Announcements
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June 2 - 10, 2023
OUR CHURCH FAMILY
Please notice the different communion table up front! Last year each congregation was to bring a piece of wood to the Central Plains Mennonite Conference annual gathering. A table was created with these pieces and reminds us that we are Connected (one of 48 congregations), which happens to be our worship theme for the month of June. Make sure to look at the tabletop with the many different wood pieces. Sunday there are two gatherings following worship:
This month you’re invited to bring a quilt, afghan or blanket that is meaningful to you and drape it over any of the pews as a symbol of being Connected (our June worship theme). Let’s fill our sanctuary with color and visual stories. Parents of Toddlers: For the next 6 months we will not have a staffed toddler room since we currently have very few toddlers (Under 2). Young children are always welcome in the worship service. We have also created a space in the overflow area with a table where parents/supervising adults can be present with toddlers and young children for quiet table activities; and we’re also designating the nursery as a toddler room. We will assess in late fall how we move forward. Summer change in the sanctuary- The church staff are trying something new. The padded chairs in the overflow section have been moved to the northwest corner of the sanctuary which will allow alternative seating beyond our regular pews. Those with young children are still welcome to sit in this area or make use of the pew and quiet activity table in the overflow area. We’ll provide an opportunity for feedback at the end of the summer. The Children's Sunday School classes are on hiatus through August 20. Fall Sunday School classes will begin with an open house & activity on August 27. We have two youth and one sponsor who would like to attend the Mennonite Church USA Youth Convention, July 3-7. A male sponsor is needed! If you could meet that need, please talk to Analisa Gerig-Sickles for more details. Thank you to all who participated in the congregational/pastoral review, both by sharing stories in a focus group and filling out a short survey. Last Call: You can still respond to the survey at this link or submit your paper copy by SUNDAY NIGHT, June 4! (Paper copies available on the narthex table at church … leave it in the drop-box on that table). The Pride Parade and Festival in downtown Iowa City is just around the corner (Saturday, June 17) and we would love to show up as a congregation again to support and celebrate in community. This is a beautiful opportunity to share our welcoming and inclusive stance with the broader community and to help community members looking for a safe & loving worship space to find us. This year we are hoping to walk in the parade from 11AM-Noon and to sponsor a table afterwards from 1-6 PM. Please join us! Click here (https://volunteersignup.org/Y87PA) to fill out the volunteer form. This will allow us to help you know where to go on the day of the event and to ensure we have enough people to carry our signs and work at our booth. – Mission Team Hebrews 12:1 mentions “a great cloud of witnesses”, encouraging us to run the race of faith well. Our Narthex contains a tree trunk plaque with the names of the saints from our congregation who watch over us and surround us from heaven as we run our earthly race. Mary Hendrickson has now created a "Cloud of Witnesses Memorial" scrapbook album with a page of information for each of these individuals. Thank you, Mary, for this labor of love. Individuals should feel free to contribute additional pictures, obituaries, or memorabilia. The album can be found in our church library. CONFERENCE AND COMMUNITY NEWS An Opportunity for Developing a Community of Caring: You’re invited to attend an Alternatives to Violence (AVP) mini-workshop on Sat., June 17, 10 AM to 12:30 PM at New Song Episcopal Church 912 20th Ave., Coralville. Regular AVP workshops (usually 20 hours over 3 days) were held in most Iowa prisons for nearly 20 years prior to the pandemic, as well as in some local schools and with other organizations. AVP is now being re-introduced in our area in hopes of resuming workshops in prisons down the road, as well as in the community. More information about AVP can be found at this link, along with the sign-up for the June 17 mini-workshop. Let me know if you have questions. Peace, Dorothy Whiston, D.Min., Interfaith Chaplain, Inside Out Reentry Community, Spiritual Director, Soul Friends Ministry Meals on Wheels of Johnson County helps older adults stay in their homes by delivering hot fresh and ready to eat meals Monday - Friday. Volunteer to help our seniors in Johnson County get the meals they need to stay well-nourished and stay in their home. Information is on the Local Missions bulletin board. The Oakdale Community Choir & songwriting workshops brought incarcerated & non-incarcerated individuals together to sing and build community. This Summer 2023 Collaborative Songwriting Workshop Project is designed to do similar community building in smaller partnerships or groups of two or three people. A grounding framework for the Oakdale Choir & our summer songwriting collaboration is Ubuntu. To what extent are you familiar with it? It is a South African concept centered around the idea that who I am is directly related to who you are. Please read this brief article. You can sponsor someone directly or indirectly. Descriptions of the project can be found on the Missions bulletin board in the Sip & Chat area. Maybe you know someone who is interested to join as a songwriter, AND/OR you would like to participate in the education component? Contact Mary Cohen, Oakdale Community Choir director From Central Plains Mennonite Conference:
From Crooked Creek Christian Camp:
From Crowded Closet:
From Hillcrest Academy:
From Mennonite Central Committee (MCC):
From Mennonite Church USA (MCUSA):
From other Mennonite Organizations:
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Birthdays (June 2 - 10)
Friday Robert Nelson Saturday Nile Elliott, Lynn Gingerich, Cole Ours, Steve Yoder Friday Elaine Yoder Saturday June Hershberger Events for the coming week
(June 4 - 10) Sunday: 9:30 AM Worship & Communion, Karen Martens Zimmerly, proclaimer 10:30 AM Congregational Meeting 10:45 AM Adult Christian Education: Central Plains Conference input gathering in the sanctuary for all interested Tuesday: 7 PM Missions team meeting Wednesday: 7 PM Worship Planning team meeting Next Sunday: 9:30 AM Worship, Terry Zimmerly, proclaimer 10:45 AM Shower for Jardely Martinez & Michael Darby, fellowship hall 10:45 AM Adult Christian Education Christmas Eve Service 2022
FMC LIBRARY
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