March 30, 2009 issue
Blanket project links youth, mentors
By Debbie GoossenBeatrice, Neb. — Peace Club members from Beatrice Mennonite Church and First Mennonite Church met with their adult prayer partners in the basement at Beatrice Mennonite Church recently to tie a blanket for the Nebraska Mennonite Central Committee relief sale.
Nick Funk and his prayer partner, Jim Ensz, of First Mennonite Church, Beatrice, Neb., tie the Peace Club blanket at Beatrice Mennonite Church for the Nebraska Mennonite Central Committee sale. — Photo provided by Beatrice Mennonite Church
Peace Club is the Wednesday evening program for elementary children attending the two churches. Each has been paired with a church member who is a mentor. The prayer partners were guests at three sessions this year.
During this year’s Peace Club, members have been learning about the nine levels of peace, ranging from peace with self to peace in our world. When discussing peace in our world, they learned about MCC and how it helps to feed hungry people.
The group chose to make a blanket, which will be part of a Family Peace Basket. It will be sold at the Nebraska MCC Sale April 3-4 on the fairgrounds in Aurora. The money earned from the basket will help to feed the hungry.
Quilt blocks were precut from the designer fabrics “Peace in the Country” by Carol Enders. The children arranged them into a design for the blanket. Debbie Goossen, leader, and her mother, Ruth Ann Penner of Hillsboro, Kan., sewed the blocks together.
Besides the peace blanket, the basket will include a book of activities and supplies for a family to use while discussing each of the nine peace levels. It includes a dove cookie cutter, books to share about peace, dove Christmas ornament kits, a peace pillow, a DVD on peace and supplies for making picture frames.
The seven gently used books included in the basket were purchased from Burwood Books in Beatrice. The group toured the bookstore when they were discussing peace in one’s community. Julie Erickson, Mother-to-Mother Ministry coordinator, shared how the bookstore helps to support this outreach program.
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