Worship for May 7, 2023
To livestream the worship service:
On Sunday morning, around 9:20, 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 belows 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/8TGAlWAx6gk?feature=share
BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
May 7, 2023
Prelude—Will Wiebe-Friesen
Anthem—Come Ye Disconsolate (Terre Johnson); Chancel Choir; Riley King, director; Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist
Christ Candle Lighting
Welcome and Prayer—Jim Robb
Land Acknowledgement—Darlene Dick
*Hymn—Summoned by the God Who Made Us—VT 1
Anthem—In This Still Room (Gwyneth Walker)—Chancel Choir
Children’s Conversation—Megan Kohlman
Anthem—Chancel Choir; Riley King, director; Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist
Scripture Reading—Isaiah 43:16-21; Matthew 13:1-9,44-45,51-52—Ani Koontz and Megan Leary
Sermon—Our Entrepreneurial God—Roger Neufeld Smith
*Hymn—You Are Salt for the Earth—VT 297
Prayers of God’s People
*Hymn—Be a Sower—VT 789—People with April birthdays come forward for a blessing, please bring a hymnal
*Birthday Blessing & Benediction—VT 1050 (congregational response “Jesus, now lead on”)
Choral Benediction—Amen (John Rutter)—Chancel Choir
Postlude—Will Wiebe-Friesen
* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Keyboard—Will Wiebe-Friesen
Audio visual—Ben Lichti
YouTube Link: https://youtube.com/live/8TGAlWAx6gk?feature=share
Land Acknowledgement compiled by Florence Schloneger from words by Mark Charles and VT #878
As we do on the first Sunday of each month,
we acknowledge that we worship
on the land of the Kanza, Osage, and Wichita.
We thank them for their care and respect for this land
and acknowledge the injustice of their forced removal.
We ask the Spirit to heal our histories
and find new paths of right relationships with them
and all of creation.
In This Still Room by Gwyneth Walker
“And so I find it well to come for deeper rest to this still room
For here the habit of the soul
Feels less the outer world’s control;
For strength of mutual purpose pleads more earnestly our common needs;
And from the silence multiplied
By these still forms on either side,
the world that time and sense have known
Falls off and leaves us God alone.”
The congregational meeting is Sunday, May 7, at 10:45 a.m., during the Sunday school hour, in the Sanctuary. The agenda can be found in the annual program booklet. (There are printed copies available on the ledge between the mailboxes in the Gathering Place.) For those who are tuning in remotely, votes can be texted to (620) 747-0185. The meeting will be live-streamed but will not be recorded.
Agenda items will include approval of new commission, committee, and board members; updates from the Search Committee and Credence Report Task Group; and reports from several task groups and staff.
Congregational Meeting YouTube Link: https://youtube.com/live/Tt1pRkGCfgk?feature=share
| Click the link below for a pdf of the Annual Report Booklet. |
BCMC Offering for April 30, 2023: General Fund $2,135; Living Stones $50.
This Week at BCMC: May 7-14, 2023
Sun, May 7 2023
9:30 am Worship YouTube Link for this Sunday is: https://youtube.com/live/8TGAlWAx6gk?feature=share
The church nursery is staffed during worship and Sunday School
10:45 am Congregational Meeting in the Sanctuary (No adult Sunday schools this Sunday) YouTube Link: https://youtube.com/live/Tt1pRkGCfgk?feature=share
7 pm Bethel College Woven and Open Road Ensemble Groups Concert in the BCMC Sanctuary—All are welcome!
Mon., May 8, 2023
9 am Women’s Fellowship Executive Board meeting in Fellowship Hall
11 am Staff meeting in Room 14
Wed., May 10, 2023
7 pm Senior High Youth Group
7:30 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal in the Sanctuary
Thurs., May 11, 2023
4 pm Creation Care Committee meeting in Room 14
6:30 pm Chancel Bell rehearsal in Room B7
Sun., May 14, 2023—Bethel College Baccalaureate
There will be no worship service at BCMC this Sunday; Bethel College
Baccalaureate will be in Bethel College’s Memorial Hall starting at 10 a.m.—All are invited!
Bethel College Commencement is at 4 p.m. in Thresher Stadium (if rain,
Memorial Hall)
There will be a recognition of BCMC graduating high school seniors and a
reception of new members of BCMC during the worship service on Sunday, May 21.
We offer sympathy to LuAnn Zook, Doug Siemens, Angus and Zoe Siemens and their extended family on the death of LuAnn’s father, Herbert Zook, May 4, 2023 at Schowalter Villa, Hesston.
Herb was a retired professor of Industrial Arts at Hesston College, McPherson College, and Fort Hays State University.
On a side note, Doug said that Herb was one of the pioneers who started the Automobile Restoration Program at McPherson. Saturday, May 6 is the Newton Car Show. “If you have an opportunity to attend please remember this great teacher who loved cars!”
The BCMC Retreat at Camp Mennoscah was last Saturday and Sunday, April 29-30. Two baptisms were celebrated during the worship service on Sunday. Abby Koontz and Ani Koontz were baptized in the Ninnescah River. Following are their faith statements.
Abby Koontz
I am excited to become a member of Bethel College Mennonite Church by choosing baptism and committing to my ongoing faith journey with God. I am grateful for all the support and love this church family has given to me growing up, and I am ready to follow Christ through the acts of love, gratitude, service, and community. Attending church as a child with my parents and grandparents, I have been raised with Mennonite values. Loving others, community, inclusion, servant leadership, and practicing non-violence are values that I have learned in our church and that I believe are important when following Jesus. I strive to incorporate these values into my everyday life and spiritual practices. BCMC has also given me Camp Mennoscah, one of the
places where I find my faith to be the strongest. It is here I feel connected with God through music, nature, and friendship, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be baptized here. Becoming a follower of Christ to me means that you serve your community, have compassion towards the people around you, and that you live your life through God. In times of hope, in times of gratitude, and in harder times when God gives us challenges, it is important to live life through God and turn to prayer as a regular practice. It brings me great joy to become a part of this congregation and continue my faith journey.
Abby is baptized – people in picture are Ani Koontz in background, Kevin Neufeld, and Pastor Nathan Koontz
Ani Koontz
Throughout my life I’ve attended different Mennonite churches and been a part of many different communities that seek to follow Jesus together. One of my earliest memories is crawling around in the pit next to Faith Mennonite Church. When I was six my dad got a job at First Mennonite in Hutchinson. The church became a solid community: one that I didn’t really interact with outside the building, but one that I still loved very much. I remember coming home after my first Sunday there and counting on my fingers how many friends I made: I lost count. I especially loved the kids in my Sunday school class.
Throughout my Hutch time, I wasn’t really able to participate in the Wednesday night activities because of how far away it was. Luckily, BCMC welcomed me with open arms into the choir and youth clubs. I loved my dual church experience, but I sometimes felt disconnected from both. First Mennonite in Hutch had a huge impact on me as a person, but the shift back to BCMC was comforting. I could interact with the BCMC community in ways more than just church on Sunday, and I didn’t have to wake up so early. I love the people around me and the familiar environment that I get to grow in.
Faith has always been an important part of my life and I look forward to following Jesus and working to do good within my community and the world.
Though I’ve been to many different churches, I am so happy to call BCMC my church, my congregation, and my community.
Ani preparing to be baptized. Kevin Neufeld and Pastor Nathan Koontz on either side of her.
Roger’s Whereabouts – Roger will be in Newton until Monday afternoon (May 8). He will be back in Newton on Wednesday, May 24. Roger checks his phone messages and texts daily while he is in Topeka, so feel free to contact him via phone or email.
April Birthdays are NOT forgotten! – We’ve just delayed the usual birthday blessing for April birthdays until this coming Sunday, May 7. We knew that a number of people would not be able to attend worship at Camp Mennoscah last Sunday. So the April Birthday Blessing will be at the end of the worship service this Sunday, May 7.
Please pray for Myron Voran who is recovering from gallbladder removal surgery at NMC Health.
Women’s Fellowship Executive Board meets in Fellowship Hall Monday, May 8 at 9:00 a.m.
VBS Registration
It is time to register for Vacation Bible School. If you have children in Pre-K (4 years) through entering 5th grade this form is for you! Please invite grandchildren and friends to fill out the form so they can attend. We would love to have them! If you have any questions, please email or talk to Jill Robb (jill@bethelcollegemennonitechurch.org) or Mary Ellen Hodge (hodge_mar@yahoo.com).
Here is the link to the Registration Form and the QR code.
The Library Theme till the end of May is Women’s History. The Committee has pulled a few of the books available from our collection and is displaying them in back of the library desk or against the south wall in the children’s section. Come check us out and be on the look out for a reading contest arriving in May!!
Bethel College Announcements:
· Sun., May 7 – Woven and Open Road joint concert at BCMC, 7 p.m.
· Bethel College commencement weekend is Sat.-Sun., May 13-14. Events: Nurse Pinning Ceremony, 2 p.m., May 13, Krehbiel Auditorium;
Baccalaureate, 10 a.m., and Commencement, 4 p.m., May 14, both in
Memorial Hall.
· Thurs.-Sat., May 18-20 – Pop-up exhibit, “Mennonites in East Germany,” Kauffman Museum (2801 N. Main St., North Newton 67117); hours are 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays, 1:30-4:30 p.m. weekends. Sat., May 20 – Pastor Bernhard Thiessen from the University of Hamburg will speak on “Mennonite Peace Efforts Under Communist Observation,” 4 p.m. in the museum auditorium.
Youth ages 12 to 17 are invited to be a Junior Volunteer at Kidron Bethel Village in North Newton or Schowalter Villa in Hesston June 1 through July 28. Junior Volunteers help facilitate activities with residents in health care and/or assisted living, including playing games, reading, going on walks and more. An application is required and must be submitted by May 10. Spaces are limited. Proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination series required. For application, contact 620-327-4821 or shelleyl@bluestemks.org.
The Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale Annual Dinner and Meeting will be Thursday, May 25, 6:00 pm at First Mennonite Church, McPherson. The cost of the meal is $20.00. Please RSVP to Barb BJ Reeves at bj.reeves@live.com or call/text 620-543-6863 by May 21. Come celebrate the success of the MCC Sale!
Peace Connections is hosting Bridges out of Poverty, a free training to be a volunteer for Circle of Hope. The training is a three part workshop on May 5 (2-4 p.m.); June 2 (2-4 p.m.) and July 7 (2-4 p.m.) To RSVP for the workshop or for more information visit www.peaceconnections.org or call 316-284-0000. Harvey County Circle of Hope is a relationship-based initiative that seeks to improve the financial health and well-being of the community and our residents. Circle of Hope connects community volunteers with families ready and willing to begin their journey towards financial stability.
Hesston College Announcements
May 12 – Music Recitals
The Performing Arts department at Hesston College will present student recitals on May 12 at 2 and 4 p.m. The recitals will feature Luke Huyard, Sadie Oesch, Jesse Kanagy, Ginny Miller, and Abraham Cadillo Quispe. Join in person at the Black Box Theater or watch the live stream at hesston.edu/livestream.
May 12 – Bel Canto Singers Concert
Bel Canto Singers will perform a concert over commencement weekend Friday, May 12, at 7 p.m. Join in person at Hesston Mennonite Church or watch the live stream at hesston.edu/livestream.
May 13 – Nursing Pinning
Celebrate the accomplishments of the 2023 baccalaureate degree nursing graduates. Join in person at Hesston Mennonite Church or watch the live stream at hesston.edu/pinning-webcast.
May 13 – Theatre Showcase & Student Directed One-Act Play
Acting I and Acting II students will perform monologues and scenes from their work this semester. Immediately following, a short one act play, The Wall: A Pilgrimage, directed by Alexis Driscoll, will feature students from both classes. The show is about a family visiting the Vietnam War Memorial and the feelings each member faces when recalling the soldier they lost. Join in person at the Black Box Theater.
May 13 – Commencement
Riccardo Harris, executive director of Wichita GEAR UP at WSA, will present the commencement address. General seating in the sanctuary will begin at 3:30 p.m. with overflow general seating in the HMC Community Center. Join in person at Hesston Mennonite Church or watch the live stream at hesston.edu/commencement.
Western District Conference invites you to visit our website to read the latest news, stories and announcements.
WDC Book Sale – The Western District Conference Resource Library in North Newton, KS will be hosting a Book Sale on Saturday, May 6 from 8:30am -12:30pm outside in front of the WDC building. There will be a large variety of donated books and books & DVDs removed from circulation. Donations will be accepted for your selections. Hope to see you there!
In Spring 2022, the WDC Executive Board appointed a team to do an anti-racism audit of WDC’s structure, program and policies, as we seek to fulfill WDC’s vision for the church and be faithful to the way of Jesus. The audit process was conducted between April and September 2022, and gathered information to address the questions: How is WDC acting or participating in racist ways? How is WDC supporting efforts to dismantle racism? How could WDC better support efforts to dismantle racism?… Please click below to view the full announcement, the full audit report (now available), and the summary report.
Announcement about Anti-Racism Audit Report – English & Español
WDC Anti-Racism Audit Report Summary – English & Español
WDC Anti-Racism Audit Full Report – English & Español
For Mennonite Mission Network News and Beyond press here
For Mennonite Central Committee “In Touch” press hereFor Anabaptist Disabilities Network press here
For Newton EtCetera Shop Annual Report press here
Camp Mennoscah Announcements
Custodial-housekeeping help is needed at Camp Mennoscah. This is a 10 hours per week position and is paid hourly. The work times are flexible, but must fit within the group and retreat scheduling, which varies from week to week. The position requires an application, references, and background check. Contact Olivia at 620-297-3290 or olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org for details.
Other events and happenings:
- The next Work and Play Day is May 20! Bring a water bottle and meet at the maintenance shed at 8:30am. Camp will provide lunch. If you let us know you are coming, we can be better prepared for lunch. Contact Olivia at 620-297-3290 (landline) or olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org for details.
- Camp Mennoscah is looking for people to provide a “main course” for approx. 12 people during the week of May 29-June 2.Camp will provide the extras for the meal and staff do the meal prep as a team building exercise. If you would like to provide the full meal, wonderful! During this week, summer staff do training for Youth Development, the Staff Handbook, Reducing the Risk of Abuse, and more. This week prepares the staff to create great camp experiences for a summer of campers. Contact Olivia at 620-297-3290 or olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org for details.
- Just want to let you know that things will look different! The landscaping around the Retreat Center will be removed in preparation for the replacement of the HVAC system at the Retreat Center and to meet code. There is not a firm timeline when this will start. New landscaping will be determined at a later time.
- Some scholarship funds are still available. These scholarship funds are to assist campers who might not otherwise be able to attend a week of camp. To request scholarship funds, complete the online form. Questions can be directed to olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org or 620-297-3290.
- Nurse needed for a partial week, July 9-12, Junior High II Camp. As a nurse, you are a vital part of camp life. Your work to keep everyone healthy and well means campers and staff are ready to play and learn during their time at camp. Nurses must be a registered nurse (RN). Nurses receive either a stipend or a camper discount up to full camp fees. Contact us at olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org or 620-297-3290.
- Got any 5 gallon buckets with or without lids?Camp Mennoscah is looking for 5 gallon buckets with lids for compost. We’ll take lids or the lids and buckets. Contact us at olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org or call 620-297-3290 to figure out pick up or bring them to camp when your church or camper comes.
- Click to register! Summer youth camp registration is open and Camp Mennoscah is receiving registrations. The summer theme is FruitFULL Faith. Get ready to learn and sing about the Fruit of the Spirit this summer–it’s not a coconut!
Kauffman Museum Upcoming Events
• Upcoming events:
• May 9-14, All Ten Thousand Villages merchandise 20% off in the Museum Store; come pick up a gift for mom for Mother’s Day!
• May 18-20, Pop-up exhibit, “Mennonites in East Germany”
• May 20, 4:00, “Mennonite Peace Efforts under Communist Observation” presented by Pastor Bernhard Thiessen, Chairman, Peace Churches Office, Berlin, Germany
• May 21, 3:00, “Of Wool & Silk: Textile Explorations in Central Asia” presented by Dr. Mary M. Dusenbury, Affiliate Research Curator, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas
• May 28, last day to view the Reeds & Wool: Patterned Screens of Central Asia exhibit
• June 3, 7:00, First Saturday Bird Walk
• Regular museum hours: Tues-Fri 9:30-4:30, Sat & Sun 1:30-4:30, closed Mondays and major holidays
Mennonite Church USA Announcements
On May 1, 2023, Mennonite Church USA will be changing its email address for email marketing communications to EBComm@Communications.MennoniteUSA.org. Read why this is important and get instructions on how to add the new address to your address book here: mennoniteusa.org/notice-new-email
The Mennonite Church USA Executive Board met in Los Angeles on April 13-14, 2023, and voted to forward three proposed organizational resolutions to the Delegate Assembly, including one that recommends shifting the Delegate Assembly to a three-year, or triennial, cycle. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/executive-board-april-meeting. The Constituency Leaders Council provided feedback on the three proposed organizational resolutions at its meeting in San Antonio, Texas, in March. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/news/clc-looks
#MennoCon23
Online registration is open for MennoCon23, Mennonite Church USA’s leading faith formation event, in Kansas City (Missouri) Convention Center, July 3-6, 2023. Registration is also open for the Youth & Young Adult Climate Summit, July 7, and the Delegate Assembly, July 7-8. Early bird pricing ends on May 14. Register here: convention.mennoniteusa.org/registration
- Download a Power Point slide here: mennoniteusa.org/mennocon23-powerpoint
- Download a printer-friendly flyer here: mennoniteusa.org/mennocon23-flyer-print
Menno Snapshots
After attending Mennonite Church USA’s Hope for the Future Conference as a Mosaic Mennonite Conference board member, Kiron Mateti, experienced a refreshing sense of belonging within the Mennonite church. He was no longer the only person of color in the room. Read more about his experience here: mennoniteusa.org/finding-seat-at-mennonite-table
The Peace Table is the new Bible story for MennoMedia’s “Shine” elementary curriculum for 2023-26. Get a sneak peek of this exciting new resource during MennoMedia’s webinar on Monday, May 8, 7 p.m. ET. Learn how this book can help you guide children to love Jesus, grow in faith and become peacemakers that change the world by registering here: shinecurriculum.com/webinar
Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request: Alfonsina and José Oyanguren, serving through Mennonite Mission Network, request prayer for the more than 40 people from 15 communities in Argentina’s Chaco region who are helping voice dub the Jesus Film in the Toba Qom language. Pray that those who participate will be led into a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and his love for all people.
Western District Conference Prayer Request: Give thanks for WDC’s Resource Library, and pray that children, youth, adults and ministry leaders would be enriched in faith and discipleship through library resources.