Newsletter for March 4, 2018

The Bearing Fruit

March 4, 2018

Upcoming Events:

Mar 8   – Lenten Study w/Amanda, 5:30pm

Mar 11 – Halcyon House Chapel

Mar 21 – Monthly Quilting, 10am

Mar 29 – Maundy Thursday Service,6:30pm

Mar 31 – Saturday Kitchen, UP Church

Apr 8    – Amanda’s Ordination, Potluck

Washington Mennonite

▪ Offering for 2/25/18 -  Regular Offering: $2600;

MYF: $194; HACAP: $200; Family Assistance Fund: $100; IMS Offering $435

▪ Financial report: Because of smaller than normal offerings and large expenses this month, the Annual Blueprint balance had decreased to $3253.94 by the end of February. We are half way through the fiscal year; giving is about $5000 behind  the Blueprint projection. Your strong financial support is appreciated as we begin the last half of the fiscal year. If you have questions, please contact Mary Lou Farmer.

▪ March 29, Maundy Thursday, 6:30pm – Join us for our traditional soup supper and Maundy Thursday fellowship service at church. Sign-up sheets for bread, fruit, vegetables, and oil lamps are in the fellowship hall.  

MCC Iowa Relief Sale

▪ Plan on supporting the international relief, development and peacebuilding work of Mennonite Central Committee and mark your calendars to attend the 2018 Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale, June 1 and 2 at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. If you would like more information on the sale, have items to donate, or would like to volunteer to help, please call Jim Yoder at 319-430-3761 or Rebecca Beachy Miller at (319) 631-2461.

▪ The Amazon, Machu Picchu, Lima, the Andes, Cuzco: Peru. Have you ever dreamt of visiting these places? This is your chance!  Retired Iowa Mennonite School and Goshen College professor, Dean Rhodes has been leading trips into Peru and other places of the world for past 11 years. This year, as part of the Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale, June 1-2, 2018, Dean is offering 2 tickets for this tour on the online auction. The tour is scheduled for October 25-November 7, 2018. For more information on this trip visit www.iamccreliefsale.org.

Iowa Mennonite School

▪ With mixed emotion the IMS Operating Board announces the departure of Steve Schrag as principal at IMS at the end of the 2017-2018 school year. We appreciate the service Mr. Schrag has provided and wish him the best moving forward.

▪ Touring Choir | The IMS Touring Choir is on tour. The next concert is on Sunday March 11 at 9:30AM at Wellman Mennonite Church. The public is welcome at all choir events. 

▪ IMS Cafe | This years Culinary Arts Class restaurant dates are March 14, 28. The restaurant opens at 8:30AM each day and the menu will include various entrees, sides, and desserts. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the school office 319-656-2073. Cost per person is $8. 

▪ Turkey Steak Supper | The IMS Alumni Association along with the TWP Optimists will host the annual Turkey Steak Supper on Friday March 23 at IMS. The menu of turkey, baked potato, salad, dinner roll, and pie & soft serve ice cream (that's right we'll have a soft serve ice cream machine) will be served from 4:30-6:30PM. A freewill donation will be taken at the gate.

▪ Touring Choir | March 23 will perform with the Hesston College Bel Canto Singers following the Turkey Steak Supper in Celebration Hall. The show will begin at 7:00PM.

▪ Senior Recital | Monet Slabach daughter of Lance & Nichole Slabach, will present her senior recital in Celebration Hall at IMS at 7:00PM on Saturday March 31. She will be performing a variety of classical and contemporary selections of piano and voice accompanied by family and friends. Hors d’oeuvres will follow the recital.

SundaySucCentral Plains Conference

▪ Central Plains Mennonite Conference Prayer Request:  Pray for the Mennonite churches in Venezuela. Give thanks for the many fruitful ministries they are doing to share the Good News with their communities, and pray that God will continue to provide for their material needs in an increasingly desperate economic crisis.

Mennonite Agencies

▪ MDS Iowa Annual Meeting will be held on March 4, 2018 at 2:00 PM at the Lower Deer Creek Church.  Also, we need volunteers/nominees to serve on the Iowa MDS Unit Board. (4-year term).

▪ Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  Pastors and their wives who minister in Ukraine’s militarized zone look forward to a retreat this month. Mary Raber of Mennonite Mission Network, serving as a resource person, requests prayer for a restful gathering for those who have given their all to congregations for several stress-filled years.

Area Events

▪ Wellman Mennonite Church will hold it’s annual Mush Fry on Sunday, March 4, 2018 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Come and bring your friends and family and enjoy a meal of fried mush, tomato gravy, sausage, liverwurst, scrambled eggs and applesauce.  Donations accepted.

▪ West Union MYF invites you to a delicious haystack fundraiser meal on Sunday, March 18th at noon. Bring your friends and enjoy a time of food and fellowship! Proceeds will go to cover expenses for this summer’s service project and convention expenses next summer.

▪ Host Families | The Hesston College Bel Canto Singers will be in concert in Celebration Hall at IMS on Friday March 23 at 7:00PM. The concert will also have some joint songs with our IMS Touring Choir. The IMS Music Boosters are looking for people to host the Bel Canto students overnight on Friday evening. This would entail picking up the students and taking the students home for overnight after the concert on Friday evening, feeding them breakfast the next morning, providing a sack lunch for Saturday, and having them back to IMS no later than 6:15AM on Saturday.  We are still in need of people to host 7 females (2 groups of 2 females and 1 group of 3 females – one person will need handicapped accessible for a wheelchair) and 5 males (1 group of 2 males and 1 group of 3 males).  If this is something you would be willing to help with, please contact Wanda Miller Beachy at beachydw@sharontc.net or 683-3983 by Saturday March 17.