Newsletter

Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship

July 25, 2010

This Week

MYF Mowing – Morgan Short

Wednesday – Elders, 7:30 p.m.

Upcoming Worship Services

August 1:  Contemplative Service

August 8:  Mayeken Kehr will preach.

August 15:  Peter Shetler will preach.

Berkey Avenue Announcements

     The Ladies’ Lunch Bunch scheduled for Thursday, August 5, will be at Juniper Place, 11:30 a.m.  Call Genie Kehr by Tuesday, August 3, for reservations.

     Please keep Sarah and Luke Roth-Mullet in your prayers as they begin their three-year MCC service assignment in Mexico starting August 2.  An MCC photo and information card of Sarah and Luke are in your mailboxes.  They have a blog site (SarahyLuke.com) to keep us updated on their work and life in Mexico. They already posted some photos and information.  If you did not receive an information card and would like one, please contact Ruth Miller Roth.

     Ruth Miller Roth is working to put together photos from the past 10 years of Berkey’s church life.  If you have any personal photos of Berkey, please contact Ruth at 538-8955.

     Thank you, Goshen Interfaith Hospitality Network volunteers!  All GIHN volunteers are warmly invited to an ice cream social on August 8, 3:00-5:00 p.m., at Eighth Street Mennonite Church as a thank you to the many volunteers involved in this program in our community.  The event will include a slide show of the history of GIHN.  Tim Thorne will give some words of thanks at 4:00 p.m.

     GIHN photos – If you have any photos related to GIHN, please contact Ruth Miller Roth as soon as possible!  We would like to use them for a slide presentation.

     From Bryan and Anita Kehr:  We want to let you know our schedule for the next month or so, just so you know what’s happening.  We have a place to move to and a plan to get there, so we’re pleased!  Our intention is to load up a moving truck on Saturday, August 7, in the early afternoon, and if any of you are willing to help with that, we’d be grateful!  We’ll be in church on Sunday, August 8, and leave after worship that day.  (That will be Bryan and Maya’s last Sunday.)  We’ll arrive at 2615 Goldenrod Court, North Newton on Monday afternoon, God willing, and unload that evening.  Elias and Anita will return to Goshen either on Tuesday or Wednesday.  Anita’s last Sunday at Berkey Avenue is August 22, and she’ll be at church during part of the next week to catch up with Dan and clear out her office.  She’ll take Elias to EMU the following weekend and then head out to Kansas, arriving by August 31.  We are grateful for all of you and would appreciate your continuing prayer during these weeks of transition.  Thank you!

     Reminder to all incoming and outgoing commission members:  Plan to attend the All-Commission Retreat on Saturday morning, August 21!  This time provides opportunity for reflection and evaluation as well as for dreaming and planning.

Community Announcements

     LaCasa has been awarded Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) tax credits.  Your donation will fund counseling that improves families’ financial management in order to save for a home.  LaCasa also works with groups or individuals to paint and rehab houses.  Call LaCasa at 533-4450 for more information.

     The 25th annual IN-MI Mennonite Racial/Ethnic Leadership Education Golf Benefit, hosted by Mennonite Education Agency, will take place on Saturday, August 28.  The event begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Sims Oak Hills Golf Course in Middlebury.  The entry fee of $65 per person includes lunch.  Proceeds go to African-American, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American students in leadership training for churches in Mennonite Church USA.  Request a registration form from Mennonite Education Agency by phone, 642-3164, or e-mail .  All are welcome.

     The Goshen College Church Relations office is seeking local congregations to participate in the second year of our “ Welcome Basket” project for new international students.   The baskets provide a way for international students new to Goshen College to connect to a local congregation.  The church, or a small group within it, provides a list of basic ítems for the student (total cost $50-75), and the student, in turn, visits the congregation sometime during the fall semester.  Please contact Bethany Swope at or 535-7119 by July 26 for more information and to be matched with a student.  Baskets need to be completed by Friday, August 20.

     Peace Among the Peoples, an ecumenical peace conference, is being held at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary on Wednesday-Saturday of this coming week.  It will include such well-known speakers as Stanley Hauerwas, Brian McLaren, and Rita Nakashima Brock.  Information and registra­tion are available online:  peace2010.net.  The public is invited to worship services held at 7:30 p.m. each evening featuring outstanding preachers from the conference:  Wednesday at AMBS, Thursday at First Presbyterian Church, Friday at St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church, and Saturday at St. James A.M.E. Church.  See the poster on bulletin board for further details.

     Habitat for Humanity of Elkhart County's Goshen Apostle Build: Goshen area churches are being asked to help build a house with Habitat for Humanity.  Especially needed are volunteers! Construction starts the week of August 15 and continues through September 18.  There is a schedule posted on the bulletin board showing specific duties for each day.  If you are interested in helping, call the number on the flyer, or contact Denise Risser (Berkey Avenue Habitat Rep).  You can also donate funds for specific material needs as listed in the posted brochure.

Our Church

Office Hours:     Tuesday - Friday

                              8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

                      12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m.

Today, July 25, 2010

     Greeters and Bulletins:  Short family

     Nursery:  Evie and Dan Nafziger

     Offering Counters:     Steve Garboden

                                      Dick Ramer

     Audio/Visual:  Phil Bauman

Next Sunday, August 1, 2010

     Greeters:  Jud and Rita Gingrich

     Bulletins:  Ruth Hathaway

     Nursery:  Lisa and Darin Short

     Offering Counters:  Ruth Hathaway

                                     Greg Smucker

     Audio/Visual:  Evan Grimes

Pastors:  Anita Kehr, Dan Schrock (on sabbatical)

Youth Pastor:  Lois Stoltzfus Mast

Elders:  Evan Bontrager, David Heusinkveld, Dan Nafziger, Laverne Nafziger, Trish Shenk, and Renae Yoder

Live Christ’s loving, caring, healing presence in the world