Newsletter for August 7, 2016

WMC Upcoming Events Sunday Aug 7th        Monday Aug 8th               Tuesday Aug 9th              Wednesday Aug 10th                    Thursday Aug 11th             Friday Aug 12th                   Saturday Aug 13th                    ▪ Centro Cristiano (2:30pm) ▪ Women’s Bible Study (7:30am) ▪ Volunteering at Camp Reece (6pm) Anniversary -      ▪ Francis & Phyllis Litwiller Birthday -      ▪ Jon Litwiller ▪ Vicki Wulf Future Events ▪ Aug 14  –  Baptism Class (11:30am) ▪ Aug 14  –  MYF (5:30pm, at Amy’s) ▪ Aug 17  –  Mennonite Women Monthly Quilting (10:00am, Fellowship Hall) ▪ Aug 20  –  Birthday Breakfast Club (9am, Fellowship Hall) ▪ Aug 21  –  Potluck Picnic at the Wellman Park (noon) Washington Mennonite ▪ Offering for 7/31/16: Regular Offering: $1,917.00 Kitchen Remodel Pledge: $150, Cardenas Fundraiser: $125 ▪ The Church’s fiscal year ends on August 31, which means there are only 4 more Sundays (including today, August 7) for offerings for the Annual Blueprint.  In order to meet our financial obligations, we need $18,301 before Aug. 31.  That is an average of $4,575 per Sunday.  Can you help us meet this goal?  Please prayerfully consider how you can generously support the mission of Washington Mennonite.  If you have questions, see Mary Lou Farmer, Treasurer.  Thank you for your generous gifts! ▪ Amanda is on vacation, relaxing in the cool mountain air of Glacier National Park in Montana.  She will return this week. ▪ There are still many ways to help out with our summer worship series.  Be a children’s story and playtime supervisor, bring treats for fellowship time after church, and/or sign up to bring lunch to the Baptism class.  Signup sheets are in the foyer by the mailboxes. ▪ We are needed tomorrow night, Aug. 8, to relieve the counselors at Camp Reece.  There is a signup sheet in the foyer for 6-8 people to help with planned activities.  We are also responsible for 8 dozen cookies.  Please sign up to help at Camp Reece. Bring your cookies to church by 5:30 tomorrow night if you can’t be at Camp Reece & be at Lake Darling Youth Camp at 6pm to help with campers. ▪ Birthday Breakfast Club:  If you celebrate your birthday in June, July, or August mark your calendars and join Amanda for breakfast and fellowship on August 20th at 9:00am. ▪ Potluck: We are having a potluck picnic at the Wellman City Park on Aug. 21 at noon.  Dickie Miller enjoys being with his church family so we are meeting at Wellman. Crooked Creek Camp ▪ An exciting development at camp is the Welcome Center building project that has begun. The last week of July ground was excavated.  This past week the foundation was laid and the basement walls started going up.  50% of the $400,000 fund goal has been raised in cash or pledges which was required by the board before ground-breaking.  We invite your financial contributions and pledges as we continue building in anticipation of completing this project in May 2017.  ▪ Sunday, August 28 at 5:00pm is the annual Sing & S’mores at Sunset Shelter. This year we will also celebrate with a ground-breaking dedication for the Welcome Center. We hope you will plan to attend! SundaySu Iowa Mennonite School ▪ Please come support IMS on Saturday, August 27th.  There will be several events happening throughout the day at IMS in which you can participate.  We would love to see as many of you there as possible, and so the congregation with the most representation will receive donuts provided by the IMS PTO on a Sunday morning of your choice!  For more information, visit the website at www.iowamennonite.org.         The IMS PTO will be hosting the JOETOWN CLASSIC 5K.  There will be a kids 1 mile race starting at 8:30am, and a 5K Run/Walk for people of all ages starting at 9am.  There will even be kids activities planned during the 5K race!  Details and registration can be found at www.iowamennonite.org.  Please spread the word!                  Everence welcomes the opportunity to partner with the IMS PTO in sponsoring the Joetown Classic 5K Run.  In addition, Everence is hosting a complimentary lunch between 11am-1pm.  Stop by our table, sign up for prizes, challenge someone at a corn-hole game, and fellowship while enjoying lunch.          Be a part of an easy $6000 donation to IMS!  All you have to do is take a short, no sales pitch, test drive (without a sales person) from IMS to Lower Deer Creek.  Really it’s that easy, and it’s free.  Anyone 18 yrs or older with a drivers license can pick from a variety of Ford vehicles and take this very short test drive.  For each drive, IMS gets $20 from Deery Ford.  Test Drives will take place between 8am-2pm.  Take a couple minutes to join this effort and you really can make a difference for IMS. Central Plains Conference ▪ The Sower Prayer Request:  Shana Peachey Boshart is attending a training in intercultural competence this week.  Revelation 7 paints a picture of a time when people from every nation, tribe, people and language gather before God’s throne in praise.  Pray that our conference will live out this vision now as a sign of the Kingdom. Mennonite Agencies ▪ MC USA Announcement:  The deadline for submitting a seminar proposal for the Orlando 2017 convention of Mennonite Church USA is Aug. 12!  Seminars provided by people from across the church are a valued program component.  Do you have a 60-minute seminar you’d like to share at the July 4-8, 2017, convention? Complete the seminar submission form at convention.mennoniteusa.org/seminars/. ▪ How many youth in our churches silently feel trapped because they believe they have no one – no safe space to share their struggles with sexual orientation and identity?  How many youth wish they could be different, question their desires and turn to violence against themselves?  Youth leaders, if you are discerning how to walk with youth and their families and want a safe group to talk with, contact Rachel Gerber, denominational minister of youth and young adults for Mennonite Church USA, at rachelg@mennoniteusa.org.  She will connect you with one another and with groups and resource people who can offer guidance and support. ▪ Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  MMN’s Journey International participants are processing the anti-racism component of their orientation, recently held at Community Mennonite Church in Markham, IL.  Pray for them as they integrate this cross-cultural learning and as they prepare to travel to assignment locations in Ecuador and Indonesia. ▪ Mennonite Education Agency Prayers for Faith and Learning:  Pray for Bethel College (North Newton, Kansas) faculty, staff and administrators as they gather for the “First Supper” and meet new colleagues, including the new head coaches and new faculty in social work and music.    Area Announcements ▪ The Calvarymen will be performing at Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church on Sunday, August 14 at 10am.  All are invited to attend!  A love offering will be taken for their group.