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!
Current Small Groups Comforter Knotting Gather at the church to knot comforters and for conversation one weekday afternoon per month. Learn the skills needed to put in/take out and knot a comforter. The group will meet the third Wednesday of each month. Facilitator: Julia Bartel Gluten-Free Dining Consider joining this dinner group if you have celiac or are gluten-intolerant. Get together with other gluten-free foodies to share a meal quarterly. Share GF tips and meals without worrying about food tolerance. Meetings will be determined by the group. Facilitator: Susan Gingerich Un-Book Group Do you have a book you’d love to read, but find it hard to make time to read it? This is the group for you! Bring your own book, enjoy quiet reading with others for an hour, then chat as you enjoy finger foods and tea together. This group will gather one Sunday afternoon per month from 4 to 5:30 PM in the home of Terry and Karen Martens Zimmerly. Please bring finger foods to share. Facilitator: Karen Martens Zimmerly Cooking Group Do you love to cook? Or want to learn a new dish or two? One Sunday afternoon per month, gather in FMC’s spacious kitchen to prepare one meal together to take home and put on the table or into the freezer. Plus, we’ll prepare one extra meal to share with someone who could use the gift of a meal! Group members will sign up in advance to contribute ingredients and meet after church from 12:00-2:00 p.m. in the church kitchen. Bring finger foods to share while we chat and cook together. Facilitator: Kari Clark 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 & Hills 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.” Have an idea for a small group that you don't see here? We'd love to hear it! Talk to Melinda Turnbull (turnbull04@msn.com). |
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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