Announcements for November 28-December 5, 2021

Advent begins this Sunday, Nov 28. Worship begins with an Advent prelude at 9:15am, and  Communion will be served as part of worship (with prefilled elements).  Introduction to this season is available in the attachment below and on the table in the Gathering Place.  Advent resources are also on the table.’


The Witness Commission Advent project will be to supply food items and in kind donations to the Bethel College Food Pantry.  We will be collecting items at the table in the Gathering Space.  Press here for a list of needed items for the food pantry.

You are invited to share a poinsettia for the sanctuary for the Christmas season.  The Worship Decorating Committee will purchase the poinsettias, and have them delivered to the church.  To contribute, email the following to the office:  Donor’s:name;
In memory of;
Or in honor of.
Make a payment of $10.00 (made out to BCMC and designated “Flower Fund”) place in the offering plate or bring to church office by Dec. 3.  Susie Swartley will have forms at a table in the back of the sanctuary this Sunday, Nov. 28, if you wish to fill out a form in person.  Contributors may pick up a poinsettia Dec. 24 after the 5 pm Christmas program or after the Christmas Eve, 9 pm program; or, if you can, leave them for the service on Dec. 26.

Congratulations to Pastor Renee Reimer on the publication of her article “The Story of a Modern-Day Red Tenant: Empowering Women Through Bible Reading“, which appears in the most recent edition of Vision: A Journal for Church and Theology  (Institute of Mennonite Studies).  Here is a link to the issue that contains Pastor Renee’s article, which in part discusses her experience with the Bethel College women’s Bible study group.  (Once on the site , you can access the issue by clicking onto the rectangle at the bottom left of the page labeled 22.2).

bcmcXpress
Remember to complete the online bcmcXpress intent form (https://flinthillsdesign.wufoo.com/forms/bcmcxpress-2022-intent-to-give/)  by December 3, 2021 . 

Don’t Forget to Return your Gifts Discernment Survey! Sharing our Gifts

If you are in high school or older, you can:

If you are in middle school-age or younger, you can:

This week at BCMCMonday, November 29
8—10 am    Bethel College Classes in the Sanctuary
2—3 pm      Bethel College Class in the Sanctuary
Tuesday, November 30
9—11 am  Community Playschool
7 pm          Abuse Prevention and Response Committee—by Zoom
Wednesday, December 1
8—10 am   Bethel College Classes in the Sanctuary
2—3 pm     Bethel College Class in the Sanctuary
6:45 pm     Menno Singers—Fellowship Hall
7 pm           Youth Group
7:30 pm     Chancel Choir—Sanctuary
Thursday, December 2
4 pm           Funeral Committee Meeting—Fellowship Hall
6:30 pm     Church Board Meeting in Fellowship Hall
Sunday, December 5—Second Sunday of Advent
9:30 am     Worship Service in the Sanctuary
10:30 am   Faith Formation
4-6 pm       Creche Making in Fellowship Hall

Vote on Abuse Prevention and Response policy.  Thank you to everyone who participated in the special congregational meeting to vote on the Abuse Prevention and Response Policy.  All votes were counted – in-person paper ballots, mailed-in ballots, and zoom poll votes.  There were 102 total votes.  The policy was approved with 94 yes votes and 8 no votes.  Thank you again for input and feedback received.  Press here for a copy of the approved policy.  Hard copies of the policy are available in the Gathering Place on the window ledge by the mailboxes.  
Pastoral transition update. The board is reviewing interim candidate information received from Western District Conference, and has an interview scheduled. 
A service of release and blessing is being planned for Pastor Dawn on her last Sunday, January 2, 2022.
With thanksgiving, 
Elizabeth Schmidt, Moderator

Camp Mennoscah Announcements

2022 Summer staff applications are being accepted!  Applicants should be 18 years old or older and in agreement with the Camp Mennoscah mission statement.  See website for details.  Information and the online application can be found here!  Call or email with questions!
Other events and happenings: 

  • Giving Tuesday is November 30. There aren’t any gimmicks this year to encourage you to give, just stories.  Remember the camper who stayed after campfire to talk to counselors about faith and life struggles.  Think of the awe-filling trips in inner tubes down the river at night and the campfires with the starry heavens above.  Spend a moment with your own memories of Camp Mennoscah.  Encourage everyone to follow Jesus Christ by supporting the faith formation ministry of Camp Mennoscah here.  Checks can be sent to Camp Mennoscah, PO Box 65, Murdock, KS 67111.
     
  • Christmas Gathering on Dec. 18 at 2:30pm!  Join us in the Dining Hall at Camp Mennoscah for afternoon fun–bring games to play indoors or out.  Camp will provide popcorn and generic pop.  (Masks recommended and encouraged for inside activities.) 
     
  • We are grateful for you!  We continue to get calls from volunteers and receive gifts of items off the Wish List.  These items and projects help with the faith formation that happens at Camp Mennoscah.  The list has more wishes and there are more projects to do.  We can accommodate every group size, skill set and length of project you would like to tackle. Email office@campmennoscah.org or call 620-297-3290 to volunteer.  See the Wish List for other ways to support Camp Mennoscah!
     
  • Camp Mennoscah has openings for a part-time custodial/housekeeping position (10 hours) and a part-time office/administrative position (30 hours with benefits).  Some of the office/administrative tasks can be done from home.  Contact Olivia at olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org for more information.

Western District Conference invites you to visit our website to read the latest news, stories and announcements and share them with your congregation!

Hesston College Events
– Dec. 4         7 p.m.
     You are invited to a theatre and music performance that explores what coming “home for Christmas” means for a diversity of people and cultures.

     Music and Theatre Present:  Home For Christmas 
               Hesston Mennonite Church

    https://www.hesston.edu/academics/departments/fine-arts/music/     All performers fully vaccinated for COVID-19 will perform without masks. Audience members are required to wear masks.  No tickets are required, but a free-will offering will be accepted following the performance.  Program and livestream available at  www.hesston.edu/music.– Dec. 7        7:30 p.m.

     Returning to Hesston College after ten years, Canadian Brass will perform as part of the 2021-22 Sunflower Performing Arts series.  This ensemble explores many genres of music and has added nearly 600 new arrangements to the brass quintet repertoire.  In its 49th season, Canadian Brass is known for concerts that display virtuosity, creativity and humor.
 
     Sunflower Performing Arts:  Canadian Brass
           Hesston Mennonite Church

https://www.hesston.edu/sunflower-performing-arts/canadian-brass/

Audience members will be required to wear a mask, according to current Hesston College guidelines.   For more information or to purchase tickets, call 620-327-8158 or click sunflowerarts.org. 
 

Mennonite Central Committee Announcements
Have yourself a honkin’ good holiday, December 17 from 4-6 p.m.! MCC is thrilled to host this drive-thru event again this year. Order your charcuterie box(es) today to enjoy in the comfort of your home, spread Christmas joy and order extra to give as gifts! Suggested donation per box is $25. We’re also collecting items for MCC hygiene kits at this event. Place your order by 5 p.m. on December 9. Details and order form are on mcc.org. Questions? Please call 316.283.2720.

Webinar: Racism and the Church with Rev. Dr. Velda Love, UCC Minister for Racial JusticeDear Bethel College Mennonite,You are invited to join the 4th and final MCC U.S. Color of Compromise webinar on December 2, 2021, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST. Register here.Rev. Dr. Velda Love, United Church of Christ Minister for Racial Justice, will share on the complicity of the Church in racism and how all can journey as a witness and transformative presence with God’s beloved inclusive global community. Dr. Love’s work centers on addressing historical and contemporary injustices resulting from systemic, structural and individual racism. She develops and leads trainings and workshops on reparatory racial justice including the UCC Join the Movement Toward Racial Justice Campaign. Register for the webinar here.You can find more information on the MCC U.S. Color of Compromise journey and past webinar speakers here.We hope you can join us.In peace and solidarity,Daniela Làzaro-Manalo
MCC U.S. Racial Equity Education and Advocacy Coordinator

Mennonite Mission Network News and Beyond press here
Mennonite Mission Network News from Around the World press here

Mennonite Church USA Announcements
Celebrate Advent with the Mennonite Church USA annual Advent at Home worship guide, “Dare to Imagine.” This free, downloadable guide is designed for people and groups of all ages. It offers weekly Scriptures, background information, prayers, activities and rituals from the beginning of Advent to Epiphany (Nov. 28 to Jan. 6). Download the guide here: mennoniteusa.org/adventathome[Download congregational PPT slide here]

Mennonite Church USA Women in Leadership has relaunched its “Holding It(,) Together” podcast. The podcast, made by women for women, emphasizes intersectionality and community, creating a space for women to hear other people’s stories. This season’s theme is “Bodies Holding It(,) Together.” Learn more here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/news/hit.

Mennonite Church USA appreciates your support this Giving Tuesday (Nov. 30), as we work together to continue living into our churchwide Renewed Commitments of following Jesus, witnessing to God’s peace and helping our communities experience transformation. Explore the various ways you can support the work of the denomination here: mennoniteusa.org/give/

Learn, Pray, Join: Cost of Poverty
Erick Josue Martinez is a student at Goshen College, who is studying to be a financial planner, so he can help people in low-income and immigrant communities. In his blog, “From my window (Desde mi ventana),” he shares how his upbringing in an impoverished immigrant community inspired him to help others. Read in English here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/from-my-window. En español: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/desde-mi-ventana.

Learn, Pray, Join: Cost of Poverty
Redlining has been illegal in the United States for half a century, but its effects still have a lasting impact on Black, Latino/a, Asian, Indigenous and other people of color. Vice President of Community and Church Development for Everence Leonard Dow, in his blog, “Finding inspiration in history: Human-made solutions to human-made problems,” shares what this impact looks like in Philadelphia, as well as practical steps that people can take to enact change. https://www.mennoniteusa.org/human-made-solutions-problems

Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  Alfonsina and José Oyanguren have walked alongside Toba-Qom churches in the Argentine Chaco since 2004, serving through a partnership that includes the Argentina Mennonite Church, Mennonite Mission Network and congregations in Ohio. Pray for them and their children as they build relationships and promote Indigenous languages and cultures.
Western District Conference Prayer Request:  Pray for pastors, musicians, worship leaders and teachers who guide WDC congregations in celebrating the upcoming Advent and Christmas season.