Last Sunday, Austin Mennonite Church youth and sponsors did a great job
sharing about their experience at the Mennonite Church USA Youth Convention
in Orlando, July 4-9, 2017. It was the first time flying for the three
youth and it was their first Mennonite youth convention. They all reported
a positive experience as they attended worship sessions and seminars,
participated in a service project, met Mennonite youth from many other
places, and enjoyed some of the sights in the Orlando area for a day after
the convention. They thanked the church for helping them attend the youth
convention. They all said they wanted to attend the 2019 convention in
Kansas City. The theme of the convention was "Love is a Verb" and the youth
convention unpacked that theme by focusing on a variation of the theme each
day.
*The opening youth worship at MC USA Convention in Orlando, Florida,
focused on the theme “Love is a Noun.” Music and reflections from
denominational staff set the tone for the convention theme “Love is a
Verb.” Worship the rest of the week included “God’s love for you, God’s
love for the person next to you, God’s love for your entire neighborhood,”
and eventually God’s love for the entire world.
<https://themennonite.org/daily-news/music-draws-youth-rhythm-gods-love/>*
On the adult side of the convention:
-
In 2015 there were about 75 young adults registered. At Orlando there
were about 270 young adults registered. Young adults were defined as ages
19-30.
-
The Mennonite Convention in Orlando gathered a few weeks after the one
year anniversary of the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, in
which 49 queer, mostly Latino people died and at least 58 others were
injured. On Wednesday afternoon Mennonite worshipers gathered for an
Inclusive Worship Service honoring the victims of the 2016 shooting. They
spoke and wrote the name of each victim while singing the hymn, “There is
more love somewhere.”
-
Mennonite Church USA delegates voted overwhelmingly (98 percent) to pass
the resolution “Seeking Peace in Israel and Palestine” on Thursday
afternoon.
-
There was a process called “The Future Church Summit” at the convention.
I liked the summary of the summit offered by Joanna Harader in her
blog “Spacious
Faith.” <https://spaciousfaith.com/2017/07/10/the-church-we-long-to-be/>
*++++*
*Sharing of Joys and Concerns from Sunday, July 16, 2017*
- Janice - enjoyed Brisa and Omar's wedding on Saturday.
- Dama - pray for Eddy traveling to Belize this week.
- Marcia - Craig and Michael are traveling home from Kentucky this week.
(Update: They made it safely home Sunday evening!)
- Lee - Welcome to visitor - Annie.
- Rudy - enjoyed presentation from the youth today and appreciates AMC
and support of youth.
- Dixie - pray for the church as it strives to be more inclusive.
- Annie - enjoyed the singing today.
- Pat - Today is the last day of Wimbledon and Steve is coming home this
week! She appreciates the work of Foundations Community
<http://foundcom.org/> and volunteering with the organization.
- Natalie - driving to Camp Mennoscah this week and volunteering at the
camp. Atha will be a camper.
- Donna - appreciates Pat's hard work in the garden.
*++++*
*Jul 23, SUN Schedule:*
*9:30-10:30am* – Sunday School for all ages.
· Preschool thru K – Book of Daniel: Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego.
· Older youth – The book of Jonah.
· *Adult Sunday School Class will hear from Michael Shirk and Craig
Miller about their experience with Mennonite Central Committee’s Sharing
With Appalachian **People (SWAP) program. Michael spend six weeks this
summer as a team leader in Kentucky. Craig joined the crew for a week.
Slides, background on the Appalachian region, etc.*
*10:30am* –Snacks, coffee, tea.
*11:00am* – Worship with Steve Friesen preaching on Matthew 13:24-32 -
"Weed Seed."
*Noon – *Fellowship Committee meeting.
*Jul 24, MON, 7pm* – North Small Group meets.
*Jul 30, SUN* – Sunday school, worship with Marilyn Lehman preaching, Men’s
Group.
*Aug 4, FRI, 6pm* - Small group serves meal to homeless at Front Steps.
*Aug 5, SAT, 4:30pm* - South Small group meets at Susan and Thomas'.
*August 4-6 *Annual Assembly of the Western District Conference, Arlington
TX <http://mennowdc.org/annual-assembly/#2017annualAssembly> (Regional
gathering of Mennonites from TX, OK, KS and NE. 200-300 attendance. Western
District Conference is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year at the
assembly.)
*Sep 15, FRI, 6:30pm* - Regional small groups meet together at AMC for a
meal, discussion about small groups and singing and prayer. This is an
opportunity to become part of an AMC regional small group.
*Oct 7, SAT – *AMC’s Third Annual Pancake Breakfast WPNA scholarship
fundraiser.
*Lee Lever, Pastor*
*Austin Mennonite Church*
AustinMennonite.org
