Local Events
- Bethel College invites alumni and friends to have a casual evening meal with President Perry White at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at Bella Luna Wood-Fired Pizza 80 West Water Street, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Join President White in the restaurant’s event room, purchase your own meal and/or beverage (see bellalunawoodfired.com for the menu), cha with Dr. White and others and hear what’s happening at the college. For planning purposes, please RSVP to 316-284-5251 or wnugent@bethelks.edu with your name (and the names of anyone else coming with you) by Monday, March 9, if possible. Or come last-minute if that works best for you.
- Join OCP for Second Saturday Night Out! featuring Scrumptious Suppers on Saturday, March 14, 5pm-8pm. Our Community Place, a non-profit community center welcoming the least of these, is transformed into a fine-dining restaurant featuring a delicious four-course meal. Suggested donation is $20. Enjoy a wonderful meal and support your local community. http://ourcommunityplace.org/night-out-2/
- An end-of-life 'train the trainer' event will be hosted at VMRC and led by Beryl Jantzi, Everence director of stewardship education, March 17 (snow date is March 19) from 9:00 – 3:00 with registration starting at 8:30. The fee is $15 payable at the event and covers the 40 page manual, snacks and lunch. For more information and to register contact Patty Skelton at skelton@everence.com or call 540-437-7422.
- NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center will be hosting its 9th annual Taste of the World fundraiser dinner at 6:00 pm on Saturday, March 21. There are still a few seats available so please come out and help support this important community work with your presence and enjoy the wonderful international food. Individual tickets cost 65$ and tables can be reserved as well. Please make your reservations at our webpage: newbridgesirc.org, write an email to rsvp@newbridgesirc.org or by calling 540-438-8295.
- CrossRoads Annual Benefit Auction will be Saturday, March 21, at 9 a.m. at Bowman Auctions (1931 South High Street, Harrisonburg.) Furniture, collectibles, antiques, home décor items, gift certificates to local restaurants, gently used items and much more. Breakfast, lunch and baked goods for sale. To donate items or baked goods, contact the CrossRoads office at 540-438-1275 or info@vbmhc.org or bring your sale items to the Welcome Center at 1921 Heritage Center Way in Harrisonburg by March 18 or baked goods by March 20. Visit our website at vbmhc.org to browse and bid at our Online Auction of Handmade & Specialty Items. The online auction runs through midnight on March 21.
- MCC Sharing With Appalachian People (SWAP) is pleased to announce Church Leadership Week on March 23-28, 2015. This week has been set aside for pastors, youth leaders, ministers and others who will potentially be leading groups who have not previously been to SWAP. Participants are invited to come to Appalachia to experience a typical SWAP week and learn more about the home repair program. The fees to participate with SWAP have been waived for this event, so those attending would be responsible only for their own transportation to and from the SWAP site in Hindman, Ky. If you're interested or would like more information, please call our SWAP office at 633.5065. More details about SWAP are available at http://mcc.org/get-involved/serve/volunteer/swap.
- All are invited to hear Nelson Okanya, President of Eastern Mennonite Missions, speak on An Embodied Witness for the annual Augsburger Lecture Series on Christian Evangelism and Mission at Eastern Mennonite University. Okayna will speak at 10 a.m. in Lehman Auditorium and at 4 p.m. in Mainstage Theater on Wednesday, March 25 and at 11 a.m. in Martin Chapel of the Seminary building on Thursday, March 26. All venues are free. The complete schedule is available at http://emu.edu/studentlife/campus-ministries/spiritual-life/augsburger-lecture-series/
- CrossRoads Heritage Center will host a Spring Lecture on Saturday, March 28, 7:15 pm at Mountain View Fellowship Church of the Brethren, McGaheysville. This will feature In This Land: The Camp Lyndhurst Saga—German Prisoners of War in the Old Dominion. Director/ Producer James Overton explores this little known chapter in the Shenandoah Valley history in a unique documentary which includes the history of Camp Lyndhurst first as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp for Brethren non-combatants during WWII and a Mennonite run camp to minister to German Prisoners of War. Come witness this unique history of Brethren and Mennonite responses to war. James Overton will receive questions after the showing. A free-will offering will be received to support CrossRoads. The Mountain View Fellowship Church is located at 8601 McGaheysville Rd. Call 540-438-1285 for more information.
- The Highland Retreat Auction in support of Highland Summer (youth) Camps will be held Saturday, April 11, at the Eastern Mennonite School dining room. Contributed donations which can be auctioned are appreciated: baked goods, new merchandise, collectibles, hand crafted items, firewood, gift certificates, and services. If you would like to contribute, contact the camp office by calling 540-705-0554 or e-mailing info@highlandretreat.org prior to March 15. Thank you!
- On Sunny Slope Farm, a renowned event venue located in the Shenandoah Valley, will host a fundraiser for MEDA—Mennonite Economic Development Associates. The event, which will be open to the public and take place on Friday April 17, from 5 – 10 p.m., will feature music, beer and wine tastings, door prizes and food trucks. Proceeds from the festival will support women farmers and entrepreneurs in Ghana through MEDA’s “Bike to GROW” volunteer initiative. Ticket options for the event range from $15-$30 and are available at onsunnyslopefarm.com/events. Tickets include a meal and a raffle ticket. Alcoholic beverage tickets are optional.
- Hesston (Kan.) College invites Virginia area churches and alumni/friends to attend "I Go On Singing," a multi-media documentary concert of the life, words and songs of Paul Robeson, performed by professional baritone and Hesston College Artist-in-Residence Anthony Brown. This story of an American hero, athlete, scholar, star of stage and screen and champion for justice comes alive in this performance. Kimball Theatre, 428 West Duke of Gloucester, Williamsburg, Va., Merchants Square in Colonial Williamsburg,7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 21st. $30 per person. Call 888-9657254 for reservations. Go to www.IGoOnSinging.com for a video preview and more information.
- Mennonite Women of Virginia's Annual Missions Day will be May 2 at Trissels Mennonite Church, Broadway, Va. Eve Knepp will reflect on the importance of trusting God, as experienced through her family’s ministry with VMMissions at Maranatha School for the Deaf, Jamaica. Registration begins at 9 am. A business meeting will follow the Mission Needs Auction, and lunch will be served.
- All leaders holding ministerial credentials in VMC are invited to: “God’s Gift of Sexuality”: a Pastoral Leadership Consultation on May 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mountain View Mennonite Church, 5252 North Carolina 10 Hickory, NC 28602. Transportation arrangements to and from the Harrisonburg area are in the works. Speakers are still to be decided. RSVP to Anieta McCracken, Administrative Services Manager, at 540-434-9727 ext 135 or via email to: amccracken@virginiaconference.org
- Come out to Pleasant View, Inc.'s 18th Annual Golf Tournament to support individuals with intellectual disabilities on Friday, May 15, at Spotswood Country Club (1980 Country Club Road in Harrisonburg, Va.) This will be in a Captain's Choice format. Registration will begin at 8:00 am, with a shotgun start at 9:00 am. Team prizes, contest prizes, and door prize drawings will be awarded after lunch. Fees are $100/golfer or $380/team of 4. There will be team prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Mulligans, power balls, and 50/50 will be offered at registration. We will also have closest to the pin and longest drive contests. Lunch will be provided.
Other news:
- Mennonite Women of Virginia is seeking executive board members willing to serve. Please contact MWV President Sylvia Yoder at sylvia@crossroadsflooring.com, indicating your interest in a position. Openings are for Treasurer, Vice President and Mission Needs Secretary.
- New Song Anabaptist Fellowship has moved and is now meeting in the Alive Recording Studio room at the MennoMedia building on Route 42 near EMHS. Visit Pastor Basil and Diane Marin and their multi-cultural congregation Sunday mornings at 10am.
- The Table Fellowshiphas changed meeting time and location. Our small congregation now meets in the Dean House, at 110 Old South High Street in Harrisonburg, across from Community Mennonite Church. The group gathers on Sundays around 4:00pm, and begins worship at 4:30, with a shared supper following the service. All are welcome to join us for worship and the meal afterward. Find more information at thetablefellowship.net or send inquiries to info@thetablefellowship.net.
- To member congregations of Mennonite Church USA: Here is a link to an information sheet that outlines the process for selecting delegates for the Kansas City 2015 convention. http://convention.mennoniteusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Delegate_Info_2015Jan9.pdf
Please encourage your delegates to register early, so they can participate in a survey of delegates sponsored by the Executive Board, starting early February.
Job Openings:
- Bridge of Hope Harrisonburg-Rockingham (BoHHR) is accepting applications for a part-time (20 hours/week) Development & Special Events Coordinator. BoHHR is a faith based non-profit organization started locally in 2009 by a multi-denominational group of Christians and is a Bridge of Hope National affiliate; one of 23 in fourteen states and the only one in Virginia. The BoHHR model is built on a three-way partnership between one homeless or at-risk single mother and her children, one trained church-based mentoring group and the BoHHR professional staff. BoHHR moves beyond short-term fixes to provide long-term, sustainable solutions to families.The Development & Special Events Coordinator promotes giving to BoHHR by building major donor relationships and implementing successful events and sponsorship opportunities. For more information and to submit your resume, contact Melody Cash at cashmm@emu.edu by March 31.
- Media for Living, publisher of Valley Livingmagazine, seeks to hire a sales representative. We offer an established client list. As part of the sales team, you will sell print and online advertising and be responsible for developing advertising leads. Must be self-motivated with a desire to meet or exceed sales goals. Experience in customer service, publishing and sales a plus. Flexible schedule – set your own hours and work from home. Position begins immediately. For more information, visit org. Submit cover letter and resume to info@valleyliving.org.
Click to view the online VMC calendar.
Virginia Mennonite Missions Prayer Request:
March 8
Ask God to provide opportunities for Sid, Bradie, and Justin Ramella to connect with neighbor kids and for relationships and language to continue to develop. The Ramella boys are children of Vince and LaVonne, VMMissions workers in Kosovo.