Newsletter for April 9, 2017

The Bearing Fruit

April 9, 2017

Upcoming Events:

April 9   – MYF, 5pm

April 13 – Maundy Thursday Service, 6:30pm

April 16 – Easter Potluck, 8:30am

April 19 – Monthly Quilting, 10am

April 19 – Church Business Meeting, 7pm

April 22 – Church Spring Cleaning Day, 9am

April 29 – Birthday Breakfast Club, 9:30am

May 3    – Church Council Meeting, 6:15pm

Washington Mennonite

▪ Offering for 4/2/17:  $2345.00 (regular); $250 (HACAP)

▪Financial report: With continued strong giving in March, the church has lowered its annual blue print deficit to -$363! Thank you for your generous support which allows us to pay our operating expenses and our church wide commitments. If you have questions, contact Mary Lou Farmer.

▪ Needed - Someone to mow the church lawn!  We're looking for someone with a lawn mower who might be interested in keeping the church lawn mowed as needed.  It would pay $70 per time.  If interested, contact Mike Bruegge or Tim Widmer.

▪ Reminder - Please remember to close and lock the doors as well as turn off the lights if you happen to be one of the last people leaving church on a Sunday morning.  All doors should be locked when Centro Cristiano gets here at 2:30.  They have keys!  Thanks! 

▪ Saturday Kitchen will be hosted by Washington Mennonite Church on Saturday April 8^th at the United Presbyterian Church in Washington.  Please join us as we prepare and serve a hot meal to persons of all ages in the area needing a hot meal or just wanting to eat with others around a table 

rather than eating alone.  Sign-up sheets for workers and  for donated food items are in the foyer.  Please sign the sheets today if you are available to help us.  We are blessed as we work together as a group feeding approximately 100 persons.  If you have questions please contact Gloria Widmer, Phyllis Litwiller or Sandy Buhrow.

▪ Thursday, April 13, Maundy Thursday Service, 6:30pm
Mark your calendars for our Maundy Thursday Service of table fellowship, communion, foot-washing, and Tenebrae. If you are willing to bring bread, vegetables, fruit, or an oil lamp, please use the sign-up sheets located in the church foyer. 

▪ Saturday, April 29, 9:30am - March, April & May Birthday Breakfast Club!  If your birthday falls in March, April or May, join Amanda at the church for a breakfast to celebrate!

Iowa MCC Relief Sale

▪ The Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale is coming up soon! Plan on supporting the international relief, development and peacebuilding work of MCC by marking your calendar and attending the 2017 Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale, June 2 and 3 at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. 

Iowa Mennonite School

▪ TODAY The IMS Touring Choir will be participating in MSC Choral Festival at Shalom Christian Academy in Chambersburg PA. The program will start at 2:00PM CST and you can watch the live stream here:  https://shalomca.com/blog/choir/

▪ Children’s Dramas Saturday April 29 at 7:00PM and Sunday April 30 at 3:00PM in Celebration Hall. The plays include Jack and the Three Sillies, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and The Pretender Hen. Meet the Cast Event Grades 6-10 prospective students and their families are invited to a meet the cast event following the afternoon performance on April 30. There will be refreshments and you will get a chance to meet the students and directors involved in putting together these fun performances.

▪ IMS is looking for shuttle drivers. IMS shuttles students from Iowa City and Washington using school vehicles. We will have openings for both routes this spring and next fall. Persons interested in providing regular or supportive roles for our shuttles must have specific transportation qualifications which IMS will help support a qualified applicant in securing. Contact IMS at 656-2073 with questions or if interested.

SundaySu

Central Plains Conference

▪ Central Plains Mennonite Conference Prayer Request: Pray for Templo Alabanza in Moline, IL as they celebrate the installation of Pastor Aureliano Vazquez today and for all other congregations in our conference who are seeking new pastoral leadership.

Mennonite Agencies

▪ MC USA Announcement:  This summer’s Mennonite Church USA Convention will feature a new way to involve high school youth and young adult representatives in the delegate sessions. Called “Step Up,” the goal is to prepare young people who have an interest in being involved with the broader church for future involvement as denominational delegates and leaders. The program will include interactive seminar sessions and attendance at and participation in delegate sessions. Conferences and constituency groups have been invited to nominate youth who are rising high school sophomores or older. For questions, contact Brook Musselman at brookm@atlanticcoastconference.net.

Area Announcements

▪ Hundreds of thousands of acres have been burned along with homes,barns and fences. Join the effort to bring relief to those devastated by the wildfires. You can donate several ways. Johnson County Cattlemen have an account setup at Hills Bank to donate. For more info you can call Merv Hershberger at 319 430 4094.

▪ The community is invited to come view the livestream of the 55^th annual MSC Choir Festival in Celebration Hall at IMS projected on our big screen. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 9th. Come see the IMS Touring Choir and others in the joint performance.

▪ Community Good Friday Tenebrae Service: Join local Mennonite churches as we worship together Friday, April 14 at 7pm at Celebration Hall in Iowa Mennonite School. High school students will share testimonies relating to Jesus’ last seven words before his death on the cross. Child care will be provided for ages 3-8. Student speakers are Nick Yutzy, Calli Shaw, Anthony Villatoro, Jared Schlabaugh, Karlee Lehman, Madi Higdon, and Steven Jimenez.

▪ Come hear about the ministry of Bible translation in East Asia and around the world.  Keith and Kate Slater will share on Sunday, April 23rd at 1 p.m. at West Union Mennonite Church.  Before their talk, all are welcome to join us at noon for a potluck lunch at West Union.