St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship

Jennifer Harris Dault, Pastor

For the foreseeable future, we are practicing extreme care for one another by meeting digitally. We long for the day when we can gather again in our building.

THIS SUNDAY, September 27: Sermon: Jennifer Harris Dault. Worship Leader: Keith Fredlund. Children's Time: Rosabeth Koehn.

NEXT SUNDAY, October 4: Installation service for Jennifer Harris Dault. Sermon: David Miller, Acting Conference Pastor for Illinois Mennonite Conference. Worship Leader: Tina Hunsberger. Children's Time: Rachel Dothager.

Here is the link to access all SLMF Zoom meetings when they are in progress. To phone in, dial 1-312-626-6799 OR 1-646-558-8656; then enter 8325115748# (i.e., the meeting number followed by the # key). If you need help, please contact Pastor Jennifer. Joachim Landes is also available to answer questions.

High school Sunday school will be held via Zoom on Sunday, Oct. 4, and Sunday, Oct. 18, from 11:00-12:00 p.m. Rosabeth Koehn will send a Zoom link closer to the date. Stay tuned for info about future meeting times!

Dear SLMF family,

I don’t know where to begin with this note of gratitude. Many of you Ben and I have known our whole lives and even after we moved away Dad would keep us updated on the goings on at SLMF. Some of you we may only know from those updates. Regardless, we thank you for all you have done for our dad and mom through the years. They moved to the big unknown city of St. Louis answering a call to work as social workers some forty years ago. Despite limited connections initially, they built a home and community largely due to the connections they made through SLMF. There are so many things to be thankful for in SLMF, but I will always remember how you all stepped up and helped my parents as we dealt with my mom’s horrible dementia. Not only were you there to help with life before she went into the nursing home but during that time and after her death. Your love and attention during that time was so critical to my dad’s ability to care for her. I was in the mist of residency and Ben in grad school and we always felt better knowing he had back up in you all.

Then when dad got sick, he always had visitors and phone calls and the love you showed him during that time will always be remembered with gratitude. While he was at SLU Hospital getting his initial chemo treatment, we knew on Sundays we could come in later and get some things done around his apartment because he always had after church visitors. Then, like Ben said in the eulogy, so many people would call him in Madison and keep him connected to SLMF and keep his spirits up as he continued treatment. And then after dad died, the number of texts Ben and I received telling us they were thinking about us and what a great guy dad was really did lift our spirits.

I will always remember SLMF as a place where everyone knew me. I always had 20+ honorary parents looking out for me and keeping me in line when needed. I am thankful for the church home I had growing up and how it shaped me into who I am today. Keep up the good work and thank you again for everything that you have done for my family.

Ben and I hope to have a memorial service of some sort in person in St. Louis when the coronavirus is under control. We will be in touch with Jennifer on how to make that happen.

With love and appreciation,

Mandy (and Ben) Schmidt

The new publication Anabaptist World is the result of a merger between The Mennonite (which covered MCUSA) and The Mennonite World Review (which covered the full spectrum of Anabaptist-Mennonites in North America and beyond). Subscriptions to those legacy publications have been automatically transferred to Anabaptist World. Check it out at https://anabaptistworld.org/.

*** NOTE: The inaugural copy reveals that our own Steve Boyer-Edwards's cartoons, which have long run in The Mennonite, will continue in the new publication! ***

Mia Boyer-Edwards, who is a student at Reed College is Portland, is offering her tutoring services (free of charge!) to SLMF families whose children need extra help during this time when parents' schedules are especially burdened. Mia has experience tutoring middle schoolers and undergraduates, and is comfortable teaching math up to Calc 1; all K-12 levels of English, Science, and Social Studies/History; basic music theory; and Spanish (beginners to AP). She is happy to offer kids one-on-one time via Zoom. Mia can be reached at mboyered@gmail.com.

The Mennonite Church USA colleges and universities are hosting a series of virtual Family Nights in conjunction with their Mennonite College Days schedule. Topics include: what to do as a high school sophomore, junior and senior to be a strong applicant, financial aid, the value of Mennonite higher education and how to prepare for your campus visit. Representatives of all five institutions (Bethel College, Bluffton University, Eastern Mennonite University, Goshen College, and Hesston College) will be on hand to speak privately with families afterward or to schedule a more in-depth virtual or on-campus visit.

The family information sessions will all be identical and families and youth groups are encouraged to sign up for whichever date fits their schedule. The remaining dates are: Sept. 30, Oct. 5, Oct. 6, Oct. 8, Oct. 12, and Oct. 15. To register for an information session, scroll to the bottom of this page: www.mennoniteeducation.org/mcd

Rosabeth Koehn's intentional community, Sophia House, is seeking a new housemate. If you or anyone you know is interested, please contact her at rosabethbk@gmail.com.

Sophia House is a community of four female-identified people in the Grove neighborhood of St. Louis. We are looking for one new housemate to move in between September and December of 2020 for a minimum of a one-year lease. We value sharing communal space, time and resources; living out social justice in our daily lives; extending hospitality to a wide network of friends; supporting each other in living our best possible lives.

SLMF's next St. John's Episcopal Church Peace Meal shift is October 24, 2:00-6:00 p.m. Contact Lois Lafferty-Gude if you are interested in volunteering for all or a portion of the afternoon.

This month's birthday offering recipient is Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), a volunteer network of Anabaptist churches that responds in Christian love to those affected by disasters in Canada and the United States.

Facebook Videos: Pastor Jennifer has asked us to record brief videos talking about what we like about SLMF. If you email them to her at doveintheattic@gmail.com, she will add them to our Facebook page.

Community Art Project: Pastor Jennifer still has a few mosaic pieces left to assemble into a large poster. If you are willing to color one of the remaining tiles, email Jennifer at doveintheattic@gmail.com to let her know. If you need crayons or markers, we can provide those.

While our physical distancing policy continues, here are three ways we can continue our stewardship practices. Thank you for the many ways that you support our church community!

• Mail tithes to: St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship; 3752 Giles; St. Louis, MO 63116.
  
• Use your bank or credit union's online bill-pay service to donate to SLMF.
  

• PayPal: If using a card, you are not required to create a PayPal account. Please keep in mind that each PayPal transaction comes with a fee (2.2% + $.30 per transaction) that is deducted from each donation. Click on the Donate button here or below to go to our secure PayPal portal. If you would like to designate all or part of your gift for a special fund (Birthday Offering, Agape Fund, etc.), there is space for you to add a brief note.
  

How has 2020 strengthened, challenged or reshaped your Anabaptist faith and the way you live your life? Share your stories, photos, videos and artwork at Anabaptist History Today, a collaborative, online, Anabaptist storytelling platform. https://aht.libraryhost.com/s/archive/page/Welcome

Joel Miller, pastor of Columbus Mennonite Church, a sanctuary church in Ohio, talks about putting a face on immigration and reminds us that we have choices to make that impact our own humanity. Read more in his blog, “These are my people!” https://www.mennoniteusa.org/menno-snapshots/these-are-people/

Writing as part of a blog series on racial justice, Goshen College sophomore Greta Lapp Kassen reminds us that, “Silence is violence, and as pacifists, it is our duty to promote peace.” Read her blog, “Our faith must compel us to work for change”: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/menno-snapshots/our-faith-must-compel-us-for-change/

Missed a service? Or looking to be inspired again? Click here to listen to recordings of past SLMF services. (We are working to update the files to include the most recent services.)

To join an SLMF Zoom meeting via video chat, click on this link. To join a Zoom meeting by phone, dial 1-312-626-6799 OR 1-646-558-8656; then enter 8325115748# (i.e., the meeting number followed by the # key).

This Weekend

Sunday:

• Online worship (10:00 a.m., Zoom)
• Memorial Service for Paul Schmidt (1:00 p.m., see details above for separate Zoom link)
  

September:

25: Weekly vigil for racial justice (outside Compton Heights Christian Church, 5:00-6:00 p.m.)

October:

2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Weekly vigil for racial justice (outside Compton Heights Christian Church, 5:00-6:00 p.m.)

4: Installation service for Jennifer Harris Dault (sermon by David Miller, Acting Conference Minister of Illinois Mennonite Conference)

4: High school Sunday School (11:00 a.m., Zoom)

6: Administration Commission (7:00 p.m., Zoom)

18: High school Sunday School (11:00 a.m., Zoom)

24: Peace Meal at St. John's Episcopal Church (2:00-6:00 p.m.)

Announcements for the Sunday bulletin and the weekly newsletter (including additions or changes to the calendar) should be emailed to stlmenno@gmail.com each week by the end of Wednesday. Don't forget to also send community updates.

The full church calendar can be found by going to www.slmf.org and clicking on church calendar. If you then wish to connect this electronic calendar to your own personal calendar, simply look to the bottom right hand corner where it says + Google Calendar, and you will be connected! On the calendar you will find everything from rental groups to church retreat, upcoming potlucks, and celebrations.

Email: stlmenno@gmail.com
Website: www.slmf.org
Location: 3752 Giles Avenue, St. Louis, MO, USA
Phone: (314) 632-6846
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SLMFellowship/

Governing Board: Joachim Landes (chair), Jenelle Basinger (vice-chair), and Steven P. Miller

SLMF is a member of Illinois Mennonite Conference and Mennonite Church USA.