First Mennonite Church is affiliated with the Central District Conference of Mennonite Church USA. The Mennonites are named after Menno Simons, one of our early church leaders, and are rooted historically in the “Anabaptist” movement, which began in 1525, with origins in Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands now reaching around the world.

Some primary Anabaptist convictions then and now are following Jesus Christ in service to others, rejection of violence and war, and joyful community life.

TODAY, March 7, 2010

  9:15 a.m.  -    Christian Education for all ages

10:30 a.m.  -    Worship Service – Steven Yoder Preaching

  2:30 p.m.  -    Piano Recital – Christopher Narloch, Sanctuary

THIS WEEK

Monday (8^th)         -     Mennonite women, 7:00 p.m., FH

Tuesday (9^th)        -     Morning Prayers, 7:00 a.m., Sanctuary

-     Staff Meeting, 9:00 a.m., Parlor

-     Education Commission, 7:00 p.m., AR

-     Trustees Commission, 7:00 p.m., Parlor

-     Church/College Relations Co. 8:30 p.m., Parlor

Wednesday (10^th) -    Adult Bell Choir, 5:30 p.m., AR

         -    Jubilate, 5:30 p.m., Room 101 (downstairs)

      -    Youth Bell Choir, 7:30 p.m., AR

         -    Chancel Choir, 7:30 p.m., Sanctuary

         -    SHYF – Faith/Discussion Night, 8:00 p.m.

         -    FIRST night

                           Meal and Intergenerational Activity, 6:20-7:15 p.m., FH

-      LOGOS, 7:30 p.m., Room 304

-      Mission , Peace and Service Commission, 8:15 p.m., AR

Thursday (11^th)     -    Senior Concerns Committee , 2:00 p.m., Parlor

                              -    Nurture Commission, 7:00 p.m., Parlor

Saturday (13^th)      -    Church Tour, 9:00 a.m. – Noon

                              -     CPT Colombia: Eviction, wetland destruction…, 2:00 p.m., FH

                              -     Guess Who’s coming to Dinner, 6:00 p.m.

  NEXT WEEK

  9:15 a.m.  -     Christian Education for all ages.

10:30 a.m.  -    Worship Service – Fourth Sunday of Lent – Louise Wideman Preaching

             Scripture texts: Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11 b -32

12:00 p.m.  -    SHYF – Catechism Class

12:00 p.m.  -    Freudige & Sojourners Class Potlucks

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mennonite Women meet Monday March 8 at 7:00 p.m . in the Fellowship Hall. Shahad Aldoori will be speaking to us about the life of women in Iraq.

We thank the following persons for their leadership in worship this morning :  Steve Harnish, recorder; LOGOS readers – Marilyn Bishop, Sam Diller, Justin Neufeld Weaver, Laurel Neufeld Weaver, Carrie Mast, Cheri Slotter, Barb Stettler, Gary Wetherill; Bulletin Cover– Megan Yoder, Alison King; Basket carrier – Halle Steingass; Banner maker – Lois Wetherill; Cross maker – Bob Flick. The Lenten planning team mem­bers are: Melissa Friesen, Gregg Luginbuhl, Don Pannabecker, Mark Suderman, Louise Wideman, Steven Yoder.

During Lent you are invited to write words or phrases on a clay shard of things you want to let go of. Once you have written on the clay, place it in the basket on the com­mun­ion table in the rear of the sanctuary. Each Sunday the basket will be emptied into the vase on the chancel table during a time of confession. The water in the vase will cause the clay to slake- crumbling into clay which can be shaped into a new creation. The clay shards will be available through the week on the table in the rear of the sanctuary.

FIRST night Wednesday, March 10:

Table Setting Team : Anne Buller, Alice Lora, Joyce Hostetler

Cooking Team: Mike Edmiston’s crew

Clean Up Team :Judy & Larry Diller, Don & Romaine Pannabecker, John & Carolyn Rich

Intergenerational Program : “Stories by the decade”

Children's Night: Parents with young children who would like a night out are invited to drop their children off at the church on Friday night, March 19 from 5:00-9:00 p.m. The Senior High Youth will be hosting a Children's Night, as a service project. A light supper will be included in the event, but if your child has specific dietary requirements, please let Alison King know ahead of time. Please sign-up in the fellowship hall so we know how many children to expect. Thanks!

Lost and Found: There is a table set up in Fellowship Hall with all the items that have accumulated at FMC. Items not claimed will be taken to the Et Cetera Shop March 15.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner assignments are in church mailboxes today.

Do you use a hearing aid fitted with a “telephone coil” sometimes referred to as a “telecoil” or a “T-coil”?  “T-coil” is something that you have to switch on when you use a standard phone and it typically makes hearing the voice somewhat clearer. Not all hearing aids are equipped with this device – you would probably know if yours does have T-coil. If you do have such a hearing aid, please contact one of the Health and Wellness Committee members by Sunday, March 7. Health and Wellness Committee members are: Karen McCullough, Judy Diller, Bill Schroeder, Cheri Slotter, Esther Yoder Strahan, Ginger Theis, or Louise Wideman (fmc.louisebluffton.edu). We are working with the Trustee Commission in evaluating an alternative hearing assistance system and need the input of persons with hearing aids fitted with T-coil. 

Do you like to bargain? Do you frequently host dinners and wish you had a round table for conversation? Well don’t miss your chance to bid on one round table. Minimal bid for a table will be $20. Auction money will be used to supplement the FMC table fund.

Volunteer Opportunity: Walkers are needed to bring children from elementary school to our church for Weekday Christian Education. Dates are March 16, April 20 and May 14. Contact Joyce Hostetler for more details.

Death Penalty Vigil: A vigil will be held at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday March 9 at the corner of Church and Main Street. Lawrence Reynolds is scheduled to be executed by the State of Ohio for his conviction in the murder of Loretta Mae Foster.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

CPT Colombia: Evictions, wetlands destruction, and the ambiguities of socially responsible business models. How should we respond to businesses that use labels like “organic”, “socially responsible”, or “fair trade” as marketing tools, but separate themselves from production by the use of subsidiaries and labor “cooperatives”? You are invited to join a dialogue on the difficulties facing the community of Las Pavas in the Magdalena Medio region of Colombia, on Saturday, March 13 at 2:00 p.m. at FMC. Phil Hart, Christian Peacemaker Teams reservist from Columbus Mennonite Church will show slides and present an update on the story of the Las Pavas community from his visit there in early February. The families continue a legal battle to regain access and title to land which they had farmed until their eviction by a multi-national palm oil producer last July.

You are invited to participate in the Beyond Borders , a conference on immigration to be held at Bluffton University the weekend of March 19-21. Bringing together community members, students, academics, immigrants and church folks, the weekend will include keynote speeches by Daniel Carroll Rodas, author of Christians at the Border: Immigra­tion, the Church and the Bible and Baldemar Velasquez, Farm Labor Organizing Com­mit­tee President. For more information, go to www.bluffton.edu/beyondborders or call Paul Neufeld Weaver 419-358-3327.

Monday, March 8^th the Women's Service Group of the Mennonite Memorial Home invites you to their 9^th Annual Soup and Sandwich Supper. They will be serving three soups; Ham and Bean, Chicken Noodle Vegetable and Broccoli Cheese Soup.  There will also be Sloppy Joes, hot dogs, and pulled pork sandwiches, cornbread muffins and a wonderful selection of desserts. They will be serving in the chapel at the Mennonite Home from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with take-out or dine-in options. The cost for the dinner is on a donation basis. The money raised goes directly to the needs of the MMH residents. If you have any questions please call 419-358-1015.

St, John’s UCC, Bluffton, is having their Beef and Noodle Dinner on March 19^th 2010, Friday night, from 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Carry out meals available and also free delivery if you call that evening of the dinner at 419-358-5641. Adults -$7.00, HS and college age $5.00 and K-6^th grade $4.00.

Bluffton University will be hosting a conference on immigration called “Beyond Borders” March 19-21.They are looking for local families or individuals who are willing to offer to host one or more visitors to the conference in their home. The hosting would include two nights, Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20 and breakfast on March 20. If you are willing to host someone please contact Carmen Ord ó ñez at 419-358-5766.

GRATITUDE AND PRAYER REQUESTS

We wish Happy Birthday to Darrel Yoder – 87^th March 5, Burton Yost – 82^nd March 5, Helen Neiswander – 95^th March 7, Mary Boyer – 86^th March 8, Betty Steiner – 89^th March 10.

MCC Great Lakes is extremely grateful to each of you who have contributed to MCC in the past few months. Thanks to your generous support, nearly $11 million has been raised for immediate and long-term relief and development efforts following the earthquake in Haiti. In addition, response to the January bulletin announcement raised $30,705 toward the total Goshen meat canning budget of $122,000. We offer a sincere “thank you” for entrusting your resources and prayer support to MCC. We appreciate your support as we continue to work locally and around the world in the name of Christ.

Congratulations to Curtis Diller and Sandy Lubbers who were married on February 27 in Holland, MI. Their new address is: 4699 Beech St. , Holland, MI 49423. Curtis is the son of Larry and Judy Diller, grandson of Marilyn Diller.

Burton & Elnore Yost: 804 Red Maple Court, Bluffton, OH  45817.

I am so thankful for the many prayers, cards, calls and visits during my recent hospitalization. The warmth and caring is overwhelming; I truly feel as if I’m enveloped in a huge hug by my friends at First Mennonite.                                         ~ Ginger Theis