Newlsetter for April 3, 2016

The Bearing Fruit

April 3, 2016

Upcoming Events:

Apr 9    – Bday Bkfast Club Mar/Apr/May (9am)

Apr 10  – Potluck to welcome MSC guests

Apr 13  – Spring Business Meeting (7pm)

Apr 16  – Spring Clean-Up Day (8:30am)

Our Church

▪ Offering for 3/27/16: $2852 (regular)  ▪ Offerings during winter months are typically lower than through the year and 2016 is no exception.  The Annual Blueprint is currently carrying a deficit of $3701.66.  Your generous offerings are appreciated so that all bills can be paid in a timely manner.  If you have questions, please see Mary Lou Farmer, Treasurer.

▪ Amanda is gone this morning.  She is spending time with her mother in Des Moines.  She’s excited that is Grant is back to “take the reins” from time-to-time! :) 

▪ Saturday Kitchen was staffed by WMC persons of all ages on Saturday March 26^th.  We prepared the noon meal and served ninety nine plates and thirty carry outs.  We had plenty of help and welcomed the teenagers who also joined us in serving the guests.  It is always a pleasure to work together as a team as we serve a hot meal to those who come to Saturday Kitchen.  Thank you to each of you who came to help either in food prep, serving, dinner music or clean up.  We will again be baking, cooking and serving at Saturday Kitchen on Saturday May 21^st.  Think about joining us as we serve together. –Phyllis Litwiller and Gloria Widmer

▪ April 8-10: IMS MSC Choir Festival 

    < Housing needed for visiting choir (see Cindy Widmer)

    < 25 people needed to help set up chairs on April 9^th,

          (see Cindy Widmer to volunteer)

    < 2 car parkers needed for Sunday, April 10^th,

          (see Jon Widmer to volunteer) 

▪ Birthday Breakfast Club, March, April, and May Birthdays – If you celebrate your birthday in March or April, mark your calendars and join Amanda for breakfast and fellowship on April 9^th at 9:00am.

▪ April 10: Potluck to honor MSC choir guests.  Bring plenty of food to share and come fellowship with our guests from afar!

▪ April 16, 8:30—Church-Wide Cleanup Day  Come help shine up the church building and grounds for the Spring!

Crooked Creek Christian Camp

▪ Save the date for Camp-A-Palooza, May 14.  Another year of color blasting fun, delicious food, live music and more!  More information online.

 

 

Iowa Mennonite School

▪ This week IMS will welcome more than 450 students from 13 schools to the community, for the 54^th annual Mennonite Schools Council Choir Festival.  We look forward to the interactions and the music that will be made.  They will arrive Friday the 8^th, and will rehearse at IMS that evening and all day Saturday – including some time at the Washington High School gym, where Sunday’s 3:00pm concert (no admission, but a free-will offering) will take place.  The choirs will worship in our host churches next Sunday morning.  Pray for safe travels.  Pray for new friendships and the renewing of old ones.  Pray for the love of Christ to show through as together our youth “Praise His Holy Name!”

Iowa MCC Relief Sale

▪ Everyone is welcome to participate in the 1^st Annual Iowa MCC Sale Tractorcade.  IT will be about 12 miles long and will be Friday afternoon June 3.  Time to be announced.  There will be a small entry fee.  For those interested, please call Monroe Miller at 319.656.2565 (home) or 319.936.8501 (cell), LaVern Shetler at 319.530.0032 (cell) or contact Janette Shetler by email at jlynne1234 at gmail.com.  Please contact the organizers with your interest by Monday April 18, 2016.

Central Plains Conference

▪ The Sower Prayer Request:  Pray for the Ecuador Partnership meetings happening in Ecuador today through April 11 to plan for the future of the work there.  The partnership includes folks from Central Plains, Mennonite Church Columbia and Mennonite Mission Network.

Mennonite Agencies

▪ Medicare: It’s Complicated  That’s why Kent Blossom, Financial Advisor with your local Everence office is offering Understanding Your Options with Medicare in 2016 at 5:30pm on Monday, April 11, at Kalona Bakery, 209 5^th St.  Come find out what you need to know about Medicare, what’s covered, the types of supplemental plans offered, and deadlines for enrollment.  Reserve a seat by April 6^th at 319.656.4242 or email Cheryl.martinmiller at everence.com.  (Medicare supplement insurance plans offered by Everence Association, Inc., a fraternal benefit society, are not connected with or endorsed by the US government or Medicare.  This is a solicitation of insurance and an insurance agent or insurance company may contact you in an attempt to sell you insurance.)

▪ MCC Central States has an opening for the position of Executive Director.  The Executive Director promotes and encourages support of MCC.  The full job description is available at http://mcc.org/get-involved/serve/openings /executive-director-cs. 

▪ Mennonite Church USA :  Webinar: Greg Boyd on Anabaptism: Engaging Mauricio Chenlo on Mennonite Church Planting: Thursday, April 14, 2-3:30pm EDT.  Boyd, senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St Paul, Minnesota, and Chenlo, denominational minister of church planting for MC USA, will discuss Neo-Anabaptist church planting efforts and innovative church planting in the Mennonite world.  Learn more and register online by noon on April 13 at www.ambs.edu/churchleadership center/Webinars.cfm.  Your first webinar is free if you register at least five days in advance.    

▪ Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  Today, the Anabaptist youth and young adults in Burgos, Spain, are concluding their fifth annual Origen youth conference weekend.  Pray with Brian and Noelia Fox of MMN that lives will be Redesigned (conference theme) as God takes fragmented lives and makes them whole and beautiful.

Area Announcements

▪ J-POG (Just Peace Outreach Group) invites you to hear Deborah Coble Wise describe her experiences working the night shift at Better Days for Moria, a ministry providing aid to some of the one million refugees from Syria and elsewhere crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey to the Greek island of Lesbos.  Deborah will share stories, pictures and personal insight into what has been called the greatest humanitarian crisis of our times.  Join us on Sunday evening, April 3, 2016, at Washington Mennonite Church at 6pm for a finger foods potluck and conversation (bring your own table service) or at 7pm to hear Deborah’s report.  For more information call Roger Farmer at 319.653.2547 or email Jane Yoder-Short at wilmajane17 at gmail.com

▪ Fairview MYF Breakfast Buffet Fundraisier Saturday April 9^th at Pathway School serving from 6:30-11:00.  Menu, fried mush, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, scrambled eggs, sausage links, cinnamon rolls, OJ, chocolate and white milk.  Proceeds to benefit the mission to Mexico this summer to build a house.  Thank you for your support.

available.  Contact Tammy Yoder at 319.936.1987 if you would like to volunteer!

▪ Hungry?  Come eat for a good cause at our annual French Toast Benefit Breakfast on Saturday, April 16^th, from 6:30am – 10:30am at Kalona Mennonite Church in memory of our daughter, Ivy Jane Yoder.  Join us as we raise money to support the mission of Iglesia Zoar, a Mexican border church that works to transform the lives of stranded immigrants through education and supports them as they return home with the knowledge to build a better life for themselves and their communities.  The menu will include French, toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, and homemade rolls.  There will be a free will donation and carryouts are