BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
WORSHIP SERVICE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
August 24, 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/ybPrmkaP2wU?feature=share
BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
August 24, 2025
Backpack Sunday
Christ Candle Lighting
Centering Music–Semplice (Robert Schumann)–Mary Jo Preheim
Welcome & Prayer–Adam Robb
*Hymn–Just As I Am, without One Plea–VT 560
Children and Youth Conversation-Backpack Blessing–Jill Robb
Scripture Reading–Matthew 2:13-23–Dianne Epp
*Hymn–Jesus Entered Egypt–VT 279
Sermon–Hosting Jesus–Nathan Koontz
*Hymn–Will You Let Me Be Your Servant–VT 778
Prayers of God’s People
*Hymn–Go, My Friends, in Grace–VT 810
*Benediction
Postlude– Andante (Franz Schubert)–Mary Jo Preheim
*You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Audio visual—Ben Lichti
The Week at BCMC: August 24—31, 2025
Sunday, August 24, 2025—Backpack Sunday
Worship 9:30 a.m. with sermon by Nathan Koontz
Youtube Link: https://youtube.com/live/ybPrmkaP2wU?feature=share
Monday, August 25, 2025
10 a.m. Library Committee meeting—Room 14
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
7 p.m. Board Game Night at Pastor Joanna Harader’s home
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
8-10 a.m. Pastor Joanna will be at the 1887 Café on the Bethel College campus. Stop in and visit!
7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir rehearsal—Sanctuary
Thursday, August 28, 2025
9-11 a.m. Community Playschool Orientation session—Fellowship Hall
6:30 p.m. Hospitality Commission meeting—Fellowship Hall
6:30 p.m. Chancel Bells rehearsal—Room B7
Saturday, August 30, 2025
11 a.m. Memorial Service for Keith Rhoades—Sanctuary
Sunday, August 31, 2025
9:30 a.m. Worship with sermon by Joanna Harader; music by Rebecca Schloneger
Mennonite Central Committee School Kits—Thank you for your generous donations over the last few months! We collected almost $2,000 which will make around 350 school kits. THANK YOU! Please come to Fellowship Hall today during the Sunday School hour to help assemble kits.
Upcoming Memorial Services:
· August 30, 11 a.m. Keith Rhoades Memorial—BCMC
· September 15, 11 a.m. Ilene Schmidt Memorial—BCMC
· September 20, 10 a.m. Betty Schmidt Memorial—Kidron Hall
Save the date for Max Ediger Visit. Max Ediger, of Pursat Province, Cambodia, is traveling to the U.S. for a visit in early September and will be coming to Bethel College Mennonite Church on Sunday, September 7. Max will share the Children’s Conversation during Sunday morning worship. That afternoon, at 3 p.m., in the BCMC Fellowship Hall, Max will share about his life and recent work. We look forward to this time together with our most distant member!
BCMC Offering for August 17: General $5,167; Sr Hi Youth $2,496; Kitchen Fund $11; Solar Fund $500.
Pastor Joanna will host a board game night at her house on Tues., Aug. 26, from 7-? (Email Joanna for address/directions.)
All people aged 16-25 are invited to participate in three Sunday School hour sessions on Creating a Conscientious Objector File. In the event of a draft, a c.o. file is a great support for those who do not wish to participate in armed military service. Sessions will be held after worship on September 7, 21, and 28 in the chapel. We will go over both theological and practical considerations for creating a file and have time to work on materials for your files. For questions, contact: Joanna Harader (joanna@bethelcollegemennonitechurch.org)
Whether a seasoned veteran or new to the BCMC family, you are invited to participate in the community life of BCMC by joining a small group! Small groups are flexible, fun, community building opportunities that connect folks from different (and similar) circles together to play and pray with each other. They don’t have a set schedule – gatherings can be built based on the availability of the members, and there is no “agenda” (although some ideas for ways to connect can be provided). If you are interested in being part of a small group, please reach out to Megan Kohlman (meganbkohlman@gmail.com). She would appreciate responses by September 7 so that new group(s) can begin this fall! Thank you for helping build community at BCMC!
It’s that time of year for our Sunday School year to begin and our youth need your help to teach Sunday School! Faith Formation is looking for teachers and helpers for the 2025-2026 school year. If you feel the nudge to spend an hour with our amazing elementary or middle/high school youth please email Jill Robb at jill@bethelcollegemennonitechurch.org.
Save the date of September 14 for a Congregational Meeting during the Sunday School hour followed by a fundraising lunch served by the Senior High Youth Group.
Messy Church starts September 10! We will gather the second Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. to share a meal and a time of all-age, interactive worship. The Faith Formation Commission is excited to offer Christ-centered, all-age worship that values creativity, hospitality, and celebration. You can learn more about the Messy Church USA organization on their website. Contact Joanna Harader or Jill Robb with any questions. (Note that we will not be charging a fee for these Wednesday evening meals. There will be a basket out and donations toward the cost of food are welcome.)
Joanna’s 1887 Cafe office hours this semester will be from 8-10 a.m. on Wednesdays. Stop in and say “hi”!
The Education Service and Scholarship Committee (ESSC) thanks the congregation for supporting the Bethel College Scholarship fund, especially in recent weeks. All but $100 has been received toward the goal of funding scholarships for all our Bethel College students this academic year. Thank you — Karen Ediger, Brad Kohlman, Margaret Toews (ESSC)
Are you new to the Bethel College Mennonite Church community? Join Pastor Joanna and other new attenders for a special “getting to know each other” Sunday School session after worship on August 31 in Joanna’s office.
In February of this year, Pastor Elizabeth let us know of her plans to retire this fall. September 28, 2025, will be her final Sunday on the pastoral staff here at Bethel College Mennonite Church. We are deeply grateful for her ministry here and pray for God’s guidance and blessing as she enters a new season of life. Details for a farewell reception will be forthcoming.
A pastoral search committee has been formed to fill an opening created by Elizabeth’s upcoming retirement. Megan Leary will chair, Karen Ediger, Mary Ellen Hodge, Mara Oswald, and Francis Toews are additional committee members. They will soon begin their work alongside Western District Conference, our staff, and the board. Brad Kohlman will serve as a liaison between the committee and the board/congregation. Please keep the committee members in your prayers as their work begins.
BCMC Mission quilters are looking for more hand quilters for our group. Experienced quilters are welcome and we are willing to teach new quilters. We meet on Mondays from 1-5 p.m. Carol Flickinger comes to read to us for one hour while we quilt. We also have a snack at 3 p.m. If you are interested, contact Rose Haury at : haury@juno.com or 316-288-0079.
Life Enrichment is a series designed for adults age 60 and over. Sessions are in the Bethel College Fine Arts Center, Krehbiel Auditorium, on Wednesdays, 9:30—11:50 a.m. The first session is August 27.
9:30 a.m. “Accepting Change: the Key to Bethel’s Journey,” Dr. Jon C. Gering, president, Bethel College.
10:50 a.m. “Hidden Connection: The Bethel Bell and Brown vs. Board of Education in the Supreme Court,” Levi H. Goossen, attorney, Goossen Law Office, Newton.
Camp Mennoscah announcements:
· The Fall Scrapbook and Crafts Retreat is Oct. 10-12. Registration will be open soon.
· Camp Mennoscah’s Annual Meeting will be held at Hope Mennonite Church on Oct. 19 at 6:30 p.m. All are invited to attend.
· Volunteers are needed for grounds work. Mowing, trail maintenance, string trimming, poison ivy and sticker plant control, or any number of other things. Contact us at 620-297-3290 to discuss opportunities!
Western District Conference Affinity Group forums: The WDC Listening Process has highlighted common themes and concerns shared by congregations, inspiring ideas for helpful resources from WDC. As one way to follow up, WDC will provide Affinity Group forums for congregational members and leaders to engage a particular topic together. First forum: the WDC Resource Commission will host a Voices Together mini webinar via zoom Sept. 30 at 7-8:30 p.m., featuring Joanna Harader and Cynthia Neufeld Smith. Joanna is a pastor at BCMC and writes worship and devotional resources. Cynthia is a musician and retired pastor, and served on the Voices Together hymnal committee. The focus will be worship resources and music that nurture all ages, including kids. Bring questions about music and/or worship resources in Voices Together and there will be time to share ideas about how your congregation has used Voices Together to create life-giving worship. We hope to see you on Zoom, but the webinar will also be recorded and posted on the WDC website. Look for registration information coming soon.
Western District Conference invites you to visit our website to read the latest news, stories and announcements.
Western District Conference Mustard Seed grants are back! Does your congregation have a great idea for how to reach out to your neighbors, but are low on funds? Apply for a Mustard Seed grant. See the link https://mennowdc.org/wdc-mustard-seed-grant/. The WDC Resource Commission would love to support your great ideas that may ultimately help plant seeds of faith!
August 29 is the due date for registering for Western District Women & Girls Retreat at Camp Mennoscah Sept. 6 & 7. Register and pay online at westerndistrictwomeninmission.org or print out the registration form online and send in your payment to the address on the form. This year’s theme is Courageous Women of the Bible with Katherine Goerzen and Laura Goerzen as our speakers. Girls age 8 and up are welcome to attend with an adult. Questions: email westerndistrictwomen@gmail.com
Bethel College Announcements
· Fri., Aug. 29: “Decorator,” works by Jordan Buschur, opens in the Regier Gallery, Fine Arts Center at Bethel College (reception Sept. 25). Gallery hours are Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 2-4 p.m.
· Sat., Oct. 4: (during Fall Festival): Internationally renowned theologian Miroslav Volf, Yale University, will speak at Bethel College Mennonite Church, 10 a.m.
· Sun., Oct. 19, and Mon., Oct. 20: Dr. Kat Hill, a religious and cultural historian from Scotland, will give the annual Menno Simons Lectures [these dates are different from some previously printed material]
· Sun.-Tues., Nov. 2-4: The biennial Worship and the Arts Symposium will focus on homiletics (preaching) with special guest Dr. Luke Powery from Duke Divinity School at Duke University. The symposium will also feature an art exhibition by Merrill Krabill and the fall choral concert “Bethel Sings.”
All events are free and open to the public.
As part of the Salt City Film Fest in Hutchinson at the Fox Theater Sept. 25-27, the film “Where the Cottonwoods Grow” by Dale Hildebrand (Canada) will be shown 7 p.m. on Thurs., Sept. 25. Tickets are $5. The film tells the story of the Mennonite migration from Ukraine and Russia to North America, the same film that Kauffman Museum earlier sponsored for screening at Bethel College. —SCFF Programming Director, Sheri Kaufman-Marsh.
For Mennonite Mission Network “News and Beyond” press here
For Mennonite Disaster Service “On the Level” press here
For Mennonite Women USA “Women’s Voices” press here
For Mennonite Mission Network “News from around the world” press here
Mennonite Church USA Announcements
On the final night of Mennonite Church USA’s national convention, Follow Jesus ’25, MC USA and MennoMedia hosted an Anabaptism at 500 party, in celebration of the tradition’s 500th anniversary. The event consisted of fellowship, trivia and an attempt to read the entire Bible in under 15 minutes. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/anabaptism-500-reception
Menno Snapshots
Jessica Griggs, a freelance writer and copy editor with the MC USA communications team, shares the experience of collective camaraderie and competition she witnessed at the Anabaptism at 500 celebration on July 11 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Read about her experience here: mennoniteusa.org/camaraderie-competition
Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request: Mennonite Mission Network requests prayer for Austin Roberts, who is completing his doctoral dissertation on youth and the church. Pray that he will have the time he needs to prepare to defend his dissertation, while also overseeing the kitchen and mentoring participants with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Northern Ireland.
Western District Conference Prayer Request: Pray for youth and children and their families, and for mentors, sponsors and teachers in WDC congregations, they begin a new school year.
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.