News

Please note: The full Peace Mennonite church building calendar appears at the bottom of this webpage.

Sunday Morning Schedule:
10:00 a.m. Community-Building Gathering on Zoom
10:30 a.m. In-person Worship on 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays
Every Second Sunday is Gracious Space: Faith and Food for all Ages at 4:00 p.m.

Just click on this link to get into our Zoom gathering.

Events Coming up at Peace Mennonite

Tuesday, December 9th
9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Pastor Roger’s office hours @ PMC
1:30 p.m.: Wise Guys (conversation group)

Thursday, December 11th
9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Pastor Roger’s office hours @ PMC
9:30 a.m.: Wise Women; contact Judy Johnson
2:00 p.m.: Zoom gathering (informal sharing and prayer time)
7:30 p.m.: Holden Evening Service @ PMC

Sunday, December 14th
NO 10:00 a.m.: Gathering on Zoom
NO 10:30 a.m.: In-person worship @ PMC
4:00 p.m.: Gracious Space

Tuesday, December 16th
9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Pastor Roger’s office hours @ PMC
1:30 p.m.: Wise Guys (conversation group)

Thursday, December 18th
9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Pastor Roger’s office hours @ PMC
9:30 a.m.: Wise Women; annual Christmas coffee at Rose Claassen’s
2:00 p.m.: Zoom gathering (informal sharing and prayer time)

Sunday, December 21st
10:00 a.m.: Gathering on Zoom
10:30 a.m.: In-person worship @ PMC

Tuesday, December 23rd
9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Pastor Roger’s office hours @ PMC
1:30 p.m.: Wise Guys (conversation group)

Wednesday, December 24th
4:00 p.m.: Christmas Eve Service

Thursday, December 25th
Merry Christmas! Office closed

Sunday, December 28th10:00 a.m.: Gathering on Zoom, 10:30 a.m.: In-person worship

This week’s Scripture readings: Micah 5:2–5a; Luke 1:39-56

Pastor’s Pen – December 11, 2025

Fear of violence and disruption in our nation and our world, fear of the unknown, and
fear for our own security can paralyze us. On this third Sunday of Advent we bring our
fears to God. We long to be released from their power over our lives. Instead of joyless
acceptance of fate, our scripture passages for the third Sunday of Advent counsel God’s
people to an impassioned, resolute, joyful and trusting response to life. This Sunday we
respond by singing the songs of Advent and Christmas, songs of joy, hope and trust in
the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Roger Neufeld Smith

Announcements

Dec 18th – Wise Women annual Christmas coffee at Rose Claassen’s, 9:30 am.

The Free State High School Chamber Singers will be singing at Monterey Village-The Arbors (3901 Peterson Road) on Thursday, December 18 beginning at 4:00. This will be a short holiday program, and the Bonner Family is welcoming you to join them for this special event. Please let Sara know if you have any questions.

The Ratzlaff family would like to invite you to celebrate Ken Ratzlaff’s 80th birthday on Saturday the 20th at the Lawrence Public Library. All are welcome. Please come and join us. No gifts please; however, donations to the Ballard Center through Peace Mennonite Church are encouraged.

Our worship service for December 28th will be a low-key service of Prayer for the World, in the Spirit of Christ’s appearing. It will include readings and songs of the season, in addition to communal and individual prayer.

Coming in the new year – worship and reflection on the theme “Reimagining Peace Mennnonite Church for the Future”. Watch for details in the bulletin and newsletter in the coming weeks.

Save the Date: Our next congregational meeting will be January 18th after service.

This article, published on Red Letter Christians blog was written by Joni Fornelli after her experience with the Solidarity with Indigenous People Pilgrimage she attended in October through the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, at St Christopher’s Mission in Bluff Utah. Joni serves on the Story Sharing Committee on the Coalition and is a member of the Kansas Repair Communities, representing Peace Mennonite Church as a Repair Congregation with the Coalition.

Christmas Giving 2025

The Peace and Justice Committee have identified two suggested directions for Christmas giving this year.

The first is Lawrence AIR (Assistance for Immigrants and Refugees). This is the organization that is helping the Khaliqi family become established in Lawrence. Your donation will help them support new families who are coming to Lawrence.

The second is the Ballard Center. They have told us that their most needed items are women’s and men’s underwear, socks, bras, tampons, toothbrushes, canned protein, Knorr or Premier pantry packets, cereal, Helper boxes, and shelf-stable milk.

Checks can be made out to PMC with AIR or Ballard on the memo line and put in the offering box. Items may be left under the Christmas tree. And, please help yourself to an ornament from the tree as a Thank You! (Thank you to Roger Gibson for making the lovely ornaments.)

Ongoing/Recurring/Past Announcements

PMC has a post office box, for its mail. We particularly ask that you use this address for any financial correspondence:
Peace Mennonite Church
P.O. Box 451
Lawrence, KS 66044