Worship this Sunday, February 11, 2018
Epiphany Season: Transfiguration Sunday
Worship Leader: Jim Bishop
Song Leader: Brian Martin Burkholder
Preacher: Jennifer Davis Sensenig
Scripture Readers: Jennifer Murch, Larry Miller
Pastoral Prayer: Jennifer Davis Sensenig
Prelude/Offertory: Ben Bailey
Scripture: Mark 9:2-9, Romans 12:1-21
Upcoming CMC Events
Fri, Feb 16 MYF Parents’ Night Out, 6-8 pm
Tue, Feb 20 Monthly Gathering, 5-9 pm
Sun, Mar 4 Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner!
CMC Events and Announcements
CMC Women's Bible Study. CMC is sponsoring a women's Bible study on Wednesday mornings from 8:30-10 am. Our Bible study and conversation relates to the scriptures included in the previous Sunday's worship service. The first series (Jan 10-Feb 7) will focus on Treasures in Clay. The second series (Feb 14-March 21) will focus on Lent. Childcare is provided. Please RSVP to the church office if you're planning to join us!
CMC Kids’ Club. Children ages 4-grade 5 are invited to come to Kids’ Club on Wednesdays at 6 pm! Because of the arrival of new babies in the Hall and Crissman families, we are especially in need of volunteers for the next couple weeks. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Pastor Jason at Jason.Gerlach@cmcva.org or 540-433-2148.
Sign up for Lenten Devotional Emails. For the past several years, CMC has partnered with other Mennonite congregations to create a daily devotional for Lent. This year, our partner congregations are Shalom, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill. If you’d like a daily reflection sent to your inbox, please sign up. If you received the devotional last year, you are already on the list. You can unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of each email. Aili Huber.
Lenten Prayer on Tuesday Mornings. During the 6 weeks of Lent, all CMCers are invited to a time of contemplative prayer. We will gather every Tuesday morning from 7:15 – 7:45am in the Fellowship Hall beginning on February 20. Consider this an opportunity to begin your day by listening and consenting to the Spirit of God within you in the company and presence of brothers and sisters. We will begin by listening to one of the Lenten scripture texts, followed by 15-20 minutes of silence. Instruction will be included for those who are new to Centering prayer. Please join us – entering by the ramp door. Keaton Shenk, Kathy Hochstedler and Jane Peifer
The Everence Sharing Funds provided $3,000 in matching funds to support special needs in our church last year. Wayne Hochstedler serves as the Everence advocate for our congregation. Please contact him if you would like more information.
Gingerich help after February 3. Ray and Wilma Gingerich are moving to VMRC this Saturday, February 3. They could use some help in the weeks after the move, with disposing of unneeded belongings and preparing their home for sale. If you would be willing to help with either of these tasks, please let Pastor Dayna know (dayna.olson-getty@cmcva.org or 540-433-2148).
Hosting Singers for Mennonite School Music Festival. CMC has been asked to host around 40 students from Dock Mennonite Academy (formerly Christopher Dock High School) during the Mennonite School Music Festival the weekend of April 6-8. This entails hosting students overnight Friday and Saturday night, providing transportation for them to EMU, providing breakfast and possibly a packed lunch. Please be in touch with either Jennifer North Bauman (baumanj@emu.edu) or Katie Derstine (katiederstine@gmail.com) to let them know how many students you can host, and if you have a gender preference. Thank you so much for considering this!
Children’s Sunday School Teachers for Spring Quarter. We are beginning to look ahead towards the spring Sunday school quarter that begins in March, and invite you to consider learning with children at CMC. We need a few teachers and assistants for classes from age 2-Grade 6. Please contact Monica Hochstedler Carlson at m.carlson.piano@gmail.com if you are interested.
Nursery Volunteers. The CMC nursery is looking for a few more volunteers to help serve the little ones in our congregation during the worship service hours. If you are interested in helping out please contact Tiffany Showalter at tiffany.showalter@gmail.com or 540-421-3672. If you are 18 or over, you must be an Approved Adult through Safe Church. If you would like to volunteer but are not yet an Approved Adult, please contact the church office to find out how to become one!
Register for Community Preschool. Registration is now open at Community Preschool for families of CMC members. Classes meet for 2 days in the morning, 3 days in the morning, or 3 days in the afternoon. Please contact Eliot Swartz if you have any questions.
CMC and Shalom Mennonite Sanctuary Meeting. Monday evening, Feb. 19 (7:00-8:30) in our fellowship hall. Group discussion on possible individual/congregational direct action steps within the sanctuary movement in our community. Anyone interested in learning more about the sanctuary movement and rapid response is encouraged to attend. Contact Tina Beachy with any questions.
CMC Hosting Open Doors. CMC will be hosting Open Doors at Asbury United Methodist church February 19th-26th. We will have a sign-up sheet in the Fellowship Hall after the service starting on January 28th. We will need help with set up, tear down, supplies, breakfast items, evening meals and overnight volunteers. Please think about ways on which you might want to contribute to Open Doors this season. Questions? Contact Ben Wyse (ben@wysecycles.com) or Jim Yoder (yoderjm@emu.edu).
Looking for a Small Group? The CMC Small Group Committee has created a small group opportunity called the Open Circle. It will meet monthly on Second Saturdays at 6 pm in room 109 of the church. This group invites folks who are looking for a way to connect with others in the church through fellowship, discussion and mutual support. So if you are new to the congregation, new to the idea of small groups, or are not currently in a small group and are looking for a way to connect, you are invited. The circle is always open! Children are welcome and there will be snacks. Contact Adam Yoder for more information at yodera@yahoo.com or 540-810-3376.
Removal of combination lock in Room 109. One goal of CMC’s recent renovation process was to make our building more secure. The Administration Commission has made the decision to remove the combination lock on the outside door in Room 109 by February 16, and will implement the use of only key cards to enter the building. A few individuals who regularly use the building also have keys. If you have need of entering the building outside of church office hours you can contact the church office to get a temporary key card. Please contact Larry Miller, Administrative Commission Chair, if you have questions (ldmiller11@comcast.net).
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner! – March 4. Instead of Potluck in March we are planning Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Sign up to host or be guests. Hosts will provide the main dish and guests will be asked to bring a salad, dessert or bread. Host should let us know how many persons they'd like to host and we'll need to know how many guests a family unit has. There will be a sign up on Sunday, Feb. 11, and we'll send out a online form as well. Jennifer Ulrich
CRACKED POTS OR TREASURES IN CLAY? – A new double-poster photo college covering the whirl of activities that was Epiphany Season, January 2018 is up and running on the "Community Mennonite Church: Today" bulletin board on the west wall of the fellowship hall. In addition, you'll find posted a "Virginia Ham" column from 2/13/1992, "Direct Route to Fabulous February," and a congregational report for Nov.-Dec., 2017, both from Mennonite World Review. Jim Bishop
YESTERDAY ONCE MORE – Across the way, on the "Community Mennonite Church: Yesterday" bulletin board on the east wall of the fellowship hall, you'll find photo collages with comings and goings from February 2011 and Epiphany season 2015. Jim Bishop
MCC service opportunity in Ethiopia. Serve with SALT. Not sure what to do after graduating from college? Tired of your current job? MCC's SALT positions for young, single adults (18-30 years) serving overseas are being filled. Come teach English in beautiful, rugged Northern Ethiopia and work on a team with MCC Ethiopia Reps Bruce Buckwalter and Rose Shenk, from this congregation. Submit your application today! Follow the links below for more information. https://mcc.org/get-involved/serve/volunteer/salt
https://mcc.org/get-involved/serve/openings/saltyamen-after-school-english-tutor-ethiopia
Spiritual Retreat. Chris Hoover Seidel's Spiritual Direction and Reiki practice, Soulence, is hosting a day retreat at Starry Meadows Farm in Singers Glen on Saturday, February 24th from 9:30-3:30. The retreat, Vision Boards & Prayer Boxes, is a chance to deeply, creatively, and contemplatively engage with your spiritual journey. To learn more or to register, email christi.hoover.seidel@gmail.com or call (717) 602-0871.
Dog play date opportunity. Micah Jost and Hannah Wittmer are looking for play dates for their dog. They have a fully fenced backyard, and are happy to meet at their house or yours. If your dog could benefit from expending energy by playing with another dog, email Hannah at hannah.wittmer@gmail.com
Cloth Diapers. Zach and Megan Pennington are interested in using cloth diapers when their baby arrives (due June 26th). If you have any cloth diapers available to pass on to them, please email Zach at rocktown82@gmail.com.
Greening CMC: Getting personal. Do you have vampires in the house? Energy vampires, that is. Did you know that up to ¼ of all home energy use is from devices that are "off" or sleeping, but still use power? Get or borrow an inexpensive plug-in meter to identify which devices are wasting your money and needlessly contributing to your carbon footprint. (Watch for regular notes like this from the Green Congregation Committee, in three categories: Getting Personal, Speaking Out, and Educating Ourselves.)
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. Note that these stories will not necessarily coincide with the CMC worship series during this quarter.
Faith Talk. Mark 10:13–16: “Jesus blesses the children”
Why was Jesus indignant (angry)? Have the grownups and older children in the family tell what they enjoyed as young children. Skip rope, color a picture, or play a children’s game together.
Did you know? Children have played games for many years. For example, archeologists found a five-thousand-year-old backgammon board in southeastern Iran.
Prayer for the week: God, your love is for all people, young and old. Inspire us to love as you do. Amen.
Children’s Bible Memory Passages This Quarter:
Early Childhood – Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. – Mark 10:14b
Primary-Middler – People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. – Mark 10:13–14
Paying down Christmas debt? LSS Financial Counseling can help you work through your bills and decide how to address them. LSS offers free services thanks to a partnership with faith-based Everence Financial. Visit everence.com/lss.
Retirement account gifts. You can use your retirement savings to make year-end donations. If you withdraw money from your account for retirement income (known as a distribution), you can give these dollars tax-free t our church or a charity. Learn more about gift options at everence.com/charitable-giving.
Apply now for a scholarship. Everence wants to help people nurture their talents. If you or your parents are Everence members and you will attend an undergraduate or trade program next fall, apply for an Everence College Scholarship. Deadline is Feb. 28. Visit everence.com/college-scholarships.
Events and Announcements from the Broader Community
Valley Arts Society invites you to sing with us! The adult choir and children's choir are for anyone who loves to sing at any level of musicality. These non-auditioned choirs will meet Thursday evenings from 6:30-8:30 starting February 8 until March 22, with concerts on March 23 & 24. For more information & to register, visit our website: www.valleyarts.info Registration closes February 6. We'd love to sing with you!
The Family Music Project (FMP) will be holding music classes for families with young children on Thursday mornings from 10-10:45 am and Thursday evenings from 7-7:45 pm, February 8-March 14 at Immanuel Mennonite Church, 400 Kelly St., Harrisonburg. Classes include families and those who have resettled in the Harrisonburg/Rockingham County are from other countries. This is a Musikgarten-based curriculum designed for parents/siblings/caregivers and children from infants-kindergarten. A grant covers tuition and cost of class materials for new residents, while tuition is waived for local families who wish to partner with our new neighbors by providing transportation (if needed) along with class participation. Registration forms are available by request by contacting Ms. Douglass at lbdouglass@vaumc.org or by calling 540-271-1558.
ACRS Gathering. The next ACRS gathering is February 12, 2018 back in the West Dining Hall, featuring Dan Bowman. With Dan will be Mike Grundmann, producer & editor of the film “A Good Blinder”. As an acclaimed film, “A Good Blinder” has already won “Best in Competition” in the documentary category for the Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts. For more information, click on: http://www.emu.edu/acrs/events/
A Debate: Is War Ever Justifiable? This free event, hosted by the Anabaptist Center for Religion and Society, is at 8 pm, Tuesday, February 13, in Common Grounds at EMU. Pete Kilner, writer and military ethicist, will debate David Swanson, author, activist, and journalist, on the question of justified war. For more information, click on: http://www.emu.edu/acrs/events/
Kennel-Charles Anabaptist Lecture. "Where is My Neighbor?" Nathan Hershberger and Kaitlin Heatwole recently completed three years of service with Mennonite Central Committee in Iraq. Kaitlin worked as MCC Iraq program coordinator and Nathan taught English at three church institutions in Erbil. They will deliver the 16th annual Kennel-Charles Anabaptist Lecture, Monday, February 12, at 7 pm in the EMHS Auditorium (801 Parkwood Drive, Harrisonburg). The lecture is free and open to the public. They will work from the story of the Good Samaritan.
The Mosaic Theater Company of D.C., one of Washington D.C.’s newest and most acclaimed groups, will stage three performances Feb. 16-18. Each will be followed by a talkback that will include Mosaic Theater founder and artistic director Ari Roth. The performances are free and open to the public. Donations are encouraged to support scholarship funds for EMU theater students and for female peacebuilders from the Middle East to attend graduate school in conflict transformation at EMU’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. Reserve your tickets at the EMU box office. “I Shall Not Hate,” an adaptation for the stage of Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish’s memoir, will be presented Friday, Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 17, at 2:00 p.m. in the Mainstage Theater. “Via Dolorosa,” by Sir David Hare, will be performed Feb. 18 at 2:00 p.m. The monologue was created from the experiences and observations of Hare, a British playwright who visited Israel/Palestine in 1997.
Highland Benefit Auction. Join Highland staff and friends on Saturday, February 17 at Eastern Mennonite High School for the Highland Benefit Auction. The auction helps subsidize camp tuition for all camper families and provides scholarships for families with greater need. Contact info@highlandretreat.org if you have something you would like to donate: a new item, service, collectible, or baked good. See www.highlandretreat.org for more details.
Voces8 is coming to Eastern Mennonite School on Tuesday, February 27 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for students and seniors, $20 at the door. You can purchase tickets from Zach Bauman, Kerinna Good or Oliver Hertzler.
2018 MCC Turkey Canning Project: The Annual Meat Canning is scheduled for February 26-March 2, 2018 at the Hinton Mennonite Relief Center, Hinton, VA. Virginia Mennonite Conference is responsible to help provide help on Tuesday, February 27. Help is needed from 5 AM until 11 PM each day. Friday, March 2 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) 820-5443 or Gerald Knicely at (540) 478-4203. Thanks for your participation in this effort to feed the less fortunate in the world.
Come join us for a Concert to Benefit Bridge of Hope on Friday, March 2, 7-9 pm at Court Square Theater, Harrisonburg. Featuring the Walking Roots Band with opening band Low Volume, tickets are $15 and available from Court Square Theater's website: valleyarts.org
Mar. 4: Lenten Hymn Sing – Discipleship. Join us on the CrossRoads campus for a hymn sing featuring songs of discipleship. In the Lenten season, join us in reflecting on what it means to follow Jesus, what it meant to our spiritual ancestors, and what it will mean to future generations. Sunday, March 4, 7 PM at the Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center (1921 Heritage Center Way, Harrisonburg, VA 22801).