P & M Pumpkin Patch
Faith Formation Commission has purchased 50 tickets for families to visit the P & M Pumpkin Patch on October 18th. If you are interested in picking out a pumpkin, playing some outdoor games as a family, and possibly running into a few other BCMC folks, please contact Deb Georing at dgering@bethelks.edu for tickets.
Social Justice is Climate Justice
Social Justice is Climate Justice
The Witness Commission along with Christy Miller Hesed would like to continue to provide education and avenues for advocacy for social justice and climate justice. Please click the link below to learn more from topics and resources discussed on Peace Sunday.
IPL’s Faith Climate Justice Voter Campaign- https://www.faithclimatejusticevoter.org
The family of Frank Nachtigal wishes to thank the congregation for the many expressions of sympathy including cards, prayers, food, memorial donations, and other sincere condolences following his sudden death on August 17th. All were comforting during this sorrow in our family.
A Rembrance of Frank’s life will be held on the Bethel College campus at Memorial Hall on October 25, 2020 at 1:00 pm. Friends and family in attendance will be required to wear masks and socially distance before, during, and after the service. In addition because of Covid, no food will be served and no large group singing will take place. Weather permitting, any informal greeting of family and guests will take place outside on the plaza following the service. We look forward to your presence with us as we mourn our husband, father, brother, grandfather, and friend.
A message from Pete Janzen, Wichita about his mother Dotty’s birthday
On October 4, 2020 my mom, Dotty Janzen, will reach the age of 90. Kidron Bethel is still on 100% quarantine, so we had to cancel our proposed big bash in her honor. Some of mom’s friends are putting the word out to have a card shower for her. You are invited to participate. If you want to include a snapshot, that is also encouraged because Mom has an easier time remembering people when she has a picture for reference. Send cards to her at this address: Dotty Janzen, Kidron Bethel Health Care, Room 23, 3001 Ivy Drive, North Newton, Kansas 67117
Tues., Oct. 13 – The Bethel College Chamber Orchestra will present a short outdoor concert (weather permitting), 5 p.m., on the Green. Face coverings must be worn on the Bethel campus.
The Library Committee reminds you that our wonderful library is open whenever the church is. Please feel free to come and explore our collection-either at home through TinyCat or on the computer here at church. As an added incentive, we have begun choosing genres/themes that will change every other month or so. Currently, we have pulled the books that share the theme “Racial Justice”. This healthy collection is on the shelves in back of the library check out desk. Also, those of you that have had books checked out since February or before, please return them as soon as possible. If you still don’t feel comfortable bringing them back yourselves, one of us will be glad to pick it up. You can access the church library catalog by going to the BCMC website, click on Resources, then click on Library. Happy Reading! Kathryn Simmons, Margaret Goering, Rose Haury, Barb Koontz, Sondra Koontz, LaVonne Sawatsky
Bethel College Mennonite Church offering for the week of September 27-October 4, 2020: General Fund $4,612; Living Stones $110.
Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request: Jae Young Lee and Karen Spicher of Mennonite Mission Network completed their sabbatical leave in the United States last month. Pray for them as they pick up their ministries, many have been put on hold due to South Korea’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Western District Conference Prayer Request: Pray for WDC congregations as they continue to navigate difficult decisions and new patterns of church life during the pandemic.
Western District Conference Announcements:
· Racial Justice from Palestine to the US video is now posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDhQEV0VfGw&list=PL6aO7e884ZT6FJtR4ENGB8dtMFJgSorEJ&index=1&t=4s. If you missed this great dialogue hosted by the WDC Israel-Palestine Task Force and MennoPIN last Monday because of our technical difficulties, here’s your chance to listen to it. It was full of fascinating intersections of racial justice issues here and in Israel-Palestine.
· Include a gift to Western District Conference in your will or estate plan, as a great way to support WDC’s work of sustaining pastors, resourcing congregations and nurturing church planting into the future! To learn more about basic tools of creating an estate plan, see a recording of the recent Everence webinar What to do with your stuff: basic estate planning (https://www.everence.com/everence-articles/core-markets/national-advisors-and-representatives/webinars/20200129-ww-basic-estate-planning). This is part of an 11-week “Webinar Wednesday” series by Everence.
Mennonite Central Committee announcements:
· If you can tie a knot you can help MCC! There are lots of comforters at MCC in North Newton that need to be tied and we’re looking for volunteers! If you would be interested in borrowing a set of sticks/stands from the MCC Workroom to set up and tie comforters at home, please contact Kate Mast at (katemast@mcc.org, 316-804-8432).
· Mennonite Central Committee invites you join Celebration 2020: MCC at 100, a livestreamed event commemorating a century of MCC’s ministry on Saturday, Oct. 17, starting at 6:50 pm. (EDT). The event will feature photos, videos and storytelling that highlight MCC’s work over the years. Former MCC leader and pastor Leonard Dow of Philadelphia will inspire participants to walk boldly into the next century of MCC’s ministry while talented musicians will lead in prayer and thanksgiving. You can find more information about MCC’s centennial and log in for the livestreamed event at mcc.org/celebration-2020.
Camp Mennoscah announcements
· Camp Mennoscah’s Scrapbook and Crafts Retreat on October 30-Nov. 1 has spaces available. (Nov. 6-8 is waitlist only.) Participants will stay in the Retreat Center with their own bathroom and scrapbook/crafts tables will be set up in the dining hall to provide more space and better ventilation. Register at campmennoscah.org! Call 620-297-3290 for more information.
· Work and Play Day! Camp Mennoscah invites volunteers to sign up for a day of service and fun on October 10. The day begins at 8:30 am and ends approximately 2:30 pm. Contact staff at 620-297-3290 or office@campmennoscah.org for details. Please bring a mask!
Camp Mennoscah welcomes guests! Camping areas and cabins are open to guests/groups for overnight stays and day visits. Spend time in the river, have a campfire cookout, and enjoy the open spaces of the tallgrass prairie and the Ninnescah River! Contact Camp Mennoscah at 620-297-3290 to make a reservation and to inquire about use of additional facilities. We can’t wait to see you!
Bethel College Announcements:
· Kauffman Museum First-Saturday bird walk, Sat., Oct. 3 7:30 am, beginning in the museum parking lot, Main & 27th Streets in North Newton. Experienced birders will lead a walk of 1 to 1.5 miles (about an hour) in Chisholm Park and on Sand Creek Trail.
· Fall Festival at Bethel College is not canceled but will look different this year. While there won’t be a “Fall Festival fair” on campus Oct. 3, there will be a homecoming football game, an art exhibit by David Long, and a virtual play written by Karen Robu, among other events. See www.bethelks.edu/alumni/events/fall-festival for a detailed schedule.
· Bethel College Women’s Association has worked to raise money for Bethel for many years. This August we are opening our first online store, www.bcwamarketonline.com. We invite you to help us support Bethel by checking this online market for crafts, jewelry, Bethel-themed items and much more. Our inventory will change over time so please check in to find that special gift or item for your home.
· Now in the Regier Gallery in Luyken Fine Arts Center at Bethel College: “Forthcoming,” photography by David Long, through Oct. 30. Gallery hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri. Face coverings must be worn on the Bethel campus.
· Bethel College Theater presents No Cross, No Crown: Covid Edition, an original play by Karen Robu, adapted for an online format. This year’s Fall Festival play is based on the life of Antoinette Brown Blackwell, the first woman to be ordained in a mainline denomination in the United States, and an outspoken anti-slavery, temperance and women’s suffrage advocate. The play can be viewed on Bethel’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYk8Gp04MBoPIO2NUap95ug
KIPCOR’s 2020-2021 Peace Lecture Series. KIPCOR will be live-streaming “Bridging the Cultural Divide in Difficult Times.” with speaker Sarah Smarsh, Thursday, November 5, 7 pm. Sarah focuses on socioeconomic class and rural America. Her book Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, a New York Times bestseller and a finalist for the National Book Award, examines economic inequality through her upbringing among the working poor on a Kansas farm. Sarah has reported on socioeconomic class for The Guardian, the New York Times, The New Yorker, Harper’s, and other publications. Heartland was named a “best of 2018” by NPR, Fresh Air, the Boston Globe, Amazon, Buzzfeed, Barnes and Noble, and Publishers Weekly. In addition to being short-listed for the National Book Award, Heartland was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, the Lukas Prize, the Indie Choice Award, and an Audie Award for Smarsh’s reading of her audiobook. Actor-producer Sarah Jessica Parker selected the title for the American Library Association’s Book Club Central. Sarah is a regular political commentator in national media and has spoken internationally on poverty, rural issues, and cultural divides. She was recently a Fellow at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy. In 2019, Sarah released a podcast entitled The Homecomers, which focuses on how a national blind spot toward rural and working-class America is driving misleading headlines, broken politics, and dangerous fissures in our social fabric. The podcast showcases stories of people who, as residents or advocates, remain committed to their complex, embattled homes. This event is a fundraiser. Registration (to be included in the November 4 emailing of the Zoom link), and a donation button if you want to help offset the cost of the event, are available at the website, www.KIPCOR.org.
SAVE THE DATE—IBA BENEFIT DINNER: The annual Instituto Bíblico Anabautista (IBA) benefit fundraiser will beFri., Oct. 16 at First Mennonite Church in Newton. A burrito order to go will take place instead of the usual dinner. (You can order Pork, Chicken or Meatless burritos. Sold by ½ dozen-6 burrito and a dozen-12 burritos) Pick up between 4:30-6:30 pm, instructions will be sent later. Sale by donation. If you are not able to order you are invited to give a donation. Your generous gift will help ensure the future of this vital ministry. IBA is a program of Mennonite Education Agency’s Hispanic Ministries for Leadership Development and Pastoral Education. For any inquiries or to ORDER contact Violeta Ajquejay Suastegui at: VioletaA@MennoniteEducation.org or call 316-281-4342. DEADLINE to order: Thursday Oct. 9.
Mennonite Church USA Announcements:
· Mennonite Church USA staff invites you to join them in supporting the Mennonite World Conference Global Sharing Fund to provide COVID-19 relief to congregations with less access to aid and resources, especially in parts of Africa, Latin America and Asia. For more information: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/word-conference-relief-fund
· Mennonite Church USA is offering Justice Fund grants to congregations that are actively addressing racial justice, poverty, police brutality/reimagining policing and immigration or are seeking start-up money to engage in these areas. For more information on how to apply or donate: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/news/applications-for-justice-fund/
· Women in Leadership, a ministry of Mennonite Church USA, is presenting “What We Need Is Here,” a series of webinars engaging theological work born out of women’s experiences. The next two webinars will address intersectionality (Oct. 11 @ 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT/5 p.m. MT/4 p.m. PT) and navigating patriarchy (Oct. 22 @ 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT/5 p.m. MT/4 p.m. PT). Register by Oct. 8 here: https://forms.gle/kARRY9JLTcZv4duf9
· The Mennonite Church USA Executive Board recently met to report on its strategic plan, approve a budget and affirm a process for addressing polity concerns. Read about it here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/news/eb-meeting-sept-2020/. The Executive Board also responded to the report from the Membership Guidelines Advisory Group: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/news/processes-advisory-group-report/
· Join Mennonites across the church who are reading Stephanie Lobdell’s “Signs of Life: Resurrecting Hope Out of Ordinary Losses,” as part of a Common Read, a shared reading experience. Learn more here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/news/common-read/
How has 2020 strengthened, challenged or reshaped your Anabaptist faith and the way you live your life? Share your stories, photos, videos and artwork at Anabaptist History Today, a collaborative, online, Anabaptist storytelling platform. https://aht.libraryhost.com/s/archive/page/Welcome
MEDA Convention 2020: Towards an equal world Join MEDA for 2 days of inspiration, information and networking online November 6-7, 2020. MEDA Convention is an intersection of faith and business where you can explore what it means to be faithful in daily work and learn about MEDA’s business solutions to poverty. Go to www.medaconvention.org for more information.
Hoffnungsau Mennonite Church, 43 13th Ave, Inman, annual Mission Supper
There will not be a dine-in experience in the church basement, but they will offer a carry out meal featuring a traditional menu of homemade sausage, mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed peas, zwiebach, applesauce and pie on Sat. evening, Oct. 24. Orders will be accepted from October 4-October 18; call/text Barb Reeves (620-543-6863) or Teresa Schrag (620-242-2357) to let them know how many meals to have ready and prepared for you. Meal pick-up will be at the church from 5-6:30 pm, October 24. There will be a free-will offering benefit with all proceeds going to support the Buhler Omega Project, a Christian addiction recovery program. Checks can be made out to “Hoffnungsau Mennonite Church” and cash donations will also be accepted that evening.
The Tabor, 891 Chisholm Trail, Newton, Mennonite Men’s annual chicken BBQ will be Nov. 5. However, unlike the last 50 years there will be no in church dining. The meal will be a drive-by to-go meal. The menu will be the same, bbq chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, dinner roll and ice cream.
Camp Mennoscah’s Board of Directors and Staff invite you to the 2020 Annual Meeting on Sunday, September 27, at 7pm via Zoom!
We’ll hear about camp experiences, recognize and welcome staff & board members, and get an update from the treasurer. To join, click here on Sunday, September 27, at 7pm. This will take you to the Zoom meeting. Camp Mennoscah will be recording the meeting. You are welcome to leave your video & audio off and remove your name from the name tag at the bottom. Otherwise, please view the recorded version once made available, if you prefer not to be recorded.
Camp Mennoscah’s revenue has been significantly reduced this year. If you are in a position to make a financial gift to camp during this time, you have the opportunity either now or during the annual meeting to give through Tithe.ly. A gift to Camp Mennoscah will directly contribute to expenses associated with maintaining programming and camp operations so when groups are ready to be back at camp again, it will be ab to happen in a safe and responsible way.
Everence will have a Social Security and retirement income planning webinar, about Social Security strategies, risks that can impact retirement savings and strategies to help income last throughout retirement, Oct. 21, 2 pm and 8 pm EST. Visit www.everence.com/webinar-wednesdays to view more information or to register. Or contact Darlene Buller at the Everence office—316-283-3800 or 877-467-7294 or darlene.buller@everence.com.