Reminders January 8-11
Reminder for Winter Seminar participants: This year’s Winter Seminar: Welcome, Friends! is this Saturday, January 17, from 9:45a-2:00p in the fellowship hall. Lunch will be provided for those who registered. The seminar will be facilitated by Anton Flores-Maisonet, who is also our guest speaker for worship on Sunday morning.
Christian Education Classes have started again! See descriptions at the end of this email for details about current classes.
Office updates: Pastor Joel is on a partial medical leave with a flexible schedule as he recovers from surgery. The church office will be closed on Monday, January 19 in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr Day holiday.
General CMC Announcements
Opportunities to Serve Form: Looking for ways to volunteer, live your values, and be connected within the Columbus Mennonite community in the new year? Follow this link to complete the 2026 Gifts Discernment & Opportunities to Serve Form. Thanks to the 35 people who have already submitted their responses! All CMC attenders are invited to complete it – the responses are a huge help to leaders throughout the year. Please submit by Sunday, January 25, 2026.
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Young Adult Dinner Group: Ruth and Ajay Massey will be hosting the next Young Adult Dinner group on Friday, January 23 at 6pm at their home. Anyone who identifies as a young adult is welcome. Please let Ruth know if you would like to join (ramassey53@gmail.com).
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Looking for a creative project this winter? Kevin Condon (CMC Building Caretaker) would like some volunteers to help with creating decorations for a new cart for the Piecemakers! See more details HERE and contact Kevin if interested at 614-557-3031 or kcondon7984@gmail.com.
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Wild Church is a group that meets in a variety of outdoor settings for informal worship about once a month. Interested? Contact Sarah Werner sarahwern@gmail.com
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Missing a pair of glasses? A pair of black-framed glasses was left in the sanctuary on Sunday January 4, and they are being held in the office. Please contact Laura at office@columbusmennonite.org to claim them!
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Consider inviting interested friends and family to experience a great meal and a program put on at CMC by our friends at HEAL Palestine. A catered Middle Eastern meal, a short presentation by a man who will have just returned from the Middle East, music (CMC’s part), and a dabke dance group are the featured entertainment. Suggested donation is $20 for adults, $10 for kids, and $30 for a family of 3 to eat, drink and be merry together with neighbors from the Levant. Larger families can adjust their donation accordingly. Those who want will have a chance to try dabke, as well! Please register HERE. The event is a fundraiser for HEAL Palestine, which is a nonprofit that serves the people of Palestine in a variety of ways, including bringing young people in need of amputation care and various therapies to Columbus.
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2-Liter Bottle Collection: Tricia Turley is collecting empty 2-liter bottles for a school rocket project for her students. Please bring any you have to the collection box under the mailboxes in the fellowship hall! Thank you!
Events and Opportunities in the Wider Community
Celebrating 50 years of More-with-Less! Herald Press and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) invite you to share stories of food, joy, and resilience to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the More-with-Less cookbook. This beloved cookbook’s call to thrift, Christian compassion and abundant living is just as urgent and relevant today as it was in 1976. Go to https://bit.ly/MoreWithLess50 to learn more and to submit stories, blessings or ideas for simple approaches to sharing food and fellowship. Please share your story by Feb. 15 for a chance to be featured in the 50th anniversary edition or additional digital resources—and receive a chocolate oatmeal cake recipe as thanks! CMC note: Not sure what More-with-Less is, but curious? Email Laura at office@columbusmennonite.org, and we’ll connect you with a loaner copy of this classic Mennonite cookbook!
Calendars
Sunday, January 18
9:30 am Worship Service
11:00 am Christian Education Classes
CMC Activities Next Week
Monday, January 19
OFFICE CLOSED
Friday, January 23
6:30 am Men’s Breakfast via Zoom https://zoom.us/j/313623317
9:00 am Leadership Team meeting via Zoom
4:00 pm Gifts Discernment Committee via Zoom
7:00 pm Young Adult Dinner Group at the Masseys’
Sunday, January 25
9:30 am Worship Service
11:00 am Christian Education classes
Office Contacts and Schedules for January 18-25
*Please note the church office will be closed on Monday, January 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr Day.
Laura: office@columbusmennonite.org, 216-870-0119, 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, Tues-Thurs: 9:00a-3:00p, Fri: Sabbath
Joel: joel@columbusmennonite.org, 614-940-7839, schedule is TBD, partial medical leave
Upcoming CMC Special Events
Jan 31 HEAL Palestine Fundraiser Meal and Concert
Feb 1 Cookie Sunday
Feb 7 Open Mic Coffeehouse
Feb 18 Ash Wednesday Service, Lent begins
March 6 & 7, 2026 Knotting Party and Soup-er Pie Supper
Last Sunday | January 11
Attendance: 223
Offerings Received (last week): $11,798.00
Offerings Received (January): $14,493.00
Offerings Needed (January): $44,798.00
Christian Education Classes
Christian Education classes for children, youth, and adults will meet this Sunday at 11:00am. See below for descriptions of classes for this season.
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): Please note the Junior High class will not be meeting this week (January 18) but any youth in this age range are invited to join the High School class in Room 25.
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 – Beginning in January
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. Note: Laura Steiner will be substitute facilitator for Jan 18.
Four Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Jonah, and John (Jan 11-Feb 8): In this brief (four-week) Bible study, we’ll get acquainted with a sampling of 4 minor prophets, two real and two nominal: Hosea, a real 8th Century BCE prophet of Israel; Joel, a real 5th Century BCE prophet of Judah; Jonah, a 5th-4th Century anonymous story about an unknown 8th Century BCE prophet to Israel; and John, a 1st Century CE post-prophetic apocalyptic “prophet.” Facilitated by Jim Fredal in Room 22. Meets Jan 11, 18, and 25 and Feb 8.
Adult Classes – Beginning Later in the Winter/Spring
Lent Devotions Class (Feb 15-Mar 29): A class that explores themes to match our Lenten series. More details to come. Facilitated by Joel Miller in Room 22. Meets Feb 15-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!