Reminders April 30-May 3
Welcoming New Members May 3 and May 10! For the next two Sundays, May 3 and 10, we will be welcoming 18 new members into the congregation. We’re grateful for the stories and many gifts each bring into the community: Carol Richardson, Colin and Alyssa Byler, Natasha Atlas, Darren and Rita Loeffler, Ryan and Erin Suderman, Tim Jaquet, Stephen and Taylor Kellett, Hannah Troyer, Sarah Martin, Lawrence Needleman, Andrew and Bev Tran, Heidi and Joe Simones.
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Also this Sunday May 3, weather permitting, Facilities Commission will be leading a brief building evacuation drill following the worship service. This will be a time to practice using safe routes to evacuate the building in case of an emergency. Please come ready to participate and learn! And then come back inside for the Colombia Sister Church fundraiser meal!
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Comunidad Cristiana Menonita de Paz (CCMP) /Columbus Mennonite Church (CMC) Sister Church Fundraiser. Beginning at 11:00 am this Sunday May 3 (following the evacuation drill) there will be a fundraising lunch in the fellowship hall including empanadas, rice & beans, green salad and dessert. There will also be a silent auction with auction items available for perusal and bidding in the foyer by the kitchen. The bidding will close promptly at noon on May 3. 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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General CMC Announcements
Building update for Tuesday: Please note that Tuesday, May 5 is a Primary Election Day, and CMC is a voting location. The parking lot and fellowship hall will in be use throughout the day, so please plan accordingly.
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Office update: Laura will be taking a vacation day on Friday May 1 and will return to the office on Monday May 4.
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2026 Annual Keeping CMC Safe Training is available and easily accessible on our website HERE. You will be able to read or listen to the message given by Kristin Thomas Sancken, the new Coordinator for Church Safety at Central District Conference. This training is for everyone who is involved in some way at CMC. So if you attend CMC, this is for you! Safety and well-being is a community effort! If you have volunteered to work with children, work at CMC or are in a leadership role, I will send you further training if needed. Thank you all for being part of our safe sanctuary and caring for each other in this way. Please feel free to contact me at mim@columbusmennonite.org. Mim Halterman, Administrative Assistant / KCMCS Program Coordinator
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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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Women’s Coffee Connection: Thursday, May 14 from 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Feel free to join us every second Thursday of the month in the fellowship hall for coffee/tea, a light snack, and conversation.
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Our church’s Plant Sale on Saturday May 30 is from 8am-12pm in our parking lot. Here’s a reminder that we need starts of your perennials, shrubs, vegetables, herbs, houseplants and even trees! Please be potting them up now so they’ll be happy on May 30th. If you need pots, there are extras in our old furnace room below the library. Please label your plants with their names. There will be plant labels/sticks in a box on the top of the mailboxes in the Fellowship Hall. I’ll be at the church Friday May 29 from 5:30p-7:30p if you want to drop off your plants that evening. Otherwise, please be sure to have them in our church parking lot by 7am Saturday May 30th. If you have questions about your plants/plant sale otherwise, please contact Becky Waybill.
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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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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
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The Magpie Consort, a community choral group who rehearses at CMC, invites you to attend one of their upcoming concerts next week, Fri May 8 and Sat May 9 at 7pm in the CMC sanctuary. The concert theme is Cornucopia: a feast of American folk songs, dance tunes, hymns, and spirituals, with Phil Brown Dupont (piano), Cbus Jammers, and Yellow Rose Cloggers. Donations $0-$20 at the door (pay what you are able). Come for a wonderful evening of music! Flyer and postcards available in the foyer.
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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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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, May 3
9:30 am Worship Service – Membership Sunday 1
Building Evacuation Drill following worship
11:00 am Fundraiser Lunch and Silent Auction for Colombia Sister Church Delegation
CMC Activities Next Week
Tuesday, May 5
**ELECTION DAY – CMC in use all day as polling location**
7:30 pm Ministry Council
Friday, May 8
6:30 am Men’s Breakfast via Zoom https://zoom.us/j/313623317
Sunday, May 10
9:30 am Worship Service – Membership Sunday
11:00 am Christian Education Classes
Office Contacts and Schedules for May 3-10
Laura: office@columbusmennonite.org, 216-870-0119, Mon-Fri 8:30a – 2:30p
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
May 3 Membership Sunday 1, Fundraiser Meal and Silent Auction for Colombia Sister Church Delegation
May 10 Membership Sunday 2
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 26
Attendance: 194
Offerings Received (last week) $13,153.00
Offerings Received (April) $38,333.00
Offerings Needed (April) $44,795.00
Offerings Received (year to date) $152,616.00
Offerings Needed (year to date) $179,180.00
Offering Deficit (year to date) $(26,564.00)
Christian Education Classes
Christian Education classes for children, youth, and adults will NOT meet this Sunday due to the fundraiser meal. Classes will resume next Sunday May 10 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
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 10, 17, 31, and June 7, 14, 28.
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!