The Mennonite World Conference Assembly is in session this week. Here's a
facebook link for photos, etc.:
https://www.facebook.com/MennoniteWorldConference
Three people from Austin Mennonite Church are in attendance.
1. Brisa Peacock helped with the music at the Global Youth Assembly
<http://pa2015.mwc-cmm.org/gys-highlight-video/> and is participating in
the adult assembly.
2. Omar Salavarria, a recent attendee at AMC, also attended the GYA and
is attending the adult assembly as well. Omar is hoping to learn more about
Mennonites at the gathering.
3. John Eicher has been involved with the MWC Seven Points on Earth
project and is presenting a paper at the gathering.
There are a rich variety of workshops
<https://www.mwc-cmm.org/sites/default/files/website_files/mwc_workshop_booklet_final.pdf>
being offered at the MWC assembly. John. Eicher is presenting at this one:
*Seven Points on Earth: A Global History: Mennonites and the Land *
*The “Seven Points on Earth” project is a comparative history of
“Mennonites and the Environment” in seven Mennonite communities: Java,
Bulawayo, Siberia, Iowa, Manitoba, Friesland, Santa Cruz (Bolivia). This
workshop reviews the project and hears five of the seven young scholars
present their preliminary findings from their field research. Each
considers the way an Anabaptist faith is imagined and practiced with regard
to land stewardship and growing food products. Participants are invited to
respond to the questions: how have we experienced God in relationship to
land? and, how are Mennonites a global people from the “ground” up? Paper
presenters are Danang Kristiwan, associate pastor, GITJ, Jepara, Indonesia;
Belinda Ncube, church worker, Brethren in Christ, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; Hans
Peter Fast, geographer, Nondenominational Church, Amsterdam, The
Netherlands; John Eicher, MCUSA, PhD student at University of Iowa, USA;
Royden Loewen, chair in Mennonite studies, University of Winnipeg, MC
Canada.*
**********************************
*Sharing of joys and concerns from Sunday, July 19*
- Dama - I experience God's love everyday! I was riding the mower this
week when fire and flames shot out from underneath the mower deck. I
thought the mower was ruined until I discovered I had mowed over my big
straw hat! We laughed. Glad that Teddy will be released soon.
- Rudy - moved to Pflugerville yesterday. Thanked Natalie for her
children's story about everyone having blue sky even if it is often
obscured by storm clouds. It helps him to be more patient in relating to
his mother, especially as he continues to process the death of his father.
Pray for my mother.
- Michael - enjoyed working with other Christians in flood cleanup in
San Marcos, etc.
- Jeff Koller (Mennonite Disaster Service national staff serving west of
the Mississippi) - brought greetings to AMC and thanked the church for
their donations to MDS. He is in the area exploring MDS response to recent
flooding. It looks like it is possible to muster a short term response in
the Blanco and Martindale areas. He encouraged AMCers to help out. He
shared a story about how MDS is able to be a strong, non-coercive witness
by simply helping people restore their homes after a disaster. Jeff is a
member of the Eden Mennonite Church in Moundridge, Kansas.
- Gloria - thank you for the prayers and support during my recent
hospitalization, surgery and recovery. I still have a ways to go.
- Natalie - The father of Atha, Genny, and Walter is visiting the
children this week from PA.
- Peggy - shared about a peace camp happening in Houston.
**********************************
*Calendar*
*Jul 21, TUE, 6:30p* - Finance Committee meets at Pastor Lee's, 5509
Delwood Drive.
*Jul 25, SAT, 9a *- Coordinating Council meets at AMC.
*Jul 26, SUN Schedule:*
*9:30**-10:30a – *Sunday School.
- Children begin with singing and then go to separate classes. “God’s
Creation” is the summer 2015 theme.
- Adults meet in Annex 2 using the *Adult Bible Study *curriculum. Today
the focus is on the prophet Micah - *…do justice, love kindness, walk
humbly with your God*.
*10:30a* –snacks, coffee, tea.
*11:00a* – Worship.
*6:30p – *Men’s group at Bob Koehn’s, 7809 Cheno Cortina Trail.
*Aug 2, **SUN**, 9:30a/11a/noon – *Sunday school, worship with open
communion, potluck fellowship meal.
*Aug 7, FRI, 5:30p – *Small group serves meal at the ARCH.
*Aug 9, **SUN** – *Sunday school, worship, contemplative prayer.
*Aug 16, **SUN* - Sunday school, worship, young adult lunch.
*Aug 20, THU* – Women’s group.
*Aug 23, **SUN* – Sunday school, worship, *congregational meeting.*
*Aug 30, **SUN** – *Sunday school, 5th Sunday worship, men’s group.
*Lee Lever, Pastor*
*Austin Mennonite Church*
AustinMennonite.org
