Local Events and Opportunities
PLEASE JOIN US for an INTERFAITH VIGIL to be held Sunday Afternoon – August 30 at 5:00 PM on the lawn at Trinity Presbyterian Church (SE Corner near sign) to Remember and Honor those shot, killed, and injured in Roanoke this week. Service will last about ½ hour. Bring a lawn chair if needed. Event sponsored by Shalom House Church, Trinity Presbyterian Church.
The end of the fiscal year for Virginia Mennonite Conference and Virginia Mennonite Missions is August 31. As both agencies serve the church and the world as God has called them, please consider making a contribution online or by check. Learn more by visiting:
Conference: www.virginiaconference.org/donate
VMMisssions: www.vmmissions.org/donate
You're invited to Lindale Mennonite Church this evening (August 30th) at 6:30pm for a 5th Sunday night of worship lead by the Lindale worship team. We will be singing about crying out to God, followed by celebrating God's promise to never leave us or forsake us. We will also have a time of sharing about times we have cried out to God and how He has made himself known in our time of need.
Stanley Green, Executive Director of Mennonite Mission Network, will be preaching at Weavers Mennonite Church on Aug. 30. Stanley will also present during the Sunday School period for a group of combined Sunday School classes. Everyone is welcome to both the joint Sunday School class and the worship service following. Sunday School is at 9:30am; Worship 10:30am
Our annual Friends of MHI Dinner is only a month away! Our event will be held on Friday, September 25, 7 pm, at Park View Mennonite Church. We are very much appreciated your support in the past and are eager to share with you the latest MHI happenings. Churches are invited to again host a table of 8, for a gift of $100. Luis Martinez, pastor of Iglesia Discipular Anabaptista, will be calling past supporters and friends to help us know who will be joining us for this important MHI event. Please RSVP your response to Luis Martinez at <luis.martinez07@hotmail.com>
Perspectives on the World Christian Movement has helped thousands of Christians to align their lives with God’s global purposes. A rich menu of readings and fifteen interactive class sessions, with input from presenters sharing their particular expertise, combine to provide students with an understanding of four distinct dimensions of the missional challenge: Biblical, Historical, Cultural and Strategic. The course will be offered in Harrisonburg again this fall – Tuesday evenings, from Sept 1- Dec 8, at Grace Covenant Church. For more information, check out the Perspectives website at www.perspectives.org or contact Carol Tobin at carol.tobin@vmmissions.org.
Enjoy Second Saturday Night Out! (Featuring: Chef Praserth of Beyond restaurant) on Saturday, September 14, 5pm-8pm. Our Community Place (a non-profit community center welcoming the least of these) will be transformed into a fine-dining restaurant featuring a delicious four-course meal. Suggested donation is $25. Enjoy a wonderful meal and support your local community. Learn more at ourcommunityplace.org/ssno/
You are invited to a delicious Ethiopian fundraising meal hosted by NEW (Nurturing and Encouraging Women) at Lindale Mennonite Church from 5:30 –7:00 PM on Friday, September 11, 2015. With Ethiopian women as its focus, NEW supports efforts in evangelism, counseling, education, healthcare, poverty and hunger reduction and small business development. RSVP to Leanne Benner at (540) 432-9064 or benbiz29@aol.com
Please join us for Pleasant View’s 6th Annual Community Pork BBQ on September 12 at Pleasant View's Day Support Services Building (151 Commerce Drive Harrisonburg, Va. 22802). Enjoy good food, music performed by Men of Zion and Friday Night Special, petting zoo, candle sales, raffles, and large bake sale while supporting Pleasant View, Inc. Prices: $8.00 BBQ Plate- Sandwich, 2 sides, dessert, and drink/ $3.50 per Sandwich/ $12.00 per Pound of BBQ. (sides: potato chips, mac & cheese, baked beans, coleslaw) Pleasant View supports individuals with intellectual disabilities in our community through a variety of residential and day support services.
“God Still Calls,” an Eastern District mission event begins Saturday, Sept 12, at 5:30 with an international potluck at Huntington Mennonite Church. Join us & bring your favorite dish, local or foreign. Drinks & serving utensils provided. Experience an Ethiopian coffee ceremony; try on an international costume & more. Following the meal will be a joint celebration with special guests, Linford & Janet Stutzman. On Sunday at 4:30 pm, David & Rebekka Stutzman will share. VMMissions mission offerings will be received at both services. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to hear how "God still calls.” All events are at Huntington Mennonite Church.
Enjoy Second Saturday Night Out! (Featuring: Chef Praserth of Beyond restaurant) on Saturday, September 14, 5pm-8pm. Our Community Place (a non-profit community center welcoming the least of these) will be transformed into a fine-dining restaurant featuring a delicious four-course meal. Suggested donation is $25. Enjoy a wonderful meal and support your local community. Learn more at ourcommunityplace.org/ssno/
Join the 18th annual Bike Shenandoah on Saturday, September 19. Bike Shenandoah is a cycle for service offering five rides for all ages and abilities. The ride starts and ends at Eastern Mennonite School (801 Parkwood Drive, Harrisonburg, Va.) and supports NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center, Our Community Place, Roberta Webb Child Care Center, MennoMedia, Mennonite Central Committee and Virginia Mennonite Missions. Visit www.bikeshenandoah.org or contact bikeshencycle4service@gmail.com
Spare change can have a powerful impact with My Coins Count, a program of Mennonite Central Committee and Virginia Mennonite Missions, which will be counted at this year's Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale on October 3. Funds this year will go to Kids Club (Shenandoah Valley, Va.); Maranatha School for the Deaf, Jamaica; Joshua Center, Albania; a school for Sudanese refugees, Egypt; and the Village Altonodji, a school for vulnerable children, Chad. Learn more at www.vmmissions.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-MyCC-infosheet.pdf
Discover what it means to realign with God’s vision as it is revealed to us, as we shift in perspective from “the church of God with a mission” to “the God of mission with a church." Missional Church: Vision, Learning, Refocus will be a four-day seminar featuring keynote speaker Dr. Darrell Guder. Join us from Monday, September 28, to Thursday, October 1 at various venues in Harrisonburg. Dr. Guder is Princeton Theological Seminary’s Henry Winters Luce Professor of Missional and Ecumenical Theology. Learn more at www.virginiaconference.org/news/missional-church-seminar/
MCC Bike PA 2015: Health for Nigeria – Join 40-50 other riders for a three day bicycle road tour through the beautiful forest and farmland of central Pennsylvania from Sunday, September 20 (all day) to Tuesday, September 22, (all day). Along with enjoying the ride with great company, you'll be supporting MCC's health work in Nigeria. For more information, and to register, see www.mcc.org/get-involved/events/mcc-bikepa2015-health-nigeria. Or call Luke Schrock-Hurst in the Harrisonburg, VA based MCC office at (540) 437-1201.
Come run or walk (or volunteer) with us at the 5K Race for Relief at the Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale on October 3 at 8:30am. Proceeds go towards MCC. Sign up online at runwalkjog.com/relief
If you are looking for a chance to attend the MEDA convention "Growing Business, Building Community" in Richmond, Virginia this November 5-8, here is an opportunity! The Shenandoah Valley MEDA chapter is excited to offer a scholarship to a young adult between the ages of 18 – 25. Check out the link for more details about the convention: http://www.meda.org/meda-convention To apply, please submit a 500-word essay answering the question: Why do you want to attend the MEDA convention? Think about the following: What do you hope to learn or experience by attending the national convention? What is the significance of MEDA? Why is it important that men and women are coming together in faith, to pursue business solutions to poverty? Deadline for essay: Friday, October 2. Please submit your essay to: heidiaderstine@gmail.com
Registration is now open for the upcoming Nazareth/Bethlehem Work Group (May 6-23, 2016) sponsored by VMMissions as a Partners in Mission program. The work group will engage in work projects at Nazareth Village (Nazareth, Israel) and at Diyar Consortium, a ministry of Christmas Lutheran Church (Bethlehem, Palestine). The group will be co-led by Dorothy Jean Weaver (Eastern Mennonite Seminary) and Lee Martin (Mount Clinton Mennonite Church). Registrations will be accepted on a "first come, first served" basis. For more information, contact Dorothy Jean Weaver at (540) 432-4276 or at weaverdj@emu.edu.
Employment and Volunteer Announcements:
Virginia Mennonite Missions seeks a full-time Director of Advancement. Qualified candidates should demonstrate a passion for the gospel, an active commitment to the church, strong skills in leadership, communications, and interpersonal relationships, and the ability to organize and motivate a team. Experience in the areas of fundraising and public relations preferred. Interested persons, please contact Dianna Lehman: dianna.lehman@vmmissions.org. More details at http://vmmissions.org/u/bk6
Virginia Mennonite Mission Prayer Requests:
August 30
Pray for Dini and Klementina Shahini as they gear up for another school year at the Lezha Academic Center. Thank God for their passion for seeing Christ's name be made known in Albania.