Local Events and Opportunities
Did you know there will be an election this November, 2015? Every 4 years, one year before the presidential election, Virginia citizens have the chance to vote for someone for state senator in their district. Our current senator is Mark Obenshain. However, April Moore is running against him for the Virginia State Senate. On Saturday, August 29, you are invited to a meet-the-candidate, drop-in breakfast featuring April Moore. It is sponsored by Ming Ivory and Carolyn Rothwell, and will be held at Ming Ivory's home at 3155 Flint Avenue in the Belmont neighborhood. (This is directly across the street from Reta Finger's house.)The purpose of the breakfast is to introduce April Moore to the community. Everyone is invited, regardless of party affiliation. If possible, RSVP Ming at 540-564-1298.
Sunnyside Apple Butter Festival Saturday, September 26, 9 am – 1 pm. The Sunnyside Retirement Community of Harrisonburg would like to invite you to join us for our 11th Annual Apple Butter Festival on Saturday, September 26, 2015. The festival will be held at the Eiland Center which can easily be found by entering at the Corson Lobby under the green awning.
The end of the fiscal year for Virginia Mennonite Conference and Virginia Mennonite Missions is August 31. As both agencies serve the church and the world as God has called them, please consider making a contribution online or by check. Learn more by visiting:
Conference: www.virginiaconference.org/donate
VMMisssions: www.vmmissions.org/donate
Stanley Green, Executive Director of Mennonite Mission Network, will be preaching at Weavers Mennonite Church on Aug. 30. Stanley will also present during the Sunday School period for a group of combined Sunday School classes. Everyone is welcome to both the joint Sunday School class and the worship service following. Sunday School is at 9:30am; Worship 10:30am
Perspectives on the World Christian Movement has helped thousands of Christians to align their lives with God’s global purposes. A rich menu of readings and fifteen interactive class sessions, with input from presenters sharing their particular expertise, combine to provide students with an understanding of four distinct dimensions of the missional challenge: Biblical, Historical, Cultural and Strategic. The course will be offered in Harrisonburg again this fall – Tuesday evenings, from Sept 1- Dec 8, at Grace Covenant Church. For more information, check out the Perspectives website at www.perspectives.org or contact Carol Tobin at carol.tobin@vmmissions.org.
Join the 18th annual Bike Shenandoah on Saturday, September 19. Bike Shenandoah is a cycle for service offering five rides for all ages and abilities. The ride starts and ends at Eastern Mennonite School (801 Parkwood Drive, Harrisonburg, Va.) and supports NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center, Our Community Place, Roberta Webb Child Care Center, MennoMedia, Mennonite Central Committee and Virginia Mennonite Missions. Visit bikeshenandoah.org or contact bikeshencycle4service@gmail.com
Spare change can have a powerful impact with My Coins Count, a program of Mennonite Central Committee and Virginia Mennonite Missions, which will be counted at this year's Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale on October 3. Funds this year will go to Kids Club (Shenandoah Valley, Va.); Maranatha School for the Deaf, Jamaica; Joshua Center, Albania; a school for Sudanese refugees, Egypt; and the Village Altonodji, a school for vulnerable children, Chad. Learn more at www.vmmissions.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-MyCC-infosheet.pdf
Discover what it means to realign with God’s vision as it is revealed to us, as we shift in perspective from “the church of God with a mission” to “the God of mission with a church." Missional Church: Vision, Learning, Refocus will be a four-day seminar featuring keynote speaker Dr. Darrell Guder. Join us from Monday, September 28, to Thursday, October 1 at various venues in Harrisonburg. Dr. Guder is Princeton Theological Seminary’s Henry Winters Luce Professor of Missional and Ecumenical Theology. Learn more at www.virginiaconference.org/news/missional-church-seminar/
The Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale is looking for two people to help with food committee responsibilities as well as one person to help with organizing the breakfast. We already have leaders in place, but we are looking for a few well-organized people who would like to help make these a success. Please contact Dave Rush at info@reliefsale.com or (540) 433-9993.
You are welcome to join in a transformative healing retreat. Tilda Norberg will be guiding another Opening to Grace Retreat at the Highland Retreat Center in Bergton, Va., on October 8-10. If you know of people who may be interested in attending please forward the brochure; or if you are interested yourself, please fill out the registration form and send it, along with your deposit, to me at the address in the brochure. Pat Hostetter Martin, for the Shenandoah Gestalt Pastoral Care Community of Practice.
Celebrating 10 years of tranSend: At Conference Assembly, we celebrated a decade of tranSend with a video highlighting the program and the significant impacts it has had. You can watch the full video called "tranSend celebration" at vmmissions.org/media/transend-alumni-stories/
MCC Bike PA 2015: Health for Nigeria – Join 40-50 other riders for a three day bicycle road tour through the beautiful forest and farmland of central Pennsylvania from Sunday, September 20 (all day) to Tuesday, September 22, (all day). Along with enjoying the ride with great company, you'll be supporting MCC's health work in Nigeria. For more information, and to register, see www.mcc.org/get-involved/events/mcc-bikepa2015-health-nigeria Or call Luke Schrock-Hurst in the Harrisonburg, VA based MCC office at (540) 437-1201.
Registration is now open for the upcoming Nazareth/Bethlehem Work Group (May 6-23, 2016) sponsored by VMMissions as a Partners in Mission program. The work group will engage in work projects at Nazareth Village (Nazareth, Israel) and at Diyar Consortium, a ministry of Christmas Lutheran Church (Bethlehem, Palestine). The group will be co-led by Dorothy Jean Weaver (Eastern Mennonite Seminary) and Lee Martin (Mount Clinton Mennonite Church). Registrations will be accepted on a "first come, first served" basis. For more information, contact Dorothy Jean Weaver at (540) 432-4276 or at weaverdj@emu.edu.
Employment and volunteer announcements:
Virginia Mennonite Missions seeks a full-time Director of Advancement. Qualified candidates should demonstrate a passion for the gospel, an active commitment to the church, strong skills in leadership, communications, and interpersonal relationships, and the ability to organize and motivate a team. Experience in the areas of fundraising and public relations preferred. Interested persons, please contact Dianna Lehman: dianna.lehman@vmmissions.org. More details at http://vmmissions.org/u/bk6
Skysam International Academy seeks native English-speaking teachers for its campus in Suncheon, South Korea. See the "Inviting Native English Teacher" contact Dr James Rhee at jamesrhee1004@gmail.com with additional questions.
Virginia Mennonite Missions Prayer Request:
August 16
Pray for Steve, Bethany, Anjali, and Immanuel Horst as they return to Bangkok, Thailand for a second term of ministry. Ask God to surround them in His spirit and renew their love for the Thai people.