Newsletter for April 10, 2016

The Bearing Fruit

April 10, 2016

Upcoming Events:

Apr 10  – MYF at Amy’s (5:30pm)

Apr 13  – Spring Business Meeting (7pm)

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

Apr 19  – Elder’s Meeting, 7pm

Apr 20  – Mennonite Women Sewing (10am)

Apr 24  – MYF at Amy’s (5:30pm)

Our Church

▪ Offering for 4/3/16: $2,625 (regular), $250 (HACAP) 

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

Crooked Creek Christian Camp

▪ May 14 is Camp-A-Palooza featuring the color-me-fun-run followed by a BBQ freewill donation lunch, live music and bounce house and games for kids.  You can find the schedule and register online at www.crookedcreekcamp.org/camp-a-palooza. 

▪ Summer Camp Registration is open with early bird registration prices and campers can choose a shirt color.

▪ Seeking summer camp counselors.  Is God calling you to consider being a camp counselor?  You can be an important part of summer camp leading young people in devotions learning about Christ and having fun!  If you know of someone who could fill this role invite them to apply and pray for them as they consider beinga  camp counselor.  For more information contact program director Megan Miller.

Iowa Mennonite School

▪ Naps are overrated!  With that in mind, plan to take in a wonderful choral concert this afternoon by making the short drive to Washington High School.  At 3:00 pm, more than 400 voices from 13 Mennonite schools across the United States and Canada will present a concert entitled “Praise His Holy Name.”  Each of the choirs will sing one piece individually, and then will combine for the mass choir production featuring seven songs.  Dr. Scott Hochstetler, associate professor of music at Goshen College, will conduct.  IMS is the host school, but please note that the concert is in Washington.  This afternoon.  3:00pm. There’s not even a cost to attend, though an offering will be taken.

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 those planning Youth Escape 2016, the weekend youth retreat for Central Plains youth July 15-17.  Pray for the youth who are deciding to attend and for speaker Michele Hershberger as she prepares.

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.)

▪ Everence Financial will present informative webinars on April 25, 27 and 28 (2 and 8 pm EDT).  Topics will include: Estate planning basics (minimizing taxes while maximizing what goes to heirs and charity); An overview of Everence (how this unique organization helps people incorporate their values into their financial decisions) and Donor advised funds (maximizing giving power and retaining advisory privileges over charitable accounts).  For more info or to register, contact Melissa Short at 800.222.5054 or Melissa.short at everence.com; or visit everence.com/direct.

▪ MC USA has job openings for a Graphic/Multimedia Designer and Communications Associate.  For more information, see the poster on the bulletin board by the mailboxes.

▪ Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  MMN’s all-staff gathering begins tomorrow through Thursday.  Pray for safe travel to and from Wichita, Kansas, an openness to the leading of God’s Spirit – for wise discernment in discussions and decisions – and for an atmosphere of collaboration.

Area Announcements

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

▪ “A Heartfelt Thanks to everyone who attended, volunteered, or donated dessert items and monies for the 2016 Parkview Home Fundraiser.  We raised $20,640.28 from the Fundraiser.  Words cannot express how much your support and ongoing support means to Parkview Home.  This community is truly Amazing!  We strive to continue as in our Mission Statement which refers to Luke 6:31 “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”

▪ The Seekers Sunday School Class of Kalona Mennonite Church invites you to join us for a fundraiser meal on May 1^st.  We will be serving homemade scalloped potatoes and ham.  We will feature a Sundae bar.  The proceeds will go to the International Student Aid Fund.  Our current project is helping Rudi Mucaj attend Goshen College.  Thank You!