February Ladies You re Invited! What s Happening? Are You Ready? Next Deadline: February 12, 2017

Transcription

1 Joyful Noiz February May Page Page What s Happening? We are in need of sponsors for two students in Haiti. These students have been supported by Zion members at the cost of $200 per school year (that's $20 a month for 10 months) through Gospel Growers. Not only do they receive an education, but they hear about Jesus - both of which are life-changing! If you have questions or want to be part of this ministry, contact Joyce Price at rjelp@comcast.net. Success continues for the Bean Bag Food Program during the school year! Thanks to the amazing support from friends and family of Zion and the local community 71 elementary students are now receiving backpacks filled with food on a weekly basis. Special thanks goes to: Landis Market, Telford for providing groceries at discounted pricing, Giant Corp for providing groceries at no charge and discounted pricing, Local businesses and families for their ongoing financial support, Care & Share Book Shoppe for donating one age appropriate book to each student at Christmas, The Zion Mennonite Church Memorial Endowment Fund for financial support, The Zion congregation for their very generous financial support to the September POM and throughout the year. A special thank you to the dedicated volunteers from Zion and Zwingli UCC who help pack the bags on Thursday mornings. Your giving of time and money is making a difference in children s lives. THANK YOU, for helping to put an end to hunger and poverty in the Souderton Area. Donna Halteman The Joyful Noiz is published monthly by Zion Mennonite Church. The editor is Jennifer Moyer. Contributors this month included: Scott Benner, Verle Brubaker, Yvonne Detweiler, Nancy Fridey, Sonya Stauffer Kurtz, Donna Halteman, Judy McVaugh, Eric Musselman, Liz Nyce, Joyce Price, Linda Sell. Stories and information for the newsletter can be submitted to Jennifer via <jenn@zionmennonite.org> or left in the mailbox marked Joyful Noiz in the church office. Next Deadline: February 12, 2017 Joyful Noiz February 2017 Ladies You re Invited! Psalm 34:8 Cooking Series Saturday, March 18 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Are You Ready? The Fellowship Committee invites all women of Zion and guests to observe a professional food stylist, Lucille Osborn, prepare and display recipes while leading us in reading and studying the Bible. We will then taste the finished products and receive a booklet with recipes. The chosen course is Are You Ready? Ticket sales will be held on Sundays, February 5 & 12 immediately following the church service outside Fellowship Hall. Ticket price is $16.00 each. The Fellowship Committee is encouraging you to bring a guest, therefore the first 30 to sign up will receive a free guest ticket if desired. If you have any questions, see Linda Sell or Terri Musselman. Please join us as we are excited to once again offer this ministry to the women of Zion. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him. Psalm 34:8 Zion Mennonite Church Cherry Lane Souderton, PA Fax:

2 Joyful Noiz February May Page Page 2 2 Pastor s Corner Joyful Noiz February 2017 Page 19 March Children s Ministries Proverbs 29:18 KJV says, Where there is no vision, the people perish. Bible Mania Children s Church So what is the vision of the Zion Mennonite Church? What does God expect from us? What is it that makes it important to get up in the morning? Why is it important to be a part of this group of people? March 5 Heidi Borisow Sherry & Ben Russell Lori Groff & Dawn Repsher For a Christian church their individual vision and sense of purpose must be nested in the overall purpose of God for his universal church. But what is that? Paul tells us in Ephesians 3 that the church is the revelation of God s wisdom. In particular it is the unfolding of the revelation that God does not have any one special group of people. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, distinctions among those who call Jesus Lord. The primary identity is centered on the relationship with Jesus. In him, as Paul says in Colossians 1:17, everything holds together. This vision of a people who welcome everyone and invite everyone to join, is one that a terribly divided world longs to see. Rodney King, the focus of a police beating in 1991, that sparked riots in LA in 1992 asked, Can t we all get along? Many people are echoing that in our present divisive culture. It is the Church of Jesus Christ that calls and displays to the watching world the wonder of God s plan. It is that plan that directs our work at maintaining the unity God provides through his Spirit. And provides the only reason for our existence. We are called to show the world how those who are radically different from each other can find common cause in the Lordship of Jesus. March 12 Enjoy Time in Worship Amy & Dan McDonough March 19 March 26 Infant & Toddler Nursery March 5 March 12 March 19 Enjoy Time in Worship Heidi Borisow Sherry & Ben Russell Laura & Matt Musselman Susan & Brad Schanz Sunday Morning Child Care Worship Service Tana Godshall & Dan Bencsik Lori Groff & Katie Musselman Bekki & Nathan Dibble Sunday School Donna Halteman & Eric Musselman Ashlen Godshall & Amanda Evans Suzanne Gunden & Angela Benner How are we doing? Verle Brubaker March 26 Nancy Detwiler & Eric Musselman Carrie & Mike Dennis

3 Joyful Noiz February May Page Page February Children s Ministries February 5 February 12 February 19 February 26 Infant & Toddler Nursery February 5 Bible Mania Heidi Borisow Sherry & Ben Russell Children s Church Brad & Susan Schanz Enjoy Time in Worship Eric & Katie Musselman Heidi Borisow Sherry & Ben Russell Gail Grim & Chelsea Picon Enjoy Time in Worship Andy & Erin Constanzer Sunday Morning Child Care Worship Service Sue High & Terri Musselman Sunday School Carrie & Mike Dennis Joyful Noiz February 2017 Page 3 The Gatherings News Club Dates and Lesson Titles Remaining February 7 - Jesus will use our Gifts February 21 - Jesus is the Good Shepherd - PJ NIGHT - Wear your favorites! March 7 - We can welcome others March 21 - Closing Night - Derby Car Races!! It is hard to believe there are only 4 weeks left for Kids Club. We have been having a lot of fun on Tuesday Nights. The lessons are based on "Kids Can Know the Way." During the Clubs the children have been also doing service projects. We have made Christmas Cards for the area Elementary School Kids who participate in the Lunch Bag Program, we decorated tiny pumpkins for the workers at the Care and Share Shoppes, and worked on quilt patches for the MRC. We will be working on the Derby Cars starting in February. It is not too late to come out to clubs; we meet from 6:45-7: 45 p.m. All are welcome - ages 4-5th grade. Lori Groff February 12 Erin & Andy Constanzer February 19 Laura & Matt Musselman February 26 Steph & Mike Helfrich Trish & Mark Watkins Amy Cummings Leight & Wendy Levin Judy McVaugh & Barb Schanz A Special Message from Keystone Opportunity Center During the past holiday season, Keystone Opportunity s Food Pantry has been abundantly blessed thanks to wonderful donors like YOU. Without YOU, we would not have been able to serve the 247 households that came to the pantry for Continued to page 4...

4 Joyful Noiz February May Page Page A Special Message, continued from page 3. assistance in November and 214 households in December. Just in the month of December, we had 14 new families sign up! We are not only able to supply folks with food but also with milk, some fresh fruits and vegetables, personal care items and sometimes laundry soap and paper products. Thank you to the congregation and the Kindred Sisters for their generous donations and partnering with us to help our neighbors. Cindy Dembrosky, Food Pantry Coordinator Countdown to Zion.. February may not be a good month for travel, but cold winter days are great for cleaning out closets, recycling and giving away things we no longer need. Luckily, there is a wonderful arts and crafts recycle shop near us which takes unfinished projects and passes them along to others who can finish or find other uses for the materials. I ll save just one quilt project for when I really retire someday! Various bits of old furniture and a well-used ping-pong table have gone to new homes. There is nothing like moving house to make one think living more with less is a really fine idea - just hard to implement! I am happy to report that Roger made his first Funny Cake, with great success! Roger continues his job hunt with some interviews here and there, while we do more work on the house to prepare for resale. As some people are day-dreaming over seed catalogs and what they ll eventually plant in their gardens, we are pondering what little corner of the community we ll call home when we get to Zion. We love hearing from people their personal favorite places to visit, to exercise, or get that special something in the Souderton area. Please keep sending us tidbits of local lore - it s very helpful! Warmly, Sonya Stauffer Kurtz Joyful Noiz February 2017 Page 17 January Church Board Highlights Final 2016 year end giving totals finished $17,201 less than budget. All benevolences and operating expenses were paid for Board thanks the congregation for their generous giving. Board is excited that Mike Landis has accepted the Zion Maintenance Supervisor position. His first day is Monday, January 30. New Gifts Discernment Committee will have their first meeting in February. Tim Groff, Church Chair Thank- you... to all who helped with the TOP Holiday dinners this year. We are truly grateful and inspired by the many people who donated funds, food and time, in order to make these meals happen once again this year. We served close to 300 people for each holiday meal, (that s a lot of food) including dine-in, take out and volunteers. Organizing and preparing for these meals takes a lot of resources, whether time or money, but when we all work together and offer what we can, the process is quicker, the load is lighter and the end product is a blessing for all. This is what community looks like. There is no doubt that this time of fellowship within our community makes a positive difference for many people, including those who volunteer, so thank you again for your prayers and resources of time, effort and finances. Erin Saunders, Stefanie Dockery and Tina Rhoads TOP Holiday Meal Committee

5 Joyful Noiz February May Page Page February Birthdays & Anniversaries Birthdays 1- Ralph Freed 1- Matt Musselman 1- Chuck Strouse 1- Austin Updegrove 3 - Andy Constanzer 4 - Barbara Green 6 - Lito Reinoso 8 - Erica Gunden 8 - Stephanie Helfrich 8 - James Hoover 9 - Christopher Eschbach 10 - Joyce Price 10 - Rob Saunders 13 - Suzanne Gunden 14 - Bill Baum 15 - Rowan Grim 17 - Sumi Gerhart 17 - Patsy Hedrick 18 - Ann Godshall 18 - Kevin Mikulka 18 - Rose Nyce Anniversaries 4 - Mike and Patsy Hedrick 19 - Bob & Jane Rahn 23 - Rick and Sheryl Duerksen 19 - Yvonne Detweiler 19 - Art McVaugh 21 - Joshua Halteman 22 - Daniel Moyer 22 - Kyle Murphy 23 - Keith Koehler 23 - Matthew Koffel 24 - Mary Koehler 24 - Brian Grasse 25 - Rick Duerksen 25 - Jennifer Harris 25 - Victor Rampogu 25 - Jenna Stucky 26 - Gladys Moyer 26 - Craig Tourtellott 26 - Zachary Worman 27 - Sophia Dennis 28 - Rachel Mannon 28 - Ryan McDonough 28 - Owen McDonough If your birthday or anniversary is incorrect or missing, please notify the office. Church Directory Updates Please remember to contact the church office with any changes to your address, phone or address. New addresses Bill Baum bill@dwbaum.com Donna Baum donna@dwbaum.com Joyful Noiz February 2017 Page 5 Mission Moment Bruce Yoder & Nancy Frey, Jeremiah & Deborah, Burkina Faso (Dec. 2016) Greetings from Burkina Faso. We noted in our last prayer letter that Bruce had successfully defended his thesis. For those interested in the history of Mission Network's work in West Africa and the emergence of a number of our current African partners, the document is available for reading online. Its title is Mennonite Missionaries and African Independent Churches: The Development of an Anabaptist Missiology in West Africa: , and it is of interest for those curious about Mennonite/ Anabaptist mission history, theory, or practice; African Christianity; World Christianity; or the development of the global Anabaptist movement. Join us in praying: Thank God for the work of the Benin Bible Institute. Pray that it will continue to be a source of support and vision for church leaders across the different denominations in Benin. Thank God for the Burkina Partnership Council. Pray that the different collaborative ministries that it represents will continue to bear fruit here and among partners around the world. Pray for good health in Burkina Faso. There have been a number of illnesses over the past several months including a new strain of malaria and dengue fever resulting in a number of deaths including a missionary who had been here for many years. Now with Harmattan season, there is a lot of dust causing congestion leading to colds, pneumonia and bronchitis. Give thanks for the Wired youth group. When Nancy, Jeremiah and Deborah decided to give leadership to Wired this year, they went on faith that God would support their efforts. Pray that it will continue to be a meaningful and welcoming place for youth to explore their identity in Christ. Judy McVaugh

6 Joyful Noiz February May Page Page 6 6 Joyful Noiz February 2017 Page 15 Just a note of Thanks Dear Friends at Zion, At the end of the day, we come together for an extra hour of learning. We have some fun with our friends but then we get down to business! Thank you for the great snack items you have provided since October. These make us very happy. With the additional energy they provide, we eagerly attack the tasks at hand. Thank you so much! Love, The EMC Homework Club Dear Friends at Zion, We just love to nibble each day on the delicious snacks you provide for our homework club! Thank you so much for all the great food from pretzels to chips to granola bars! There is something that we all love. Thanks again for all you have done for us! Love, The EMC Primary Homework Club Thank you for the many Christmas cards and the lovely poinsettia from my Zion family. Marvel Rosenberger I would like to thank all of my Zion family for all the Christmas cards. I really enjoyed them. Gladys Moyer Thank you to all who helped with the Table of Plenty Thanksgiving and Christmas Meals. Whether it was making pies, food prep, set-up, transportation, take out delivery, serving, clean up etc., the meals could not have happened without everyone coming together! Thanks to Tina Rhoads for her leadership and Stefanie Dockery for the delicious meals! Thanks also to Jenn Moyer for taking all the phone calls and reservations! What a blessing this meal is to our community! Erin Saunders Thank you to all who donated calendars and devotionals. We collected 4 boxes full of items. They were really appreciated. We were told that Zion Church is the one with the most donations. At this time, we will not be collecting any till the fall.

7 Joyful Noiz February May Page Page Recipes Worth Sharing Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball ========================== 1 8-oz package Cream Cheese, softened 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 cup 10-x sugar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips Graham crackers Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sugars; beat just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Serves with Graham crackers Yvonne Detweiler Zion s Monthly Mail Box for Sonya and Roger! March s box theme will be We re Marching to Zion. Here s your chance to acquaint Sonya and Roger with your story of how you came to Zion or maybe how you re involved and what you appreciate about Zion. Be creative! Drop your item in the designated Sonya Gift Box in the Church Office by March 1. If you ve somehow missed the deadline each month, don t worry! Send whatever you like the themes are just to give you ideas. The theme for April is Easter Together (due April 1). If you have questions, contact Alice Green, Pat Kratz, Bonnie Moyer, Katie Musselman, or Joyce Price. Thanks for helping to welcome Sonya and Roger to Zion! Joyce Price Joyful Noiz February 2017 Page 7 Creati n Care Tidbits Skin Care Safety February is usually one of the coldest months in our area. Do you find yourself reaching for some cream or lotion for dry skin? Have you ever thought about what is in these products? Unfortunately there is very little regulation about what chemicals and ingredients can be used in personal care products and many of these ingredients can have undesirable side effects. Many ingredients used in the U.S. have already been banned in the European Union. Even products labeled as natural or organic are not necessarily safe. Personal care products contain large volumes of chemicals, natural and synthetic. Some may be safe but others could be harmful especially with long term use. Most people believe that if it's on the market it must be safe, but the FDA has no authority to require companies to test cosmetics for product safety, so it has left the cosmetics industry to police itself. So what can you do safeguard yourself and your children who are especially vulnerable? There is an excellent website that has all the information you need along with recommended products that have been tested for safety. It is EWG stands for environmental working group. It's an organization that does independent testing on a wide range of products including food and has a large database of products that it rates for safety. You may be familiar with their dirty dozen list of fruits and vegetables that have the most pesticide residue. They have many consumer guides that can be useful in choosing all sorts of products from personal care to food and list what ingredients to look out for. While it is impossible to eliminate all exposure to toxic chemicals because they have become so pervasive in our environment, we can at least limit some of them by making wise choices in what we buy. Nancy Fridey

8 Joyful Noiz February May Page Page 8 8 The Daily Positive Does God Answer Prayer? By Amanda Foust Praying is an act of worship for Christians. Nonbelievers even rely on prayer during hard times when all other options seem lost. Across the world we fall on our knees and cry out, but how many times do we receive a response? When I was younger, there was a desk chair in my room that I would spin around and talk to while pretending God was sitting across from me eager to listen to my heart. I would speak and then sit and wait for any sign of a response such as blindly opening my Bible hoping to turn to the perfect verse for that moment, or sitting silently waiting for some sort of whisper in my ear. I was seeking something I could see and hear as a reminder that God was, in fact, listening. These intentional times of prayer were few and far between, and most of my communication with God were desperate pleas or one-sided wishes. Taking time to get to know God was not a priority because deep down I only wanted what He could give to me. It wasn t until recently that I started to realize that this approach wasn t effective, and my spiritual life was suffering. Doubting that God was listening put a huge wedge between us. Instead of using my Bible as the tool for sermon notes, I began to view this book as the tool for my life and the story about my Heavenly Father. If I wanted to hear God, I needed to understand Him on a deeper level. Written in the thin pages of my Bible were hidden messages about a God I never really understood as fully human and fully God. The God part of Him seemed too out of reach, but His humanity drew me in. Soon, I didn t expect to hear Him in the ways I did when I was young. Continued to page 9... Joyful Noiz February 2017 Page 13 Family Ministry News, continued from page 12. Before school starts, decorate the cards but leave the inside blank. Read aloud John 13:34-35 and discuss with your child what it means to show God s love to others. Brainstorm different ways your child can show love to others at school. Then tell your child he or she can bless people at school by giving kids and teachers a special card during the school year. After school starts, ask your child s teacher if you can have a list with all the kids birthdates (don t forget the teacher s!). Write the dates on the calendar and have your child write a special note in a card to classmates or teachers on their birthdays. You can choose a special day during the school year to celebrate birthdays that fall during summer months. This yearlong practice will help your child learn to be a blessing to others, and the other kids and teachers will appreciate being remembered on their special days. Breakfast and Fellowship It all started on June 18, 1985 when Betty Musselman, the Congregational Care Pastor, and I thought it would be nice to have breakfast for the widows, widowers and single members of the church. We continued this until May of In 2002, when Beth Rauschenberger became the Congregational Care Pastor, we restarted the breakfast get-togethers in Our first breakfast gathering is in November and the last one is right before Christmas. We typically have anywhere between 6-8 people at a gathering and have about 6 gatherings. People are asked to host the breakfast and then I make the calls to invite the people. Beth and I were always there but since 2012 we invite all the pastors. This is a good way for members to be with the pastors in a smaller setting. Devotions are done before we share a fabulous meal and enjoy great fellowship. This year we had 28 ladies and 6 men join us. We never seem to have the trouble of ladies being willing to open up their homes to serve. It is amazing, I already have a list of hosts for next year. Liz Nyce

9 Joyful Noiz February May Page Page Family Ministry News 4 Faith-Building Tips for Parents Use these 4 faith-building tips for parents to help parents build children s faith. Put them in your newsletter or website, or hand them out! 1. Doodle Prayers Carry a Magna Doodle drawing toy in your vehicle. On the way to school each morning, have one of your kids be responsible for doodling prayer requests for the day. After you drop off your kids at school, pray for their needs. When you pick them up at the end of the day, let them know you prayed for them, and ask how things went. 2. God Sighting Sticks Use these sticks to spark conversations with your kids after school. Use a fun container to store these paper strips with conversation prompts to get kids talking about God sightings throughout their day. To make the strips more durable you can glue strips to craft sticks. Use the sticks during after -school snacks or at dinner to help your kids see how God works in their world. Today God helped me at school when I showed someone God s love today when I I experienced God s power today when I trusted God today when... I know God loves me because today 3. Bus Stop Jingle Sing this cute song with your kids to remind them that God is always with them as they wait for the school bus. At the Bus Stop (to the tune of Take Me Out to the Ball Game ) Take me out to the bus stop. Take me out with my friends. Buy me some school supplies, it s okay. Let me pray, pray, pray every day; Cause I need help through the school year. God s with me, he s on my side, cause it s one, two, three cheers for me, as I start school, YEA! Joyful Noiz February 2017 Page 9...The Daily Positive, continued from page 8 I looked for Him in my everyday life: walks through nature, friends and family interactions, stories of joy and hope, my intuition. And the responses to my prayers started to become short scriptures that were hidden in my heart not because I spent time memorizing, but because I was enjoying reading the Word in such a way that it was becoming a part of me. Do not be afraid. Rejoice always. The Lord is good. I can do all things. All have sinned. Trust in the Lord. Making time to sit with God is always good, but making your life one of prayerfulness takes your spiritual life to the next level. Living a prayerful life is inviting God into all your thoughts and being open to the Holy Spirit working in your life. He may not give us all the answers to our prayers, but He did give us the gift of Jesus s sacrifice and the gift of the Holy Spirit the best answers of all. What will you do to brighten someone s day? 4. Blessing Cards Help your child create a year s worth of cards to bless classmates and teachers. You ll need blank greeting cards with envelopes (available at office supply stores) or card stock, various craft items for decorating, markers, a photo storage box, and a school-year calendar. Continued to page 13...

10 Joyful Noiz Joyful Noiz May 2006 February 2017 Page Page Joyful Noiz February 2017 Page 11