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Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) URGENT NEED!

In addition to donations of money, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is asking the public to supply 20,000 relief kits, 10,000 heavy comforters and 10,000 sheets to be sent to Haitian earthquake survivors.

The supplies will help relieve the discomfort and suffering of Haitians who are sleeping on streets and open areas because their homes are destroyed or because they don’t trust the safety of the buildings that remain.

Relief kits include personal hygiene supplies, laundry soap, towels and bandages. MCC asks for complete kits with only the specific items on the list of relief kit supplies. Please see the list of relief kit supplies below or visit mcc.org/kits. Relief kits can be packed in a box or bag. MCC will then repackage the kits in new, five-gallon buckets.

Heavy comforters and sheets are also needed. Comforters must be new and filled with quilt batting or a blanket for extra warmth. Twin-size comforters are preferred, but double/full-size comforters are accepted. New, cotton, light-colored queen or king size sheets, with at least a 300-thread count, may be donated.

Donations of relief kits, comforters and sheets may be taken to MCC Material Resource Center, Harleysville or any other MCC Material Resource Center, by Sunday, February 28.

MCC is grateful for the generous financial gifts that people have given to MCC for the people of Haiti; starting just hours after the 7.0 earthquake devastated the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. MCC is airlifting 70,000 pounds of canned meat and 1,000 water filters into Haiti as soon as possible. Another shipment of at least the same amount of meat will be sent by sea. MCC is also purchasing thousands of tents and tarps.

Monetary contributions to MCC’s response in Haiti are welcome. They should be designated “Haiti Earthquake”. Donations can be made online at www.mcc.org or by telephone, 1-888-563-4676. By mail, donations may be sent to MCC, P.O. Box 500, Akron, PA 17501.

Relief kits
•4 large bars bath soap (leave in wrapping)
•1 plastic bottle shampoo (13 – 24oz; place bottle in a re-sealable plastic bag)
•4 large bars of laundry soap (Fels Naptha, Sunlight or Zote brands)
•1 squeeze-tube toothpaste (minimum 130ml / 6oz; leave in box)
•4 adult-size toothbrushes (leave in packaging)
•4 new bath towels (medium weight, dark or bright colors)
•2 wide-tooth combs (6” to 8” length)
•1 fingernail clipper
•1 box adhesive bandages (minimum 40, assorted)
•1 package sanitary pads (18-24 thin maxi)
Place contents in a box or bag and deliver to one of the drop-off locations in Canada or the U.S. MCC will repack the kits in a new 5-gallon plastic pail with lid.

Comforter specifications
•Use new or nearly new material
•Single/twin-size preferred (60in x 80in). Double/full-size accepted (82in x 90in)
•Winter weight requested (containing quilt batting or a blanket for filler)
•Knotted with crochet cotton (not more than 4” – 8”apart)

Sheet details
•New, double-, queen- or king-size, flat sheets
•300 thread count or higher
•Cotton
•Light colors

Please visit www.mcc.org/kits/dropofflocations to find the MCC drop-off location nearest you.

Transformation 2010
Pastors, prayer leaders, prayer teams and interested persons: You are invited to participate in Transformation 2010, an experience of prayer, fasting, meditation and worship during the upcoming Lenten season, February 17 – April 3, to unite the church in the region. We will seek God for transformation in our homes, churches, communities, nation and world. Joining together with believers from many denominations, you are invited to participate in several ways:
•Reading and meditating on scriptures and daily email devotionals written by pastors and prayer leaders from churches in the region
•Choosing a way to fast during this time in order to foster a growing intimacy with God
•Setting aside time to pray for transformation
•Attending regional prayer and worship events
If you and/or your congregation are interested in participating by receiving the daily emails, receiving a bulletin insert, and other information about regional events, please contact Sandy Landes, Prayer Ministry Coordinator, by Wednesday, January 20. Celebrate Lent in a new way this year by anticipating how God will bring forth transformation in our homes, churches, communities, nation and world.

Congregational Participation in Installation Service
Congregations of Mennonite Church USA are invited to participate in the installation service for Ervin Stutzman, the new executive director for Mennonite Church USA, by sending a prayer of hope for the worship service. The installation is set for March 7 at Park View Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Va. The worship theme will be from John 15:1-5, where Jesus says to his disciples, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” Three elements of this image—roots, branches and fruit—represent God’s faithfulness in the past, present and future, both in Ervin’s life and in the church. Your congregation is invited to express its hopes and dreams for Mennonite Church USA in the form of a single prayer. Please write the prayer on a leaf (click here for sample) or make your own. Return the leaf by February 15 to Prayers, Park View Mennonite Church, 1600 College Ave. , Harrisonburg , VA 22802 . Your prayer, along with prayers from other Mennonite Church USA congregations, will be physically attached to a “vine and branches” constructed at the front of the sanctuary and, on behalf of the church, offered in prayer to God. We are praying that this will be a meaningful exercise for your congregation as it works to articulate a prayer for the future fruitfulness of Mennonite Church USA under Ervin Stutzman’s leadership. You may want to ask all of your congregation’s members to suggest what should be included; you may choose to ask your congregation’s leaders to create the prayer; or you and your pastoral team may choose to create the prayer. However you choose to capture your congregation’s hopes and dreams for the wider church, we ask for a single prayer from your congregation as a whole. If you wish, make your congregation’s leaf uniquely your own—decorating it, adding details that represent your congregation or even making a different leaf altogether. The congregations in Mennonite Church USA come in many shapes, sizes and color.

Gateway Course offered in Spring 2010

Ananbaptist Leadership, Polity & Effectiveness is the next Gateway course being offered by Eastern Mennonite University in collaboration with Mennonite Conferences in southeastern Pennsylvania. Stephen Kriss, director of communication and leadership cultivation for Franconia Mennonite Conference and Donella Clemens, a regional and national Mennonite church leader, will lead the course. The course goals are to provide a foundation for self-care of congregational leaders, develop an understanding of possibilities for Anabaptist leadership within the Northeast Corridor, and cultivating a general familiarity with denominational polity. Dates for the course are February 5 – 6 at the Discipleship Training Center, Norristown, PA and March 5 – 6 at Sunnyside Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA. For more information and registration, visit www.emu.edu/lancaster/seminary/gateway.

Building Ministry Alliances That Benefit Each Other

You are cordially invited to a conference at Frederick Mennonite Community on Thursday, February 11 entitled, “Building Ministry Alliances That Benefit Each Other.” The conference is designed to build more effective working relationships among congregations, conferences, and conference related ministries. The facilitators for the day will be Keith Stuckey, CEO of Anabaptist Provider Group, and John Hendrickson, CEO of Frederick Mennonite Community. The event is hosted by Eastern District Mennonite and Franconia Mennonite Conferences, and Frederick Mennonite Community. More details will be available soon. Questions may be directed to Brad Mellon at 610-754-7878, ext. 229. We hope you will plan to attend.

January Prayer Gathering

A prayer gathering for equipping, encouragement, prayer and worship will be held on Saturday, January 9, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Mennonite Conference Center’s new location, 569 Yoder Road, Harleysville. Noel Santiago, Franconia Conference Executive Minister, will be teaching. Pastors, intercessors, prayer team members and interested persons are invited to come and receive a blessing. For more information, visit www.mosaicmennonites.org/prayer.

Conference Center Holiday Hours

The Mennonite Conference Center (569 Yoder Road, Harleysville) will be closed for the holidays from Thursday, December 24 through Friday, January 1. The office will reopen on Monday, January 4.

Christmas Open House
You are cordially invited to a Christmas Open House at the Mennonite Conference Center’s new location, 569 Yoder Road, Harleysville, Monday, December 14, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. The Mennonite Conference Center is home to the offices of Franconia and Eastern District Mennonite Conferences. Everyone is welcome to visit the new location and meet the staff at this joyous celebration of the season.

Sunday School Teacher Seminar
A seminar for Sunday School Teachers will be held on Saturday, January 16, 8:15 – 11:15 a.m. at Plains Mennonite Church. Come enjoy a morning of workshops addressing the needs of many Sunday School teachers. Seminars will be offered on the following topics: nurturing the faith of children, managing and engaging every student in the classroom, teaching tweens and teens, and creative ways to use the Gather ‘Round curriculum. All participants will be able to choose two of the four seminars offered. Registration is FREE. For more information on the event and how to register your Sunday School leaders contact Ruth Yoder at 215-249-3011 or rhy@verizon.net.

Mennonite Education Publications
Mennonite Education Agency now offers free subscriptions to a number of electronic MEA publications that will help you to stay connected to the work of MEA and to the broader issues and events of Mennonite education.  Questions may be directed to 866-866-2872.

Emma Alderfer Landis, the founding director and manager of food services for Christopher Dock Mennonite High School for 35 years, died on Saturday, November 21 at the age of 90. A memorial service will be held at the Salford Mennonite Church on Sunday, December 6 at 3:30 p.m. The family will receive friends at the Salford Church from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Mennonite Central Committee Resource
Curtis Book, MCC East Coast Peace and Justice Coordinator is available for seminars, sermons and workshops at your church on any of the following MCC related topics:

-Connecting with MCC at home and abroad
-A biblical sermon on a peace and justice issue relevant to your congregation
-Exploring peace roots in the Kingdom of God and Anabaptistism
-Conflict Transformation: How to Talk When we Disagree
-The Biblical Mandate to Welcome the Stranger and Illegal Immigration
-Challenging Youth to Live Faithfully in the Midst Three Allegiances, The Cross, The Flag and The Globe

Curtis may be reached at cbook@mcc.org or by calling 215-423-4194.

Breakfast at Doylestown Mennonite Church
The November Pastors’ and Leaders’ Breakfast scheduled for Thursday, November 19 will be held at Doylestown Mennonite Church, 8 – 10 a.m. The topic is “Human Sexuality and Communities in Conflict”.