July 8, 2007 – Announcements

Plan to attend the CHURCH PICNIC on Wednesday, July 11 at 6:00 pm at Gap Park. Sandwiches, drinks, plates, cups and plastic ware will be provided. If your last name begins with A to L bring a large dessert, M to Z bring a large salad. Don’t forget to bring a lawn chair. (Organized by the Family Life Commission)

PLEASE BE PATIENT as we continue in the final stage of our building program. The kitchen, bathrooms basement and youth room look good. Carpet will be laid in the new part of the basement and work on the elevator continues. Thanks go to those who helped remove the playground so the new septic system could be installed this week. Access to the cemetery is being worked on. Please be careful and patient as you move around the building and grounds.

Building Fund News
We thank everyone for their sacrificial giving toward our building addition. The final cost for the addition is $1,008,000.00. To date we have received contributions for $807,801.00. Prayerfully consider making a gift (or an additional gift) to the Building Fund. This month we will borrow the balance needed to complete the project. There will be a congregational meeting on July 15 to consider additional items such as parking lot paving, a cross and a steeple to complete the project.

Randy and Melanie Umble are our Missionaries serving in Ecuador. We enjoyed Randy’s message to the combined youth/adult Sunday school on July 8. Randy and Melanie have been serving with HCJB since 1999. They began as Working Visitors and are now career missionaries in Shell. Randy teaches 7th and 8th grades at Nate Saint Memorial School while Melanie takes care of their four children--Jonny, Natalie, Erik, and Katie. Learn more at http://www.umbles.com/.

Preschool Teachers are needed. The Maple Grove Preschool needs teachers for the fall. Contact Judi Woods, Director at 610-593-1159 for details

New addresses for Leroy and Fern Umble, and Nick and Jessie (Lusby) Buckwalter were listed in the bulletin. Contact the church if you would like these new addresses.

Maple Grove Mennonite is a Missionary Church
The Lord has blessed our church with a spirit for missionary service. The church has produced and sent many preachers, church planters and missionaries over the years.
Currently we have a number of missionaries from our congregation serving in a variety of places. Randy and Melanie Umble in Ecuador, Becky Boll in Pittsburgh, Dale and Kathy Mast in Southern Chile, Garry and Ruth Denlinger in Israel. There are many from our church family who have been on short-term missions and ministry trips. Currently Ryan and Bethany Umble are preparing for ministry in Cambodia. Being a part of God’s mission and ministry around the world is important to our congregation!

Next Sunday morning Skip and Carol Tobin will be sharing with us during the Sunday School hour. The Tobins are mentors for Ryan and Bethany Umble who have been appointed as missionaries in Cambodia.