Reminders May 21-25
Building Use this Saturday: Please note that the fellowship hall, library, and kitchen will be in use on Saturday afternoon (May 23) from 3p-9p for a women’s gathering (organized by an external group), which requires privacy for the women attending. If you are planning to come to the church during that time, please avoid entering those areas of the church out of respect for the cultural practices of this group. There will be signs on the room doors as a reminder! Thank you for your sensitivity!
Christian Education reminder: Most Christian Education classes have begun their summer recess and will not meet again until September 13. The Aging Well class still has several more meeting times, but this week is not one of them. Their remaining classes are May 31 and June 7, 14, 28.
Office Updates: Please note that the church office will be closed on Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day. Also, Pastor Mark began his sabbatical this week and will be out of the office through August 16. Pastor Joel is out of the office until Saturday, May 23, returning for Sunday worship May 24 and back in the office on Tuesday, May 26. For pastoral care needs during this time, please contact Robin Walton. For administrative needs, please contact Laura Steiner.
General CMC Announcements
The Rummage Sale and Plant Sale are next weekend May 29 and 30! Preparations will be occurring beginning Sunday and throughout the coming week at the church. Have time to volunteer? Have plants or “stuff” to donate? See below for more details on both sales. Invite friends and come support this annual community effort!
Save the date for our Outdoor Service! It will be held at Highbanks Metro Park on Sunday June 21. There will be no worship service at the CMC building that week. Join us instead outside at the park for worship followed by a lunch potluck! More details to come soon!
New Spiritual Growth Groups: Are you looking for a group for sharing, spiritual connection, prayer, and reflection? Several of us are participating in such a group and would be delighted to help start others. Each group will have its own character and process, but if you would like to hear how our group is structured, please see the Lamplighter article on page 14-15 of the Dec-Jan issue linked HERE. If you might be interested in joining a Spiritual Growth group, please contact Lawrence Needleman at needleperson@gmail.com, or reach out to Robin Walton at robin@columbusmennonite.org.
Let’s help stock the staff lounge at Camp Friedenswald! As summer camp season gears up, CMC has been invited to help support the summer staff at Camp Friedenswald. These dedicated young adults spend their days pouring energy, love, and mentorship into every camper who walks into the peaceful woods. It is rewarding work, and requires nearly endless energy! Special note that two CMC young people will be on the camp staff this summer – Graciela and Eli! A collection bin will be in the foyer beginning this Sunday. Here are some ideas (but feel free to get creative!): granola bars/protein bars; fruit snacks; cookies (homemade* or store bought); beef jerky; twizzlers, gummy bears, or other sweets; chips or pretzels; trail mix / mixed nuts; goldfish or cheese crackers; fresh fruit; soft drinks or soda water. *If bringing homemade items, please no nuts! And a list of ingredients would be appreciated. Items due by Sunday June 28.
KCMCS Annual Training for 2026 deadline is May 31. If you are attending at CMC, this training is for you, whether you volunteer with youth or attend worship services… To complete the training GO HERE and complete Steps 3 & 4. Mim Halterman, KCMCS Program Coordinator, mim@columbusmennonite.org
Young Adult Dinner Group: Gwen, Peter, and Jacob Reiser will be hosting the next Young Adult Dinner group on Saturday, June 13th at 6:00pm at their home. Anyone who identifies as a young adult is welcome. Please let Gwen know if you would like to join (greiser.1984@gmail.com).
Vacation Bible School: Our VBS this year is themed “Kids Connect” and will take place Wednesday evenings (July 15, 22, 29, and Aug. 5). A light meal will be offered from 5:30-6 and the program will run from 6-7:30. VBS is for children who have completed Preschool through 4th grade, and older youth are invited to participate as helpers. Please register both children and youth HERE no later than July 5, and for more information, contact Hannah Kelley hannahjkelley@gmail.com.
Have you graduated in the past year or will you be graduating in the coming weeks? If you (or someone you love) graduated from high school or beyond in the past year (June 2025-May/June 2026) please let us know so that we can celebrate your accomplishment in the bulletin. Please send your month/year of graduation, school/program from which you graduated, degree and area of study, and if you wish to share, tell us what is next in your life. Please send to office@columbusmennonite.org by May 27.
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.
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.
Opportunities in the Wider Community
HEAL Palestine: Have you ever wanted a beautiful henna design along with coffee or dessert from a Yemeni cafe? On Memorial Day weekend (Sunday and Monday), you are invited to an event that supports the work of HEAL Palestine AND gives you that opportunity. Go to support the Palestinian people while having a unique cultural opportunity! Matori cafe, (3001 Olentangy River Road) May 24 and 25 from 5 – 8 pm both days.
Mark your calendars for the 2026 Central Ohio Folk Festival, June 6 & 7. Join the Columbus Folk Music Society for a two-day family friendly festival the first full weekend in June, where the magic of music comes alive across four vibrant stages. Several CMCers are involved! More details HERE and on the flyers in the foyer. Please note it will be held at a new location this year – Bank Run Metro Park.
June 26-28 Workshop: Nonviolence, Hope, Courage, and Strategic Defiance at the Grand Wayne Convention Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Join On Earth Peace for a training open to members of the Church of the Brethren and interested members of the public. Join us for a weekend of strategic nonviolence analysis, skill-building, and spiritual power. This training is meant to help Christians and people of goodwill build spiritual and practical grounding for the work ahead. RSVP USING THIS LINK. AND for more information about the workshop!
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 24
9:00am Worship Service
Note that most Christian Education classes are on recess throughout the summer, resuming September 13. Aging Well will meet some summer Sundays but not this week (details below).
CMC Activities Next Week
Monday, May 25
CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED FOR MEMORIAL DAY
Tuesday, May 26
Rummage sale setup in the fellowship hall
Wednesday, May 27
Rummage sale setup in the fellowship hall
12:00 Rohr Zoom group https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86487158321
Thursday, May 28
Rummage sale setup in the fellowship hall
Friday, May 29
6:30 am Men’s Breakfast via Zoom https://zoom.us/j/313623317
8:00 am – 6:00pm Rummage Sale
Saturday, May 30
8:00 am – 12:00 pm Rummage Sale AND Plant Sale
Sunday, May 31
9:00am Worship Service
11:00am Aging Well class in the sanctuary (no other Christian Ed classes today)
Office Contacts and Schedules for May 24-31
*Please note the church office will be closed Mon May 25 for Memorial 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, on sabbatical May 18-Aug 16
Joel: joel@columbusmennonite.org, 614-940-7839, Tues-Fri: 9:00a-5:00p
Robin: robin@columbusmennonite.org, 614-406-1766, Fri: 10am-2pm
Upcoming CMC Special Events
May 29-30 Rummage Sale (Fri-Sat) and Plant Sale (Sat)
June 7 Piecemakers Comforter Blessing during worship
June 14 Pride Sunday
June 20 Pride Parade
June 21 Outdoor Service at Highbanks Metro Park (no service at CMC)
Sept 25-27 CMC Fall Retreat at Kirkmont Center
Last Sunday | May 17
Attendance: 201
Offerings Received (last week): $8,911.00
Offerings Received (May): $24,691.00
Offerings Needed (May): $44,795.00
Christian Education Classes
Most Christian Education classes for children, youth, and adults are on summer recess and will not meet again until September 13. The exception to this is the Aging Well class for adults, which will meet on the following dates: May 31 and June 7, 14, 28.
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.
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!