Newsletter for April 17, 2016

The Bearing Fruit

April 17, 2016

Upcoming Events:

Apr 19  –  Elder’s Meeting (7pm)

Apr 20  –  Mennonite Women Sewing (10am)

Apr 24  –  MYF at Amy’s (5:30pm)

May 4   –  Church Council Meeting (7pm)

May 21 –  Saturday Kitchen (UP Church)

Our Church

▪ Offering for 4/10/16: $2,440 (regular),

    $300 (Kitchen Pledge Paid) 

Crooked Creek Christian Camp

▪ TODAY is open gym at the Activity Center 3-5pm.

▪ TOMORROW is open gym for parents/tots held in the Activity Center from 10-12.  Come enjoy fellowship with other parents while your children have a chance to run around and make new friends.  (Last of the season)

▪ Want summer plans that will positively impact others and include crazy dives into the pool?  Consider working at Crooked Creek as a counselor, kitchen help, or assistant counselor!  Applications online at crookedcreek camp.org/summer-staff.

Iowa Mennonite School

▪The 54^th MSC Music Choir Festival is successfully in the IMS history books!  Whether you hosted a student/s, set up chairs, rolled T-shirts, served a meal, filled water stations, or

any of the other countless tasks, all was much appreciated.  A community effort was definitely put forth in making a

memorable weekend!  Thank you and God’s blessing to each and every one!  Host planning Committee: Carolyn Yoder, Jane Davis, Wilbur Yoder, Josh Tyson.

▪ IMS is hosting a community-wide Open House on Sunday, May 1^st.  The annual children’s drama will be at 3:00pm, followed by refreshments, tours, student performances, children’s activities, and the opportunity to meet faculty and staff.  Come and check it out!  The Open House will be from 4-6pm.  The drama will feature IMS students performing Amelia Bedelia 4 Mayor and The True Princess, under the direction of Karenza Yoder; performances are at 7pm on Sat, Apr 30 and at 3pm on Sun, May 1. 

Iowa MCC Relief Sale

▪ The Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale Quilt Committee is requesting that all quilts for the auction be turned in by April 29^th so that they can be included in the sale book.  Please make sure the needed information is with the quilt including the name of quilt, donor, size, etc.  For more information contact Perry & Carolyn Miller at 319.430.5238 or Kent & Pam Widmer at 319.530.6086.

▪ Donation of beeves and hogs are needed for the 2016 Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale.  If you are willing to donate in this way please contact Roy Beachy at 319.430.9086 or Bryan Amstutz 641.675.3423.

▪ 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

▪ Youth and sponsors, registration is now open for Youth Escape 2016!  Download a registration form at www.centralplainsmc.org.  Click on Youth Escape 2016.

▪ The Sower Prayer Request:  Pray for the pastors and chaplains of CPMC and their spouses as they attend the Annual Leaders Retreat taking place at a retreat center in Schuyler, Nebraska, next weekend.  Pray for speaker Debra Hirsch as she prepares for and travels to the retreat.

Mennonite Agencies

▪ You are invited to attend a benefit meal for the Nacho and Melitza Jimenez family.  Melitza has been diagnosed with a genetic liver disease, and the family faces ongoing medical expenses.  A traditional Mexican meal of Chicken Fajitas, rice and beans and chips and salsa will be served April 24 from noon – 1:30pm at Wellman Mennonite Church.  Free will donations will be gratefully accepted.  If you cannot attend buyt would still like to help the family, send your donation to Wellman Mennonite Church, PO Box 122, Welman, IA 52356.  Designate ‘Jimenez Family Fund.’

▪ 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.

▪ SWAP needs summer staff!  Summer will be here before we know it, and MCC’s Sharing With Appalachian People (SWAP) Program is seeking summer staff for three month assignments in Kentucky and West Virginia.  Job site coordinators utilize volunteer labor to accomplish quality home remodels/repairs, while meals coordinators plan balanced, nutritional meals for volunteers.  Summer staff are a critical component of SWAP’s successful ministry, as they help facilitate the weekly SWAP service groups working on housing repair for low-income persons.  Summer staff vary in age from 19 to 70+, and they receive meals, lodging and a weekly stipend for their service.  For more information go to swap.mcc.org or call Angela at 606.633.5065.

▪ Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  The Samuelito daycare center in Bolivia is reaching out to children’s parents.  Pray for the center’s director, Yuneth Vargas, and for Freddy and Margrit Kipfer Barrón of MMN who lead Alpha courses that engage 15-18 parents in examining the spiritual aspects of their lives.

Area Announcements

▪ 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!

▪ Everyone is welcome to come hear Peggy Reiff Miller speak on “The Seagoing Cowboys: Helping to Repair a Broken World” at the spring meeting of the Iowa Mennonite Historical Society.  This event will be held at 7pm on Tuesday, May 3, at Kalona Mennonite Church.  Peggy has just published a book for young readers telling the story of the large scale effort to assist Europeans in re-establishing farms and communities after World War II.  Several local Mennonites were part of this endeavor and we especially want to invite them and their families.  An offering will be taken to help defray costs and her books will be available for purchase.  This is also a great time to renew your membership or to join the Iowa Mennonite Historical Society.