September 18, 2022
Based on CDC Guidelines Harvey County is in green status indicating low risk for COVID. You are invited to choose whether you wear a mask or social distance. Both are optional.
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’s worship service:
https://youtu.be/2-V8QRFz5jo
BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
September 25, 2022
Prelude—Great Is Thy Faithfulness (arr. Moklebust)—Chancel Bells; Verlene Garber, director
Christ Candle Lighting
Welcome and Prayer—Bill Swartley
*Hymn— What Is This Place—VT 22
Children’s Conversation—Esther Koontz
Scripture Reading—Luke 16:19-31—Michael Claassen
Sermon—Moses and the Prophets—Nathan Koontz
*Hymn—Will You Let Me Be Your Servant—VT 778
Prayers of God’s People
*Hymn—Sing a New World into Being—VT 809
People with September birthdays come forward for a blessing, please bring a hymnal
*Birthday Blessing & Benediction—Nathan Koontz
Postlude—Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (arr. Wagner)—Chancel Bells
* You are invited to stand
VT = Voices Together
Keyboard—Verlene Garber
Audio visual—John Thiesen, Francis Toews
Pastors—Nathan Koontz, Todd Schlosser
Harvey County United Way Chili Cook-Off is this Saturday, Sept. 24 from 11 am-1:30 pm at 6th and Main. Tickets are $8 at the gate. Community Playschool will have a booth. Come taste our great chili and vote for best booth, chili, and feel free to make a donation at the Community Playschool booth. Proceeds of this event provides grants to non-profits in our community, including Community Playschool. Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you there.
Visit harveyunitedway.org/chili-cook-off for more information.
– Jeanette Leary and Kasey Newell, Community Playschool co-directors
And — more from the Community Playschool directors……
Community Playschool would like to say a huge “Thank You!” to the youth group and their sponsors for helping clean up the playground area before school started several weeks ago! George Leary worked on trimming dead branches from the trees and the BCMC youth group made quick work of getting them picked up and loaded onto a trailer to be hauled away. We appreciate the efforts they put forth for picking up even the smallest of sticks keeping them out of the hands of our students! What a great bunch of youth we have here at BCMC!
– Kasey Newell and Jeanette Leary co-directors
This Week at BCMC: September 25—October 2, 2022
Sunday, September 25
9:30 am Worship Service with sermon by Nathan Koontz
10:15 am Fellowship time with coffee and water in the Gathering Place
10:30 am Faith Formation—Children’s Sunday school classes meet in
Fellowship Hall
Adult Classes: Agape Class (Rm B8); Bible Study (Rm 14); Catacombs (Rm B5); Fellowship (B7); Fine Arts (Rm 22); Issues and Christianity (Rm 23);
Mosaic (Rm 20); Open Circle (Room 21); Seekers (Rm 28);
Sojourners (Chapel)
Monday, September 26
10 am Library Committee meeting in Room 14
12 to 1 pm Bethel College Concert Choir rehearsal in sanctuary
Tuesday, September 27
9 to 11 am Community Playschool
Wednesday, September 28
12 to 1 pm Bethel College Concert Choir rehearsal in sanctuary
6:30—7:30 pm Wednesday Night Club
7:00 pm Senior High Youth Group
7:30 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal in the Sanctuary Chancel area
Thursday, September 29
9 to 11 am Community Playschool
12 to 1 pm Bethel College Concert Choir rehearsal in sanctuary
6:30 pm Chancel Bells rehearsal in room B7
7 pm Deacon Commission meeting in Room 14
Friday, September 30
12 to 1 pm Bethel College Concert Choir rehearsal in sanctuary
Saturday, October 1—Leadership Retreat by Zoom—9:30 am to 11:30 am
Leadership Retreat is a special annual retreat for those involved with commissions, committees, or the Board. This year, we will hear the report from Credence and Company Consultants and have time to process its meaning for our work together.
Sunday, October 2—World Communion Sunday
9:30 am Worship Service with sermon by Todd Schlosser; music by Chancel Choir; communion will be served
Fall Fest Sunday is October 9 at BCMC. The worship service will begin at 10 am and is being planned by Bethel College and the Bethel College Campus Ministries. Everyone is invited!
You are welcome to participate in the Wichita Pride Parade on Sunday, September 25. We will have pizza at 11:30 and carpool to the event at noon, leaving from the south doors at BCMC. The parade begins at 1 from the Old County Courthouse in Wichita. Contact Pastor Nathan to let us know how much pizza to order and for carpooling.
You are invited to a fall church party hosted by Al and Nadine Peters and Nathan and Esther Koontz in the Koontz backyard (1 Jasper Court, North Newton) Sunday, October 2 at 5:30 pm. We will provide Nuway sandwiches and chips. If you’d like, you can bring a side dish or dessert to share. Please RSVP to Nadine or Al at 316-804-7141 or 38aldene39@gmail.com
Caring Fund Contribution Opportunity Sunday October 2. The Caring Fund is an above budget benevolent fund administered by the Deacon Commission for the purpose of assisting our congregation’s members and community persons in need. The fund is generated by above budget offerings made payable to Bethel College Mennonite Church and designated “caring fund.” Everence also provides some matching funds each year. Besides the financial help that can be provided to our own members, in the past year contributions from the Caring Fund have been made to our local Salvation Army, New Hope Shelter, Safe Hope, Harvest of Love, the Community Playschool, and several individuals to help with housing rent and utilities. Please consider making a donation to the Caring Fund Sunday morning October 2.
Wednesday night suppers are coming back to BCMC! Mark your calendars for the first Wednesday night supper on October 12. Serving line starts at 6-6:15 pm and a welcome and blessing will be at 6:20 pm. The suppers will be October 12 to November 16. Cost: $6 per person or $18 per family. Bring your own table service.
Closer to the start of the suppers you will be asked to RSVP to the church office so that we can get a count to know how much food to make. We hope to see you on October 12 at the first Wednesday night supper!
Faith Formation is hosting a community building event at P and M Pumpkin Ranch, October 19 from 5:30-7 pm. Come for a hot dog meal by at the Willow campfire site located at P and M. Food and drink will be provided! Please RSVP by October 18 to Jill Robb (jill@bethelcollegemennonitechurch.org)
Abuse Prevention and Response Committee (APRC) is looking for persons to volunteer as a Care Team member. If you would like more information or feel a call to serve in this roll, email Jill Robb at adamandjillrobb@gmail.com
Credence Consultation Process Update…The time of interviews and information gathering has largely come to an end for our consultants and it is time for us to see some of the results and provide some final feedback. Over these last many months, Credence has reviewed the congregational surveys we sent in, completed one-on-one interviews with 35 of our church members, spent time talking with staff and various external individuals, and examined pages and pages of congregational documents. The goal has been to gain a better understanding of who we are as BCMC, what we wish to work on together as a congregation, and the type of pastoral leadership model that fits us best. Credence has shared they have a “meaty” report awaiting us. This upcoming week the BCMC Reference Group, Church Board, and some of the leadership from various commissions and committees will hear an overview of what Credence has found. On October 16th Credence will share with the congregation and ask for our feedback. Following the October 16th time together, Credence will prepare a final report to be delivered to BCMC in November. Next Sunday (October 2nd), the Reference Group will offer a kin-dom report to give more specifics regarding what to look forward to on October 16th. We ask that you mark that special date on your calendar. We also ask you to keep BCMC in your prayers as we engage this period of time together and explore God’s direction and purpose for us as a congregation.
Bethel College Announcements
Tues., Sept. 27 – Bethel College Chamber Orchestra concert, directed by Kristopher Hilding, 7 p.m., Memorial Hall
Starting Fri., Sept. 30, “Environmental Exposure,” sculpture by Glen Ediger, is on display in the Regier Gallery in Luyken Fine Arts Center at Bethel College, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri., 2-4 p.m. Sunday.
Registration is now open for “Joining Voices Together,” Bethel College’s Worship and the Arts Symposium, Sat., Nov. 12, on campus, featuring resource people Bradley Kauffman, Rachel Epp Buller, Katie Graber, SaeJin Lee, Cynthia Neufeld Smith, Adam Tice and Isaac Villegas. Register at https://www.bethelks.edu/worship-arts-registration-2022; discount for 3 or more people from the same congregation. In addition, the public is invited to a Community Evensong service, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. in Memorial Hall, which will consist entirely of congregational singing from the Voices Together hymnal, arranged around the 12 artworks found in the hymnal.
Bethel College’s Fall Festival is Oct. 6-9, with most activities taking place Saturday, Oct. 8, on campus. Features include music, food, class reunions, football, Children’s Park, the play Quiet in the Land by Anne Chislett and the STEM Symposium honoring Professor Emeritus of Psychology Paul Lewis. See https://www.bethelks.edu/alumni/events/fall-festival for the complete schedule.
The Kauffman Museum October bird walk will be on the second Saturday to coincide with Fall Festival (Sat., Oct. 8, 8 a.m. start time).
Sat., Oct. 8 – As part of Fall Festival, Larry Dunn and Christine Crouse-Dick will present “Grieving, Celebrating and Loving Seth: Exploring Unexpected Paths and Connections on the Mysterious Journey of Remembering,” poetry reading and reflections, 10:30 a.m., on the lawn south of Luyken Fine Arts Center. Seth Dunn died in an accident in 2011 right before starting his senior year at Bethel College.
Voices of Conscience: Peace Witness in the Great War, a traveling exhibit developed and toured by Kauffman Museum at Bethel College, is on display at the McPherson Museum and Arts Foundation, 1111 E. Kansas Ave. in McPherson, through Nov. 19. This exhibit lifts up the prophetic insights and the personal courage of peace protesters during World War I and suggests parallels to the culture of war and violence in our world today. Museum hours are Mon.- Sat., 1-5 p.m., and admission is free. For more information, visit VoicesOfConscienceExhibit.org
Bethel College Women’s Association will appreciate donations of homemade baked goods for Market-in-the-Round and Pie-By-the-Slice at Fall Festival. Zwieback, cinnamon rolls, fruit pies and poppyseed rolls are especially needed. Please bring to Room 141 in Luyken Fine Arts Center 2-5 pm on Friday Oct 7, or 7-9 am on Saturday Oct 8. Pies may be delivered to Seminar A in Schultz Student Center. Email bcwa@bethelks.edu with questions.
Camp Mennoscah Announcements
Buy your Camp Mennoscah merch today! http://camp-mennoscah-store.square.site/ The Camp Mennoscah online store has been refreshed and is ready for you to fill your need for that newest Camp Mennoscah tee shirt or water bottle. We suggest wearing camp gear to every event and outing! Only water bottles and stickers will be at Bethel College’s Fall Fest.
Other events and happenings:
- Visit the Camp Mennoscah Fall Fest booth on October 8! Stop by, say hi, and enter a drawing for a tee shirt. We’re ready for some good visits and fun times!
- Let us know if your camper/you have not received the summer youth camp photos and address sheets for your camp week. The summer is a busy time and sometimes things are missed.
- There are a great many things for volunteers to do–come be one! Any of the following are great options for groups of one or more: cleaning after groups, weekend hosting, being a committee member, mowing or other maintenance/grounds tasks, making a meal for a volunteer group, or recruiting people to volunteer at camp. These are just some of the possibilities! Call us at 620-297-3290 for more information.
- Work and Play Day on October 15! Share a few hours of your time for the satisfaction of improving camp grounds and some free time wandering the trails, fishing, or whatever your favorite camp activity is. The day starts at 8:30am at the maintenance shed. If you are coming from a distance, ask about an overnight stay. Let us know you’re coming, so we can plan for you and your friends. Call 620-297-3290 or email olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org!
- We’re taking out the dam on October 16 at approx. 2:30pm! Everyone is welcome to join in or to watch. Gather at the shelter. (The actual removal of the boards is not for young ages.) The event will go forward, whatever the weather, unless deemed unsafe. Call Camp Mennoscah at 620-297-3290, if uncertain.
- Camp Mennoscah is considering moving camps to a Sunday to Friday schedule. We’d be interested in hearing your thoughts–parents, campers, weekend groups, everyone! Please reply to olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org or call 620-297-3290.
Western District Conference invites you to visit our website to read the latest news, stories and announcements!
SAVE THE DATE: On Nov. 4-5, Bethel College will host “Old Books Made New: The Surprising Wisdom of Erasmus for Today.” an intercollegiate symposium with a keynote address by Dr. Greta Kroeker, University of Waterloo, Ontario, on Nov. 4. This will also be accessible virtually. The WDC Historical Committee invites you to attend. More details coming soon.
“We Own This Now” is coming to Kansas for several showings! This Ted & Company play will be performed at several dates and locations. Created in partnership with the Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Coalition, “We Own This Now” is a benefit for the Kanza Heritage Society. This play looks at love of land and loss of land. What does it mean to “own” something? What is the relationship between “owning” and “taking” — and what is the relationship between “ownership” and (taking) responsibility? Click here for more information about the showings.
“Chief Lucy,” a one-woman show by Pauline Sharp about her grandmother, “Chief Lucy” Tayiah Eads, the first female Kaw tribal chief, is also being presented at 3pm on Sunday, Oct 2, at Unity of Lawrence, 900 Madeline Ln #2630, Lawrence, KS 66049. Freewill offering received for Kanza Heritage Society. Please note that the Oct 6 showing at Hope Mennonite Church in Wichita has been cancelled.
Among other congregations, several WDC churches are sponsoring these events, including Hope Mennonite Church, Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church, Mennonite Church of the Servant, and Peace Mennonite Church. The WDC Resource Commission also encourages you to attend and join the conversation about justice for our Native American kin.
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For Anabaptist Disabilities Network press here
For Mennonite Disaster Service On the Level press here
For Mennonite Mission Network News and Beyond press here
For Mennonite Mission Network November is Mission Month press here
For Mennonite Mission Network News From Around the World press here
For Mennonite World Conference press here
Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship (MHF) invites healthcare providers in all disciplines, including allied health, and all interested in the intersection of health and faith to our Annual Gathering at MCC’s Welcoming Place in Akron, PA, October 14th-16th, 2022. The theme is: Coming Together at the Well – Renewal Through Exploring the Five Life Standards. Participants will have the opportunity to explore and discuss the Five Life Standards from More-With-Less and how they apply to health and healing as well as hear from keynote speaker Malinda Elizabeth Berry, PhD, professor at AMBS. Commuter registration is available for local participants. Registration information at mennohealth.org/annual-gathering-2022/.
Greetings!
I’m writing with the news that the fall 2022 issue of Intersections: MCC Theory and Practice Quarterly is available now on-line here and here. Compiled by Paul Shetler Fast, the issue is centered on the theme of “Community-led maternal and child health care groups in Africa.” MCC staff and partner representatives write about their experiences with using the care groups model to improve maternal and child health outcomes, with articles examining projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Somaliland, Burundi, and Nigeria.
As always, we welcome any feedback you have about this or other issues of Intersections! Send any thoughts, affirmations, critiques, and counsel you might have to intersections@mcc.org. Thanks for being a loyal reader!
Warm regards, Alain Epp Weaver
Mennonite Central Committee Announcements
Nov 6-11: Puerto Rico Peace Camp: Young adults are invited to join MCC on November 6-11 on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico as we discover new ways to live and proclaim the gospel of peace. This week-long experience will be filled with practical learning about deconstructing oppressive systems, building community, participating in spaces of healing and commitment to hospitality. This experience will be facilitated in Spanish; a minimum of conversational Spanish is expected from all participants. Registration fee is $200; sign up now at mcc.org/campamento-de-paz. More information about peace camps: mcc.org/peace-camps. Our prayers are with the people of Puerto Rico after the devastation from Hurricane Fiona this past weekend. After speaking with peace camp organizers on the ground there, we are glad to know that they are managing okay, and that the peace camp location was not impacted. As of today, we expect the peace camp to take place as planned.
Jan 2-7, 2023: Peace for the Weary at Camp Deerpark: Calling young adults living in metropolitan areas to take a break from daily life and join MCC for a transformational week of connection and learning. During this experience, you will gain tools for understanding trauma and develop strategies for self-care and healing through the lens of restorative justice to bring back to your city. Registration fee is $200; sign up now at mcc.org/peace-for-the-weary. More information about peace camps: mcc.org/peace-camps.
Mennonite Church USA Announcements
The Mennonite Church USA Executive Board will be meeting Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in San Antonio, Texas. Pray for God’s guidance, wisdom and support in their discussions and decision making.
Menno Snapshots
Mental health issues affect a large portion of the population, and Christians are not exempt from this reality. Carlene Hill Byron, author of “Not Quite Fine: Mental Health, Faith, and Showing Up for Each Other,” explores how church goers can be more involved in supporting one another’s mental health in her blog, “Not quite fine.” Read it here: mennoniteusa.org/not-quite-fine
#MennoCon23
As we look ahead to MennoCon23 (Kansas City, July 3-8, 2023), please consider contributing to the Convention Scholarship fund. Scholarships to attend MennoCon are available for groups, individuals or families who are unable to raise enough funds to cover all convention expenses. Donate here: mennoniteusa.org/give/mennocon-scholarships
Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request: Praise God for the new partnership program created by Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), Meserete Kristos Seminary and Mennonite Mission Network, which offers a master’s level curriculum in theology to Ethiopian students. Pray for the students, as well as for Henok Mekonin and Joe Sawatzky, who are jointly supported by AMBS and Mission Network, as they provide leadership.
Western District Conference Prayer Request: Please pray for Summit Street Church, our church replant in Beatrice, NE, as we come up to our 1-year anniversary of replanting. May we continue to prayerfully re-imagine what it means for us to follow Jesus’ call to become something new. We are especially thankful for the 10 people who participated in our new members class this summer.
-Pastor Tim Amor