The memorial service for Alvin “Al” Penner is Saturday, March 7, 11 a.m. at BCMC.
Here is the Youtube link for that service:
https://youtube.com/live/nIUPuYt6fEs?feature=share
Spring forward on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Don’t forget to turn your clock forward 1 hour for
Daylight Saving Time starting on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
WORSHIP SERVICE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
March 8, 2026
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 for Sunday, March 8:
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/abmoaQxvaAw?feature=share
BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
March 8, 2026
3rd Sunday of Lent: Holy Confrontation
Christ Candle Lighting
Centering Music– Sweet Rivers of Redeeming Love (from Sacred Harp)
(arr. D. Hustad)
Welcome and Call to Worship— John Waltner
One: Come into God’s presence, you who imagine and you who seek, you who disrupt and you who repair.
All: By the Spirit, we gather in hope.
One: Come into God’s abundance, you of great faith, and you who grasp at crumbs; you who resist, and you who persist.
All: In Christ, we gather and are transformed.
One: Come into God’s presence, singing for joy and for justice; bringing prayer and worship, your most faithful acts of resistance.
All: To God be the glory! We gather to praise!
Opening Prayer—John Waltner
*Hymn—You Are Salt for the Earth—VT 297
Kindom Report—Puerto Rico Peace Camp—Ani Koontz and Grace Harader-Ellett
Children and Youth Conversation—Carol Flickinger
Worship Music—Chancel Choir; Joel Garber, director; Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist
Scripture Reading—Numbers 27:1-11— Marlene Faul
*Hymn—There Is a Line of Women—VT 546
Scripture Reading—Matthew 15:21-28—Marlene Faul
Sermon— The Perils of Pedestals—Joanna Harader
Breath Prayer— God, grant me courage / to speak out in faith.
*Hymn—Draw the Circle—VT 802—Lucy Burch, flute
Receiving the Offering and Prayers of God’s People
*Hymn—Sing a New World into Being— VT 809
*Charge and Benediction
Postlude– The Kingsfold Trumpet (VT 536), (arr. A. Fedak)
* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Keyboard–Will Weibe Friesen
Audio visual—Ken Lamp
The Week at BCMC: March 8-15, 2026
Sunday, March 8, 2026—3rd Sunday of Lent:
9:30 a.m. Worship 10:30 a.m. Coffee/water/tea in the Gathering Place
12 noon New member lunch—Fellowship Hall
YouTube Link for the worship service this Sunday:
https://youtube.com/live/abmoaQxvaAw?feature=share
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
5 p.m. Solar sub-committee meeting—Chapel
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
10:30 a.m Memorial service for Barbara Soth—Sanctuary
We offer sympathy to the family of Barbara Soth. Barbara died Feb. 26 in Wichita. Please remember her son Terry Soth and his family in your prayers.
Youtube link for Barbara Soth Memorial Service is:
https://youtube.com/live/-_wDp0oOJTg?feature=share
6 p.m. Wednesday supper in Fellowship Hall—Please bring your own tableware to facilitate the clean-up—Menu: Cheesy chicken and broccoli with rice, fruit cobbler/crisp
6:30 p.m. Open Table
7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal—Sanctuary Chancel
Thursday, March 12, 2026
6 p.m. Chancel Bells Rehearsal—Rm B7
Sunday, March 15, 2026—Fourth Sunday of Lent
9:30 a.m. Worship with sermon by Nathan Koontz; music by Chancel Bells
BCMC Offering for Mar. 1: General $24,487; Wed. Supper $195; Plant Fund $50; Kitchen Fund $20; Solar Fund $50; Larry Penner Mem. $100.
Pastor Joanna Harader will be on retreat and out of the office from March 9 through March 16. There will be no 1887 Café Hours March 12.
Women’s Fellowship General Meeting will be Tuesday, March 17, 7 p.m. at the MCC Center, 121 East 30th Street. This is a worknight so come and enjoy working with others on some of the MCC projects. Refreshments provided.
You are invited to an ecumenical Good Friday worship service on April 3, 7 p.m., at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church (2001 Windsor Drive, Newton). This service will be planned and led by Bethel College Mennonite, Shalom Mennonite,Faith Mennonite, Salem United Methodist, Trinity Heights United Methodist, and St. Matthew’s Episcopal. We are excited to connect with others in our community during this sacred season.
A handout with “Prayers & Practices for Peace in a Time of War” is available in the gathering place.
All children from 8th grade and younger are invited to be part of a singing group that will do worship music on Palm Sunday, March 29. We will meet for a 15 minute practice before Sunday School on March 15 and March 22 in the Fellowship H all. Contact Verlene Garber if you have any questions.
Rooting our Stories: Reveling in 50 years of Queer and Trans Anabaptist Resilience
Join the Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests (BMC) for a gathering rooted in sacred story and joyful revelry, as we mark our 50th Anniversary on May 29-31 in Minneapolis! This festive weekend will include storytelling, singing, ritual/worship, workshops, artmaking, games, shared meals, and honoring this incredible 50-year legacy of LGBTQIA+ Anabaptist resistance and resilience. Find event details, safety/accessibility info, and registration on our 50th webpage,
www.bmclgbt.org/50th
The Gifts Discernment Commission is at work to connect willing workers to the following open positions: moderator-elect, Church Board, Hospitality Commission, Faith Formation Commission, and Deacon Commission. If the Spirit moves you to a new experience, please contact a GDC member: Francis Toews, Jerry Buller, Dorothy Nickel Friesen, Barb Koontz, or Jeanette Stucky.
Margaret Toews and Barb Voran, along with Faith Formation, are looking for more volunteers for our BCMC nursery during worship on Sunday mornings. Fifteen people volunteered to spend time with our young ones this past year. We would like to have 18 people who are willing to spend one Sunday every other month in the nursery. This is a wonderful opportunity – never a dull moment! Let Margaret Toews, Barb Voran or Brad Kohlman know if interested.
“Mennonites in Poland” is currently being highlighted in the church library along with the Mennonite Polish Studies Association Newsletter. This newsletter summarizes the 2025 Poland trip led by Mark Jantzen and John Thiesen which many in the congregation have taken or will take this summer. We also have many new books that were donated and are now ready for checkout.
Please stop by and enjoy!
This Lent, we will explore The Work of Imagination, led by material from Illustrated Ministry.
“This is the work of imagination: to envision a world remade by mercy, to trust that healing is possible even in the shadow of empire, and to practice love that outlasts despair.”
Please plan to join us for Sunday morning worship, and consider participating in these special Lenten opportunities:
· Sundays, Mar. 8-Mar. 29 during Sunday School hour: elective Sunday school class using The Work of Imagination devotionals, in the Chapel
· Wednesdays, Mar. 11-Mar. 25 @ 6 p.m.: Church Community Suppers in Fellowship Hall
· Thurs., Apr. 2, 5:30 p.m.: All-Age Maundy Thursday Worship in the Chapel
· Thurs., Apr. 2, 7 p.m.: Maundy Thursday Worship with communion in the
Sanctuary
· Fri., Apr. 3, 7 p.m.: Ecumenical Good Friday worship service at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church (2001 Windsor Drive, Newton).
· Easter Sunday, Apr. 5: NO Sunday School
* Easter Sunrise Worship @ 7 a.m.
* Worship Service @ 10 a.m. to include welcoming new members!
Poems and Prayers Group for Lent
You are invited to poems and prayers in the BCMC chapel on Tuesdays at 11 during Lent, an informal time to bring a poem or prayer that speaks to you and share it with the group. Readings will be followed by silence and discussion. Your selection could be something that you have written, or something that someone else has written. You do not need to consider yourself a poet to attend. Simply bring an open heart and joy for the truth revealed when words and phrases rub in illumined ways.
The Swiss Mennonite Cultural and Historical Association’s annual meeting will be Sunday, Mar. 8, 2:30 p.m. at Hopefield Mennonite Church, 1823 Aztec Lane, Moundridge. Guest Speaker, Glen Ediger, a Bethel College graduate, will speak on “Mennonites,Farming, Wheat and Threshing Stones”. Entertainment provided by Sam Shilts. No need to rsvp. Poppyseed rolls will be served after the meeting.
Bethel College Announcements
· Sun., March 8, 2 p.m., Krehbiel Auditorium: Bethel College music and theater departments present: Alice by Heart, a retelling of Alice in Wonderland set during the London blitz of World War II. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
Contains adult content and is not intended for young audiences.
· Tues., Mar. 10 [change from Feb. 26]: Bethel College Wind Ensemble concert, Chris Miertschin, director, 7 p.m., Krehbiel Auditorium
· Thurs., March 12: Closing reception for Rachel Epp Buller and “Daily Commitments,” 6-7 p.m., Regier Art Gallery in Luyken Fine Arts Center at Bethel College. Gallery hours are Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 2-4 p.m.
· Thurs., Mar. 12: Bethel College Jazz, Chris Miertschin, director, 7 p.m. Krehbiel Auditorium
· Thurs., Mar. 12: Ceramic artist Isaac Shue, owner of Gallery Mostaza in Newton, will present an artist talk, 7 p.m., Ad Building chapel at Bethel College, (underwritten by the Greer Lecture Endowment).
Life Enrichment, for adults age 60 and older, meets Wednesday mornings in Bethel College’s Krehbiel Auditorium. March 11 programs: 9:30 a.m.:“The Historical Roots of Putin’s Russia,” Matt Cotton, McPherson College; 10:50 a.m.: “How to Protect the Earth’s Biodiversity Forever: Lessons from Maitreya Buddha, Pharma Bros, and Yucca Mountain,” Dr. Adam Smith, Missouri Botanical Gardens, St. Louis. First-time attenders get one session free. See https://www.bethelks.edu/academics/life-enrichment/ for details and a link to the complete spring schedule.
Hesston College will host the annual Melva Kauffman Lecture Series Mar. 25 and 26, welcoming internationally recognized peace studies scholar and Hesston College alumna Dr. Angela Lederach for a three-part series titled “Slow Peace: Lessons from Grassroots Peacebuilders in Colombia.” Dr. Lederach will speak on Wed., March 25 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and on Thurs., March 26 at 7 p.m. All events are free and open to the public and will be held at Hesston Mennonite Church with a cookie reception to follow both evening lectures. For more information visit hesston.edu/mel
Join guest conductor Anya Pogorelova for the Newton Mid Kansas Symphony Orchestra spring concert Sat., Mar. 21, 3 p.m. in the Newton High School Auditorium. This concert is designed for the whole family with a special family ticket price of $20 to families of all sizes. Advance tickets for sale online, and at Faith and Life Bookstore. Tickets will also be available the day of the concert at the door. https://nmkso.org/tickets/
Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale (KMRS) is April 10 & 11 at the Kansas State Fair Grounds in Hutchinson. Did you know that in 2025, relief sales across North America provided over 5 million dollars to fund Mennonite Central Committee’s relief, development, and peace initiatives in 46 countries?
· The My Coins Count jug has returned. (Jug is in the Gathering Place)—bring your bills and coins! The filled jug will help transform lives by funding MCC’s education projects.
· Donations: Turn cool items into cash to fund MCC projects! BCMC members have already donated many items to KMRS to be sold at one of 4 different auctions. If you have something to add, simply donate it, and the auction committees can decide the best location for your item. Talk to a BCMC sale liaison today!
· Volunteer Opportunities: Sign up to make VERENIKA (in Hillsboro on March 21) or BOHNE BEROGGI (in Moundridge on April 4) for the sale. To sign up, go to the volunteer page at https://kansas.mccsale.org/
· Urgent Service Opportunities: KMRS is looking for persons to chair or support the following: New Year Cookies Frying Committee, Pork Tenders, Friday Verenike Frying, Borscht Making, Feeding the Multitude Committee. For more info, see the flyer on the table in the gathering place or speak with Jim Robb.
· Sunday School Classes: Last year many contributed to help underwrite KMRS costs to cover all expenses before the sale so proceeds go directly to MCC programs. The next round of bidding on items like eggs, cream, shortening, pork tenders is on March 12. Please identify your contributions in the next few weeks! Info has been sent to Sunday School contacts.
· We are gathering new, in-the-package items for this year’s Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale Children’s Auction, and your donations are a huge part of making the event a success! Consider talking with the youth in your church about what items they’d be excited to bid on—but you can never go wrong with favorites like Hot Wheels, Barbies, board games, LEGO sets, art kits, and sports equipment. Additional popular item categories include: Building sets; Craft and activity kits; Puzzles; Plush animals; Outdoor toys. To donate: Items may be given to your MCC Liaison for delivery to the Sale, or brought directly to the Pride of Kansas building on Fri. or Sat. morning (Apr. 10-11) before 8:30 a.m. We’re also looking for volunteers to help clerk the Children’s Auction at this year’s Relief Sale. This is an important role that helps the auction run smoothly. Because the sale can be loud, this job requires good hearing and the ability to follow bids clearly. If you’re attentive, comfortable in a busy and exciting environment, and willing to serve, we would be grateful for your help! If interested in clerking, contact Brad Kohlman at bkohlman@conradeinsurance.com Thank you for helping support the Children’s Auction and the work of MCC!
· More Information:
*KMRS posterboard & table in the Gathering Place for information and forms for Run for Relief, as well as the My Coins Count jug.
* KMRS website: https://kansas.mccsale.org/
* BCMC liaisons: Steve & Elaine Schurr, William & Esther Kreider Eash, and Brad & Diane Born.
Camp Mennoscah Announcements
Camp Mennoscah is pleased to report that our most recent work day saw final installation of cover plates on electrical switches and outlets in the retreat center, and bathroom mirrors were hung. Baseboards are nearly done, all bedrooms have been cleaned, bedroom and basement common area carpets have been shampooed, making the basement essentially move-in ready. The continued support of twelve congregations with active matching challenges has made this possible, and we are so thankful! If your congregation does not have such a challenge, please consider visiting our website to initiate a recurring $20/month gift to camp. For information on how to set that up, simply text the word “Monthly” to 620.755.2583.
Camp Mennoscah’s wants your stories about the role we have played in your faith! As we continue to race toward the finish line of the retreat center – and likely other projects to follow – personal stories are so meaningful to those who support camp and we would love to publicize your connection to this incredible place. If you are willing to let us publish the ways that Camp Mennoscah has touched your life, please send an email to our Communications office at Eric.litwiller@campmennoscah.org. Include how you were first introduced to Camp Mennoscah, your favorite aspect of camp and why it is your favorite, and how you feel your life is different today than it otherwise might have been were it not for your exposure to this organization, along with anything else you’d like to share. Also please include a good contact method so we can follow up with you to add to the narrative if we need more information. Thank you!
Online Registration for the Spring Scrapbook and Crafts Retreat on March 13-15 is open. Register online at https://campmennoscah.campbrainregistration.com/ Activities and lodging will be at Main Camp. (The Retreat Center is moving along quickly, but is not quite finished.)
Online Registration for the 2026 Summer Youth Camps is open. The theme for the summer is “In the Wilderness.” Through the new, strange and unknown of “wilderness,” we will discover the sacred within each person and all creation and meet God there. Summer Youth Camps are for youth in grades 3-12 (Fall 2026). Register at https://campmennoscah.campbrainregistration.com/
The 2026 Summer Staff (alphabetical order by position) are the following cool folks: Mara Oswald (crafts), Josiah Buller (grounds/maintenance), Noah Schrag (grounds/maintenance), Camryn Entz (lifeguard), Lily Schloneger (lifeguard), Maddie Tegeler (lifeguard), Daniel Miller (nature), Ethan Wilcox (music), and Adah Hodge (office). Say hello and send prayers for a safe, fun, and faith-fulfilling summer!
The Summer Camp Schedule is as follows:
Junior I—June 14-19, Grades 6, 7 & 8, Fall 2026
PreJunior I—June 21-25, Grades 4 & 5, Fall 2026
First Camp—June 25-27, Grades 3 & 4, Fall 2026
PreJunior II—July 5-9, Grades 4 & 5, Fall 2026
Junior High—July 12-17, Grades 8 & 9, Fall 2026
Junior II—July 19-24, Grades 6, 7 & 8, Fall 2026
Senior High July 26-31, Grades 10-12, Fall 2026 (2026 graduating seniors register on the Graduating Senior Wait List)
Scholarships are available.
1. Thanks to a generous donation, first-time campers and returning campers bringing a first-time camper will automatically receive a $100 scholarship until funds are depleted. Please factor this into your payment before paying full camp fees. If Camp Mennoscah has a record of a camper attending previously, staff will contact parents/guardians. Only one scholarship per camper.
2. Two full scholarships are available for campers needing assistance through a Scholarship Endowment. Campers who are racially and ethnically diverse and/or from non-Mennonite communities will be given priority; all are welcome to apply. Use the Scholarship Request Form at https://campmennoscah.socs.net/vnews/display.v/ART/5e41970817def and include supporting information in the “Amount you are asking in Scholarship” field. Contact office@campmennoscah.org with questions. Deadline is May 1, 2026.
3. Camp Mennoscah has limited scholarship funds available. Complete the Scholarship Request Form at https://campmennoscah.socs.net/vnews/display.v/ART/5e41970817def Contact us at office@campmennoscah.org with questions.
Western District Conference invites you to visit our website to read the latest news, stories and announcements.
For Mennonite Central Committee “In Touch” press here
For Mennonite Mission Network “News and Beyond” press here
Service Adventure Can a gap year change your life? Only if you’re up for adventure! Applications are now open for the 2026-27 term.
Service Adventure is a 10-month volunteer experience for young adults ages 17-20. Live in community with peers and unit leaders, serve with local nonprofit agencies, and grow in your faith with a supporting church congregation! Learn more and apply at MennoniteMission.net/ServiceAdventure.
For Mennonite World Conference “Info” press here
From Mennonite Church USA
Mennonite Church USA responded to the deadly violence in January in Minneapolis with a statement calling for peacemaking and urging faith-based action rooted in justice, nonviolence and the teachings of Jesus Christ. Read the statement here: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/minneapolis-statement/
“What is the most important skill of a competent pastor?” This is the central question answered by pastors across Mennonite Church USA during “The Competent Pastor” podcast, hosted by MC USA’s Michael Danner and Rachel Ringenberg Miller. Listen to new episodes every month on Spotify, Apple podcasts or on the MC USA website: https://www.mennoniteusa.org/the-competent-pastor/
The deadline for MC USA’s 2026-27 BIPOC Scholarship applications is April 1. The Scholarship aids students who identify as Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color who are members or active participants of an MC USA congregation and who are attending or plan to attend an MC USA-affiliated Mennonite college, university or seminary. Learn more and apply here: https://bit.ly/49LLYLi
From Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution a course:
| Navigating Differences In Faith Communities |
For information about this course and registration press here
To read a Thank You Card from KIPCOR (BCMC hosted an Immigration Panel on Feb. 26) press here.
Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request: On this International Women’s Day, pray that women across the street and around the world feel empowered to live out their faith in meaningful ways, despite any negative pressures they may feel from the patriarchal systems in their communities, homes, churches and countries.
Western District Conference Prayer Request: Give thanks for WDC’s Hispanic Transitional Ministry Resourcing project, and pray for participating churches as they nurture congregational identity and strengthen leadership capacity to navigate pastoral and congregational changes in ways that are relevant to their cultural context.
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, immigration status, gender identity,
sexual orientation, ability, economic status, marital status, or age.