Weather Watch for this Sunday – January 5
We in the church office, and our Church Board Moderator/Chair, Brad Kohlman, are watching the weather reports for this coming Sunday. Be sure to check your email Saturday afternoon to see if there are any decisions regarding the Sunday morning service and the Sunday afternoon service of remembrance.
BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
WORSHIP SERVICE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
JANUARY 5, 2025
Our faith in a God of love leads us, by the power of the Spirit,
to follow Jesus in doing justice, loving mercy,
and walking humbly with God.
To livestream the worship service:
On Sunday morning, around 9:20 a.m. 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 below 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: https://youtube.com/live/zJfCtRmpoOI?feature=share
BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
January 5, 2025
Epiphany
Land Acknowledgement—John Waltner
Centering Music—We Three Kings (arr. Diane Bish)—Will Wiebe-Friesen
Christ Candle Lighting
Welcome & Prayer—John Waltner
*Hymn—Arise Your Light Is Come! —VT 273
Children’s Conversation—Kathy Stucky
*Hymn—The First Noel, the Angel Did Say—VT 250
Scripture Reading—Matthew 2:1-15—Ron Sawatsky
Sermon—Small Steps—Nathan Koontz
*Hymn—Hark! the Herald Angels Sing—VT 247
Prayers of God’s People
*Hymn—Joy to the World—VT 240
*Benediction
Postlude— Nun ist sie erschienen (arr. Steve Vincent)—Will Wiebe-Friesen
* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Audio visual—Ben Lichti
Land Acknowledgement compiled from words by Mark Charles and VT #878
As we do on the first Sunday of each month,
we acknowledge that we worship
on the land of the Kanza, Osage, and Wichita.
We thank them for their care and respect for this land
and acknowledge the injustice of their forced removal.
We ask the Spirit to heal our histories
and find new paths of right relationships with them
and all of creation.
GOING BEYOND LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Last month the Repair Coalition launched their Rematriation project: the Landback Fund. You can watch the recording of the introductory webinar on YouTube Channel here. During the webinar Coalition leaders told the story of how this fund came to be, how you can participate, and invited audience questions.
| If you have specific questions about the fund, what to contribute, or about rematriation in your context, we invite you to attend a Landback Coffee Hour!Join us by Zoom on the first Monday of each month at 4pm PT / 7pm ET.Register for Landback Coffee Hour |
| |
The Week at BCMC: January 5—12, 2025
Sunday, January 5, 2025—Epiphany
9:30 a.m. Worship — 10:30 a.m. Faith Formation
YouTube Link for the worship service this Sunday:
https://youtube.com/live/zJfCtRmpoOI?feature=share
4 p.m. Service of Remembrance in the Sanctuary
YouTube Link for Service of Remembrance:
https://youtube.com/live/5-CgsEfm7BY?feature=share
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
6:30 p.m. Gifts Discernment Committee meeting in Room 14
7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir rehearsal in the sanctuary
Thursday, January 9, 2025
6:30 p.m. Chancel Bell rehearsal in Room B7
7 p.m. Church Board meeting in Room 14
Sunday, January 12, 2025
9:30 a.m. Worship with sermon by Nathan Koontz; 10:30 a.m. Faith Formation
The congregation is invited to enjoy a piece of cake in the Gathering Space
during fellowship time next Sunday, January 12, to help Glen and Karen Ediger celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, which was December 28th.
BCMC Offering for Dec. 29: Gen. Fund $10,567.74; Plant Fund $50; Gen Fund 2025 $2000; Flower Fund $20; Kitchen Fund $14.01; Solar Fund $2,000; Dotty Janzen Mem. $103; Women’s Fellowship $581.
We offer sympathy to Nathan Kaufman and family on the death of Nathan’s wife, Jill Kaufman. Jill died Dec. 27 at Kidron Bethel Village. The memorial service was held on January 2 at Kidron Hall, Kidron Bethel Village, and may be viewed at this link: https://www.youtube.com/@KidronBethelVillage/streams
Upcoming Memorial Services:
· January 13, 10:30 a.m.: Leona Kaufman’s memorial service at Eden
Mennonite Church, 401 18th Ave., Moundridge
· January 20, 11 a.m.: Dorothea (Dotty) Janzen’s memorial service at BCMC
· Helen Paul’s memorial service is pending (Helen died Dec. 25, 2024)
Greetings!
I am looking for volunteers who would be willing to provide a morning snack for our youth on Sunday mornings. Items could be, but not limited to, cinnamon rolls, fruit, cookies, etc. We generally have 4-7 young persons participate in Sunday School and would be gracious for yummy treats before their lessons starts. If you are able to volunteer, please email me at jill@bethelcollegemennonitechurch.org.
There will be a congregational meeting on Sun., Jan. 26, during the Sunday School hour in the sanctuary. The meeting will be available through streaming options. An agenda will be available in the near future. The following items will be included on the agenda: The Church Board recommends the approval of Melanie Mueller to the Witness Commission and approval of the 2025 BCMC Budget.
Changes for your BCMC Directory
· Al and Sue Penner no longer have a land-line. Add Sue’s cell phone: 620-727-0941
· Omar Voran’s new address in Wichita: Cedarhurst Senior Living, 11820 W. 29th Street N, #14, Wichita, KS 67205
If you are interested in becoming a member, or transferring membership, or learning more about membership at BCMC, please contact Elizabeth Schmidt, Pastor for Congregational Care. She will be happy to visit with you!
Bethel College Announcements
· Sun., Jan. 12: Sunday-Afternoon-at-the-Museum program, “A Mennonite Sojourn in Central Asia, 1880-1935,” with historian John Sharp, 3 p.m., Kauffman Museum auditorium.
· Mon., Jan. 20: Bethel College’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, 7 p.m., Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center, with local pastor (retired) and community leader Larry Lee.
· Sat., Jan. 25: Kauffman Museum annual Kansas Day event, “At Home on the Range,” noon-4 p.m., museum parking lot and grounds. Featuring food trucks, exhibits and activities indoors and out, and much more. For more information, see the Kauffman Museum Facebook page or kauffmanmuseum.org
New Bluestem U lifelong learning courses for winter and spring 2025 are now open for registration. Courses are available for individuals age 55 and better. This semester’s offerings include STEAM, theatre, astronomy, bird watching and a free author’s series. See more information and registration at bluestemu.org. Bluestem U is a lifelong learning program of Bluestem Communities in partnership with Bethel College and Hesston College.
Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) is hosting a 75th Anniversary Annual Celebration in Wichita this February 14-15. As part of the celebration, MDS will be hosting a volleyball tournament and cornhole tournament! The tournaments will be held Sat., Feb. 15 at Ridgepoint Church in Wichita. The cornhole tournament is at 1 p.m. and the volleyball tournament is from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. They are looking for local teams or individuals to join the fun! Everyone is invited! If you are interested in registering a team or as an individual, please let Kaelan Swartley at kswartley@mds.org know by January 27. If you are looking to form or join a team with others from Western District Conference, contact the WDC office at wdc@mennowdc.org and we can connect you with others who may be interested.
Save the Date! The 2025 WDC Annual Assembly will be Aug 8-9, 2025 at Hesston Mennonite Church, Hesston, KS. This means the Assembly Resolutions due date is April 10, 2025. Along with others around the globe, next year at Assembly we plan to celebrate 500 years of Anabaptism. Please add this to your calendar and plan to join us!
Volunteers needed at Rocky Mountain! Camp needs your help to assist with Foodservice/Housekeeping for our upcoming Jr and Sr High Snow Camps, January 24-26 and February 14-16. Please visit the camp website at rmmc.org and follow the link to the volunteer information and sign up to join us.
Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp is host to Colorado Roots Music Camp I (June 1-7, 2025) and Camp II (August 10-16, 2025). We are happy to announce the instructors and classes for the 2025 camps have been selected and are listed on the website. Our instructors are some of the top players in the nation, but they were chosen because they’re known by peers and students as great instructors for all levels. For more information and registration, visit the camp website at rmmc.org.
Mennonite Mission Network invites you to join a Just Peace Pilgrimage this spring. Embark on one of these life-changing learning experiences:
· United States Civil Rights Pilgrimage — Explore the history, significance, and ongoing implications of the civil rights movement in the United States. Young adults are invited to join Glen Guyton, MC USA executive director, for an enlightening journey. To foster dialog and understanding you are invited to join this pilgrimage with a partner of a different race.
· Christ at the Borders (Calais, France) — Thousands of people migrate to Calais in hopes of crossing the English Channel and entering the United Kingdom to find a better life. Meet those walking alongside the vulnerable who search for a peaceful home and the travelers themselves.
· Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples (Yakima, Washington) — Led by Sarah Augustine. Become better acquainted with Indigenous Peoples, their connection to the land upon which we live, and the consequences of settler colonial history.
· For more information and to sign up, visit MennoniteMission.net/JustPeace or contact Stephanie Weaver: stephaniew@mennonitemission.net
Newton Community for Racial Justice will hold its annual anti-racism training Feb. 13-15, 2025. This is a date change from previous years. Training will be held at the Newton Recreation Center from Thurs. evening, Feb. 13 through Sat. afternoon, Feb. 15. Early Bird registration (until Jan. 3): $300 per participant.
Regular registration (after Jan. 3): $350 per participant. Some scholarships are available.
REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/pXViB4fzH8y3u7WM7
Payment can be made online: https://www.convergepay.com/hosted-payments?ssl_txn_auth_token=%2Bd%2Fr1xrRRCaZybUyv2z%2FeAAAAZON0fyjV
Hesston College Music Department will host a program called Anabaptism at Five Hundred: Hymn Festival Sun., Jan. 19, 2025, 3 p.m., at Hesston Mennonite Church. The Hymn Festival coincides with the 500th anniversary of the first Anabaptist adult baptisms in Zurich, Switzerland in 1525. This event will also celebrate the release of the Anabaptist Community Bible. The public is invited to this community wide celebration that involves singers from surrounding churches, as well as audience participation in the singing of hymns, led by Russell Adrian and Karen Unruh. The core of the program will be historical narrative by Ken Rodgers tracing important hymns and texts throughout the past five centuries.
Western District Conference invites you to visit our website to read the latest news, stories and announcements.
For Mennonite World Conference “Courier” press here
For Mennonite Men “Engage” press here
Mennonite Church USA Announcements
Registration for Mennonite Church USA’s Follow Jesus ’25 convention will open Jan. 6, 2025, for early-bird pricing. The denomination’s biennial faith formation gathering will take place at Koury Convention Center, in Greensboro, North Carolina, July 8-12, 2025. Learn more here: mennoniteusa.org/news/registration-jan6 Register here: convention.mennoniteusa.org/ View the PDF here: mennoniteusa.org/follow-jesus-early-bird-pdf View the PowerPoint slide here: mennoniteusa.org/follow-jesus-early-bird-slide
Join MC USA’s Climate Justice Coordinator Karla Stoltzfus Detweiler in imagining a sustainable future for ourselves, our children, and our planet by participating in an online book study of the compelling and timely book, “So We and Our Children May Live” by Sarah Augustine and Sheri Hostetler. Drawing from Scripture, science, Indigenous wisdom, and personal stories, the authors invite us to open our hearts and our culture to deep, Spirit-led transformation. Register here: mennoniteusa.org/climate-justice-book-study
Menno Snapshots
In the wake of the 2024 presidential election, Michael Danner considers what it means to live and interact with the government as Anabaptist followers of Jesus. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/every-4-years
Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request: Mennonite Mission Network requests prayer for the Nigeria Mennonite Church and the Nigeria Anabaptist Peace Center, as they work for peaceful communities in their multi-cultural context, where Muslim-Christian relations are often challenging.
Western District Conference Prayer Request: Give thanks for the faithful prayers, financial gifts and participation of WDC members in supporting conference and congregational ministries this past year, and pray for generous contributions to WDC as the conference completes its fiscal year in January.
Bethel College Mennonite Church is an open and affirming congregation
centered in the life and teachings of Jesus. Embracing the divine within each person, we warmly welcome any and all into fellowship without regard to race, ethnic background, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability,
economic status, marital status, or age.