March 30, 2008 – Announcements

MAPLE GROVE CONCERT SERIES PRESENTS
GOSPEL BOND

IN CONCERT
SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 7:00 PM

Check them out at http://www.gospelbond.com/

Invite your friends and neighbors.

March 30 is Family Worship Sunday. There is no child care or Junior Church. Everyone will come together in the sanctuary following Sunday School. We encourage families to sit together and worship together. Ryan and Bethany Umble will share about their call to mission work in Cambodia. We welcome with us Ryan and Bethany’s family, their Missionary Support Team (MST), and representatives from Eastern Mennonite Missions. Ryan and Bethany will depart on Monday morning.

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

CHURCH FAMILY NIGHT
Pack up the kids, or just your husband and head on out to the church for Family Night this Wednesday, April 2nd. A chicken pot-pie dinner will be served at 6 pm, for suggested donations of $2 for adults and $1 for children. Bring your own fund games to share! Childcare will be provided. Come on out and get rowdy playing Rook, Dominoes, Candyland, or Checkers … sponsored by the Family Life Commission.

ATTENTION MEN
The Annual Men’s Retreat will be held April 4-6 at the Ponderosa Lodge (Pine Creek). There will be biking and rafting opportunities. Contact Nelson Stoltzfus or a member of the Family Life Commission for more information

VENTRILOQUIST AT MAPLE GROVE
“Ryan and Friends” will be at Maple Grove on Friday, April 18 at 7:00 pm.
Ryan, a talented comedian and ventriloquist, will introduce his friends in an evening of humor for all ages. This is a special event that the whole family will not want to miss. Check them out at http://www.ryanandfriends.com/. (Sponsored by the Building Finance Committee, an offering will be collected for the Building Fund.)

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

PENNY POWER!
There are receptacles in the foyer for your pennies! These will go to the PA Relief Sale on April 4 & 5 in Harrisburg. The sale benefits the relief efforts of the Mennonite Central Committee. Check out http://www.pareliefsale.org/211664.ihtml for more information.

MAPLE GROVE WILL HOLD AN OUTDOOR SUMMER CONCERT on July 13th. Come help with the planning – many hands are needed. A planning meeting will be held on Sunday, March 30 at 5:00 pm. Contact Ken Umble for more information.

Calling all Babies! VBS needs your empty plastic baby food containers with lids. Please have mom or dad bring them to the church.

The Evangelism & Service Commission is collecting Dutch-Way “Dollar Stretchers” to purchase items for families in need. Place your “Dollar Stretcher” coupons in the box in the foyer.

The Sewing Circle is collecting items for MCC Relief Kits. These kits will be distributed to families in need around the world. Please see http://mcc.org/kits/relief/ for a list of needed items. Place items in the box in the foyer.

ALLEN UMBLE TO ALBANIA
Contributions may be made to the church for Allen Umble to return to Albania for missionary service with the Virginia Mennonite Missions. Mark your check with “VMM-Allen Umble;” these gifts will go in addition to the church budget contribution.

EDUCATION AND INSPIRATION OPPORTUNITIES

WOMEN’S’ BIBLE STUDY EVENING
The follow-up to “Loving Well” (the study from the Ladies Retreat) is here. Women are invited to join us for a follow-up session on Sunday evening, April 13th at 6:30 pm. All women are encouraged to attend this evening of sharing our hearts before the Lord.

MEMBERSHIP CLASS
A class for church membership will begin in mid-April; it will be held during the Sunday School hour. Anyone interested should contact Pastor Steve.

MYF (Mennonite Youth Fellowship) meets on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm.
This is a time of fun and spiritual growth for youth in grades 9 to 12.

LIFT (Ladies In Fellowship Together) is a program for mothers of young children. LIFT meets on Tuesday mornings from 9:15 to 11:00. Nursery care and preschool classes are provided. This week’s program is “Sensational Salads” led by the staff.

Are you looking for rewarding experience? Come teach Sunday school. Talk to Lynda King or Denyce Copeland; teachers are greatly needed for next quarter.

STEWARDSHIP

3-23 Offering $6004
The Building Fund current loan amount $86,350.

In anticipation of the spring Paving Project, there will be a special Building Fund offering on Sunday, April 20th. This will also be a time to update Faith Commitments for 2008 and 2009. Prayerfully consider an additional gift or a series of monthly or weekly gifts to the Building Fund.

THE WIDER BODY OF CHRIST
(You can get more information about any of these events by looking at the bulletin board in the foyer or by calling the church office)

Tel Hai Camp and Retreat will hold a Spring Celebration on Monday, April 21 at 6:30 pm. The Celebration is held at the Shady Maple Banquet Facility and includes a free meal. Walt Mueller, founder of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, is the guest speaker. Anyone interested in Tel Hai Camp is encouraged to attend. Call 610-273-3969 for more information or to make a reservation. More information can be found at www.telhaicamp.org.

Speaking of Peace: A Festival of the Arts at Frazer Mennonite
Calling All Artists! Frazer Mennonite Church is soliciting original works of art for Speaking of Peace: A Festival of the Arts which will be held Saturday, May 31, 2008, from 1 - 9pm. The festival will provide an intersection of faith, art and peacemaking that is designed to spark an interactive exchange that is authentic and visionary. Original work will be accepted in many mediums. For more details please contact Sharon Thompsonowak at artofpeace@frazermennonite.org by March 21, 2008.

Spring Peace Forum featuring Dr. Charles Kimball at James Street Mennonite Church April 13th, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM. Charles Kimball, author of When Religion Becomes Evil and an expert on Islam, the Middle East, and Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations, will speak on the topic, "Finding a Common Word: Negotiating the Volatile Mix of Religion and Politics in US-Iranian Relations.” Kimball is professor of comparative religion in the Department of Religion and the Divinity School at Wake Forest University (divinity.wfu.edu/faculty-kimball.html) For more information visit: www.lancasterinterchurchpeacewitness.org/events.htm

ACC Peace and Justice Committee "Urban Connections Tour
FRIDAY, APRIL 25TH - Reading/Lancaster areas. Join persons from NYC, Baltimore, and Reading/Lancaster congregations to learn about current social justice issues and to form supportive relationships between ACC congregations. 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm. For more information - contact Keith Wilson at ACC, http://webmaila.netzero.net/webmail/new/21?folder=Inbox&uniqMsgId=0017sGBn00003hDF&attachId=2&user=mgchurch@netzero.net&content=central## or 717-355-0550.

“God at Work in our Space” ACC Spring Assembly
SATURDAY, APRIL 26TH – Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster. Carlos Romero will be the keynote speaker in a day of worship, discussion, and relationship building. Contact Keith in the ACC office for more information – http://webmaila.netzero.net/webmail/new/21?folder=Inbox&uniqMsgId=0017sGBn00003hDF&attachId=2&user=mgchurch@netzero.net&content=central##, 717-355-0550

JOB OPPORTUNITIES
The Maple Grove Mennonite Preschool has an opening for an assistant teacher in the 3 year old class for the 2008-2009 school year. Please contact Judi Woods, Preschool Director, for more information (610-593-1159 or mgpreschool@epix.net).