Newsweekly for Sunday, July 8, 2018

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Worship this Sunday, July 8, 2018

Worship Leader: Jordan Luther

Song Leader: Angie Clemens

Children’s Time: Joyce Peachey Lind, Betty Simensen

Preacher: Jennifer Davis Sensenig

Prelude/Offertory: Jim and Angie Clemens

Pastoral Prayer: Esther Stenson

Scripture: Psalm 148, Psalm 136:1-6, Psalm 20, Psalm 23

Bulletin: 070818-Bulletin.docx           

                                                                          

Upcoming CMC Events

Fri, July 6              First Friday Art Opening, 5-8 pm, Fellowship Hall

Sun, July 8           Intercultural Potluck Picnic, 4-7 pm, Hillandale Park, Shelter #12

Wed, July 11       Kids’ Club, 6 pm, Basement

Sat, July 14          Open Circle Small Group, 6 pm, Dean House (note location change)

July 19-21            Virginia Mennonite Conference Assembly, Hampton, VA

July 27-28            CMC Vacation Bible School

 

CMC Events and Announcements

CMC Piano. The CMC piano has been in declining condition for some time. Recently we were told by some piano technicians that its mechanical problems are beyond repair. A group of CMC keyboard players has been tasked with looking into replacement options, and this process has led us to the Baldwin piano that is on loan from Gary's Pianos for several weeks this summer.

First Friday Art Showcase. Please join us on Friday, July 6 from 5:00-8:00 pm as CMC hosts the Arts Council of the Valley's First Friday series. Our featured artist will be Rhoda Miller. Drop in when you can and leave when you must. Music and light refreshments will also be provided.

An Intercultural Community Potluck Picnic will be held on Sunday, July 8 from 4:00-7:00 pm at Hillandale Park Shelter #12. Bring your friends and family and a favorite food to share (no pork, please). If possible, please bring your own table service. Also, lawn chairs and/or blankets would be helpful if we need to expand beyond the shelter. Enjoy an afternoon of fun, fellowship, and making new friends. Everyone welcome! (In case of rain, the event will be held in the CMC Fellowship Hall.)

[The planning team has decided to name this effort 'Bridges.'  The planning team is currently comprised of CMC members, members of Valley Friends Meeting in Dayton, and several intercultural members of the Islamic Association of Harrisonburg. We are an inclusive intercultural, interfaith collaboration dedicated to nurturing friendship and mutual appreciation among all members of our community. For more information or to support this initiative contact David Kreider or Betty & Keaton Shenk.]

Listening for Grace. Ted & Co presents the original play, Listening for Grace on July 20 and 21 at EMU’s Lee Eshleman Studio Theater at 7:30 pm. The play will be videotaped and seating is limited. Tickets available to purchase for $15 at this link or at the door.  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/listening-for-grace-tickets-46157018886?aff=efbeventtix. Listening for Grace, written by and starring CMCer Ted Swartz, with music by Justin Yoder and Phillip Martin, uses Ted's distinctive humor to give voice to our fears and hopes when a faith community engages in questions around sexuality and same-sex relationships. It’s about a father’s journey, a church’s struggle and a search for commonality.

Eastern Mennonite High School Touring Choir alumni are invited to sing in an alumni choir — directed by Jay Hartzler — for six weeks this summer. Rehearsals will be Tuesdays, 7 to 9 p.m. at Community Mennonite Church. The week of August 12, the choir will give a benefit concert to support the ongoing ministry of CMCers Jay and Sheri Hartzler in Romania. If you can commit to at least three of the six rehearsals, please come! Indicate your interest by filling out this Google survey so Jay knows how to plan. Contact Sheri Hartzler with questions, shartzler@comcast.net.

Moving Help Needed. Dave and Sue Cockley are moving to 1571 Pine Court (on VMRC campus) from 487 S. Mason Street the end of July.  We would like help moving an empty chest freezer and lots of boxes on Saturday, July 28, 8:30 – 11:00 am.  We will have a small pick-up but a second one would be great!

CMC Children and the Walking Roots Band. What a wonderful summer opportunity!  Saturday, August 18th from 9-11 am, The Walking Roots Band (Greg Yoder and Seth Crissman) are offering a morning for CMC children (rising 1st through 5th graders) to plan a CMC worship service using music and drama.  The service will focus on the story of Jonah. On Saturday, parents can drop off children at the CMC building at 9am and pick them up at 11am.  The next morning children and The Walking Roots will lead our worship service.  Please RSVP to the CMC office (cmc_office@cmcva.org) if children from your family will participate and indicate their age or grade.  Greg and Seth are both approved adults through the Safe Church program.

Pastoral Gifts?  Do you know someone who is spiritually sensitive and demonstrates good discernment in their lives?  Do you know CMCers who care about the life of our congregation and have leadership gifts?  Gifts discernment is receiving names of members who might serve on Pastoral Team beginning in 2019.  Our continuing pastoral elders are Mike Brislen and Matthew Hunsberger, so please consider CMC women who might serve well in a 3-year term on our team of pastors and pastoral elders.  Pastoral Team will also appoint a young adult to serve a 1-year term beginning in 2019.  Who are the gifted young adults at CMC who might serve with Pastoral Team?  Please share names with Brendon Derstine, chair of gifts discernment.  brendon.derstine@gmail.com

Breeze Reminder. Are you signed up for Breeze, CMC’s new directory system, yet? It is quick and easy to set up and use. Please take the time to sign up and check the information listed in the directory for your family. You likely received an invitation email from Breeze in early June. If not, please contact Joyce in the church office (cmc_office@cmcva.org) or Aili Huber (technology@cmcva.org).

To use the directory go to https://cmcva.breezechms.com/login.

Once you have created your account and signed in:

  1. Click "My Profile" at the top to see what information we have for you.
  2. To add or update any information, put your mouse on the gray box at the top of that section (it will say something on it like "Main" or "Family."). When your mouse is on the box, text should appear that says "Click to edit section." Click it to reveal a form that you can edit. When you're done, click the green "Save" button at the top of the section.
  3. Add your birthdate by following the instructions in step 2 to edit the "Main" section. Other members of the congregation won't be able to see this, but it is very helpful to the office staff to be able to search people by age.
  4. Add your picture. Click in the big gray box with a person outline on it in the top-center area of your profile page. A box will pop up where you have the option of uploading a picture from your computer. Click "Upload image," navigate to the picture you'd like to use, and click "Open." Once the image has uploaded, expand the cropping rectangle and move it around so that your face is included. Then select "Set as Profile."
  5. Edit your Family–you should have the ability to edit/correct information for any member of your household by going to their profile page. If there are people in your household who don't show up under "Family" on your profile page, please let me know so I can fix this.
  6. Play around. You should be able to use the search box on the top left of the page to look up other CMCers. You can also check out "Tags," which is a way of organizing people; right now, we have only church leadership and small groups, but this will be expanding. "Events" doesn't have anything right now, but soon, that will be a place where we'll host event registrations.
  7. Get the app. If you have an Android or iPhone, search for "Breeze CMS" in the app store to install the mobile app.
  8. Offer feedback. Is there something that's not working? Let me know. Is there a piece of information that it would be helpful for your commission or committee to be able to track? Let's talk.

Confused or have more questions about Breeze? That's okay. Feel free to contact Aili Huber at technology@cmcva.org.

 

CMC Lending List. Did you know that CMC maintains a list of items that members are willing to share? Items available to borrow include pick-up trucks, sports and camping gear, tools and kitchen equipment. The list is available on the CMC website. If you have an item that you’d like to add to the list, please contact Michael Ann Courtney at mac1572@gmail.com.

Looking for Small Groups to Host First Friday. CMC hosts a "First Friday" art opening every other month. We're looking for Small Groups to volunteer to host them. Host duties include providing refreshments and being on site to welcome the artists and musicians, assist them and members of the public if needed, and manage cleanup. If your group would like to sign up for one, please contact Matt Carlson (matt31275@gmail.com).

Patchwork Pantry Volunteer Needed. Patchwork Pantry is looking for someone to take charge of purchasing personal hygiene items including toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper and diapers.  The person checks supplies, assesses the needs, purchases the items and puts them away either for use on Wednesday or for repackaging.  We have been purchasing at Walmart and it takes about 1.5 to 2 hours a week.  We'd like to have someone start ASAP. Contact Jennifer Ulrich – ulrichjm@emu.edu  or 540-383-9050 for more information. Thanks for considering!

Going to Goshen? If anyone is driving to Goshen in the next month, we have a large cooler that we need to get back to there and would appreciate the help. Contact Tim Jost, jostt@wlu.edu or 540 421 1529.

Apartment Needed. My daughter, Alcinda Brubaker, is looking for a studio or one bedroom apartment between Downtown Harrisonburg and EMU. She will be attending school in the fall and working part time. She has a pet cat, but he can live at home on our farm if needed. Please contact her at 540-246-1484 or alcinda.brubaker@gmail.com. Her current lease is ending so she’d like to sign a lease for a rental starting in July or August.  –Wayne Teel

Prayer for Those Who Have Been Targets of Sexually Offensive Behavior. Laura Sider Jost asks for prayers for those who have been targets of sexually offensive behavior by members of our church body. Especially when offenders are publicly lauded, it can be difficult for those who have been harassed or assaulted to reconcile the offensive behavior with the perpetrator's reputation and authority. They often believe they were the only one targeted, or that it was somehow their fault, or that they should minimize it or accept it as normal. Perpetrators overwhelmingly target many people over many years. Many perpetrators never get the therapy and broad accountability they need–and that their communities need. Laura encourages anyone who has information about members of our community who have sexually offended–lay or ordained, living or deceased–to contact The MAP List (www.themaplist.org) for support, which need not include public naming, only whatever support is desired. Laura has joined a new group of MAP List volunteers working to strengthen restorative accountability in the church.

CMC: Fast Forward . . . The latest photo collage up and running on the "CMC Today" bulletin board on the west wall of the fellowship hall features the final Sundays of our "Resurrection Life" worship series and the start of an emphasis on the "Journey Forward" process with Mennonite Church USA. To the right, you'll find a reflective essay, "Just for Today," a "Bishop's Mantle" "swan song" column (July 16, 2011) after writing the weekly Daily News-Record column for 21 years and a CMC 'congregational report' for Mar.-Apr. in Mennonite World Review. And, it's all free for the looking. Can you possibly take it all in? – Jim Bishop

Summer Better Than Others. Another visual feast awaits you on the "CMC Yesterday" bulletin board on the east wall of the fellowship hall with a poster of activities from July, 2013 on the theme, "Citizens in God's Kingdom" and a one-day Summer Bible school collage from July 27, 2013, "God's BIG Backyard is a Blast." Indeed it is! — Jim Bishop

Greening CMC : Educating ourselves.  As you go about your business on the Harrisonburg streets in the hot summer season, take solace in knowing that even a single urban tree can help keep walkers more comfortable in citiesAlthough Harrisonburg’s tree canopy cover is about 25%, lower than other nearby towns and cities, there are efforts to make our city more tree friendly.  Join the Harrisonburg community on July 25 for a meeting to learn about Harrisonburg efforts at tree planting.   ​

 

Virginia Mennonite Conference and Harrisonburg area events

On Saturday, July 7 from 1-5 pm, "Identity: Stories of Harrisonburg" will be held at the Lucy Simms Center, 620 Simms Ave., Harrisonburg, featuring the Inside Out Playback Theater.  This will be a time to meet your neighbors, newcomers, and folks from across town, and connect through the sharing of food and stories. Sponsored by the Center for Performance and Civic Practice, NAACP, Faith in Action and Our Community Place.

Virginia Mennonite Conference Assembly will be held at C3 (Calvary Community Church) in Hampton, Va., July 19-21. Dr. Natalie Francisco, author and co-pastor of C3; and Glen Guyton, Executive Director of Mennonite Church USA, will bring messages during evening worship. Learn about the ministries and partners of Virginia Conference and VMMissions through missional stories, workshops, and agency displays. Register at virginiaconference.org/assembly/

Charlottesville Sing Out! On Sunday, August 12 at 4 pm in the Ix Art Park in Charlottesville,  an event called "The C'ville Sing Out!" will take place.  Everyone in the  community and surrounding counties are invited to participate in a positive celebration of the City of Charlottesville to promote love and brother/sisterhood among all races, cultures, and beliefs.  Website: https://www.CvilleSingOut.org.  Contact:  Pastor Alvin Edwards, Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church.

Mennonite Women of Virginia’s Fall Retreat registration forms are available. Women of all ages are invited to this special weekend, Oct. 26-28. Early registration (and discount) ends Aug 1.  Scholarship funds are available by calling Gloria Lehman, 540-420-2122.  You can download the registration form from the MWV page of the VMC website, or email Deb Pardini – (pardini.debra@hotmail.com) for an electronic copy of the registration form.

Service Opportunity. The ministry of the Clothes Closet at Trinity Presbyterian Church has existed for over 50 years (including some time when it was housed at CMC).  They have a diverse population of clients who come to the Closet, making the experience a rich, rewarding, and interesting one.  They are looking for different groups that can help out on one Wednesday this summer. The Clothes Closet will ensure that a volunteer from the Clothes Closet Mission Team will be on hand to “lead the way”. Basically, a smile and a willing pair of hands are all that is needed.  The closet is open every Wednesday, from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.  Volunteers would arrive by 6:15, and leave by 7:45.  If your family or small group would like to volunteer, or if you have questions, please contact Janet Slough, Trinity Clothes Closet Mission Leader, at 433-2296.

Next year EMU will welcome two Spanish Language Assistants through MCC’s International Volunteer Exchange Program (IVEP).  IVEP is a year-long work and cultural exchange opportunity for young, Christian adults. Every year 60 participants come from more than 25 countries around the world to volunteer in the U.S. or Canada, where they live with a local person or family. We will be looking for host families for Maria Rene Saucedo Osinaga/age 20 from Bolivia, and Otoniel Suero Escalante/age 23 from the Dominican Republic.  All hosts must be:  active in their church community, open to learning from others, willing to share their lives with the IVEP participant, and intentional about checking in with the IVEP participant, just like you would with your own family members.  A host family must be able to:  provide a private bedroom in their house and host for full or half of the IVEP year starting in late August 2018 through July 2019.  Interested?  Contact Vi Dutcher, Professor & Department Chair, Language & Literature, EMU at 540.432.4316 or email violet.dutcher@emu.edu

Everence will have an IVEP worker beginning August of this year.  We are looking for a host family.  It is a young woman from Zimbabwe, her English language is very good and she is described as well-grounded, mature, dependable musical and trustworthy. I believe she also really enjoys being around children.  Please contact Teresa Boshart Yoder @ Everence if you may be interested and I can give you more information.  Everence office 540-437-7422.

MDS in Puerto Rico. Jennifer Murch sent an email to the CMC office saying that MDS is now having to turn away volunteers to Puerto Rico — and they are in danger of shutting down in-process projects — because of a shortage of long-term leadership. If you would like to be a long-term volunteer in Puerto Rico (for 3-12 weeks … or more!), please contact MDS in Lititz (717-735-3536) and let them know or go to Puerto Rico – Hurricane Maria. They are in need of Project Directors beginning in mid-July through August. These positions will require volunteers who have MDS experience, construction knowledge, the ability to stay for at least a month, the ability to work with sensitivity in a cross-cultural environment, and the ability to speak Spanish is a plus. Applicants should be willing to travel throughout the island and work in cooperation with the MDS Puerto Rico Coordinators. Persons will have to have completed the MDS Leadership application process. Please Share this information with friends and family far and wide, Mennonite and other traditions. The best way to get your questions answered is to be directly in touch with MDS, though you can chat with Joe Yoder, Sam Miller and Andrea Wenger who have also been in touch with MDS.

Community Mennonite Church
70 South High Street Harrisonburg, VA
office@cmcva.org
540-433-2148