This week at BCMCMonday, November 15
8—10 am Bethel College Classes in the Sanctuary
2—3 pm Bethel College Class in the Sanctuary
Tuesday, November 16
9—11 am Community Playschool
Wednesday, November 17
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, November 18
9-11 am Community Playschool
2 pm Hospitality Commission in Fellowship Hall
4 pm Staff Congregation Relations Committee—Rm 14
6:30 pm Chancel Bells—Room B7
7 pm Bethel College Women’s Association in Fellowship Hall
Friday, November 19
8—10 am Bethel College Classes in the Sanctuary
2—3 pm Bethel College Class in the Sanctuary
Sunday, November 21
9:30 am Worship Service in the Sanctuary
10:30 am Faith Formation
Pastor’s Renee and Nathan will be attending their last Transition into Leadership (a 2 year program through AMBS) weekend November 12-14.
BCMC COMMUNITY NEWS
Helen Bargen’s 90th birthday is on November 26! Her family invites you to participate in a card shower to help her celebrate. You can send cards to:
Helen Bargen
3054 Ivy Ct. Rm 32-S
North Newton, KS 67117
Norma Johnson’s brother, Tim Johnson of Denver, Colorado passed away on Wednesday, November 10 at age 63 from early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Please keep Tim’s spouse, Stacie McMullen, and all of the Johnson family in your prayers as they mourn his death and celebrate his life.
On Sunday, November 21st at 10:45am the congregation will hold a special hybrid congregational meeting to vote on the proposed Abuse Prevention and Response policy. This meeting’s sole purpose is to vote on the proposed policy, there will not be a time of discussion during this meeting. If you do have questions regarding this new proposed policy or want to better understand the rationale of how we used your feedback, please send your questions to office@bethelcollegemennonitechurch.org by November 18th. An APRC member will do their best to answer any questions directly before the November 21st meeting. Paper ballots will be available for in-person attenders and zoom attenders will be able to vote via the zoom poll option. Please let Monica, in the church office, know if you would like a paper ballot to mail in prior to the meeting. The mail in ballots will need to be returned to the church office by November 18th in order to be included in the vote count.
Pastor Renee is collecting empty shoe boxes (or similar size boxes) for a church Advent project. If you have any you’d be willing to donate, please leave them on the back pew of the sanctuary (by the nursery).
“Thinking of You”
The Deacons Commission is working on a “Thinking of You” campaign for people who are isolated due to COVID and other health concerns. For the next few Sundays, we will have a table at the back of the sanctuary with pages for your comments to members of our church whom we haven’t been able to see for a while. Please stop by and write a short greeting or sign your name to let them know we are thinking about them. For those of you who are unable to attend worship but can stop by the church during the week, these letters will be in the library during the week for anyone to write a note before we send them out. Thank you! -–Deacon Commission
Our speaker for Peace Sunday was Mel Lehman, who works with Common Humanity. He talked about the Middle East and peace efforts there. One of the things he mentioned was exchanging Christmas cards. We have that opportunity.
We will be sending cards to Bethlehem Bible College in Bethlehem, Israel. Small or medium sized cards are recommended. Sign and then print you name. First name only or first and last initial are also fine. You may print a short message if you wish. There will be cards on a table in the gathering place for you to sign, if you wish. Address the card to “A friend in Bethlehem”.
All cards must be back in the church office by Sunday, November 14. Cards for us should be returned by Christmas.
Thank you. Witness Commission
LOCAL SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES and NEWS
Meat Canning Days Are Coming
Mennonite Central Committee works to meet hunger, sanitation and education needs around the world. One of the ways local people can help is at our yearly meat canning event. This year it will be November 16 and 17 for Newton area churches at the MCC mid states building in North Newton. Please use the attached link to sign up to help. Financial donations are also needed. If you have questions, talk to your church’s MCC contact person (Lowell Stucky) or call the MCC office ((316) 283-2720). Thanks.
https://tinyurl.com/MeatCanning2021
BETHEL COLLEGE NEWS
All bakers and craft makers are invited to make items for 5 Places of Christmas on Saturday, December 4, at Goerz House on Bethel College campus.
Bethel College Women’s Association will again be selling baked goods , craft items, and poinsettias. Christmas candy, zwieback, peppernuts, poppyseed rolls and cinnamon rolls are always great sellers.
Please bring your items to Goerz House on Friday, December 3, from 1:30-4:30pm or Saturday, December 4 from 7:00-9:00am.
Thank you for your support of Bethel College!
Life Enrichment at Bethel College has been canceled for spring 2022, due to ongoing health and safety concerns. Organizers hope to resume Life Enrichment in fall 2022.
TODAY (Sun., Nov. 14) – KIPCOR Film Series: A Home Called Nebraska, 2 p.m., Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center at Bethel College. Emily Haverkamp, an immigration and asylum lawyer from Wichita, will lead the discussion following the screening. Bethel’s current COVID-19 protocols require physical distancing and mask-wearing indoors with groups of 10 or more.
Last week to view “Voices Together,” a display of the original artwork featured in the new Voices Together hymnal, through Fri., Nov. 19,in the Regier Art Gallery in Luyken Fine Arts Center at Bethel College. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.
Mon., Nov. 22 – Bethel College Wind Ensemble Winter Concert, 7 p.m., Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center. Bethel’s current COVID-19 protocols require physical distancing and mask-wearing indoors with groups of 10 or more.
Kauffman Museum at Bethel College seeks a visitor services coordinator: an organized, detail-oriented, social media-savvy, curious, friendly individual to work 75-100% FTE with visitors, school groups, volunteers and student staffers, and to do scheduling and internal office management. The VSC will be a part of a multitasking team of five. For the job description and to apply, visit http://www.kauffmanmuseum.org/vsc. For more information, contact Andi Andres at asa@bethelks.edu or 316-283-1612.
Western District Conference invites you to visit our website to read the latest news, stories and announcements and share them with your congregation!
Conference Minister Heidi Regier Kreider plans to be out of the office November 15 – December 31, 2021, for a sabbatical leave approved by the WDC Executive Board. In Heidi’s absence, ministry responsibilities will be covered by other WDC staff and board, commission or committee leaders. Further details will be communicated directly to pastors, congregations and leadership groups. For more information, contact WDC at wdc@mennowdc.org or 316-283-6300.
Shalom Mennonite Church (800 East 1st Street, Newton Kansas), will host a presentation and discussion with Leonard & Antoinette Kiswangi from the Congo DRC along with Charles Buller of AIMM on Friday, November 19th at 7:00 pm. Fresh from their recent retreat with the Africa Leadership Coaching Network along the banks of the Kwilu River, they seek to re-imagine leadership among Anabaptist communities in Africa. Also planning to join us by zoom will be Bruce Yoder, Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission’s new co-director who will share an update on AIMM’s recent gathering of its international partners in Kikwit, Congo. Questions about this event can be directed to Charles Buller at 574.238.9659 or Shalom Mennonite Church at 316.283.7395
For Mennonite Mission Network News and Beyond press here
Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp Announcements
The Rocky Mountain November newsletter is here! Have a look at the latest/greatest happenings here at RMMC. For this and previous newsletters, please visit the camp website and click on the “News” tab under “About Us”.
Jr. High (Jan. 21-23) & Sr. High (Feb. 18-20) Snow Camps are back for 2022! – The time has come to enjoy the beauty and chill and of RMMC in the winter once again. Come play in the snow and on the ice and then be ready to come inside for good food, fellowship and worship together. For Jr. High, Sarah Neher will be sharing on the theme “Filling Your Toolbox” of spiritual practices. Guidelines similar to the summer camping programs (i.e. upload negative COVID test within 3 days and vaccination card if had, along with inside mask wearing and optional outside mask wearing) will be in place for safety in gathering together. Visit the camp web page (www.rmmc.org) for additional details and to sign-up that you’re headed to the Colorado Rockies to start the new year!
Hesston College AnnouncementsHesston College Masterworks: Bach, Brixi, Mozart and Handel – Nov. 13,
7 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite ChurchJoin us for an evening featuring Baroque and Classical masterpieces! Bach’s cantata “Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seine,” BWV 148; Brixi’s “Organ Concerto in F,” featuring Kenneth Rodgers, organ; Mozart’s “Exsultate, Jubilate,” K165 featuring Dr. Holly Swartzendruber, soprano; and Handel’s “Hallelujah, Amen” from “Judas Maccabaeus.” Musicians include Bel Canto Singers, area artists, and professional orchestra. Program and livestream at www.hesston.edu/music
Hesston College Keyboard Festival – Nov. 20;
Finals recital at 3 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite ChurchArea piano and organ students are invited for a day filled with competition rounds and workshops. Categories open for Elementary, Junior, and Senior divisions. Schedule and registration information at www.hesston.edu/keyboardfest The finals recital is open to the public in person or at www.hesston.edu/livestream
Mennonite Church USA Announcements
Open enrollment for The Corinthian Plan continues through Dec. 31. All Mennonite Church USA-affiliated congregations can enroll their eligible staff for coverage. For more information, please visit mennoniteusa.org
Three pastors from across the denomination share their experiences with intergenerational worship in this recent Mennonite Church USA Faith Formation roundtable discussion. Watch the recorded webinar here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/ff-intergenerational
As part of the Mennonite Church USA and MennoMedia’s Common Read initiative, Sara Wenger-Shenk discussed her book “Tongue-Tied,” in which she investigates the reasons why people who claim the name of Christ are so reluctant to talk about him. Watch and share the webinar recording here: mennoniteusa.org/commonread-webinar
Learn, Pray, Join: Cost of Poverty
Lane Miller laments the systems that benefit some and leave others in poverty in his prayer, “The cost of poverty,” which is part of Mennonite Church USA’s “Learn, Pray, Join” initiative. Join him in praying that we can achieve a different way of seeing and being, so that poverty can be vanquished. www.mennoniteusa.org/menno-snapshots/the-cost-of-poverty/
Learn, Pray, Join: Cost of Poverty
Poverty is present in our communities, even when it’s hidden. In their blog, “Poverty in Harvey County, Kansas,” Hesston College’s Del and Michele Hershberger share how under-employment, natural disasters and depopulation have caused people in their community to struggle silently with poverty, often leaving those around them oblivious to their financial difficulties. Read more here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/poverty-harvey-county.
Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request: Severe funding cuts are hampering the functions of Kalonda Bible Institute, where many Mennonite church leaders are trained in Congo. Mennonite Mission Network requests prayer for the professors and their families, who have lost their incomes, and for Bercy Mundedi, the director, who has an ardent desire to see the next generation of church leaders prepared for God’s work.
Western District Conference Prayer Request: Give thanks for WDC’s online book discussion this Thursday, focusing on The Land is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery, and pray for wisdom as we reckon with the legacy that continues to have devastating effects on Indigenous Peoples around the globe.