Newsletter for July 9, 2017

The Bearing Fruit

July 9, 2017

WMC Upcoming Events Sunday July 9th Monday July 10th  Tuesday July 11th Wednesday July 12th  Thursday July 13th   Friday July 14th  Saturday July 15th  ▪ Picnic at the Washington Park (after church) ▪ Centro Cristiano (2:30) ▪ Centro Cristiano (7pm) ▪ Saturday Kitchen (UP Church)   Birthday -      ▪ Naomi Friesen Birthday -      ▪ Karen Watson   Future Events ▪ July 19    –  Mennonite Women Monthly Sewing (10am, Fellowship Hall) ▪ Aug 2      –  Church Council Meeting (7 pm) ▪ Aug 13   –  Picnic at the Wellman Park (after church)

Washington Mennonite

▪ Offering for 7/2/17 - $1,838.50

Thank you for your continued strong giving which allows us to meet the church's financial obligations. The Annual Blueprint balance at the end of June is $6718.09. We have some "once-a-year" expenses in the next two months and your continued generosity is appreciated!! If you have questions, see Mary Lou Farmer.

▪ Saturday Kitchen meal will be prepared and served by Washington Mennonite church at the United Presbyterian Church in Washington on Saturday July 15^th, 2017.  Food sign-up sheets and also sheets for persons to help in the kitchen or  serve food and beverages are located on the library table in the foyer.  Numbers of guests served each week in the past several months have varied from a low number of fifty nine persons to a high of 86 persons.  Because of the lower number of guests we have cut back on our requests for food items so you will see a shorter list.  Please check the requests for both food and help needed and sign-up.  As a committee we appreciate your help.    - Gloria Widmer, Sandy Buhrow and Phyllis Litwiller

Crooked Creek Christian Camp

▪ Thank you for your continued prayers for the ministry of camp and 7th-8th grade camp starting today.

Iowa Mennonite School

▪ JOB OPENING: Science Instructor IMS is searching for a candidate to join our Science Department for the 2017-2018 school year. More information is available at: http://www.iowamennonite.org/jobs.

▪ SUMMER CAMPS Are you wanting to be creative over the summer? Sign up for our Art and Creative Camps in July. Juanita Benedict will lead a Mystery Camp for students entering grades 4-5 and a Toy Maker Camp for grades 5-6. Mystery Camp is July 17-21 from 1:00-3:00PM and Toy Maker Camp is July 24-27 from 9:00-11:30AM. 

▪ Bryn Hovde will lead Digital Sculpture and Digital Painting for students entering grades 6-12. These camps will be July 17-21 with sculpture from 10:00AM-12:00PM and painting from 1:00-3:00PM. 

▪ IMS Basketball Camp will run July 24-27 for boys entering grades 5-10. More information is available at www.iowamennonite.org/camps.

Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale

▪ The Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, July 12, 7 p.m., at Kalona Mennonite Church. Everyone is welcome to attend. Reports will be given, evaluations received, and election of new board members will take place.

SundaySuc

Central Plains Conference

▪ Central Plains Mennonite Conference Prayer Request:  Pray for all our sisters and brothers from across Mennonite Church USA who are gathered in Orlando, Florida, this coming week for convention and delegate assembly.  Pray especially for God's guidance of those in leadership and of the Future Church Summit.

Mennonite Agencies

▪ Excited to buy MCC school kit supplies when all the back-to-school supplies show up in stores? Consider helping refugee families in Jordan and Ukraine meet their basic hygiene needs with an MCC relief kit instead! Our partners in the Middle East and Ukraine are asking for more relief kits than MCC has on-hand so we need your help! Our goal is to ship 83,000 relief kits by March 2018.  Visit mcc.org/mrc/kits for full kit information and from there click through to our Amazon Wish List for easier shopping and shipping. Just bring or ship kit items to MCC Central States 121 E. 30th St. North Newton, KS 67117. Contact katemast@mcc.org, 316-283-2720 with questions or to schedule a kit  packing event at your church!

▪ Help available for sorting out retirement options - People approaching retirement have quite a few decisions to make regarding Medicare and Social Security. That’s why Everence is offering Medicare Mondays, a series of seminars designed to help people make informed decisions about both federal programs. The seminars are scheduled for 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. July 10, Sept. 11, and Nov. 13 at Kalona Public Library. Contact Cheryl Martin Miller at (319) 656-4242 or cheryl.martinmiller@everence.com for more information.

▪ Mennonite Church USA Announcement:  This week take time to learn about, study and pray over the results of the Future Church Summit that recently took place in Orlando. The gathering was designed to shape a new vision and direction that will energize the church.

▪ Mennonite Education Agency Prayers for Faith & Learning:  Pray for Goshen College leadership as President James Brenneman departs and Provost Ken Newbold assumes the role of interim president ahead of Dr. Rebecca Stoltzfus' arrival as 18th president of Goshen College. 

Area Announcements

▪ Keepers of the Faith, a southern gospel quartet from Puyallup, Washington, is returning to Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church on Friday, July 14th for a 7:00 pmconcert.  Bring a friend and receive a blessing.  A freewill offering will be taken.