Renee is looking for pictures of your advent wreath to use in our worship service on December 20th. Please send a picture of your advent wreath to her by December 15th at renee@bethelcollegemennonitechurch.org to be included!
Lessons and Carols Christmas Eve tradition continues at BCMC this year! The service will be pre-recorded and made available for you to watch at your convenience on Christmas Eve.
December 27 worship will be a service centered around Christmas carols. Send Verlene Garber the Christmas carol(s) you’d like to hear! The service will begin at 10 am. Verlene’s email is: verleneg@cox.net. Phone is listed in church directory.
Technology Update
You can now livestream BCMC worship services easily by going to the homepage of the BCMC website https://bethelcollegemennonitechurch.org/ and clicking on the green LIVE button to the right of the screen. Thank you to Ken Lamp, Ben Lichti, Francis Toews, Bill Swartley, and Monica Lichti for their extra time, energy and effort to bring BCMC worship to us in our homes!
BCMC COVID-19 Update
The Reopen Task Group has been hard at work creating guidelines for safe gatherings at BCMC. You can be up to date with their work on the COVID-19 tab on the BCMC website. Currently, Harvey County is at a percent positivity rate of 11.66% as of December 8th, 2020. According to our guidelines this means that we will not have in-person worship or small group gatherings indoors (faith formation activities or committee/commission meetings).
Staff Update
The church office will be closed in the afternoons from now until December 23 due to staff vacation time. Whether the office is open or not, you can always be in touch with pastors by giving them a call on their cell phones (listed in church directory).
Financial Update
According to the latest numbers, enough contributions have been received to cover the elevator repair! Based on the estimate from Regier Construction, we need $32,421 to cover the kitchen/fellowship hall renovation. General fund contributions from January 1 through November 30 were $417,199 and expenses were $421,887, leaving a shortfall of $4,688. ~ Mike Claassen, BCMC Finance Manager
BCMC for December 6-13: General Fund $10,687; Plant Fund $50; Caring Fund $1,350; Living Stones $385; Lynn Louck’s Memorial $20.
This Advent we are once again enjoying banners created by Bob Regier forty years ago. Thank you, Bob, for your artwork that keeps on giving! This year we are seeing the banners from a different angle as they are displayed in the choir loft (within view of the camera). Thanks to Bill and Susie Swartley for the creation of the banner stands! As you view the banners during worship, what do you see? Consider writing a poem or brief reflection about what the banners help you see and experience throughout the season.
ADVENT GIFT PROJECTS: Share the joy!
The Witness Commission has chosen two Advent gift projects for our congregation this year, both addressing COVID 19 related needs:
The Covid 19 Congregational Relief Fund provides grants to help Anabaptist-related churches meet their congregational financial needs (such as rent, mortgage, utilities, staff salaries, etc.) or to assist families and individuals in their midst in recovering from COVID-19 hardships. Priority is given to racially and ethnically diverse churches serving in historically under-resourced communities. To contribute to this fund, click here.
The Harvest of Love is a support program managed by the Newton Ministerial Alliance (NMA). When the program started, it was originally to provide food assistance to those who were in need. By now the Harvest of Love also provides support for people in need of rent, utility, and other types of financial assistance. The Harvest of Love is run out of the Salvation Army food pantry. During COVID-19, the need for assistance has been on the rise. To help our community, the Harvest of Love has removed restrictions on how often a family can receive food and financial assistance.
You can contribute to the Harvest of Love in two ways. You can drop off material donations at 208 W 6th St, Newton. For monetary donations please make your check payable to Harvest of Love. You can mail your monetary donation to Newton Ministerial Alliance, PO Box 1084, Newton, KS 67114
Most of the Advent Books from the BCMC Library have been pulled and are on display in the checkout room, including most of the Everybody Books. Please feel free to come by and check out our eclectic offerings.
TODAY (Sunday, Dec. 13), 8 p.m. – All are invited to take part in Bethel College’s annual Lighting of the Green, from wherever you are. This long-standing Bethel Advent tradition celebrates the Light that shines in the darkness, the life and light of Christ who came into the world giving light to all humankind. Normally held on the Green in the center of campus, the gathering will take place virtually this year, live online (links follow) with some parts pre-recorded.YouTube: https://youtu.be/LZeLxduHoVk or Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/98444357235?pwd=N1MzQlpiQ29HQWZIWUs2NGpNWWtIZz09
Alternate instructions: Go to https://www.bethelks.edu/article/lighting-green-be-virtual-year, the URL for the Lighting of the Green press release, which contains both links. Or
Go to bethelks.edu, scroll to FEATURED NEWS, and click the Lighting of the Green article, where you will find both links.
MCC Comforter Blitz update: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Kansas Friends of MCC Comforter Blitz in Yoder, KS has been canceled. However, the Blitz committee still has a goal of collecting at least 300 comforters between February and April. We need your help to meet this goal! Fabric kits and comforter sets to tie (top, back, and batting) are available to check out from MCC in North Newton. For contactless drop-off of completed comforters the 24-hour donation room is always available. To arrange drop-off or checkout materials, contact Kate at katemast@mcc.org, or 316.804.8432.
KIPCOR’s 2020 Fall Newsletter
You can read the entire newsletter in a convenient “Flipsnack” format here:
https://www.flipsnack.com/KIPCOR/kipcor-fall-2020-newsletter.html
Or find it on KIPCOR’s website here:
https://kipcor.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Fall-2020-Newsletter-Individual-pages-final.pdf