Announcements for October 3-10, 2021

October 3 is Bethel College Fall Fest Sunday.  This year there will be no worship service on October 3 at BCMC.  There will be a worship service at the Bethel College Memorial Hall at 10 a.m.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  The service will also be live-streamed.
Here is the link for Fall Fest Worship:  https://youtu.be/CNRbAKxtx44.
 It will be set to go live on Sunday, October 3 at 10am.

The next week at BCMC Monday, October 4
8 am to 10 am  Bethel College Classes in the Sanctuary
2 pm to 3 pm    Bethel College Class in the Sanctuary
Tuesday, October 5
9 to 11 am  Community Playschool in church basement
Wednesday, October 6
8 am to 10 am  Bethel College Classes in the Sanctuary
2 pm to 3 pm    Bethel College Class in the Sanctuary
7 pm   Wednesday Night Club
7 pm   Youth Group in Room 24
Thursday, October 7
9-11 am  Community Playschool
7 pm  Church Board Meeting by Zoom
Friday, October 8
8 am to 10 am  Bethel College Classes in the Sanctuary
2 pm to 3 pm    Bethel College Class in the Sanctuary
Saturday, October 9–No events in church
Sunday, October 10
9:30 am  Worship Service
10:30 am  Faith Formation

Staff Absence:  Monica Lichti will be on vacation from October 4-15.  During this time the office will be closed on Mondays and open mornings only Tuesday through Friday.  

As Anabaptists, we believe the church is a “priesthood of all believers.” Exercise your “priestly” function by expressing your appreciation and gratitude to all who are involved in our congregation for what they do. During this time of health and safety protocols, national tensions, and difficult issues in the church, everyone is under more stress. This is especially true for our pastors, employees, those in leadership, and others.  Expressions of care and appreciation for each other can strengthen our bond and give each of us strength to reach out to others. Pray for each other. Names of those in leadership positions are listed in the BCMC Directory. 
– Deacons Commission

2021 BCMC Directory
The 2021 BCMC Directory is in your mailboxes here at the church.  
Add to it this new phone number for Arlo Kasper.  620-951-1800

Exploring the Parables…is our worship focus through Nov 14.   If you’d like to read ahead in preparation for worship, here’s where we are headed:

  • Oct 10 (World Communion):  Matthew 22:1-14 – The wedding banquet
  • Oct 17:  Luke 10:25-37 – The Good Samaritan
  • Oct 24:  Luke 15:11-32 – The Prodigal Son
  • Oct 31:  Luke 16:19-31 – The rich man and Lazarus
  • Nov 7:  Matt. 13:44-46 – Treasure hidden in a field; The pearl of great price
  • Nov 14:  Matthew 13:33 – The Leaven 

The Staff Congregation Relations Committee extends a heartfelt THANK YOU to Barbara Thiesen in recognition of her years of service to the congregation in her role as Music Coordinator. Barbara has decided to step down from this role effective October 31, 2021. Her work in this role will be greatly missed.

If you or someone you know might be interested in filling the role of Music Coordinator for the congregation, please reach out to Heather Zerger (SCRC Chair) or Dawn Yoder Harms. Generally, duties include scheduling pianists and organists for Sunday worship, coordinating (but not directing) youth and adult bell and vocal choirs, caring for the church’s musical instruments, scheduling special musicians as needed, and other responsibilities. A copy of the current job description is available from the Church Office or from Dawn or Heather. A small monthly stipend is included in the annual budget for this position. 

Jazz and Charcuterie on the Lawn
The Sr High Youth Group will be hosting an evening of Jazz and Charcuterie on the Lawn on October 10th to raise funds for their 2022 Summer Trip. We invite you to enjoy an hour of Jazz music by Icy Tea Jazz (a jazz trio) from 5:30-6:30pm (bring your own chairs or blankets to sit on) while enjoying desserts and flavored lemonade. The October 10th event will be outside on the lawn of the Bethel College Goerz House (2512 College Ave). Feel free to invite friends, family, college host students, or others to this event!
If you cannot stay for the jazz music but ordered a charcuterie box, you may pick it up on October 10th between 5-7 pm.

It’s time to start thinking about pumpkins and bonfires!  Faith Formation Commission would like to invite families and mentor/mentee pairs to spend some time at P&M Pumpkin Patch on October 17.  We have the Cedar campfire site reserved from 4:00-7:00 pm.  Hot dogs and smore’s will be provided.  Please email Mary Ellen Hodge at hodge_mar@yahoo.com and give her the contact person’s name and the number of people in your party by October 10.  You will be asked to give your name at the admissions window when you arrive.

Budget update
As of the end of August 2021, expenses exceed contributions by $28,500.69.  Contributions received stand at 57% of the amount expected for the year, and expenses are at 63% of the budget.  Please keep this information in mind as we begin the final third of the year.

Everence to host informative webinars in October
Beginning Tuesday, Oct. 5, Everence Financial® will host three informative webinars. Topics include Making Medicare an easy step, Maximizing your year-end giving and Estate planning basics. The online events are free. To register, or for more information, visit www.everence.com/kansas or contact the Everence office at 316-283-3800, 877-467-7294, or central.kansas@everence.com. 
Advisory services offered through Concourse Financial Group Advisors, a division of Concourse Financial Group Securities, a Registered Investment Advisor. Securities offered through Concourse Financial Group Securities, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Investments and other products are not NCUA or otherwise federally insured, may involve loss of principal and have no credit union guarantee. 
Products and services offered through Everence Trust Company and other Everence entities are independent of and are not guaranteed or endorsed by Concourse Financial Group Securities,
or its affiliates.

Bethel College Announcements
The 2021 Worship and the Arts Symposium at Bethel College, “Joining Voices Together,” originally scheduled for Nov. 5-8, has been postponed due to COVID precautions. The symposium will be rescheduled for fall 2022, with a new date to be announced soon. The “Voices Together” art exhibition will still take place as planned, with original artwork from the Voices Together hymnal on display Oct. 29-Nov. 19 in the Regier Art Gallery in Luyken Fine Arts Center on campus.

Weds., Oct. 6 – Bethel College Wind Ensemble concert, 7 p.m., Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center. Bethel’s current COVID-19 protocols require physical distancing and mask-wearing indoors regardless of vaccination status.

In the Regier Gallery in Luyken Fine Arts Center at Bethel College: “Roots and Wings: Our Gift from Mother Nature,” a group exhibition by the Springdale Art & Nature Center of Halstead, featuring sculpture by Beth Vannatta, through Oct. 22. Gallery hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri., Sun, 2-4 p.m. Bethel’s current COVID-19 protocols require physical distancing and mask-wearing indoors regardless of vaccination status.

Kidron Bethel Village in North Newton and Friends of Kidron will host its annual Country Breakfast on Saturday, October 2, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. This year’s event will be a drive-thru with to-go pick up for the menu of breakfast burritos and fruit. Pull up to the front door at 3001 Ivy Drive and breakfast will be delivered to your vehicle! Free will donations will support Friends of Kidron and the Health Care Benevolent Fund.

Kauffman Museum Living Endowment Dinner
Please SAVE the DATE  for the KAUFFMAN MUSEUM annual LIVING ENDOWMENT DINNER
on SATURDAY, OCT. 23.
• Due to continued health concerns associated with the Delta variant we will host a pick-up/drive-by/delivered fall fundraising meal. 
• The museum will again collaborate with Elderslie Farm of Kechi to bring you a locally sourced meal.
• In anticipation of the spring museum exhibit celebrating 125 years of a museum on the Bethel College campus (now Kauffman Museum!), the dinner will reflect menus of 1896 when the museum first opened. 
• Reservations = $125 per person. (Get it?)
• Watch for an invitation in the United States mail and instructions for online reservations later in September. 
MARK YOUR CALENDARS, TELL YOUR FRIENDS, AND PLAN TO MAKE RESERVATIONS!

Mennonite Central Committee in North Newton currently has over 800 sets of comforter tops and backs that need to be tied, as well as kits of fabric that can be sewn into more tops. MCC’s partners all around the world value these handmade comforters as useful, beautiful and tangible expressions of love. If you or your sewing group would be interested in tying or sewing for MCC, or if you have questions and are curious about how to make a comforter, please contact Kate Mast at the MCC Material Resources Center at katemast@mcc.org, or 316-283-2720.

Western District Conference invites you to visit our website at https://mennowdc.org/ to read the latest news, stories and announcements and share them with your congregation! See especially:

Announcements:
–2021 Bethel College Worship and Arts Symposium Postponed
–Resourcing Event for WDC Ministers -Nov 13
–WDC Final Thursday Book Discussion -Oct 28
–Annual IBA Benefit Burrito Sale Details
–WDC Prayer Requests for October 2021
–WDC Hope Fund
–Mennonite Church USA Announcements
–Mennonite Education Agency October Prayer Requests

Stories:
–What does it mean to be a Conference? by Heidi Regier Kreider

Come hear the Paradizo Choir of Amani Community Church, Wichita, at Hesston Mennonite Church on Sunday, October 10, 4 pm.  The choir is sharing the Benefit Concert for the Amani Building Fund toward an initial goal of raising $50,000.  Translation of Swahili-language songs will be projected in English.  YouTube videos of the Choir may be found under Amani Community Church. See the poster on the church bulletin board.

Fall 2021 issue of Intersections: MCC Theory and Practice Quarterly is available now on-line here and here. The issue’s theme is “MCC and National Socialism.” Typical issues of Intersections examine MCC’s current work. In contrast, this fall 2021 issue of Intersections has an historical focus, with twelve historians from Canada, the U.S., Germany, France, and the Netherlands examining different aspects of how MCC’s humanitarian efforts before, during, and after the Second World War were entangled with National Socialism and its legacy. As the articles in this issue reflect, this history was complicated, ambiguous, and difficult.
The downloadable pdf of this issue can be found here.
As always, we welcome any feedback you have about this or other issues of Intersections! We have a new email address where your thoughts, affirmations, critiques, and counsel can be sent: intersections@mcc.org. Thanks for being a loyal reader of Intersections!
Warm regards,   Alain Epp Weaver

Camp Mennoscah Announcements
Summer is practically tomorrow (plus 8 months)!  Camp Mennoscah will be recruiting for 2022 summer staff on Nov. 8 at Hesston, Nov. 9 at Tabor, and November 10 at Bethel College with other Mennonite Camping Association camps.  Tables are usually outside or near the cafeteria.  We’ll be there from mid-morning through lunch.

Other events and happenings: 

  • Fall Fun Volunteer Day!  Saturday, October 9, is a Work & Play Day for all ages. Come with your friends, your kids or grandkids and even your own work group! Let us know you’re coming by Oct. 6 so we have the best projects for your skills at 620-297-3290 or olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org. Please bring your water bottle and a sack lunch. Mask and distance at your own comfort level. Meet at the maintenance shed by the red apartment at 8:30am. Stick around afterwards for one last kayak or canoe ride or a hike around camp!
     
  • The dam at Camp Mennoscah will be removed on October 17! The fun will begin at approximately 2pm. All are welcome to help with removing and cleaning the boards or simply to watch. The dam will be removed whatever the weather, unless deemed dangerous. Contact Camp Mennoscah if you have questions.
     
  • Fall Scrapbook and Crafts Retreat, November 5-7, at Camp Mennoscah! Register at www.campmennoscah.org! There is only one Fall Scrapbook and Crafts Retreat. Lodging will be in the Retreat Center and cropping/crafting will be in the Main Camp dining hall. Space heaters will be available for both areas since the repairs for the furnaces will not be complete by the beginning of November. Fees for the Scrapbook and Crafts Retreat have increased to $150 to meet higher costs and the use of multiple facilities. There is an option to receive up to $25 in scholarship funds per person as part of the registration process.
     
  • Thank you for granting wishes!  We are grateful for the recent donations of items off the Wish List.  Thank you!  The list has more wishes and there are more projects to do.  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.  See the Wish List for other ways to support Camp Mennoscah!
     
  • We need help mowing and burning brush piles!  The grass that is usually cut short is doing its best to compete with the tallgrass prairie in height.  Volunteer to mow (with a riding lawn mower) for whatever length of time you can offer or grab a string trimmer to chase back those wily weeds.  Or get a group together and schedule a day to burn (wind speed permitting) –we’ll keep trying until a day works!  Contact Camp Mennoscah at office@campmennoscah.org or 620-297-3290.
     
  • Camp Mennoscah has openings for a part-time custodial/housekeeping position (10 hours) and a part-time office/administrative position (30 hours with benefits).  Some of the office/administrative tasks can be done from home.  Contact Olivia at olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org for more information.
     
  • 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. 
     

For Mennonite Mission Network Service Adventure press here

For Mennonite Creation Care Network Newsletter press here

For Mennonite Mission Network News and Beyond press here
 

Hesston College Events

     Fall Cultures Fair – October 4, 6:00 p.m.
           Hesston Mennonite Church Community Center
           The campus boasts students from 25 countries and the United States – many of               whom will be sharing their hearts through food, games, dance, vocal and
           instrumental music. This is a family friendly event and open to the public.DyckArboretum 40th Anniversary Celebration Picnic  – October 10, 4:00 p.m .
          177 W. Hickory St., Hesston
          Come celebrate 40 years of the Dyck Arboretum!  BBQ-style meal provided,
          including the Dyck Family Birthday Banana Cake with Ice Cream, music by The
          Flannelbacks, family portraits available and one free tree per household.

          Herm and Vince Tour Concert – October 16, 6:00 p.m.
          Dyck Arboretum of the Plains
          Sponsored by Hesston College.  Free outdoor concert (donations welcomed).                  Bring a lawn chair.

          Bel Canto Singers Fall Concert – October 24, 2:00 p.m.
          Hesston Mennonite Church

          Music Department Recital – October 28, 4:00 p.m.
          Hesston Mennonite Church
 
          Sunflower Performing Arts: Sunflower Soiree – October 31, 3:00 p.m.
          Hesston Mennonite Church
 

Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request:  Alisha, Josh and Asher (5) Garber of Mennonite Mission Network have moved into the newly renovated Barcelona Anabaptist Center, which now houses 16 residents. Pray that the center will encourage solidarity in their neighborhood and that the Garbers will model servant leadership in Catalonia (a region where allegiance to Spain vies with voices calling for independence).

Mennonite Church USA
Let your voice be heard by taking part in our denomination-wide survey. Your responses will help Mennonite Church USA better serve the needs of its members. Take the survey here. MennoniteUSA.org/member-survey   En español: MennoniteUSA.org/member-survey-espanol [Download slide here]

Learn, Pray, Join: Cost of Poverty
Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) invites you to engage in its “Learn, Pray, Join: Cost of Poverty” initiative. Throughout September and October, MC USA is offering stories, blogs, prayers and resources to encourage you to learn about the impact of poverty, to pray for economic justice and to join in mutual aid and advocacy work. Read more here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/news/lpj-poverty

Learn, Pray, Join: Cost of Poverty
To kick off Mennonite Church USA’s “Learn, Pray, Join: Cost of Poverty” initiative, Bert Newton asks, “Who owns the land?” From a theological perspective, Newton dives into God’s ownership of the land and what that should mean for housing equality. Read his blog here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/owns-land

Menno Snapshots
In the wake of the tragic earthquake that hit Haiti and the traumatic civil and political distress in Afghanistan, you are invited to join Mennonite Church USA  in prayer for all people who call these countries home. Read the prayer for Haiti and Afghanistan here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/prayer-haiti-afghanistan