June 21-23:  Candidating weekend for Nathan Koontz, Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care

More details to come

What do smelly camels, a big fish, and detectives have in common?! They’re all part of this year’s Vacation Bible School,  May 28-31 from 8:45-11:45 am at BCMC! We will be “Detectives of Divinity,” looking for God in the world as we read Bible stories of God’s work!  There is still time to register!   See Mary Hodge or Megan Kohlman with any questions!

Sunday, April 14, our congregation overwhelmingly affirmed Renee Reimer for the position of Associate Pastor for Faith Formation.  Renee has accepted the invitation and will begin her ministry with us on Aug 5, 2019.  We are grateful that Susan Jantzen will continue as Bridge Pastor for Faith Formation until July 31.

Below is a guide for the congregation detailing the schedule for the visit of our candidate for Associate Pastor of Faith Formation, Renee Epp Reimer.
This is an opportunity to meet, renew acquaintance, and visit with her.
(Wearing our name tags might be a nice gesture!)

All are encouraged to attend at the time and place scheduled for your group or groups, but if that is not workable, please feel free to join another group in the Gathering Place.

Friday, 5 April 

• 11:30 am: Lunch with Search Committee
• 2:00 – 4:00 pm: Meet Adult Sunday School classes, BCMC Gathering Place
  • 2:00 – 3:00: Sojourners and Catacombs classes
  • 3:00 – 4:00: Fine Arts and Bible Study classes
• 4:00 pm: Meet with Dawn Yoder Harms
• 6:00 pm: Meal with Church Board 

Saturday, 6 April 

• 9:00 am: Meet with Senior High Youth sponsors and Dawn Yoder Harms
• 10:30 – 11:30 am: SS Class meetings, Gathering Place
  • Issues & Christianity and Open Circle classes
• Noon – 2:00 pm: Lunch with Faith Formation Commission
• 3:00 – 5:00 pm: SS Class meetings, Gathering Place
  • 3:00 – 4:00: Fellowship and Mosaic classes
  • 4:00 – 5:00: Seekers and anyone not affiliated with another group
• 6:00 pm: Meal with Agape class 

Sunday, 7 April 

• 9:30 am: Sunday worship service, Renee will preach.
• 10:45 am: Elective Sunday School class in Sanctuary.  Renee will articulate her faith journey and respond to questions.
• Noon: Lunch with Sr. High Youth and sponsors, Fellowship Hall
• Open time
• 4:00 pm: Meet with Peter Goerzen (BC Campus Pastor) and students, Agape House
• 6:00 pm: Meal with Search Committee

Join with others from the BCMC church community for food, fellowship and conversation.  Invite a new friend and meet long-time friends for the meal together in Fellowship Hall.

Wednesday Night Schedule in Fellowship Hall
From 6 pm to 7:30 pm
 

From 6 pm to 6:15 pm:   The meal serving line will be open to get food, be seated, and begin eating. There will be one basket at the food line to receive donations for supper. Suggested donation is $5 per person or $15 per family. (Proceeds above food expenses go to the Kitchen Fund for supplies and future improvements).  Please bring your own table service.

At 6:20 pm:  A welcome, announcements and a meal blessing.

6:30 – 7:30 pm—Continuing the Conversation…Following Wednesday evening suppers this spring there will be opportunity to continue the conversation related to congregational process and response to sexual boundary violations among us.  Topics will include: sexual trauma and its impact on victims, guidance from the wider church, and the role of restorative justice.  More specific information regarding the sessions will follow in coming weeks.

Choirs and Children’s and Youth Clubs

From 6:30 to 9:30 pm

6:30—7:15      Cherub Choir (grades K-4)          Room 24

Junior Choir (grades 5-8)            Room 28

7:00—8:00      Senior High Youth Group            Room 22  (grades 9-12)

7:15—8:00      Junior High Club (grades 5-8)     Room 26  For 5^th through 8^th graders.  Join us for discussions, games, speakers, and field trips.   Matt and Jenni Koontz, Heather and Jon Zerger, leaders

7:15—8:00      Journey Club (grades K-4)           Room B8
This active club is for Kindergarten to 4^th graders to explore our world and church community through games, guests, field trips and other hands-on activities.  Come join the fun!  Matt Schloneger, leader

7:30—8:30      Chancel Choir (adults)                  Sanctuary Chancel

8:30—9:30      Chancel Bells                                Room B7

This annual event hosted by the Hospitality Commission, will be Feb. 24.  The Host will provide the main dish, the beverage and maybe the bread. The guest will provide either a vegetable, salad, dessert, and maybe the bread.  As guests, you will find out Feb. 17, what dish you will provide and as a  host, you will find out the number of guests you will have.  The morning of Feb. 24, the guests are given their destination. At noon, the hosts find out who their guests are. It’s a fun event that encourages time to get to know others in a relaxed setting and an added bonus of helping chase away the winter blues! 

After the worship service on Sunday, Feb. 3, the members of the Jr. High Club will be selling an assortment of Super Bowl snacks to satisfy your sweet and savory cravings during the game. Snacks will be sold by donation. Donations will go toward the Junior High Fund, which is used to support activities like Snow Camp and Know Jesus.  The goal for this fundraiser is $1500.  (IRS allows charitable deductions for the amount of the contribution in excess of the value of the item received.  To receive a record of your charitable donation, please make a check payable to BCMC and enter Junior High Fund in the memo along with the amount that is a a charitable contribution).  We appreciate your support of our Jr. High Club members.

Mark your calendars for a congregation meeting January 27, 2019, 1 pm. 

Senior High Youth group members will be serving a Soup and Dessert lunch Sun., Jan 27 in the Fellowship Hall to raise funds for their trip to MennoCon19 (convention) in Kansas City this summer.  Their target goal for this meal is $4,000.  If you are interested in donating bread for this event, please be in touch with Ben Lichti (benlichti@gmail.com).

Paths of Steadfast Love and Faithfulness
Advent 2018 – Epiphany 2019
Bethel College Mennonite Church

Advent is a time for us to remember that in response to the pain of this world, God comes to us in Jesus, God’s path of steadfast love and faithfulness  (Psalm 25:10).  We are invited to wait and watch and wonder:  what does this path look like? Where do we see bits of it breaking into our world,here and now?  How might we be invited to walk alongside Jesus on it?

As we enter into this season of waiting and longing, consider joining the psalmist in this prayer from Psalm 25:4-5:  Make us to know your ways, O LORD; teach us your paths.  Lead us in your truth and teach us, for you are the God of our salvation; for you we wait all day long. 

January 6, 2019—Epiphany Sunday
Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12
9:30 am   Worship with sermon by Dawn Yoder Harms; music by
Andrew Thiesen, trombone
4 pm  Candle-lighting in memory of BCMC members and friends who died in 2018 — BCMC Sanctuary 

Advent giving project:  The BCMC Witness Commission invites you to participate in this year’s project benefiting New Hope Shelter.

With God’s guidance, our church is seeking an Associate Pastor for Faith Formation. As in the past, they will oversee ministries for youth and young adults, plus programs of Christian education and nurture at BCMC. Members of the Search Committee are Suzy Burch, Marlene Ewert, Carol Flickinger, Dale Schrag, Dave Linscheid (chair) and pastor Dawn Yoder Harms (ex officio). The group will work closely with Western District Conference regional pastor Kathy Neufeld Dunn. They welcome your prayers as the search process gets under way.