Small Groups
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First Mennonite Church seeks to nurture Christ-shaped lives of faith among people of all ages. One way we seek to do this is through participation in small groups which meet at various times and engage in a variety of spiritual practices including fellowship, play, study, service, or prayer. Each semester several short-term, interest-based groups are offered. Ongoing, long-term groups for fellowship and spiritual nurture are also offered. Contact the church office for more info or to sign up for a group!
Fall 2019 Small Groups Gluten-Free Dining Consider joining this dinner group if you have celiac or are gluten-intolerant. Get together with other gluten-free foodies quarterly. Share GF tips and meals without worrying about food tolerance. Facilitator: Susan Gingerich Hiking Group Calling all hikers, young and old! Join us at Squires Point parking lot on September 28 at 9 AM. You can choose a shorter, family friendly hike, or a longer, get-your-morning-workout hike. Be sure to wear walking or hiking shoes and bring a water bottle. The trails are not paved and have some ups and downs along the way. Squires Point is located off North Dubuque Street on Peterson Place, north of the dam. There is a sign that shows you where to turn east into the parking lot. Facilitator: Melinda Turnbull Coffee Group Gather for fellowship, coffee and treats twice a month at a coffee shop or in homes. People of all ages -- including children -- are welcome! The first gathering will be at 2 PM, Friday, October 4 at Kalona Coffee House (425 B Ave., Kalona). Subsequent meeting will be on either Thursday mornings or Friday afternoons, depending on group preference. Facilitator: Kelly Carden Comforter Knotting Gather at the church to set-up & knot comforters and converse one weekday afternoon per month starting in October. The meeting schedule will be coordinated with group members. Facilitator: Julia Bartel Book Study We'll be reading Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown and will apply the spiritual ideas found in it through the context of the Bible. Discussion is open to everyone, meeting twice a month. Our first meeting will go over Chapter One on Wednesday, September 25 at 7 PM, at 718 Oakcrest St #9, Iowa City. We're looking for 6-8 people to engage in this discussion. Facilitator: Ian Buchta Games Board game lovers unite! Please join us if you enjoy playing board games. We'll have some co-operative games, but feel free to bring some of your favorite games as we meet together in the FMC Fellowship Hall. Popcorn will be provided, though other (non-sticky) snacks are also welcome. The initial meeting will be Tuesday, September 24 at 6:30 PM. Facilitators: Marcus Upton, Analisa Gerig-Sickles & Adrian Guirola Bible Study Every Creature Singing: Embracing the Good News for Planet Earth. "What will happen when we place our sacred texts and the cries of our corner of the planet, side by side and listen to them together?" We'll probe this question with the Every Creature Singing study guide developed by Mennonite Creation Care Network. Meeting time will be Wednesday mornings at 10 AM in the Koinonia classroom at FMC on October 9 & 30, November 13, and December 18. Facilitator: Karla Stoltzfus Detweiler Ongoing Groups: Join these groups anytime -- no sign-up necessary Young Adults - If you are age 20-30 something...if you like to engage in conversations about things that matter...if you like to laugh...if you love to share good food with friends-- you'll find yourself at home among young adults at FMC. Come share good food and fellowship at a local restaurant over lunch once a month (FMC's treat!), or consider what grounds you through the stresses of life with our Young Adult class during the Christian Education hour on Sunday mornings. Picnic with us at our annual backyard shindig. Join in one of the spontaneous game nights that's sure to unfold during the year. Questions, struggles, joys and dreams are welcome in this ever-changing group of faith-seeking folk! Peace Knitters - Peace Knitters is a charity knitting group that trusts that the work of our hands and hearts can make a positive difference. We are knitters and crocheters from FMC and the community who have been gathering since 2005. We meet every other Thursday from 1 PM to 2:30 PM during the school year. Locally, we have knit items for Iowa City Animal Shelter, Horn Elementary students, I.C. Compassion, Shelter House, and The University of Iowa Preemie project. We have also participated in global projects, including sending 40 hats to World Vision for U.S. and worldwide distribution, bears for children with AIDS in Africa, the Guidepost children’s sweaters program, and the San Francisco based “Afghans for Afghans” project led by Ann Rubin, and socks and mittens to a Jordanian Displaced Persons Camp. We happily welcome anyone wishing to “make peace one stitch at a time.” |
Shared Spaces
We share our building with two organizations: Home Ties Child Care Center and Iglesia Menonita Torre Fuerte.
4Cs Home Ties helps families in crisis by providing quality, short-term child care in a safe, nurturing environment while their parents are away. For more information visit their website: http://www.iowa4cs.com/hometies. Iglesia Menonita Torre Fuerte, a Spanish language Mennonite Church meets at First Mennonite Church on Sundays at 5:30 PM and Thursdays at 6 PM. If you would like more information about Torre Fuerte, please contact the church office. The University of Iowa chapter of InterVarsity Graduate Christian Fellowship regularly meets in our church building. You may find more information about InterVarsity on their website http://uiowa.orgsync.com/org/intervarsitygraduatechristianfellowship, on Facebook as University of Iowa IVGCF or contact Kevin at kkummer50@gmail.com.
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