Reminders July 30-Aug 2
Congregational Accessibility Survey DUE TOMORROW JULY 31: The CMC Accessibility Advocates are seeking your input on ways to increase accessibility at CMC. They would love your feedback! Please complete the survey linked here to share your perspective – and note this survey is for all CMC attenders, whether or not you identify as having a disability. Please complete the survey by TOMORROW July 31. Thank you! Questions? Please contact Tracey Lehman, Josh Davey, Laura Myers or Megan McGowan (CMC Accessibility Advocates).
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This Sunday, August 2nd is our regular Cookie Sunday! Please bring snack foods 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! (This includes packaged food that “may contain nuts.”)
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MCC School Kit collection time – items due THIS SUNDAY August 2! Check the list below for details on items needed, and mark your calendar also to help assemble the kits on August 9!
General CMC Announcements
THANK YOU from Camp Friedenswald! Thanks to all who contributed to the snack drive for Camp Friedenswald staff this summer! Several bags and boxes of goodies were delivered earlier this month. CMC received a note of thanks signed by 18 staff members: “Columbus Mennonite, Thank you for the snacks and for fueling us through the week! ~The 2026 Summer Staff” The note will be posted on the bulletin board by the restrooms.
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Women’s Coffee Connection: Thursday, August 13 from 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m in the fellowship hall. Please 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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Transitions Small Group. This late-summer and fall I’ll be leading another group through the Transitions process. This will be an opportunity to reflect on the many transitions we undergo throughout adulthood, select a personal transition past or present to give attention to, and ritually mark that transition together. Gatherings will include two evening mini-retreats and five Sunday school hour sessions late August through October. I’m looking for 8-10 folks 18-100 years old to participate. If you are undergoing or foreseeing a life transition, if you are near a birthday ending in 0, or if you just want to be part of a small group doing intentional work around transitions you are an excellent candidate. Let me know if you are interested! – Pastor Joel
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Books and Ideas Sharing Group. We hope to form a group that will meet regularly to share and discuss books, articles, ideas and perspectives that interest us. This will not be a book club. Rather, participants will be welcome to bring what they are reading, thinking about or exploring for thoughtful conversation with others. Once there is a critical mass of people we can decide on details (zoom or in-person, frequency, and format). Please contact Wilbur Miller
wilburjmiller@gmail.com or Lawrence Needleman needleperson@gmail.com if you are interested in joining or learning more.
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CMC Office Update: Pastor Joel Miller is out of the office until August 4. Please contact Pastor Robin Walton with any pastoral care needs during this time. Mim Halterman, Administrative Assistant, will be out of the office August 2-7. Please contact Laura Steiner with any office needs at laura@columbusmennonite.org.
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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 this Sunday, August 2nd, and the 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.)
Opportunities in the Wider Community
During the Central District Conference Annual Meeting in June, delegates continued a discussion of Article 19 of the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective on “Family, Singleness, and Marriage.” Curious to learn more about the context and process of this discussion? Check out this article in Anabaptist World, written by CMC member Sarah Werner, who also serves as the communications director for Central District Conference.
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Waging Peace: A Militarism Summit: Registration is now open for MC USA’s “Waging Peace: A Militarism Summit,” Nov. 6-7, in Leola, Pennsylvania. Rooted in Anabaptist faith values, the two-day gathering brings Christians together to explore faithful responses to war, political polarization, nationalism and violence. Best-selling author Shane Claiborne is the opening keynote speaker. High school youth attend free with a youth sponsor/pastor. Learn more and register here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/militarism-summit/
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Calendars
Sunday, August 2
9:30am Worship Service
Cookie Sunday in the fellowship hall following worship
CMC Activities Next Week
Wednesday, August 5
5:30pm Vacation Bible School (family meal starts at 5:30, program begins at 6:00)
Thursday, August 6
4:00pm Set up for Piecemakers in the fellowship hall
Friday, August 7
6:30am Men’s Breakfast via Zoom https://zoom.us/j/313623317
9:00am Piecemakers in the fellowship hall
Sunday, August 9
9:30am Worship Service
11:00am School Kits assembly in fellowship hall
Office Contacts and Schedules for August 2 – August 9
Laura: office@columbusmennonite.org, 216-870-0119, Mon-Fri: 9a-3p
Mim: mim@columbusmennonite.org, 614-745-5150, on vacation this week
Mark: mark@columbusmennonite.org, on sabbatical May 18-Aug 16
Joel: joel@columbusmennonite.org, 614-940-7839, Mon: Sabbath, Tues-Fri: 9:00a-5:00p
Robin: robin@columbusmennonite.org, 614-406-1766, Mon: 10a-3p, Fri: 10a-2p
Upcoming CMC Special Events
Aug 5 Vacation Bible School (last day)
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 26
Attendance: 155
Offerings Received (last week): $22,166.00
Offerings Received (July): $46,286.00
Offerings Needed (July): $44,795.00
Offerings Received (year to date): $291,924.00
Offerings Needed (year to date): $313,565.00
Offering Deficit (year to date): $(21,641.00)
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!