Announcements for the Congregation   

* THE BOARD  – Our Governance

Jeremy Shue will begin his time here at Silverwood on September 7.  We will have a licensing service for him on September 12.  The service will be followed by a congregational potluck that we encourage everyone to attend.
2012 Vision Meeting
Sunday, September 12 we will hold a congregational meeting following the potluck for Jeremy.  This meeting will be used to update, review and affirm the 2012 vision.  We would like as many of you as possible to attend.  Please bring any questions that you have to the meeting.

* DISCIPLING – Strengthening/Encouraging Relationships

Christian Education, August 22
In Sunday School last week we talked about the new Faith Covenant process. Our goal is 100% participation in this new way of planning for the budget.
We began SS by reviewing last week’s session on budgeting. We then spent time talking in table groups about our experiences with giving, and later learned how generous givers tend to experience less physical, emotional, and spiritual stress. We then began to look at the Faith Covenant packet contents (please remember to bring it with you this Sunday).
During the sermon we watched a humorous video about “Donation Dodging” – about how to sneak by the Christmas-time Salvation Army bell ringers asking for donations. Some people do this because they don’t know where the money is going. At Silverwood we know the money is going to good causes because the congregation works together to determine priorities, and we trust the commissions to carry out our plans and spend the money wisely.
The Faith Covenant process is new this year. It is an attempt to be proactive in planning for our budget and giving, instead of creating a budget and hoping the money comes in to support it. Please attend SS this week as we finish discussing the packet and look forward to completing the covenant form by September 12.

Wednesday Connections is going to be extended one week this fall.  We will meet from September 22 to November 3.  This week check your mailboxes for meal sign up sheets, and also the brown board in the foyer to volunteer.  Be sure to sign up where you would like to help!  The deadline to sign up is September 12!

* COMMUNITY LIFE – Relating to Each Other
Church Retreat Weekend!
Our church retreat is coming up next weekend!  Following is general information for those of you who plan to join us for fun, fellowship, and worship! You may start arriving to camp no earlier than noon on Saturday, August 28. There are just a few of you that still need to pay for the Saturday evening meal.  Please pay Julie Truex this Sunday, August 22, or contact her to make other arrangements. There will be a campfire Saturday night at 8:00pm.  If anyone is interested in leading music or wants to share any talents, please contact Julie.  On Sunday morning we will be having our worship service at 10:00, after which we will have a potluck dinner.  Please plan on bringing two dishes to share for our dinner and your own plates and silverware. Check-out time is at 4 pm on Sunday afternoon after we have completed basic cleaning protocols, which are posted at each facility. There will be boats available for skiing, tubing, and floating around. We look forward to a fun and relaxing time!

Silver-Woodstock
Noah Gilliom, Brandon Buller, and friends are hosting a fundraiser concert on Saturday, September 4 at 6:00 pm.  They will be playing some of today’s most-loved and upbeat worship songs.  The concert is free and open to the public, and an offering will be taken to help raise funds for updated music equipment in the sanctuary.

Women!
Come gather together at Camp Friedenswald for Women’s Retreat September 17-19.  Join us for a relaxing weekend or take advantage of the many activities that will be available such as crafts, kayaking, spa treatments, canoeing, floral arrangement 101, hiking, choir, pontoon rides and much more.  Marilyn Rossiter and Ruth Detweiler will be bringing the message for the worship services focusing on “Bring one, Give one” (BOGO).  Cost for this retreat with lodging is $120.  Arrival is at 7:00pm on Friday with departure at 1:00pm on Sunday.  For more information or to register online, visit www.friedenswald.org, or call 269-476-9744.

* OUTREACH – Relating to the World

Relief Sale Announcements:
The Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale is just around the corner! The sale will be held on September 24 and 25 at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds.

• Calling all Male Singers:  You can participate in the Men’s Chorus at the Relief Sale this year.  Rehearsals begin Sunday, August 29.  Other rehearsal dates are September 5, 12, 19, and 23.  All rehearsals run from 4:00-5:30 at North Goshen Mennonite Church .  You must attend 3 of the five.  There are two performance of the chorus, the first being Friday evening at the Quilt Building and the second on Sunday after the Relief Sale at the Sauder Music Hall on the GC campus.
• Each year we are asked to provide 12 workers for the Pancake and Sausage breakfast.  Let’s make this a priority for our congregation this year.  Silverwood is asked to provide 6 people for each shift and we only usually provide 3 to 4.  Let’s get all 6 this year!  Contact Brad Miller at 534-3953, if you can help as he has to turn a count into the organizers. 
• Pans for baked goods will be available in early September in the foyer.  This year baked good items will be for sale at the open house on Friday evening before the sale on Saturday.   More baked items, especially cinnamon rolls, are needed this year in order to have enough for Saturday.          

Tony and Leah Miller and their family are hosting a baked potato bar at the Relief Sale on Friday and Saturday.  The funds raised will be donated in the form of MCC Newborn Kits to MCC in honor of Tony’s sister, Michelle, who passed away this year while five months pregnant.  Tony and Leah are asking for your help in one or more of the following ways:

1. Volunteer your time to work at the baked potato bar at the sale.
2. Donate money toward the food expenses.
3. Come and eat loaded baked potatoes with them, located in the Pork Producers building along food row at the sale.

Please contact Tony or Leah at 533-3586, , or visit Facebook’s “M.O.M to Moms” page for more information.

School Kits

A special thanks to those who have helped provide school kits for refugee children!  If you have not returned the filled kits, please do so by this Sunday, August 22.  A blessing for the 150 kits already
donated will occur during the worship service.

MDS Returns for a 5th Year to Cameron, LA
A service trip to southern Louisiana is planned for November 13-21.  The population of Cameron Parish is only 300, 10% of the 3000 who lived there before hurricanes Rita in 2005 and Ike in 2008.
A group of 20 persons from our church will be the first crew of the new season in this parish.  To date twenty-one new houses have been built in Cameron by volunteer MDS labor.  Each of those twenty-one families purchased the building materials for their home after being chosen by a parish committee as a client for the building season.
See photos of the early stages of house construction and learn more about the work of Mennonite Disaster Service in Cameron by going to 
http://mds.mennonite.net/projects/cameron_la/
For the month of February Joy and Titus King worked as crew leaders for new home construction and will be happy to tell you more about this upcoming SMC service week.

Attention Moms!  
Do you worry about your children? Come experience how you can replace your anxiety and fear with peace and hope by praying with other moms.  Moms In Touch International gathers moms together to pray specifically and scripturally for our children and school. Come and join us. The Goshen Middle School and Goshen High School groups meet Monday mornings, beginning August 30, at 8:30 here at Silverwood. If you have questions, please ask Gail Shetler.
Don't know if your school has a MITI's group?  For more information about Moms In Touch International and to locate a specific school, visit www.MomsInTouch.org.

* ADMINISTRATION – Supporting all areas

Help Wanted: We have an immediate need for a Facilities Coordinator for Wedding Events. This individual will be available to help supervise ceremonies and/or receptions for both Silverwood and non-Silverwood persons. Time and dates involved for each wedding may vary, but generally will not require more than ten total hours. This person does not need to be on-site for the entire event, but will need to be available for emergencies, help with set up, general questions, supervision of clean up, locking/unlocking doors, etc. Heavy lifting (tables/chairs), some tech knowledge, and physical energy are required. Compensation varies and is paid as one flat rate per event. Silverwood hosts approximately four weddings per year. Please email Angi in the church office if you are interested ().

Severe Weather Protocol for 2010: The time of year has come, in which we think about having to cancel events due to weather. If we need to cancel Sunday morning worship or any other church-related event, we will follow the guidelines listed below:
1. An event will be canceled no later than two hours prior to the start of the event.
2. There will be a church email sent as soon as we make the decision to cancel. PLEASE CHECK THIS FIRST!
3. If you do not have email at home, you will be notified by way of the phone tree.
4. We will also notify WSBT (22), WNDU (16) & PULSE-FM (96.9 & 92.1).
If we are experiencing severe weather, please be sure to check these things before heading to church.