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COMMUNITYMENNONITECHURCH OFLANCASTERParrotTHEMARCH 2016MARCH HIGHLIGHTS613162027Adult Christian EdTeman Cooke leadingAdult Christian EdDaniel Erdman leadingCMCL womenGirls’ Blessing7:00 p.m., Carolyn Weaver’s homeAdult Christian EdJonathan Sauder leading via SkypeEasterNo Adult Christian Ed3 Stories behind theStorytelling BoxesThe story boxes are great to haveduring Storytelling Time inChristian education at CMCL. Oneof the stories that I really enjoyedhearing was the one about Abrahamand Sarah. The pieces that were inthe box to help tell the story wererocks with the characters painted onthem. The rocks were small, roundand smooth. Each rock had a faceand clothing painted on it that toldus about the characters in the story.When the storyteller told the story,he acted like the rocks were people.Another storybox I liked waswhen Moses took the Israelites out1of Egypt. There were little woodenchips that represented the peoplewho were working for the Egyptians in the storybox. I thought itwas interesting how the artist usedthe wooden chips to be people. Iwouldn’t have thought of that andit was a good idea. There was alsoa piece of felt in the box that represented the place that the Egyptianswere living.One other piece of art I like fromthe storyboxes are the characters thatwere made from a water bottle and atennis ball. The artist made the tennis ball the head and the water bottlethe body for each character. She covered the bottle and ball with colorfulpaper and colors and made themlook like humans. There are manydifferent characters made from these.They are really detailed and can telldifferent stories. I like seeing what isin the story boxes every week.—Sam Hoover, third grade(continued on page 2)Next to Sam Hoover are the figures oftwo disciples created by Kay Reist for theStorytelling Boxes. James, at the left, hasfour fish in his arms and Thomas, next tohim, has a question mark on his chest.1 The Parrot March 2016 COMMUNITY MENNONITE CHURCH OF LANCASTER

EVENTS & REPORTSYour CMCL pastoral teamThe pastoral team consists of the pastors and four or five CMCL memberswho are chosen by the pastoral teamin consultation with the leadershipselection committee. Integrity, maturity, accountability and love for thechurch are the main qualifications.The team meets every other week.The members’ duties include helpingthe pastors and attending to the wellbeing of the congregation.The team specifically plans andhelps with the following: Communion.Parent/child dedications.Mentor/teen matches.Annual recovenanting, includingnew member preparation. Parrot pinning on Pentecost forthose over 50. Special services, including AshWednesday, All Saints Day andWinter Solstice. Prayer shawl ministry. Meal ministry.Pastoral team designates a representative to the retreat planning, staffrelations and memorial meal committees. Also connected to pastoralteam is the Everence (or matchingfund) advocate. A recent addition topastoral team oversight is the eldercare committee, which attends tothe needs of older CMCL members,such as transportation, meals andhandicap accessibility. Team mem-bers also visit the homebound andtake communion to them.Pastoral team is grateful for themany ways CMCLers care for eachother through prayer, meals, cards,calls, transportation, visitation, smallgroups, and the list goes on.But remember that pastoral teamis here to respond to needs. Whenever a need arises, please call thepastors, any pastoral team memberor the church office.Pastoral team members: Pastor Susan,Pastor Chad, Luke Good, Verna Miller,Deb Napolitan, Carol Spicher, and LevinaHuber, Chair.3 Stories behind the Storytelling Boxes(continued from page 1)2The Storytelling Box project beganover a decade ago with a call to CMCLers todonate items for use in telling children theBible stories chosen by parents. These storiesare taught on a three-year cycle in the RotationWorkshop, which is the Christian educationprogram for children ages 4 to Grade 4. BecauseI received very few donations, I was about to teardown the flyers and go back to the drawing boardwhen Kay Reist asked me what I needed. She thenbegan creating artistic props for every story. Whatemerged was well beyond what I had dreamed, andI am grateful. On page 1 are reflections by SamHoover, a third-grader. To the right, artist Kay Reistexplains what this experience has meant to her.—Chris Hoover Seidel3A reason to createCMCL storytelling boxesgave me a reason to create.I loved researching the Biblestories to understand the“big idea” behind each story.I also looked for basic symbols that are used over andover for certain characters.But because no one knowswhat the characters lookedlike, I could create themthe way I wanted. I hopethe children enjoy them asmuch as I enjoyed makingthem.— Kay Reist2 The Parrot March 2016 COMMUNITY MENNONITE CHURCH OF LANCASTER

EVENTS & REPORTSSpring Adult Christian EdCMCL WomenFebruary 21–March 20March 27Focusing on the scripture throughdifferent lenses: Volunteers share ontheir Lenten journeys.Easter: No Adult Christian Ed.Wednesday, March 16,7:00 p.m.at the home of Carolyn Weaver,2660 Harrisburg Pike, LancasterMarch 6Teman Cooke will be expoundingon Exodus 10 and 11.April 3–May 8Series “Returning Veterans.Returning Hope—Seeking PeaceTogether.”March 13Daniel Erdman will be leading.March 20Jonathan Sauder via Skype.Girls’ Blessing led by Mary LouWeaver Houser. We’d like to extend a warm welcome to all CMCLwomen interested in honoring andshowing support for the youngwomen of our congregation. Thisyear we have the joy of getting toknow Amani Kaufman, Ana Martin,Anika Longacre Hurst, AnnabelleLapp, Gabrielle Martin, and LaurenWeaver.Friday–Sunday, April 8–10Charter Hall, Perryville, MarylandSupporting and sendingThe Peace and Social Justice Committee met January 12 to discuss theAgency Support Grant Program.This program is an opportunity forCMCL to partner financially withagencies involved in peace and justice ministries where our members/attendees are actively involved.The committee accepted the following organization’s applicationsfor funding: Embrace Lancaster,Lancaster County Re-Entry Management Organization, SamaritanCounseling Center, ASSETS Lancaster, Mennonite Palestine-IsraelNetwork, Welcoming Dialog, S. JuneSmith Center, Lancaster Downtowners, Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, Center for CommunityPeacemaking, Lancaster InterchurchPeace Witness, Peace and JusticeStudies Association, Lancaster NewSounds, and Kairos School of Spiritual Formation.3 The Parrot March 2016 Do you know a local or far-flungchurch or church-related grouplooking for financial assistance? Thecommittee will soon be acceptingnominations for the SEND Fund(Sharing Enthusiastically Near andDistant). This fund is an opportunityfor CMCL to share our financialabundance with other churches,locally and globally. The size of thefund is tied to our spending onCMCL building projects.SEND projects should involvechurches with growth needs thatcannot be met without assistance.This growth may take the form ofbuilding a structure, building community, or both. Preference willbe given to capital expenses ratherthan program needs. Look for moreinformation in your mailbox and thebulletin.—Tim Baum, committee chairCOMMUNITY MENNONITE CHURCH OF LANCASTER2016 CMCL Women’s RetreatRetreat Along the Chesapeake:Listening, Journaling, HealingPresenters: Lisa Roth Walter andAnne SchoberMay 20, 6:30 p.m. (tentative date)Freiman Stoltzfus Gallery, thenMary Alice Ressler’s downtown condoExamine Art and Spiritualitythrough the work of local artist,Freiman Stoltzfus. Meet after forsnacks and drinks.Saturday, June 11Location to be announced.Afternoon potluck, then a hikeguided by Nancy Borremans.Chairs or representatives of church committees are invited to send in updates, news orhighlights to share with the congregation.Email to Beth at b.oberholtzer@comcast.net.

COMMUNITY INTERESTSTOWARD HEALTH AND WELLNESSSPIRITUAL PRACTICEWe are continuing our wellness series with Mary Ellen Francescani offeringa specific suggestion for each week of the year. Challenge yourself to theseMarch suggestions and decide what you can continue doing.I spend a joyful amount of timelistening to people who want a companion for their spiritual explorations. “Listening is a way of honoring someone,” says Krista Tippett.Listening involves deep attentiveness.I’ve also found it essential to listendeeply to my own inner stirrings. Aday of silence or a silent retreat offersspace and time to listen attentivelyto the invitations of a new season oflife. What are the longings? Whatholy venture draws me in the nextmonths? What “voices” need to be“shushed” to listen to deeper innerdesires? What might be the invitations honoring a personal journey,reverencing inner stirrings/nudges?So much noise. So much interiorchatter. So many loud voices. Even ifyou aren’t able to take extended timefor silence, a daily space and timejust might make it possible to listenmore deeply to yourself. This morning, with a cup of tea in hand, I satin stillness near my gas log fireplace,unplugged, quiet, just being. It mightbe your yoga mat, a walk in nature,an immersion in beauty. Whatinvites you to a deeper attentivenessand compassionate listening? Honoryourself today.52 Steps in 2016Listening . . .Week 10. Use a smaller plate for all of your meals this week to help withportion control. (In the 1960s a dinner plate was only 8–9 inches, now theyare 12 inches!)Week 11. Stay active: Incorporate at least 30 minutes every day this weekof movement (walking, running, biking, doing the steps, swimming.)Week 12. At the grocery store, pick all darkly pigmented fruits andveggies (blueberries, blackberries, dark leafy greens.) They are full ofhealthy polyphenols and anthocyanins.Week 13. When choosing Easter candy, skip the peeps and go dark chocolate ( 70% cacao), which is rich in antioxidants and flavanols and mayprotect against cardiovascular disease.RESOURCE STEWARDSHIPTransportation choices impact pollutionIf you’re not walking or biking to get from one place to another, you are mostlikely polluting the air we breathe. The ecological impact of vehicles poweredby fossil fuels is great. Below is a list of the impact of transportation choices onpollutant gasses released per mile of travel. No pollutants: Walk or bike.Less pollutants: Mass transit (3/4 full), carpool (3 people), intercity train.More pollutants: Economy car, mass transit (1/4 full.)Most pollutants: Jet, average car, sport utility vehicle.Here are tips for reducing the environmental impact of driving and increasingenergy efficiency.—Cheryl M. Lehman1. Keep tires inflated to recommended pressures.2. Avoid rapid acceleration and braking.3. Remove unneeded accessories such as roof racks and running boards.4. Anticipate traffic movement and road features such as traffic lights toreduce the need for excessive braking and acceleration.There are many reasons to question our auto-centered transportation systems, including congestion, air pollution and climate change. Developing moresustainable transportation systems means investing less in highway infrastructure and more in land and energy-efficient rail, bus, and bicycle infrastructure.—Linford GoodRecovenanting in January4 The Parrot March 2016 COMMUNITY MENNONITE CHURCH OF LANCASTER