Newsletter for July 1, 2018

Bearing Fruit -- July 1, 2018

Washington Mennonite

This Week at WMC
Sunday July 1st	Monday July 2nd	Tuesday July 3rd	Wednesday July 4th	Thursday July 5th	Friday July 6th	Saturday July 7th
▪ Centro Cristiano (2:00)			▪ Centro Cristiano (7pm)			▪ Exercise Class        (Fellowship Hall,     7am)
Anniversary -      ▪ Tim & Carol   Detweiler		Anniversary -      ▪ Marion &    Marlene Leichty		Birthday -      ▪ Jo Ann Stout
Upcoming Events ▪ July 8     – Halcyon House Service  (2:30pm) ▪ July 28   – Saturday Kitchen  (UP Church) ▪ Nov 8th-10th  – WMC Dinner Theatre

 

▪ Offering for 6/17/18 - Regular offering: $2775. (No service at WMC on June 24, 2018.)

Finance report as of June 30, 2018: With only 3 offerings in June, our Annual Blueprint balance decreased to $3454.39. However, with five Sundays in July and your continued generous giving, we can meet our financial obligations. Your support is appreciated! If you have questions, contact Mary Lou Farmer, Treasurer. Thank you.

▪ Amanda is camping in Colorado with friends this week. She'll be back refreshed and renewed on Wednesday. If you need anything in the meantime, please contact one of the elders. 

▪ NO "Remembering Your Story" Sunday School today. "Remembering Your Story" will resume on July 8. 

▪ Thanks to your generosity, Mennonite Women collected 11 full Infant Care Kits. In addition, 10 pair socks, five hats, two blankets and one soap were taken with the kits to Crowded Closet to be delivered to MCC distribution center in Newton, KS. Thanks for helping new mothers have a few necessary items for their babies.

▪ Reminder: When you leave the church please remember to check all doors to make sure they are locked.

▪ Halcyon House Service, 2:30pm, July 8 – Come worship along with the Halcyon House residents and help us sing!  Mike Bates is a team player, so don’t make him sing a solo!

▪ At the end of the "Preaching the Vision" sermon series (July 8), we'll put out a set of "preaching the vision" sermons for those who missed Sundays and would like to hear the sermon from those days.

Iowa Mennonite School

▪ IMS Shuttle Driver Needed -- IMS is in need of a shuttle driver for our Washington route on Wednesday through Friday during the school year. This shuttle is essential in providing transportation for students to and from school. Please prayerfully consider if you are able to help in this mission. Contact Theresa Blossom (656-2073 or tblossom@iowamennonite.org) with questions or if interested.

 

SundaySucCentral Plains Conference

▪ “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”  John 15:11 CHOOSE JOY! is the theme for Youth Escape 2018. This weekend retreat for Central Plains youth in grades 7-12 will focus on the good news that can free us: Living life with God is a good life, and every day we get to choose this goodness again! Register now for the July 20-22 event at Hidden Acres near Dayton, Iowa. Details are available at www.centralplainsmc.org.

▪ See highlights from the Central Plains Annual Meeting in Lincoln! Go to www.centralplainsmc.org and click on 'Annual Meeting 2018' for photos, a summary video and videos of Rachel Springer Gerber's sermons. Delegates welcomed two new congregations, studied the Bible together, heard stories from the global church and approved the spending blueprint. 

▪ If you liked the Bible study webinars with Keith Slater last fall—or if you missed them—check out our new series of three sessions on Tips for Leading Bible Study. Keith summarizes all the best tips in three 20-minute videos. Find them at www.centralplainsmc.org/bible-study-videos.

▪ Central Plains Mennonite Conference Prayer Request:  Give thanks for 150 years of God's faithfulness to Eicher Emmanuel Mennonite Church near Wayland, Iowa. Pray for the congregation as they celebrate this anniversary today. 

Mennonite Agencies

 ▪ Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  Mennonite Mission Network’s Youth Venture teams are currently in Japan and Spain. Pray for them as they build cross-cultural relationships through assisting in the ministries of Akiko and Ray Epp at Menno Village in Japan and Alisha and Joshua Garber in Spain. Pray also for the team that will be serving with La Casa Grande in Benin later this month.

▪ You're invited to use the Journey Forward “Pathways” study guide with your small group. Join in the Journey Forward churchwide renewal process and explore and highlight ways that God is working in your life and congregations. Available here: mennoniteusa.org/pathways. The Spanish translation and response survey are coming soon.

Area Announcements

▪ J-POG (Just Peace Outreach Group) invites you to hear Weldon Nisly describe his experiences in Iraq as he addresses the topic, "Building Peace in the Ancient-Contemporary Land of Iraqi-Kurdistan."  Join us on SATURDAY evening, July 7, 2018 at Wellman Mennonite Church, 1215 8th Ave, Wellman, IA at 6 pm for a finger foods potluck and conversation (please bring your own table service) or at 7 pm to hear the presentation from Weldon.  All are welcome to attend.  For more information, please call Roger Farmer at 319-653-2547 or email Jane Yoder-Short at wilmajane17@gmail.com.   

▪ The Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale is happy to announce that the current sale proceeds toward the ministries of Mennonite Central Committee comes to $150,000, with more funds still coming in. This was made possible by the outstanding support from the community. We greatly appreciate each and every contribution, and that includes everything from the extra pies to the hours of volunteer work to your monetary donations throughout the year that enabled us to pre-pay our sale expenses. 

All are invited to attend the Iowa Mennonite Relief Sale Annual Meeting at Kalona Mennonite Church on Tuesday, July 10 at 7:00pm.

▪ Girls ages 13–18 and women of all ages, please join Mennonite Women USA and Dove's Nest July 26-27, 2018, in Omaha for “Empowering Women: Claiming Healthy Personal Boundaries,” an intergenerational gathering to provide practical resources and support on healthy boundary management. Find out more at https://dovesnest.net/Claiming-Healthy-Personal-Boundaries or call 402-577-0866.