From: Laura Pauls-Thomas, MCC East Coast <EastCoast@mcc.org>
Date: Thu, Jan 17, 2019 at 9:22 AM
Subject: January Church Announcements from MCC
To: info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org <info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org>
| January 2019 Church Announcements No Images? Click here  New Bulletin Announcements MLK Jr. Mass Incarceration Service Day Join Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), in collaboration with Kingdom Builders Network (KBN), on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2019 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for a service day at The City School (Poplar Campus) as we remember those in prison whom are often forgotten and discarded from communities. Together, we'll explore the role of the church in reaching out to and walking alongside formerly incarcerated members of the community. We will also assemble donated basic hygiene items into care kits for those currently in prison as a way to meet their needs and restore hope and dignity in a place that often seems hopeless. Please collect and bring along basic hygiene items or donate financially to support MCC's ministry in giving hope to those in prison. To register and for more information, visit mcc.org/service-day or call (215) 535-3624. The City School (Poplar Campus) is located at 910 North 6th St., Philadelphia, PA 19123.  2019 Quilt Preview Join MCC February 28 through March 2 for this year's quilt preview of the Pennsylvania Relief Sale. Check out over 100 quilts, shop Quilter's Corner and upcycled items made by volunteers at the Ephrata Material Resources Center and support MCC! The preview runs Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the MCC East Coast Material Resources Center (517 W. Trout Run Road, Ephrata, PA 17522). For more information, call (717) 733-2847 or email EastCoastMRC@mcc.org.  Pipeline to Prison Learning Tour More people are incarcerated in the U.S. than in any other country in the world, and within those people, people of color are disproportionately affected by mass incarceration. From April 29 to May 3, 2019, join MCC for a Pipeline to Prison Learning Tour at MCC's Welcoming Place in Akron, Pa. to learn about mass incarceration in the U.S. The tour will include visits to prisons and agencies working with incarcerated people and returning citizens in Philadelphia, Reading, Lancaster and Harrisburg. Through this learning tour, participants will increase awareness of the pipeline to prison cycle and be equipped to break the cycle through spiritual renewal and life skills training. The tour will also address how to accompany current and formerly incarcerated people through the judicial system and give churches the tools to lower recidivism through networking in their community. For more information and to register by March 8, visit mcc.org/pipeline-prison or contact Curtis Book, peace and justice coordinator for MCC East Coast, at 717-738-0885 or CurtisBook@mcc.org. Ongoing Bulletin Announcements Everence Stewardship University 2019 Join Everence on March 2, 2019 at Calvary Church (1051 Landis Valley Rd. Lancaster, PA 17601) for a series of workshops on stewarding your God-given resources well. Stewardship University courses invite churches and individuals to discover the solutions you need to live a God-honoring life of holistic stewardship. Attend to learn ways your use of the time, talents, money, health and relationships God has given you can enhance and deepen your faith – and make a positive difference in the world! For more information and to register by February 28, visit everence.com/stewardship-university-2019.  Volunteer with SWAP Is your church or small group looking for ways to be the hands of Christ this summer? Sharing With Appalachian People (SWAP), a program of MCC's Great Lakes region, has openings for volunteer groups of all ages. Volunteer groups are an essential component of SWAP's ministry, addressing multiple challenges of low-income families in Appalachia, including home repair and personal need. Please consider forming a group to experience a week at one of three locations in West Virginia or Kentucky. For more information, visit mcc.org/swap or call Angela Maggard at 606-633-5065.  MDS Volunteers needed in Ponce, Puerto Rico Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is looking for volunteers to go to Ponce, Puerto Rico to help rebuild after Hurricane Maria. Weekly volunteers are needed from January 2019 onwards. At this point (January and February), the work is mostly demolition and hard labor, though skilled labor is always welcome, too. While volunteers are responsible to pay for their own travel costs, MDS does contribute two hundred dollars towards the cost of the plane ticket. To sign up, go to mds.mennonite.net/volunteer-registration-form/ (Please make sure to specify the Ponce location in the comment section of the application). For more information, contact Rolando Flores at RolandoFloresRentas@mcc.org, Jennifer and John Murch at jmurch6@gmail.com, or Deanna Frey at 1-800-241-8111 or dfrey@mds.mennonite.net.  SALT applications are now open! Serve the world and change your life! Serving and Learning Together (SALT) is a year-long, cross-cultural service experience. Through MCC's SALT program, Christian young adults from Canada and the U.S. serve internationally in a wide variety of positions in fields like education, agriculture, health care, information technology, peacebuilding and more! To learn more and apply for SALT, visit mcc.org/SALT. Download and share these SALT posters  Open positions Ephrata Material Resources Center Manager (Salaried): The Ephrata Material Resources Center manager provides direction and supervision for the programming, staffing, physical plant upkeep and budgeting for the Material Resources Center (MRC). Programming includes processing of material resources, recycling, involvement of volunteers, providing educational opportunities and quilting. The work week is generally Monday through Friday with occasional evening or weekend work or hosting of groups. Travel includes off site speaking, attending regional meetings and attending Material Resource Network meetings. Summer Service National Coordinator (Salaried): This position is responsible for the overall oversight and administration of the Summer Service Program - a short-term program in the United States that supports young people of color in their development of leadership skills through working with their local churches or communities. This position leads and resources the Summer Service Network which is made up of a representative from each of the four MCC U.S. regional offices. In addition, this position is a key staff liaison between MCC and Anabaptist congregations and constituent groups of color within the United States. The Summer Service Coordinator will also help guide an upcoming strategic redesign of the Summer Service Program, in coordination with the Summer Service Program Task Force. Legislative and Communications Fellow (Stipend): Mennonite Central Committee's Washington Office, has a two-year Legislative and Communications Fellowship opening up. The role includes a monthly stipend, housing, food and health care coverage. It's a great entry-level opportunity for someone who has just finished college and is looking for experience working on public policy for a Christian organization. The role will focus on mass incarceration and gun violence and includes some office-wide communications tasks. Deadline for applications is January 25th. To learn more and to view more open positions, visit mcc.org/careers.  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.  Donate comforters and blankets to MCC For many families who have been forced from their homes due to natural disaster or violence, a colorful handmade comforter or blanket from MCC can bring hope and comfort in the midst of challenging circumstances. MCC is still 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. Resources for Church Leaders Thank You videos from MCC Does your church give to MCC throughout the year? We want to say thank you through a series of videos where MCC staff tell stories of how they've seen firsthand the way your gifts are making an impact in Syria, Haiti, Afghanistan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and beyond. For these videos and more, visit MCC's Youtube channel.  Summer Service grant money available Do you have a project or dream that you'd like to see fulfilled in your church or community? How might a young adult of color, aged 18-30, from your church/community help to further that dream or vision in a 6-10 week term of summer service? With a focus on leadership development, MCC is offering grant monies to churches/organizations who desire to utilize the skills and gifts of their young adults in summer service assignments. To learn about this program and/or request an application packet due Friday, March 15, 2019, visit mcc.org/summer-service or contact Kim Dyer, young adult program coordinator for MCC East Coast, at KimDyer@mcc.org. Download and share this flyer: ENGLISH | SPANISH Show these Summer Service videos to your church or youth group: Why participate in Summer Service? | Summer Service: Looking Forward  Who Cares About Climate Change? Pastor's Retreat Most of us do care about climate change, but we're busy with concerns that seem more pressing or we feel overwhelmed in the face of this complex problem. How does the Gospel of Jesus Christ move us toward hope and caring responses? Join other pastors, retreat leader Doug Kaufman and local presenter Lawrence Jennings on May 3 - 4, 2019 at Camp Deerpark in Cuddebackville, NY, to discuss this topic. A pastor's voice can play an important role in working toward climate solutions and have a unique ability to guide others through the theological and emotional process of reconciling world views challenged by scientific discoveries. Join other pastors in wrestling with what you might have to offer conversations around climate change. This event is FREE to Anabaptist pastors. (Other pastors pay $225.) Register online here: mennocreationcare.org/pastoral-retreats This event is co-supported by Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions (a partnership between Eastern Mennonite University, Goshen College, and Mennonite Central Committee) and Mennonite Creation Care Network.  Practical steps to address gun violence MCC offers these resources to you and your congregation to help you address the issue of violence related to guns:
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