May 4, 2008 – Announcements

X-TREME WORSHIP
Join us for X-treme Worship (Second Tuesday) on May 6 at 7:00 pm. “Audible Truth” will lead worship and we will welcome a special guest speaker. Refreshments and fellowship will follow.

BRIEF CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
We will vote on the building projects on Sunday, May 11 at the beginning of worship. The project includes three parts: a new roof for the sanctuary and office area ($20,000); Parking lot re-wiring, block retainer wall (5360.00 and volunteer labor); MCUSA logo for north end exterior peak ($1200). Detail for the project is in this week’s bulletin.

HOW OLD IS MAPLE GROVE MENNONITE CHURCH?
Our answer depends on where we want to start. Do we go back over 200 years to our Amish roots? Do we begin 126 years ago when a part of that group split to build a church building in Millwood? Should we look back 102 years ago when church meetings were first held in our area? Or should we start 99 years ago when the first part of our church building was constructed? Is it 64 years ago when Maple Grove split off of Millwood and became a separate congregation?
The answer, of course, is that all of this is part of who we are. These are our roots and our heritage. Next year we will celebrate the centennial of the building of our house of worship. We live out our faith very differently than the people who constructed this building. Our history of faith encourages us to build on the past and trust the Lord for a bright future.

SOME NOTES FROM MAPLE GROVE HISTORY
1882 – Established as part of Millwood Amish-Mennonite Church which withdrew from the Old Order Amish and built a meeting house.
1906 – Sunday School was organized at the Sadsbury Friends Meeting House.
1909 – Maple Grove Amish-Mennonite Church meeting house constructed.
1922 – First church fire and rebuilding
1933 – First Annual Open Air Singing
1935 – Maple Grove building enlarged to accommodate growth
1940 – Second church fire and rebuilding
1944 – Maple Grove Mennonite Church splits from Millwood Mennonite Church and becomes a separate congregation
1950 – Remodel of the church building
1952 – Third church fire and rebuilding
1964 – Last Annual Open Air Singing
1967 – Fourth church fire, rebuilding and building addition
1985 – New addition to accommodate the preschool program
2007 – New addition and remodeling to accommodate growth

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Work Day is May 15 from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. Everyone is invited to help. Please bring your own lunch. Contact Henry Umble for more information. (Check out MCC at http://www.mcc.org/)

MUSIC in the MEADOW
MAPLE GROVE WILL HOLD AN OUTDOOR SUMMER CONCERT on July 13th. You are invited to help with the planning – many hands are needed. Contact Ken Umble for more information.

VBS is coming June 13-19. Sign up to help on the bulletin board in the foyer. A list of items needed is posted.

Maple Grove Preschool is collecting money to help Chuck and Jen Hadley. Jen is a teacher at the Preschool and her husband Chuck goes to Hershey Medical Center every day for radiation therapy. Please see Sarah Byler or Ruth Ann Bruner if you wish to contribute.

Relay for Life is June 20 & 21 in our area. Ruth Ann Bruner is looking for people to be on her team. June 6 is a fund raiser for the Relay fund raiser, the 4th annual LanChester Golf Outing at Moccasin Run Golf Course. Ruth Ann has a table in the foyer with more information and to sign up. See http://lanchesterrelayforlife.org/ for more information.

EDUCATION AND INSPIRATION OPPORTUNITIES

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. This week the youth will go to Village Greens for a night of mini-golf.

LIFT (Learning 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 marks the closing of the program year with a farewell brunch.

Are you looking for rewarding experience? Come teach Sunday school. Talk to Lynda King or Denyce Copeland; teachers are greatly needed for next quarter. A teacher for the 3 & 4 year old class is needed to start in September.

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

FAMILY NIGHT MEAL
The Music and Worship Commission invites you to a Musical Mystery Meal on Wednesday, May 7 at 6:00 pm. A delicious meal will be provided, but you will determine the order that you will eat each course. You need to match a song with a meal item. Entertainment will be provided. Donations will go towards the youth group projects.

COMEDY EXPEDITION
A comedy show will be held at Octorara Area High School on May 10 at 7:00 pm. The program features Taylor Mason and Thor Ramsey. All proceeds will benefit 6 local fire departments. (Sponsored by Freedom Life Church)

STEWARDSHIP

April 27 Offering $4702
The Building Fund current loan amount $53,300.

From the Building Stewardship Committee: Thank you for supporting the building fund through laughing during the “Ryan and Friends” performance and through participating in a time of renewal of Faith Commitments. “Ryan & Friends” raised $1900 and last two Sunday’s special offering totaled $26,510, plus about $71,000 in future commitments.
If you were unable to participate in the April 20 renewal time for Faith Commitments, you can find additional forms in the friendship pads or beside the offering box in the foyer. Place completed forms in the offering box or basket, or give to Rhonda Stoltzfus.

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)

CHRISTIANA EXPRESSO
Christiana Espresso is a coffee house on Friday, May 9 at the old Christiana Freight Station at 10 Railroad Avenue from 7:00 to 9:30 pm. This week features Bob Peiffer and Waiting for Cadence. (Sponsored by Christiana United Methodist Church and Latta Memorial Presbyterian Church)

LANCASTER MENNONITE SCHOOL will hold a Spring Open House on Sunday, May 18 for parents and students exploring Christian education in grades preK to 12. The open house will run from 1 to 3 pm in the Alumni Dining Hall of the Lancaster Campus and will include campus tours, refreshments and information about the four campuses. The high school Spring Concert will follow at 3 pm in the Fine Arts Center. For more information visit http://www.lancastermennonite.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.

RUTHANN REMINDS US that items for the weekly printed church bulletin need to be in the church office by Thursday of each week. You can also send them to mgchurch@netzero.net.