Worship this Sunday, April 8, 2018
Worship Leader: Elena Histand Stuckey
Prelude/Offertory/Musicians: Dock Mennonite Academy Touring Choir
Song Leader: Emily Grimes
Pastoral Prayer: Dayna Olson-Getty
Scripture: John 14:1-4; John 20:19-31
Bulletin: 040818-Bulletin
Upcoming CMC Events
Fri, Apr 6 Venture Club Lock-In, begins at 6:30 pm, Fellowship Hall
Sun, Apr 8 Baby Shower for Lucy and Nate Malenke, 3-5 pm, Fellowship Hall
Wed, Apr 11 Kids’ Club, 6 pm, CMC basement
Sat, Apr 14 Open Circle Small Group, 6 pm, Fellowship Hall
Tue, Apr 17 Monthly Gathering, 6 pm Taco meal,
7 pm Faith in Action’s initiative to hear stories about local incarceration
CMC Events and Announcements
Venture Club Lock-in. The annual Venture Club Lock-in will take place on Friday, April 6th through Saturday, April 7th for 3rd-5th graders. Friday drop off is in the Fellowship Hall at 6:30 pm. Saturday pick up is in the Fellowship Hall at 9:00 am. While we're together there will be group games (including large Dutch Blitz), a movie with popcorn, and a service component. A lite breakfast will be served Saturday morning. Please pack a sleeping bag, mat and pillow.
CMC Kids’ Club. Children ages 4-grade 5 are invited to come to Kids’ Club on Wednesdays at 6 pm. If you are interested in helping out as a volunteer, please contact Pastor Jason at Jason.Gerlach@cmcva.org or 540-433-2148.
Malenke Baby Shower this Sunday. Everyone is invited to a drop-in baby shower for Lucy and Nathan Malenke on Sunday, April 8th in the Fellowship Hall at CMC from 3 to 5 pm. They have baby gift registries at Target and Amazon.com. Lucy shared they have an ample supply of newborn baby clothes received at a family baby shower but would welcome receiving larger size clothing for their baby boy.
Looking for a Small Group? The CMC Small Group Committee has created a small group opportunity called the Open Circle. It will meet monthly on Second Saturdays at 6 pm in room 109 of the church. The next meeting is Saturday, April 14. This group invites folks who are looking for a way to connect with others in the church through fellowship, discussion and mutual support. So if you are new to the congregation, new to the idea of small groups, or are not currently in a small group and are looking for a way to connect, you are invited. The circle is always open! Children are welcome and there will be snacks. Contact Adam Yoder for more information at yodera@yahoo.com or 540-810-3376.
Pastoral gathering for CMCers in Social Work and Non-Profit Work. Pastoral Team will be providing coffee, light snacks, and conversation for CMCers in social work or non-profit work on Thursday, April 19 at 5:30 pm in Room 109 at CMC. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by contacting the church office (433-2148 or cmc_office@cmcva.org). If you can't make it, let us know if you would like another opportunity like this later this year.
Pastoral gathering for CMCers in Medical Professions. Pastoral Team will be providing coffee, light snacks, and conversation for CMCers in medical professions on Tuesday, April 24 at 5:30 pm in Room 205 (second floor) at CMC. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by contacting the church office (433-2148 or cmc_office@cmcva.org). If you can't make it, let us know if you would like another opportunity like this later this year.
Concert to Benefit Puerto Rican Solar Power. A benefit concert supporting Resilient Power Puerto Rico, to provide solar power for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, will be held on Friday, April 20 from 7-9 pm in the Fellowship Hall at Community Mennonite Church. Featured artists are Bobby Driver, Trudy Cole, Doug Hendren and Trio Enka. The concert is jointly sponsored by Climate Action Alliance of the Valley, Harrisonburg Co-Housing, Renew Rocktown, Harrisonburg Unitarian Universalists, Salsaburg, Valley Friends Meeting, CMC, and Voluntary Gas Tax. For more information, call 540-820-1219.
Highland Retreat Summer Camps. It’s time to start thinking about summer camp registration for Highland Retreat! CMC will contribute $75 per camper to Highland to help with registration costs for CMC families. When you register your child online at www.highlandretreat.org, you will be asked for a coupon code and a transfer code. The code is on a flier in mailboxes, or contact the CMC office and ask Joyce for CMC’s code. After you enter the code, the $75 will be deducted from your total. If you need additional financial assistance, Highland has some scholarship funds available. For scholarship information, call Highland at 540-705-0554.
Transportation Needed. A refugee family (two adults, two children) needs transportation to Alexandria April 10 (Tuesday) to have their biometrics taken. This is a step for getting green cards. The appointment is 8:00 a.m., so they will need to leave their house at 4:30 a.m. If you could drive them please contact Paulson Kurtz (540-209-2239; kurtzes@hotmail.com).
Support for Murch Family MDS Service. This summer, May through August, the Murch Family will be volunteering with Mennonite Disaster Service in Puerto Rico. Financial donations — to support them and future MDS volunteers from CMC — can be made here (choose the “Mennonite Disaster Services” line), or checks can be made out to CMC with “MDS long-term support” on the memo line. –Dennis Showalter, Outreach Commission, and Aili Huber, Council Chair
Thank you to all who encouraged and supported me in the eight-month search since my job layoff last June. I am now working for a start-up company as a designer of software and business processes. I serve also as quarter-time organist and pianist for Emmanuel Episcopal Church, which is why I must slip out early from CMC services every Sunday morning. — Brad Lehman
Community Preschool Flower Fundraiser. Community Preschool is selling hanging flower baskets. There will be a signup sheet in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, April 8. Baskets are $16; please bring money when you sign up. Contact Katrina Swartz at ekswartz@gmail.com if you have questions.
Free garden space available! Dorothy Jean Weaver has vegetable garden space that is available for free at 1514 College Avenue for the first comer/comers who promise (1) to treat the garden well, (2) to keep it weeded, (3) to plant some tomatoes for her in one corner or another, and (4) to rake the yard leaves onto the garden next fall . . . . Please respond ASAP to Dorothy Jean at (540) 433-3336 (h), (540) 432-4276 (o), or weaverdj@emu.edu.
Policy on Requesting Discretionary Funds for Workshops. Outreach Commission recently established the following policy:
Outreach Commission (OC) will approve payment of CMCers’ cost for workshops given the following parameters:
- It must be related to OC’s goals/guidelines.
- The request must be made to the OC chair before the event.
- OC will pay up to $150 of the actual cost per person per year, providing there is money in discretionary funds.
If you have questions, contact Dennis Showalter, Outreach Commission chair (sdshowalt@gmail.com).
Mennonite Higher Education. CMC supports Mennonite higher education—undergrad and grad programs—in our annual budget and we also support individuals who are members or children of members who are choosing to advance their education at Anabaptist/Mennonite schools. We have a $500/semester grant for undergrad and a small fund for graduate students that we disburse annually. So, if you are considering Mennonite higher education, please be in touch with the chair of the Grants Commission, currently Shannon Sneary (swsneary@gmail.com). –Pastoral Team
Volunteer drivers and childcare providers are needed on Tuesday afternoons/evenings. The Collins Center hosts a weekly support group at CMC, for local Congolese women who are survivors of sexual violence. They have a core group of about 13 women who come regularly, and there are more who would like to come. However, they are limited by the number of volunteer drivers and child care providers they currently have. If you could see yourself being available to help with driving or childcare on Tuesday evenings, please be in contact with Melissa Fisher at melissa@thecollinscenter.org.
Sunday School Connection. Below is a weekly note for families of children (age 4 and up) who use the Shine curriculum. Each Sunday you will find faith nurture ideas that coordinate with the weekly Sunday school session plans.
John 21:1–14: “Jesus appears to disciples” Here are some ways to nurture faith at home based on this week’s story. (1) Read John 21:9–10, 12. How did Jesus show care for the disciples? (2) Act out this story using chairs for a boat and a blanket for a net. (3) Peter was so excited to see Jesus that he jumped out of his boat and swam to the shore. Who have you been very excited to see? What did you do?
Did you know? The disciples probably used circle nets, with weights at the bottom. Throwing this kind of a net is very difficult because you have to make sure it completely opens up when it lands on the water.
Prayer for the week: God, thank you for sending Jesus to show your love. Thank you for all of the people who love us. Amen.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. We can remain vigilant in reducing our risk and protecting our youth by…
Minimizing Opportunities for Child Sexual Abuse.
“If you eliminate or reduce isolated, one-on-one situations between children and adults, as well as children and other youth, you’ll dramatically reduce the risk of sexual abuse.”*
This congregation is proactive! We have windows in our Sunday School classroom doors for safety and supervision of our children and youth, we follow a 2-adult rule in classrooms and activities, and we require adults working with kids to be trained (Huzzah, huzzah to the 90+ adults who have completed the approved adult process!). This past fall, we began educating our children and youth about the “circle of grace,” setting boundaries, and aspects of healthy and unhealthy relationships. All these steps help reduce the likelihood of child sexual abuse.
Our mentor/mentee program is a valuable part of our youth programming. If you are alone with a child or youth, use your emotional intelligence: remain observant of the youth’s boundaries and preferences for relating, and use care with your words and actions. Mentors, if you plan a one-to-one event, have fun together! However, consider keeping a log of your activities as suggested in our Safe Church policy, especially ones which occur privately. When possible, plan outings with other mentee/mentor pairs or schedule activities with your mentee in a public place. Through our Approved Adult process, you have received training regarding child sexual abuse, and you know how to be present with youth in a responsible and respectful way! Parents, feel free to ask the mentor (or any adult with whom your child spends one-to-one time) about his or her specific plans with your child. You always have permission to drop by unannounced whenever any one-on-one activity is taking place, even if that adult is a family member or a close, trusted friend. After your child returns home, check in with him or her for feedback about the outing.
CMC is so fortunate to have a vibrant and growing youth population, and our youth programming helps anchor families to our church community. Please join me in thanking the adults who serve our children and pass on the values which this congregation prioritizes: peace, inclusion, connection, service, and safety for all. — Marsha Thomas, for the Child Protection Committee.
*Source: Darkness to Light website, a non-profit organization committed to empowering adults to prevent child sexual abuse. https://www.d2l.org/education/5-steps/step-2/
Keith and Linda Gnagey look forward to family visiting from New York (3 couples plus Linda’s mom) June 23-27 (4 nights). If any church folks will be on vacation and willing to sublet their home for a few days (especially if it’s located in or near the Park View area), please contact Linda: 540-433-1832. gnagey22@aol.com.
Apartment needed. A pastoral couple from Brazil will be attending EMU's Summer Peacebuilding Institute and are seeking an apartment to rent for one month. Please contact the CMC office if you might have a fitting situation for them (cmc_office@cmcva.org).
House for Sale. 3 BR 2 BA brick ranch about 1 block from EMU. Bonus room upstairs, small garage, TONS of storage and a fish pond out back. Please contact Carmen Wyse at 540-246-9935 or at family@waynegehman.com for more info (this is my parents’ house).
RESURRECTION REDUX – Relive and celebrate Easter once more with a new photo collage of Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday activities just posted on the "CMC Today" bulletin board on the west wall of the fellowship hall. To its right, a final reminder of the 11th annual Walk/Run for Autism coming up Apr. 21, information on a New Zealand tour led by former CMCers Ross and Allison Collingwood, a reflection on "How to Build Community" and a 'congregational report' for Jan.-Feb. 2018 from Mennonite World Review. — Jim Bishop
APRIL COME SHE WILL . . . It's spring, according to the calendar, but these recent temperatures make us wonder. So, warm up with a visit to the "CMC: Yesterday" bulletin board on the east wall of the fellowship hall for two archival posters with photo collages from April 2008 and April 2012. — Jim Bishop
Greening CMC : Getting personal. “If you don’t know where you are, you probably don’t know who you are.” As you begin to cultivate that spring garden, consider how you can further cultivate your sense of place in the Shenandoah valley. Creation Justice Ministries is focusing on sense of place for this year’s Earth Day (Apr 22), and provides a variety of resources about living in harmony with local ecosystems and watersheds, rightly sharing places with a diversity of peoples, and respecting the history of our place.
Events and Announcements from the Broader Community
Mennonite Church USA. Pray for many leaders from across Mennonite Church USA who will gather in Lansdale, Pennsylvania on April 12-14 for joint Executive Board and Constituency Leaders Council meetings.
Virginia Mennonite Conference. Announcements from Virginia Mennonite Conference are now accessible on the Conference website at http://virginiaconference.org/news/current-bulletin-announcements/.
Harrisonburg area
Register for Community Preschool. Registration is now open at Community Preschool for families of CMC members. Classes meet for 2 days in the morning, 3 days in the morning, or 3 days in the afternoon. Please contact Eliot Swartz (ekswartz@gmail.com) if you have any questions.
Lynchburg Revival. Progressive Christians from Harrisonburg have been invited by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Shane Caliborne (Red Letter Christians) to attend the coming Lynchburg Revival on April 6 (eve) and 7. The program includes hearing from Rev. Dr. William J. Barber ll, the visionary behind the new Poor People's Campaign. I'm hoping to have a group of students from EMU going and we would be happy for CMC folks to join us. We might find a church for overnight lodging. Check it out at these links. –Brian Martin Burkholder
https://www.redletterchristians.org/christian-group-plans-revival-to-protest-toxic-evangelicalism/
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/red-letter-revival-lynchburg-tickets-43188905178
The next ACRS Gathering will be Monday, April 9 in the EMU West Dining Room. Featured speaker will be Lisa Schirch, “A New Mennonite Approach to Israel and Palestine.” Lisa Schirch was one of the writers for the MCUSA resolution on Israel and Palestine that passed in Orlando in July 2017. In the fall of 2017, she and her husband, Bill Goldberg, led the EMU Cross Cultural to Israel and Palestine. Lisa will explain why she thinks Mennonites need to rethink how they think and talk about Israel and Palestine.
The CWS Refugee Resettlement Linking Communities training will be held on Saturday, April 14 from 9 am-12:30 at Park View Mennonite Church, 1600 College Ave, Harrisonburg. Linking Communities is a CWS initiative that partners local families with newly arrived refugee families. Its goal is to form connections and strengthen the fabric of understanding, acceptance and integration across our community. Linking Communities allows individual families or small groups who might not have the resources to provide a full-refugee sponsorship, the opportunity to reach out to newly arrived refugees in friendship and support at whatever level they can. Local individuals/groups interested in partnering with a refugee family go through a 3 hour training. The training covers, program expectations, background about refugee resettlement, refugees sharing their experiences, L.C. families talking about joys and challenges, and scenarios for discussion. People interested in learning more are welcome to come to the training and then decide if they would like to sign up for Linking Communities Program. For more information, contact Laura Douglass at linkingharrisonburg@cwsglobal.org
The Shenandoah Valley Choral Society, under the direction of Curtis Nolley, will present its 48th annual spring concert at Bridgewater Church of the Brethren on Friday, April 13th at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 15th at 3:00 p.m. The "Hayden Fest" concert will present choral and instrumental works by the classical giant, Franz Josef Haydn. Featured works include Te Deum #2 in C, Trumpet Concerto in E flat, Symphony #2 in C, and Mass in E Flat (Great Organ Mass). The SVCS choir will be accompanied by the SVCS chamber orchestra and guest soloists. CMC members in the SVCS are Dave and Sue Cockley, Ray Horst, Sam Miller, Dorothy Jean Weaver, and Rick Yoder. Tickets are available locally from Choral Society members, at Red Front Supermarket (Harrisonburg), Bridgewater Foods (Bridgewater), on-line at www.singshenandoah.org, and at the door. Admission is $15 for adults/$12 for seniors and students.
Two upcoming Vision Board workshop opportunities with Andrea Wenger: Sat., April 14, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Hub, and Tues., April 17, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at The Gathering Place. More information at www.andreawengercoaching.com/vision-boards or email andrea@andreawengercoaching.com
Pleasant View, Inc., will be participating in the #GREATCOMMUNITYGIVE, an online community giving day, through The Community Foundation on April 18. If you want to connect with us to have your own Pleasant View fundraiser on that day or learn how to give on the day, please contact Pam Miller at pmiller@pleasantviewinc.org or visit www.greatcommunitygive.org. Take a look at all of the community nonprofits you can support. Pam Miller can get you started on being a fundraiser for Pleasant View.
Soulence Retreat. Every spring, we are reminded that all that is needed to bring forth the life-producing blossoms of flowers and trees has been there all along. The earth teaches us to respond to the light and warmth stirring inside of us, to open, and to embody our sacredness. Join Soulence for a day retreat at Starry Meadows in Singers Glen, VA on Saturday, April 21, 9 am-3 pm, cost: $40. To register, contact Chris Hoover Seidel at 717-602-0871 or Christi.hoover.seidel@gmail.com
Cyclovia – Human-Powered Fun! On Earth Day weekend, April 21, 2018 from 11 am – 3 pm come on over to Park View to celebrate biking, walking, skating, and healthy, outdoor recreation with your community! Inspired by the weekly Ciclovia in Bogota, Colombia, Renew Rocktown is putting on a family-friendly event for all. There will be music, games, bike activities, refreshments, Zumba, yoga for kids, and more! Decorate your bike, bring your family, and experience Harrisonburg’s 1st Annual Cyclovia! Check out Cyclovia Harrisonburg on Facebook for more information. The event will begin along Park Road in front of Eastern Mennonite University. Parking at Eastern Mennonite School, or Park View Mennonite Church, 1600 Park Road.
Final reminder: The Shenandoah Valley Autism Partnership will hold its 11th annual 5K Run/Walk for Autism on Saturday morning, Apr. 21 at Eastern Mennonite University. The event is sponsored by community organizations around the Shenandoah Valley to help support the many families touched by the ever-growing epidemic of autism. The event has chip timing and has drawn more than 1,000 participants in the past. Jim Bishop will once again be emcee and deejay. You can register online at www.valleyautism.org; you are welcome to join Team Jacob Hummel. Questions, contact Jenny Hummel, 540-246-8925.
April 22, 4 pm – Spring Lecture: Brethren Underground Railroad (@ Sangersville Church of the Brethren). Join us for an engaging lecture from Nick Patler, a history professor at West Virginia State University. Professor Patler will share research and reflections from his current work on the Brethren (and by extension, Mennonite) “Underground Railroad” during the Civil War. Prof. Patler is currently working on the compilation of a book based on his research, and he will share his findings and entertain discussion on the topic. Come join us for this discussion of history surrounding young men and communities of faith and conscience dealing with a context that presented immediate and pressing challenges to their faith. A free-will offering will be received to support the mission of the Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center. CrossRoads | VBMHC – (540) 438-1275 | www.vbmhc.org | Sangersville COB, 26 Vance Rd, Bridgewater, VA 22812
Strengthen your connection between Christian spirituality and social change. Explore Christian spiritual formation practices to nurture and sustain community leadership, engaged ministry, and social activism. For more information about “Christian Spirituality and Social action” and other courses at the 2018 Summer Peacebuilding Institute this May and June, visit their website at emu.edu/spi and click the course link.
MEMORIES FOR A LIFETIME . . . Guaranteed, if you join a "New Zealand Discovery Tour," Mar. 5-20, 2019, for an incredibly relaxed and flexible taste of "the land of the long white cloud" led by New Zealand natives Ross and Allison Collingwood. Ross and Allison came to the states in the early 1970s to attend then-EMC and ended up getting deeply involved at Community Mennonite at its Green Street location. Ross served for a time as campus pastor at EMC and Allison was the church's first office administrator. They left here in 1987 to move to Salem, Ore., where they still reside. For more information, go to www.newzealanddiscoverytour2019.com; email: newzealanddiscovery@gmail.com or call 503-362-8175 or 503-588-9077. Want to know more, up close and personal? Talk with any of these persons who went on the previous NZ trip – Duane and Joan Kauffman, Stuart and Shirley Showalter, Dale and Rita Lehman or Jim and Anna Bishop. Jim Bishop