Newsletter for April 15, 2018

The Bearing Fruit

April 15, 2018

Upcoming Events:

Apr 28 – Spring Clean-Up Day, 9am

June 1-2 – Iowa MCC Relief Sale, Iowa City

June 9 – Saturday Kitchen, UP Church

June 21-24 – CPMC Annual Meeting, NE

Washington Mennonite

▪ Offering for 4/8/18 - Regular Offering: $2,013.00; Coins for Camp:  $42.00

▪ In the month of April, we are collecting Coins for Camp during worship.

▪ In the month of May, we’ll be Collecting My Coins Count for Mennonite Central Committee during worship.

▪ Saturday Kitchen was hosted by WMC last Saturday March 31^st.  We prepared and served 84 plates and  made 33 carry outs.  Our guests always enjoy a hot meal and the fellowship around the table.  Thank you to each one of you who helped with the meal whether it was providing food items,  serving the meal, setting tables  or clean up. We are so grateful for each of you.   Together we make a great team.   Mark your calendar for our next date to work at Saturday Kitchen on June 9^th, 2018  - Gloria Widmer, Phyllis Litwiller and Sue Widmer

▪ We will need 22 people to help serve breakfast at the MCC Sale on Saturday, June 2, from 7:00 to 9:45 AM.  There will be a sign-up in the foyer.  See Myron Graber with questions.

Iowa MCC Relief Sale

▪ A new addition to the 2018 Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale is the Relief Sale Trail Run. Beginning at the Johnson County Fairgrounds and continuing through neighboring Ryerson Woods, a 5K Trail Run will be just the thing to get ready for the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast! A 1-mile walk for all ages will also take place at the fairgrounds. The Run/Walk begins at 8am on Saturday, June 2. Cost is $20/person, includes T-shirt. Register for both the run and walk at GetMeRegistered.com, search for "Relief Sale Trail Run". 

Crooked Creek Christian Camp

▪ Sooner than you think....Crooked Creek Wild will be here is May 5, 2018! Register at your convenience at  www.crooked creekcamp.org/crooked-creek-wild  The goal is 100 participants. Come for a fun and muddy time!

▪ Church at Camp is Sunday, June 24 at 10am. Come to Sunset Shelter by the pond area for worship led by summer camp staff. After church, stay to for a finger-food picnic potluck! Please bring a non-refrigerated finger-food dish to share. Drinks and picnic tables provided, lawn chairs welcomed. 

Iowa Mennonite School

▪ The Children’s Drama will be performed on Saturday April 28 at 7:00PM and Sunday April 29 at 3:00PM. Featuring fresh tellings of the old stories of Hansel and Gretel, 3 Little Wolves (and the big bad pig) and Mushkil Gusha, students bring to life a few important life lessons. Performances will be in Celebration Hall, no admission will be charged, donations for the IMS Drama Dept are welcome. The Children's Drama is directed by Michael Swartzendruber.

▪ Now accepting applications for the 2018-19 school year. If you are an incoming freshman or transfer student, please turn in your application now. Financial aid applications for current and new families are due May 1. For questions and assistance, please contact Candi Schmieder at cschmieder@ iowamennonite.org or 319-656-2073.

▪Summer Camp offerings are now posted. We are excited to add a ceramics camp, cooking camp and two writing camps to go along with our sports camps and drama camp! Registrations are available online at www.iowa mennonite.org/camps starting April 2.

▪ Save The Date | The Annual IMS Golf Tournament will be held on June 16 at the Kalona Golf Club. More details soon.

SundaySucCentral Plains Conference

▪ CHOOSE JOY! Youth and sponsors, make plans now to join us at Youth Escape 2018 July 20-22 at Hidden Acres Christian Center near Dayton, Iowa. This weekend retreat, running Friday evening to Sunday lunch, brings together Central Plains youth in grades 7-12 for active worship, breakout discussions and a lot of fun! Registration is open on the Youth Escape 2018 page at www.centralplainsmc.org.

▪ Central Plains Mennonite Conference Prayer Request:  Today Taric Leichty is being ordained at Bellwood Mennonite Church, Milford, Nebraska, where he is youth pastor. Pray for Taric and the congregation at Bellwood as they continue together in ministry, especially to the youth of Milford.  

Mennonite Agencies

▪ Everence will present Why young couples should see a financial advisor on Monday, April 16 (10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.). Couples will learn about the importance of financial planning (even if you think there isn’t much money), how to get started organizing your financial lives, and establishing achievable goals for a strong financial future. The seminar will be held at Kalona Public Library, 510 C Ave. To reserve your spot, contact Joyce Gingerich at (319) 656-4242, (877) 656-4242 or joyce.gingerich@everence.com

▪ Join the upcoming MCC Haiti Learning Tour from September 22 to 27. Learn from Haitian farmers, artisans, community organizers and human rights advocates about how they – with your support –  are building a brighter future for their communities. Contact Jordan Penner at jordanpenner@mcc.org or 316-727-6837 for more information.

Area Events

▪ J-POG (Just Peace Outreach Group) invites you to hear British actor and playwright Michael Mears dramatize the courage it took to be a conscientious objector 100 years ago during World War 1 in Great Britain.  Michael Mears portrays a gallery of characters from war resistors to army generals in a highly original piece of storytelling that describes military conscription, which was called "This Evil Thing" by conscientious objectors. Join us at 7:00 pm on Sunday evening, April 15, 2018, at Iowa Mennonite School, 1421 540th St. SW, Kalona, Iowa, for this dramatic presentation.  For more information call Roger Farmer at 319-653-2547 or email Jane Yoder-Short at wilmajane17@gmail.com.

▪ Stewards of the Earth – An Earth Day Conference – Iowa Wesleyan University invites you to attend the 2018 Manning Lecture and Earth Day Conference on Sunday, April 22 at 1:20pm in the Chapel Auditorium. For more information joy.lapp@iw.edu or 319-385-6403.

▪ FRENCH TOAST BENEFIT BREAKFAST - You are invited to a hearty meal on Saturday, April 28th, to benefit Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS)! We will be serving a delicious menu of French toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, and homemade rolls from 7AM - 11AM at Kalona Mennonite Church. Come join us as we raise money to help rebuild lives after natural disasters such as floods, fires, and hurricanes in honor of the life of Ivy Jane Yoder. Food is by free will donation, and carryouts are available. Questions? Contact Trent and Tammy Yoder at greenearth@kctc.net.

▪ Frank Yoder will speak at the Spring meeting of the Mennonite Historical Society of Iowa.  The focus of the evening will be, "The End of an Era: Closing One-Room Schools in Johnson and Washington Counties.” This event will be at Kalona Mennonite Church on Monday, April 30, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.  Frank’s presentation is based on research he has been doing for a soon to be published book on rural schools in Johnson and Washington County, Iowa.