ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wednesday Meals and Contemplative Worship:  Come share a simple supper and time of contemplative worship and prayer each Wednesday evening beginning September 3.  A supper of soup and bread will be served at 6:15, followed by worship and prayer at 7:00.  Child care will be provided.

Young Adults:  Summer's not over yet!  How 'bout one more camping and canoeing adventure?  Join folks of all ages for a day-long canoe trip on the Skunk River on Saturday, August 30. This event is being sponsored by Crooked Creek Christian Camp. For those interested in CAMPING as well as canoeing, we can reserve some sites at Crooked Creek for Friday night, August 29. Please reply to Karla (, 319-594-2646) if you're interested in canoeing, camping or both!

PLEASE TURN IN ALL BILLS!
If you have a bill to turn in for reimbursement, please fill out a voucher, attach your receipt and put it on Karen's desk in the office before the end of August--otherwise it will be applied to next year's spending plan.  Vouchers can be found in the labeled drawer right below the counter where the small copy machine is found in the office.  Thanks.  Pat Gingrich, treasurer

Thanks to all who brought school supplies for Roosevelt School. Along with the help of a neighboring congregation, we were able to help 250 children from low-income families. Thank you for doing mission across the street!  Now we have an opportunity to help people around the world!  MCC has an URGENT NEED for relief kits for displaced families in Iraq. You are invited to assemble the following items in a box, and return them to church anytime between now and October 17. The list of the needed items is in your mailbox today. Each completed kit needs:
 4 bars bath soap (4-5 oz. in wrappers)
1 bottle shampoo (between 13-24oz.in plastic bottle) and (place  in resealable plastic bag)
10 cups powdered laundry detergent (double bag in 1 gal.  resealable bag)
1 tube toothpaste (minimum 6 oz. leave in box)
4 adult-size toothbrushes (leave in packaging)
4 new bath towels (med. weight, dark colors)
1 hairbrush (remove packaging)
1 comb (8 inches)
1 fingernail clipper
1 box adhesive bandages (minimum of 40 assorted)
1 package sanitary napkins (18-24 thin maxi or ultra thin)

HELP! We need volunteers for clean-up with MDS. Our congregation has been asked to provide volunteers every Friday. Mel Roth will be coordinating these jobs with the MDS office.  Please email   about your availability, willingness, and excitement to volunteer to help our neighbors!

Thank you!  Thank you to all who offered support for the Young Adult trip to the Boundary Waters.  Your generosity at our brunch of several weeks ago helped make our trip financially feasible.  God's presence was made known to us on our three-day canoeing adventure last week, through the beauty of creation, the power of storms, the fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ.  Thanks for your support!

August 10, 2008
Church Attendance  171
Offering $10,057.30

CONFERENCE AND COMMUNITY NEWS

Family, Friends, Neighbors, Coworkers….Is someone you know hurting from Divorce? Tell him or her about DivorceCare, a special weekly seminar and support group for persons who are separated or divorced. The twelve week course begins Tuesday, September 2, at 7:00 pm at First Mennonite Church of Iowa City. For more information contact Marian Schwabbauer at 319-351-3450 or visit their website at www.divorcecare.org.

JPOG - On the 63rd anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, JPOG invites you to consider the continuing threat of nuclear war with the video Hiroshima: Repentance and Renewal.  In addition, retired Japan missionaries Marvin and Neta Faye Yoder will describe their acquaintance with many people affected by the Hiroshima bombing.  Join us tonight  (August 17, 2008), at Wellman Mennonite Church, 1215 8th Ave. in Wellman at 6 pm for a finger foods potluck and conversation or at 7 pm for our presentation and discussion.  For more information, please contact Jane Yoder-Short at 319-683-2547 or .

Season tickets are on sale for the 6th annual IMS Fine Arts Series. Season tickets insure choice of seat for the entire series. Individual concert tickets are available AFTER August 18. The 2008-09 Series includes the following events:  The Beggarmen, August 30; An Evening with Shawn Kirchner & Ryan Harrison, September 19; Spencer Myer, October 14; and Sing Hallelujah! A Gospel Musical comedy by Bob Payne and Jim Hesselman, on January 31.

Crooked Creek Christian Camp will hold its annual outdoor Hymn-sing at 6 PM Sunday, August 24.  Join others from the area to raise your voices in praise to God.  Camp will provide a snack of popcorn from the big kettle afterwards. 
 
Canoers:  There is still time to sign up for Crooked Creek Christian Camp’s all day canoe trip on Saturday, August 30.  Give the camp a call as soon as possible at 319-653-3611.  See you on the river! 

An India Bazaar will be held August 23, 11-4 PM at the Johnson County 4-H Fairgrounds.  There will be food, arts, crafts, music and dancing. All proceeds will go to Iowa City Free Medical Clinic. See notice on the bulletin board by the church office.

Everyone is welcome to attend local author, Waneta Dawn's book reading and talk at 2 PM on Saturday, August 23 at Book signing at Waldenbooks at Sycamore Mall in Iowa City:  Ms Dawn will be available to sign her new novel, "Behind the Hedge," from noon to 4:00 PM.  If you wish to see or purchase the book, Prairie Lights and Waldenbooks have the book in stock in Iowa City.  For more information, visit www.wanetadawn.com, or call 471-5276.   "Behind the Hedge" is the story of a woman who farms in rural Kalona and raises three children.  When Yvette discovers her husband's demands are escalating into abuse, she begins a frightening way to confront the issues and find healing from the abuse.

Four weeks of Mennonite Media documentaries on Hallmark
Issues: Addictions, Hunger, Forgiveness, Aging
Mennonite Media documentaries from the past several years will be airing on Hallmark Channel through Faith & Values Media:
Four Sundays in August 2008, 6 AM CT
August 17: Journey Toward Forgiveness
August 24: Embracing Aging: Families Facing Change

ATTENTION WOMEN:  Mark your calendars and plan to attend Women's Retreat at Swan Lake Christian Camp, Viborg, S.D. on September 20-21.  Laura Graber Nickel will be our guest speaker and focus her thoughts on "Stories of Ukrainian Women".  More information will be available later.

Flood Relief: Mennonite Disaster Service has responded to the floods that have impacted Iowa City and the state. The Iowa MDS state office and also the National MDS are housed in our building for the coming months as relief is being provided.
***To volunteer, call 319-321-1428. 
      People with disaster needs, call 319-321-1124.