• My Coins Count: Next Sunday, March 30 we will have our monthly My Coins Count collection during the worship service. Please bring your coins, cash, and checks to help support the mission and ministries of the Mennonite Central Committee.

• FMC Potluck: Chris & Sue Coblentz are hosting a potluck at their house on Saturday, March 29. The potluck starts at 5pm, with games following. Please let them know if you are able to make it!

• Help Request: Mary Lowery has a storage container that she needs help emptying. The entire contents will either be disposed of or donated. The storage container is located at the CubeSmart Storage unit at 24000 Lorain Rd. in North Olmsted. Volunteers should meet at CubeSmart on Saturday, March 29 at 10:00am. If you are available to help with this project, please let either myself or Pastor Alvis know.

• Easter Brunch Potluck: Join us for an Easter brunch potluck on Sunday, April 20 before the worship service. Brunch begins at 10:00am. Please bring a dish to share, all are welcome! Sign up for the brunch can be found in the church foyer.

• MMN Prayer Request: Lane Miller, one of Mennonite Mission Network’s regional directors for Africa and Europe, is in Europe this month to improve his French language skills. Pray for him as he also visits partner institution LCC International University and Robin Gingerich, who has served with Mission Network at LCC in Lithuania since 2001.

• FMC Potluck: Chris & Sue Coblentz are hosting a potluck at their house on Saturday, March 29. The potluck starts at 5pm, with games following. Please let them know if you are able to make it!

• Help Request: Mary Lowery has a storage container that she needs help emptying. The entire contents will either be disposed of or donated. The storage container is located at the CubeSmart Storage unit at 24000 Lorain Rd. in North Olmsted. Volunteers should meet at CubeSmart on Saturday, March 29 at 10:00am. If you are available to help with this project, please let either myself or Pastor Alvis know.

• MMN Prayer Request: Caleb and Stephanie Schrock-Hurst are preparing for ministry in Taiwan, where they will renew relationships between the Mennonite Christian Hospital, in Hualien, and North American churches. Pray for them as they learn the Chinese language and finish raising the necessary funding. The Schrock-Hursts are jointly appointed through Mennonite Mission Network and Virginia Mennonite Missions.

• FMC Potluck: Chris & Sue Coblentz are hosting a potluck at their house on Saturday, March 29. The potluck starts at 5pm, with games following. Please let them know if you are able to make it!

• Help Request: Mark Lowery has a storage container that she needs help emptying. The entire contents will either be disposed of or donated. The storage container is located at the CubeSmart Storage unit at 24000 Lorain Rd. in North Olmsted. Volunteers should meet at CubeSmart on Saturday, March 29 at 10:00am. If you are available to help with this project, please let either myself or Pastor Alvis know.

• MMN Prayer Request: Mennonite Mission Network requests prayer for the Ecuador partnership meetings that are being held in Quito this week. Linda Shelly, regional director for Latin America, and Andrew Suderman, director of global partnerships, have joined representatives of the Colombia Mennonite Church and Central Plains Mennonite Conference in meeting with Ecuadorian partners to discern how to best carry out God’s vision in their communities.

• Loaded Conversations & Fear Not: March 6 from 9-11:30am. In a culture that is dominated by fear, division and violence, churches are grappling with how to talk about and think about gun ownership and gun use. A Loaded Conversation invites churches to explore a faithful response to this reality of violence involving guns. Fear Not: Creating a plan to respond to active violence helps congregations in the U.S. consider what they believe about situations of active violence and how they can respond effectively and faithfully as followers of Jesus Christ. Register at: mcc.org/loaded-fear-webinar 

• Embracing Beloved Community: March 6 from 1-3:30pm. Embracing Beloved Community dives into the ways God calls the church to embrace diversity. The curriculum is designed for congregations new to this topic to journey together in an exploration of the sin of racism and Christ’s vision for the Kingdom of God on Earth. Register at: mcc.org/embracing-beloved-webinar

• MMN Prayer Request: Toni and Matthew Krabill, who are serving in Ghana with Mennonite Mission Network, will begin their two-month North American ministry this month. Pray for their good health and safe travels and that God’s Spirit will guide their speaking and conversations, as they update congregations about what God is doing through their ministries. Pray for renewal, as they reconnect with family and friends.

• Encounter: All are welcome to “Encounter,” a monthly gathering led by Ted Steiner and Anita Yoder. We will meet today at 7pm at First Baptist Church in Shaker Heights for a time of silence, singing, and sharing. We think it is very important to build community with one another, listening together for God’s loving voice. Please feel free to invite any neighbors or friends who might enjoy and benefit from our gathering.

• How To Be An Enemy Sermon Series: The radical way of Jesus, of love and service for “the least of these,” is increasingly at odds with the direction of our culture and political climate. Truly following Jesus means we might seem like an ‘enemy’ to people who are caught up in what’s normal and easy in our culture. How do we live faithfully in this tension?

• Lenten Blessing: In preparation for Lent, during our March 2nd Sunday service, Pastor Alvis will offer a blessing with anointing oil as a sign and reminder of God’s presence as we journey together with Jesus to the cross and into the resurrected new life at Easter.

• MDS Housewarmer Project: In celebration of Mennonite Disaster Service’s 75th anniversary, we are inviting church sewing circles and individuals who enjoy sewing, knitting, crocheting, or weaving to join us by creating wall hangings or prayer shawls for our Housewarmer Project during the month of February! The Housewarmer Project provides quilted wall hangings and prayer shawls to disaster survivors whose homes have been rebuilt or restored by Mennonite Disaster Service. Housewarmer Project information, guidelines, and mailing instructions for completed wall hangings and prayer shawls can be found at mds.org/housewarmer-project.

• MMN Prayer Request: Terrorists continue to attack peaceful populations in Burkina Faso, as the citizens work in their fields and worship in churches, placing the country at the top of the Global Terrorism Index. Mennonite Mission Network requests prayer for an end to the violence and for healing for the thousands of people who have been traumatized by seeing loved ones murdered. Pray, also, for the witness of the Evangelical Mennonite Church of Burkina Faso in this time of crisis.

• How To Be An Enemy Sermon Series: The radical way of Jesus, of love and service for “the least of these,” is increasingly at odds with the direction of our culture and political climate. Truly following Jesus means we might seem like an ‘enemy’ to people who are caught up in what’s normal and easy in our culture. How do we live faithfully in this tension?

• My Coins Count: Next Sunday, February 23 we will have our monthly My Coins Count collection during the worship service. Please bring your coins, cash, and checks to help support the mission and ministries of the Mennonite Central Committee.

• MDS Housewarmer Project: In celebration of Mennonite Disaster Service’s 75th anniversary, we are inviting church sewing circles and individuals who enjoy sewing, knitting, crocheting, or weaving to join us by creating wall hangings or prayer shawls for our Housewarmer Project during the month of February! The Housewarmer Project provides quilted wall hangings and prayer shawls to disaster survivors whose homes have been rebuilt or restored by Mennonite Disaster Service. Housewarmer Project information, guidelines, and mailing instructions for completed wall hangings and prayer shawls can be found at mds.org/housewarmer-project.

• How To Be An Enemy Sermon Series: The radical way of Jesus, of love and service for “the least of these,” is increasingly at odds with the direction of our culture and political climate. Truly following Jesus means we might seem like an ‘enemy’ to people who are caught up in what’s normal and easy in our culture. How do we live faithfully in this tension?

• MCUSA Convention Sign Up: A sign-up sheet for the MCUSA convention this summer is available on the church bulletin board. Any youth who would like to attend convention should sign up!

• Moving Help: The Hershberger family will be moving from their home in Cleveland to their new home in Bay Village on Saturday, March 8 at 10am. If you are interested in helping with the move, please reach out to either Lance or Monica for more information.

• MMN Prayer Request: Mennonite Mission Network requests prayer for Kate Widmer, who is part of a team that works alongside the residents of a low-income area in eastern France, through the outreach programs of The Prairie Church of Montbéliard. Pray for her and the neighbors she relates to through sewing classes, a bookstore and café, and mentoring young people.

• How To Be An Enemy Sermon Series: The radical way of Jesus, of love and service for “the least of these,” is increasingly at odds with the direction of our culture and political climate. Truly following Jesus means we might seem like an ‘enemy’ to people who are caught up in what’s normal and easy in our culture. How do we live faithfully in this tension?

• MCUSA Convention Sign Up: A sign-up sheet for the MCUSA convention this summer is available on the church bulletin board. Any youth who would like to attend convention should sign up!

• Moving Help: The Hershberger family will be moving from their home in Cleveland to their new home in Bay Village on Saturday, March 8 at 10am. If you are interested in helping with the move, please reach out to either Lance or Monica for more information.

• MCC’s Great Winter Warm-Up: Help take the sting out of winter’s chill by joining MCC’s Great Winter Warm-Up!This winter, compassionate people like you are giving the gift of warm comforters to those in need around the world. Help MCC meet our goal to collect 7,000 comforters by the end of March. Sponsor a comforter, donate one (or a few!) or attend a comforter making event! It’s more than a warm blanket — it’s a message of love and compassion. Learn more at mcc.org/great-winter-warm-up

• Welcome, Chibuzo Petty!: Chibuzo N. Petty is a minister, organizer, and author living in Cleveland, Ohio with their wife and two daughters.

• Encounter Invitation: All are welcome to “Encounter,” a monthly gathering led by Ted Steiner and Anita Yoder. We meet at 7pm at First Baptist Church in Shaker Heights for a time of silence, singing, and sharing. We think it is very important to build community with one another, listening together for God’s loving voice. Please feel free to invite any neighbors or friends who might enjoy and benefit from our gathering. Upcoming dates are: January 26, March 2, March 30, April 27, June 1.

• MCUSA Convention Sign Up: A sign-up sheet for the MCUSA convention this summer is available on the church bulletin board. Any youth who would like to attend convention should sign up!

• Thank You from MCC: Greetings in the name of Christ. Thank you for your donation to Mennonite Central Committee which will be used to help those who are suffering around the world. The past year has seen conflicts intensify, wars threaten more people and weather disasters cause devastation around the planet. But your contributions of kits, canned meat and comforters have helped children cope with some of the challenges they face every day. Thank you. With gratitude for your generosity, Sarah Doerksen – MCC Great Lakes Material Resource Coordinator

• Peaceful Practices Curriculum: Join MCC for a free webinar exploring Peaceful Practices curriculum. Conflict is a normal part of life. It arises in our workplaces, in our churches and with our families. Peaceful Practices: A guide to healthy communication in conflict invites churchgoers to follow Jesus’ call to peacemaking through dialogue with each other. On Friday, January 31, from 9-11:30 am. EST, this webinar will introduce this curriculum and give examples of how it might benefit congregations. Learn more and register at mcc.org/peaceful-practices-webinar

• My Coins Count: Next Sunday, January 26 is our next My Coins Count collection. Bring your change, cash, or checks to help support the mission and ministries of the Mennonite Central Committee.

• MCUSA Convention Sign Up: A sign-up sheet for the MCUSA convention this summer is available on the church bulletin board. Any youth who would like to attend convention should sign up!

• MMN Prayer Request: Mennonite Mission Network requests prayer for the South American celebration of Anabaptism at 500, taking place in Cusco, Peru. Pray that during these five days of worship, learning and fellowship, Anabaptists will experience renewed inspiration to carry their rich spiritual legacy into current contexts.

• MCUSA News: Beginning on January 18, 2025 the Anabaptism at 500 Read-a-thon will be available to stream online and will conclude on January 21, 2025, with a live-streamed worship/celebration in Goshen, Indiana (USA) as we read together the final passage from Revelations and celebrate the launch of the Anabaptist Community Bible. Tune in to the MennoMedia (https://www.facebook.com/MennoMedia) & Anabaptism at 500: https://www.facebook.com/Anabaptismat500 Facebook pages to watch the livestream!