Mark your calendars for a congregational meeting January 26, 2020, 1 pm, in the Sanctuary.  Financial Report booklets will be in your mailboxes.  Senior High Youth group members will be serving a Soup and Dessert lunch Sun., Jan 26 in the Fellowship Hall to raise funds for their service week this summer.  If you are interested in donating bread for this event, please be in touch with Ben Lichti  (benlichti@gmail.com. You are encouraged to bring your own table service.

After the worship service Feb. 2,  the members of the Jr. High Club will be selling an assortment of Super Bowl snacks. Snacks will be sold by donation. Donations will go toward the Junior High Fund, which is used to support activities like Snow Camp and Know Jesus.  The goal for this fundraiser is $1500.  (IRS allows charitable deductions for the amount of the contribution in excess of the value of the item received.  To receive a record of your charitable donation, please make a check payable to BCMC and enter Junior High Fund in the memo along with the amount that is a a charitable contribution).  We appreciate your support of our Jr. High Club members.

2019 budget update:  The final numbers are in.  Thanks to your generosity and commitment to BCMC, all the goals set as part of the 2019 budget have been met, and we have a surplus of $890!  We are grateful, and look forward to 2020!  ~ Michael Claassen, Finance Manager

December 29, 2019—Christmas One~

9:30 am    A Christmas worship service filled with lots of music and storytelling. No Sunday school following worship. Bring Christmas goodies to share during fellowship time.

January 5, 2020—Epiphany

9:30 am   Worship with sermon by Dawn Yoder Harms; music by Mark Kreider, piano; Andrew Thiesen, trombone

4 pm  Service of Remembrance of BCMC members and friends who died in 2019 — BCMC Sanctuary

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Advent giving project:  The BCMC Witness Commission invites you to
participate in this year’s project benefiting the Bethel College Food Pantry.  List of items needed is on the BCMC bulletin board (on pink paper!)

Communities of Abundance.Today is the beginning of BCMC’s annual Pony Express, a financial commitment process for the 2020 budget, including a blessing as neighborhood captains, appointed by the Finance Committee, come forward during the dedication hymn.  Join the Pony Express by prayerfully anticipating your intentions to give for 2020.  Fill out the intent form when materials arrive at your home, return the form according to the directions in the packet, and pass the packet on to your neighbor. The Pony Express concludes on Nov. 17, when captains return packets during worship. 

Wednesday Night Schedule in Fellowship Hall
From 6 pm to 7:30 pm
From 6 pm to 6:15 pm:   The meal serving line will be open to get food, be seated, and begin eating. There will be one basket at the food line to receive donations for supper. Suggested donation is $5 per person or $15 per family. (Proceeds above food expenses go to the Kitchen Fund for supplies and future improvements).  Please bring your own table service.
At 6:20 pm:  A welcome, announcements and a meal blessing. There are no programs scheduled after these suppers, so come, eat, and relax if you are not going to a club or choir afterwards.  This Wednesday’s supper is Bangers and Mash, carrots, rice krispie bars

Wednesday, October 23 supper:  Coneys, potato salad, chili and cheese, cake and ice cream

Mark your calendars for the installation for the new pastor for pastoral care, Nathan Koontz, Oct. 6.  Following the education hour will be a potluck meal in Fellowship Hall to welcome Nathan and his family to BCMC.  Please bring your own tableware and a dish or two to share at the potluck. The Hospitality Commission would like to welcome our new pastor with another Getting Acquainted Notebook to be presented at the potluck on Oct. 6. Please fill out the cardstock questionnaire found in your mailbox once more (and hopefully for the last time in a long time!) and place it in the box between the mailboxes this week.  Thanks to all in helping Nathan get to know us on a more personal level.

Plan to attend the Sept 29 congregational meeting at 2 pm in the sanctuary.  There will be no potluck meal before this congregational meeting.   A draft policy for the “Care and Accountability for Sexual Offenders” will be presented at this meeting.  After opportunities for discussion September 2019  through April 2020, there will be opportunities for a congregational decision at the April 26 congregational meeting.

BCMC will observe Peace Sunday on September 15 by welcoming Karin Kaufman Wall as our guest speaker.  Karin is the Peace and Justice Education Coordinator at Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Central States.  Following our morning worship service, Karin will join us in the sanctuary for a second hour alternative to answer questions and help educate our congregation on issues of social justice and the role MCC is currently playing in these issues.

New students at Bethel College will join BCMC for the worship service Sunday morning, August 18, followed by a brunch for them in the Fellowship Hall at 10:45 am.

A special welcome to Bethel College students with us this morning.  We are glad for your presence with us and hope you enjoy the student brunch served in the Fellowship Hall following the service!

BCMC’s new Associate Pastor for Faith Formation, Renee Reimer, began work at BCMC on August 5. Sunday, August 11 is  the installation of  Renee Reimer.  Following worship (at 12 noon) there will be a potluck in the Fellowship Hall to welcome Pastor Renee.