Newsletter
Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship
June 28, 2009

This Week
Tuesday - Columbus 2009 begins
Thursday - Ladies' Lunch Bunch, 11:30 a.m. at Lux Café
Saturday - Community Hymn Sing in celebration of Leah Roth and Peter Miller's wedding on Sunday. (See the announcement below.)
Next Sunday - Berkey Avenue begins hosting Goshen Interfaith Hospitality Network.

From the Mission Commission

     Opportunities for you at Berkey Avenue....  The Mission Commission has a few jobs available for any of you who might be interested.  These positions begin in September and continue through August 2010.  No experience necessary!  All you need is a willingness to serve and learn.  Please contact one of us if you have questions, or would like to enlist for one of the following jobs:

*Coordinate and schedule greeters for the two entrances and persons to hand out bulletins - Make phone calls and write up the schedules; give a copy to church office.

*Mennonite Disaster Service representative - This person would be our church's contact person for MDS.   Mail and phone calls concerning MDS work would be referred to you so that you could disperse the info to the congregation.  Meetings are very rare. 

*Mission Bulletin Board -Add to it and keep it up-to-date with information supplied by our committee, pastors, and persons from Berkey Avenue in service.  Our committee could give you ideas.  We would like to feature our young people who are in service, as well as information received from Mennonite Mission Network, MCC, and local agencies.

* Mission Communicator - Occasionally share with the congregation about various mission projects or opportunities.

Thank you for considering these opportunities at Berkey Avenue.    From the Mission Commission:  Phil Bauman, Susan Garboden, Richard Miller, Eldon Nafziger

Summer Christian Education Opportunities

This summer, the Christian Education Com­mission is planning a series of intergenerational activities intended to strengthen the relationships among adults, youth, and children.  Just for the summer, we are providing these alternatives to our typical nurture hour classes.  We hope that you choose to participate in these opportunities to visit with people (of all ages) whom you may not normally meet and to develop relationships with each other in different settings.  Here's what we're currently planning. Some of these events may change as we work on details.

Today - Worship on the Spot:  Come for worship at 9:00 a.m. and join others in intergenerational teams to plan different parts of the service.

July 5 - Worship service only.

July 12 - Worship service only.

July 19 - Fellowship meal after worship.

July 26 - MYF reports on Columbus 2009 (the biannual convention) during the nurture hour, followed by a congregational meeting to take action on an amended Bethany Support Plan.  (See announcement below.)

August 2 - Guess Who's Coming to Lunch? activity following worship.

August 9 - Bible Quiz/Trivia game during the nurture hour.

August 16 - Nurture hour celebration of Cindy Baker's service as youth coordinator; congregational meal and meeting following.

August 23 - Back to School Sunday.  During the nurture hour, children will be introduced to their new teachers and rooms; adults will hear about the new fall classes; and then everyone will go outside to plant our new peace pole.
August 30 - The new fall quarter begins for children up through 5^th grade.  JYF, MYF, and adults meet in the meetingroom to hear Hilary Scarsella, CPTer in Iraq and AMBS student.

Berkey Avenue Announcements

     This coming week, Anita and Dan will both be at the MC USA convention in Columbus.

     This fall our congregation will have 24 young people attending Mennonite colleges or seminaries. Each of them is eligible for assistance of up to $500 for the fall semester from our college and seminary matching fund. Therefore we hope to raise $12,000 by July 15. (Note that this is a different figure than in our previous announcements because of a miscount in the actual number of students we have.  Our apologies!)  We now have $6,432.28 in the fund so are making our way toward our goal for the fall semester.  Mark your contribution for the College Fund and place it in the offering. Thank you.        -The Christian Education Commission

     You'll find in your mailboxes today a proposed revision to our congregation's Bethany Schools Tuition Support Plan (the cover sheet is yellow).  If you feel strongly about an alternate wording that you want to suggest, please contact Dan Nafziger immediately.  (A final proposal must be finished by July 12.)  We will vote on these changes at the July 26 congregational meeting.  Absentee ballots will be available beginning on July 12.

     A sincere thank you to all who helped Stan Liechty move a little over one week ago.  Many hands made light work, and the good company was truly appreciated. -Jeanne Liechty

      Reminder to children (pre-school to grade 5):  The offering for our mission bank project in Thailand will be taken throughout the summer during the same time as the offering is taken during the worship service.  Children can go forward while the bags are passed and put their offering in the mission bank at the front of the church.

     Our Congratulations to Leslee and Michael Martin-Smucker! - Due to time constraints, Leslee and Michael opted not to have a church-sponsored wedding shower but expressed their appreciation at the congregation's response to the shower hosted by family members at the College Cabin.  In lieu of a shower, the Fellowship and Caring Commission has sent a card and monetary gift expressing our blessing and congratulations.  Best wishes, Leslee and Michael!

     In celebration of our marriage and our friends and family, we invite you, our church family, to join us for a community HYMN SING at Berkey Avenue on July 4 at 8:00 p.m.  You are welcome to bring instruments, friends, and a favorite hymn to share.  Please join us as we celebrate in song and enjoy ice cream sundaes together.     -Leah Roth and Peter Miller

     Free to a good home: a used Whirlpool washer and Whirlpool GAS dryer.  Both are heavy-duty, large-capacity, and top-loading.  Perhaps four years old, these are in good working condition but don't fit into a new utility room space.  If you (or someone you know) needs these, please call me at 849-5116.    - Peter Shetler

     For rent - a 2-bedroom condo in College Green:

The condo has a one-car garage, 1½ baths, and a finished basement with an egress window.  It is available after August 15 at $650 per month.  Contact Jesse and Genie Kehr, 537-4643, if interested.

     VEHICLE NEEDED:   MDC Goldenrod is a local ministry that serves individuals with a developmental disability and their families.  We have recently expanded our services in the Middlebury area and need a car or van to transport clients.  If you have a used vehicle in good condition or have questions please call David at 533-9720, ext. 2.  

     Thanks to all who volunteered either in person or behind the scenes with the IN-MI Conference.

We appreciate everyone who helped make the IN-MI conference a success here at Clinton Frame Mennonite Church.

                          - James and Sharon Brandenberger,

                             Local Coordinators

C ommunity Announcements

     Ride the bus to Hesston College's Centennial!
Hesston College is offering charter bus transportation from Goshen to Hesston for Centennial Homecoming Weekend 2009 Celebration, September 25-27.  Alumni and friends are invited to travel on the bus and join the festivities.  Base travel cost is $150 per person with possible discount incentives available through the college's Partner Program.  Contact Tonya Gaby, development officer located in Indiana, at (574) 370-7774, or TonyaGhesston.edu, for more details and to express your interest in participating.

      An Elkhart family (Peter and Mary Graber) would like to hire a female caregiver for part-time, in-home respite care and outings for a young woman with developmental disabilities.  The location is one block from AMBS, so seminary students are encouraged to contact us. Housing option available in exchange for care.  Please e-mail or call 522-2924 for more information and interview. 

     Mennonite Mission Network seeks a host and hostess for a three-year term at London Mennonite Center to begin in 2010.  Hospitality is the primary function; duties are varied.  Contact Ruth L. Guengerich at Mennonite Mission Network, 866-866-2872, ext. 3062, or at for additional information.

     The Great Lakes office of the Mennonite Central Committee is organizing a Learning Tour to Israel/Palestine to visit with MCC partners and learn about the work of MCC in that region. The tour is scheduled for November 14-25, 2009, and is limited to14 participants.  Information about the tour, including the proposed schedule, application form, medical form, Memo of Understanding and a list of partners to be visited are all available at the MCC Great Lakes website: mcc.org/greatlakes/events/ learningtour.htm.  Cost is approximately $3,000.  If interested, an application form with a $500 deposit is due August 10. Contact person is Les Gustafson-Zook, 534-4133 or .

Our Church

Office Hours:     Tuesday - Friday
                                    8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
                            12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m.

Statistical Report for June 21, 2009

     Attendance: 170

Today, June 28, 2009

    Greeters:    Richard Miller 

                      James and Trish Yoder

    Bulletins:   Lynelle and Joel Yoder

    Nursery:    Brenda and Daniel Grimes

    Offering Counters:   Steve Garboden

                                     Dick Ramer

    Audio/Visual:  Evan Grimes

Next Sunday, July 5, 2009

    Greeters:                  

    Bulletins:                 

    Nursery:    Ruth Hathaway and Seth Krabill

     Offering Counters:   Eleanor Nafziger                              

                                      Greg Smucker

     Audio/Visual:  Ben Buckwalter

_______________________________________

Pastors:  Anita Kehr, Dan Schrock

Youth Coordinators:  Cindy Baker, Lois Mast

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

Called to be Christ's loving, healing, caring presence