---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Laura Pauls-Thomas, MCC East Coast <EastCoast@mcc.org>
Date: Thursday, July 16, 2020
Subject: July Church Announcements from MCC
To: "info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org" <info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org>
| July 2020 Church Announcements from MCC No images? Click here New Bulletin Announcements Help MCC meet the material needs of our partners! When you go shopping, what does your list look like? Imagine needing the following over the course of the next year: This is the desired humanitarian aid that Mennonite Central Committee needs to ship from the U.S. Fortunately, we are in it together! To learn more about how you can help meet the needs of MCC's partners, visit mcc.org/kits or contact the MCC East Coast Material Resources Center in Ephrata at (717) 733-2847.  Webinar: Peace, justice and racial reconciliation in the church Framed with a time of biblical reflection, Bishop Lynn Thrush will interview Pastor Tracie Hunter and Ohio State Senator Cecil Thomas on July 23 at 7:00 p.m. (EST) about their experiences of faith and race and how that interacts with the court and prison system. Tracie Hunter is the pastor of Western Hills Brethren in Christ in Cincinnati, OH, and became the first African American Judge elected to Hamilton County's (OH) Juvenile Court in 2010. Participants will come away with a better understanding of the narrative of racial difference and learn more about Pastor Tracie's story. MCC Great Lakes is partnering with Brethren in Christ Great Lakes Conference to offer this free webinar. To receive the webinar link, please email KristaDutt@mcc.  MCC Centennial Service of Celebration Livestream MCC Great Lakes invites you to join us (virtually) on Sunday, July 26, at 6:30 p.m. (EDT), as we offer thanks to God and pray for the future of MCC's ministry of relief, development and peace in the name of Christ. We'll be broadcasting live from Prairie Street Mennonite Church in Elkhart, the site of an important first meeting in the formation of MCC when representatives of various Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren groups met in July 1920. The livestream will feature a combination of live and pre-recorded speakers and music. Find more information and invite your friends and family to join at mcc.org/gl-centennial-  Join MCC for Safe Refuge Advocacy Week (July 27-31, 2020) MCC's Washington Office is seeing that immigration advocacy is more urgent now than ever. The U.S.-Mexico border is closed to asylum seekers, COVID-19 is spreading in immigrant detention facilities and migrants are stuck in camps south of the border. MCC invites you to take part in Safe Refuge Advocacy Week and let us know you'll be participating by RSVPing here. The Washington Office has prepared resources for you to utilize and share with your congregation and friends:
For more information and to support MCC's Safe Home, Safe Refuge initiative, visit mcc.org/safe-refuge.  TriState Relief Sale MCC Fundraisers Join the TriState Relief Sale for events to raise money for MCC's ministries:
COVID-19 mitigation strategies will be in place for this in-person event. For more information and to stay up to date on the status of this event, visit mcc.org/events or contact Yvonne Devers at (812) 421-9008.  Gap Relief Sale Enjoy a community celebration of generosity on August 7-8, 2020 at the Solanco Fairgrounds in Quarryville, Pa. Support MCC's relief-development and peace work at the Gap Relief Sale, featuring food and a quilt and country auction. PLEASE NOTE: There will be air movement, masks available and posted CDC guidelines at the sale. The Friday dinner and Saturday breakfast will be take-out only. For more details and to stay up to date on the status of this event, visit mcc.org/events or call (717) 738-0885.  Pennsylvania Relief Sale Drive-Thru Dinner & Coin Auction Join the PA Relief Sale for two events to raise money for MCC's ministries:
COVID-19 mitigation strategies will be in place for this in-person event. For more information and to stay up to date on the status of this event, visit mcc.org/events or contact Ken Martin at (717) 697-1929.  Virtual MCC alumni gatherings You're invited to MCC-hosted virtual alumni gatherings for four of the world regions where MCC works: Latin America and Caribbean (LACA), Asia, Europe and Middle East (EME) and Africa. Join us for this special time to hear updates from Area Directors about current programming, share stories of service experiences and engage in small group discussions to connect with your MCC friends or meet others who served in the same world region. Feel free to join the gathering for the area where you served, your home region or any area of interest!
Register and learn more by visiting mcc.org/virtual-alumni-  Mobile meat canner operator needed Want to travel around the U.S. and Canada, meet new people and touch lives around the world? Apply to be an MCC mobile meat canner operator today! Each year since 1946, MCC has sent out a mobile meat canner, which MCC workers and volunteers use to preserve hundreds of thousands of cans of meat for communities in need across the globe. Canner operators travel with the meat canner to 34 different locations across the U.S. and Canada, canning beef, turkey, chicken, and pork. Canners are responsible for all aspects of the project including: operating steam and pressure vessels, coordinating volunteers, maintaining and communicating USDA regulations, and the maintenance of all machinery in the canning process. Lifelong relationships are forged, opening new doors for life after canning. For more information and to apply for this unique opportunity, please visit mcc.org/careers.  Volunteers needed at the Ephrata Material Resources Center Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the MCC East Coast Material Resources Center (MRC) in Ephrata, Pa., has continued to send material resource shipments around the world to vulnerable people. The Ephrata MRC, which has been deemed an essential business by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is in need of individuals or small groups of weekday volunteers (preferably 18-65 years old and at low risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19) so that we can continue the work of preparing kits and comforters for shipment and processing cardboard, paper and textiles for recycling. Other activities, like the preparation of kits, could be done by members of your congregation at a local park or in your church building. For available volunteer dates and hours and to learn how we're mitigating COVID-19 risks at the MRC, please contact Marilyn Peters, Ephrata MRC Volunteer Coordinator, at MarilynPeters@mcc.org or call the Ephrata MRC at (717) 733-2847.  Open positions Representative for Haiti (Stipend) - The MCC Representative for Haiti provides leadership and programmatic direction to the work of MCC in Haiti within the MCC Latin America/Caribbean regional strategic vision. This position also maintains relationships with MCC partners in the country and represents MCC to churches, agencies, community groups and leaders, and the government. The representative is responsible for providing team leadership and support for all MCC workers in Haiti. This position may be filled by one person or a couple. Representative for Bangladesh (Stipend) - The MCC Representative (Rep) for Bangladesh will be responsible to provide overall leadership to a mature, multifaceted MCC program that supports already-existing Bangladeshi agencies by providing expatriate volunteers, grants and technical support. Program Manager for DR Congo (Stipend) - Working closely with the MCC DR Congo (DRC) Representative, the Program Manager provides management/oversight for a subset of MCC DRC projects and partner relations. In addition, the Program Manager supports the Rep with planning, budgeting, problem solving and other management issues as requested. Through extensive collaboration with the Rep, the Program Manager will grow in management and leadership skills in one of the largest and most complex programs of MCC in Africa. To learn more and to view more open positions, visit mcc.org/careers. Ongoing Bulletin Announcements Resources for a time of uncertainty (COVID-19) In a time of uncertainty and social distancing, we want to offer you a selection of resources that MCC has prepared over the years for congregations, families and individuals. From prayers to recipes and cooking videos, from coloring pages to videos that give you a glimpse of life across the world, we hope we are able to offer something that may encourage or nourish you in an extraordinary time. Visit mcc.org/resources-time-  Share your story: Postcards to MCC MCC is made up of thousands of people sharing their gifts in their home communities and around the world. And each MCC experience is unique, made up of small moments that tell a larger story. As MCC celebrates its centennial year, we want you to help piece together this story. Upload a photo or video with a short 750-character description, or submit a text-only story. Then, browse through more stories from our MCC community! To get started, visit mcc.org/centennial.  Sign up for 100 stories for 100 years MCC has a rich history of storytelling. For our centennial year in 2020, we've curated a collection of 100 stories that explore the breadth of MCC's work over time. To mark 100 years of sharing God's love and compassion, and your generosity and partnership through the decades, we invite you to explore these images and stories from MCC's decades of work around the world. Sign up for email highlights or share your own story at mcc.org/centennial. Resources for Church Leaders Digital worship resources for churches In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, MCC continues to work for relief, development and peace in the name of Christ. We thank you for your continued support as we respond creatively around the world. As a way to thank you and your faith community, we've prepared pre-recorded digital worship resources in English and Spanish for you to share with your congregation or small group. At mcc.org/digital-worship-  MCC centennial worship resources In 2020, MCC is celebrating 100 years of sharing God's love and compassion with people in the name of Christ. We invite you to use these worship resources as you reflect on God's work of reconciliation in your life, in the church and around the world. Whether your church is planning an MCC-based worship service, taking an offering for MCC or just looking for an MCC story to demonstrate reconciliation, you can get started here. In this packet, you will find a litany of thanks, a historical reading, sermon ideas, stories from MCC's work, children's resources, prayers, videos, giving options and more. Please contact MCC East Coast at EastCoast@mcc.org for any additional resources, including guest speakers. Download the worship resource packet and consider taking an special offering for MCC in our centennial year. (En español) |
