Metamora Mennonite Church

MCC to respond to Haiti earthquake, donations welcome

Mennonite Central Committee is responding to the earthquake that struck Haiti late Tuesday afternoon.

According to news reports, a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Haiti and is feared to have caused major loss of life in and around the capital, Port-au-Prince. The quake, which struck about 15km (10 miles) south-west of the capital, was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks of 5.9 and 5.5 magnitude.

MCC was trying to connect with its staff in the country late Tuesday night but was having difficulty doing so. MCC has been working in Haiti since 1928 and currently has 23 staff in the country including nine people from the U.S. and Canada. They support efforts in reforestation and environmental education, human rights and advocacy for food security.

It is too early to say how MCC will respond as it shifts to emergency relief efforts.

Officials with the US Geological Survey said that, based on the location and size of the quake, about three million people will have been severely shaken by its impact.

Donations to help victims of the disaster should be designated Haiti Earthquake and can be made:
http://www.facebook.com/l/62a0f;https://donate.mcc.org/project/haiti-earthquake
http://www.facebook.com/l/62a0f;mcc.org/about/contact

Celebrate Communion: Sunday, January 3

As we begin a new year and a new decade, it's good to focus on the center of our life and faith, the person of Jesus.  As we think about 2010, and celebrate communion together, we will focus on the wisdom and reconciliation of God.      

All who are followers of Jesus are welcome to join us at the Lord's table.   

While we sometimes celebrate foot washing with communion, we will not be observing foot washing this Sunday.  

Worship begins at 10:15 am.  Sunday school is prior to worship at 9 am.

Please contact the church office with any questions.

Event Cancellation Procedure

Sometimes is snows!  Other times is snows so much we have to cancel church events.  While this is fun for children who love to sled, it's no fun if you drive all the way to church in the snow, only to find the service has been cancelled.  So, here is how you will know if church is cancelled.

1. Check WEEK-TV and WHOI, both local TV channels.  We post our event cancellations on those two stations.
2. Check the website.  We will post all cancellations on the website.
3. Listen for a phone call.  If you are a regular member of MMC, you are a part of our Event Cancellation Phone Tree (click here to get a copy).  

Just so you know, we are biased towards not canceling church.  We also know that people have different tolerances for driving in the snow.  Even if church is not cancelled, if you are not comfortable driving, please stay home.  We love you and we'll see you again next Sunday.

Church will always be cancelled if the parking lot is not passable, we have no heat or we have no power.  If you don't have power, rendering your tv, computer and phone useless, assume we do not have church and stay home and stay warm.   

If you have any questions, please send Pastor Michael an e-mail at mikemmc@mtco.com 

Christmas Eve Service @ 8 pm tonight!

Please join us for a Christmas Eve worship service at 8 pm at Metamora Mennonite Church (1 mile East of Metamora on Rt. 116).   We will celebrate the birth of Jesus through scripture, song, story and a message on welcoming Jesus!    We conclude our time of worship with a carol by candlelight.  

If you have children, we will have a children's message tonight about the story of the birth of Jesus!  

Everyone is welcome!

Bursting in and breaking out!

 

Next Sunday: Communion

This Sunday, November 22, we will celebrate communion during our 10:15 worship service.  As we head into thanksgiving, we will consider the story of Jesus, who Jesus is and what it means to us as a faith community.  

We practice open communion, so all who follow Jesus are welcome!

The Ordinary Radicals ~ Film screening at MMC

Starting this Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 9 am, we will be screening The Ordinary Radicals, a film that explores radical faith made real through the tangible actions of ordinary people.  The documentary follows Shane Claiborne and his friends on their Jesus for President speaking tour, highlighting ordinary radicals they meet along the way.  We will watch the film over a three week period to allow time for discussion and interaction around the themes of the film.  We will meet in the Sr. High room, but the screening is open to any and all who are interested.  Refreshments will be served!

Chuck Neufeld to visit MMC

Next Sunday, October 25,  Illinois Mennonite Conference Minister, Chuck Neufeld, will be at Metamora Mennonite Church.  He will preach during the 10:15 am worship service!  He's also bringing his guitar!  Chuck is a fabulous musician and brings a message of hope and encouragement to God's people the church.

Join us for Sunday school for all ages @ 9 am, Fellowship Time beginning at 9:45 am, and worship beginning at 10:15 am.

Nursery care is available during Sunday school and worship.

August 30: Forgiveness, Part 3

On Sunday, August 30 we will wrap up our series on forgiveness and celebrate communion together. Please join us!  Worship starts at 9 am.

This Sunday at MMC: "Forgiveness, part 1"

Sunday, August 2, we are starting a two-week series on Forgiveness.  Forgiveness is something that cuts to the heart of all of our relationships.  How do we respond to the real and perceived hurts of real life?  How do we respond to the real and perceived injustices that come our way?  We have many available responses.  Some of them come quite naturally, and often lead to the accumulation of hurts.  Others, like forgiveness, don't come quite as naturally, but hold out the possibility of newness of life. 

The first week of the series, we will talk about forgiveness as that which subverts the cycle of revenge and opens up space for new life.  The second week we will explore Jesus' parable of the unforgiving servant to discover that forgiveness is about a different way of life.

Worship begins at 9 am.  Nursery and Kid's Celebration are available during worship. 

If you have any questions, please contact the church office.