Reminders April 23-26
CMC parking lot this week and Sunday: Due to concrete work being done at the church this week, the main parking lot entrance will be blocked off throughout the week, including this Sunday. The parking lot is still available, but please use the entrance off of the alley instead. Please adjust your plans as needed. Thank you! -Jeff Delcamp
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This Sunday: Keeping CMC Safe Annual Training during the morning worship service. In creating a safe sanctuary for our children and vulnerable persons, we encourage all who attend CMC to participate in the training. After the completion of the sermon by Kristin Thomas Sancken (the new Coordinator for Church Safety at Central District Conference), there will be a time to complete the KCMCS training form located on your pews or a link for those that are on zoom. If you desire to volunteer with children, there will be an additional form to complete that Mim Halterman, KCMCS Program Coordinator, will email you. If you are unable to attend this service, it will be posted on our website, and Mim will contact you with KCMCS training information so that you can complete the training. Thank you all for being part of our safe sanctuary.
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Sunday School class on Positive Childhood Experiences this Sunday April 26 will be offered by Kristin Thomas Sancken in Room 302, formerly called Room 22, as a continuation of the worship service information. This class will explore how the Church can be a place where positive experiences can help children and young people grow to become resilient and capable adults.
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Aging Well (no longer called End of Life class) Sunday School class will be exploring different topics each week. If you are interested in one topic, you can drop into the class. We are also changing our meeting space to the sanctuary. For April 26 our topic Is Defining our Values. We can’t begin to make plans for how we are going to age well until we identify what we value.
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The due date for contributions to the May Lamplighter newsletter is this Sunday, April 26. Please send contributions to lamplighter@columbusmennonite.org. Thank you!
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General CMC Announcements
Comunidad Cristiana Menonita de Paz (CCMP) /Columbus Mennonite Church (CMC) Sister Church Fundraiser. Sunday May 3 at 11:00 am there will be a fundraising lunch in the fellowship hall including empanadas, rice & beans, green salad and dessert (please note the 11am time is correct, though it was previously announced as beginning at noon). There will also be a silent auction. This Sunday, April 26, auction items will be available for perusal and initial bidding in the foyer by the kitchen. The bidding will close May 3 around noon. Please join us to support the CMC delegation trip to Armenia, Colombia this summer, as well as a CCMP delegation visit to Columbus hopefully in the next year or two. This year’s delegation is comprised of Krisann and Scott Applegate, Mateo Leahy, Heidi Minard, and Tricia Turley. Contact Scott Applegate tsapplegate81@gmail.com with any questions about the CCMP delegation visit and Dan Halterman chiperodan@yahoo.com with silent auction questions.
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BREAD Nehemiah Action is Tuesday May 12, 6:40pm at the Celeste Center 1717 E. 17th Ave. Our goal is 70 CMC members attending to advocate for 3 issues: protecting the Tree Canopy on land being developed in Columbus, supporting legislation for the new Rental Registry to protect renters, and moving forward with plans for a Livable Wage for new job seekers in Columbus. Join us for pizza and carpooling from CMC at 5:30pm on May 12, or meet us there wearing your GREEN Do Justice Tee Shirt (if you have one). Spread the Good News about Social Justice for all at this year’s Nehemiah Action. BREAD Rises when we agree to show up! For more information contact Melonie Buller or Julie Hart.
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Community Peacemaker Teams Annual CMC Rummage Sale: Friday, May 29 (8:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.) and Saturday, May 30 (8:00 a.m. – noon). Volunteers and donations needed! All proceeds go to benefit Community Peacemaker Teams. Volunteers Needed:
- SET-UP CREW – Tues, Wed & Thurs 5/26, 27, 28 9am-6pm (2 volunteers per shift)
- CASHIERS & helpers – both 5/29 8-6pm & 5/30 8-12 (6 per 4 hr. shift)
- CLEAN- UP CREW – Saturday, May 30, 11:30am till 2pm (8 volunteers)
- PICKUP TRUCKS or LARGE VEHICLES – to haul unsold items to Volunteers of America on Indianola near CMC following the sale. (4 vehicles)
We also need YOUR STUFF: We sell just about every household and yard item except adult or kids clothing- but we do take shoes for all ages. Best sellers include: kitchen & decorative, recreational & sports, yard & garden, bedding and towels, toiletries & candles, books & office items, crafts & puzzles, appliances & electronics (except old computers and TV’s), furniture & rugs, games & toys plus luggage & purses.
If items must be dropped off early before 5/26, place them in the basement storage room next to the restroom along the back wall or upstairs in room 305 (formerly called room 25).
If the item you are donating is valuable or antique, please label it with a suggested price. If the purpose of an item may not be easily recognized, please identify it. Check to be sure electrical items are in working order, and label as such. No old TVs or computers, please. Call Julie or Phil Hart for further information or to sign up to volunteer.
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An article and artwork by some of CMC’s young people was recently featured in the latest Anabaptist World zine, A Dangerous Faith, and can be accessed online HERE.
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April showers bring the May 30th Plant Sale! We need all kinds of plants for our annual plant sale: perennials, shrubs, vegetable starts and even houseplants. We didn’t have many vegetables and herbs last year, so that would be a big request this year. Please start potting them up now so they’ll be happy on May 30th. If you need pots, they are available in the old furnace room in the basement. More details will follow. If you’re new to our community, we host a plant sale at our church every year which coincides with our Rummage Sale on Saturday May 30 from 8-12. Proceeds from the sale go to our Garden Group (for mulch and to replenish plants) and to Piecemakers for comforter supplies. If you have questions about your plants/plant sale, please contact Becky Waybill.
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Dan Halterman is again collecting round oatmeal-type containers for the children’s craft tent at the Central Ohio Folk Festival in June. Please leave any by his mailbox and/or contact him.
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Opportunities in the Wider Community
Clintonville Community Resource Center is hiring! For a great summer job, CRC is looking to hire full and part-time staff for its Summer Kid’s Club program. Candidates must have a High School Diploma. Hours for this position are Monday – Friday, 8:45a – 5:15p over the summer. Salary is $15 per hour including vacation and sick time benefits. If interested please contact: Nawi Lewis, CRC Youth Services Director, Nawi.lewis@clintonvillecrc.org
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CRC also has a significant need for food pantry volunteers! From CRC: If you can help in the pantry for 2-2.5 hours, we would love your help! It takes a lot of human power to receive, weigh, and sort donations plus prepare for the number of people we see on a daily basis. Our Choice Food Pantry serves 80-100 households a day and serves about 200 households on Produce Wednesdays. If you choose a morning volunteer shift, you will be assisting with putting donations away, stocking shelves, cleaning up, etc. If you choose an afternoon shift, you’ll be working more hands-on with our pantry clients helping them make choices, carry boxes to their car, etc. Shifts are 9:30-12p, 11:45a-2p, and 1:45p-4p but we can be flexible. To learn more about the volunteering process, follow this link.
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Canvassing Event for Issue 5 on Saturday April 25 from 11:30am – 3:30pm. Columbus voters will see Issue 5, the Community Crisis Response Amendment, on the May 5, 2026 primary ballot. See Information HERE. According to the Columbus Safety Collective, the measure would create a non-police response system for certain non-violent crises, including behavioral health concerns, wellness checks, and homelessness-related calls. To register to canvass, click here.
If interested, please contact Lawrence Needleman, needleperson@gmail.com.
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The latest edition of the Central District Conference Connector newsletter is HERE. In this Earth Day issue of the Connector you’ll hear from two congregations about their experiences with outdoor worship services (one of the congregations is CMC!). There are also articles about the recent discussion on Article 19 at the Mid-Year Gathering, a new book from Mennonite Action, and a yard sign campaign by a congregation in Virginia, along with the latest edition of Doug’s Mug.
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Rooting our Stories: Reveling in 50 years of Queer and Trans Anabaptist Resilience Join the Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests (BMC) for a gathering rooted in sacred story and joyful revelry, as we mark our 50th Anniversary on May 29-31 in Minneapolis! This festive weekend will include storytelling, singing, ritual/worship, workshops, artmaking, games, shared meals, and honoring this incredible 50-year legacy of LGBTQIA+ Anabaptist resistance and resilience. Find event details, safety/accessibility info, and registration on our 50th webpage.
Calendars
Sunday, April 26
9:30 am Worship Service – Keeping CMC Safe Sunday
11:00 am Christian Education Classes
Lamplighter deadline for May issue
CMC Activities Next Week
Thursday, April 30
4:00 pm Set up for Piecemakers in the fellowship hall
Friday, May 1
6:30 am Men’s Breakfast via Zoom https://zoom.us/j/313623317
9:00 am Piecemakers
Sunday, May 3
9:30 am Worship Service
11:00 am Fundraiser Lunch and Silent Auction for Colombia Sister Church Delegation
Office Contacts and Schedules for May 3-10
Laura: office@columbusmennonite.org, 216-870-0119, Work Off Site: Mon, Office: Tues-Thur 8:30a – 2:30p,Off: Fri
Mim: mim@columbusmennonite.org, 614-745-5150, Tues: 9:30a-3:30p
Mark: mark@columbusmennonite.org, 419-392-0610, Mon-Thu: 9:00a-3:00p, Fri: Sabbath
Joel: joel@columbusmennonite.org, 614-940-7839, Mon: Sabbath, Tues-Fri: 9:00a-5:00p
Robin: robin@columbusmennonite.org, 614-406-1766, Mon: 10am-3pm, Fri: 10am-2pm
Upcoming CMC Special Events
April 26 Keeping CMC Safe Sunday
May 3 Fundraiser Meal and Silent Auction for Colombia Sister Church Delegation
May 10 Membership Sunday
May 12 BREAD Nehemiah Action
May 17 Children/Youth Sunday
May 29-30 Rummage Sale (Fri-Sat) and Plant Sale (Sat)
June 7 Piecemakers Comforter Blessing during worship
June 21 Outdoor Service at Highbanks Metro Park (no service at CMC)
Sept 25-27 CMC Fall Retreat at Kirkmont Center
Last Sunday | April 19
Attendance: 213
Offerings Received (last week) $7,925.00
Offerings Received (April) $25,180.00
Offerings Needed (April) $44,795.00
Christian Education Classes
Christian Education classes for children, youth, and adults will meet this Sunday at 11am. The descriptions of the classes for this season are below.
Unless otherwise noted, classes will meet on the following Sundays: Jan 11, 18, 25; Feb 8, 15, 22; Mar 8, 15, 22, 29; April 12, 26; May 10, 17. Due to Cookie Sundays, holidays, and other special events, most classes will not meet on Jan 4, Feb 1, Mar 1, Apr 5, Apr 19, May 3, or May 24. Contact the class leaders for schedule updates as the season progresses.
Children/Youth Classes
Children’s Classes (Pre-K through 4th Grade): Children meet together for a snack, story time, and a self-directed creative response time. All children gather in Room 1, then younger children (Pre-K to 1st Grade) move to Room 2, and older children (2nd to 4th grade) move to Room 4.
Junior High (5th – 8th Grade): Middle grade youth meet in Room 303 (formerly called Room 23) for Bible study, snacks, and other activities. This class will explore stories and scriptures that connect to topics relevant to young people’s lives.
High School (9th – 12th Grade): High school youth meet in Room 305 (formerly called Room 25) for conversation around a wide variety of topics, including an exploration of the stories and scriptures used during worship.
Adult Classes
April 26 only – The Preventative Power of Positive Childhood Experiences: Kristin Thomas Sancken, the recently hired Church Safety Coordinator for Central District Conference, will be offering a one-time Sunday School class this Sunday April 26th in Room 302 (formerly called Room 22). This class will explore how the Church can be a place where positive experiences can help children and young people grow to become resilient and capable adults.
My Soul Cries Out (Jan-May): This informal gathering will provide space for lament, connection and creativity in the midst of political turmoil and widespread fear. Each gathering will ground itself in a particular intention such as lament, nourishment, humor. We will offer an opening ritual, followed by moments of meditative quiet, open conversation, crafting/creating/coloring options and a closing ritual. Participants are encouraged to engage in the ways that feel most personally restorative. Join every week, or drop-in as you wish. Facilitated by Cindy Fath and Adam Glass in Room 301 (formerly called Room 21).
Aging Well (April/May/June): What kinds of things do we need to be thinking of in regard to the final chapter of our lives? There’s all kinds of planning to think about: medical, financial, burial, funeral, living situations, in-home care, reliance on family vs complete autonomy. How do we prepare ourselves? Let’s start talking about these issues, learn what we can, share with each other our hopes, fears and dreams. Facilitated by Verdene Thompson and Robin Walton in the sanctuary. Class meets April 12, 26, May 3, 10, 17, 31, and June 7, 14.
Prophets and Kings Bible Study (April/May): This Bible study will explore various texts that speak about the centralization and uses of political power and how the kingdom of God relates to these situations, both in their original context and our own. Facilitated by Jim Fredal and Joel Miller, this class will meet in Room 304 (formerly called Room 24) on April 12, 26, May 10, 17.
Donations and Giving
Interested in giving financially to Columbus Mennonite? Follow THIS LINK to donate online. Donations are also accepted by cash, check or Zelle. Contact the church office or financial team if you need assistance with setting up Zelle or any of the payment options. Thank you for your gift!