May 24, 2009 – Opportunities of the Week

“Be on guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14)

Instructions for the Christian life from the Book of Hebrews
The book of Hebrews is full of instructions to guide us in our walk with Jesus. Last week Hebrews 3:1-14 challenged us to focus our minds on Jesus all the time.
This week we consider Hebrews 4:14-16. “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” There are times when all of us feel like we are “at the end of our ropes.” Where is God at these times? God hasn’t moved, maybe we have – to the end of our ropes. Today we learn that God is approachable. In fact we are urged to confidently approach God. We can do this because of Jesus, who leads us directly to God. When we get close to God, we find mercy and grace when we are hanging on. We are encouraged to Hang In There!

WORSHIP AND MUSIC OPPORTUNITIES

X-TREME WORSHIP is Tuesday, June 2, 7:00 pm. The Open Door Worship Band will lead worship and Bill Blank will bring the message.

“MUSIC IN THE MEADOW” will be held July 12. Your help is needed for this fun and inspirational event. The next organizational meeting is May 31 at 12:00 pm. Contact Ken Umble for more information. Large potted plants are needed to decorate the stage. Contact Sue R if you are able to loan your plants.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

BROWSE AND BUY
The Maple Grove Library is a ministry of the Christian Education Commission. They will have a “Browse and Buy” event on May 31 and June 7 - 10. Mennonite Publishing Network will make their publications available in the foyer on these dates. Place orders and receive your books in time for summer vacation reading.

SUNDAY SCHOOL ELECTIVE
Is there a teenager in your life? A six-week Sunday School elective class will start on May 10 for you. “Parenting Your Teenager: A Biblical Look At Parenting” will be offered in Bill Umble’s class during the Sunday School time for anyone interested. Topics include controlling your teen’s anger, teaching your personal faith, and dealing with drug and alcohol problems. Pastor Steve & Francesca, Eric & Sue Nafziger will lead the class.

Elementary Grade Sunday School teachers are needed for the fall. Contact Jen McGowan if you can serve in this way.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL IS COMING SOON
VBS is June 14 - 18 this year. Get all the information and register at www.groupvbs.com/webtoybox.myvbs/MapleGroveVBS2009.

VBS will have a work night on June 3. The Relay for Life Committee will provide dinner ($5.50) at 6:00 pm and VBS preparation activities will follow.

FAMILY LIFE OPPORTUNITIES

Did you miss the Family Life Conference? A 3 CD set that includes all three sessions is available from the church office.

YOUTH MININSTRY 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.

EVANGELISM AND SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

RELAY FOR LIFE is June 19-20. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. Walkers and sponsors are needed. See Tammie Bromley, Rana Watterson, or Amy Umble for more information. A chicken dinner fundraiser will be Wednesday, June 3

PRAY FOR RENEWAL. Renewal Prayer Meetings are held every first and third Monday at 7:00 pm at the church. Join us in prayer for renewal as we prepare for renewal meetings in September.

RENEWAL SERVICES will be held September 20 - 23. Pray for renewal at Maple Grove. Dwayne Walton, director of the Parkesburg Point, is our evangelist.

WOMEN’S MINISTRIES OPPORTUNITIES

The Red Hat / Pink Hat Ladies will meet on Thursday, May 28 for a Garden Party at the home of Joe and Cathy King. The event will begin at 5:30 pm. Bring a covered dish to share. Husbands are invited to attend. Contact Cathy King for more information and reservations.

The Ladies Bible Study will meet 3 times in June, on Mondays June 1, June 22 and June 29. They meet at 7 pm at the home of Sue Eby.

The SEWING CIRCLE is collecting for MCC Newborn Kits. 6000 of these kits were sent to Iraq for families displaced by the war. More kits are needed. Find more information and a list of items needed at http://www.mcc.org/kits/newborn/.

100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
The 100th Anniversary Celebration Committee will meet on Sunday, May 31 from 5 to 7 pm. Everyone willing to help is invited. Bring finger foods to share.

ETCETERA – CHURCH COMMUNITY ITEMS

Christian Sympathy is offered to Aldie & Judy King and family on the death of Aldie’s mother, Agnes King, on Thursday, May 21.

BAPTISM INSTRUCTION CLASS
A baptism instruction class will begin the week after VBS. The class is for anyone interested in learning the basics of the Christian Faith and preparing for baptism. It will be held one evening every week through the summer months. Baptism is August 30. Contact Pastor Steve for more information or to sign-up.

CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
Two affirmation votes passed at the May 17 meeting of the Congregation. Rhonda & Chelsea King were affirmed as members of the Worship & Music commission to fill a vacant term ending in August 2011. The recommendation of the Leadership Team to proceed with a search for an associate pastor at 3/4 time also was affirmed. The Leadership Team will begin the pastoral search process in the near future. A CD recording of the congregational meeting is available from the church office.

ELDER NOMINATIONS
A nomination box for elder is in the foyer. Our church constitution tells us that “Elders and Pastors shall have demonstrated that they possess the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.” In addition the following is stipulated: “The selection of Elder shall be a spiritual experience for the candidate and the congregation. Members are encouraged to share their conviction by nominating a candidate. Qualified persons receiving at least three nominations shall be considered as possible candidates. The final selection shall be processed by the Leadership Team and affirmed by the congregation with a 75% vote.”

PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE
Nominations for the Pastoral Search Committee for Associate Pastor should also be placed in the box in the foyer. The PSC is made up of two elders and three members nominated by the congregation and appointed by the Leadership Team and Coordinating Body. Associate Pastor ministry descriptions were placed in mailboxes on May 3 and are available in the foyer.

WEDDING PHOTOS WANTED. Were you married after 1979? Your wedding photo is requested to be posted on the bulletin board in the foyer.

PHOTOS FOR CHURCH DIRECTORY
Sign up today to have your family's portrait taken on June 8, 9 & 10, from 3 PM to 8:55 PM. Sign up during the next 3 weeks on the sign-up sheet in the foyer or call the office for a time. Contact Missy King or RuthAnn Bruner with questions. Payment will be made upon delivery of the photos.

CALLING ALL ARTISTS!
Do you like to doodle? Can you express your Christian faith in a drawing? Starting in June we will create our own covers for the Sunday church news bulletins. We would like to have different pictures each week. Ideally, pictures should be black and white and about 4 ½ x 4 ½ inches. Larger artwork will be scanned and reduced to fit. Computer generated artwork is acceptable. Color drawings will be considered, but because of high costs of printing in color, we will only run them occasionally. Submit your artwork to Pastor Steve.

THE WIDER BODY OF CHRIST
(More information for most of these items is available on the bulletin board in the foyer)

The Open Bible Church is sponsoring an outdoor concert and family fun day on Saturday, June 20th. The “Summer Fest ‘09” will begin at 10 am and continue until dusk. Bring blankets and lawn chairs.

[please contact Pastor Steve Crane, pastorscrane@epix.net, if you see anything that needs to be corrected on this page]