The Bearing Fruit
October 18, 2020
Upcoming Events:
Oct 18 – Grant & Edie Farewell, 3-5pm
Oct 21 – Wed Night Zoom Study, 6:30pm
Washington Mennonite
▪ Offering for 10/11/2020: Regular Offering: $651.00
▪ A Farewell Open House for Grant and Edie Nebel is planned from 3-5 p.m., Sunday, October 18, 2020 at the Sunset Picnic Shelter at camp. Come to wish them well as they start a new adventure in life’s journey. There will be a small bonfire, hot drinks and snacks provided. Dress warmly (if it is chilly) and remember the social distancing/mask guidelines. See you there! If you have questions, please call an elder.
▪ Covid Update: At the beginning of October the elders sent the congregation a second survey (the first was sent in June) to discern your preferences regarding in-person Sunday morning worship services in the light of the current Covid pandemic. Thank you for the time you took to respond to this questionnaire. We appreciate hearing from each of you. The percent ready to return to church (with safety precautions in place and followed) is almost exactly the same now as in June (within one half of one percentage point). The percentage not ready to return has doubled since June and the undecided persons have decreased. The elders and pastor realize that all of us want to attend church in person again. We also realize that a number of logistical issues need to be resolved before we can meet at the church and are working to determine if that is possible. We are weighing what we will gain by meeting in person with what we will risk since case numbers continue to rise. We appreciate your continued patience as
- The elders: Mary Lou, Gay, Karen and Nick
▪ Memorial Portraits Wanted for All-Saints Sunday, November 1 – In this upcoming special worship service we will remember those from our congregation or families who have died, both in the past year and in the further past. As part of the service we will share a memorial slideshow with submitted pictures of those you wish to remember. If you’d like to include a loved one’s image in the slide show, WMC’s Worship Committee invites you to either 1) send an electronic image to the office email, washingtonmennonitechurch@
▪ Wednesday Night 6:30pm Zooms – This Fall you’re invited to take part (online only) in weekly Wednesday evening gatherings for faith nurture and discussion, starting 6:30pm Wednesday, September 23. The Zoom link to join is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
1) The first set will use the MennoMedia scripture study series “Salt & Light,” led by Nick Stoddard (10/21, 11/4, etc.). This series will use printed booklets (not needed for the first week). To get one contact Becky Widmer. Each session explores a different scripture story, a mix of New & Old Testament.
2) The second study set will restart a series from earlier this year, “Restoring The Shack” led by Tim Detweiler (on
10/14, 10/28, 11/11, etc.). There are no printed materials needed for this series. It is based on themes from the
novel, The Shack by Paul Young exploring themes of faith, grief, wonder, and more.
Crooked Creek Christian Camp
▪ Arts & Craft Retreat hosted by Crooked Creek Christian Camp. November 6-7 from 9:00am Friday until 3pm Saturday. Social distancing practices will be observed with private rooms for all and separate craft tables for each person. Space is very limited! Visit www.crookedcreekcamp.org or call the office at 319-653-3611 for more details. We look forward to seeing you soon!
▪ During this time of uncertainty, we have had many cancellations of guest groups and this has resulted in a substantial income loss for the camp, over $104,000. To offset these losses we received many donations and had a breakfast casserole bake sale. We have seen the generosity of many and we are grateful. Even after these fundraisers, the camp still feels the impact from the loss of funds. We are very excited to announce for the first time, the camp will be hosting an online auction. Do you have something you would be interested in donating? We would be thrilled to receive it! The auction will go live in December in a virtual event. Send an email to Saralyn at saralyn@crookedcreekcamp.org or Heather at heather@crookedcreekcamp.org with any questions or to let us know of items or services you would like to donate! We look forward to you joining us for this exciting new event.
Hillcrest Academy
▪ Virtual Joetown Classic | This year’s 5K run/walk will be virtual! Although we won't be able to gather and run together, we are looking forward to this opportunity for our community (all over the country) to be able to run or walk on their own time, on their own course all in support of Hillcrest Academy. It's simple and anyone, anywhere can participate! Sign up now to be sure to get your popular vintage style (Virtual) Joetown Classic t-shirt. Every registered participant will receive a shirt and custom race bib to wear when they run. Find more info and register at hillcrestravens.org/virtual
▪ Harvest Party | Hosted by the Hillcrest Academy FFA on Oct 24 from 4:30-7:00 PM. All 5th-8th graders are invited for games, food, bonfire and other goodies. We'll be outside the entire time so please dress accordingly. Please contact Rebecca rbeachymiller@
▪ FFA Fruit Sales | Fruit can be ordered through Nov 12 from any FFA member or by calling the school office at 319-656-2073. Fruit will be delivered the second week of December.
Central Plains Conference
▪ Central Plains Prayer Request: Pray for CPMC ministry staff as they travel. May they be safe on the road and in each congregation.
Mennonite Organizations
▪ MCC’s Seed program has positions available now in Colombia, Guatemala and El Salvador! The Seed program is perfect for young adults (18-30) who value service, community, and cultural exchange addressing systemic issues like food insecurity and climate change through grassroots, community-based initiatives. For more information, visit mcc.org/seed or email abbyendashaw@mcc.org.
▪ Mask ask! MCC is responding to a request from people on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in southeastern Montana for cloth face masks to help stop the spread of COVID-19. If you would like to sew masks, please use the following guidelines:
-Adult sized
-Use at least 2 layers of good quality cotton fabric (solid colors preferred)
-Elastic ear loops
-Nose wire/filter pockets optional
Please ship purchased or completed masks to the MCC Central States Material Resources Center (Attn: Kate Mast) at 121 East 30th Street, North Newton, KS 67117, or drop off in the 24 hour donation room at MCC by November 15th. They will all be collected and transported to Montana in time for the winter season. Questions? Please contact katemast@mcc.org.
▪ Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request: Mennonite communities in Guatemala are suffering from COVID-19, many people have died. Deb Byler of Mennonite Mission Network requests prayer for all, but especially for the pastors who pray with sick people. Pray for wisdom and God’s protection so pastors can care for others without exposing themselves to the disease.
▪ MC USA Announcement: #MennoCon21 In his blog, “Sharing our stories at Mennonite conventions,” Curt Weaver, pastor of children and youth at Portland (Oregon) Mennonite Church, compares the Mennonite convention to a family reunion, where deeper, intergenerational and faith formative conversations happen. Read more at https://www.mennoniteusa.org/mennocon-stories
Area Announcements
▪ Ten Thousand Villages Iowa City is seeking an outgoing, creative Executive Director. This person will be in charge of the retail store on the downtown Ped Mall. Responsibilities include staffing, purchasing inventory, and management duties. The desire is for applicants to be supportive of fair trade. Submit resume to Wendell Miller at wendellm1951@gmail.com.
▪ Pleasantview’s Bucks for a Bus campaign continues, with funds going toward the purchase of a 2018 bus/coach. The 20-passenger (5 wheelchairs) vehicle costs $65,000, and we’re asking for your support in helping it happen! Think of what you might donate at the annual Benefit Sale; and since we’re not having the Benefit this year, we’ll graciously accept your contributions anyway toward this much-needed bus! A check to Pleasantview or a gift online (www.pvkalona.com, scroll down to the ‘Donate’ tab) will be appreciated. Please contact Larry Swartzendruber at 656-2421 for more information.
▪ For the first time in 68 years, the annual Menno Simons Lecture series at Bethel College will be delivered virtually -- making it accessible to anyone, anywhere. The speaker is César Garcia, general secretary of Mennonite World Conference, Kitchener, Ontario. The series title is “Towards an Anabaptist Catholicity.” Lectures are Sunday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m. Central Daylight Time (live online with Q&A to follow); Monday, Oct. 26, 11 a.m. CDT (pre-recorded); and Monday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m. CDT (live online with Q&A to follow). To register, go to https://forms.gle/
https://www.bethelks.edu/
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