General CMC Announcements
It’s School Kit Collection Time! Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) needs school kits for distribution where children are emerging from areas which have been ravaged by flooding, avalanches, earthquakes, and war. CMC will be assembling kits to donate, and we will need to purchase the following items for each kit:
- 4 spiral-bound notebooks (70 sheets each)
- 1 ruler; flat, good quality, must indicate 30 cm (inches optional)
- 12 colored pencils (in original packaging)
- 1 large eraser
- 4 new black or blue ballpoint pens
Please place these items in the labeled boxes in the fellowship hall. The deadline for collecting these items is Sunday, August 2nd, and the tentative date for assembling them is August 9. Contact Fred Suter (614-832-6718 or fdsuter@gmail.com) with any questions. (Fred’s contribution to this effort will be purchasing the preferred small, metal, pencil sharpeners and pencils in bulk.)
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Looking for Nursery and Preschoolers’ Time Volunteers for fall 2026 through summer 2027. If you would like to volunteer to be in the nursery or preschoolers’ time and have not yet completed THIS SURVEY, you are not too late! I’m just beginning to work on the schedule for next year! Mim Halterman mim@columbusmennonite.org
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CMC Office Update: Laura Steiner (Church Administrator) will be out of the office July 10. She also will be out of the office during the week of July 20-24. Pastor Joel will be out of the office July 13 and 14.
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Worship Commission is seeking additional Zoom hosts for our Sunday morning services. Hosts can engage this role from the church building, or virtually. Interested? Please reach out to Carmina Suter at carminasuter@gmail.com.
Opportunities in the Wider Community
ADN Statement on Community. One of the many consequences of the current administration’s cuts to Medicaid could be a change to how and where people with disabilities receive their services. Since mandated by the federal government in 1981, Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers have enabled people to leave institutions and live within their communities with the assistance of paid providers/caregivers. The Department of Justice’s recent memorandum on HCBS undermines civil rights protections for people with disabilities and could have far-reaching consequences. In addition, experts say that moving Special Education to the Department of Health and Human Services risks treating students with disabilities as patients rather than as learners with strengths, potential, and belonging. A recent decision by the Ohio Medicaid Committee regarding House Bill 795 indicates that it IS possible to change the minds of politicians, so please consider contacting your representatives if you don’t agree with these policies. Summarized by Tracey Lehman, CMC Accessibility Advocate
For more information and a full statement from Anabaptist Disabilities Network on this topic, please see this link.
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The Connector: The July issue of the Connector, the Central District Conference (CDC) newsletter, is full of photos and reflections from last month’s Annual Meeting at EMU. July Connector HERE. We also celebrate recent graduates from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, including the first DMin program graduates! -Sarah Werner, Communications Coordinator
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The Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale and Auction is July 10 & 11. Located about 2 hours northeast of Columbus in Holmes County, OH, this festive annual benefit for Mennonite Central Committee includes delicious food, music, a Fun Run and 5K, and a live and online auction. Never been to an MCC Relief Sale before? It’s a cultural experience that pulls together Anabaptists from across the state! The sale is staffed entirely by volunteers, and every dollar raised goes directly to MCC. More information HERE.
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Curious about last month’s Central District Conference Annual Meeting? Worship services and delegate sessions were livestreamed, and the recordings are available for viewing. Those links and much more information about highlights of the Annual Meeting are available HERE. The following CMCers served as delegates: Tom Blosser, Joel Call, Katie Graber, Mim Halterman, Hannah Kelley, Karen Mareco, Joel Miller, Laura Steiner, and Robin Walton.
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First Unitarian Universalist Church (93 W. Weisheimer Rd) and Columbus Free Press invite you to attend a presentation from two-time Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Ira Helfand titled “Back From the Brink: Addressing The Growing Threat of Nuclear War” from 2-4 p, Saturday, July 11.
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The Central Ohio Worker Center and Church for All People are hosting a joint event to ask “What will the faith community do about ICE?” It will be a roundtable discussion to learn from each other and find ways to keep our communities safer. CMCers are invited to join on July 14 at 2:00. Flyer HERE.
Calendars
Sunday, July 12
9:30am Worship Service
CMC Activities Next Week
Tuesday, July 14
7:00pm Christian Education Meeting in room 301
Wednesday, July 15
5:30pm Vacation Bible School (meal begins at 5:30pm, program begins at 6:00pm)
Thursday, July 16
4:00pm Set up for Piecemakers in the fellowship hall
Friday, July 17
6:30am Men’s Breakfast via Zoom https://zoom.us/j/313623317
9:00am Piecemakers in the fellowship hall
4:00pm Worship Commission Meeting via Zoom
Sunday, July 19
9:30am Worship Service
Office Contacts and Schedules for July 12-19
Laura: office@columbusmennonite.org, 216-870-0119, Mon-Fri: 9:00a-3:00p
Mim: mim@columbusmennonite.org, 614-745-5150, Tues: 9:30a-3:30p
Mark: mark@columbusmennonite.org, on sabbatical May 18-Aug 16
Joel: joel@columbusmennonite.org, 614-940-7839, Mon: Sabbath, Tues: Off, Wed-Fri: 9:00a-5:00p
Robin: robin@columbusmennonite.org, 614-406-1766, Mon: 10a-3p, Fri: 10a-2p
Upcoming CMC Special Events
July 15, 22, 29, and Aug 5 Vacation Bible School
Aug 2 Cookie Sunday
Sept 6 Cookie Sunday
Sept 13 Christian Education classes resume
Sept 25-27 CMC Fall Retreat at Kirkmont Center
Oct 4 Cookie Sunday
Nov 1 Congregational Meeting and Harvest Potluck
Nov 29 Advent begins
Dec 6 Congregational Meeting (Budget Vote)
Last Sunday | July 5
Attendance: 186
Offerings Received (last week): $6,895.00
Offerings Received (July): $6,895.00
Offerings Needed (July): $44,795.00
Christian Education Classes
Christian Education classes for children, youth, and adults are on summer recess and will resume on September 13.
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!