BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR
JUNE 9, 2024
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/kjDjhoL8Cx0?feature=share
BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
June 9, 2024
Christ Candle Lighting
Centering Music–When Morning Guilds the Skies (arr. Raymond Haan)–Will Wiebe-Friesen
Welcome—Brad Kohlman
Land Acknowledgement
Prayer
Hymn—Let Us Build a House—VT 36
Children’s Conversation—Adam Robb
Kin_dom Report—Mennonite Mission Network—Don Kempf and George Thompson
Old Testament Reading—Psalm 32:1-5, 8-9—Brad Kohlman
Special Music—Rebecca Schloneger
Gospel Readings—Matthew 18:15-20 and John 20:19-23
Sermon—Cheap Forgiveness— Roger Neufeld Smith
Hymn—Put Peace into Each Other’s Hands—VT 485
Prayers of God’s People
Hymn—Sing a New World into Being—VT 809
Benediction
Postlude–Prelude in G Major, BWV 550a (J.S. Bach)
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Audio-visual – Francis Toews and Ben Lichti
GOING BEYOND LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
–Having read Unsettling Truths, you are invited to participate in a Zoom meeting with the author, Mark Charles, on June 13, 2024, at Kidron Bethel Village, Classroom A, 3001 Ivy Drive, North Newton, KS, at 7 pm. A BIG question for Mark to answer -“How do we use and become the four elements – earth, fire, water, and air – to facilitate change?” Since Mark ran for President in 2020, we hope he will focus his suggestions for change in the political system.
–Kaw Nation Intertribal Powwow at Allegawaho Park and Performance Pavilion, Council Grove, Kansas on June 21 and 22, 7:30 p.m.
–BCMC has joined in supporting Oak Flat’s attempt to save Apache Stronghold by signing onto an amicus brief in support of religious freedom..
–BCMC youth plan a visit to the First Americans Museum in OKC in July
–Mennonite Action event May 24: Land, Palestine, and Indigenous Solidarity. Sarah Augustine, co-founder and Executive Director of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, Samiha Hureini, co-founder of the Youth of Sumud movement, and activist Ali Awad explored how land and body are deeply entwined—and how one can not simply “leave” for another home. You may watch the recording here.
Land Acknowledgement 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.
The Next Week at BCMC: June 9-16, 2024
Sunday, June 9, 2024
9:30 a.m. Worship Service—YouTube Link for this Sunday:
https://youtube.com/live/kjDjhoL8Cx0?feature=share
Monday, June 10, 2024
10 a.m. Library Committee meeting in Room 14
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
11 a.m Staff meeting
Sunday, June 16, 2024
9:30 a.m. Worship with sermon by Nathan Koontz; music by Abby Koontz
Future Events at BCMC:
· June 22: Memorial service for Charlotte Siemens, 11 a.m. with a lunch to follow. The service will be live-streamed.
· June 29: Memorial service for Evelyn Lehman, 11 a.m. with a lunch to follow.
The service will be live-streamed.
BCMC Offering for May 26, 2024 General Fund $5,607; Plant Fund $50; Sr Hi Youth $1679; Caring Fund $50; Library Reserve Fund $60; Kitchen Fund $8; Women’s Fellowship $275; Solar Fund $14,000.
BCMC Offering for June 2, 2024 General Fund $480; Solar Fund $1,000.
Roger Neufeld Smith will be driving back to Topeka on Sunday, June 9. He will be back in Newton on June 19. Roger checks his email and phone regularly. Feel free to contact him via email, text or phone (785-220-1968.)
Congratulations to Mark Kreider! Mark graduated last month from the University of Montana with a PhD in Forest and Conservation Science. He is still in Missoula, MT and just recently began a job with the Nature Conservancy studying mature and old growth forests.
APRC will be hosting an education time to discuss how we can continue the journey of being a survivor centered congregation. This education opportunity will be held during the Sunday School hour June 16 and July 21 in Fellowship Hall.
June 16– Overview of the YouTube video How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice with Judith Herman
July 21– Chapter discussion of Judith Herman’s book Truth and Repair
Discussion will be led by members of the APRC committee.
The YouTube Video How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice can be found on YouTube here. This is approximately a 40 minute video. Judith Herman’s book Truth and Repair can be found at your favorite local bookstore or local library inter library loan.
Any questions? Please contact Bethany Schrag at bethanyjoyschrag@gmail.com.
We look forward to continuing learning more of how we can best support trauma survivors in our church with you!
— APRC Committee
Save the Date: Peace Witness Event, Sept. 15-16
The BCMC Witness Commission is very pleased to announce plans for a peace witness event around Peace Sunday on September 15-16. Our church along with the Bible and Religion Dept. Bethel College and in collaboration with area churches invites you engage with Christianity and Democracy let by well known author, academic, and presenter, David P. Gushee (https://davidpgushee.com).
Gushee will be providing the sermon and Sunday school discussion at BCMC on Sunday morning, September 15. The afternoon events at Memorial Hall include a keynote address, question and dialogue panel response, table discussion groups, and a closing keynote address. On Sept.16, Gushee will present at Convocation at BC followed by a lunch with area pastors and time with BC in the classroom in the afternoon. Funding for this event is provided by excess benevolences from the 2023 BCMC budget.
Please reserve this date on your calendar and spread the word! You are also encouraged to obtain Gushee’s most recent book, Defending Democracy from its Christian Enemies. Read it, study it in Sunday School, discuss it with friends and neighbors. Let’s help to bring important aspects of democracy in focus as we near the presidential election and proceed with faithfulness. As Gushee writes,“The Baptists [Anabaptists] insisted that the way Jesus made disciples was by teaching and persuasion, not by coercion. They held that government has no competence in religion, and when it seeks to enforce faith it creates wars of religion and hypocrites who claim a faith they do not actually hold.” We hope that we can be a witness to peace in these times where it seems like the confluence of religion and government are leading to death and destruction.
Greeters urgently needed: An easy way to help people feel welcome at BCMC is to be a greeter. Greeters provide a cheery “good morning” at one of the church doors as people enter for Sunday morning worship, directing them to the sanctuary and helping visitors with other simple questions they might have. You don’t have to know everyone by name – just be ready to share a smile and be helpful. If you would be willing to serve (even once every couple of months) please call (316-283-3342), email (marlene.violet@gmail.com) or talk to Marlene Faul, chair of the Hospitality Commission.
If you like coffee on Sunday mornings (and who doesn’t), help ensure that the coffee keeps perking through the summer months. Sign up on the clipboard on the coffee table to make or serve coffee once or twice this summer, or call (316-283-3342), email (marlene.violet@gmail.com) or talk to Marlene Faul, chair of the Hospitality Commission. Instructions on how to use the coffee makers, etc., will be provided.
All are welcome to a free concert at Friends University – Alumni Auditorium on Saturday, June 15 at 7:30 p.m. TREASURES OF DARKNESS: a choir concert to benefit Ukrainian refugees and the oppressed poor in Hungary. The Church of the Savior Chamber Choir, under the direction of Dr. William Eash, will feature two world premiers: “I Will Go Before You” by Hungarian composer David Magda, and “Treasures of Darkness” by Wichita composer Miriam Overholt. A freewill offering will benefit Ukrainian refugees and Hungarian poor.
Western District Conference Annual Assembly: Assembly registration is now open. Register on-line on the WDC webpage. Join us at the WDC Annual Assembly, August 2-4, 2024 at First Mennonite Church, rural Beatrice, NE. For more information about Assembly, visit the WDC Assembly webpage. Click on the WDC link below for the website and registration information. If you are interested in being a delegate to the Assembly, contact Jeanette Stucky, Roger Neufeld-Smith or Monica Lichti in the BCMC office.
Western District Conference invites you to visit our website to read the latest news, stories and announcements.
Save the Date! Western District Women in Mission’s annual Women’s & Girls’ Retreat will be Saturday/Sunday September 7-8 at Camp Mennoscah. The keynote speaker will be Kristine Regehr on the topic of Peaceful Practices. More information and registration info will follow in July. Activities will be available for girls age 5th grade – high school and women of all ages! Come for a time of relaxation, peace, and friendship! Questions? Email westerndistrictwomen@gmail.com.
Summer Story Days are BACK! Stop by the Western District Conference Resource library, 2517 N. Main in North Newton, KS on Saturdays June 29 and July 27 from 10 a.m.-7p.m. for Read Alouds; self-guided, come-and-go activities; and opportunities to learn and grow together! Activities geared for ages 3-8 and their families, but open to all ages. Take advantage of these Saturday hours to tour the library and check out resources.
Enrollment is open for Uncle Carl’s Camp at Kauffman Museum at Bethel College. Half-day camps are offered in art, history and nature for kids ages 4-18. Go to www.kauffmanmuseum.org/uncle-carls-camp/ for more information about camps with space still available, and to register online.
Everence® will hold an informative Social Security and retirement income workshop Tues., June 18, 6:30 p.m. at the Everence office: 3179 N. Main St. Suite 1B, North Newton. Topics will include, Social Security strategies, including when to begin taking benefits, risks that can impact your retirement savings plus strategies to help your income last throughout retirement. There will also be plenty of time for questions. The in-person workshop will be Information presented by staff from the Everence offices in Central Kansas. To register contact Everence at 316-283-3800, 877-467-7294 or central.kansas@everence.com.
CARE CONNECTIONS, sponsored by Deacon Commission, offers a variety of opportunities for extending care. Do you enjoy conversation? In-person visiting? Visiting by phone? Writing caring messages in cards, email or text? Preparing food or care packages? Delivering food or care packages? Individualized creative care possibilities? To learn more, express interest, or share ideas, please contact Elizabeth Schmidt, Pastor for Congregational Care.
BCMC Prayer Network: The Prayer Network is an email-based prayer network comprised of Deacon Commission members and BCMC congregants. Participants make a one-year commitment to this prayer ministry which is coordinated by Pastors and the Office and Facilities Manager. Pastors respond to prayer requests and determine when and how these requests are distributed. Specific prayer requests are shared only with the permission of the person(s) involved. If you would like to join the BCMC prayer network, please email your interest to office@bethelcollegemennonitechurch.org. Thanks to all who serve BCMC in the Prayer Network.
You are invited to attend the dedication and celebration of the new Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Cabinet Shop and Warehouse, Sun., June 9 at 604 E. Main St., Goessel, KS from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free. During the celebration, we will offer tours of the cabinet shop and warehouse, and an opportunity to learn more about this innovative MDS initiative to draft and distribute kitchen cabinets to be installed in MDS volunteer-built homes across the U.S. We have already distributed cabinets to more than 75 homes. Also featured will be a fundraising concert at 5:30 p.m. by September River, a family band featuring Jude and Doug Krehbiel and daughter Stefanie (Krehbiel) Giffin. The band incorporates elements of bluegrass, gospel, blues, acoustic rock, Irish, and folk music. The MDS Storm Encounter will also be on hand for those who want to experience a simulated tornado—then see how MDS volunteers respond to bring hope to communities impacted by disaster.
June 9, at 7:00 pm at the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, Goessel, Ks, Arlin Buller will present “Roots & Fruits: A Timeline of History.”
Buller will place the story of the Przechowko Mennnonites, later the Alexanderwohl, Hoffnungsau and Lone Tree congregations, in historical context through the use of a timeline he created.
All are welcome!
A 150th Celebration Event
Free Event.
Hesston College Announcement
June 16 to 22 – Summer Theatre Camp Student actors ages 11 to 18 are invited to stage a live theatre performance at Hesston College’s annual summer theatre camp June 16 to 22. The weeklong theatre immersion will culminate in a public performance of the musical “Mean Girls” at 2 p.m., Saturday, June 22, in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary on the Hesston College campus. Theatre camp registration is $335 per person and includes lodging and meals for seven days and six nights, or $285 for day camp only. A discount is available for families registering more than one student. Participants can visit hesston.edu/theatrecamp to register online. Registration is due June 10.
You’re invited to Concert on the Concrete, June 9, 5 p.m. Featuring Newton Senior Center’s Golden Notes Choir, along with a sing along, in the parking lot across from the Senior Center, 122 E. 6th, Newton. If rain, the concert will move inside. Free will offering to be used for building renovations.
Mennonite Mission Network “Tell us what inspires you” survey press here
For Mennonite Mission Network “News and Beyond” press here
For Mennonite Central Committee “In Touch” press here
For Mennonite Men “Engage” press here
For Mennonite Church USA webinar “Navigating your protection policy during crisis” press here
Mennonite Church USA Announcements
Mennonite Church USA is launching two new podcasts, aimed at encouraging and equipping today’s pastors and congregational leaders. Learn more here: mennoniteusa.org/news/podcasts
Mennonite Church USA’s Climate Justice Ministry is receiving applications for the Pam De Young Net Zero Energy Fund grant, from now through June 15, 2024. The Pam De Young Net Zero Energy Fund provides funds to MC USA congregations seeking to install solar panels, car charging stations or other forms of renewable energy. The term, “net zero energy,” describes buildings or communities that generate enough energy to meet their own needs. Learn more here: mennoniteusa.org/green-energy-grants View the PowerPoint slide here: mennoniteusa.org/slide/deyoung View the PDF here: mennoniteusa.org/pdf/deyoung
Menno Snapshots
Pasadena Mennonite Church helped foster Celeste Sharp’s passion for the environment. This interest has led Celeste to pursue an education in agroecology, with hopes of providing people with more sustainable food systems and practices. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/agroecology-food
Subscribe to PeaceMail to receive MC USA’s blogs, news and resources in one weekly email. Subscribe to PeaceMail here: mennoniteusa.org/peacemail
Mennonite Mission Network Prayer Request: Today, Mennonite Mission Network’s board members are worshiping in congregations in the Newton, Kansas, area, after a weekend of meetings. Pray for the board members, as they work to implement what they have discerned as the future directions for the agency.
Western District Conference Prayer Request: Pray for God’s guidance and wisdom for WDC pastors and congregations who are concluding ministry relationships or beginning a new season of ministry together.
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.