Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship
February 28, 2010

Gathering Hymns Blessed assurance HWB 332
                         I need thee every hour HWB 555

Welcome
(Visitors are invited to fill out a welcome card and place it in the offering basket.)

Call to Worship
Leader: Sometimes we stumble in deep darkness.
People: Even then, God is our shelter.
Leader: Sometimes we clutch the things of this world.
People: Even then, the Spirit can pry us loose.
Leader: Sometimes we insist on staying the way we are.
People: Even then, Jesus can transform our lives.

Affirmation of Faith HWB 711

Hymn My hope is built on nothing less HWB 343

Scripture Psalm 27

Offering Prayer

Offering

Scripture Luke 13:31-35

Children's Story

Hymn Herr, füll mich neu (God, fill me now) STS 63

Sermon Hen in the foxhouse OR Why didn't Jesus listen to the Pharisees for once? OR Why was Jesus crucified?

Confession
God of truth, often the darkness is of our own making.
We find that we have fallen in love with the shadows,
and would rather blame someone else than face our weakness.
(silence)
Help us to open our eyes to you, the source of light. Amen.

Assurance HWB 707

Response Hymn The Lord is my light STJ 97

Moment for Mission Safe Sanctuary

Sharing Joys, Concerns and Reflections and Introduction of Visitors

Prayers of the Community

Benediction
Leader: God of light, you are the source of all true seeing.
People: Let our families see your light.
Leader: Let our communities see your light.
People: Let your light spread throughout the world. Amen.

Hymn The peace of the earth be with you STJ 77

We warmly welcome all who are visiting with us today!

A supervised nursery, located next to the main entrance, for newborns through age 3
Children's Circle, which meets in the basement during the second half of the worship service, for children ages 3 through 7

Sunday, February 28-- Safe Sanctuary Brown Bag Luncheon , after church, first of two dates for discussion, please attend if possible. (See NOTES for complete details.)

New City Presbyterian continues their weekly 5pm worship services in our building on Sunday evenings. To aid in the process of leaving the church in a clean and orderly condition for them , please set in order the books in your pew and remove bulletins and any stray items from the worship area. Thank you.

Wednesday, March 3-- City Gospel Mission

Sunday, March 7-- IHN Volunteers Potluck Training Lunch (See NOTES for complete details.)

Sunday, March 14 --PJOS (8:30am, Peace House)
Sunday, March 14 --Safe Sanctuary Brown Bag Luncheon, after church (second date, replaces Second Sunday Potluck for this month)

Pastor Joel's Whereabouts
Beyond congregational duties, below are some of Pastor Joel's present activities:

Recent:
Saturday, February 13th - CDC regional gathering, Bluffton, OH

Upcoming :
Ongoing work with Healthy Sexuality resource through Mennonite Publishing Network
Tuesday, March 2nd- Oakley Community Council re: Food Pantry expansion
Friday-Saturday, March 5th-6h -In Atlanta for consultant work with Fund for Theological
Friday-Saturday March 12-13 - Ohio Conference Annual Conference Assembly, Arch i bold, OH
Mondays are Sabbath.

Our Lenten worship theme this year is "Holding on and letting go," a reminder to hold on to what is most important and let go of that which hinders our walk with God. This week's lectionary readings for meditation are: Isaiah 55:1-9; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9.

Church Council has reviewed the Safe Sanctuary draft proposed by the Safe Sanctuary committee, and affirmed the draft at the January Council meeting. Council is ready to get congregational feedback in the form of brown-bag lunches on Feb. 28 and March 14. Members of Council and the Safe Sanctuary committee will be leading discussion groups in which all teens and adults are invited to raise questions and concerns about the Safe Sanctuary Plan. Please mark your calendar to join a brown-bag lunch one of the two dates. Once these questions and concerns have been addressed, and any necessary modifications made to the Plan, at a later date this winter/spring, Council will be asking for congregational approval of the Plan. If you are unable to attend a scheduled brown-bag lunch, and have questions/concerns about the Plan that you would like answered, please contact any member of Church Council: Beth B., Rosella C., Jim M., Anne H. or William B.. Do not wait to ask your questions until the congregational approval meeting (late winter/early spring), as Council hopes to have all questions/concerns raised before this time. Hard copies of the Safe Sanctuary Plan are in each mailbox. Please read this document thoroughly prior to attending one of the brown-bag lunch discussion meetings.
Please note that there is also a set of supporting documents which have been drafted by the Safe Sanctuary committee. The supporting documents are working documents which are not a part of the Plan per se, and require no congregational action . These supporting documents provide one way to implement each part of the Plan and have been drafted in an attempt to make initial implementation easier for the permanent Safe Sanctuary committee. However, the committee and Council welcome feedback and suggestions on any of these working documents. Hard copies of these are available by the church mailboxes and anyone is welcome to take a copy.

In preparation for the brown bag lunches about the Safe Sanctuary Plan, please be aware that there are copies of a DVD from the congregational meeting in November, 2008, where the first congregational discussion about a safe sanctuary plan occurred. The DVD provides a valuable introduction to the ideas and questions that CMF'ers raised and that the Safe Sanctuary committee subsequently considered in the drafting of a plan. In a basket next to the mailboxes, there are several copies of the DVD which can be checked out.

We are one of five Oakley congregations who support and help operate the Oakley Community Food Pantry which feeds 150+ people/month. These congregations will be collecting food throughout the year and focusing on particular items each month. March is cereal month. All donated items (cereal and other pantry items) can be placed on the desk top in the kitchen. Thanks for helping support the pantry and contributing to Oakley household food needs.

Ten Thousand Villages of Cincinnati is in need of more volunteers' hours. If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering in the store, please contact Elizabeth Russ at tenthousandvillagesofCincinnatifuse.net phone: 513-871-5840.If you are already a volunteer and have some time to give the store, now is a great time to help out.

Our Advent/Christmas offering of coins for MCC's Penny Power project totaled $227.58. Thank you for donating your spare change to create global change! Penny Power raises money for Mennonite Central Committee projects of peace, relief and development around the world.

Book Club will meet on Saturday, February 27, 6pm at Jim & Joy M.'s home. A meal will be served. The book to be discussed is "Alex & Me" by Irene Pepperberg.

All of our church IHN volunteers are invited and urged to attend the Potluck Training Lunch at First Unitarian on Sunday, March 7 at 12:30 pm. Please bring a dessert to share.

The PJOS committee will meet on Sunday, March 14 at 8:30 am in the Peace House.

Nick Miller will be participating in the Equality Ride for the next two months. This bus trip visits universities all across the country with policies that expel students who come out as GLBT. The mission of the Ride is to reach out to these schools, from a place of non-violence and engage in productive and meaningful dialogue with the hopes of changes in, minds, and policy. For more information, or to donate visit www.soulforce.org/nick_miller .

A message from Elizabeth NN:
Daniel, Douglas, and I (Elizabeth NN) are in a local children's choir, Young Voices ( www.young-voices.org ). We have all learned lots and lots from this program, and is one of my favorite activities. In our upcoming move, it will be one of the hardest things to leave. As our spring fundraiser we are selling flats of flowers. They are from a good company, McCabe's Greenhouse and Floral in Aurora, IN. I need your orders and money by Sunday, Feb 28, and the flowers will be delivered to you on May 3. We have Jumbo flats (36 plants) of begonias, marigolds, impatiens, petunias, vinca periwinkles for $15. We also have Flats (12 plants) and ½ flats (6 plants) of zonal geraniums and wave petunias; the flats are $45 and the ½ flats are $25. We rely on community support, and so I would really appreciate your support. Thanks!

Try on service this summer with Youth Venture
Get ready for a new adventure and be a part of what God is doing around the world. If you are between the ages of 14 and 22, and are interested in spending some time serving and learning alongside other young adults, Youth Venture may be for you. Youth Venture gives you a chance to try new things, meet new people, and learn about a new culture through the eyes of a local church or host community. During summer 2010, you can travel with teams and a leader to locations like Bolivia, Botswana, France, southern California and Montreal, among others. For more information about Youth Venture, visit Service.MennoniteMission.net or e-mail ArloaBMennoniteMission.net.

Prayers for Faith and Learning:
Pray for the 24 students taking courses online through Eastern Mennonite Seminary. Many of these students are balancing careers, families and congregations along with their studies.

Prayers for the Mennonite Mission Network:
Evangelist Yukari Kaga completes her fourth two-year term with the Tokachi-area Mennonite churches in Japan next month. Pray that God may provide financial support and accountability structures to enable her continued ministry.

Journey Groups

Art & Spirituality
March 21, 5:30pm @ home of Tiffany M.
Spiritual Journey
March 16, 6pm @ Peace House
Men's Group (Open)
TBA
Open Group (Open)
February 25, 6:30pm @ home of Christine S.

Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship
March 7, 2010

Gathering Hymns Jesus, stand among us HWB 25
                         Many and great, O God HWB 35

Welcome
(Visitors are invited to fill out a welcome card and place it in the offering basket.)

Call to Worship
Leader: Like parched ground waits for rain,
People: we long for God, body and soul.
Leader: When we see God's power and glory
People: we can't help but lift our hands in praise.
Leader: God is the one we seek,
People: the one we'll hold on to.

Affirmation of Faith HWB 715

Hymn Breathe on me, breath of God HWB 356

Scripture Isaiah 55:1-9

Offering Prayer

Offering

Scripture Luke 13:1-13

Children's Story

Hymn I sought the Lord HWB 506

Sermon Extending grace into chaos

Confession
Source of everything good, we have worshipped other gods,
and hungered and thirsted for things that do not satisfy.
(silence)
Do not test us beyond our strength,
but restore us in Jesus' name. Amen.

Response Hymn Slowly turning, ever turning STJ 23

Sharing Joys, Concerns and Reflections and Introduction of Visitors

Prayers of the Community

Benediction
Leader: Leaving behind what does not satisfy,
People: and letting go of our pride, greed and selfishness,
Leader: let us look to God
People: and share what we've received.

Hymn May the grace of Christ our Savior HWB 423

We warmly welcome all who are visiting with us today!

Children's Circle, which meets in the basement during the second half of the worship service, for children ages 3 through 7

Sunday, March 7--IHN Volunteers Potluck Training Lunch (See NOTES for complete details.)

New City Presbyterian continues their weekly 5pm worship services in our building on Sunday evenings.To aid in the process of leaving the church in a clean and orderly condition for them , please set in order the books in your pew and remove bulletins and any stray items from the worship area. Thank you.

Tuesday, March 9-- Community Meal (5pm)
Thursday, March 11-- SLT (6:30pm)

Sunday, March 14 --PJOS (8:30am, Peace House)
Sunday, March 14 --Safe Sanctuary Brown Bag Luncheon , after church
(second date, replaces Second Sunday Potluck for this month)

Thursday, March 25-- Council (6pm)
Sunday, March 28-- Book Club (after church, see NOTES for complete details.)

Pastor Joel's Whereabouts
Beyond congregational duties, below are some of Pastor Joel's present activities:
Recent:
Tuesday, March 2nd- Oakley Community Council re: Food Pantry expansion
Friday-Saturday, March 5th-6th -In Atlanta for consultant work with Fund for Theological Education

Upcoming:
Ongoing work with Healthy Sexuality resource through Mennonite Publishing Network
Friday-Saturday March 12-13 - Ohio Conference Annual Conference Assembly, Archibold, OH
Sat-Sunday, March 20-21, - Quarterly Weekend Off . In Chicago with siblings.
Mondays are Sabbath.

Our Lenten worship theme this year is "Holding on and letting go," a reminder to hold on to what is most important and let go of that which hinders our walk with God. This week's lectionary readings for meditation are: Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32.

In keeping with the spirit of Lent as a time of letting go , stripping our lives down to the bare essentials, we will be removing one item from the sanctuary platform each week of the season such that the Sunday before Easter it will be completely bare. We hope that the opening of the space can also lead to an opening of spiritual space as we worship.
-- worship committee

All of our church IHN volunteers are invited and urged to attend the Potluck Training Lunch at First Unitarian on Sunday, March 7 at 12:30 pm. Please bring a dessert to share.

Church Council has reviewed the Safe Sanctuary draft proposed by the Safe Sanctuary committee, and affirmed the draft at the January Council meeting. Council is ready to get congregational feedback in the form of brown-bag lunches on Feb. 28 and March 14. Members of Council and the Safe Sanctuary committee will be leading discussion groups in which all teens and adults are invited to raise questions and concerns about the Safe Sanctuary Plan. Please mark your calendar to join a brown-bag lunch one of the two dates. Once these questions and concerns have been addressed, and any necessary modifications made to the Plan, at a later date this winter/spring, Council will be asking for congregational approval of the Plan.
If you are unable to attend a scheduled brown-bag lunch, and have questions/concerns about the Plan that you would like answered, please contact any member of Church Council: Beth B., Rosella C., Jim M., Anne H. or William B.. Do not wait to ask your questions until the congregational approval meeting (late winter/early spring), as Council hopes to have all questions/concerns raised before this time. Hard copies of the Safe Sanctuary Plan are in each mailbox. Please read this document thoroughly prior to attending one of the brown-bag lunch discussion meetings.
Please note that there is also a set of supporting documents which have been drafted by the Safe Sanctuary committee. The supporting documents are working documents which are not a part of the Plan per se, and require no congregational action . These supporting documents provide one way to implement each part of the Plan and have been drafted in an attempt to make initial implementation easier for the permanent Safe Sanctuary committee. However, the committee and Council welcome feedback and suggestions on any of these working documents. Hard copies of these are available by the church mailboxes and anyone is welcome to take a copy.


In preparation for the brown bag lunches about the Safe Sanctuary Plan, please be aware that there are copies of a DVD from the congregational meeting in November, 2008, where the first congregational discussion about a safe sanctuary plan occurred. The DVD provides a valuable introduction to the ideas and questions that CMF'ers raised and that the Safe Sanctuary committee subsequently considered in the drafting of a plan. In a basket next to the mailboxes, there are several copies of the DVD which can be checked out.

The PJOS committee will meet on Sunday, March 14 at 8:30 am in the Peace House.

Camp Luz Men's Retreat! March 19-21, 2010. Speaker: Andy Stoner, ``The Samson Syndrome: Looking at Male Sexuality, Spirituality and Relationships.'' Cost: $85 per person. See brochure at the bulletin boards area or visit www.campluz.com for a printable form.

Book Club will meet on Sunday, March 28 after church at Dumesh Indian Restaurant at 944 Ludlow in Clifton.The book to be discussed is "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides.

Save the date! The next Peace Church Brunch will be held at the Peaslee Neighborhood Center, 215 E. 14th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 (free parking lot next to center) on Saturday, April 10 from 10am to 12pm.

We are one of five Oakley congregations who support and help operate the Oakley Community Food Pantry which feeds 150+ people/month. These congregations will be collecting food throughout the year and focusing on particular items each month. March is cereal month. All donated items (cereal and other pantry items) can be placed on the desk top in the kitchen. Thanks for helping support the pantry and contributing to Oakley household food needs.

Ten Thousand Villages of Cincinnati is in need of more volunteers' hours. If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering in the store, please contact Elizabeth Russ at tenthousandvillagesofCincinnatifuse.net phone: 513-871-5840.If you are already a volunteer and have some time to give the store, now is a great time to help out.


Our Advent/Christmas offering of coins for MCC's Penny Power project totaled $227.58. Thank you for donating your spare change to create global change! Penny Power raises money for Mennonite
Central Committee projects of peace, relief and development around the world.

MCC Great Lakes is extremely grateful to each of you who have contributed to MCC in the past few months. Thanks to your generous support, nearly $11 million has been raised for immediate and long-term relief and development efforts following the earthquake in Haiti. In addition, response to the January bulletin announcement raised $30,705 toward the total Goshen meat canning budget of $122,000.
We offer a sincere ``thank you'' for entrusting your resources and prayer support to MCC. We appreciate your support as we continue to work locally and around the world in the name of Christ.

God's creation will nurture you through canoe trips, cabins, yurt, and retreats at Wilderness Wind , a Mennonite camp based in Ely, Minnesota near the Boundary Waters. WW is taking reservations for summer 2010. Special retreats - Lakeside Writer's Retreat with Jeff Gundy and Julia Spicher Kasdorf, Quilter's retreat, Primitive Living Skills for those who want new challenges, and Fishing for smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike. Check www.wildernesswind.org or call 316-217-1129.

Prayers for Faith and Learning:
Pray for Ervin Stutzman, the new executive director for Mennonite Church USA, during his installation service today in
Harrisonburg, Va. Pray also for safe travel for those who attend.

Prayers for the Mennonite Mission Network:
Recruiting teachers for LCC International University, a four-year Christian liberal arts college in Lithuania, is becoming increasingly difficult due to the global recession and new migration laws. Pray for Robin Gingerich, director of LCC's English language programs, and for a complete staff for the coming academic year.

Journey Groups

Art & Spirituality
March 21, 5:30pm @ home of Tiffany M.
Spiritual Journey
March 16, 6pm @ Peace House
Men's Group (Open)
TBA
Open Group (Open)
TBA

Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship
March 14, 2010

Gathering Hymns I sing the might power of God HWB 46
                         I will come to you in the silence STS 49

Welcome
(Visitors are invited to fill out a welcome card and place it in the offering basket.)

Call to Worship
Leader: Brokenness and fear and narrowed our vision.
People: We yearn for true perspective.
Leader: Look. God shows us the path to walk,
People: in this we can rejoice.

Confession of Faith HWB 714

Hymn God of the Bible STJ 27

Scripture Joshua 5:9-12

Offering Prayer

Offering

Three readings of
the Parable of the Prodigal Son   Luke 15: 1-2; 11-32

Children's Story

Hymn Far, far away from my loving father HWB 139

Sermon    Home

Confession
Loving Father, Welcoming Mother, our quest to find ourselves
often leads to more harm than good.
We wonder in the wilderness, we stop looking for manna
and start laboring for produce of our own making.
(silence)
You bring us back into your wide embrace.
You give us a resting place of comfort and joy.

Response Hymn Love divine, all loves excelling HWB 592

Sharing Joys, Concerns and Reflections and Introduction of Visitors

Prayers of the Community

Benediction
Leader: God created us and said it was good.
People: We accept this high calling.
Leader: God put the Spirit within us.
People: We cherish and listen to the Spirit.
Leader: Strengthened and healed,
All: we go now to serve a world that needs God.

Hymn The Lord lift you up STJ 73

A supervised nursery, located next to the main entrance, for newborns through age 3
Children's Circle, which meets in the basement during the second half of the worship service, for children ages 3 through 7

Sunday, March 14PJOS (8:30am, Peace House)
Sunday, March 14Safe Sanctuary Brown Bag Luncheon, after church
(second date, replaces Second Sunday Potluck for this month)

New City Presbyterian continues their weekly 5pm worship services in our building on Sunday evenings. To aid in the process of leaving the church in a clean and orderly condition for them , please set in order the books in your pew and remove bulletins and any stray items from the worship area. Thank you.

Sunday, March 23 Community Meal (5pm)
Thursday, March 25 Council (6pm)
Friday, March 26 HCATF Night Hike (6:30pm, Mt. Airy)

Sunday, March 28 Book Club (after church, see NOTES for details.)
Wednesday, March 31 Worship (7pm)



Pastor Joel's Whereabouts
Beyond congregational duties, below are some of Pastor Joel's present activities:
Recent:
Friday-Saturday, March 5th-6th -In Atlanta for consultant work with The Fund for Theological Education
Friday-Saturday March 12-13 - Ohio Conference Annual Conference Assembly, Archbold, OH
Upcoming:
Ongoing work with Healthy Sexuality resource through Mennonite Publishing Network
Sat-Sunday, March 20-21 - Quarterly Weekend Off.In Chicago with siblings
Wednesday, March 24 - Resource Day, at Columbus Mennonite Church
Friday, March 26 - Oakley Food Pantry Board Meeting
Mondays are a Sabbath.

Our Lenten worship theme this year is "Holding on and letting go," a reminder to hold on to what is most imp ortant and let go of that which hinders our walk with God. This week's lectionary readings for meditation are: Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8.

In keeping with the spirit of Lent as a time of letting go , stripping our lives down to the bare essentials, we will be removing one item from the sanctuary platform each week of the season such that the Sunday before Easter it will be completely bare. We hope that the opening of the space can also lead to an opening of spiritual space as we worship.
                                                                                                                                                 -- worship committee

In accordance with our soon to be adopted Safe Sanctuary Plan's aspiration to protect our children/youth from sexual abuse in the church setting, we have installed a panic bar and peephole on the basement entrance. Beginning Sunday March 7 this door will be locked at 9:45 a.m. and folks who arrive later will need to enter via the Brownway Avenue entrance. The basement door will be able to be opened from the inside, in (for example) a fire emergency, by any child or adult. This door will be re-opened immediately following the worship service to allow for easy in/out access by those exiting the church, and will be re-locked by the Facilities person in charge of lock-up at the end of the morning.

Camp Luz Men's Retreat! March 19-21, 2010. Speaker: Andy Stoner, ``The Samson Syndrome: Looking at Male Sexuality, Spirituality and Relationships.'' Cost: $85 per person. See brochure at the bulletin boards area or visit www.campluz.com for a printable form.

HCATF would like to invite everyone to join in for their next two fitness activities. For Friday, March 26, a night hike at Mt. Airy is planned for 6:30pm. If the trails are too muddy the back-up plan is to do a downtown hike. (Eat out afterwards.) For Sunday, April 18 , right after church, we'll meet for a picnic at California Woods and then have a spring wildflower hike.

Book Club will meet on Sunday, March 28 after church at Dumesh Indian Restaurant at 944 Ludlow in Clifton. The book to be discussed is "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides.

Easter is fast approaching and with that comes the CMF Easter Brunch! A signup sheet is available in the foyer for anyone who wishes to bring a dish. The brunch will be served Sunday, April 4, at 9:30am.

See the fresh look of The Mennonite . Our group subscription plan to The Mennonite is renewing. If you are interested in joining our group plan or to continue your subscription, please contact Violet in the church office by April 7. You will begin receiving the 64 page, monthly magazine with the 2010 May issue.

Consider attending Beyond Borders conference on immigration to be held at Bluffton University March 19-21. The conference will focus on the reality of immigration in the US today and initiatives for immigration reform. Carroll Rodas, author of Christians at the Border:, the Church and the Bible provide the keynote address Friday evening as well as the message during the bilingual worship service Sunday morning. Velasquez, President of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, will deliver a Saturday noon keynote. Over 20 workshops will cover legal issues, immigrant stories, education, the border, the dream act and other pending legislation, as well as many other issues. Pablo Peregrina, singer/songwriter from Tuscon, AZ, will share a concert Saturday evening. Cost is $50 (or $20 for students and low income) and includes all Saturday meals and cultural event. registration and more info, go to www.bluffton.edu/beyondborders/ call Paul Neufeld Weaver 419-358-3327lodging in local homes is offered to all attendees. We are encouraging High School students to attend as we have a number of workshops appropriate for youth. evening and Sunday morning events are open to all, free of charge. If you want to attend Saturday events we ask you to register in advance.

Hyde Park Bethlehem United Methodist Church would like to invite you to their 57th annual Sauerkraut Dinner, March 20 , 5-7pm. Details are posted at the bulletin boards.

Save the date! The next Peace Church Brunch will be held at the Peaslee Neighborhood Center, 215 E. 14th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 (free parking lot next to center) on Saturday, April 10 from 10am to 12pm.

Would you be willing to host people who are marching from New Orleans, LA to Detroit, MI with the group Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign ? Hosts would be expected to provide overnight accommodations, a meal and transportation to a meeting place in Cincinnati, so the group could continue marching. Please contact Rachel Smith if you are interested. For information about this effort please visit their website http://old.economichumanrights.org/index.shtml .

We are one of five Oakley congregations who support and help operate the Oakley Community Food Pantry which feeds 150+ people/month. These congregations will be collecting food throughout the year and focusing on particular items each month. March is cereal month. All donated items (cereal and other pantry items) can be placed on the desk top in the kitchen. Thanks for helping support the pantry and contributing to Oakley household food needs.

Ten Thousand Villages of Cincinnati is in need of more volunteers' hours. If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering in the store, please contact Elizabeth Russ at tenthousandvillagesofCincinnatifuse.net phone: 513-871-5840.If you are already a volunteer and have some time to give the store, now is a great time to help out.

Austin Kocher of the Columbus Mennonite Church, Columbus, OH, is interested in gathering Resource Group to work on the immigration issue on a longer term basis . If you or someone in your c ongregation might be interested in being a part of this immigration work group, please contact Austin at ackochergmail.com or 614-406-5037.

When God calls someone to ministry, a journey begins. Perhaps you are on that journey. Perhaps you are looking for mentors and companions along the way. Central District Conference invites you to join Journey: A Conference-based Leadership Development Program. This program is for pastors and other congregational leaders who are called without specific training for ministry or who are exploring a call to pastoral ministry. The deadline to apply for fall 2010 is August 1. For more information visit www.journeyprogram.net or contact your pastor or Lois Johns Kaufmann at confmin@mcusacdc.org or at 574-534-1485.

Thinking about what's ahead this fall? Are you a young adult interested in discovering more about God, yourself and others? Would you like to be part of a team that invests a year serving and learning together in a cross-cultural setting? Are you someone who enjoys a challenge and takes initiative to build relationships? Radical Journey may be just what you're looking for! To learn more about Radical Journey, view location descriptions, or apply now for the 2010-2011 year, visit Service.MennoniteMission.net or e-mail KaySMennoniteMission.net .

Narrative: Rediscovering the Sacred (May 14-16 at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center) Learn how to enter into the stories of Scripture and share their truth with others through drama and Biblical retelling. Join Ted & Co. TheaterWorks for a weekend workshop filled with laughter, excitement, the sacred and profound. Come as a drama team or student group and receive a discount. 800.839.1021 or L aurelville.org .

God's creation will nurture you through canoe trips, cabins, yurt, and retreats at Wilderness Wind , a Mennonite camp based in Ely, Minnesota near the Boundary Waters. WW is taking reservations for summer 2010. Special retreats - Lakeside Writer's Retreat with Jeff Gundy and Julia Spicher Kasdorf, Quilter's retreat, Primitive Living Skills for those who want new challenges, and Fishing for smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike. Check www.wildernesswind.org or call 316-217-1129.


Prayers for Faith and Learning:
Praise God for the alumni of Mennonite elementary and secondary schools who are sharing God's love with others throughout our world.

Prayers for the Mennonite Mission Network:
Many college groups participate in DOOR (Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection) over spring break.for growth through their experiences both in the lives of the students and those they serve and the application of this new understanding in their lives.

Journey Groups

Art & Spirituality
March 21, 5:30pm @ home of Tiffany M.

Spiritual Journey
March 16, 6pm @ Peace House

Men's Group (Open)
TBA
Open Group (Open)

April 15, 7pm @ home o f Judy VH

Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship
March 21, 2010

Gathering Hymns There's a wideness in God's mercy HWB 145
                          Yonder come day STJ 115

Welcome
(Visitors are invited to fill out a welcome card and place it in the offering basket.)

Call to Worship
Leader: When God restored us, it was like a dream:
People: we laughed aloud and shouted for joy.
Leader: Those around us notice the difference:
People: they saw what God had done.
All: This is what we long for: God's saving presence, always.

Confession of Faith STJ 135   

Hymn I sing the mighty power of God HWB 46

Scripture Isaiah 43:16-21

Offering Prayer

Offering

Scripture Philippians 3:4b-14 

Children's Story

Hymn From ashes to the living fount STS 59 v. 3 is Sunday III

Hearing Anew John 12: 1-8 

Scripture      Scripture      Scripture
Silence        Silence        Silence
Parallels      Prelude        Reflection

Confession
There have been times, Lord, when we had confidence in ourselves,
but life has jolted us into reality.
Everything we have stockpiled can disappear overnight.
(silence)
Only with you there is stability.
We want to partner with you, our forever Rock. Amen.

Assurance HWB 709

Response Hymn My Jesus, I love thee HWB 522

Ohio Conference ACA Moment of Sharing

Sharing Joys, Concerns and Reflections and Introduction of Visitors

Prayers of the Community

Benediction
Leader: Beloved by God, a blessing to your congregation,
go now as God's emissaries into the world.
People: We are willing. Use us, Lord. Amen.

Hymn God be with you HWB 430

We warmly welcome all who are visiting with us today!

A supervised nursery, located next to the main entrance, for newborns through age 3
Children's Circle, which meets in the basement during the second half of the worship service, for children ages 3 through 7

New City Presbyterian continues their weekly 5pm worship services in our building on Sunday evenings. To aid in the process of leaving the church in a clean and orderly condition for them , please set in order the books in your pew and remove bulletins and any stray items from the worship area. Thank you.

Tuesday, March 23 Community Meal (5pm)
Thursday, March 25 Council (6pm)
Friday, March 26 HCATF Night Hike (6:30pm, Mt. Airy)

Sunday, March 28 Book Club (after church, see NOTES for details.)
Wednesday, March 31 Worship (7pm)

Wednesday, April 7 City Gospel Mission
Saturday, April 10 Peace Church Brunch, Peaslee Neighborhood Center
10am-12pm (see NOTES and bulletin board for details)



Pastor Joel's Whereabouts
Beyond congregational duties, below are some of Pastor Joel's present activities:

Recent:
Friday-Saturday March 12-13 - Ohio Conference Annual Conference Assembly, Archbold, OH
Friday-Sunday, March 19-21, - Quarterly Weekend Off. In Chicago with siblings.
Upcoming:
Wednesday March 24 - CDC Resource Day, Columbus Mennonite Church
Friday, March 26 - Oakley Food Pantry board meeting
Friday, April 2 - Good Friday Way of the Cross/Way of Justice IPJC event
Ongoing work with Healthy Sexuality resource through Mennonite Publishing Network
Mondays are a Sabbath.

Next Sunday, March 28 , is the final Sunday of Lent and we will be sharing in Communion together. I n preparation, you are invited to consider how entering into Communion is an act of entering into the way of the cross.

Our Lenten worship theme this year is "Holding on and letting go," a reminder to hold on to what is most important and let go of that which hinders our walk with God.This week's lectionary readings for meditation are: Luke 19: 28-40; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Isaiah 50:4-9a,; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 22:14-23:56.

In keeping with the spirit of Lent as a time of letting go , stripping our lives down to the bare essentials, we will be removing one item from the sanctuary platform each week of the season such that the Sunday before Easter it will be completely bare. We hope that the opening of the space can also lead to an opening of spiritual space as we worship.
-- worship committee

We will be holding a Maundy Thursday service on April 1 at 7:30pm. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for details. -- worship committee

All people new to Cincinnati Mennonite and/or interested in knowing more about the congregation and Mennonite/Anabaptist faith are invited to participate in the Adult Inquirer's Class during the Sunday school hour, from 9:30-10:30am. The class will begin April 11th and run six weeks, ending May 16th, taught by Pastor Joel. Call or email Joel if you have interest or questions.

In accordance with our soon to be adopted Safe Sanctuary Plan's aspiration to protect our children/youth from sexual abuse in the church setting, we have installed a panic bar and peephole on the basement entrance. Beginning Sunday March 7 this door will be locked at 9:45 a.m. and folks who arrive later will need to enter via the Brownway Avenue entrance. The basement door will be able to be opened from the inside, in (for example) a fire emergency, by any child or adult. This door will be re-opened immediately following the worship service to allow for easy in/out access by those exiting the church, and will be re-locked by the Facilities person in charge of lock-up at the end of the morning.

HCATF would like to invite everyone to join in for their next two fitness activities. For Friday, March 26, a night hike at Mt. Airy is planned for 6:30pm. If the trails are too muddy the back-up plan is to do a downtown hike. (Eat out afterwards.) For Sunday, April 18 , right after church, we'll meet for a picnic at California Woods and then have a spring wildflower hike.

Book Club will meet on Sunday, March 28 after church at Dumesh Indian Restaurant at 944 Ludlow in Clifton.The book to be discussed is "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides.

Easter is fast approaching and with that comes the CMF Easter Brunch! A signup sheet is available in the foyer for anyone who wishes to bring a dish. The brunch will be served Sunday, April 4, at 9:30am. (Reminder, we will not be having Sunday School.)

See the fresh look of The Mennonite . Our group subscription plan to The Mennonite is renewing. If you are interested in joining our group plan--or to continue your subscription--please contact Violet in the church office by April 7. You will begin receiving the 64 page, monthly magazine with the 2010 May issue.

Hyde Park Bethlehem United Methodist Church would like to invite you to their 57th annual Sauerkraut Dinner, March 20 , 5-7pm. Details are posted at the bulletin boards.

Save the date! The next Peace Church Brunch will be held at the Peaslee Neighborhood Center, 215 E. 14th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 (free parking lot next to center) on Saturday, April 10 from 10am to 12pm.

The IHN Annual Meeting& Volunteer Recognition is on Thursday, April 22 at Isaac Wise Temple in Amberley Village 6:00 to 7:30pm. There will be lots of refreshments and awards.

Would you be willing to host people who are marching from New Orleans, LA to Detroit, MI with the group Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign ? Hosts would be expected to provide overnight accommodations, a meal and transportation to a meeting place in Cincinnati, so the group could continue marching. Please contact Rachel S. if you are interested. For information about this effort please visit their website http://old.economichumanrights.org/index.shtml .

Austin Kocher of the Columbus Mennonite Church, Columbus, OH, is interested in gathering Resource Group to work on the immigration issue on a longer term basis . If you or someone in your congregation might be interested in being a part of this immigration work group, please contact Austin at ackochergmail.com or 614-406-5037.

When God calls someone to ministry, a journey begins. Perhaps you are on that journey. Perhaps you are looking for mentors and companions along the way. Central District Conference invites you to join Journey: A Conference-based Leadership Development Program. This program is for pastors and other congregational leaders who are called without specific training for ministry or who are exploring a call to pastoral ministry. The deadline to apply for fall 2010 is August 1. For more information visit www.journeyprogram.net or contact your pastor or Lois Johns Kaufmann at confminmcusacdc.org or at 574-534-1485.

Thinking about what's ahead this fall? Are you a young adult interested in discovering more about God, yourself and others? Would you like to be part of a team that invests a year serving and learning together in a cross-cultural setting? Are you someone who enjoys a challenge and takes initiative to build relationships? Radical Journey may be just what you're looking for! To learn more about Radical Journey, view location descriptions, or apply now for the 2010-2011 year, visit Service.MennoniteMission.net or e-mail KaySMennoniteMission.net .

Abolishing Capital Punishment Across CDC
The capital punishment death sentence is in active use in Ohio and to lesser degrees in other states in the Central District Conference. First Mennonite Church in Bluffton has a long standing interest in death penalty issues. On mornings of executions in Ohio they hold a prayer and peace vigil in the town square in Bluffton. They are interested in combining their efforts with others and to expand their witness to include a possible resolution at a CDC meeting, bringing in a speaker to address the issues surrounding capital punishment and possibly work at the state level to give voice to concerns on the death penalty. If you or persons in your congregation are interested please contact Steve Yoder, First Mennonite Church fmc.stevebluffton.edu 419 358-5766.

Narrative: Rediscovering the Sacred (May 14-16 at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center) Learn how to enter into the stories of Scripture and share their truth with others through drama and Biblical retelling. Join Ted & Co. TheaterWorks for a weekend workshop filled with laughter, excitement, the sacred and profound. Come as a drama team or student group and receive a discount. 800.839.1021 or Laurelville.org.

God's creation will nurture you through canoe trips, cabins, yurt, and retreats at Wilderness Wind , a Mennonite camp based in Ely, Minnesota near the Boundary Waters. WW is taking reservations for summer 2010. Special retreats - Lakeside Writer's Retreat with Jeff Gundy and Julia Spicher Kasdorf, Quilter's retreat, Primitive Living Skills for those who want new challenges, and Fishing for smallmouth ass, walleye, and northern pike.Check www.wildernesswind.org or call 316-217-1129.

Prayers for Faith and Learning:
Pray for the Bluffton University Camerata Singers as they share a music worship program with Grace Mennonite Church in Pandora, Ohio, today. The theme of the service is ``Live as true light.''

Prayers for the Mennonite Mission Network:
Mey Aruan and Nora Iwarat minister to Indonesian and Filipino domestic workers at Cheung Chau Christian Center in Hong Kong. Pray that these women may find strength and abundant life in God's word.

Journey Groups

Art & Spirituality
March 21, 5:30pm @ home of Tiffany M.
Spiritual Journey
April 20, 6pm @ Peace House
Men's Group (Open)
TBA
Open Group (Open)
April 15, 7pm @ home of Judy VH

Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship
March 28, 2010

Gathering Hymns Open now thy gates of beauty HWB 19
                          Rain down STJ 49

Scripture and Procession of the Palms Blessed be the name STS 75

Welcome
(Visitors are invited to fill out a welcome card and place it in the offering basket.)

Call to Worship
Leader: We bear witness to Jesus who became obedient unto death.
People: May we, too, become obedient.
Leader: We lift up Christ who emptied himself and became a servant.
People: May we, too, become servants.
All: We celebrate Jesus, our model.

Confession of Faith HWB 716    

Hymn At the name of Jesus HWB 342 verses 1,4,5

Scripture Isaiah 50:4-9a

Offering Prayer

Offering

Scripture Philippians 2:5-11

Children's Story

Hymn Hosanna, loud hosanna HWB 238

Sermon

LETTING GO

Confession
Be gracious to us, God, for we are in distress,
we waste away from grief.
(silence)
We trust you because you are our God.
Save us in your steadfast love. Amen.

Assurance HWB 706

Communion

Communion Hymns Eat this bread HWB 471
                            God, fill me now STS 63

Sharing Joys, Concerns and Reflections and Introduction of Visitors

Prayers of the Community

Benediction
Leader: A king has become one of us,
People: our teacher and our brother.
Leader: A ruler has become a servant to us,
People: our example and companion.
Leader: A leader invites us to a new way of life.
People: We will walk with him in humility.

Hymn Lift high the cross HWB 321

We warmly welcome all who are visiting with us today!

A supervised nursery, located next to the main entrance, for newborns through age 3
Children's Circle, which meets in the basement during the second half of the worship service, for children ages 3 through 7

Sunday, March 28 Book Club (after church, see NOTES for details.)

New City Presbyterian continues their weekly 5pm worship services in our building on Sunday evenings.
To aid in the process of leaving the church in a clean and orderly condition for them , please set in order the books in your pew and remove bulletins and any stray items from the worship area. Thank you.

Wednesday, March 31 Worship (7pm)

Wednesday, April 7 City Gospel Mission
Saturday, April 10 Peace Brunch, Peaslee Neighborhood Center 10am-12pm (see NOTES and bulletin board for details)



Pastor Joel's Whereabouts
Beyond congregational duties, below are some of Pastor Joel's present activities:
Recent:
Friday-Sunday, March 19-21, - Quarterly Weekend Off. In Chicago with siblings.
Wednesday March 24 - CDC Resource Day, Columbus Mennonite Church
Friday, March 26 - Oakley Food Pantry board meeting

Upcoming:
Friday, April 2 - Good Friday Way of the Cross/Way of Justice IPJC event
Thursday, April 8 - Ohio Conference Pastor Peer meeting, Springfield
Ongoing work with Healthy Sexuality resource through Mennonite Publishing Network
Mondays are a Sabbath.

Our Easter season worship theme is "New heavens and a new earth," celebrating the resurrection happens among us. For your own reflection throughout the week, you may wish to meditate on the lectionary readings for next Sunday's worship: Isaiah 65:17-25; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Acts 10:34-43; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26; John 20:1-18a.

We will be holding a Maundy Thursday service this week at 7:30pm . The tenebrae service will include prayer, song, and hearing the words of Scripture narrating the final days of Jesus' life. In keeping with Jesus' instruction to his disciples for them to wash one another's feet, there will be the opportunity for a handwashing ceremony. We will worship in a circle in the foyer area. Childcare will not be provided.
                                                                                                                                                   -- worship committee

All people new to Cincinnati Mennonite and/or interested in knowing more about the congregation and Mennonite/Anabaptist faith are invited to participate in the Adult Inquirer's Class during the Sunday school hour, from 9:30-10:30am. The class will begin April 11th and run six weeks, ending May 16th, taught by Pastor Joel. Call or email Joel if you have interest or questions.

In accordance with our soon to be adopted Safe Sanctuary Plan's aspiration to protect our children/youth from sexual abuse in the church setting, we have installed a panic bar and peephole on the basement entrance. Beginning Sunday March 7 this door will be locked at 9:45 a.m. and folks who arrive later will need to enter via the Brownway Avenue entrance. The basement door will be able to be opened from the inside, in (for example) a fire emergency, by any child or adult. This door will be re-opened immediately following the worship service to allow for easy in/out access by those exiting the church, and will be re-locked by the Facilities person in charge of lock-up at the end of the morning.

Book Club will meet on Sunday, March 28 after church at Dumesh Indian Restaurant at 944 Ludlow in Clifton.The book to be discussed is "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides.

Easter is fast approaching and with that comes the CMF Easter Brunch! A signup sheet is available in the foyer for anyone who wishes to bring a dish. The brunch will be served Sunday, April 4, at 9:30am. (Reminder, we will not be having Sunday School.)

See the fresh look of The Mennonite . Our group subscription plan to The Mennonite is renewing. If you are interested in joining our group plan-or to continue your subscription-please contact Violet in the church office by April 1. You will begin receiving the 64 page, monthly magazine with the 2010 May issue.

Save the date! The next Peace Brunch will be held at the Peaslee Neighborhood Center, 215 E. 14th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 (free parking lot next to center) on Saturday, April 10 from 10am to 12pm.

HCATF would like to invite everyone to a springtime picnic and wildflower hike at California Woods, Sunday April 18. We'll meet for the picnic at California Woods right after church. For directions or more information, please contact Jean S. or Jerry S..

The IHN Annual Meeting& Volunteer Recognition is on Thursday, April 22 at Isaac Wise Temple in Amberley Village 6 to 7:30pm.There will be lots of refreshments and awards.

Would you be willing to host people who are marching from New Orleans, LA to Detroit, MI with the group Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign ? Hosts would be expected to provide overnight accommodations, a meal and transportation to a meeting place in Cincinnati, so the group could continue marching. Please contact Rachel Smith if you are interested. For information about this effort please visit their website http://old.economichumanrights.org/index.shtml .

When God calls someone to ministry, a journey begins. Perhaps you are on that journey. Perhaps you are looking for mentors and companions along the way. Central District Conference invites you to join Journey: A Conference-based Leadership Development Program. This program is for pastors and other congregational leaders who are called without specific training for ministry or who are exploring a call to pastoral ministry. The deadline to apply for fall 2010 is August 1. For more information visit www.journeyprogram.net or contact your pastor or Lois Johns Kaufmann at confminmcusacdc.org or at 574-534-1485.

The new Camp Luz Summer 2010 brochures are in the foyer!

Thinking about what's ahead this fall? Are you a young adult interested in discovering more about God, yourself and others? Would you like to be part of a team that invests a year serving and learning together in a cross-cultural setting? Are you someone who enjoys a challenge and takes initiative to build relationships? Radical Journey may be just what you're looking for! To learn more about Radical Journey, view location descriptions, or apply now for the 2010-2011 year, visit Service.MennoniteMission.net or e-mail KaySMennoniteMission.net .

Prayers for Faith and Learning:
Thank God for the gifts of all Bethel College alumni especially Katrina Toews, Bethel's 2010 Young Alumnus Award winner, and her students, who give a dance presentation this evening. Pray also for Katrina who will speak during campus convocation tomorrow.

Prayers for the Mennonite Mission Network:
Pray that God would open the minds and hearts of Mennonite Mission Network personnel in their commitment to become an anti-racist agency.


Reminder: Violet will be on vacation April 2-11. Bulletins are being printed in advance for the 4th and 11th. Any pertinent announcements need to be sent to the office to be included as soon as possible. Thanks!

In my work as the Treatment Director at the Family Nurturing Center, April is a very important month. April is the month of the Blue Ribbon Campaign, not only for my agency, but all child abuse agencies in the tri state and nationally.
The Blue Ribbon Campaign began when a Virginia grandmother, Bonnie Finney, tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her van ``to make people wonder.'' The story she told to inquisitive community members was tragic. It was about the abuse of her grandchildren at the hands of their parents, which ultimately led to the brutal death of her grandson.
This April the Blue Ribbon Campaign will not only encourage the region to understand the problems of child abuse, but will also guide efforts in what we can do to help. Activities planned for April include awareness, prevention, education, and fund-raising. are a number of activities/events throughout the region that you can participate in. Please see below for some of the activities that you can participate in/support:

April 1 , 12:00 noon, Family Nurturing Center's Blue Ribbon Ceremony hosted by Tom Gill Chevrolet in Florence. A Northern Kentucky community event to raise awareness, recognize work done in the community to prevent child abuse and an opportunity to share resources.

April 23 ^rd 6:00pm The 21 ^st Take Back the Night, Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky comes together for this ``march'' and vigil raising awareness of sexual assault/abuse in the region (beginning at Sawyer Point, Cincinnati and marching to the Peace Bell in Newport, KY).MUSE, speakers, survivor speak out, Clothesline T Shirt Display among other activities.Check out the website for details www.takebackthenightcinci.weebly.com

April 24 , 8:00 am, Family Nurturing Center's Blue Ribbon 5K Race and Family Fun Walk. Route runs (or walks) through NKU's campus. opportunity for volunteers to work at the race and lots of fun for individuals, teams and families to run or walk!information is available on our website www.familynurture.org

April 25 , Blue Sunday. Congregations throughout the region will be raising awareness and offering prayers and support surrounding child abuse.

Journey Groups

Art & Spirituality
April 25, 5:30pm @ home of Connie B.
Spiritual Journey
April 20, 6pm @ Peace House
Men's Group (Open)
April 16, 8am @ Kellogg Country House
3742 Kellogg AveInside Ferguson Antique Mall
Open Group (Open)
April 15, 7pm @ home of Judy VH

New heavens and a new Earth;
Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship
April 4, 2010

EASTER SUNDAY: GRIEVING ALL THAT HAS GONE WRONG, WE MEET JESUS WHO SENDS US OUT TO TELL THE DEEPER TRUTH OF GOD ' S PLAN TO MAKE ALL THINGS NEW. LIKE MARY, WE SPEAK IN A NEW VOICE, RECOUNTING THE STORIES OF RESURRECTION WE SEE AROUND US.

Gathering Hymns For mornings bright STJ 113 v.1-3 with Easter verse
                         Come, ye faithful, raise the strain HWB 264
                         Christ is alive! Let Christians sing! HWB 278

Welcome
(Visitors are invited to fill out a welcome card and place it in the offering basket.)

Call to Worship
Leader: Early on Sunday morning,
           The stone, by miracle of movement,
           spoke without words--
People: "Christ is alive!''
Leader: Early on Sunday morning,
            Mary spoke in a new voice "Teacher!''
People: Christ is alive!

Procession of the Birds

Lighting of the Peace Candle

Call to Praise
Leader: Spring is risen!
People: Spring is risen indeed!
Leader: Hope is risen!
People: Hope is risen indeed!
Leader: Christ is risen!
All: Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!

Hymns Christ the Lord is risen today HWB 280
           Alleluia STS 87

Scripture Isaiah 65:17-25

Offering Prayer

Offering

Scripture John 20:1-18a

Children's Story

Hymn Jesus, stand among us HWB 25

Sermon New heavens and a new earth

Affirmation of Faith STS 178

Response Hymn Blessed assurance HWB 332

Testimony One Hundred Words

Sharing Joys, Concerns and Reflections and Introduction of Visitors

Prayers of the Community

Passing the Peace

Benediction

Hymn Christ has arisen HWB 267 v. 1, 5-6

We warmly welcome all who are visiting with us today!

A supervised nursery, located next to the main entrance, for newborns through age 3 

Children's Circle, which meets in the basement during the second half of the worship service, for children ages 3 through 7

Sunday, April 4  Easter Brunch 9:30am (no Sunday School)

New City Presbyterian continues their weekly 5pm worship services in our building on Sunday evenings. To aid in the process of leaving the church in a clean and orderly condition for them , please set in order the books in your pew and remove bulletins and any stray items from the worship area. Thank you.

Wednesday, April 7 City Gospel Mission
Saturday, April 10 Peace Brunch, Peaslee Neighborhood Center 10am-12pm (see NOTES and bulletin board for details)

Sunday, April 11 Second Sunday Potluck
Sunday, April 11 Congregational Meeting (after church, in basement)
Sunday, April 11 Junior Choir practice , 2 sessions in sanctuary (9-9:30am and 12-12:45pm)

Sunday, April 18 HCATF Spring Wildflower Hike , after church (see NOTES for details)
Thursday, April 22 Council (6:15pm)
Friday, April 23 ''Take Back the Night'' (6pmsee back of bulletin for details)
Saturday, April 24 Adult Choir practice (10am-12pm)
Saturday, April 24 Peace Church Brunch , St. Johns U.U. (10am-12pm)

Pastor Joel's Whereabouts
Beyond congregational duties, below are some of Pastor Joel's present activities:
Recent:
Wednesday March 24 - CDC Resource Day, Columbus Mennonite Church
Friday, March 26 - Oakley Food Pantry board meeting
Friday, April 2 - Good Friday Way of the Cross/Way of Justice IJPC event

Upcoming:
Thursday, April 8 - Ohio Conference Pastor Peer meeting, Springfield
Friday, April 9 - Faith-Based Public Policy Roundtable, Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Ongoing work with Healthy Sexuality resource through Mennonite Publishing Network
Mondays are a Sabbath.

Notes For Worship During The Easter Season
Theme and Scriptures: Our Easter season worship theme is "New heavens and a new earth," celebrating the resurrection happens among us. For your own reflection throughout the week, you may wish to meditate on the lectionary readings for next Sunday's worship: Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 118:14-29; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31.
Birds: Sunday we will be adding a different bird to the table. Throughout history and across cultures, birds have often been sacred symbols because they travel freely between heaven and earth, and in our own Christian tradition a bird is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit. Each bird comes from Thousand Villages and represents one of the ways that resurrection hope is active around the world through the work of various artisan groups.
Peace Candle: Each Sunday a Peace Candle will be lit to commemorate the resurrected Christ's first words to the gathered disciples: "Peace be with you."
Testimony - One Hundred Words: Each Sunday, following the sermon, a person will share a personal testimony100 words or less on a theme related to the day .

Please mark your calendars for a congregational meeting Sunday, April 11 , immediately following the service in the basement. This meeting will be brief, for the purpose of approving our congregational Safe Sanctuary Plan. Church Council strongly encourages all adults to attend. Thank you!"

All people new to Cincinnati Mennonite and/or interested in knowing more about the congregation and Mennonite/Anabaptist faith are invited to participate in the Adult Inquirer's Class during the Sunday school hour, from 9:30-10:30am. The class will begin April 11th and run six weeks, ending May 16th, taught by Pastor Joel. Call or email Joel if you have interest or questions.

HCATF would like to invite everyone to a springtime picnic and wildflower hike at California Woods, Sunday April 18. We'll meet for the picnic at California Woods right after church. For directions or more information, please contact Jean S.or Jerry S..

The IHN Annual Meeting& Volunteer Recognition is on Thursday, April 22 at Isaac Wise Temple in Amberley Village 6 to 7:30pm. There will be lots of refreshments and awards.

The next Peace Church Brunch will be held at St. John's U.U., 10am-12pm.

Please consider participating in People Working Cooperatively's Repair Affair Day on Saturday, May 8th . More details to come.

Book Club will meet on Sunday, May 2 after church at Rod & Mary S.'s home. Lunch will be served. The book to be discussed is "The Soloist" by Steve Lopez.

The new Camp Luz Summer 2010 brochures are in the foyer!

During the month of March Oakley congregations collected over 300 boxes of cereal for the Oakley Food Pantry . Thank you! For April we are focusing on collecting toilet paper to stock the pantry in this category for the coming months. We welcome toilet paper along with regular non-perishable food items.

The Oakley Food Pantry is expanding its service to the community. Among other things, we are hoping to reclaim perishable food items that regularly get thrown out from local grocery stores that are still usable. The Pantry is hoping to better inform people of its work and recruit more volunteers for its efforts to meet need during this difficult time for people. If you have any interest in knowing more or possibly , plan attend an hour long session Saturday, April 24th, from 9-10am.


Prayers for Faith and Learning:
Thank God on this Easter Day for the knowledge and blessings that we have received through Jesus
Christ.

Prayers for the Mennonite Mission Network:
Join the joyful praise of Mennonite Mission Network personnel and partners around the world this Easter Sunday with a paraphrase from Archbishop Desmond Tutu: ``Love is stronger than hate. Light is stronger than darkness. Victory is ours through Jesus who loves us.''

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month,

In my work as the Treatment Director at the Family Nurturing Center, April is a very important month. April is the month of the Blue Ribbon Campaign, not only for my agency, but all child abuse agencies in the tri state and nationally.
The Blue Ribbon Campaign began when a Virginia grandmother, Bonnie Finney, tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her van ``to make people wonder.'' The story she told to inquisitive community members was tragic. It was about the abuse of her grandchildren at the hands of their parents, which ultimately led to the brutal death of her grandson.
This April the Blue Ribbon Campaign will not only encourage the region to understand the problems of child abuse, but will also guide efforts in what we can do to help. Activities planned for April include awareness, prevention, education, and fund-raising. are a number of activities/events throughout the region that you can participate in. Please see below for some of the activities that you can participate in/support:

April 23 ^rd 6:00pm The 21 ^st Take Back the Night, Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky comes together for this ``march'' and vigil raising awareness of sexual assault/abuse in the region (beginning at Sawyer Point, Cincinnati and marching to the Peace Bell in Newport, KY).MUSE, speakers, survivor speak out, Clothesline T Shirt Display among other activities. Check out the website for details www.takebackthenightcinci.weebly.com

April 24th , 8:00 am, Family Nurturing Center's Blue Ribbon 5K Race and Family Fun Walk. Route runs (or walks) through NKU's campus. Great opportunity for volunteers to work at the race and lots of fun for individuals, teams and families to run or walk! Registration information is available on our website www.familynurture.org

April 25th , Blue Sunday. Congregations throughout the region will be raising awareness and offering prayers and support surrounding child abuse.


Journey Groups

Art & Spirituality
April 25, 5:30pm @ home of Connie B.
Spiritual Journey
April 20, 6pm @ Peace House
Men's Group (Open)
April 16, 8am @ Kellogg Country House
3742 Kellogg AveInside Ferguson Antique Mall
Open Group (Open)
April 15, 7pm @ home of Judy VH

New heavens and a new Earth;
Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship
April 11, 2010

EASTER 2: IN THE FEARS AND DOUBTS THAT KEEP US LOCKED UP BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, JESUS COMES TO GIVE US A NEW PEACE AND SENDS US OUT AS HE HAS BEEN SENT.

Gathering Hymns Alleluia! Gracious Jesus ! STS 110
                          O b lessed s pring STS 100

Welcome
(Visitors are invited to fill out a welcome card and place it in the offering basket.)

Call to Worship
Leader: Amidst our doubts and fears, Jesus says,
People: ``Peace be with you.''
Leader: In our turmoil and distress, Jesus says,
People: ``Peace be with you.''
Leader: God has breathed the Holy Spirit on us.
People: We will not doubt, but believe.

Procession of the Birds

Lighting of the Peace Candle

Call to Praise
Leader: Spring is risen!
People: Spring is risen indeed!
Leader: Hope is risen!
People: Hope is risen indeed!
Leader: Christ is risen!
All: Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!

Hymn Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing HWB 110

Scripture Psalm 118:14-29

Offering Prayer

Offering

Scripture Acts 5:27-41 

Children's Story

Hymn On the journey to Emmaus STS 98

Sermon Wait and See Pastor

Affirmation of Faith STS 179

Response Hymn I will sing of my Redeemer HWB 344

Testimony One Hundred Words

Sharing Joys, Concerns and Reflections and Introduction of Visitors

Prayers of the Community

Passing the Peace

Benediction

Hymn Come, come ye saints HWB 425

We warmly welcome all who are visiting with us today!

A supervised nursery, located next to the main entrance, for newborns through age 3
Children's Circle, which meets in the basement during the second half of the worship service, for children ages 3 through 7

Sunday, April 11 Second Sunday Potluck
Sunday, April 11 Congregational Meeting (after church, in basement)
Sunday, April 11 Junior Choir practice , 2 sessions in sanctuary (9- 9:30am and 12-12:45pm)

New City Presbyterian continues their weekly 5pm worship services in our building on Sunday evenings. To aid in the process of leaving the church in a clean and orderly condition for them , please set in order the books in your pew and remove bulletins and any stray items from the worship area. Thank you.

Tuesday, April 13 Community Meal (5pm)

Sunday, April 18 HCATF Spring Wildflower Hike , after church (see NOTES for details)
Thursday, April 22 Council (6:15pm)
Friday, April 23 ''Take Back the Night'' (6pmsee back of bulletin for details)
Saturday, April 24 Adult Choir practice (10am-12pm)
Saturday, April 24 Peace Church Brunch , St. Johns U.U. (10am-12pm)

Sunday, April 25 Adult Choir practice (8:30-9:30am)


Pastor Joel's Whereabouts
Beyond congregational duties, below are some of Pastor Joel's present activities:
Recent:
Friday, April 2 - Good Friday Way of the Cross/Way of Justice IJPC event
Thursday, April 8 - Ohio Conference Pastor Peer meeting, Springfield
Friday, April 9 - Faith-Based Public Policy Roundtable, Cincinnati Children's Hospital

Upcoming:
Tuesday, April 20 - Oakley Food Pantry
Saturday, April 24 - Oakley Food Pantry volunteer event, UCC in Oakley
Saturday, April 24 - Peace Church Brunch, St. John's UU
Ongoing work with Healthy Sexuality resource through Mennonite Publishing Network
Mondays are a Sabbath.

Notes For Worship During The Easter Season
Theme and Scriptures: Our Easter season worship theme is "New heavens and a new earth," celebrating the resurrection happens among us. For your own reflection throughout the week, you may wish to meditate on the lectionary readings for next Sunday's worship: Acts 9:1-6; Acts 9:7-20; Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19.
Birds: Sunday we will be adding a different bird to the table. Throughout history and across cultures, birds have often been sacred symbols because they travel freely between heaven and earth, and in our own Christian tradition a bird is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit. Each bird comes from Ten Thousand Villages and represents one of the ways that resurrection hope is active around the world through the work of various artisan groups.
Peace Candle: Each Sunday a Peace Candle will be lit to commemorate the resurrected Christ's first words to the gathered disciples: "Peace be with you."
Testimony - One Hundred Words: Each Sunday, following the sermon, a person will share a personal testimony100 words or less on a theme related to the day .

Please the congregational meeting today, Sunday, April 11 , immediately following the service in the basement. This meeting will be brief, for the purpose of approving our congregational Safe Sanctuary Plan. Church Council strongly encourages all adults to attend. Thank you!"

All people new to Cincinnati Mennonite and/or interested in knowing more about the congregation and Mennonite/Anabaptist faith are invited to participate in the Adult Inquirer's Class during the Sunday school hour, from 9:30-10:30am. The class will begin April 11th and run six weeks, ending May 16th, taught by Pastor Joel. Call or email Joel if you have interest or questions.

HCATF would like to invite everyone to a springtime picnic and wildflower hike at California Woods, Sunday April 18. We'll meet for the picnic at California Woods right after church. For directions or more information, please contact Jean S.or Jerry S..

The IHN Annual Meeting& Volunteer Recognition is on Thursday, April 22 at Isaac Wise Temple in Amberley Village 6 to 7:30pm. There will be lots of refreshments and awards.

The next Peace Church Brunch will be held at St. John's U.U., 10am-12pm.

Please consider participating in People Working Cooperatively's Repair Affair Day on Saturday, May 8th . More details to come.

Book Club will meet on Sunday, May 2 after church at Rod & Mary S."s home . Lunch will be served. The book to be discussed is "The Soloist" by Steve Lopez.

The new Camp Luz Summer 2010 brochures are in the foyer!

During the month of March Oakley congregations collected over 300 boxes of cereal for the Oakley Food Pantry . Thank you! For April we are focusing on collecting toilet paper to stock the pantry in this category for the coming months. We welcome toilet paper along with regular non-perishable food items.

The Oakley Food Pantry is expanding its service to the community. Among other things, we are hoping to reclaim perishable food items that regularly get thrown out from local grocery stores that are still usable. The Pantry is hoping to better inform people of its work and recruit more volunteers for its efforts to meet need during this difficult time for people. If have any interest in knowing more or possibly, plan attend an hour long session Saturday, April 24th, from 9-10am.


Prayers for Faith and Learning:
Pray for Paul Rudy, composer-in-residence at Bethel College, as he gives a performance today and a convocation presentation tomorrow on the Bethel campus.

Prayers for the Mennonite Mission Network:
More than 120 teens from 12 different Miami churches will gather in central Florida for a spring break Christian camp experience. Pray that their hearts may be open to Jesus. Remember also the Dwell participants of the Miami DOOR program who will be camp counselors.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month,

In my work as the Treatment Director at the Family Nurturing Center, April is a very important month . April is the month of the Blue Ribbon Campaign, not only for my agency, but all child abuse agencies in the tri state and nationally.
The Blue Ribbon Campaign began when a Virginia grandmother, Bonnie Finney, tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her van ``to make people wonder.'' The story she told to inquisitive community members was tragic. It was about the abuse of her grandchildren at the hands of their parents, which ultimately led to the brutal death of her grandson.
This April the Blue Ribbon Campaign will not only encourage the region to understand the problems of child abuse, but will also guide efforts in what we can do to help. Activities planned for April include awareness, prevention, education, and fund-raising. are a number of activities/events throughout the region that you can participate in. Please see below for some of the activities that you can participate in/support:

April 23 ^rd 6:00pm The 21 ^st Take Back the Night, Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky comes together for this ``march'' and vigil raising awareness of sexual assault/abuse in the region (beginning at Sawyer Point, Cincinnati and marching to the Peace Bell in Newport, KY).MUSE, speakers, survivor speak out, Clothesline T Shirt Display among other activities. Check out the website for d etails www.takebackthenightcinci.weebly.com

April 24th , 8:00 am, Family Nurturing Center's Blue Ribbon 5K Race and Family Fun Walk. Route runs (or walks) through NKU's campus. Great opportunity for volunteers to work at the race and lots of fun for individuals, teams and families to run or walk! Registration information is available on our website www.familynurture.org

April 25th , Blue Sunday. Congregations throughout the region will be raising awareness and offering prayers and support surrounding child abuse.

Journey Groups

Art & Spirituality
April 25, 5:30pm @ home of Connie B.
Spiritual Journey
April 20, 6pm @ Peace House
Men's Group (Open)
April 16, 8am @ Kellogg Country House
3742 Kellogg AveInside Ferguson Antique Mall
Open Group (Open)
April 15, 7pm @ home of Judy VH

New heavens and a new Earth;
Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship
April 18, 2010

EASTER 3: CLUTCHING OUR CHERISHED CERTAINTIES, WE ' RE CONFRONTED WITH AN ENLARGED VISION OF WHAT GOD IS UP TO. LIKE SAUL, WE SURRENDER WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS TRUE AND GIVE OURSELVES TO A NEW WAY OF SEEING THE BIG PICTURE OF GOD ' S ACTION.

Gathering Hymns I know that my R edeemer lives HWB 277
                         Great is thy faithfulness HWB 327

Welcome
(Visitors are invited to fill out a welcome card and place it in the offering basket.)

Call to Worship
Leader: From darkness to light,
            from weeping in the night to joy in the morning,
People: we rejoice in you, O Christ!
Leader: From unbelief to belief,
            from poor vision to a more perfect sight,
People: we rejoice in you, O Christ!
Leader: From clouded minds to clear thinking,
            from pride to humility,
People: we rejoice in you, O Christ!

Procession of the Birds

Lighting of the Peace Candle

Call to Praise
Leader: Spring is risen!
People: Spring is risen indeed!
Leader: Hope is risen!
People: Hope is risen indeed!
Leader: Christ is risen!
All: Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!

Hymn The risen Christ STS 101

Scripture Acts 9:1-20 Rosella Covington

Offering Prayer

Offering I saw a tree by the riverside, Ken Medema               Junior Choir
             Ain'-a that good news, arr. Mark Patterson

Scripture John 21:1-19

Children's Story

Hymn I will come to you in the silence STS 49

Sermon Conversion

Affirmation of Faith STS 181

Response Hymn I owe my Lord a morning song STJ 112

Testimony One Hundred Words

Sharing Joys, Concerns and Reflections and Introduction of Visitors

Prayers of the Community

Passing the Peace

Benediction

Hymn Here I am , Lord HWB 395

We warmly welcome all who are visiting with us today!

A supervised nursery, located next to the main entrance, for newborns through age 3
Children's Circle, which meets in the basement during the second half of the worship service, for children ages 3 through 7

Sunday, April 18 Junior Choir rehearsal, 9:00-9:30am
Sunday, April 18 HCATF Spring Wildflower Hike , after church (see NOTES for details)

New City Presbyterian continues their weekly 5pm worship services in our building on Sunday evenings. To aid in the process of leaving the church in a clean and orderly condition for them , please set in order the books in your pew and remove bulletins and any stray items from the worship area. Thank you.

Thursday, April 22 Council (6:15pm)
Friday, April 23 ''Take Back the Night'' (6pmsee back of bulletin for details)
Saturday, April 24 Adult Choir practice (10am-12pm)
Saturday, April 24 Peace Church Brunch , St. Johns U.U. (10am-12pm)

Sunday, April 25 Adult Choir practice (8:30-9:30am)
Tuesday, April 27 Community Meal (5pm)
Friday, April 30 Cincinnati Faith and Justice Training (7-9pm)

Sunday, May 2 Baby Dedication
Sunday, May 2Christian Education Bible Presentations
Wednesday, May 5 City Gospel Mission









Pastor Joel's Whereabouts
Beyond congregational duties, below are some of Pastor Joel's present activities:
Recent:
Friday, April 2 - Good Friday Way of the Cross/Way of Justice IJPC event
Thursday, April 8 - Ohio Conference Pastor Peer meeting, Springfield
Friday, April 9 - Faith-Based Public Policy Roundtable, Cincinnati Children's Hospital

Upcoming:
Tuesday, April 20 - Oakley Food Pantry
Saturday, April 24 - Oakley Food Pantry volunteer event, UCC in Oakley
Saturday, April 24 - Peace Church Brunch, St. John's UU
Ongoing work with Healthy Sexuality resource through Mennonite Publishing Network
Mondays are a Sabbath.

Notes For During The Easter Season
Theme and Scriptures: Our Easter season worship theme is "New heavens and a new earth," celebrating the resurrection happens among us. For your own reflection throughout the week, you may wish to meditate on the lectionary readings for next Sunday's worship: Acts 9:1-6; Acts 9:7-20; Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19.
Birds: Sunday we will be adding a different bird to the table. Throughout history and across cultures, birds have often been sacred symbols because they travel freely between heaven and earth, and in our own Christian tradition a bird is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit. Each bird comes from Ten Thousand Villages and represents one of the ways that resurrection hope is active around the world through the work of various artisan groups.
Peace Candle: Each Sunday a Peace Candle will be lit to commemorate the resurrected Christ's first words to the gathered disciples: "Peace be with you."
Testimony - One Hundred Words: Each Sunday, following the sermon, a person will share a personal testimony100 words or less on a theme related to the day .

HCATF would like to invite everyone to a springtime picnic and wildflower hike at California Woods, Sunday April 18. We'll meet for the picnic at California Woods right after church. For directions or more information, please contact Jean S.or Jerry S..

The IHN Annual Meeting& Volunteer Recognition is on Thursday, April 22 at Isaac Wise Temple in Amberley Village 6 to 7:30pm. There will be lots of refreshments and awards.

The next Peace Church Brunch will be held at St. John's U.U., 10am-12pm, Saturday, April 24.

Book Club will meet on Sunday, May 2 after church at Rod & Mary S's home. Lunch will be served. The book to be discussed is "The Soloist" by Steve Lopez.

Please consider participating in People Working Cooperatively's Repair Affair Day on Saturday, May 8th . More details to come.

The new Camp Luz Summer 2010 brochures are in the foyer!

During the month of March Oakley congregations collected over 300 boxes of cereal for the Oakley Food Pantry . Thank you! For April we are focusing on collecting toilet paper to stock the pantry in this category for the coming months. We welcome toilet paper along with regular non-perishable food items.

The Oakley Food Pantry is expanding its service to the community. Among other things, we are hoping to reclaim perishable food items that regularly get thrown out from local grocery stores that are still useable. The Pantry is hoping to better inform people of its work and recruit more volunteers for its efforts to meet need during this difficult time for people. If you have any interest in knowing more or possibly, plan attend an hour long session Saturday, April 24th, from 9-10am.

A message from New Life Furniture:

Hi all,
We've attached an invitation for your congregation (posted on the bulletin board in the foyer). You have been so supportive of our ministry over the years by putting announcements in your bulletin for donations of furniture. We would love for anyone from your church to stop in at our Open House.

Blessings,
Holly Young/Tim Nabors


The Depot MCC Thrift Shops in Goshen, Indiana, is seeking a full-time general manager. Applicants must have commitment to personal Christian faith and discipleship, active church membership, excellent organization skills, supervisory skills, communication skills, ability to work with volunteers and computer skills. Responsibilities include organization and general oversight of the Thrift Shops (Clothing, Furniture and Variety), incoming donations and processing, repairing merchandise, warehouse areas, outgoing merchandise, recycling and volunteers. It also includes sales, banking and the recordkeeping of the shops. Experience in retailing helpful; working knowledge of Excel and QuickBooks is also helpful.
Applications will be accepted until April 28, 2010 . a resume and cover letter to: Search Committee, C/O Arline Bontrager, 1261 Camden Court, Goshen IN 46526; or e-mail to abontrager2aol.com .

Prayers for Faith and Learning:
Pray for Elvin Kennel as he anticipates joining Lancaster Mennonite School as the Lancaster Campus principal in July.

Prayers for the Mennonite Mission Network:
In Mongolia, a summer of drought and an unusually severe winter have killed more than two million animals and devastated the livelihoods of nearly 40 percent of the population. Pray for wisdom for Laura
Schlabach and other Joint Christian Services personnel as they discern how to respond to this crisis.

In my work as the Treatment Director at the Family Nurturing Center, April is a very important month. April is the month of the Blue Ribbon Campaign, not only for my agency, but all child abuse agencies in the tri state and nationally.
The Blue Ribbon Campaign began when a Virginia grandmother, Bonnie Finney, tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her van ``to make people wonder.'' The story she told to inquisitive community members was tragic. It was about the abuse of her grandchildren at the hands of their parents, which ultimately led to the brutal death of her grandson.
This April the Blue Ribbon Campaign will not only encourage the region to understand the problems of child abuse, but will also guide efforts in what we can do to help. Activities planned for April include awareness, prevention, education, and fund-raising. are a number of activities/events throughout the region that you can participate in. Please see below for some of the activities that you can participate in/support:

April 23 ^rd 6:00pm The 21 ^st Take Back the Night, Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky comes together for this ``march'' and vigil raising awareness of sexual assault/abuse in the region (beginning at Sawyer Point, Cincinnati and marching to the Peace Bell in Newport, KY).MUSE, speakers, survivor speak out, Clothesline T Shirt Display among other activities. Check out the website for details www.takebackthenightcinci.weebly.com

April 24th , 8:00 am, Family Nurturing Center's Blue Ribbon 5K Race and Family Fun Walk. Route runs (or walks) through NKU's campus. opportunity for volunteers to work at the race and lots of fun for individuals, teams and families to run or walk! Registration information is available on our website www.familynurture.org

April 25th , Blue Sunday. Congregations throughout the region will be raising awareness and offering prayers and support surrounding child abuse.

Journey Groups

Art & Spirituality
April 25, 5:30pm @ home of Connie B.
Spiritual Journey
April 20, 6pm @ Peace House
Men's Group (Open)
April 16, 8am @ Kellogg Country House
3742 Kellogg Ave Inside Ferguson Antique Mall
Open Group (Open)
TBA

N

New heavens and a new Earth;
Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship April 25, 2010
EASTER 3: FROM THE LIMITATIONS OF OUR SELF- CENTERED CONCERNS, THE SPIRIT INVITES US INTO ENLARGED COMPASSION. OUR TASK IS TO EMBODY GOD ' S CARE FOR THE WORLD.

Gathering Hymns Star of the morning STS 91
                         Heri ni jina (Blessed be the name) STS 75

Welcome
(Visitors are invited to fill out a welcome card and place it in the offering basket.)

Call to Worship
Leader: Learning from Jesus a new compassion,
           we look beyond our narrow margins.
People: In the green pastures of God's plenty
                there is plenty for those in need.
Leader: Near the still waters of God's peace,
            we reach out to wipe away the tears of mourners.
People: Sustained by God's grace,
               we share what we have received.

Procession of the Birds

Lighting of the Peace Candle

Call to Praise
Leader: Spring is risen!
People: Spring is risen indeed!
Leader: Hope is risen!
People: Hope is risen indeed!
Leader: Christ is risen!
All: Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!

Hymn Praise God from whom HWB 118

Offering Prayer

Offering       Sing Me To Heaven , Daniel E. Gawthrop                        Adult Choir
                    I wanna be ready, arr. James Miller

Scripture Acts 9:36-43 

Children's Story 

Hymn He comes to us as one unknown HWB 498

Sermon Three Meditations
            John 10:22-39, Psalm 23, Revelation 7:9-17

Anointing of Oil

Response Hymn Lord, listen to your children HWB 353
                                                               to be sung during anointing

Testimony One Hundred Words

Sharing Joys, Concerns and Reflections and Introduction of Visitors

Prayers of the Community

Passing the Peace

Benediction

Hymn Sithi bonga (We sing praise) STS 94

A supervised nursery, located next to the main entrance, for newborns through age 3
Children's Circle, which meets in the basement during the second half of the worship service, for children ages 3 through 7

Sunday, April 25 Adult Choir practice (8:30-9:30am)

New City Presbyterian continues their weekly 5pm worship services in our building on Sunday evenings. To aid in the process of leaving the church in a clean and orderly condition for them , please set in order the books in your pew and remove bulletins and any stray items from the worship area. Thank you.

Tuesday, April 27 Community Meal (5pm)
Thursday, April 29 Council (6:15pm, date change)
Friday, April 30 Cincinnati Faith and Justice Training (7-9pm)
May 1 Facilities Work Day ; please make an ef fort to attend for part or all of the day!  (8: 30am-4:00pm)

Sunday, May 2 Baby Dedication
Sunday, May 2 Christian Education Bible Presentations and Teacher Recognition
Sunday, May 2 CE planning meeting for all interested in sub/teaching, after church
Sunday, May 2 Book Club (after church)
Wednesday, May 5 City Gospel Mission
Saturday, May 8 People Working Cooperatively: Repair Affair

Sunday, May 9 Second Sunday Potluck
Tuesday, May 11 HCATF (7pm)


Pastor Joel's Whereabouts
Beyond congregational duties, below are some of Pastor Joel's present activities:
Recent:
Tuesday, April 20 - Oakley Food Pantry
Saturday, April 24 - Oakley Food Pantry volunteer event, UCC in Oakley
Saturday, April 24 - Peace Church Brunch, St. John's UU

Upcoming:
Friday, April 30 - Cincinnati Faith and Justice training, First Christian Assembly of God
Mon-Wed, May 3-5 - Vacation, Red River Gorge.
Saturday, May 8 - People Working Cooperatively
Mondays are a Sabbath.

Notes For Worship During The Easter Season
Theme and Scriptures: Our Easter season worship theme is "New heavens and a new earth," celebrating the resurrection happens among us. For your own reflection throughout the week, you may wish to meditate on the lectionary readings for next Sunday's worship: Acts 11:1-18; Psalm 148; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35.
Birds: Sunday we will be adding a different bird to the table. Throughout history and across cultures, birds have often been sacred symbols because they travel freely between heaven and earth, and in our own Christian tradition a bird is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit. Each bird comes from Ten Thousand Villages and represents one of the ways that resurrection hope is active around the world through the work of various artisan groups.
Peace Candle: Each Sunday a Peace Candle will be lit to commemorate the resurrected Christ's first words to the gathered disciples: "Peace be with you."
Testimony - One Hundred Words: Each Sunday, following the sermon, a person will share a personal testimony100 words or less on a theme related to the day .

Book Club will meet on Sunday, May 2 after church at Rod & Mary S.'s home. Lunch will be served. The book to be discussed is "The Soloist" by Steve Lopez.

Repair Affair Day with People Working Cooperatively is on Saturday, May 8th. Bring your tools and meet at CMF at 8:30am. There is a limited amount of unskilled jobs on that day. Let Bob W. or Jean S. know if you can come. Register on line at WWW.PWCHOMEREPAIRS.ORG .

There will be a baby shower for Justin, Erin and Logan W. on May 23rd after the Pentecost meal. -Vita Pontis

Please remember to sign the matte which will border a picture for the NN family. It is on the side table in the back by the mail folders. Anyone interested in being involved in the Prayer Shawl Ministry please sign the sheet by the mail folders. If you can't knit or crochet, don't worry! It's easy & I can teach you, so don't let that stop you. If you would like to contribute toward this ministry you can p lace your contribution in the offering basket. Please mark your contribution ``Prayer Shawl''.
                                                                                                                                                        --Thanks, Patti G.

The PJOS Committee will meet on Sunday, May 30 at 9:15 a.m. in the Peace House.

During the month of March Oakley congregations collected over 300 boxes of cereal for the Oakley Food Pantry . Thank you! For April we are focusing on collecting toilet paper to stock the pantry in this category for the coming months. We welcome toilet paper along with regular non-perishable food items.

The Oakley Food Pantry is expanding its service to the community. Among other things, we are hoping to reclaim perishable food items that regularly get thrown out from local grocery stores that are still useable. The Pantry is hoping to better inform people of its work and recruit more volunteers for its efforts to meet need during this difficult time for people. If you have any interest in knowing more or possibly, plan attend an hour long session Saturday, April 24th, from 9-10am.

The Mennonite Central Committee Appalachia program seeks summer staff to assist with the Sharing With Appalachian People (SWAP) program . Meals Coordinators and Job Site Coordinators are needed to facilitate the weekly SWAP service groups, as they work on housing repair for low-income persons. Summer staff should be at least 19 years of age, and they receive food, lodging and a stipend for their service. For more information go to swap.mcc.org/swap/internships or call Colettia at (606) 633-5065.

Greetings from Mennonite Disaster Service,
Summer is quickly approaching and we wanted to inform you about an exciting opportunity for youth that has become available. Youth will have the opportunity to walk alongside disaster survivors in Gary, IN as they assist in the clean-up and rebuilding process from heavy flooding in 2008. addition, there is still space available July 11-August 28 for our summer program in southern Saskatchewan where youth will assist in building a structure to house boys who struggle with addictions.
Learn more about our youth programs in Gary, IN and Swift Current, SK by visiting our website at http://mds.mennonite.net/programs/youth_programs or by calling 1-800-241-8111.

Fair Trade Day is May 8 with events planned from May 1-15, 2010. The theme this year is Fair Trade My Home.
There are four (4) defining characteristics of Fair Trade: 1) a living wage is paid to the workers 2) artisans work in cooperatives where they are treated with dignity, honor and respect 3) long term relationships are built with the artisans 4) environmentally sustainable practices are used.
         In addition to coffee and tea, other Fair Trade products available are chocolate, bananas, wine, olive oil, nuts, sugar, spices, rice, decorative home accessories, jewelry, clothing, toys, flowers, body care items, and sports balls.
         Ten Thousand Villages, a non-profit program of Mennonite
Central Committee, has helped establish fair trade principles and purchases for over 60 years. Excellent materials about Fair Trade Day are available from Fair Trade Resource Network at www.ftrn.org . There are posters, flyers available, even free Fair Trade products for an
organization's event.
         Locally, our Ten Thousand Villages store in O'Byronville will celebrate Fair Trade Day on May 8. Music, food and even a shopping spree are all part of the action. The Ten Thousand Villages education committee includes four members from CMF: Karen D., Hal H., Joel M. and Christine S.. We are available for speaking engagements to talk about Fair Trade. Thank you for your Fair Trade purchases.

Prayers for Faith and Learning:
Thank God for the safe return of the EMU cross-cultural seminar groups and for the rich learning experiences they had in Guatemala and the Middle East.

Prayers for the Mennonite Mission Network:
Don and Jan Rheinheimer have been working with a newly planted Mennonite church in Riobamba, Ecuador for more than a year. Pray that strong local leadership and experienced pastoral leaders may be found to accompany the church before the Rheinheimers' departure in September.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month,

In my work as the Treatment Director at the Family Nurturing Center, April is a very important month. April is the month of the Blue Ribbon Campaign, not only for my agency, but all child abuse agencies in the tri state and nationally.
The Blue Ribbon Campaign began when a Virginia grandmother, Bonnie Finney, tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her van ``to make people wonder.'' The story she told to inquisitive community members was tragic. It was about the abuse of her grandchildren at the hands of their parents, which ultimately led to the brutal death of her grandson.
This April the Blue Ribbon Campaign will not only encourage the region to understand the problems of child abuse, but will also guide efforts in what we can do to help. Activities planned for April include awareness, prevention, education, and fund-raising. are a number of activities/events throughout the region that you can participate in. Please see below for some of the activities that you can participate in/support:

April 25th , Blue Sunday. Congregations throughout the region will be raising awareness and offering prayers and support surrounding child abuse.

Journey Groups

Art & Spirituality
April 25, 5:30pm @ home of Connie B.
Spiritual Journey
May 18, 6pm @ Peace House
Men's Group (Open)
May 15, 8am @ TBA (date tentative)
Open Group (Open)
May 6, 6:30pm @ home of Mary S.

N EW HEAVENS AND A NEW E ARTH;
CINCINNATI MENNONITE FELLOWSHIP MAY 2, 2010

EASTER 5: FROM A LOVE RESERVED FOR THOSE CLOSE TO US, THE SPIRIT CALLS US TO LOVE BOTH FRIENDS AND ENEMIES IN WAYS WE NEVER DREAMED POSSIBLE. THERE IS ONLY ONE COMMANDMENT: TO LOVE LIKE JESUS DOES.

Gathering Hymns Come, now is the time to worship STJ 9
Come, let us all unite and sing HWB 12

Welcome
(Visitors are invited to fill out a welcome card and place it in the offering basket.)

Call to Worship
Leader: Jesus gave a new command: to love as he loved.
People: Looking beyond ourselves, this is how to love.
Leader: Thinking first of others, this is how to love.
People: Pushing aside convenience, this is how we love.
Leader: Giving even when it hurts, this is how to love.
People: By following Jesus, we share his love.

Procession of the Birds

Lighting of the Peace Candle

Call to Praise
Leader: Spring is risen!
People: Spring is risen indeed!
Leader: Hope is risen!
People: Hope is risen indeed!
Leader: Christ is risen!
All: Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!

Hymn O Lord, our Lord, how majestic HWB 112

Scripture Psalm 148 

Offering Prayer

Offering

Baby Dedication

Bible Presentations 

Recognition of Sunday School Teachers Christian Education

Hymn Joyful, joyful, we adore thee HWB 71

Scripture John 13:31-35; Acts 11:1-18 

Sermon A hard pill to swallow?

Response Hymn Love divine, all loves excelling HWB 592

Testimony One Hundred Words

Sharing Joys, Concerns and Reflections and Introduction of Visitors

Prayers of the Community

Passing the Peace

Hymn The peace of the earth be with you STJ 77

A supervised nursery, located next to the main entrance, for newborns through age 3
Children's Circle, which meets in the basement during the second half of the worship service, for children ages 3 through 7

Please send your announcements to the office by Friday AM to be included in the bulletin. Speak with Pastor Joel before the Sunday service if you wish to voice your announcement at the end of worship.

Sunday, May 2 Baby Dedication
Sunday, May 2 Christian Education Bible Presentations and Teacher Recognition
Sunday, May 2 CE planning meeting for all interested in sub/teaching, after church
Sunday, May 2 Book Club (after church )

New City Presbyterian continues their weekly 5pm worship services in our building on Sunday evenings. To aid in the process of leaving the church in a clean and orderly condition for them , please set in order the books in your pew and remove bulletins and any stray items from the worship area. Thank you.

Wednesday, May 5 City Gospel Mission
Saturday, May 8 People Working Cooperatively: Repair Affair

Sunday, May 9 Second Sunday Potluck
Tuesday, May 11 Community Meal (5pm)
Tuesday, May 11 HCATF (7pm)
Wednesday, May 12 Worship (7pm)
Thursday, May 13 SLT (6:30pm)

Sunday, May 16 Baptism of Jake H. and Elizabeth NN , light refreshments to be served afterwards
Sunday, May 23 Pentecost and Covenant signing , potluck meal, and Wissing baby shower.


Pastor Joel's Whereabouts
Beyond congregational duties, below are some of Pastor Joel's present activities:
Recent:
Tuesday, April 20 - Oakley Food Pantry
Saturday, April 24 - Oakley Food Pantry volunteer event, UCC in Oakley
Saturday, April 24 - Peace Church Brunch, St. John's UU
Friday, April 30 - Cincinnati Faith and Justice training, First Christian Assembly of God

Upcoming:
Mon-Wed, May 3-5 - Vacation, Red River Gorge.
Saturday, May 8 - People Working Cooperatively
Mondays are a Sabbath.

Notes For Worship During The Easter Season
Theme and Scriptures: Our Easter season worship theme is "New heavens and a new earth," celebrating the ways that resurrection happens among us. For your own reflection throughout the week, you may wish to meditate on the lectionary readings for next Sunday's worship: Acts 16:9-15; Psalm 67; Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5; John 14:23-29.

Birds: Sunday we will be adding a different bird to the table. Throughout history and across cultures, birds have often been sacred symbols because they travel freely between heaven and earth, and in our own Christian tradition a bird is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit. Each bird comes from Ten Thousand Villages and represents one of the ways that resurrection hope is active around the world through the work of various artisan groups.

Peace Candle: Each Sunday a Peace Candle will be lit to commemorate the resurrected Christ's first words to the gathered disciples: "Peace be with you."

Testimony - One Hundred Words: Each Sunday, following the sermon, a person will share a personal testimony100 words or less on a theme related to the day .

There will be a baby shower for Justin, Erin and Logan Wissing on May 23rd after the Pentecost meal. Needed items include clothes for next summer, books, diapers-size 2, and toys. -Vita Pontis

Please remember to sign the matte which will border a picture for the Nisly-Nagele family. It is on the
side table in the back by the mail folders.

Anyone interested in being involved in the Prayer Shawl Ministry please sign the sheet by the mail folders. If you can't knit or crochet, don't worry! It's easy & I can teach you, so don't let that stop you. If you would like to contribute toward this ministry you can place your contribution in the offering basket. Please mark contribution ``Prayer Shawl''. --Thanks, Patti G.

The PJOS Committee will meet on Sunday, May 30 at 9:15 a.m. in the Peace House.

During the month of March Oakley congregations collected over 300 boxes of cereal for the Oakley Food Pantry . Thank you! For April we are focusing on collecting toilet paper to stock the pantry in this category for the coming months. We welcome toilet paper along with regular non-perishable food items.

Greetings from Mennonite Disaster Service,
Summer is quickly approaching and we wanted to inform you about an exciting opportunity for youth that has become available. Youth will have the opportunity to walk alongside disaster survivors in Gary, IN as they assist in the clean-up and rebuilding process from heavy flooding in 2008. addition, there is still space available July 11-August 28 for our summer program in southern Saskatchewan where youth will assist in building a structure to house boys who struggle with addictions.
Learn more about our youth programs in Gary, IN and Swift Current, SK by visiting our website at http://mds.mennonite.net/programs/youth_programs or by calling 1-800-241-8111.


Fair Trade Day is May 8 with events planned from May 1-15, 2010. The theme this year is Fair Trade My Home.
There are four (4) defining characteristics of Fair Trade: 1) a living wage is paid to the workers 2) artisans work in cooperatives where they are treated with dignity, honor and respect 3) long term relationships are built with the artisans 4) environmentally sustainable practices are used.

In addition to coffee and tea, other Fair Trade products available are chocolate, bananas, wine, olive oil, nuts, sugar, spices, rice, decorative home accessories, jewelry, clothing, toys, flowers, body care items, and sports balls.
Ten Thousand Villages, a non-profit program of Mennonite Central Committee, has helped establish fair trade principles and purchases for over 60 years. Excellent materials about Fair Trade Day are available from Fair Trade Resource Network at www.ftrn.org . There are posters, flyers available, even free Fair Trade products for an organization's event.

Locally, our Ten Thousand Villages store in O'Byronville will celebrate Fair Trade Day on May 8. Music, food and even a shopping spree are all part of the action. The Ten Thousand Villages education committee includes four members from CMF: Karen Diller, Hal Hess, Joel Miller and Christine Schumacher. We are available for speaking engagements to talk about Fair Trade. Thank you for your Fair Trade purchases.

From Mennonite Mission Network:
Mennonite Centre seeks new director (Fall 2010 for three years, renewable)
Mennonite Mission Network and The London Mennonite Centre are seeking a new director to help the LMC embody, promote and develop fresh Anabaptist-shaped vision for the United Kingdom church and its mission. The London Mennonite Centre is a resource and hospitality center ``rooted in the Anabaptist tradition, cultivating Christian discipleship as a way of life''. Mission Network personnel and local staff seek to make the LMC a vibrant and relevant centre for UK Anabaptism.
Key aspects of the director position include: implementing the new vision, hospitality and theological hospitality, administration & budget work, staff supervision, income generation, networking and teaching. For information, contact Ruth L. Guengerich at ruthgmennonitemission.net , or check the website:www.mennonitmission.net .

Prayers for Faith and Learning:
Pray for Goshen College Professor Jonathan Geiser and his students as they explore Spain and apply their on-campus learning about business to a new setting during a class called ``Business in Spain.''

Prayers for the Mennonite Mission Network:
Our Toba brothers and sisters are concluding their annual convention of Iglesia Evangélica Unida (United Evangelical Church) today in Sáenz Peña, Argentina. Pray that the Holy Spirit may guide the church in adapting to the changing context. Remember also Richard and Ruth Anne Friesen as they continue Mennonite Mission Network's presence ministry that dates from the 1940s.