Sunday, September 10
- 9:30am Outdoor Worship at Heron Creek Forest Preserve, Shelter A, in Long Grove, IL (Shelter A is fully accessible)
- Speaker: Suzanne
- Theme: Rejoicing with Creation
- Please note: there will not be a Zoom connection to this service
- Picnic to follow
Thursday, September 14
- 7:00pm Zoom Bible Study with Shane (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- Join us for a study of the gospel of John
Sunday, September 17
- 9:30am NSMC Hybrid Worship (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- Theme for fall series: Who is God; Who are We
- Scripture: Genesis 18:1-15
- Beginning of the 4-year Narrative Lectionary
Anne and Shane will be in Michigan this weekend September 8 through Sunday, September 10 for the Journey Program, a leadership training program that is offered through the Church Leadership Center, along with AMBS, the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. It is a three-year program that Shane began at the start of 2023.
Anne will be recovering from hip replacement surgery for two or more Sundays, September 17 and 24.
Menno Haven Camp & Retreat Center invites us to schedule a family getaway at their Fall Family Getaway, October 6-8. Take a pause from daily life to reconnect with the Lord and your loved ones. You get to choose what activities you join or whether you want time to explore the grounds on your own. Menno Haven takes care of your lodging and meals. For more information, go to their Family Getaways page.
Mennonite Church USA Executive Board has named two peacemakers, Jonathan Kuttab and Sydney Leah Bontrager, as the 2023 Bring The Peace award winners. The denomination gives the award to a Legacy Peacemaker and a Young Peacemaker each year. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/news/23-btp-winners
Yujin Kim, a communications associate for Mennonite Central Committee East Coast, reflects on the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement and how separation and longing are part of her family narrative, shaping her identity and motivating her to work for peace. Read her story here: mennoniteusa.org/belonging-in-peace
Doh Nay Kaw attended Mennonite Church USA’s convention in early July with her youth group of Whitehall (Pennsylvania) Mennonite Church. She wrote a poem as an expression of her experience of self-searching at MennoCon23. Read the poem here: mennoniteusa.org/who-am-i
Violence pervades some children’s Bibles, but The Peace Table, Shine’s new storybook Bible, provides a peace witness, while providing thoughtful prompts concerning more violent passages. Read more about Chrissie Muecke’s experience as part of The Peace Table’s Team here: mennoniteusa.org/peace-witness-paths
–from Creation Justice Ministries 52 Ways to Care for Creation
Local Food Systems
Where does your food come from? What native plants/crops grow in your neighborhood? How is your community affected by food insecurity? Find out if there is a farmer’s market in your area!
–from Creation Justice Tips | United Methodist Church
Picking up Children from School
School is starting. If you have pick-up duty, keep the car engine off while you wait. Emissions from idling cars spew unseen particulates into the air, which research has shown negatively affects the cognitive performance of children. Get out of your car, enjoy the weather, and meet other parents, grands, and nannies. Tell them—and your children—why you don’t let the engine run.
What Happens to Unused Food?
Investigate what is happening to unused food from the school. Some schools have a “share table,” allowing the children to leave fruit, milk, and any other packaged food they choose not to eat so that it can be refrigerated and shared with a community feeding program. This practice helps with hunger, teaches caring for others, and reduces food waste, which is 40% of most landfills. When children learn this mindset, they bring it home too.
–from the Sierra Club
100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet
- Trade out filament light bulbs for new LED bulbs. You will recoup the expense in just months and probably never need to change the LEDs.
- Turn out the lights not being used, including outside lights.
–from Ecocation
50 Ways to Save the Planet
- Keep your tires properly inflated to save gas.
- Read books on sustainability.