Connections CONESTOGA. Small Group Bible Studies. November 2016 Vol. XXVII No. 11

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1 Connections CONESTOGA November 2016 Vol. XXVII No. 11 Small Group Bible Studies Conestoga has a number of small groups that gather on a regular basis to share with each other including singing and studying God s Word. If you wish to join a group, contact either Wes & Lois Boyer or Pastor Bob. Young Adult Bible Study at the home of Brendon and Blair Petersheim. Photo credit: Sonya Petersheim. Last month, Wandering Shepherds Bible Study met with Linda Bush and Lena Smoker and Irene Weber at Fairmount Homes. Missing on this photo: Julia Yoder, Bob and Jo Ebert, and Ruth Stoltzfus.

2 Wednesday Evening Dec. 7 7:00 p.m. Conestoga Plan to attend this Community Christmas Celebration sponsored by the local Caernarvon Township Parks and Recreation Board! The photos on this page are persons representing this group as they performed here this past May when they shared an inspirisng 1950s Gospel music program using all kinds of musical instruments and drama! Bring your friends to begin our Christmas season laughing and singing along with the talented Servant Stage Company based in Lancaster Co., Pa. An optional love gift offering will be accepted at the end of the service as we leave our sanctuary. Conestoga Mennonite Church 2779 Main Street, Morgantown, PA Monthly newsletter for Conestoga Mennonite Church, published since Deadline for articles and photos is the 20 th of the preceding month of publication. Editor: Lois Ann Mast Assistant Editor: Elizabeth Petersheim Contributing Editor: Anna Martin 2 Conestoga Connections

3 Sewing Circle Sewing Circle met on October 5, This was our annual Bring a Friend Day followed by a potluck lunch. We had 30 ladies present 13 were visitors. Two comforters and nine comfort tops were donated. Completed were three comforters and 16 hygiene kits. For devotions, we sang I Love to Tell the Story, followed by the reading of Neh. 8:1 and a devotional titled Marathon Reading. The special offering totaled $80.00 to be used for sewing and hygiene kits. We sang Now the Day is Over before adjourning. ~ Betty Cannell, Secretary Neighbors meets on Tuesday mornings during the academic school year in our church fellowship hall from 9:15 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Everyone is welcome to attend this time of fellowship! November 1 Psalm 145 Read this psalm and bring your Bible for this inspiring study. by Loice Byler November 8 Reclaiming Work/Life Balance: It s an Inside Job by Lynelle Trigalet November 15 Sunny Crest Ministry Pre-registration necessary for their Activities Time. November 29 Guess Who s Coming to Brunch? Pre-registration necessary for this small group fellowship! Sunday, December 18 9:30 a.m. Fellowship, food, and friends in faith. Twin Valley Rotary Club s Empty Bowls Event Friday, November 4, 2016, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Conestoga Mennonite Church Tickets available at the door. Cost is $12 for adults and $5 for children (under 10 no bowl). Sample ten different soups and leave with an empty bowl as a reminder of those who are hungry around the world. All proceeds will be donated to the Twin Valley Food Pantry which serves families in Berks, Chester, and Lancaster Counties. Conestoga Connections 3

4 Conestoga s Fall Frolic Sponsored by Conestoga s Teddy Bear Club Photos by Karen Horning 4 Conestoga Connections

5 Upcoming Sr. Youth Events Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. - Bible Study in Youth Room Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. - Food Pantry Stocking Friday Nov Annual Youth Auction Saturday, Dec Jr. & Sr. Youth Christmas Party Friday, Dec Sunday, Jan. 1 - Camp Deerpark Trip ~ Rachel Mast, Minister of Youth & Young Adults Upcoming Jr. Youth Events Saturday, Nov Jr. Youth Barn Party at Arlan and Louise Kurtz s Friday Nov Annual Youth Auction Saturday, Dec Jr. & Sr. Youth Christmas Party ~ Rachel Mast, Minister of Youth & Young Adults Introducing... Kevin Ressler... a young Anabaptist speaker, who was just approved as the new ACC Executive Committee Member-at-Large. Kevin is coming to Conestoga Mennonite on Sunday, November 27, to share the first Sunday of Lent. This year s theme is The Holy Way: Walking in the way of God s Heart. Kevin, Director of Lancaster s Meals on Wheels, will share on how he sees the peace of God impacting our world in the crazy challenges of our day. Kevin found that growing up as a bi-cultural / bi-racial individual with a Tanzanian mother, American father, and darker skin, and as he was told who he was and what it meant; it took years to reject external assumptions about his internal identity. Kevin has an M.Div. and a degree in Justice, Peace, and Conflict Studies and his art, which he considers to be the breath of God, is rooted in a love of theater and poetry. He is honored to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather Mennonite Bishop Marwa (Zedekiah) Kisare. Those of us who attended Mennonite World Conference last summer, heard Kevin Ressler speak there. Youth Auction Friday, November 25 Following the fundraiser evening meal (by donation) beginning at 6:00 p.m., the auction will begin at 6:45 p.m. this year benefiting the purchase of new outdoor playground equipment. Thank you, youth, for helping to raise funds for this worthwhile project! You are appreciated! A donation card is in our church mailbox this morning. An auction sale card will be printed, so please tell Tina Essick by Nov. 10 what you can submit for the auction. Conestoga Connections 5

6 Kayla Stoltzfus leading the Jr. Youth Sunday School class in worship using worship streamers on a recent Sunday morning. Above: The Jr. Youth Sunday School class creating a mosaic framed photo for Pastor Bob and Youth Minister Rachel. Celia Johnson s father, David Johnson, is sharing before Celia is baptized. Welcome, Celia! Pastor Bob sharing a prayer of blessing with Father Phil Rodgers from St. Benedicts Parish who shared a sermon with us on Sunday morning, October 16. It was a privilege to have some of Father Rodgers parishoners also in attendance. October 18, 2016, Neighbors Caring & Sharing with Kathy McClure sharing on There s an Easier Way 21 Ways to Lovingly Raise your Children. All ladies are invited to this Tuesday morning time of fellowship at Conestoga. Childcare is provided. 6 Conestoga Connections

7 On Thursday, October 13, Sr. Connections travelled to the Material Resource Center at Ephrata to help Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). We unboxed and checked the canning quality of three skids of canned meat (48 boxes per skid), and then separated out the ones that did not meet the needed criteria, reboxed and reskidded them. Whew... lots of loving labor... in the words of the MRC guide. Some of us also quilted and worked on school kits as we unbagged and rebagged them to ensure that they were correct. Next Sr. Connections... Thanksgiving Celebration ~ Thursday, November 10 ~ Thanksgiving Dinner with turkey and all the trimmings plus enjoy remembering how to be thankful at this special time of the year! Come and learn about our December Sr. Connections! Conestoga Connections 7

8 Conestoga s Thanksgiving Project Notebooks and pencils are treasures for families who struggle to afford basic school supplies. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) shipped 89,958 school kits last year to Jordan, Syria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, Haiti, U.S., Servia, Honduras, and more. Conestoga s Jr. Youth Sunday School Class is coordinating a Thanksgiving Project (recommended by the Pastoral Team) to assemble school kits again this year (like was done last year). We invite church members to contribute items (new items only) for these kits. Bring what you can, but here is what each kit will include: 4 spiral or perforated notebooks (81 2 x inches and 70 sheets) 8 unsharpened pencils 1 ruler (flat, flexible plastic; indicating both 30 cm. and 12 in.) 12 colored pencils (in a package) 1 large pencil eraser During the month of November until Thanksgiving, thank you for filling up the table in our church lobby with needed items. This is a photo of a sign in the lobby of the Material Resource Center at Ephrata, showing the recent shipments made by MCC: June 1, school kits were shipped to Serbia June 2, ,082 school kits were shipped to the Ukraine June 22, ,852 school kits were shipped to Jordan August 17, ,542 school kits were shipped to Ethiopia Photo Credit: Bob Ebert took this photo when Sr. Connections was working there in October processing school kits. 8 Conestoga Connections