Announcements for August 29–September 5, 2021

This week at BCMC

Monday, August 30
8 am to 10 am  Bethel College Classes in the Sanctuary
2 pm to 3 pm    Bethel College Classes in the Sanctuary
Tuesday, August 31
7 pm  Reopening Church Task Force
Wednesday, September 1
8 am to 10 am  Bethel College Classes in the Sanctuary
2 pm to 3 pm    Bethel College Classes in the Sanctuary
3 pm                   Advent Planning—Room 14
4:30 pm             Visual Arts Committee Meeting
Thursday, September 2
7 pm  Church Board Meeting—by Zoom
Friday, September 3
8 am to 10 am  Bethel College Classes in the Sanctuary
2 pm to 3 pm    Bethel College Classes in the Sanctuary
Sunday, September 5
9:30 am    Worship Service in the Sanctuary
Monday, September 6—Labor Day
Church will be locked; office closed for the Labor Day Holiday

Safe Sanctuary Training will be offered at 3 different times for volunteers working with children and youth (Sunday school teachers, sponsors, club leaders, and mentors). Volunteers will have the option of attending one of the following trainings: Sunday August 29th at 10:30am in the fellowship hall, Sunday, September 12th at 10:30am in the sanctuary, or Sunday, September 26th at 7pm on zoom. While this 1 hour training is required for all people working with children and youth each year, others from BCMC are invited to attend this training as well to learn more about abuse prevention and how to model good boundaries in our relationships with one another. 

P.A. Operators Needed at BCMC
Our public address operators here at BCMC (Ken Lamp, Ben Lichti, Francis Toews) have been working tirelessly to live-stream worship services, funerals, and other events.  But they could use some help.  If you have an interest in being a BCMC P.A. operator, please contact the church office.  The current public address operators would be glad to teach you how to use the p.a. system.

New Hearing Assist System
BCMC has installed a new hearing assist system for those with blue-tooth enabled hearing aids.  An information and instruction sheet is at the rear of the sanctuary. 

Staff Absences
Pastor Renee Reimer will be gone from September 3 to 7
Pastor Dawn Yoder Harms will be gone from September 6-10
Pastor Nathan Koontz will be gone from September 10-12

Address and Phone Changes
Helen Bertrand – new phone number – 316-284-2900 ext. 4541
Chuck and Pat Friesen – new address – 3010 S. 72nd Street, #44, Lincoln, NE 68506
Mark Kreider – new address – 402 S. 3rd St., W., Missoula, MT 59801; Email markkreider1@gmail.com

We offer sympathy to Chuck and Pat Friesen and their extended family on the death of Chuck’s mother, Martha (Klippenstein) Friesen, Thursday, August 26.  She was 100 years old.  A memorial service will be held in Henderson, NE at a later time.  (See Chuck and Pat Friesen’s new address listed above.)

The BCMC 2021 Directory (used to be called the BCMC Yearbook) will be printed in September.  If you have address or contact (phone, email, cell phone) changes, please call or email the church office. 

You are invited to contribute non-perishable food for the local Salvation Army food pantry.  On the first Sunday of the month, (in this case – September 5) bring items to BCMC and place them on the kitchen cart in the south entrance.

Western District Conference Announcement
Please refer to the WDC website at https://mennowdc.org/2021-wdc-annual-assembly/ for information regarding the 2021 WDC Assembly delegate session, including the minutes, the approved 2022 budget, the election results, and the certified delegates.

Bethel College Announcements
Today (Sun., Aug. 29) – Sunday-Afternoon-from-the-Museum program sponsored by Kauffman Museum, 3 p.m. via Zoom/Facebook Live, with Lorrie Kessler of the Harvey County Health Department. Kessler will talk about tobacco company advertising over the past century-plus, and how it has created health disparities, in conjunction with the museum’s special exhibit “Vapes: Marketing an Addiction.” To attend, go to https://fb.me/e/18FKJYNv4, the Kauffman Museum Facebook page, or the “Visit” tab (click “Events”) at https://kauffmanmuseum.org, at 3 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 4 – Kauffman Museum’s monthly bird walk will be a special event in cooperation with the Kansas Humanities Council: a book and poetry walk with Megan Kaminski and Molly Zahn from the University of Kansas. Start time: 9:30 a.m. at the museum’s front door. For more information, call 316-283-1612 or e-mail kauffman@bethelks.edu

Sunday, Sept. 12 – KIPCOR Film Series resumes live, with The Prison Within, 2 p.m., Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center at Bethel College. Individuals incarcerated in San Quentin Prison and charged with murder take a journey of redemption through participation in a restorative justice program. Talk-back to follow. Bethel’s COVID-19 protocols require physical distancing and mask-wearing indoors regardless of vaccination status.

Save the date: Mark McCormick, director of strategic communications for the ACLU of Kansas, will give the next KIPCOR Peace Lecture, Thursday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m., on the Bethel campus as part of Bethel’s Fall Festival. Details to come!

Camp Mennoscah Announcements

  • September 26 is a Camp Mennoscah Combo!  It’s the Hymn Sing-Dessert Auction and Annual Meeting all in one!  There are still details to be determined, but plan on some hymn singing (masked & distanced), bidding on delectable desserts, and information about Camp Mennoscah’s year.  We’ll keep the details coming your way!
  • There are volunteer opportunities for you! Camp Mennoscah has year-round work to support the maintenance and upkeep of the campus and facilities. We can accommodate every group size, skill set and length of project you would like to tackle. Check out these ways to Get Involved!  Email office@campmennoscah.org or call 620-297-3290 to volunteer. 
  • Camp Mennoscah is seeking a full-time Director of Development, Marketing & Communications to lead our ongoing operational and advancement needs.  This position reports directly to the Board of Directors while taking directive from the Executive Director when related to operational considerations. As a member of a small, very hands-on staff, the role is expected to be highly collaborative. This professional must embrace the mission of Camp Mennoscah, have an established background in coordinating nonprofit donation strategies, possess strong written, interpersonal, leadership and relationship building skills, and work as an independent contributor with good organization and follow-through. Most of the work will commence off campus, however some in-person time at camp is required.  This role involves organizing broad-based fundraising initiatives, advocating for Camp Mennoscah through speaking engagements, promotional materials, and social media, as well as recruiting volunteers, and building relationships with board members, donors and staff.
    Our ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree, a minimum of five years of fund development experience, or equivalent experience in church relations, and a passion for Camp Mennoscah. They should also be familiar with office related applications, and other technology used for communication and social media. Experience with CampBrain and the associated donor database is a plus.
    Applications will be accepted until the position is filled and early submission is encouraged. Please send application materials (resume, cover letter, references and salary requirements) to campmennojobs@att.net. 
  • Camp Mennoscah also has openings for a part-time custodial/housekeeping position (10 hours) and a part-time office/administrative position (30 hours).  Contact Olivia at olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org for more information.
     Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp Announcement

Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp is delighted to report (vs. promote) that all Labor Work and Play Retreat weekend volunteers spaces have already been filled to capacity. The weekend is offered as a day of work (Sat. or Sun.) and a day of play (Sat. or Sun.) with a Monday morning sendoff. This year (September 3-6, 2021), two church groups will be served (foodservice & housekeeping) which will require the majority of volunteer help along with additional work projects here/there for ongoing care of facilities & grounds. The next opportunity is Memorial Day Work & Play Retreat scheduled May 27-30, 2022. A friendly reminder that all camp programs are available for online registration the day after the previous year’s program has concluded for continuity and equal opportunity to sign-up.

Colorado Mennonite Disaster Service and Rocky Mountain Mountain Mennonite Camp continue their critical partnership in the ongoing effort to remove beetle infested Engelmann Spruce trees and forest thinning for fire mitigation project. Ten volunteers are needed each day to accomplish the variety of tasks at hand including chipping slash and moving timber. Volunteers for foodservice are also welcomed and encouraged to help in support of the weeks efforts. Please visit the volunteer page at www.rmmc.org and select “Signup for Maintenance” or “Signup for Foodservice” to register for the week or for the days you are able to come. For additional information, please contact Paul Unruh (phunruh@gmail.com, 316-772-6308) or Marc Yoder (marcyoder1@gmail.com, 719-942-3276).

Registration Open – Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship Annual Gathering, Online: September 17-19, 2021

Mennonite Health Fellowship (MHF) is hosting its virtual Annual Gathering in September. All with an interest in healthcare from a faith perspective are welcome to attend, and all MHF members are encouraged to attend at least part of the weekend. Registration and information are on the MHF website at www.mennohealth.org. The theme for the weekend is Fostering Provider Resilience with a special 2-hour Introduction to Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR) in partnership with Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute. MHF is open to those serving in all areas of healthcare, including mental health, public health, health administration, and more. Register today! We look forward to connecting with you!

Mennonite Mission Network News from Around the World press here

Mennonite Mission Network News and Beyond presshere

Mennonite Church USA Announcements
Join the denomination-wide “CommonRead.” Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Church Canada and Herald Press are partnering to encourage every Mennonite to read carefully selected books to equip the church during this time. This fall, the CommonRead book is “Tongue-Tied: Learning the Lost Art of Talking About Faith” by Sara Wenger Shenk. Learn more here. www.commonread.org

Jeanne Davies, executive director of Anabaptist Disability Network, presented a seminar at MennoCon21, titled “Worship for All.” She offered attendees ideas on how to make worship services accessible to all people, including those with intellectual disabilities and autism. Read about her ideas here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/news/worship-for-all/.

#BringThePeace
Dona Park is one of two women to receive the first Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) #BringThePeace award. MC USA News Editor Camille Dager interviewed Park about her experiences using art to build peace. Read a transcript of the interview here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/interview-dona-park

#BeTransformed
In his blog, “Message from a friend,” Wil LaVeist , Mennonite Church USA’s chief communications officer, shares a  touching story of transformation through personal hardship and a special feathered friend. Read more here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/message-from-friend.

Menno Snapshots
Anna Groff of Dove’s Nest wrote, “Don’t bury the lead: Abuse in your congregation,” a blog in which she explains how Dove’s Nest can help prepare congregations to communicate effectively about abuse that has occurred within the church or by a church member. Read more about how to handle such a situation here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/abuse-congregation.

Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  Joseph and Rachel Givens, and their two sons, are preparing to serve in Calais, France, with Mennonite Mission Network. Pray that God will provide the necessary resources for them to join the team that offers shelter to African and Middle Eastern people who are seeking temporary refuge before entering the United Kingdom.
Western District Conference Prayer Request:   Pray for God’s wisdom and joy for WDC staff members as they seek to encourage congregations and leaders in ministry.