Newsweekly for Sunday, October 8, 2017

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Worship this Sunday, October 8

First Families – Hiding and Seeking

Worship Leader: Lisa King

Song Leader: Matt Hunsberger

Preacher: Jennifer Davis Sensenig

Pastoral Prayer: Dayna Olson-Getty

Prelude: Angie Clemens

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-13

Bulletin: 100817-bulletin

 

Upcoming CMC Events

Oct 17  Monthly Gathering, dinner at 6 pm, activities for all ages at 7 pm

Oct 21  Church Work Day, 8:30 am-12:30 pm

 

CMC Events and Announcements

Supporting Heidi and Brendon Derstine. On Saturday, October 7, Brendon and Heidi will celebrate the life of their daughter, Ella Mae Derstine. They will hold a private memorial service in the morning. Later that day, family, friends, church members, and colleagues of the Derstines are invited to stop by for an open house anytime between 2:00 – 5:00 PM. Their address is 949 Smith Avenue, Harrisonburg VA. Those that wish, may bring finger foods to the open house.

Children’s Sunday School Gathering/Singing – Children ages 2 through 6th grade begin Sunday school each week with a gathering and singing time from 10:30-10:45 am in the basement Sunday school wings. After singing/gathering, teachers will meet children to guide them to their classrooms. We ask that children be supervised by their parents after church until 10:30 if they are not on the playground with the recess group.

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 session plans.

Shine Faith Talk: Genesis 3: “Trouble in the garden”

Here are some ways to nurture faith at home, based on this week’s story. (1) Read Genesis 3:12–13. Tell about a time you blamed someone else for a bad choice you made. (2) Cut out paper leaves. Each day, write a good choice you made on one of the leaves. String the leaves together. (3) Take a walk outside “at the time of the evening breeze,” as God did in Genesis 3:8.

Did you know? Adam and Eve used these for clothes. They can sometimes reduce the amount of insulin needed by diabetics. What are they? Fig leaves

Prayer for the week: Thank you God for giving us the ability to make wise choices. Amen.

Children’s Bible Memory passage this quarter: Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgements are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.  Psalm 36:5–6

Church Work Day. Mark your calendars and plan to participate in CMC’s Church Work Day on Saturday, October 21 from 8:30 am-12:30 pm. –Sam Miller, Property Committee Chair

Pastoral coffee break with Eastern Mennonite University faculty, staff and administrators. Pastoral Team is testing a date for a coffee break and conversation with CMCers who are also EMU folks.  If you are interested in participating, and available on Wednesday, Oct 25th at 4 pm, please contact the church office (433-2148 or cmc_office@cmcva.org).  Also, if you can't make it, let us know if you would like another opportunity like this later this fall.  Pastoral Team

Pastoral coffee break with Eastern Mennonite School faculty, staff and administrators. Pastoral Team is testing a date for a coffee break and conversation with CMCers who are also Eastern Mennonite School folks.  If you are interested in participating, and available on Thursday, Oct 26th at 4 pm, please RSVP by contacting the church office (433-2148 or cmc_office@cmcva.org).  Also, if you can't make it, let us know if you would like another opportunity like this later this fall.  Pastoral Team

CMC Retreat Evaluation. CMC 2017 Fall Retreat has come and gone again. If you were at any part of retreat, or joined in the full weekend, Retreat Committee wants your feedback and comments! We want at least one person per household to fill out the Fall Retreat Evaluation . It only takes 4-5 minutes, or less depending on your added comments. Thanks for your help in shaping this important part of our community life! Click on this link to fill out the evaluation: Fall Retreat Evaluation

The Irony of Power Available.  Dorothy Jean Weaver's newly published book, The Irony of Power: The Politics of God within Matthew's Narrative (Pickwick Publications, 2017), is available at author's discount ($23.25) directly from Dorothy Jean.  Please contact her at (540) 432-4276 (o) or (540) 433-3336 (h) if you wish to acquire a signed copy.  First come, first served, as long as they last.

Apartment for Rent. Looking for a housemate to share a 2 bedroom partially furnished apartment/house three blocks from Community Mennonite. Very reasonable rent includes utilities. Available October 1. Please contact Alex Clemens at (540) 810-4698.

Retreat to the Front. Lots to see on the infamous photo collage bulletin board (on the west wall of the fellowship hall, y'all). For starters, two displays on the September worship service theme, "Gifts of the Spirit"; to the right, a modest list of practical ways to build "community" and a congregational report for July-August in Mennonite World Review. Then, do an about face to the bulletin board on the east side of the fellowship hall and relive the congregation's Sept. 22-24 retreat (or see what you missed) at Camp Brethren Woods on the theme, "Love, Joy and Resistance." Hope you can't resist! –Jim Bishop

Newsweekly Deadline. If you have an announcement to be included for the CMC Newsweekly, please submit it to the church office by 10:00 on Friday morning. You may call the office at 433-2148 or email Joyce Peachey Lind at cmc_office@cmcva.org.

Getting Engaged? CMC pastors are all trained to guide couples in a series of premarital counseling sessions using Prepare-Enrich, an excellent resource for couples.  There is a $35 fee for the materials, but the counseling sessions are free for regular attenders and members of CMC.  As a congregation we are part of a city-wide effort to encourage premarital counseling, so our pastors officiate at weddings only when couples have taken the preparatory step of premarital counseling.  We recommend premarital counseling for about 6 sessions, beginning 4-5 months before the wedding.  Thinking of getting engaged?  Talk to one of your pastors.  Pastoral Team

Did you know that there are four ways to give to CMC?

By cash or check: Either place your contribution in the offering basket or mail checks to the church. Use the memo line to indicate a particular fund ("Everyone Welcome," "General Fund," etc.).

By text message: Text the amount you wish to donate (e.g. "$25") to 540-779-1276. The first time, you'll receive a link to register your information. Undesignated funds will go to CMC's general fund. To contribute to the Everyone Welcome, add "Welcome" after the amount (e.g. "$100 Welcome"). To donate to the Fifth Sunday offering, add "Fifth".

On our website: Click the teal "Give" button on the top right corner of our website at cmcva.org

On your smartphone: Search for "GivePlus Church" in the Android or iPhone app store, once you've installed it, just search for "Community Mennonite Church."

 

Events and Announcements from the Broader Community

Book signing with Ken Eshleman. Harrisonburg Mennonite Church will be hosting a book signing with author Ken Eshleman on Sunday, October 8 from 1-3 pm. Ken will be signing copies of his book, A Biography of Harold and Arlene Eshleman. Harold was pastor at the Chicago Avenue Mennonite Church before the congregation moved and became Harrisonburg Mennonite Church. Harold and Arlene were the grandparents of Lee Eshleman, and author Ken is a cousin to Ruby Sawin. Cost of the book is $15.95, tax included. For more details, pick up a flier on the bookshelf at the back of the sanctuary or talk to Ruby Sawin.

Grief Support Group. Sentara Hospice Services is offering grief support groups beginning October 10 and 11. Support groups are free and open to anyone in the community dealing with grief due to the passing of a loved one. Support groups are held in a safe and confidential environment, and led by trained facilitators. Meetings will be closed to new members after the first session. To register and for more details, please call Jennifer at 540-464-5833 or email jnmann@sentara.com.

Celebrate 100 years with EMU as we welcome alumni and friends back to campus during Centennial Homecoming & Family Weekend, October 12-16. Enjoy a lineup of special events, including The Steel Wheels and a commissioned play written and directed by Ingrid DeSanctis ’88 and Ted Swartz ’89, MA ’92. Check out our full list of events at emu.edu/centennial/events and register today at emu.edu/centennial/registration. Please direct questions to the Alumni and Parent Engagement Office at alumni@emu.edu or 540-432-4589.

Release of ACRS Memoir 4. The ACRS Memoir 4 is coming at EMU Homecoming. Join the authors of the fourth volume of the ACRS Memoirs series for a book signing and celebration on October 13, 12:30-1:30 pm at Eastern Mennonite Seminary's Martin Chapel. Fifteen Mennonite and Brethren writers who have made a difference—often worldwide—through service, tell their stories of integrating faith, life, and thought in Anabaptist perspective and draw on Eastern Mennonite University connections.

A Celebration of Latin American Cultures. The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, together with Harrisonburg Public Schools and NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center, present A Celebration of Latin American Cultures, Oct 13, at Skyline Middle School in Harrisonburg. An evening of music, dance, and food starts at 6:30 pm with a film screening and talk back with producer Eduardo Lopez at 7:45. Free and open to the public.

Skyline Literacy Fundraiser. You are invited to a community breakfast to benefit Skyline Literacy on Saturday, October 14 from 7:00-11:00 am at the Cross Keys-Mill Creek Ruritan Hall, 5094 Battlefield Road, Harrisonburg. Cost is $8 per person. Contact Skyline Literacy for more information, at (540) 433-0505 or skylineliteracy@gmail.com.

Community Worship Service. Join Massanutten Presbyterian Church (50 Indian Trail Rd, Penn Laird, VA) for a Community Worship Service commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation on Sunday, October 15, at 3:00 pm. A message will be delivered by Dr. Michael A. King, former Dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, and current president of Cascadia Publishing House. Event sponsored by Keezletown Methodist Church, Massanutten Presbyterian Church, St. Jacobs Lutheran Church, and Trinity Lutheran Church.

The One-Hundred Years Roar. Eastern Mennonite University has launched its Centennial year (1917-2017), and whether or not you are among the great cloud of alumni witnesses you can help celebrate this historic occasion with a Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) class being offered by JMU. The course will meet 9:30-11:30 am on Thursdays, Oct. 19 – Nov. 16. The cost for the session is $35. The class will provide an overview of EMU's transformation from a small, insular academic community to an accredited university with a global impact. For more information and to register, contact the JMU Lifelong Learning Institute at www.jmu.edu/LLI or call 568-2823. –Jim Bishop

Contemplative Retreat for Autumn. You are invited to participate in a retreat offered through Soulence at Starry Meadows Farm on Saturday, October 21, 9 am-3:30 pm (rain or shine). Falling in Love with the Earth is a spacious, contemplative retreat to cultivate a connection to the earth through reflection and embodied prayer. Spiritual directors will accompany the small group of retreatants in order to nurture the experience throughout the day. Silence and solitude is valued and built-in as part of the experience. Cost is $25. For more information or to register, contact Chris Hoover Seidel at Soulence: (717) 602-0871.

Workshop on Racial Equity. A half-day workshop on racial equity will be held on Saturday, October 21, in Martin Chapel (EMU)  to thoughtfully explore the structural nature of racism, the characteristics of modern-day racial inequity, and the relationships between people, communities, and racial inequity. Sponsored by Faith in Action and the Harrisonburg-Rockingham NAACP. Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/focus-on-racial-equity-seminar-tickets-37530105556

Mennonite Women Retreat. Mennonite Women of Virginia's annual retreat will be held November 10-12 in Natural Bridge, VA. The retreat theme is Gratitude Beyond Thank You and will feature Elaine Maust, a writer, spiritual director, and co-pastor of Jubilee Mennonite Church in Meridian, Mississippi. Scholarship funds are available. More information is available at http://virginiaconference.org/partners/mennonite-women-of-virginia/.

Job Opening for Part Time Administrative Assistant. Shalom Mennonite Congregation is hiring an Administrative Assistant for a quarter-time salaried position beginning as early as December 1, 2017. Shalom's Administrative Assistant provides financial, administrative, and communications support to Shalom Mennonite Congregation and its pastors. Qualifications include the ability to manage a wide range of administrative tasks and details, including basic accounting and budget management, proficiency with a computer (Office, Google Apps, Quickbooks or other accounting software), ability to work independently, and to maintain confidentiality and trust regarding sensitive information. Some regular work hours are needed, though some flex scheduling is also possible. For a more detailed job description visit shalommc.org/hiring. Please submit questions or your cover letter and resume to the search committee at hiring@shalommc.org.

MennoMedia Volunteer Opportunity: As MennoMedia prepares to move its offices later this fall, the organization needs help scanning old files during business hours. This simple scanning will be done using a photocopy machine. If you have time to contribute, please contact Dorothy Hartman at DorothyH@MennoMedia.org or 540-908-2438.

Volunteer Opportunity in Washington DC at the International Guest House: The practice of hospitality to those who come to us as strangers and leave as friends is at the basis of our faith as Mennonites and Anabaptists. We are in particular need of twelve-month host volunteers beginning April 2018. (Those serving a full year receive a monthly stipend and health insurance while all other volunteers receive full room and board.) Rotating duties include cleaning, maintenance, baking, gardening, and interacting with guests at breakfast & the evening tea. The three-pronged focus for volunteers is on hospitality to guests, being in community with one another, and your own personal time exploring our historic city.  We are located in a friendly, established neighborhood with easy access to public transportation. Former volunteers at the International Guest House in Washington have found it to be a life-changing experience.  This 50 year-old Christian ministry is under the auspices of the Allegheny Conference.  For information or application, please contact Sara at sarafretzgoering@gmail.com or igh.dc.us@gmail.com

 

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