BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
WORSHIP SERVICE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR SUNDAY,
SEPTEMBER 29, 2024–WORLD COMMUNION CELEBRATION
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/ZvrdQltlXyo?feature=share
BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
September 29, 2024
World Communion Celebration
Christ Candle Lighting
Centering Music—Morning Song of Praise (Hakes)—Chancel Bells, Verlene Garber, director
Welcome & Prayer—Dale Horst
*Hymn—From North and South, from East and West—VT 460
Children’s Conversation & Birthday Blessing—Jim Robb
Worship Music— Abide with me (Moklebust)—Chancel Bells; Lucy Burch on flute
Scripture Reading—Psalm 19:7-14; Mark 9:38-50—Pam Epp
Sermon—Gatekeepers of God?—Nathan Koontz
*Hymn—I Come with Joy—VT 478
Communion—Joanna Harader, Elizabeth Schmidt
Prayers of God’s People
*Hymn—Put Peace into Each Other’s Hands—VT 485
*Benediction
Postlude—Karen Unruh
* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Keyboard- Karen Unruh
Audio visual—Francis Toews
The Week at BCMC: September 29-October 6, 2024
Sunday, September 29, 2024—World Communion Celebration
9:30 a.m. Worship
10:30 a.m. Faith Formation for Junior and Youth
10:45 a.m. Congregational Meeting in the Sanctuary
12 noon Senior High Youth Group Fundraiser Lunch in Fellowship Hall
All are invited!
Volunteer attendants in the Nursery today: Kathy Stucky and Margaret Toews
YouTube Link for the worship service this Sunday:
https://youtube.com/live/ZvrdQltlXyo?feature=share
Monday, September 30, 2024
10 a.m. Library Committee meeting in Room 14
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
9 a.m. Women’s Fellowship Executive Board meeting in Room 14
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir rehearsal in the Sanctuary
Thursday, October 3, 2024
4 p.m. Staff Congregation Relations Committee meeting in Room 14
6:30 p.m. Chancel Bell rehearsal in Room B7
Sunday, October 6, 2024—Fall Fest Sunday—No Sunday School
10 a.m. Worship with sermon by Sarah Augustine
Congregational Meeting Sunday, September 29
The congregational meeting will be at 10:45 a.m. during the Sunday School hour on Sunday, September 29. The meeting will be held in the sanctuary and made available live on YouTube only while the meeting is in progress; it will not be recorded. Remote viewers can text their votes to a number announced at the beginning of the meeting. Agenda items will include a vote for a change of Membership Guidelines and an update from pastors and moderators. The youth will host a fundraising luncheon following the meeting. All are invited!
YouTube Link for the congregational meeting is:
https://youtube.com/live/mCK4NWF0UyM?feature=share
Proposal for Action at the BCMC Congregational Meeting Sept. 29, 2024
The Church Board and Deacons recommend removing the “Welcoming Statement” (approved January 28, 2024) from Article IV: Membership. Both the Deacons and the Inclusive Task Group desire that the Welcoming Statement be separate from the membership guidelines. The current Welcoming Statement will continue to be used in BCMC publications but can be changed and updated under the leadership of the Inclusive Task Group. The revised membership guidelines for the congregational vote on September 29 read as follows:
Article IV: Membership (Revised)
Membership in the Bethel College Mennonite Church is open to all who affirm their faith in God, who seek to center their lives in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who are open to the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and who have received baptism as the symbol of their commitment and covenant.
Bethel College Mennonite Church welcomes into fellowship and membership all persons who commit to Jesus Christ, without regard to their race, ethnic background, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, economic status, marital state, age, or other factors which can lead to discrimination and marginalization.
Members offer themselves to support Mennonite principles and to share in the life and work of this congregation.
For the Congregational Meeting Agenda click here
For the Congregational Minutes from May 19, 2024 press here
Notes for your calendars
- The family of Paul Harms invites you to a 90th Birthday Celebration for Paul October 6 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the BCMC Fellowship Hall.
- The worship service on Fall Fest Sunday, October 6, will begin at 10 a.m. in the BCMC sanctuary.
- Wednesday night suppers will begin on Oct. 16 and run through Nov. 20.
- Faith Formation Commission is sponsoring a visit to the P&M Pumpkin Patch, Sat., Oct. 26, 3-7 p.m. All are invited!
- Future congregational meetings will be held at 10:45 a.m. on January 26 and May 4, 2025.
Especially note in these announcements that the worship service on Fall Fest Sunday, October 6, will begin at 10 a.m. NOT 9:30 a.m. There will be no Sunday school on that Sunday.
Jill Robb and Megan Kohlman will be leading a book study of the book Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn’t Have to Heal From by Meredith Miller. Don’t have kids? Your kids are grown up? Come anyway! We will be discussing this book from the perspective of parents, a faith community that supports parents, and individuals who grew up in a faith community (maybe even one you had to heal from). We plan to begin the book study Oct. 13 and discuss chapters 1, 2, and 3. Please meet us up in the blue Sunday School room on the 2nd floor. You can purchase Woven from Faith and Life bookstore, Amazon, or your favorite independent bookstore. We look forward to the conversation!
Grief Support Group
A six-week grief support group will be offered through Bethel College Mennonite Church for interested individuals. To indicate interest, or to learn more, please contact Elizabeth Schmidt, Pastor for Congregational Care.
Interested in becoming a member of Bethel College Mennonite Church?
If you are interested in becoming a member, or transferring membership, or learning more about membership at BCMC, please contact Elizabeth Schmidt, Pastor of Congregational Care. She will be happy to visit with you!
BCMC Offering for Sept. 22: Gen. Fund $13,369.50; Columbarium Fund $2,000; Kitchen Fund $27; Women’s Fellowship $410; Solar Fund $1,000; Marilyn Stucky Memorial $50.
From the Finance Committee on behalf of the Church Board:
As the third quarter of our church year ends, we reflect on the many things for which we are grateful. We give thanks for the gifts that have been given this year by those volunteering time to the church or our benevolences; caring for family, neighbors and friends; raising prayers on behalf of those who are hurting, grieving or fighting injustice; and donating monetary offerings toward our annual budget. Each of these gifts strengthens our community as we work together to be the church right where we are. A financial update will be shared at today’s congregational meeting and in the
weekly email in early October.
Mark your calendars for the annual Swiss Mennonite Cultural and Historical Assoc. (SMCHA) Banquet at Faith Mennonite Church, Newton, Oct. 10, 6 p.m. with an ethnic German buffet style meal catered by the Breadbasket and ‘bohne beroggi’ made by Schweitzer cooks. We’ll focus on thanking those who coordinated the 150th anniversary of Schweitzers coming to the United States.
Dale Schrag will be our speaker for the evening discussing the future. The cost of the banquet is $25 to be paid at the door. RSVP to Nancy Stucky by October 7 with a text or phone call to 620-532-5693. After contacting Nancy, you are welcome to pay online on www.swissmennonite.org We invite you to come and enjoy good food, learn who we are and were, learn what SMCHA is doing and planning, have a great time fellowshipping with friends old and new, and continue our celebratory mood from the 150th.
October Webinar from EVERENCE® Finances and You! This is a free webinar where Everence® can help you make important financial decisions that reflect your faith values. The webinar will be presented by Everence professionals and there will be time for your questions. Webinar held on Wednesday at 2 and 8 p.m. (Eastern Time) For more information, visit everence.com/national. Or Email: national@everence.com with any questions.
· Oct. 2 Seminar: Investing 202. Mutual funds, pensions, stocks, bonds, IRA’s, Roth IRA’s, 401k’s, Real estate. The list seems to go on and on for investment options. This presentation will help you sort through your investment options and other considerations as you explore what investments make sense for you. Presented by: Michael Burton, CFP®, CEPA®, Financial Consultant
Bethel College Women’s Association needs your donations of baked goods and craft items! Home-made pies, poppyseed rolls, zwieback, cinnamon rolls, other baked goods and treats for Market-in-the-Round at Fall Festival are welcome. In addition, home-made jams/jellies and craft items are needed. All of these items can be delivered to the Music Library in Luyken Fine Arts Center from 1 – 5 p.m., Fri., Oct. 4. All proceeds will benefit Bethel College. If questions email:
bcwa@belthelks.edu Volunteers are needed as well to staff the booths. To sign up, use this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0E4CA8A72FA3F58-50920044-fall/102465998#/
Bethel College Announcements:
· Sun., Sept. 29: Mark Jantzen, Bethel College professor of history, speaks on “Brief Imperial Russian Sojourn: Lasting Mennonite Memories,” following a brief annual meeting at 3 p.m., Kauffman Museum. This coincides with the opening of the new special exhibit “Unlocking the Past: Immigrant Artifacts & the Stories They Tell,” sparked by the 150th anniversary of the migration of Mennonites from Russia and Prussia to the Central Plains of North America and by the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism in 2025.
· Mon., Sept. 30: “SMOL,” art by Audra Miller, opens in the Regier Gallery, Fine Arts Center. Exhibit reception is Fri., Oct. 4, 6-8 p.m., in the gallery as part of Fall Fest. The exhibit is open through Oct. 25. Regular hours are Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 2-4 p.m. (extended hours: Sat., Oct. 5, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.).
· Bethel College’s Fall Festival is Oct. 3-6, with most activities taking place Sat., Oct. 5, on campus. Features include music, food, class reunions, football, the musical “9 to 5”, and the 50th-anniversary celebration for the social work program. See https://www.bethelks.edu/fallfest/ for the complete schedule.
· Thurs., Oct. 3: Bethel College Jazz, 6 p.m. on the Main & Broadway stage at Taste of Newton, downtown Newton.
· Fri., Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m., Sat., Oct. 5, 3:30 p.m., Sun., Oct. 6, 2 p.m.: Bethel College music and theater departments present 9 to 5 during Fall Festival, Krehbiel Auditorium. Ticket purchase required, in Thresher Shop in Schultz Student Center weekdays 8 a.m.-5 p.m., online https://bethelks.hometownticketing.com/embed/all?depts=3) or at the door. Contains adult content and may not be suitable for young children.
· Sat., Oct. 5: Kauffman Museum bird walk, 8 a.m. start time in the museum parking lot at the corner of Main and 27th streets. Experienced birders lead a walk of 1-1.5 hours in Chisholm Park and on Sand Creek Trail.
· Sat., Oct. 5: Sarah Augustine will give a keynote address for the 50th anniversary of Bethel College social work, 2 p.m., Kidron Hall at Kidron Bethel Village. She will also speak Sun., Oct. 6, 10 a.m., at Bethel College Mennonite Church, and Mon., Oct. 7, for convocation in Krehbiel Auditorium. The public is invited to any and all events. Augustine is the founder and co-chair of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, author of The Land is Not Empty (2021) and co-author of So We and Our Children May Live (2023).
· Sat., Oct. 5: Fall Fest programs at Kauffman Museum in the museum auditorium: 10 a.m., Rosi Penner Kaufman will play the historic Teschemacher cabinet organ and present “Organ Music at Home, Wherever that May Be”; 1 p.m., Steve Friesen, author and historian, “Galloping Gourmet: The Buffalo Bill Nobody Knows”; 3 p.m., Steve Friesen, “Alps on the Plains: The Life and Work of Emil Kym.” The museum will also have special kids’ activities throughout the day.
· There will be no Life Enrichment program at Bethel College for Wednesday, October 2, due to Fall Fest.\
Kidron Bethel Village will host its annual Country Breakfast on Sat., Oct. 5, from 7 to 10 a.m., in Kidron Hall, 3001 Ivy Dr . Enjoy pancakes, sausage and eggs by donation. Proceeds benefit the Kidron Bethel Village Health Care Benevolent Fund, assisting residents who are unable to cover the full cost of their care.
Western District Conference (WDC) invites you to subscribe to their weekly Tuesday announcement email “WDC News & Updates” to receive announcements from WDC, WDC Congregations, and their institutional partners as well as weekly articles from WDC staff, credential updates, and upcoming events. This is a great way to stay connected and informed about what is happening in and around WDC. To subscribe, visit the following link: http://eepurl.com/hKcbDX or contact the WDC Office at wdc@mennowdc.org or 316-283-6300. Thanks for your support of Western District Conference!
Camp Mennoscah Announcements
Registration for the Fall Scrapbook and Crafts Retreats is open! The dates are November 1-3 and November 15-17. Lodging and crafting will be held at Main Camp in the bunkhouses and dining hall. Register here. We’ll see you for another fun weekend!
Other events and happenings:
- Volunteers needed–come enjoy the cooler weather! Volunteers for the HVAC work at the Retreat Center are welcome Monday – Friday. A lack of construction skills should not keep you from helping out with this project. Willing hands are what is needed! Let us know when you are available, so we can prepare for you. For anyone interested in working on a weekend, two weeks notice is needed. Contact Isaac at 316-217-5626 to sign up.
- Camp Mennoscah will have a booth at Bethel College’s Fall Fest on October 5th!Tee shirts will be for sale and staff & board will be available to chat. Stop by and say hi!
- Tasks to keep Camp Mennoscah running smoothly continue into the fall and winter seasons. Volunteers are needed for grounds and deep cleaning, plus a variety of other things. Contact us at 620-297-3290, 316-293-7313 (text) or olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org.
Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp Announcements
MDS FIRE, HAZARD & DISASTER MITIGATION – On October 8-12, 2024, Mennonite Disaster Service and Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp need your help in the critical partnership for removing hazard trees and forest fuels as the first line of defense for protecting people and facilities. Ten or more volunteers are needed each day to accomplish the tasks at hand including volunteers for foodservice to support the efforts. Go to www.rmmc.org and select “MDS FIRE MITIGATION & TREE THINNING & LIMBING” under the Volunteer link to sign-up and see who else is coming. Contact Paul Unruh (phunruh@gmail.com, 316-772-6308) or Marc Yoder (marcyoder1@gmail.com, 719-942-3276) for additional info.
QUILTOBER AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN – There are four quilt retreats to choose from including: UFO I, October 6-9, UFO II, October 9-13 and UFO III, October 22-27 and last but not least, Fall Mennonite Quilters Retreat, October 31-Nov. 3rd. Come enjoy good food, accommodations and fellowship as part of working on a variety of projects. Sharing projects, ideas, tips, techniques, walks and snacks are all part of the time shared together. To register, please visit the camp website at www.rmmc.org.
Schweitzers and Friends Announcement
The Schweitzers and Friends 150th Anniversary Celebration is history now. But all parts of the event were recorded and now on swissmennonite.org for you to enjoy. We were pleased that nearly 500 people participated in the 100 degree heat of Kansas summer days. But a good spirit of family and friends was prevalent so wish you could have been there too.
Schweitzer Salt newsletter is still sent out email about three times a year to many so you can get on that request list at kathypreheim@gmail.com and keep up with Swiss Mennonite Cultural and Historical Association (SMCHA) activities.
Don’t forget to watch all the activities of the 150th celebration that you may have missed that weekend. Videos are on swissmennonite.org of everything, thanks to photojournalist Dan Kliewer. And lots of hurch history is there to explore.
Another addition to history articles, Brian Stucky’s marking of the location of the first Eden Church (west of Hopefield Church and Monument) is explained on swissmennonite.org too.
For Mennonite Mission Network “News and Beyond” press here
For Mennonite World Conference “Info” press here
Mennonite World Conference message press here
For Mennonite Mission Network “News from around the world” press here
Mennonite Church USA Announcements
The board of directors of Iglesia Menonita Hispana (IMH, translated Hispanic Mennonite Church), a constituency group of Mennonite Church USA, appointed Rev. Dr. Juan Montes as executive director during the IMH annual meeting, in Chicago, Illinois. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/juan-montes
Menno Snapshots
Russell De Young established the Pam De Young Net Zero Energy Fund in memory of his wife, to help Mennonite churches install solar panels and move toward net-zero fossil fuel usage. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/remembering-wife-net-zero-grants
Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request: Mennonite Mission Network requests prayer for Anicka Fast, as she fosters collaborations that cross academic disciplines and national boundaries, and as she teaches global church history and archiving skills throughout Africa. Pray for her as she edits a new Mennonite World Conference Global Anabaptist-Mennonite history series, in addition to teaching and traveling.
Western District Conference Prayer Request: Pray for the IBA Christian formation program at the new Arca de Salvacion Church in Uspantan, Guatemala. May God bless and guide the leaders and participants, and may this program strengthen the faith and commitment of the community in its walk with Christ. -WDC Church Planting Commission
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.