May 3, 2009 – Opportunities of the Week

“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him.” (Psalm 22:27)

“If we’re really serious about saving marriage we need to discover what we can do for our marriage, not what we can get from it. That means honoring our covenant by changing both our attitudes and our actions.”
—Gerald and Marlene Kaufman, Monday Marriage: Celebrating the Ordinary

FAMILY LIFE CONFERENCE
We welcome Gerald W. and L. Marlene Kaufman with us this morning. Jerry and Marlene are experienced marriage and family counselors, recently retired from Kaufman Counseling Associates, the private practice they founded. They serve the Lord as part of Akron Mennonite Church; have four married children and eight grandchildren. The Kaufmans are authors of “Monday Marriage: Celebrating the Ordinary” (Herald Press, 2005) and co-authors (along with their daughters, Anne & Nina) of “Freedom Fences: How to set limits that free you to enjoy your marriage and family” (Herald Press, 1999). These books are available in the foyer for a donation of $10 each.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
6 weeks from today – June 14 – VBS begins
10 weeks from today – July 12 – Music in the Meadow
15 weeks from today – August 16 – 100th Anniversary Celebration
20 weeks from today – September 20 – Renewal meetings begin

WORSHIP AND MUSIC OPPORTUNITIES

ATTENTION ALL MUSICIANS! A schedule for the offertory is being made for the next quarter. Contact Wanda if you are willing and able to provide a selection for the offertory.

X-TREME WORSHIP is Tuesday, May 5. Audible Truth will lead worship and Morgan Umble will speak about her ministry experience with YWAM.

There is a COMMUNITY NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER SERVICE on Thursday, May 7:00 pm at Mt. Zion AME Church.

“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.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

Attention Adult Sunday School Teachers: There is a brief meeting in room #7 on Sunday, May 3 following worship.

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.

TEACHER NEEDS: the 3&4 year old class needs a part time teacher starting in the fall. Contact Denyce if you can help.

FAMILY LIFE OPPORTUNITIES

FAMILY LIFE CONFERENCE – MAY 3
Gerald W. and L. Marlene Kaufman will lead us in a Family Life Conference. Adult Sunday School classes will meet in the Sanctuary at 9:30 am. The Kaufmans will speak in our worship service; and after a fellowship meal they will lead us in an afternoon session. Please sign-up for the fellowship meal and for child care.
Gerald and Marlene are experienced counselors with their own private practice, Kaufman Counseling Associates. They serve the Lord as part of Akron Mennonite Church. The Kaufmans are authors of “Monday Marriage: Celebrating the Ordinary” (Herald Press, 2005) and co-authors (along with their daughters, Anne & Nina) of “Freedom Fences: How to set limits that free you to enjoy your marriage and family” (Herald Press, 1999). These books are available in the foyer for a donation of $10 each.

CHURCH FAMILY NIGHT – May 6
Come on May 6 to be part of the live audience or maybe a contestant for MAPLE GROVE STAR. Sign-up on the bulletin board in the foyer to participate with a song.
Dinner is at 6:00 pm and the program begins at 7:00.

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. This week the youth will have a service project.

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 PRAYER TEAM IS BEING FORMED in preparation for the fall renewal meetings. Contact Tim Fritz if you can commit to being part of a prayer team.

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 Ladies Bible Study meets on the first and third Mondays of each month at 7:00 pm. They meet 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/.

MAPLE GROVE PRESCHOOL

Join us for Celebrity Scoop Night on Thursday, May 7 from 5-8 pm at Rita’s in Gap. Our Maple Grove Preschool celebrity scoopers are Miss Tammie and Miss Wendy. 25% of sales benefit the Preschool. Get a refreshing snack before you go to the Community Prayer Service.

Registration for the 2009-2010 school year is open. Check out www.maplegrovepreschool.org for more information.

MAPLE GROVE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION YEAR 1909-2009

Reserve Sunday, August 16 for our Centennial Celebration.

100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Were you married between 1950 and 1979? Your wedding photo should be on the bulletin board. We will make a copy for you; see Cathy Case or RuthAnn Bruner.

FINANCE CONCERNS

Help us pay off the building loan. The current building loan is $25,300. This is the last year for Building Fund Faith Commitments; please mark your envelopes clearly. It would be great to be debt free when we celebrate our 100th anniversary.

ETCETERA

PHOTOS FOR CHURCH DIRECTORY
Sign up today to have your family's portrait taken on June 8 & 9, 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)

TEL HAI RETIREMENT COMMUNITY will hold “A Day in the Country” on Saturday, May 9 at the Retirement Community, from 12 noon to 4 pm. Events will include food, pie auction, campus tours. See Dorothy King or http://www.telhai.org/ for more information.

TEL HAI CAMP AND RETREAT is having a benefit spaghetti supper at the camp on Friday, May 15 from 4:00 to 7:30 pm. See http://www.telhaicamp.org/ for more information.

The Bel Canto Singers of Hesston College, along with special guest artist and professional baritone Tony Brown, will perform a concert of fine music at James Street Mennonite Church, 323 W. James Street, Lancaster, at 6 p.m. Sunday, May 10. Brown, a world-renowned performer and peace ambassador, is a promoter of peace and goodwill around the world. The reception following will feature history writer John Sharp sharing Hesston Centennial stories and Bel Canto on the lighter side. Alumni and friends are invited to this Hesston College special event in Lancaster County! Bel Canto will also sing at Weaverland Mennonite at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 9, Akron Mennonite at 9 a.m. Sunday May 10, and Lancaster Mennonite School chapel at 8:15 a..m. Monday May 11.

Don't miss this opportunity to connect with God during our popular cabin camp or be challenged during one of our adventure weeks. Camp Hebron also offers horse, soccer, worship arts, nature and discipleship camps. No one is too old for camp. Enjoy a fun and memorable experience together at one of our family camps or campground. Go to www.camphebron.org or call 1-800-864-7747 or (717)896-3441 for more information. Make Camp Hebron part of your summer plans. Bring a friend and receive a discount. Bring three friends and come for free.

Fairmount Homes to Host Health Screen with Quest Diagnostics
Fairmount Homes is hosting a Health Screen by Quest Diagnostics, open to anyone in the community, to be held in the Farm Crest Community Room on May 14, 2009, from 6-9 a.m. The Health Screen covers 30 tests that can detect anemia, coronary risks, diabetes, gout, liver and kidney disease, to name a few. A lifestyle evaluation is also included. Test results are strictly confidential and mailed directly to your home. The cost of the testing is $50. Testing for thyroid (TSH) or prostate screening (PSA) will be available for an additional fee of $20 each. Payment by cash or check is due on the day of the Health Screen. For more information or to register for an appointment, please contact Ferne Motto at 354.1895. The registration deadline is May 6, 2009. Directions may be found on the web at www.fairmounthomes.org.

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