be from 1:15-3:15, featuring Executive Director Kevin King and a question and answer time.  Contact Myron Graber if you are interested in attending.

▪ Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  MMN requests prayer for SOOP volunteers to work alongside staff doing office, maintenance and construction work, acting as teachers’ aides, and assisting in the kitchen at Academia Menonita Betania, a bilingual Christian school located near the city of Aibonito, Puerto Rico.

Area Announcements

▪ Celebration Community Choir, previously led by Nathanial Yoder De Avila, has begun meeting again on Thursday evenings at Pleasantview Home in Kalona.  Join us for an hour of singing hymns and folk songs old and new from 7pm to 8pm in the Pleasantview Home Chapel, 102 Pleasantview Court, Kalona, IA.  For more information, call Heidi Gingerich at 319.646.2233.

▪ Sunday, February 28, 3:30pm.  You are invited to attend Iowa Wesleyan College’s Annual Manning Lectures in Religion with Diana Butler Bass, one of America’s keenest commentators on religion, spirituality, and culture.  She will speak in the Chapel Auditorium at Iowa Wesleyan college on the topic, “Finding God in the World: A Spiritual Revolution.”  She will speak from her latest book, Grounded: Finding God in the World – A Spiritual Revolution.  Shane Clairborne writes, “In Grounded, Diana Butler Bass brings theology back down to earth.  She writes about the environment and about the church in a way that makes sense, feels authentic, and doesn’t put you to sleep.  A stunning book that will open up new conversations in the church and beyond.”  Free and open to the public.  For more information: joy.lapp@iw.edu or 319.385.6403.

▪ Kalona Mops Fundraiser Meal, Sunday, February 28, 11:30am-1:30pm at Kalona Mennonite Church.  Free will donation.  Serving pork loin, cheesy potatoes, green beans, rolls, fluff and dessert.

▪ The Wellman Mennonite Mush Fry will be Sunday, March 6^th.  Serving will be from 11:30-1:00.  Join us for this old fashioned meal of fried mush, sausage, liverwurst, scrambled eggs, tomato gravy and applesauce.  Proceeds will benefit the MYF and WMC mission projects.”