Seeds, October 9, 2013

WESTERN DISTRICT CONFERENCE

SEEDS

October 9, 2013

PEACE FESTIVAL

The Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church celebrated its 5^th Annual Peace Festival Weekend on September 14-15.  The tradition is to have this event each year as close to September 11 as possible to offer alternative, peace-focused events for the congregation and the community. 

This year the family oriented Festival on Saturday morning included face-painting, sidewalk chalk, a table display of the Holy books of four traditions (Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Hindu), a “school-kit assembly center” where children could put together school kits for the Mennonite Central Committee and watch a DVD presentation about the kits and where they are sent.  In keeping with the weekend theme, “Rain Down God’s Peace with Justice”, the children made rain sticks which they used in the Sunday morning worship service.  Finally, a tree was planted in tandem with telling the story of Deganawida (sometimes known as The Great Peacemaker) and the Iroquois Confederacy.

On Sunday Mark McCormick, Executive Director of The Kansas African American Museum was the keynote speaker.  He brought a powerful message of hope, illumination and challenge which will offer important food for thought for weeks and months to come.

     –submitted by Lois Harder, Co-Pastor (316-682-4555; lois.harder@lorraineavenue.org)