Mennonite Weekly Review

Special attention this spring focused on God’s wonderful creativity in starting families and bringing babies into the world. Baby showers have been frequent, evidence of the involvement of many younger couples in LMC. Several times this spring the worship team included three pregnant women who are looking forward to their first child. However, recognition was also given on April 19 with tulips to symbolize people struggling with infertility or the death of a child.

Births: Audra Grace, March 9, to Alicia and Paul Berry; Samuel Diener, March 23, to Sarah and Ben Beachy; Martin Isaac Shew, March 25, to Gini and Travis Trotter.

On March 8, the youth presented a fine worship service with singing, Scripture, prayer, a children’s meeting and a meditation by Phillip Oswald titled “God … ? Our Thoughts.”

A team of seven went to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, March 19-29 on a service project, assisting in the construction of a children’s day care center. Participants included Carlita, Justin, Randy and Regina Schweitzer, Nikki Oswald, Isaac Noguernon and Sharla Wenger.

The Arnold Polks from Ghana enlightened LMC on March 22 regarding their longtime work in that country. Arnold conducted a fascinating demonstration of the efficient block-producing machine they use in making blocks from various kinds of available native materials. He showed how ordinary dirt from Rockingham County can be made into a building block.

Kara Schlabach, a senior art major at EMU, designed a series of church bulletin covers for Lent. Easter weekend included a meaningful Maundy Thursday meal, meditations and a footwashing service.

April 19 marked the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the first Sunday of worship in the large sanctuary currently being used. On that same day a fund-raising program called “Debt Free in Three” (years) was initiated — a systematic attempt to liquidate the $600,000 debt remaining on the building.