Newsweekly for Sunday, April 22, 2018

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Worship this Sunday, April 22, 2018

Worship Leader: Louise Hostetter

Song Leader: Dorothy Jean Weaver

Prelude/Offertory: Kathryn Schmidt

Preacher: Jennifer Davis Sensenig

Scripture Reader: Wayne Teel

Children’s Time: Matt Gingerich

Pastoral Prayer: Dayna Olson-Getty

Scripture: John 10:11-18                                                            

 

Upcoming CMC Events

Tues, Apr 24       Pastoral Gathering for CMCers in Medical Professions, 5:30 pm,

                                                Room 205 (second floor)

Wed, Apr 25       Kids’ Club, 6-7 pm, basement

Fri, Apr 27            CMC Seniors are hosted by the CMC MYF, 6:30 pm, Fellowship Hall

Sun, Apr 29         CMC/Otterbein Blood Drive at Otterbein United Methodist,

9:30 am-12:30 pm (sign up at https://donateblood.vablood.org)

Sun, Apr 29         Monthly Potluck, 12 noon (no potluck May 6)

CMC Events and Announcements

 

CMC Kids’ Club. Children ages 4-grade 5 are invited to come to Kids’ Club on Wednesdays at 6 pm. If you are interested in helping out as an adult volunteer, please contact Pastor Jason at Jason.Gerlach@cmcva.org or 540-433-2148.

Concert to Benefit Puerto Rican Solar Power. A benefit concert supporting Resilient Power Puerto Rico, to provide solar power for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, will be held Friday, April 20 from 7-9 pm in the Fellowship Hall at Community Mennonite Church. Featured artists are Bobby Driver, Trudy Cole, Doug Hendren and Trio Enka. The concert is jointly sponsored by Climate Action Alliance of the Valley, Harrisonburg Co-Housing, Renew Rocktown, Harrisonburg Unitarian Universalists, Salsaburg, Valley Friends Meeting, CMC, and Voluntary Gas Tax. For more information, call 540-820-1219.

Pastoral gathering for CMCers in Medical Professions. Pastoral Team will be providing coffee, light snacks, and conversation for CMCers in medical professions on Tuesday, April 24 at 5:30 pm in Room 205 (second floor) at CMC. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by contacting the church office (433-2148 or cmc_office@cmcva.org). If you can't make it, let us know if you would like another opportunity like this later this year.

EMS Middle School Play. Eastern Mennonite School will be presenting the middle school production of Anne of Green Gables at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 27th and Saturday, April 28th.  Come out and support Anneka, Ava, Mac, Natalie, Ravi, and Silas. Hope to see you there!

CMC Seniors. This is a reminder of the CMC seniors’ activity/event for April. On Friday evening, April 27 from 6:30 – 8:30 p,m, the CMC seniors will be hosted by the CMC senior MYF.  We will meet in the church fellowship hall.  This is the 5th year that the CMC seniors and the CMC MYF have enjoyed an evening together.  I trust many of you can join in the fellowship and fun. –Joan Kauffman, Larry Miller, Dick Stoltzfus

Moving help request. Lucy and Nate Malenke need a few strong people who can help them move from their rental house to their new home on Saturday, April 28. We will convene at 455 E. Elizabeth St. at 11 a.m. that morning, load the moving truck, then unload it at 815 Lee Ave. We will provide pizza for lunch and hope to be done with the heavy lifting by 3 p.m. Please call Lucy at 814-360-2699 for more details.

CMC Potluck. The next CMC Potluck is next Sunday (yes, that's correct, Sunday April 29).  Please bring food to share, plates and cups and silverware.  We could use help with washing dishes and clean-up.  We will not have potluck on May 6.  –Jennifer Ulrich for Hospitality Committee

CMC Blood Drive. CMC is partnering with Otterbein United Methodist Church (corner of Route 42 and 33) for a spring blood drive on Sunday morning, April 29 from 9:30 am-12:30 pm in the Otterbein fellowship hall. To sign up go online to:https://donateblood.vablood.org, or contact Susan Pollard at 828-4562. Appointments preferred, walk-ins welcome. Donate after the CMC worship service, then come back to church for the CMC potluck! Free “thank you” tote bag for all participating donors!

Become an Approved Adult. An Approved Adult training is scheduled for Saturday, May 19 from 9 am-noon at Park View Mennonite Church. Contact Marsha Thomas or Jason Gerlach to sign up, or for more information.

Highland Retreat Summer Camps. It’s time to start thinking about summer camp registration for Highland Retreat! CMC will contribute $75 per camper to Highland to help with registration costs for CMC families. When you register your child online at www.highlandretreat.org, you will be asked for a coupon code and a transfer code. The code is on a flier in mailboxes, or contact the CMC office and ask Joyce for CMC’s code. After you enter the code, the $75 will be deducted from your total. If you need additional financial assistance, Highland has some scholarship funds available. For scholarship information, call Highland at 540-705-0554.

Parents of 4 year olds through 5th graders:  mark your calendars for CMC’s Vacation Bible School on Friday evening and Saturday, July 27-28! Want to lead a station or assist in this enjoyable event? Speak with Marsha Thomas or contact her at Marsha.thomas8417@gmail.com.

Support for Murch Family MDS Service. This summer, May through August, the Murch Family will be volunteering with Mennonite Disaster Service in Puerto Rico. Financial donations — to support them and future MDS volunteers from CMC — can be made here (choose the “Mennonite Disaster Services” line), or checks can be made out to CMC with “MDS long-term support” on the memo line. –Dennis Showalter, Outreach Commission, and Aili Huber, Council Chair

Fifth Sunday Offering. Our Fifth Sunday Offering on April 29 will go toward support for long term MDS workers from CMC.  Our first long term MDSers will be the Murch family, who will be working in Puerto Rico from May through August.  Let's support this important ministry with our offerings on April 29.

Free garden space available!   Dorothy Jean Weaver has vegetable garden space that is available for free at 1514 College Avenue for the first comer/comers who promise (1) to treat the garden well, (2) to keep it weeded, (3) to plant some tomatoes for her in one corner or another, and (4) to rake the yard leaves onto the garden next fall . . . .  Please respond ASAP to Dorothy Jean at (540) 433-3336 (h), (540) 432-4276 (o), or weaverdj@emu.edu.

Mennonite Higher Education. CMC supports Mennonite higher education—undergrad and grad programs—in our annual budget and we also support individuals who are members or children of members who are choosing to advance their education at Anabaptist/Mennonite schools.  We have a $500/semester grant for undergrad and a small fund for graduate students that we disburse annually.  So, if you are considering Mennonite higher education, please be in touch with the chair of the Grants Commission, currently Shannon Sneary (swsneary@gmail.com).  –Pastoral Team

 

RESURRECTION REDUX – Relive and celebrate Easter once more with the latest photo collage featuring Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday activities that is posted on the "CMC Today" bulletin board on the west wall of the fellowship hall. To its right, a final round of information on a New Zealand tour led by former CMCers Ross and Allison Collingwood, a reflection on "How to Build Community" and a 'congregational report' for Jan.-Feb. 2018 from Mennonite World Review. — Jim Bishop

APRIL COME SHE WILL . . . Spring is trying its best to put in an appearance, but you can help warm things up with a visit to the "CMC: Yesterday" bulletin board on the east wall of the fellowship hall to check out two archival posters with photo collages from April 2008 and April 2012.  — Jim Bishop

Greening CMC : Getting personal.  There are encouraging indications that younger generations are the most concerned about climate change, and that the issue is less partisan for millenials.  At EMU, a group of students are taking the initiative to increase solar energy campus, organizing everything from fundraising to installation.  Students are looking for more donations to finish the solar project at its intended scale; you can contribute at the student solar project crowdfunding site.

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 Sunday school session plans.

Numbers 27:1–11: “Sisters solve a problem” Here are some ways to nurture faith at home based on this week’s story. (1) Read Numbers 27:5–7. Why did Moses change the inheritance rule? (2) Look online or at the library to find stories of people who work for justice. (3) What rule do you think should be changed to make things more fair?
Did you know? Of the daughters of Zelophehad, which one’s name means “she is my delight”? Tirzah
Prayer for the week: God, give us strength to work for justice and courage to speak up. Amen.  

 

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. How can we at CMC remain vigilant in reducing our risk and protecting our youth?

React Responsibly / Follow CMC's Safe Church Policy

“Disclosure of child sexual abuse means a child has chosen you as a person he or she trusts enough to tell. It is the moment when children learn whether others can be trusted to stand up for them.”*

You likely will never see an adult or youth sexually abusing a child. However, you may see a boundary violation or something that simply “doesn’t feel right.” Trust your instincts.

If you have witnessed a boundary violation, reinforce that boundary by:

  1. Describing the behavior. “It’s inappropriate for you to ask a child to kiss you on the lips.”
  2. Setting limits. “It’s against our policy to be alone with a child in the classroom.”
  3. Moving on. “It’s time to lock the supply closet door and head upstairs. Are you ready?”

Remember, children often keep their abuse a secret. They are often being manipulated by their abuser into feeling ashamed; they are confused about the abuse, especially if it is at the hands of a loved and trusted friend or family member; and the abuser may be threatening them in order to keep the abuse secret. Children may also realize disclosure of the abuse will threaten their family system.

If a child discloses abuse to you, react calmly and seek help, as though you are caring for a broken bone or a high fever.

  1. Believe the story and make sure the child knows it, praise the child for telling you, and assure the child you will do all you can to keep him or her safe.
  2. If the disclosure occurs at CMC or during a church related activity, follow Section #7 of the Safe Church policy and contact a pastor.
  3. Anyone may report suspected child abuse to the VA Child Protective Services Hotline at 800-552-7096. You may report anonymously if desired.

If you discover child pornography, you’ve discovered child sexual abuse. Report it!

For further information on reacting to and reporting child sexual abuse, refer to this page on the Darkness to Light website.

*Source: Darkness to Light website, a non-profit organization committed to empowering adults to prevent child sexual abuse. https://www.d2l.org/education/5-steps/step-5/

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