WESTERN DISTRICT CONFERENCE

SPROUTS

December 16, 2014

A weekly communication for:

WDC Churches and Pastors

WDC Executive Board, Commission, Committee and Task Force members

 Any content may be used in bulletins and newsletters and forwarded to congregational leaders and members.

WDC Sprouts is also available at:  www.mennowdc.org (Publications)

 IN THIS ISSUE:

*Pastoral Openings
*News and Transitions
*Announcements
Pastoral Openings

Congregational Information Forms can be viewed at:  www.mennowdc.org (Pastoral Openings)

Buhler/Hoffnungsau/Inman (KS) Churches – Youth Pastor

Hanston (KS) Mennonite Church – Pastor

Shalom Mennonite Church, Newton, KS – Pastor

 

News and Transitions

Our sympathy to Olivia Bartel, Director of Camp Mennoscah, on the death of her mother, Elaine Bartel, in Kansas City on November 20.

Norma Duerksen will become pastor at Trinity Mennonite Church, Hillsboro, KS on January 1, 2015.

Renee Kanagy will end her time as Pastor at New Creation Fellowship Church, Newton, KS on April 15, 2015.  She has accepted a call to become pastor at the Cincinnati (OH) Mennonite Fellowship, where she will begin on June 1, 2015.

Rachel Epp Miller will leave her position as Pastor at San Antonio Mennonite Church in Spring 2015.

Our sympathy to Byron (Pastor at Iglesia Menonita Aposento Alto, Wichita, KS) and Hilda Pellecer, upon the death of her father, Rafael Salgado on November 30, in Managua, Nicaragua.

Our sympathy to Susan Wheeler, Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care at Bethel College Mennonite Church, North Newton, KS, upon the death of her father Melvin Headrick on November 15 in La Junta, CO.
WDC Announcements

1.  “Leadership for Adaptive Times” Launch will be held on Thursday, January 29. 3:30-6:00 PM for Pastors and 7:00-8:30 PM for Pastors and Lay Leaders. Thane Chastain, Kansas Leadership Center coach, will introduce several key leadership concepts and the three seminars available to pastors and church leadership teams of Western District Conference in 2015. The WDC share of the grant will make it possible for approximately 34 people to participate in one of the seminars to help church leaders move towards what they care about most deeply. Reserve the date.
2.  Following the announcement of Clarence Rempel’s retirement next summer, the WDC Executive Board has appointed a Search Committee to conduct the search for a new Conference Minister. The committee is chaired by Sondra Bandy Koontz, who also serves on the Staff Relations Committee. Other members include Moderator-Elect Anita Kehr, Executive Board Members Norma Johnson and Johann Reimer, Violeta Ajquejay from the Church Planting Commission, Weldon Schloneger from the Ministerial Leadership Commission, and Pastor Ryan Koch. Your prayers for the committee are greatly appreciated as they prepare to begin their work early in the New Year.

3.  The WDC Music and Worship Task Force invites all children’s choirs to participate in the Children’s Choir Festival to be held on Sunday afternoon, April 26, 2015.  A music packet is available for directors to peruse in the Music Resource Library at the WDC offices along with ordering information.  Questions?  Email wdmusicworship@gmail.com.

4.  The WDC office will be closed on December 24 through January 1.
Mennonite Church Announcements

1.  Combine faith with your career! Serve for a year with Mennonite Voluntary Service and join a team of talented people making a positive impact in communities across the U.S. MennoniteMission.net/Serve.

2.  Prairie View, Inc., will host an Adventure with Youth at Risk workshop Feb. 9 to 11 at 1901 E. First St., Newton. Presenter is Jason Leal.  The workshop is designed for adults who work with youth at risk in schools, treatment centers, detention centers and other specialized programs, but adults who encounter youth in other settings are also welcome.  Participants will learn techniques of the nationally accredited Behavior Management through Adventure (BMtA) program that Prairie View uses with youth who often present challenges to traditional group management. Prairie View holds the only license for BMtA training in the State of Kansas.  Offering an introduction to behavior management, the three-day workshop begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 9. The workshop ends at 5 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 11. The national organization Project Adventure is overseeing registrations. For workshop registration, phone 800-468-8898 or email registration@pa.org. Graduate credit and CEUs are available.  BMtA programming empowers youth to have a say in helping form rules. Practical use for the training is for team building, social skills, learning how to relate to others and community building.  For additional information, see the Project Adventure website at http://www.pa.org/foundational-workshops/adventure-with-youth-at-risk, or phone Prairie View’s Recreation Office at 316-284-6364.

3.  Thank you to each one of you who supported our Ten Thousand Village Festival Sale in Newton.  Because of your support we sold $11,590.00 worth of merchandise, which will go to help Third World Artisans make a living, educate their children, and provide income to create more handcrafted items.  We were so encouraged by your participation that we are looking forward to a similar sale next fall.  Watch for future dates!  Thank you, The Planning Committee:  Dianne Epp,  Marlene Ewert, Marvin Holck, Andrea Unzicker, Jim & Janet Zook

4. Graduate Students in Healthcare Professions:  Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship (MHF) offers scholarship funding for Anabaptist students to learn and serve in cross-cultural mission/service settings in developing countries. Deadline for 2015-16 academic year is May 15, 2015.  For details and application form, see http://mennohealth.org/SET, email info@mennohealth.org, or call 1-888-406-3643.


Western District Conference

2517 North Main, PO Box 306

North Newton KS  67117

316-283-6300; FAX:  316-283-0620

Email:  wdc@mennowdc.org

Website:  www.mennowdc.org