As we seek to learn about and challenge racial injustice, we invite you to read the reflections of MC USA’s Executive Director, Glen Guyton in response to the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict this week, here.
BCMC Camp Mennoscah Weekend RetreatDust off your tents, string your fishing poles, and prepare your hearts for worship at one of the best settings south-central Kansas has to offer! That’s right… it’s the BCMC Camp Mennoscah Weekend Retreat! This year’s event will be held May 15-16, and will only include BCMC – not Halstead First Mennonite as has been the case in the past (due to COVID). We plan on eating, fellowshipping, playing, worshiping, and seeing each other – safely, outdoors – as a way to be in community with each other. We’ll follow Camp’s safety protocol as we do this, of course, but would love to have as many folks out as can come – whether for Saturday evening, Sunday morning and lunch, or a whole weekend of fun! If you/your family is interested in attending, please fill out the link here: https://forms.gle/hr72BEDmvyXsayTKA And, if you have questions about the retreat, pricing, COVID-friendly protocol, etc. OR would like to help out in some way, please reach out to Adam Robb (adamandjillrobb@gmail.com) or Pastor Renee and they’ll do their best to be helpful! Looking forward to being together, in nature, to worship our God!
We offer sympathy to the family of Laura Ann Schrag. Laura Ann died Friday, April 23, at Kidron Bethel Village. More details will come later.
Spring Congregational Meeting: This year, due to the Leonard Pitts lecture scheduled by Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (KIPCOR) on April 25 at 2 pm, the BCMC Congregational Meeting will be held on May 2, at 1 pm, via zoom. Mark your calendars now! The Annual Report Booklets will be sent out early next week. If you wish to have a paper copy, contact the BCMC office.
BCMC Offering for April 18, 2021: General Fund $11,840.61; Community Play School $250; MCC Relief Sale $50; Sr Hi Youth $4,812.95; Living Stones $323.33; Women’s Fellowship $670; Rosalind Andreas Memorial $550; Helen Ruth Unruh Memorial $220; Harold Bartel Memorial $25.
ooking for an opportunity to sing or play an instrument in church this summer? BCMC is seeking musicians of all ages, individuals or small groups, to assist in leading worship this summer. If you are willing or want more information, email Barbara Thiesen, BCMC Music Coordinator, at thiesenjba@gmail.com. Please indicate dates you would be available. If you are a singer, indicate if you are a soprano, alto, tenor, or baritone/bass; if you are an instrumentalist, indicate your instrument.
Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale will be having their 2021 sale for MCC on July 2 and 3 this summer. They are asking the churches for help with expenses, so if anyone would like to help contribute on behalf of BCMC, please let one of our church liaisons know. By the first of May would be preferable, but of course contributions would be welcomed at any time! Contact people are Dale and Margo Schrag 316-283-6031, and Dennis and Kathy Campbell 316-416-5156.
Bethel College Announcements
TODAY (Sunday, April 25), 2 p.m. – If you registered for the Zoom link, don’t forget to tune in to hear award-winning syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. speak on “Is America Possible?,” part of the Peace Lecture Series from the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (KIPCOR).
Kauffman Museum’s spring fundraiser is FaspBox – faspa in a box. Faspa is a light evening meal traditional among Low German-heritage Mennonites. Each box serves one and costs $50. Reservations must be made by Monday, April 26 (for pickup or delivery on May 2), at www.kauffmanmuseum.org/faspbox or by contacting the museum with credit card information at kauffman@bethelks.edu or 316-283-1612.
April 29-May 1 (including Saturday matinee): Bethel College spring play, I and You by Lauren Gunderson, planned for Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center. Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. – and there is a livestream option! Call or stop by Thresher Shop in Schultz Student Center, Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m., 316-284-5205, for tickets for either in-person or livestream. Please note: This play has adult content and is not suitable for children. Face coverings must be worn and physical distancing will be enforced for in-person performances.
Sat., May 1, 7 a.m. – Kauffman Museum first-Saturday bird walks resume. Meet in the museum parking lot (corner of Main and 27th streets in North Newton) to join experienced birders for a walk of 1-1.5 hours in Chisholm Park and on Sand Creek Trail. Trails are mostly unpaved and sometimes steep or sloping. Please note that face coverings must be worn and physical distancing between non-family members practiced at all times.
Sunday, May 2, 4 p.m. – Spring choral concert, featuring the Bethel College Concert Choir, Woven and Open Road on the steps of the Administration Building on campus. Bring your own chairs/blankets. Please note that face coverings must be worn and physical distancing observed on the Bethel campus.
Tues., May 4, 7 p.m. – Bethel College Steel Drum Band concert on the plaza in front of Luyken Fine Arts Center (rain location: Memorial Hall). Bring your own chairs/blankets. Please note that face coverings must be worn and physical distancing practiced on the Bethel campus.
Weds., May 5, 7 p.m. – Jazz on the Green, featuring Bethel College Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo (a little south of the usual location, on the slab to the east of the art gallery).Bring your own chairs/blankets. Please note that face coverings must be worn and physical distancing practiced on the Bethel campus
Now in the Regier Gallery in Luyken Fine Arts Center at Bethel College: Senior Art Show, “Requiem Aeternam,” paintings by Adam Kroeker, through May 14. Gallery hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri. Face coverings must be worn on the Bethel campus.
SafeHope Event
SafeHope is hosting an event the end of May for their participants to receive new clothes. These clothes could be used for a job, new job interview, or just for fun! Please bring new items to 316 Oak Street, Newton. Thank you for your support with their Clothing Boutique this year! As much as they appreciate all donations, for this event they are requesting only NEW items.
The May 2021 Mennonite Mission Network PRAYER VINE is now available for download. The PDF is posted in theprayer resources section of our website and can also be downloaded directly by clicking the link below:
Download this month’s Prayer Vine (PDF)
Western District Conference announcements1. KLC Competencies: “Why Purposes Matters (and Why Experimentation in Crucial)” is our discussion topic – Thursday, April 22, 12-1 pm. Join us if you are a Kansas Leadership Center alum or if you’re curious. Zoom link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84286455892?pwd=KzdKK1NMRGt2bnVKZExvSERnNDNSUT09, Meeting ID: 842 8645 5892, Passcode: 827423. 2. A Shot for your Right (to Party)? Energizing Others to Beat the Virus – A Virtual Discussion and Journal Launch event – April 27, 6:00-7:45 pm
The latest edition of The Journal, the Kansas Leadership Center’s magazine, explores how the return to “normal” after the COVID-19 pandemic requires most Americans to take an approved coronavirus vaccine. But fears exacerbated by the unprecedented speed of vaccine development, growing political fissures, barriers to access and a shameful history of medical experiments on people of color complicate the return to normal.
What kind of leadership can everyday people exercise to help boost the chances that the pandemic will finally come to an end, and truly bring about a cause for celebration?
Join The Journal and the Kansas Leadership Center for this free, virtual launch event to discuss leadership challenges being elevated by the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. You’ll hear from experts to gain a better understanding of why Kansans are skeptical of the vaccines and how to communicate effectively about them without jeopardizing close relationships with family, friends and neighbors.
Following the presentation by experts, a small group discussion will help you reflect on your own efforts to help end the pandemic, learn from the experiences of others and explore how to contribute going forward. All participants of the Kansas Beats the Virus and Voices on Vaccinations efforts are encouraged to attend.
REGISTER HERE: https://kansasleadershipcenter.org/klcevents/a-shot-for-your-right-to-party/?ct=t%28Journal+Launch%3A+A+Show+for+Your+Right%29&mc_cid=8a030b3192&mc_eid=d2ce127c34
Camp Mennoscah announcements1. Smorgasborg of volunteer opportunities for you! Starting with the Work Day on April 24, Camp Mennoscah has multiple opportunities to support the maintenance and upkeep of the campgrounds. Get Involved and be part of the fun! Email office@campmennoscah.org or call 620-297-3290 to volunteer. 2. Camp Mennoscah is seeking to fill a part-time custodian/housekeeper position. Hours average 10 per week and are flexible, dependent upon the camp schedule. For more information, contact Camp Mennoscah at 620-297-3290 or olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org 3. Camp Mennoscah is seeking a full-time Director of Development, Marketing & Communications to lead our ongoing operational and advancement needs. More information at www.campmennoscah.org. Applications accepted until the position is filled. Please send application materials (resume, cover letter, references and salary requirements) to campmennojobs@att.net.
Mennonite church announcements1. Are you a pastor or professor that feels God’s call to mission? Join Mission Network as we partner with agencies all around the world. Serve globally in various short-term assignments. Contact MichelleR@MMNWorld.net.
2. If you are being called to walk in mission with partners around the world, Mission Network has a place for you. JCS International in Mongolia is seeking a full time Funding and Communications Management Director. Partner in God’s work in these or many other placements around the world! Contact LaurenEH@MennoniteMission.net for more information.
3. Felipe Hinojosa, author of “Apostles of Change,” shared stories about Latino activists transforming churches into staging grounds for protests against urban renewal and displacement, in a recorded webinar from Mennonite Church USA. View it here: mennoniteusa.org/webinars
4. Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference recently licensed Katerina Friesen for ministry at Wild Church Fresno (California), a Mennonite Church USA church plant that meets outdoors and feels a particular call to care for God’s creation. Read more at https://www.mennoniteusa.org/friesen-licensed-wild-church
5. What are the causes of war? And what can we do to end war before it begins? David Lapp-Jost answers these questions in his blog, “Nurturing more life-giving community.” Read more here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/life-giving-community
6. Pastor Graciela Tijerina listened when God called her to lead Iglesia Menonita Casa Betania (Bethany House Mennonite Church), in Newton, Kansas. Read her story here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/news/iglesia-casa-betania/
En español: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/menoticias-tijerina
7. Award-winning syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts Jr., who packed out Memorial Hall at Bethel College in September 2017, makes a return appearance on Sunday, April 25, at 2 p.m. Pitts will be live online, speaking on “Is America Possible?” This is part of the Peace Lecture Series from the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (KIPCOR). Register for the Zoom link at kipcor.org
Hesston College Announcements:
Bel Canto Singers – An outdoor worship service at Alexanderwhohl Mennonite Church in Goessel, KS – April 25, 10:00am
Bel Canto Singers Concert – Presented at the Mullet Drive parking lot at Hesston College – April 30, 7:00pm – Fine Arts Livestream
Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp Announcements
RMMC SPRUCE BEETLE PACKET WORKDAY NOW APRIL 24TH – With the coming of snow and cold (ah, Springtime in CO), the workday has been moved to April 24. Please signup to come help with this year’s distribution by visiting our Volunteer page and select “Signup for Maintenance“. Friday night accommodations are offered by request and breakfast will be served Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. and lunch at 11:30 a.m. Hope to have you join us!
SPRUCE BEETLE TREE CUTTING AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN MAY 23-29, 2021 – Mennonite Disaster Service and RMMC continue their critical partnership in the work to remove beetle infested Engelmann Spruce trees from camp. Ten volunteers (approximately) needed each day. Volunteers for foodservice are also encouraged to help in support of the week’s efforts. Please visit the volunteer page at www.rmmc.org and select “Signup for Maintenance” or “Signup for Foodservice” for 1 or 2 days or the whole week if you can. For additional information, please contact Paul Unruh (phunruh@gmail.com, 316-772-6308) or Marc Yoder (marcyoder1@gmail.com, 719-942-3276).
Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request: Mennonite Mission Network praises God for the three-year ministry of Diana Cruz and Felipe Preciado at La Casa Grande, a children’s home in Benin. Pray for Diana and Felipe as they transition back to living in and doing God’s work in Colombia, their sending country.
Western District Conference Prayer Request: Pray for pastors, parents, teachers, and mentors in WDC congregations, as they guide faith formation for children and youth in the midst of challenging times.