Newsletter for December 17, 2017

The Bearing Fruit

December 17, 2017

This Week at WMC Sunday Dec 17th  Monday Dec 18th Tuesday Dec 19th Wednesday Dec 20th Thursday Dec 21st Friday Dec 22nd Saturday Dec 23rd ▪ Centro Cristiano (2:30) ▪ Ballet Classes (Fellowship Hall, 3:30-5:30) ▪ Anabaptist Prayerbook (12-12:30pm, see description below) ▪ Praying in Color (5-5:30pm, see description below) ▪ Ballet Classes (Fellowship Hall, 4:00-5:30pm) ▪ Caroling (Church, 5pm) ▪ Centro Cristiano (7pm) ▪ Praying in Color (12-12:30pm, see description below) ▪ Prayer Support (5-5:30pm, see description below) ▪ Saturday Kitchen (UP Church) Anniversary -      ▪ Mike & Andrea   Leyden Birthday -      ▪ Jon Bleichty Anniversary -      ▪ Jon & Becky       Litwiller Upcoming Events ▪ Dec 24  –  Christmas Eve Service ▪ Jan 10   –  Church Council Meeting  (5:00pm, at Church) ▪ Jan 10   –  Mennonite Women Monthly Quilting  (10:00am, Fellowship Hall)

Washington Mennonite

▪ Offering for 12/10/17 -  Regular Offering: $2895; Church Improvement Fund:  $200

▪ Office Changes!  The office at the back of the sanctuary (the old secretary’s office) is now an office for Martha and Ramiro Hernandez as they continue in their work with Centro Cristiano.  The new Church Office is now at the front of the sanctuary (Grant’s old office).   If you have any questions, you can talk to any Church Council member.

▪ Sunday Evening, December 24, Christmas Eve Service, 5:00pm at the Crooked Creek Christian Camp barn. Because Christmas Eve is on a Sunday, we're going to try something different for the year. Join us at the barn for a new experience of the nativity including hot drinks, candle lighting and carols!  Dress warm and bring your friends and

family! If anyone has a connection who has farm animals they might be willing to bring/lend for the evening, please let Amanda, Susan, Amy or Dan know, we're currently looking into animal options to enhance our Christmas Eve experience.

▪ Christmas caroling: Come Wednesday evening December 20th at 5 p.m. to the church to go caroling with our church family. Bring cookies, candy, fruit to pack plates for the recipients. Also, bring finger foods to go with our soup supper after we get back.  KarenB & Martha will make soups. Tell Megan or Myron if you have people you would like us to visit.

▪ POTLUCK!  Come January 14th to a noon potluck at the church.  Come to continue our discussion of the church visioning process.  Come find out if we are "transactional" or "transformational".  Come find out what that even means!

▪ Do you have children's books still in good condition that you are no longer using and would be willing to donate to other families?  If so, please bring these books to church and put them in the box labeled "Book Donations" and the Outreach and Service Committee will find a home for them.  Thanks !!  See Roger Farmer for questions. 

Crooked Creek Christian Camp

▪ We are on the way to completing funding the Welcome Center with $77,200 to go! Thank you for considering a year-end gift! 

▪ SAVE the DATE 6-8th graders and THINK SNOW! WinterFest is coming January 12-14.

Iowa Mennonite School

▪ TODAY December 17 | Christmas Concert at 3:00PM in Celebration Hall. To close the concert, the choirs and band would like to invite anyone who has sung the Hallelujah Chorus before to join them on stage. There will be two rehearsals before the performance. The rehearsals will be held on Friday December 15 from 3:30-4:30PM and Saturday, December 16 from 9:00-10:00AM. If you cannot make it to the rehearsals but would still like to participate, you can join us on Sunday at the concert.

▪ TODAY December 17 | Prospective Student Christmas Party following the Christmas Concert for all students in grades 6-8.

▪ Continue to remember the Cardenas Family in your prayers. And remember a memorial fund has been set up in her name. Gifts to the Teresa Cardenas Memorial Fund can be made to IMS or to Hills Bank in Kalona.

SundaySucCentral Plains Conference

▪ Central Plains Mennonite Conference Prayer Request: Pray for your sister churches: Shalom in Eau Claire, Wisconsin; First and Bethel in Mountain Lake, Minnesota; and Rochester (MN) Mennonite Church.

 

Mennonite Agencies

▪ Mennonite Education Agency Prayers for Faith and Learning – Instituto Bíblico Anabautista (IBA) – Pray for the 40 IBA volunteer tutors who serve at study centers across the country. May God bless them as they give of their time for this ministry and contribute to the training of new leaders for the Hispanic churches of Mennonite Church USA. May God grant them wisdom, patience and lots of energy as they continue to serve with IBA in the coming year.

▪ Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request – Mennonite Mission Network’s Youth Venture program invites teens and young adults (ages 16-22) to participate in a short-term learning and service experience during the summer of 2018. Pray for open hearts in those whom God is calling to Benin, Ecuador, Japan, Peru or Spain.

Area Events

▪ Pleasantview Home hiring part time one-on-one companions for residents in houses.  Assist as needed with non-medical tasks (cooking, cleaning, dressing, etc.).  Also build friendship with resident.  Flexible schedule between 8 am-noon weekdays.  If interested call Elvesta or Karen at 656-2421.

▪ The Great Bluegrass Herons and Friends will be performing an Acoustic Christmas Program on Sunday, December 17 at 2:00pm at the Ainsworth Opera House. Admission is $12 per person (kids under 13 freewill offering)

▪ "Saving Brinton" (the Mike Zahs movie) will be shown on December 26th at the Washington Community Center at 7:00pm. Tickets are $10 and are available at the Jones Funeral Home, Hills Bank in Washington, and The Village.