From: Laura Pauls-Thomas, MCC East Coast <EastCoast@mcc.org>
Date: Tue, Sep 18, 2018 at 3:06 PM
Subject: September Church Announcements from MCC
To: info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org <info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org>
| September 2018 Church Announcements No Images? Click here  New Bulletin Announcements Anabaptist high school students can win $750! Do you have a passion for writing about the causes you care about? The MCC Washington Office is now accepting submissions for its annual high school essay contest! This year's topics include gun violence, immigration and North Korea. Anabaptist youth who are of high school age within the U.S. and Puerto Rico are eligible to enter and win up to $750! The deadline for submitting essays is January 25, 2019. To learn more, visit mcc.org/essay-contest.  Respond to flooding in Kerala state of India The worst monsoon flooding in a century has damaged roads, homes and sources of income for hundreds of thousands of people in the Kerala state of India. As displaced people are returning to their homes, Mennonite Central Committee is working with Gilgal Mission Trust in India to provide tarps, food baskets, cooking utensils and cleaning and hygiene items. Donations to support the response can be given online at mcc.org/india-flooding; by phone at 888-563-4676; or by mail to MCC U.S., 21 S. 12th St., PO Box 500, Akron, PA 17501.  NYMIP 20th Anniversary Celebration Join Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and the New York City Council of Mennonite Churches (NYCCMC) to honor the New York Mennonite Immigration Program (NYMIP)'s history, heritage and legacy in assisting immigrants in New York City. On October 20th we'll share a meal at 4:00 p.m., followed by a service at 5:00 p.m., when we'll recognize local churches, partner programs, clients and special guests Sandra Perez, Pastor Celso Jaime and Bishop Nicholas Angustia. The event will be held at United Revival Mennonite Church (390 Melrose Street, Brooklyn, NY) in both English and Spanish. For more information, visit mcc.org/20th-nymip.  INNOVATE: Past | Present | Future Are you a communications professional wanting to explore how your faith intersects with your work? If so, you won't want to miss this year's Anabaptist Communicators conference at Laurelville Mennonite Retreat Center in Mt. Pleasant, PA on October 24-26. Join other communicators from the U.S. and Canada in learning from a dynamic group of speakers from different denominational lenses on how we can all bring innovation to our work. There will be a time of project sharing with others who share your same challenges and passions. And of course there will be plenty of networking! More information and registration at anabaptistcomm.org/conference.  Have you thought about who is under your carbon footprint? Join The Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions (CSCS) as they bring partners from El Salvador, Zimbabwe and Nepal to share first-hand accounts of the shifting climate and its effects on individual communities. On Sunday, September 30, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Zacarías Arecio Bernabé Martínez (El Salvador), Dr. Sibonokuhle Ncube (Zimbabwe) and Durga Sunchiuri (Nepal) will share personal testimonies and accounts of their work at Harrisonburg Mennonite Church Pavilion (or Fellowship Hall, depending on weather), located at 1552 S. High Street, Harrisonburg, Va. Come for learning, discussion and light refreshments! For more information, visit mcc.org/global-south-voices or contact Bekah York at BekahYork@mcc.org. Download and share the event flyer.  Grocery boxes for your neighbors
For more information, contact the MCC East Coast Material Resources Center at EastCoastMRC@mcc.org or call 717-733-2847.  Donate comforters and blankets to MCC Autumn and cooler weather are fast approaching, and soon we'll all be thankful for the comfort of our cozy homes and warm blankets. But for many families who have been forced from their homes due to natural disaster or violence, a colorful comforter or blanket from MCC can bring hope and comfort in the midst of challenging circumstances. MCC is in urgent need of comforters so that we may respond to the needs of displaced people around the world. Please consider making comforters or purchasing blankets (twin or full size) to donate to MCC. For instructions, shipping information and drop-off locations, visit mcc.org/kits. For more information, contact the MCC East Coast Material Resources Center at EastCoastMRC@mcc.org or call (717) 733-2847. Ongoing Bulletin Announcements "Voices of Conscience" Exhibit at Landis Homes As Americans commemorate the anniversary of World War I (1914-1918), will they remember those whose peace witness challenged the call to war? "Voices of Conscience: Peace Witness in the Great War" is a traveling exhibit developed by Kauffman Museum, North Newton, Kansas, which remembers the stories of people of faith who opposed the war. The exhibit examines key questions such as: Who speaks for peace in times of war? What am I willing to fight for? Is paying for war participating in war? and Who are the voices of conscience today? This exhibit will be held in the Crossings Meeting Room at Landis Homes (1001 East Oregon Rd, Lititz, PA) from August 19 to September 26 from 2:00-7:00 p.m. daily. For more information, visit lmhs.org.  "Piecing Together Tradition" Quilting Fest Join MCC and the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society for a day of learning, quilting and connecting on Saturday, November 3, 2018. from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the MCC Material Resources Center (517 West Trout Run Road, Ephrata, Pa. 17522). Kyra Hicks, an expert on African American quilting, and Janneken Smucker, an authority on Mennonite and Amish quilting, will introduce the history and culture of the two groups. Attendees are invited to tell the story of one of their quilts. Enjoy fellowship over soup with a dessert potluck. The quilts will be auctioned at relief sales to support MCC's ministries. Please register for this event ($15) by October 3 by visiting lmhs.org or calling (717) 393-9745. Download and share the event flyer.  Volunteer groups needed this fall at the MRC! Is your church group looking for a way to get involved and make a difference in the world? Consider volunteering your time at the MCC Material Resources Center (MRC) in Ephrata, Pa., this fall. During the months of September through December, volunteer numbers at the MRC are low and we need groups to help with baling, book cutting, quilting and sewing, among other tasks. Children ages 11 and up are welcome to serve alongside adults! Contact David Miller-Glick at DavidMillerGlick@mcc.org or call the MRC at (717) 733-2847 to get started. Thank you for serving in the name of Christ!  Sewing kits needed Calling all crafters! Help Mennonite Central Committee empower individuals in countries like Haiti, Kenya and Ukraine by donating new sewing items. MCC sewing kits provide the essential items needed to make and mend clothing and create craft items. For instructions and a detailed list of sewing kit contents, visit mcc.org/kits.  Palestine and Israel Learning Tour MCC invites participants to join a learning tour on March 1-13, 2019 to Palestine and Israel. Come, see and learn from MCC partners in Palestine and Israel who work for peace and justice. To learn more, visit mcc.org/events or contact Curtis Book, MCC East Coast peace and justice coordinator, at CurtisBook@mcc.org. Download and share the flyer.  Open positions Website Developer (Salaried): The Website Developer is part of the MCC Digital Communications Team focused on our external audience and responsible for maintaining and enhancing MCC's digital communications infrastructure including websites, social media and email newsletters for MCC in Canada, the U.S. and around the world. This includes ensuring that the existing digital infrastructure is secure and stable by performing required maintenance, patching and proactively performing system testing. The developer will assist with the creation of project specifications and be responsible for the development and implementation of enhancements to provide effective and efficient platforms for communicating with our audience. Sewing and Textile Coordinator (Stipend): The Sewing and Textiles Coordinator is a service worker (volunteer) position and the worker is expected to be an active participant of MCC's Akron Connection Service Program. MCC pays for travel to and from assignment and provides complete living expenses for service workers plus a small monthly stipend. The purpose of the center is to process donated material resources for MCC, involve volunteers in the ministry and vision of MCC, educate visitors about MCC's total mission, and generate a portion of MRC budget needs. This position coordinates the work of the sewing room and areas of the warehouse related to working with fabrics and quality control. Another critical aspect of this role is creatively upcycling donated materials in order to offer inspiring stock for the Care for Creation Gift Store. By being conscientious of good stewardship of Creation, the Sewing and Textiles Coordinator contributes in generating funds for the MRC. To learn more and to view more open positions, visit mcc.org/careers. Resources for Church Leaders "Kits are for Caring" Curriculum MCC has a new curriculum for churches to get children (and people of all ages) excited about collecting relief kits! This curriculum is designed to be ready to use, with everything you need to guide a group of children toward a celebration of sharing God's gifts by collecting material resources for those in need around the world. Contact MCC East Coast at (717) 738-0885 if you need help downloading the PDF files or for more information.  ENERGY STAR Stewardship Tour Virtually every faith tradition teaches stewardship. Out of gratitude and appreciation for what we have been given, we are taught to make wise use of gifts and assets such as financial and natural resources, the time and talents of congregation members and the house of worship, itself, in ways that are responsible and accountable. However, like most U.S. commercial buildings, the typical worship facility wastes about 30% of the energy for which its congregants pay. On September 25 from 9:00-10:30 a.m., join interfaith leaders at MCC's Welcoming Place (21 South 12th Street, Akron, PA 17501) to learn how you and your congregation can steward your gifts and assets well. Opportunities are available after the event to tour the MCC Akron campus and/or the MCC East Coast Material Resources Center in Ephrata to see some of MCC's local sustainability initiatives. For more information on this event hosted by MCC, or to learn more about ENERGY STAR's national program that helps communities save energy, water and money, click here. To RSVP or if you have questions, contact Dennis Kready at DennisKready@mcc.org or 717-859-1151 x60332. Include the name of the church you're representing and how many people will be attending. Download and share the event flyer!  My Coins Count 101 Coins add up. Each year, spare change collected by churches, children and families for MCC's My Coins Count program add up to more than $600,000 for MCC's work around the world. This video contains great ideas on how you can mobilize your church to collect coins to benefit MCC's work in food, water and education around the world. |
