Visitors:  We're delighted you are here.  Please complete a Welcome card (at the Welcome Table) and we invite you to introduce yourself during the sharing time. 

Skit:  Nic and Abe

Opening Words

Opening Prayer:  Saving God, where but to you can we turn for help in
troubled times? Our help comes from you, who made heaven and earth. You
alone create and protect us, keeping us in your care. Amen

Songs:                    HWB 582 Guide me, O thou great Jehovah
                                STS 59 From ashes to the living fount

Children's Time:  Where does help come from?

Scripture Reading:  John 3:1-17 

Confession Our Sins:

Leader:                   We look to God, crying out for rescue
People:                   We have not responded to the Lord's call; our feet have slipped from God's ways
Leader:                   If we do not trust God's voice, where will we find help?
People:                   Our help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.  The Lord keep our steps; the Lord's care never ceases

Song:                      STS 68 Kyrie

Sermon                   ‘Lost in the call”

Confession our faith (Unison Reading):

                Abraham trusted God, and that trust set him right.
                The same is true for us, Abraham's spiritual descendants
                God keeps his promise in Jesus Christ,
                Birthing us through the Spirit to share Abraham's trust,
                To live in God's presence,
                To be witnesses to God's power to bring something out of nothing,
                Life out of death.

Song:                      HWB 546 Guide my Feet

Sharing/Offering/Announcements

HWB                      HWB 545  Be thou my Vision

Sending

Song Leader:  Nelson     Music:  Anita       Worship Leader:  Roxanne
Children's Story:  Dave Py, Speaker:  Paul Versluis

 

If you have congregational concerns,  please contact the pastor or the Congregational Life Committee:  Janet Reed, Patti Sprunger, or Dave Polley

 

SHALOM COMMUNITY CHURCH HAPPENINGS

 

Small Group Opportunities: the following groups meet regularly and are open to interested persons in the SCC community.  You can drop in and ‘drop out’ as you  wish.  Call the contact person for information, dates, times, directions or location.

 

Moms’ Small Group

·         Patti Sprunger                                                              

Poetry Meeting :   Feb 8  7:30 a.m., Gertrude’s

·         Don Thackrey 

Peace and Justice Interest Group, Monday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m., Weaverdycks’

·         Gertrude Warkentin    

Readers’ Club:  “Pearl" by Mary Gordon, Versluis, March 30, at 7:00pm.

·    Priscilla Chamberlain         

Slow Cookers: 

·         Gertrude Warkentin  

 

Committee Meetings:

 

Finance Committee:                                            

Nurture Committee:             

Worship Committee: Monday, March 3, 7:30 pm, Weaverdycks’

Congregational Life Committee:  Tuesday, Feburary 26, 7:30 pm, Versluis

Service Outreach Committee: Thursday, Feb 28, 6:30 Tom and Kathy B

Here are the lineups for February rotating potlucks.  The date is Feb. 16.  If I have missed anyone, please let Betsy Harvey know.
 
1. Host:Chamberlain/Hollander, Guests: Blosser/Burkhalter, Brubaker, Nafziger
2. Host: Harvey, Guests: Cross, Versluis, Hansen
3. Host: Ponstein, Guests: LaFlamme, Warkentin, Showalter
4. Host: Sprunger, Guests: Weaverdyck, Hicks, Nance O'Reilly
5. Host: Brubacher/Clingenpeel, Guests: Holland, Smith, Tang
6. Host: Webster-Hein, Guests: Seelbach, Shantz
7. Host: Ropp, Guests: Jenna & 1, King, Kanagy

You can contribute money to Mennonite Church USA organizations in a single, secure credit/debit card transaction at giving.MennoniteUSA.org.

“Genocide” is the topic for the National Youth Christian Citizenship Seminar, March 29-April 3, 2009, New York City and Washington D.C.  for high school youth and adult advisors, sponsored by the Church of the Brethren.  Register by February 28.  www.brethren.org/genbd/yya

 

 Fresh from the Word is a book of 366 daily devotions celebrating the 300^th anniversary of the Church of the Brethren.  Composed by writers from six Brethren groups, it is a way for Brethren to join in one spirit and purpose to celebrate the 300^th anniversary.  Order it  for $15 from the Brethren Press at www.brethrenpress.com

 

Living as a peacemaker can be a lonely and exhausting task in a troubled world. Central District Conference is in the process of developing a retreat to nurture, encourage, and strengthen the peacemakers among us. We hope to create a time of reflection and renewal at Camp Friedenswald May 16-18, 2008 for all who desire new energy in their work for peace. This is not a training or a workshop, but a time of inner reflection and sharing with a circle of likeminded partners in faith. We hope to make this retreat accessible to everyone at all financial resource levels. Is this something you would support financially or personally by joining us or commissioning others' participation?

 

The set-up teams of 4 people commit to set up and take down on one of  the first, second, third or fourth Sunday monthly and on one fifth Sunday in the year. The following people

have done it this past year:  Marty and Hollis, Michelle and Scott, Leland, Amanda and David, Curtis and Shelly, Joy V., Ruth and Nelson, Paul S., Keith, Stan, Mark, Tim Smith and Gertrude.  Several of these folks have done it for 2 or more years.  Please consider making the commitment for the year.  Contact me

by e-mail, phone, or in person.  Thanks.  Gertrude.

 

MMA Sharing Funds provided $500 in matching funds to support special needs in our church this last year.  Eligible grant amount for 2008 is $2000. We have 14 Shalom participants who own or participate in MMA projects and services which help fund the Sharing Fund.  Contact Gertrude Warkentin the congregation's MMA

advocate for more information

 

Are you looking for a career opportunity using your relationship building and sales skills in an insurance environment within a Christian faith community?  MAX

 (MutualAid eXchange) and Sharing Services Agency is a faith-based organization that provides property and casualty insurance products and Mutual Aid Ministries programs to

 the Anabaptist community. To learn more about us and those we serve, please visit www.mutualaidexchange.com <http://www.mutualaidexchange.com/ Resumes may be emailed to skwine@maxkc.com or faxed to (877) 785-0085.

 

All women are invited - "Women in Conversation: Daring To Let Your Spirits Soar" retreat.  Join speaker Carolyn Holderread Heggen for a retreat designed especially for women to explore "women's unique way of experiencing the Divine."  Weekend includes workshops, worship, pampering and fellowship! Retreats are co-sponsored by Mennonite Women USA and Laurelville Mennonite Church Center.  Choose from two locations: April 11-13, 2008 at Laurelville; or April 18-20, 2008 at the Wichita Airport Hilton. To register, E-mail

info@Laurelville.org, call 800-839-1021, or see http://www.laurelville.org/ www.Laurelville.org.  Register by March 1 for a $10 discount. March 28^th deadline.

"The Festival of Faith & Writing is a biennial gathering of readers and writers hosted by Calvin College. At the Festival, our goal is to provide a vibrant community where people come together to discuss, celebrate, and explore the ways in which faith is represented in literature and how it plays out in our world today. Festival 2008 will take place at Calvin College on April 17-19, 2008." Cost: $165 (before Feb. 29) / $180.  The list of writers includes Kathleen Norris, Mary Karr, Krista Tippitt, Michael Chabon, Mary Gordon,Haven Kimmel and Scott Cairns.  See Joy V. if interested in attending.