Connections CONESTOGA January 2016 Vol. XXVII No. 1 Youth Auction and Youth Christmas Party
A New Sunday School Elective WAR ROOM Saturday evening January 16, 2016 7:00 p.m. Come and see this compelling faith drama with humor and heart that became a #1 movie in U.S. theatres. It will be shown here at Conestoga on Saturday evening, January 16, at 7:00 p.m. A children s movie will be shown in the fellowship hall at the same time as this is shown in the sanctuary. Bring your friends! Beginning on Sunday, January 17, a new Sunday School elective will begin during our Sunday morning Sunday School (9:30-10:20 a.m.) led by J.W. Sprunger. He will lead a discussion on Richard J. Foster s book Celebration of Discipline; The Path to Spiritual Growth. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth is viewed by many as the best modern book on Christian spirituality with millions of copies sold. This book will be provided for each class participant and features chapters on Meditation, Prayer, Fasting, Study, Simplicity, Solitude, Submission, Service, Confession, Worship, Guidance, and Celebration! Thank you, Heidi Stoltzfus, for this suggestion of a new Sunday School elective. The class will meet in the chapel room and is open to anyone. J.W. Sprunger has studied at the American Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem, Israel, and is a graduate of the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Ind. He currently teaches Bible classes at Lancaster Mennonite School. Conestoga Mennonite Church 2779 Main Street, Morgantown, PA 19543 (610) 286-9124 www.conestogamc.com Monthly newsletter for Conestoga Mennonite Church published since 1988. Deadline for articles and photos is the 20 th of the preceding month of publication. Editor: Assistant Editor: Contributing Editor: Lois Ann Mast Elizabeth Petersheim Anna Martin The December 2015 Wandering Shepherds Bible Study met at Zerby s with residents and Conestoga members Barbara Moss, Elmina Stoltzfus, Allen Weaver, and David Yoder. 2 Conestoga Connections
Neighbors meets on Tuesday mornings during the academic school year in our church fellowship hall from 9:15 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Everyone is welcome to attend this time of fellowship! Sewing Circle Sewing Circle met on Wednesday, December 2, 2015. We had 14 ladies present. Donated items included: 50 kit bags and 3 comforters. Completed were six bags and 23 hygiene kits. For devotions, we sang O Little Town of Bethlehem followed by the reading of Psam 118: 1-14, and a devotional entitled No Peas. The special offering amounted to $42 intended for hygiene kits. Before adjourning, we sang Silent Night. ~ Betty Cannell, Secretary January 5 To Date or Not to Date How to Help Young People in Relationships with the Opposite Sex with Sharon Charles January 12 Becoming the Friend I Need with Carol Cool January 19 Own Your Life with Kathy McClure sharing from Sally Clarkson s new book January 26 Knotting Comforters created by Carmen Weber and Krista Petersheim for MCC Throughout history, different plants have symbolized different qualities or meanings. Here are a few: ~ Daisies represent innocence. ~ Peonies represent healing. ~ Sweet peas represent shyness. ~ Ivy represents fidelity and friendship Ladies Day Out Saturday, April 2, 2016 Conestoga Fellowship Hall Prepare for this time away from the busyness of life a time to stop and smell the roses as we relax with friends, share laughter and stories, and spend time with God on this one-day retreat studying Garden Getaway; Where Women Walk With God! We will explore Ecclesiastes 3 and discover how God is at work in our life, no matter what season of life we are in. This retreat is for women of all ages. Mark this date on your calendar. Conestoga Connections 3
Family and Media Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 This column provides suggestions for movies, books, magazines, audio, and highlights of new materials in Conestoga s church library. I welcome your suggestions as well. The following are two Bible apps for children to provide wholesome media for family entertainment and training. ~ Mike Petersheim, Coordinator The ABC s of God is available for ipad only, created by a parent of three, a school teacher, and Bible student. This allows your child to interact with the alphabet (both upper and lower case) using all three learning styles (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic), all the while learning about who God says He is from His Word! Kids can trace each character in a wooden stencil, on a felt pad, and on a chalkboard! They can also find letters using a flashlight, match them on a fridge, and more, all while learning about who God says He is, in His Word! 2. Jesus Calling Kids is available for both iphone and ipad. Kids can read these 365 devotionals. Each day s devotional corresponds to the same topic covered in the adult version by Sarah Young in the best selling, 365-day devotional Jesus Calling. This is perfect for families wanting to experience Jesus Calling together. This app is also packed with digital features like full devotional text and fully written-out Scriptures, that make this devotional more accessible than ever. IN OUR CHURCH LIBRARY... Our church library is full of excellent resources for children and families. Be sure to stop in and ask our dedicated church librarians how they can help you and your family. A Counselor s Prayer by Sam Waters Give me Your eyes that I might see everything I might be missing. Give me Your ears that I might hear true meaning in their words. Give me Your heart that I might feel the pain of those I meet with. Give me Your mind that I might understand those things beyong my comprehension. Grant me Your wisdom and Your counsel for I dare not make this journey alone. Amen. [This prayer is the prayer that covers Still Waters Ministries.] Each month, the above ladies and man (thanks for doing all of our carving of meat, Wes, you are the best!!!!) meet in the church kitchen to prepare anywhere from 120-150 meals for the freezer. These microwaveable meals are then distributed to not only Conestoga widows, widowers, persons who recently were in the hospital, those who are grieving a loss, someone who just had a baby, or persons counseled by Sam and JilL Waters via Still Waters Ministries, but also at times neighbors of church members who are in need. In December, the above six workers prepared and froze 130+ meals (four different menus) for Meals From the Heart, (left to right): Lois Ann Mast, Lois Boyer, Wes Boyer, Pegge Tennant, Jo Ebert, and Linda Linderman. If you know of someone who could benefit from these meals, talk to Coordinator Lois Ann Mast. 4 Conestoga Connections
Above: Children s Church with their assembled hygiene kits that were given to Mennonite Central Committee to distribute to refugees. We prayed for the persons who would receive these kits. Below: we enjoyed looking at different nativities from around the world as we all signed a nativity Christmas card sent to our friends, Annalise and Miriam Martin, in France. Left: Children s Church learned what it meant that Jesus is the reason for Christmas! Below: Bell Choir blesses the congregation on a Sunday morning directed by Krista Petersheim and Carmen Weber. Conestoga Connections 5
Conestoga Happenings... Right: This lovely flute quartet trilling to the delight of the hearers on a Sunday morning: Mindy Beam, Heidi Stoltzfus, Rachel Mast, and Cheryl Heineman! Left: Gavin creating a gingerbread house with his mother Kristin Stoltzfus. Left: Dana Ebert playing her cello during a Sunday morning offertory. Dot Leatherman on her wheels unexpected, but she makes the best of it! Below: Conestoga s Christmas Brunch not only included delicious food, but also some special music from the children led by Lisa Miller and David Heineman. Above: Guess who was the turkey at the 5K Turkey Bowl Run? Yep, no one else than Austin Unruh could strut like this! Yeah, Austin! Right: Ryan Petersheim sure deserves the prize for the largest buck this past fall! Wow! 6 Conestoga Connections
Christmas Senior Connections in December included a delicious ham loaf dinner with seniors and Conestoga Christian School second and third grade students enjoying lunch together, presenting a Christmas program, and both children and the seniors giving each other Christmas gifts. Notice the Christmas ornaments that the children made hanging from Bob Ebert s ears (above). Attend Senior Connections Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 12:00 noon Conestoga Connections 7
2015 Christmas Eve Service at Conestoga 8 Conestoga Connections