Thursday, December 18, 2014

Fwd: Release, Photo: Book Discussion of What We Believe Together Scheduled as Prep for Mennonite World Conference Assembly

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Communications Director" <communications@lmhs.org>
Date: Dec 18, 2014 4:10 PM
Subject: Release, Photo: Book Discussion of What We Believe Together Scheduled as Prep for Mennonite World Conference Assembly
To:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Book Discussion of "What We Believe Together" Scheduled as Prep for Mennonite World Conference Assembly

  • Discover the common beliefs held by Mennonites, Mennonite Brethren, and Brethren in Christ around the world.
  • "What We Believe Together" will be discussed Monday, January 12, at 7 p.m. at Forest Hills Mennonite Church (100 Quarry Rd., Leola, Pa.)
by Phyllis Pellman Good

Lancaster, Pa., December 18, 2014—If you're curious about what beliefs you share in common with the other 1.7 million Mennonites, Mennonite Brethren, and Brethren in Christ around the world, come to a discussion of the book, "What We Believe Together: Exploring the 'Shared Convictions' of Anabaptist-Related Churches."

On Monday, January 12, at 7:00 p.m. at Forest Hills Mennonite Church (100 Quarry Rd., Leola, Pa.), three persons with deep connections to Mennonite World Conference will lead the conversation. Heading the panel will be Richard Thomas, chair of the National Advisory Council for PA 2015, the upcoming Mennonite World Conference Assembly. He will be joined by Devin Manzullo-Thomas, editor of MWC's publication, Courier, and Phyllis Pellman Good, MWC communication consultant.

"We will examine the 325-word statement, 'Shared Convictions of Global Anabaptists,'" said Thomas, "which MWC helped to bring into being from the 101 national churches in 83 countries who belong to MWC. The statement is refreshingly clear and direct. It is also intentionally brief."

In 2006, Mennonite World Conference accepted the statement of shared convictions. To help people explore that document, MWC asked Alfred Neufeld, a minister and theology teacher from Paraguay, to write the book "What We Believe Together."

The result is a rich and highly readable book which takes the concise seven-point statement and fills out their meaning and significance. "Neufeld looks at how these convictions are expressed in believers' lives," said Thomas.

Writing as a Mennonite from the Global South, Neufeld brings a fresh view to the Anabaptist movement that for 400-plus years was active primarily in Europe and North America. Currently 78 percent of Mennonites and related groups live in the Southern Hemisphere. Neufeld offers numerous examples and stories in the book, drawn from history and current church life around the world.

"Our discussion will be helpful preparation for PA 2015, the Mennonite World Conference Assembly scheduled for next July at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. Read 'What We Believe Together' before our conversation on January 12 if you can. But come even if you haven't read the book. We'll have a stimulating discussion, and we'll learn a lot!" said Thomas.

The book discussion is sponsored by Mennonite World Conference, Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, and the Brethren in Christ Historical Society.

What We Believe Together is available from the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society at www.lmhs.org, or by calling 717/393-9745. Quantity discounts are available.

For information about additional events leading up to next summer's MWC Assembly, go to www.mwc-cmm.org/journeytopa2015.

Phyllis Pellman Good, Lancaster, PA, is a writer and editor for Mennonite World Conference.


Joel Nofziger

Director of Communications
Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society
www.lmhs.org
www.facebook.com/lmhs.org
Lancaster Roots
www.lancasterroots.org
2215 Millstream Road, Lancaster PA 17602
717 393 9745

Fwd: MCC East Coast Church Announcements

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Mennonite Central Commitee East Coast" <eastcoast@mcc.org>
Date: Dec 18, 2014 12:56 PM
Subject: MCC East Coast Church Announcements
To: <info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org>

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here
December 18, 2014
New Bulletin Announcements

Jan. 21 plenary session on Muslim-Mennonite engagement at Akron Mennonite Church





 

As part of the 2015 annual meeting of the Council of International Anabaptist Ministries, all are welcome to attend a public plenary session on Mennonite-Muslim engagement from 8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 21 at Akron Mennonite Church. For additional information, contact Haiam Gendi at HaiamG@MMNWorld.net. Please register at https://MMNGiving.formstack.com/forms/cim_registration_2015_plenary 

by December 31.  

 

   

Historic peace churches and veterans: a new Sunday school curriculum

   

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Mission Network announce the release of Returning Veterans, Returning Hope: Seeking Peace Together, a six-week Sunday school curriculum inviting pacifists and veterans to walk with one another on a common journey toward peace.The curriculum, which is appropriate for churches with and without veterans, is available online at pjsn.org and mcc.org/media/resources/1719. For additional information, please contact Titus Peachey at 717.859.1152 or tituspeachey@mcc.org

 

Ongoing Bulletin Announcements

MCC Christmas giving

 

This Christmas, consider contributing to Mennonite Central Committee's work around the world by choosing a gift that is a personal and meaningful expression of God's love. Give a teacher the gift of education, your favorite chef a gift of food or your grandparents gifts of health and hope. Browse and purchase gifts at mcc.org/christmas or call toll free to request a printed booklet: 888.563.4676.

 

 
Bulletin Insert

Click here to download a bulletin insert about MCC's Christmas giving opportunities to share with your congregation.


If you would prefer to have printed inserts sent to your church, please contact MCC East Coast at (215) 535-3624 or eastcoast@mcc.org.
MCC relief and hygiene kits 
  
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has an urgent need for relief and hygiene kits. Relief kits provide valuable supplies to families whose lives have been disrupted by war or disaster. Hygiene kits give people the supplies they need to stay healthy. In times of need, these kits provide basic necessities like towels, bar soap, toothbrushes and nail clippers, while also reminding people their needs are not forgotten.
Visit mcc.org/kits or call 717-733-2847 for more information.

 

Young adult service opportunities with MCC

 

MCC is currently accepting applications for Serving and Learning Together (SALT), a year-long, cross-cultural service experience for young adults between 18 and 30 years old. Through SALT, Christian young adults from the U.S. and Canada serve internationally in a wide variety of positions in fields like education, agriculture, health care, information technology, peace and more! Visit mcc.org/serve for more information.  

*Note* To easily cut and paste announcements into your church communications, find a  word doc version by clicking here
Quick Links
Like us on Facebook    Follow us on Twitter
From Bruce's Desk
During this Advent season, we are grateful for all of the ways that congregations like yours partner with MCC to share God's love and compassion for all. Please share the enclosed bulletin announcements about MCC's work with members of your congregation, and feel free to contact me any time at BruceCampbellJanz@mcc.org or 215-535-3624 with questions or feedback. Thank you for your ongoing support of MCC's work in the name of Christ.

Bruce Campbell-Janz
Executive Director
MCC East Coast
900 E. Howell St
Philadelphia, PA 19149
Stories & Resources
 
 

Forward this email



This email was sent to info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org by eastcoast@mcc.org |  
Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe| Privacy Policy.


Mennonite Central Committee East Coast | 900 E. Howell Street | Philadelphia | PA | 19149

Fwd: PULSE Fellowship Opportunity (Year of Service)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Jonnett Maurer" <jmaurer@pulsepittsburgh.org>
Date: Dec 18, 2014 5:14 PM
Subject: PULSE Fellowship Opportunity (Year of Service)
To: "Jonnett Maurer" <jmaurer@pulsepittsburgh.org>

Dear Pastor, 

I hope this finds you well this holiday season!  My colleague, Chris Cooke, Executive Director for PULSE (www.pulsepittsburgh.org), recommended I reach out to you and briefly introduce you to the work of PULSE and see if there might be a way your congregation can join us in this work.

PULSE (Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience) cultivates a community a young servant leaders to transform Pittsburgh.  We invite talented university graduates to partner with local nonprofits for a year of service and leadership.  Over the last 20 years, PULSE has invited over 190 university graduates to partner with over 100 Pittsburgh nonprofits, contributing some 300,000 hours of service to the city of Pittsburgh.

I invite you to learn more about PULSE:
Our PULSE Fellowship (year of service), maybe of interest to members of your congregation: 
  • Serve in a nonprofit and live with other participants in intentional community.
  • Participate in ongoing personal and professional development.
  • Designed for recent graduates who would like to grow in their knowledge and understanding of servant leadership.
  • Our Application Deadline is March 1st, 2015 and the application can be accessed at www.pulsepittsburgh.org/serve-with-us
Would you be willing to share this information with your congregation?:
  • Announcement during service over the Holiday Break (when college students are home visiting)
  • Posting the Participant General Information on a bulletin board (attached)
  • Including information in your newsletter
  • Having PULSE brochures on hand?  If interested I can mail some to you - please let me know. 
Thank you so much for your help.  Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions (jmaurer@pulsepittsburgh.org or 412.361.0124)

Sincerely,
Jonnett

Jonnett Maurer
Recruiting and Partnership Coordinator
PULSE - Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience
412.361.0124 (office)
jmaurer@pulsepittsburgh.org
www.pulsepittsburgh.org

Cultivating a community of young servant leaders to transform Pittsburgh

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Fwd: News from Lancaster Mennonite Conference

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Lancaster Mennonite Conference" <lstoner@lancasterconference.org>
Date: Dec 17, 2014 9:35 AM
Subject: News from Lancaster Mennonite Conference
To: <philandkelly@gmail.com>

LMC LOGO - regular

Lancast
er Mennonite Conference
U P D A T E S
Information for leaders and congregations
December 17, 2014

These bi-weekly UPDATES are shared so that leaders and congregations are aware of events and information taking place in LMC, agencies, fraternal organizations, congregations, and the broader church. These announcements are for your information and to share with others in your congregation through email, weekly bulletin, monthly newsletter, Sunday morning announcements, church website, or Facebook. Use your discretion and share what your congregation will find helpful.

LMC Office Events & Information
Update and Informational Meeting
New Pennsylvania Child Abuse Reporting Policy 
Tuesday, January 13
Tuesday, April 7
7:00 p.m. at the Lancaster Conference Office
Registrations are helpful but not required.
Flyer: http://www.lancasterconference.org/p/SafeChurch.pdf

Free Banner
The Conference Office has one "He lives" banner to give away.
 
Church on the Other Side Regional Training Event  
Saturday, January 10, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 
Vision Columbia, 291 S. Fourth St., Columbia, PA 17512 
$5/person 
Josef Berthold and several others will focus on being a multiplying missional church from three perspectives: rural, suburban, urban. Discussion groups will grapple with the content in their own settings. This training is a collaborative LMC/EMM event. Lunch at Vision Columbia is included. Contact clair.good@gmail.com

Orientation for Asian Leadership Training  
Saturday, February 7, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
James Street Menn Church, 323 W James St, Lancaster, PA 17603 
Lancaster Conference and Eastern Mennonite Missions will collaborate with congregations with Asian immigrant members to provide leadership training. This orientation will outline a four-session, one-saturday-a-month training on basic discipleship that will begin on Feb. 21. Troy Landis, EMM discipleship coach, will facilitate the instruction. Contact brutherford@lancasterconference.org.

Leadership and Learning from Each Other 
One-day seminar for leaders of conference-related and other ministries, conference leaders, and pastors.
Friday, February 20, 7:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Speaker: Jim Smucker 
Mennonite Central Committee Welcoming Place, Akron, Pa.
Brochure: http://www.lancasterconference.org/p/Leadership%26Learning.pdf 

Racial Healing Roundtable 
Friday, February 20, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
led by Ruth Yoder Wenger
Lanc Conference Office, 2160 Lincoln Highway E, Lancaster, PA 17602 
Ruth Yoder Wenger, speaker for the Racial Healing Task Force, is pastor of North Bronx Mennonite Church. Wenger explains resources available to congregations who want to grapple with racism in their church setting. Contact lstoner@lancasterconference.org.

LMC Agency Events & Information




The Africa Association of Bible Schools (AABS), affiliated with Eastern Mennonite Missions, provides theological training and support for African churches to train leaders in their local communities. Come and hear what God has been doing through AABS Tuesday, January 13, 6:30 p.m. in West Bethany Chapel at Landis Homes. J.C. Ebersole, AABS director and EMM missionary, will give an overview of the ministry. David Shenk, a member of EMM's Christian/Muslim Relations Team, will speak about his July 2014 visit to the AABS annual conference in Nigeria. 
 

La Asociación de Escuelas Bíblicas de África (AABS), afiliada a Eastern Mennonite Missions, proporciona formación teológica y soporte para que las iglesias de África puedan capacitar líderes en sus comunidades locales. Venga y escuche lo que Dios ha estado haciendo a través de AABS el Martes, 13 de enero de 2015, a las 6:30 p.m. en la West Bethany Chapel de Landis Homes. J. C. Ebersole, director de AABS y misionero de EMM, estará dando un panorama general del ministerio. David Shenk, miembro del Equipo de Relaciones entre Cristianos y Musulmanes de EMM, hablará de la visita que realizó en julio del 2014 a la conferencia anual de AABS en Nigeria.    

 




Annual Music Night
Enjoy melodies from around the world on Saturday, January 31, 7:00 p.m. at Neffsville Mennonite Church (2371 Lititz Pk, Lancaster, PA 17601). The evening will feature songs from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Tickets are $20 per person, $15 for students with ID, and $15 per person for households of three or more. Tickets: lmhs.org or 717-393-9745

Noche de Música Anual
Disfrute de melodías de todo el mundo en la Noche de Música Anual el sábado 31 de enero, 7:00 p.m. en Neffsville Mennonite Church (2371 Lititz Pk, Lancaster, PA 17601). El evento presentará cantos de los continentes de la América Latina, Africa, Asia y Europa. Los boletos son $20 por persona, $15 para estudiantes con identificación, y $15 por persona para hogares de tres personas o más. Obtenga sus boletos en lmhs.org
o llamando al 717-393-9745.

 

LMC Fraternal Ministries Events & Information
Camp Hebron  

Lancaster Conference Youth Senior High Retreat

January 9-11 

Resource provided by Eastern Mennonite Missions 

Jr. High Retreat

January 30-February 1 

Speaker: Jay Trainer

Flyer: http://www.lancasterconference.org/p/Resource_Packet.pdf

www.camphebron.org

 

Garden Spot Village

Christmas Eve Service

December 24, 3:00 p.m.

In the chapel at Garden Spot Village

Garden Spot Village invites you and your family to join us in worship as we celebrate the miracle of Christmas.

Free event. For information: 717-355-6203.

 

Calendar of upcoming events:
http://www.lancasterconference.org/p/GSVevents_12-14.pdf 

 

Churchwide and Other Events & Information
Engaged Encounter  

January 9-11    

If you are planning a wedding, you are encouraged to take a weekend away from wedding plans to focus on your marriage! Engaged Encounter will be held January 9-11 at Kenbrook Bible Camp in Lebanon, Pa. During the weekend, you will learn skills to make your marriage better than you ever imagined. Visit www.marriageencounter.org or call 717-569-5676 for more information. Remember...the wedding is a day, marriage is a lifetime!

Voices of Hope 

Saturday, January 10, 7:00 p.m.   

Join us for the 7th annual Voices of Hope Opera Gala at the historic Fulton Theatre for a rollicking evening of belly laughs, jaw-droppingly beautiful singing, and inspiration! Experience music performed by stars from the New York Metropolitan Opera as well as the Lancaster Bible College Chamber Singers, young actors from the Popovsky Performing Arts School, the charming Timothy Long, and, our very own Madeline Bender.

 

Voices of Hope concerts raise money for Mennonite Central Committee's Global Family Program which provides life changing community based education to children and young adults around the globe. Tickets are available by calling the Fulton Theatre box office: 717-397-7425 or visit www.VoicesOfHopeOpera.org.

 

 

Council of International Anabaptist Ministries
Mennonite - Muslim Engagement 

Wednesday, January 21, 8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

This is the first year that CIM has offered such a plenary that is open to the public.This will be a wonderful opportunity to interact with experts on the subject, and to network with other pastors and mission leaders.
 
Akron Mennonite Church, 1311 Diamond St., Akron, PA 17501
http://www.akronmench.org/index.php

Register by December 31 at this link: https://MMNGiving.formstack.com/forms/cim_registration_2015_plenary 

 

 

Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship Scholarship Funding
Attention Graduate Students in Healthcare Professions: Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship (MHF) offers scholarship funding for Anabaptist students to learn and serve in cross-cultural mission/service settings in developing countries. Deadline for 2015-16 academic year is May 15, 2015. For details and application form: http://mennohealth.org/SET, info@mennohealth.org, or 1-888-406-3643.
Flyer: http://www.lancasterconference.org/p/SET_flyer.pdf

Vision 2020 Lobo
 Enjoy God
Encourage Others
Equip Disciples
Engage the World

Quick Links

Lancaster Conference

Lancaster Mennonite Conference
2160 Lincoln Highway East
Lancaster, PA  17602

 
Forward this email





Lancaster Mennonite Conference | 2160 Lincoln Highway East, #5 | Lancaster | PA | 17602