Reminders Feb 19-22
Young Adult Dinner Group: Chris and Tim McCarthy will be hosting the next Young Adult Dinner group this Saturday, February 21st at 6:30pm at their home. Anyone who identifies as a young adult is welcome. Please let Chris and Tim know at tckmccarthy@gmail.com if you would like to join.
New Christian Education class begins this Sunday February 22: Composting Faith for Lent. See details in Christian Ed section below!
Mennonite Action Columbus Chapter will “Sing Down the Doors” at Target in Clintonville (Graceland) this Sunday, February 22. This singing resistance event is meant to raise awareness of Target’s complicity with ICE in Minnesota as well at their abolishment of anything related to diversity or inclusion in their policies or their store displays. For exact time of the event or more details contact Jeff or Teresa at daniels.island8@gmail.com.
General CMC Announcements
Congregational Meeting Update from Leadership Team Chair Phil Hart: At the congregational meeting following Sunday’s service Marlene Suter presented a summary of the pastoral search and hiring process related to filling our proposed Pastor of Congregational Care position. The process ended with the committee recommending the hiring of Robin Walton. Robin then came forward to introduce herself as the candidate. Following her sharing, members of the congregation voted unanimously to call Robin as our new Pastor of Congregational Care. As chairperson of the Leadership Team, I am both happy and grateful for this decision. Robin will begin work on February 26, and we will have a time to celebrate and welcome her during our March 1 Cookie Sunday.
Sing, Pray, Act (Lent Small Group): Everyone is invited to join this small group that will meet on Wednesdays during Lent from 5:30 to 6:00 pm in the Sanctuary, followed by a simple soup and bread meal in the Fellowship Hall. We will use this time together to continue to reflect on the Lenten themes through singing, praying, and listening to prose or poetry. Afterwards, over a simple meal, we can share ideas and offer support to each other, working together to turn our contemplation into action. This is an open group and anyone is invited to join as many weeks as they are able. Reach out to Debra Martin if you have questions or are interested (debrakmartin77@gmail.com). Feel free to bring a poem or reading to share, a hymn to request, or information to share on actions you have taken or want to take to make a positive contribution to anything going on in the world right now.
2026 Winter Dinner Groups! SIGN UP HERE! This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know CMC participants, whether a new attendee or a founder of CMC! There are openings available for this Saturday as well as next Saturday…. There is also a sign-up board in the lobby. -Ruth Massey (sponsored by the shepherding team)
Anabaptist World group subscriptions. If you are interested in joining the group subscription through CMC, contact mim@columbusmennonite.org and provide her with your contact information (email, address, phone number). Subscriptions offer 12 printed issues of Anabaptist World plus email delivery of the PDF digital edition. The cost is $54 for the year. Deadline is Tuesday February 24. The subscription begins in May. Designate your payment for Anabaptist World and mail or bring it to CMC on Sunday. We accept cash, check, or Zelle. Send Zelle to treasurers@columbusmennonite.org. To learn more about Anabaptist World, go to anabaptistworld.org.
March 1st is Cookie Sunday! We will also be celebrating the addition of Robin Walton to our pastoral staff. Please bring cookies, fruit, cheese, crackers, etc to share. You can drop off food at the kitchen window and pick up containers there afterwards. Gluten-free items are always welcome. Please fill out an allergy list at the kitchen window when you drop off your food. NO NUTS PLEASE! For the safety of folks with severe nut allergies, we cannot serve anything that contains tree nuts or peanuts. This includes packaged food that “may contain nuts.” Make sure to check the fine print on any packaged food you are planning to bring.
Pastor and Congregational Review Opportunities. Every three years, the CMC congregation engages in a process to reflect on our growth and challenges as a congregation, to share with our pastors about ways that we appreciate and value their work, and to offer feedback that will contribute to our pastors’ ongoing growth. All CMC members and attenders are invited to participate in this process, and several opportunities to provide feedback will occur in February, March, and April:
· An open discussion group during Cookie Sunday on March 1 (location at CMC tbd), led by Leadership Team member Josh Davey
· Providing written feedback via the Google form linked here (responses will be reviewed and summarized by Leadership Team Chair).
Questions on the Google form will also be used to guide the in-person discussion on March 1. We will conclude the review process at our April Congregational Meeting.
WE’RE EXPECTING YOU! CMC’s annual Knotting Party and Soup-er Pie Supper will be on Friday, March 6th from 4pm-9pm. Homemade soups, homemade breads and homemade pies will be served from 5:30-7:30 pm. Fellowship, knotting and children’s activities throughout the evening. Please support CMC Piecemakers and MCC! More knotting, with coffee and Schneider’s doughnuts, on Saturday, March 7th from 9 am-12 noon. JOIN US!
Save the date for Columbus Mennonite’s 1st ever GAME NIGHT! March 21, Saturday 6-9 p.m. Come for the whole time or just drop in. Bring games to share, puzzles, and snacks to share. (No nuts).
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.
SHARE Announcements
CMC refuge apartment resident Nafi is grateful for the support given to her from the CMC congregation since she moved in. From Nafi: “Please extend my thanks to everyone at the church. God bless you all by his power. Amen. Thanks to everyone!”
Collecting items for Hygiene Kits for MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) distribution overseas. Families who have fled their homes because of disaster or war often struggle to afford these necessary supplies. Hygiene kits also are given through schools or orphanages to encourage healthy habits for children. MCC no longer asks for toothpaste but will provide it when the kits are shipped from the MCC warehouse. Place your items in the labeled boxes in the fellowship hall by the deadline, Sunday, March 1st. Contact is Fred Suter (614-832-6718).
Contents (NEW items only)
- 1 adult-size toothbrush (in manufacturer’s packaging)
- 1 large bar bath soap – min. size 3.7 oz (leave in wrapper)
- 1 nail clipper (good quality)
- 1 hand towel (medium weight, dark or bright colors; approx. 16 in x 26 in)
- 1 wide-toothed comb (6–8 in)
Save the Dates! Opportunities in the Wider Community
2026 Central District Conference Mid-year Gathering via Zoom Mar 14, 2026, 9:30a – 12p. Gathering music begins at 9:15a. All are invited – more details to come!
CMC has received an invitation to a Solidarity Vigil and Community Meal hosted by Abubakar Asiddiq Islamic Center and Faith in Public Life and Ohio Interfaith Collective. Ramadan and Lent are starting close together this year which makes this a perfect opportunity for us to join with our Somali neighbors who have suffered threats and other cruelties. We can stand with them on Sunday March 29th from 3-6pm. More details will follow. A contingent from CMC would be a joyful addition to this event. Contact Robin Walton for more information.
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, February 22
9:30 am Worship Service
11:00 am Christian Education Classes
CMC Activities Next Week
Tuesday, February 24
7:00 Shepherding Commission Meeting
Wednesday, February 25
12:00 Rohr Discussion Group via Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86487158321
5:30 Sing, Pray, Act Lent Small Group in the sanctuary/fellowship hall
Friday, February 27
6:30 am Men’s Breakfast via Zoom https://zoom.us/j/313623317
Sunday, March 1
9:30 am Worship Service
Cookie Sunday in the fellowship hall following worship
11:30 am Pastoral/Congregational Review open discussion
Office Contacts and Schedules for February 22-March 1
Laura: office@columbusmennonite.org, 216-870-0119, Mon: work from home; Tues-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-Thurs: 9:00a-3:00p, Fri: Sabbath
Joel: joel@columbusmennonite.org, 614-940-7839, Mon: Sabbath, Tues-Fri: 9:00am-5:00p
Beginning Thursday February 26: Robin: robin@columbusmennonite.org, 614-406-1766
Upcoming CMC Special Events
March 1 Cookie Sunday
March 6 & 7 Knotting Party and Soup-er Pie Supper
March 21 Game Night
March 29 Palm Sunday and Easter Egg Hunt (details TBD)
April 3 Good Friday (service details TBD)
April 5 Easter Sunday (breakfast potluck before worship)
April 19 Spring Congregational Meeting
April 26 Keeping CMC Safe Sunday
May 3 Fundraiser Meal for Columbia 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)
Last Sunday | February 22
Attendance: 192
Offerings Received (last week) $10,915.00
Offerings Received (February) $21,906.00
Offerings Needed (February) $44,795.00
Christian Education Classes
Christian Education classes for children, youth, and adults will meet this Sunday beginning 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 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 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 21.
Composting Faith for Lent (Feb-Mar). We will explore the weekly scriptures and daily devotions of the Lent season. What does reading these texts, and our lives, through the theme of compost have to teach us? No prior reading necessary. Facilitated by Joel Miller and Sarah Zwickle in Room 22 and over Zoom. Meets Feb 22-Mar 29 (no class Mar 1).
End of Life Class (Spring): 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. Class schedule and room location TBD, likely beginning in April.
Additional classes may be added as the season progresses. More details to come!
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!