Local Events
Join us for the 6th Annual Pennsylvania Groundhog Day Fest on Monday, February 2, 2015 at Park View Church Fellowship Hall. Gathering at 5 p.m. and Meal at 5:30 p.m. this invitation is for anyone with Pennsylvania roots, spouses are included! Please bring a generous portion of an old-time favorite Pennsylvania dish that can be shared with others. We will supply fresh Belleville sausage and scrapple butchered by Amish farmer. Las year we had 13 different pies! Come prepared to have a good time visiting with friends and sharing memories of good old PA food from yesteryear! We will also have singing and storytelling. Table service and drinks will be provided. There will be a donation basket available to cover expenses for this event. You may pass this invitation along to friends that have Pennsylvania roots. Any questions contact: Mary Ann Heatwole at maryann@heatwoles.us or 540-434-7678 or Lee M. Yoder at leeyoder2008@comcast.net or 540-209-1180.
Making disciples through Life Transformation groups workshop: Interested in exploring a deep, reproducible yet simple way of making disciples within your congregation? Tired of talking about becoming missional and eager to gain traction in the disciple-making task? VMC pastors, congregational leaders & those interested in developing a discipling culture within their congregations are welcome to Join us Saturday, January 31 (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) at Park View Mennonite Church Fellowship Hall. Sponsored by Virginia Mennonite Missions and Mennonite Mission Network. Lunch is included in the registration cost of $10. RSVP to Sarah Showalter at <sarah.showalter@vmmissions.org> or (540) 434-9727 .
Delegates: Winter Delegate Session will be February 7 at Waynesboro Mennonite Church, beginning at 8:15 a.m. and ending by 3 p.m. There will be a $10/person cost to cover the meal. RSVP to Anieta McCracken, Administrative Services Manager, at 540-434-9727 ext 135 or via email to: <anieta.mccracken@virginiaconference.org>
2015 MCC Turkey Canning Project: The annual meat canning is scheduled for February 23 – 27, 2015 at the Hinton Mennonite Relief Center, Hinton, VA. Virginia Mennonite Conference is responsible to help provide help on Tuesday, February 24. Help is needed from 5 AM until 11 PM each day. Friday, February 27 is scheduled as a community day and help is especially needed in the early morning. Anyone is welcome to come and help on any day! Funds are needed to purchase turkey for processing and for the ongoing operation of the Relief Center. If you would like to contribute to this project you can send a donation to the: Hinton Mennonite Relief Center, PO Box 519, Dayton, VA 22821. If you have any questions about this project you can contact Leon Rhodes at (540) 867-9751 or Gerald Knicely at (540) 879-2077. Thanks for your participation in this effort to feed the less fortunate in the world. The Hinton Mennonite Relief Center Board
The Virginia Mennonite Conference Ministry Retreat on "Learning from the Early Church" with Alan Kreider will be February 27-March 1 at Willamsburg Christian Retreat Center, Toano, Va. Register at <http://virginiaconference.org/news/2015-vmc-ministry-retreat/>
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.
The Creation Care Group of Harrisonburg Mennonite Church is showing the award-winning video series "Years of Living Dangerously" Wednesday evenings from 7-8pm, January 7 through March 4. Come for one or all 9 episodes. The church is located at 1552 South High Street (42 south) and may also be reached from Emery St. via Central Ave. Enter by the Main (Sanctuary) door. Signs will direct you to Room E2, 3. More information, call Anne Nielsen at 574-6125.
Blue Ridge Ministries is offering the following winter and spring retreats:
Feb. 21 Lent Retreat: "A little lower than the angels” led by Kevin Clark
Mar. 23 "Exploring the Enneagram: An Adventure in Self Discovery" led by Rev. Bill Edwards
May 5-7 "Gazing upon God's creation: observing birds and wildflowers" led by Clair Mellinger
Contact blueridgeministries@yahoo.com or 540-560-1605 for flyer or to register.
See website: <http://www.blueridgeministries.wordpress.com/> for more information.
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 March 5-7. 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.
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 patty.skelton@everence.com or call 540-437-7422.
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 606.633.5065. More details about SWAP are available at http://mcc.org/get-involved/serve/volunteer/swap.
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: <anieta.mccracken@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 9 am, with a shotgun start at 10 am. 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. Team prizes, contest prizes, and door prize drawings will be awarded around 3 pm.
Join us for Celebrate Recovery! – a Christ-centered 12-step recovery group that deals with hurts, habits and hang-ups, including but not limited to, depression, anger, lust, alcoholism, drug addiction, eating disorders, workaholism, abuse, anxiety, etc. Come discover the path to freedom. Children are welcome too! Infants to 5th graders will also learn what recovery is about in a way?? specifically designed for them. Every Tuesday at 6:30pm at Asbury United Methodist Church which is diagonally across the street from the Library downtown. For more info contact Bob at (540) 421-2500 or at Celebraterecovery.asburyumc@gmail.com
Looking for Affordable Health Insurance? Call the Harrisonburg Community Health Center to get assistance. We have trained application counselors that can help you step-by-step through the process! (540) 437-5051
Are you compassionate and willing to give a lot of your heart to those facing end of life? Sentara Hospice Services’ goal is to improve the quality of a person’s last days by offering comfort and dignity. Our carefully selected and well-trained volunteers are a vital part of this program, working alongside the professional staff to provide comfort and support to patients and their families. Our hospice volunteers have a strong desire to reach out with care and compassion. Volunteer opportunities range from administrative support, bereavement support, special events, vigil volunteers, sewing and quilting, pet therapy, and small household errands. Volunteering for direct patient care is also available to offer friendship, respite care, and non-medical support. Direct patient care may include sitting with patient, reading, listening to music, and socialization. If interested, please contact: Annie Ytterock, Volunteer Coordinator?540-433-4276.
Job Openings
Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) invites qualified candidates to apply for a tenure-track, continuing faculty position of Assistant or Associate Professor of Restorative Justice and Peacebuilding to begin Fall Semester 2015. The faculty member will teach both graduate and undergraduate courses in restorative justice, conflict analysis and community assessment, design of interventions into conflicted relationships and systems, and basic skills for working with individuals and groups in conflict. Faculty member will work closely with a team in providing leadership in core courses, explore new courses and majors in the restorative justice field, and will engage in mentoring and supporting graduate students and traditional undergraduate students in practicums and professional fields. PhD and three to six years of field experience required. Application review begins February, 2015. Some applicants will be asked to respond to questions specific to EMU’s mission after the initial inquiry. Send letter of application, curriculum vitae, transcripts (unofficial acceptable), and three letters of reference to: Dr. Jim Smucker, Vice President and Dean of Graduate Studies, Eastern Mennonite University, 1200 Park Road Harrisonburg, VA 22802 or jim.smucker@emu.edu. For more information, visit our website: www.emu.edu/humanresources <http://www.emu.edu/humanresources> . EOE
Virginia Mennonite Missions
January 25
Pray for the continued work of Mennonite Hispanic Initiative (MHI) in raising up Latino church leaders to engage in mission and discipleship.
Click to view the online VMC calendar <https://www.google.com/calendar/render?hl=en&tab=wc&gsessionid=OK#g|month-3+22874+22918+22904> .