MAY GLENNON HEIGHTS MENNONITE CHURCH 2016

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1 NEWS & NOTES MAY GLENNON HEIGHTS MENNONITE CHURCH 2016 May 1 Sabbatical blessing potluck May 2 July 31 Pastor Betsy on sabbatical. Melissa Roth serving as pastor on a part-time basis. May 29 Campership meal June 19 Brunch and congregational business meeting June 26 MSMH choir program at First Mennonite Church July 3-10 Family Promise rotation July 31 Farewell to Melissa potluck August 5-6 MSMC Annual Assembly at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp September Annual church retreat at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp When I met with my spiritual director on April 20 she asked, So, what do you expect from your sabbatical? I had to stop and think. The twins had just been born that morning and I was practically bouncing in my seat. I was (and am) so looking forward to spending time with these new grandchildren. That s understandable. But what will this mean in terms of a sabbatical? What do I expect? I expect the next three months to be very different. That s a main purpose of any sabbatical: To get out of your routine, to let go of your day-to-day responsibilities, to give yourself (and your congregation) space for rest and reflection. This time away will be letting the field that is my pastoral work with you lay fallow. I like that concept. Soil that lays fallow, that is not tilled or planted or worked for a period of time, is enriched simply by resting and waiting. It is then more fruitful when work begins again. However, though I will be resting from my pastoral work, I will not be resting. In fact, I will be moving from doing a lot of head work, to doing a lot of physical, hands-on work. At this point the twins need to be fed every three hours around the clock. They nurse but they also need supplemental feeding. It s a twoperson job, day and night. Then there s Adrian, an active two-year-old. Can I keep up with him? And all the cooking and cleaning. I anticipate non-stop action for a while. Actually, it feels a little daunting. But that s where some growth comes in, I think. In addition to being able to step in and help my daughter and her family when they need help, I will be pushing myself physically in ways that I don t generally have to do anymore. 1

2 Happy Birthday: 2 - Charlene Epp 17 - Rachel Stutzman 18 - Ellen Mast 18 - Mimzy Wellberg 19 - Dennis Rhodes 19 - Alina Yoder-Horst 21 - Connie Panushka 23 - Jim Brenneman 27 - Claire Mattoon 31 - Dave Owen Happy Anniversary: 7 - Bob & Myrna Johnson 19 - Bethany & John Simpson 20 - Elaine & Travis Hale Adult Sunday School schedule May 2016 May 1: Intergenerational gathering May 8: Wrestling with the Bible, led by Bruce McCrae May 15: Family Promise stories with Mandy Garman and friends From the Pastor, continued A friend of mine spent part of her sabbatical canoeing in the boundary waters of Minnesota. She returned all aglow with stories of how she was physically pushed to her limits and was able to make it through. What I am planning to do is not as exotic as portaging a canoe from lake to lake through beautiful back country, but I know it will require a similar ability to hang in there when exhausted, to keep doing what needs to be done even when I d rather quit. Of course there will also be wonderful perks, both immediate and which will last a lifetime. If you help your kids when they need it most, they will likely be there to help you as you age. This is both a challenge and an important family investment. My sabbatical is immersion in the circle of life. I will start out with newborns, a twoyear old, a daughter and son-in-law struggling to keep their heads above water. We will celebrate our growing family as Bruce, Ellen, Nathan and Samuel join us, and several McCrae and Headrick aunts, on the beach in Virginia. Our new babies will meet and be welcomed into their extended family. Then in late July, Bruce and I will be honoring members of our families who are nearing the end of their lives: My Aunt Barbara (Esch) Noble who is 95 and the only living sibling of my mother. Bruce s mom, Cynthia, who is turning 90 this year. So, what do I expect from my sabbatical? I expect to be released from my work as your pastor in order to be able to heavily invest in my family for a season. I will return, I imagine, with a new-found appreciation both for the relatively non-physical work that I do here and for the web relationships that hold and carry us through life. Who knows what else the Holy Spirit will reveal? Whatever it is, I trust it will be good. Your pastor, May 22: Church Family Forum on Christian Education led by Travis Hale May 29: Memorial Day holiday, no Sunday School 2

3 Getting to know Melissa Roth First of all, I am looking forward to worshipping with Glennon Heights for the next three months. In the seven years that I have lived in Colorado, I have met and befriended many of you. Each time, my heart is glad. I remember fondly being invited be to speak at your women s banquet in It was at that time I shared about my upcoming wedding and my learning of my centuries-long ancestry of being Mennonite. Some of us have connected over my growing up in Pennsylvania, my time spent in Lancaster County as an adult, and the people we know in common from MCC. Others of you are Melissa and her husband, Dave, participate in a Silent Walk honoring victims of gun violence in Colorado Spring, April aware of my seminary education ( ) at Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I ve pastored in Mennonite Congregations in St. Louis, MO; Dallas, TX; Palmer Lake, CO; and Sarasota, FL. Currently my husband, Dave Manfredi, and I live and minister in Colorado Springs. I call myself an Iterant Community Pastor with an emphasis in Hospitality (throwing dinner parties and patio bbqs), pastoral presence in my husband s work place, and doing weddings and funerals for those without a home congregation. Also I really enjoy fill-in preaching. My step-daughter is graduating from nursing school (Otera Junior College, La Junta) this month. My mother has lived in Colorado for three years now, moving here from western Maryland. She loves being independent, living in her own apartment and having a job caring for a 90+ year old woman. Dave and I enjoy dong projects around the house and road trips. I will be traveling to Lakewood Saturday nights, worshipping on Sundays, and will be in the office on Mondays and Tuesdays. I am available via cell phone ( ) and (msroth@juno.com). I do text. Please do not hesitate to contact me, as I enjoy visiting in person and over the phone. I see our summer together as a time of relationship building and as we follow Jesus in the ways of love, peace and reconciliation. -- Melissa 3

4 The Trinity of Peace By Jason Boone, Coordinating Minister Mennonite Church USA Peace and Justice Support Network Peacemaking can often seem overwhelming because there is so much need. On what issues should I focus? How do I make that determination? It seems easier at times to say, Forget it! Last year, I heard Father John Dear, a Catholic priest and activist, speak about peacemaking. He helpfully placed peacemaking in three categories: peace with self, peace with neighbor, and peace in the world. From that perspective, the enormity of working for peace in a violent world doesn t seem quite as intimidating. I encourage you to think of your own peacemaking in these categories. Peace with self Are you investing time in relationships and activities that help you draw closer to God? Are you reading Scripture regularly, praying consistently, and engaging with your spiritual community? There are other approaches that can help us feel the loving hand of God, even as we contend with the stress and anxiety of working for peace. Creative and practical activities can help us connect with God. Spending time in nature, gardening, wood-working, art projects the list of possible activities is long. The important thing is to create a consistent time where you aren t striving for but, rather, are receiving and enjoying God s love. Peace with neighbor This is peace work that will bring you into relationship with others. Who in your community or sphere of life is trying to live more safely, justly or healthily? Building relationships with these individuals and communities, and working together as friends and equals, is a tremendous part of peacemaking. Peace in the world A quick glance at the headlines tells you that the world continues to cry out for peace and justice. From violence in the Middle East, to destruction born of large natural disasters, to unjust criminal justice practices in our own nation, some systems and events reverberate widely, harming multitudes of people and whole groups of people. Becoming engaged in these larger issues is paramount for peacemakers. Seeking to follow Jesus path of peace requires the help of Scripture, prayer and a church community. But if we all invested deeply in these three categories, I believe the impact would become apparent. Peace be with you. 4

5 Baby Shower for Ellen & Nathan Graber-McCrae April 2,

6 May 2016 Calendar Sunday, May 1 Sabbatical Blessing Potluck, noon Tuesday, May 3 Bipolar/Depression support group, 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 Daytime Mennonite Women, 9:30 am Bipolar/Depression support group, 7:00 p.m. Saturday, May 21 Men s Breakfast, 9 am MSMC Faith & Life Forum, 9 am 1 pm, Evergreen Lakehouse Sunday, May 29 Campership meal, 11 am GLENNON HEIGHTS MENNONITE CHURCH ghmc@comcast.net W. Virginia Ave. Lakewood, CO Pastor Betsy Headrick McCrae ghmc.betsy@comcast.net ; Cell On Sabbatical May 1 July 31, 2016 Pastor Melissa Roth msroth7@juno.com Cell: May 1 July 31, 2016 Office Hours: Monday, 11 am 2 pm Tuesday, 9 am 1 pm Our Mission To be a faithful community of Jesus Christ Our Vision Empowered by the Holy Spirit, We envision growth; building a community of faith which practices constructive responses to conflict; and, in a world driven by fear, promoting a Christian voice of love and nonviolence. Kate Rempel Administrative Assistant Office Hours: Tuesday, 8 am 2 pm Friday, 8 am 2 pm NEWS & NOTES Compiled by Betsy Headrick McCrae and Kate Rempel Layout by Kate Rempel 6