BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
WORSHIP SERVICE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
MARCH 30, 2025
FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
Our faith in a God of love leads us, by the power of the Spirit,
to follow Jesus in doing justice, loving mercy,
and walking humbly with God.
To livestream the worship service:
On Sunday morning, around 9:20 a.m. go to BCMC’s webpage at bethelcollegemennonitechurch.org and click the green button labeled LIVE STREAM on the right side of the screen, which will take you to the worship service. If you get a message in the black box that the video is unavailable, click the gray box below that says “View Live Stream on YouTube”. Anytime after the service concludes, you can watch a recording of the service at your convenience by clicking the same green LIVE STREAM button. Again, you will probably have to go to the gray box that says “View Live Stream on YouTube”. That will transfer you to the BCMC YouTube Channel. You will have to click on the tab “Videos” to see all of the BCMC videos. Click the red button to see the bulletin/order of service.
OR – click on this link for this Sunday: https://youtube.com/live/YXAd7GZAbBU?feature=share
BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
March 30, 2025
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Christ Candle Lighting
Centering Music—In the Garden (Dobrinski)—Chancel Bells; Verlene Garber, director
Welcome—Tim Hodge
Leader: You are welcome in this space with all of who you are:
Your body, with its pain and its pleasure;
Your heart, with its passion and its longing;
Your feelings of relief and grief, anger and elation.
Congregation: We bring into this space all of who we are:
Committing to love ourselves,
Endeavoring to love each other,
Trusting in the fierce and eternal love of God.
All: We offer our full selves in this time of worship.
*Hymn—We Sing to You, O God—VT 80
Children and Youth Conversation—Will Wiebe-Friesen
Worship Music—And He Never Said a Mumblin’ Word (Gross)—Chancel Bells
One-Minute Meditation
*Hymn—Will You Let Me Be Your Servant—VT 778
Scripture Reading—1 Kings 17:8-24—Ani Koontz
Sermon—God Saves Us as We Save Each Other—Joanna Harader
*Hymn –Christ Has No Body Here but Ours–VT 568
Prayers of God’s People
*Hymn—Great Is Thy Faithfulness—VT 419
Those with March birthdays are welcome to come forward as we sing this hymn. Please bring a hymnal.
*Birthday Blessing & Benediction
Postlude—Trumpet Concerto in D (Giuseppe Tartini) Allegro–Karen Schlabaugh, organ; Evan Koch, trumpet
* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Keyboard—Karen Schlabaugh
Audio visual—Francis Toews
The Week at BCMC: March 30—April 6, 2025
Sunday, March 30, 2025: 9:30 a.m. Worship — 10:30 a.m. Faith Formation
YouTube Link for the worship service this Sunday:
https://youtube.com/live/YXAd7GZAbBU?feature=share
Tuesday April 1, 2025
1 p.m. Staff Meeting
Wednesday, April 2, 2025—Wednesday Night Supper
5:30 p.m. Supper in Fellowship Hall (Menu is: Salisbury steak, potatoes, green beans, Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookies)
6:30 p.m. Program in Fellowship Hall—exploring some biblical stories through art and poetry using the new Anabaptism at 500 resource: Drawing Near.
7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir practice in the Sanctuary Chancel area
Thursday, April 3, 2025
5:30 to 7 p.m. Community Playschool Family Night in Fellowship Hall
6 p.m. Chancel Bells rehearsal in Room B7
7 p.m. Church Board meeting in Room 14
Saturday, April 5, 2025
7:30 p.m. Shirley King Memorial Organ Recital in the Sanctuary
Sunday, April 6, 2025—Fifth Sunday of Lent
9:30 a.m. Worship with sermon by Nathan Koontz
10:30 a.m. Faith Formation
BCMC Offering for March 23: Gen. Fund $15,022; MCC $25; MCC Sale $100; Library Reserve Fund $3; Kitchen Fund $14.80; Women’s Fellowship $385; Kurt Friesen Memorial $250; Edie Krehbiel Memorial $50.
Lenten Sunday Scripture Readings from Pastor Joanna:
· March 30: 1 Kings 17:8-24
· April 6: Mark 5:21-34
· April 13: Luke 19:28-40; Luke 23:44-56
Are you new to or newly exploring Bethel College Mennonite Church? Pastor Joanna will host a gathering for newcomers in her office on April 6 after worship. This will be an informal time for people to get to know each other and ask questions about the church. All are welcome!
The Staff Congregation Relations Committee will be conducting a regular pastoral review for Pastor Nathan Koontz this Spring.
Pastor Nathan will be concluding his current term in October. We believe that the purpose of a pastoral review is to review the relationship between the congregation and the pastor and assess whether we have the right environment to foster growth. Because Pastor Nathan’s upcoming sabbatical will affect our timeline, we will be using an open-ended questionnaire for this review.
Questionnaires will be sent to Sunday School class contacts, Commissions and Committees who work closely with Pastor Nathan, and will be available to all in the Gathering Place beginning Sunday, March 16. Please return questionnaires to either the box near the mailboxes or electronically to Megan Kohlman by April 13.
You may also access a digital copy of the survey here, to be emailed to Megan when completed: http://bit.ly/4bILIgy
Direct any questions to Megan Kohlman, meganbkohlman@gmail.com.
Upcoming Memorial Services:
The Memorial service for Louise Thieszen is Sat., March 29, 11 a.m. at BCMC–Live stream link is: https://youtube.com/live/Eap4D0-5dnQ?feature=share
· The memorial service for Merrill Raber will be May 3, 11 a.m. at BCMC.
· We offer sympathy to the family of Helen Bargen. Helen died Mar. 21. Helen’s memorial service has not yet been scheduled.
Future Events at BCMC:
· Members of the Agape class are leading a book discussion during Lent of Joanna’s new book, Prone to Wander. We will meet in the chapel for the weeks of Lent: Mar. 9 – Apr. 13 during the Sunday School hour. Reading the book is helpful, but not necessary. All are welcome and encouraged to come.
· Join us on Wednesday nights with the remaining suppers on Apr. 2 and 9, at 5:30 p.m. Sign up at a sign up sheet on bulletin board, on table in south entrance, or on ledge between the mailboxes in gathering place. Cost is $6 per person or $18 per family. After the meal there will be a brief program at 6:30 p.m. where we will explore some biblical stories through art and poetry using the new Anabaptism at 500 resource: Drawing Near.
· Lilies for Easter. You are invited to share an Easter lily for the sanctuary on
Easter Sunday, Apr. 20. BCMC will purchase the lilies. The cost will be $15 per lily. Make checks to BCMC designated “Flower Fund.” Contributors may pick up lilies to take home after the Easter worship service. You will be able to designate in honor of someone or in memory of someone with your Easter lily. There will be a table in the Gathering Place today, March 30, for you to sign up for a lily.
· Women’s Fellowship Tea for Women & Girls will be Tues., Apr. 15, 7 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Program by Chris Allen portraying her life with quilts. Tea chaired by Brenda Turner with WF Executive Board.
· On Maundy Thursday, Apr. 17, in addition to the previously announced Maundy Thursday worship, we will also have a family friendly worship service at 5:30 p.m. in the chapel. This family service is appropriate for all ages as we will share the story of Holy Week with interactive stations. You can reach out to Jill Robb or Pastor Joanna with questions.
· BCMC’s Camp Mennoscah Retreat will be April 26-27.
Join us for an interfaith prayer vigil on the eve of our historic lawsuit against DHS’s (US Department of Homeland Security) rescission of the sensitive locations memo. Thu., April 3 6:30 p.m. at National City Christian Church, DC. Stand with us in faith and solidarity. Register to attend in person or via the livestream: https://tinyurl.com/mr3xdv58
John Mark Koontz Senior Double Bass Recital Sat., April 5, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Wichita State University, Wiedemann Hall. John will be performing mostly classical bass and ending with a jazz piece.
The Central Kansas Master Chorale, directed by Dr. Joel Garber, is Sun., Apr. 6, 3 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite Church, 309 S Main Street. They will present Rutter’s Requiem and Vivaldi’s Gloria with pianist Karen Unruh and orchestra. Admission is free, donations encouraged. For more information, visit the chorale website at www.centralkansasmasterchorale.org
Destination: Greensboro, NC: Mennonite Church USA conference 2025, July 8-12
If interested in being a delegate, contact any Gifts Discernment Committee (GDC) member: Jeanette Stucky, Jerry Buller, Dick Koontz, Francis Toews or the church office. Delegate sessions will be held on July 12. Early Bird pricing is available until March 31. GDC reimburses registration fees to delegates.
Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale (KMRS) is less than two weeks away—Apr. 11 & 12
· My Coins Count! This year, coins will support food programs around the world. Bring coins (and bills!) to church Sunday mornings until the sale. Place coins into collection jars in Sunday School rooms or in the large jug in the gathering place. Last year BCMC raised almost $800 in this way!
· Pies and zwieback. We have already made great progress toward our quota of 35 pies and 60 dozen zwieback, but we still need bakers. Look for tins, bags, and sign-up sheets at the back of the sanctuary.
· Volunteers wanted. Many of the sign-up sheets are now conveniently located on line at kansas.mccsale.org/volunteer. The sooner you sign up, the better chance you have to get your preferred job and time slot.
· Auction items. Photos at https://kansas.mccsale.org/auctions/general-auction/
· See the poster board in the Gathering Place for KMRS information and extra forms, or go to the KMRS website at https://kansas.mccsale.org/ or contact a BCMC liaison (Brad and Diane Born, William and Esther Kreider Eash, and Steve and Elaine Schurr).
· Children’s Auction – Consider donating new, in-the-package, items to this year’s auction! Talk with the youth in your church to see what items they would like to bid on, but you can never go wrong with Hot Wheels, Barbie, board games, Lego sets, art kits, and sports equipment. If you wish to volunteer for the auction by clerking or helping in other ways contact Brad Kohlman– bkohlman32@gmail.com
Bethel College Announcements
· Sun., Mar. 30: Michelle Armster and Heidi Regier Kreider, “The Impact of Immigration on Mennonite Churches Today,” 3 p.m., Kauffman Museum auditorium. This Sunday-Afternoon-at-the-Museum program is in connection to the current special exhibit, “Unlocking the Past: Immigrant Artifacts and the Stories They Tell.” Michelle is director of Mennonite Central Committee Central States and Heidi is conference minister for Western District Conference of Mennonite Church USA.
· Mon., Mar. 31: Bethel College Young Alumnus Award presentation to Jerrell Williams ’15, 11 a.m., Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center
· Mon., Mar. 31: The annual Student Art Exhibit, featuring the work of more than 40 Bethel College students in various media, opens in the Regier Art Gallery through Apr. 18. Gallery hours are Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 2-4 p.m.
· Fri., Apr. 4: Senior recital by Bethel College student Peter Buller, oboe and piano, 7 p.m., Bethel College Mennonite Church
· Sat., Apr. 5: Kauffman Museum bird walk, 7 a.m. in the museum parking lot at Main and 27th streets (2801 N. Main St., North Newton). Experienced birders lead a walk of 1-1.5 hours in Chisholm Park and on Sand Creek Trail.
· Sat., Apr. 5: Senior recital by Bethel College student Josué Coy Dick, violin, 7 p.m., Administration Building chapel
Kansas Interfaith Action is hosting a coffeehouse on Apr. 6, 7 p.m. at Trinity Heights United Methodist Church, 1200 Boyd Avenue, Newton. This will be a wonderful opportunity to gather with like-minded people of faith in the Newton area as we sing, pray, and talk together. Contact Pastor Joanna for more information.
Life Enrichment, in the Bethel College Krehbiel Auditorium, is a series designed especially for adults age 60 and over. Programs on April 2: 9:30 a.m.: “The Rhino Keeper,” Jillian Forsberg, author, Wichita
10:50 a.m.: “Arts Behind Bars/Arts Unlocked,” Larry Temple, storyteller, director of Ellsworth Prison Arts, McPherson
Organist Christopher Shaw will present an organ recital/hymn festival to remember Shirley Sprunger King. Shirley taught at Bethel College for twenty years and was organist at Bethel College Mennonite Church. Christopher will be joined by Lorraine Miller (flute) and Don Kehrberg (oboe), both former members of the Deknatel Consort with Shirley. There will also be remembrances of Shirley. Event is scheduled for Sat., Apr. 5, 7:30 p.m. (note the time change from 7 to 7:30 p.m.) at BCMC.
Western District Women in Mission (WDWM) invites women and girls to their annual potluck salad supper, themed, “For the Beauty of the Earth,” Mon., Apr. 28, 6 p.m. at the Tabor Mennonite Church. After the potluck and a meditation on God’s creation, Rebecca Schrag will lead a floral design workshop with flowers provided by Firebranch Farm and other sources. Each participant will make a small bouquet to take home. RSVP appreciated and required by April 15 at website link: https://www.westerndistrictwomeninmission.org/events-1 Please bring: a salad to share (table service will be provided); a small vessel to make a bouquet (a tea cup is ideal);
several flowers from your garden if you have them to share; a kitchen or garden shear if you have one. An offering will be taken to help cover expenses. Questions:email westerndistrictwomen@gmail.com
You are invited to join us for the concerts of the Kansas Mennonite Men’s Chorus (KMMC), a 120-member chorus including members from BCMC. The concert will include traditional hymns and contemporary selections performed in four-part harmony. The concert at Tabor will include students in the Chamber Voices student ensemble. Students in the Open Road and Woven choirs join KMMC at Bethel College. Concerts are free with an offering benefiting Mennonite Central Committee. Concert Dates—April 6, 4 p.m.: Richert Auditorium, Tabor College, Hillsboro and April 13, 4 p.m.: Memorial Hall, Bethel College, North Newton Note that these dates were switched in last week’s email.
Rehearsals begin for the 2025 Masterworks Concert at Bethel College, Tues., Apr. 1, 6-8 p.m., Choir Room in Fine Arts Center. All interested singers are invited to participate. The concert is May 4 and will feature Three Nocturnes by Dan Forrest, Exsultate, Jubilate by Mozart, and Considering Matthew Shepard: A Choral Suite by Craig Hella Johnson. Sign up ahead of time on-line (so that your contact information is available for digital materials, etc.) or at the first rehearsal. Rehearsals will be Apr. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, from 6-8 p.m., with several longer rehearsals the weekend of the concert.
For Mennonite Mission Network “News and Beyond” press here
For Mennonite World Conference press here
Western District Conference invites you to visit our website to read the latest news, stories and announcement.
For Mennonite Church USA How is your church following Jesus request for videos press here
FloraKansas Native Plant Days
Join Dyck Arboretum of the Plains in Hesston for their FloraKansas Native Plant Days taking place April 24 through 28. This event is a semi-annual fundraising plant sale for the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains where you can view and purchase native plants. For more information and to peruse the available plant lists, visit: dyckarboretum.org/florakansas-native-plant-festival.
Annual Juried Student Art Exhibit at Hesston College
The annual Hesston College Juried Student Art Exhibit will be open and available for viewing April 22 through May 9 in the Regehr-Friesen Gallery located in the Laban Peachey Center, 325 S College Drive, Hesston. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and admission is free.
From Mennonite Church USA
| Executive Director Glen Guyton recently joined MC USA’sThe Competent Pastor podcast to addressthe question: What is the most important skill of a competent pastor? Find it here: mennoniteusa.org/the-competent-pastor/ Menno Snapshots Dr. Paul Kyu-Jin Choi, ninth lead pastor at Village Church, a multicultural church in Portland/Beaverton, Oregon, shows how Paul and Barnabas’ conflict in Acts 15 is less about Paul and Barnabas and more about what the Holy Spirit is doing. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/menno-snapshots/wisdom-from-luke/ Spiritual director Sherah-Leigh Gerber reflects on how Jacob’s time wrestling with God in Genesis reminds her of staying present in discomfort. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/wrestling-with-god |
| Are you subscribed to our convention newsletter? See the special edition of PeaceMail here. |
Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request: This month, Zing Bawi Ken, Schyler Entz, Hannah Lehman, and Patrick Webb, participants in MMN’s Tucson, AZ Mennonite
Voluntary Service unit, have been immersed in studying vocational discernment. Pray that this time of reflection will provide tools and insights, as they begin to plan for life after a year of service.
Western District Conference Prayer Request: Please pray for strength, hope and courage for our church planters as they work to build the church community. Pray that God may help us, as the Church Planting Commission, to know the best ways to support them. -WDC Church Planting Commission
Bethel College Mennonite Church is an open and affirming congregation
centered in the life and teachings of Jesus. Embracing the divine within each
person, we warmly welcome any and all into fellowship without regard to race, ethnic background, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability,
economic status, marital status, or age.