Saturday, April 23
- 8:00am-4:00pm Menno Haven Spring Work Day
- Go to mennohaven.com/work-day to sign up
Sunday, April 24 Earth Sunday
- 9:15am Informal Fellowship Time
- 9:30am Zoom Worship (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- Speaker: Nathan Aaberg
- 10:30am Sermon Discussion
Thursday, April 28
- 7:00pm Bible Study led by Shane (contact Anne for details on how to join)
Sunday, May 1
- 9:15am Informal Fellowship Time
- 9:30am Zoom Worship (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- Speaker: Shane O’Leary
- 10:30am Sermon Discussion
- Potluck at Munleys on the Kempfs final Sunday in Libertyville
Looking ahead past May 1, these are the planned worship services.
- May 8: Hybrid (Civic Center and Zoom) service, Mitch Brown, speaker
- May 15: Zoom service, Suzanne Ford, speaker
- May 22: Hybrid service, Shane O’Leary, speaker
- May 29: Zoom service, Suzanne Ford, speaker
May 27-30, 2022: MCUSA Special Session of the Delegate Assembly (page of resources and resolutions). Registration is now open.
In honor of Women’s History Month in March, the MC USA Archives compiled a Mennonite Women’s History timeline. Explore the rich history with this new resource available now: mennoniteusa.org/mennonite-womens-history-timeline/
A Call to Prayer and Fasting Just as Paul prayed for the churches of his time, let us also pray for ours. Join Mennonite Church USA on May 2 at 7 p.m. ET/4 P.M. PT on Zoom for a webinar on ways that we can support the Special Session of the Delegate Assembly and our participating church leaders through individual and communal prayer and fasting. Register here: mennoniteusa.org/register-prayer-fasting
Susan Janzen, Central Plains conference minister for Ministerial Leadership, was inspired by the hymn, “There’s a Wild Hope in the Wind” (No. 828 in the Voices Together hymnal, © 2014 Lora Braun) at the recent Pastors & Leaders | Deep Faith 2022 conference. Read about her experience in her blog: mennoniteusa.org/wild-hope-wilderness
“Mention ‘The Mennonite Game’ in Anabaptist circles and you’ll be met with a variety of responses — a knowing chuckle, the rolling of eyes, a blank stare,” writes Laura Pauls-Thomas (she/her). She shares her perspective on her learning journey with intercultural competency and Diversity: God’s Design in her blog here: mennoniteusa.org/winners-losers-mennonite-game
Bonnie Miller, who is on the board directors for Anabaptist Disabilities Network, calls us to think about the stigmas and biases we possess when it comes to relating to individuals with a disability in her blog “Creating Spaces of Belonging.” Read it here: mennoniteusa.org/create-spaces-belonging
Use Alternative Gift Wrapping
To get away from disposable wrapping paper, be creative with cloth bags, pillowcases, fabric scraps remnants, or scarves, and avoid using tissue paper. Gifts can be even more meaningful with homemade alternatives to wrapping paper. (Thanks for the tip, Linda and Janelle!)
Make Your Clothes Last Longer
Wash your clothes in cold water, which is less damaging than hot. Wash a full load, which reduces the agitation’s wear-and-tear on the items. Add a few pinches of salt rather than color-“safe” chemical bleaches, which are hard on the materials. Choose other natural remedies for getting stains out.
Stop Microwaste
Nurdles (microplastics) leached from the wastewater of washing machines that are used to clean clothing made of synthetic (petroleum-based) fibers, end up in the water systems of the world. Untold numbers of fish and other marine life try to eat them and starve to death. Untold numbers of people eating fish are ingesting plastic. Switch to clothes made of organic fibers or use a GuppyFriend Washing Bag to stop microwaste.
A little bit of humor from actual church signs, courtesy of Jim—
Come as you are. You can change inside.