WESTERN DISTRICT CONFERENCE
SPROUTS
October 22, 2019
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:
*Building community, helping each other
*Announcements
Building community, helping each other
by Byron Pellecer, WDC Associate Conference Minister (Texas-Based)
A few days ago, I was reflecting on the narrative of Mark 2:1-12, the account of four people bringing their paralyzed friend to the feet of Jesus.. One of the things that impressed me a lot was the action of four men in favor of a person in need.
These men were willing to do even the “irrational” (digging through the roof) to lay hold of God’s blessings. I was also impressed with compassion and trust demonstrated by their actions. In addition, they showed that community is only made when we journey together. We are God’s people only as we follow Him in life.
To top it it off, it seems that they showed how to be true friends. A friend walks with you in bad times and in good times. A friend encourages and corrects you, inspires you and stops you.
Encourages you, especially when things are not going well at all. Corrects you, when you are wrong and helps you to return to the right path. Inspires you, when you need that little push to get ahead. Stops you, when you are going in the wrong way.
This is Jesus. Not only is he our Savior and Lord, he also wants to be our companion in life. He wants to walk with us.
When one decides to follow Jesus, there is an invitation to abandon ourselves into his care and an invitation to allow the Spirit to dwell in us.
Today, we are challenged to experience a genuine and constant desire to walk with God.
God, who along the way reveals himself to us. He is constantly showing us what are the areas in our life where we have not yet experienced conversion and transformation.
May the God of peace who wishes to walk next to us, fill us with his peace and with transforming love.
—————-
Construyendo la comunidad, ayudándose mutuamente
by Byron Pellecer, WDC Associate Conference Minister (Texas-Based)
Hace algunos días atrás, reflexionaba sobre la narrativa de Marcos 2:1-12. Una de las cosas que me impresionó fue la acción de cuatro hombres a favor de una persona en necesidad.
Estos hombres estuvieron dispuestos hacer hasta “lo ilógico” para echar mano de las bendiciones de Dios. También me impresionó la compasión y la confianza. Además, muestran que solo se hace comunidad cuando se peregrina juntos, solo se es pueblo de Dios en la medida que se va en pos de Dios.
Como si fuera poco, parece ser que dan muestras de cómo podría ser un amigo. Un amigo camina contigo en las malas y en las buenas. Un amigo te alienta y te corrige, te inspira y te detiene.
Alienta, especialmente cuando las cosas no marchan del todo bien. Corrige, cuando estás equivocado para que retomes el camino correcto. Inspira, cuando necesitas ese empujoncito para que salgas adelante. Detiene, cuando vas por el sendero equivocado.
Así es Jesús. No solo es nuestro Salvador y Señor, también quiere ser nuestro compañero en la vida… Él quiere andar con nosotros
En ese seguir a Jesús se produce un vaciarse de sí mismos, es decir, hay que vaciarse de sí mismo y llenarse de Jesús y permitir que el Espíritu Santo habite en nosotros.
Hoy en día, necesitamos experimentar un deseo genuino y constante de andar con Dios, quien en el camino nos revela y nos muestra continuamente cuales son las áreas en nuestra vida donde aún no hemos experimentado esa conversión y esa transformación.
Que el Dios de paz quien desea peregrinar con nosotros, nos llene de su paz y de su amor transformador.
WDC announcements
- Leadership Lunches continue on the fourth Thursday of each month. These lunch discussions are based on Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) principles, competencies, and behaviors, but please come even if you haven’t attended a KLC training. Case studies are used to guide our time together. Join us at the WDC offices from 12-1:30 pm on October 24 (bring your own lunch). If you want to join via Zoom video conference, let us know (wdc@mennowdc.org), and you will be sent a link.
- Shine Curriculum webinars: Amanda Bleichty, Central Plains Mennonite Conference, is hosting two Shine curriculum webinars and we are invited! The October 29, 7 pm webinar will focus on questions of why we choose to use Shine curriculum in our churches. The November 21, 7 pm webinar will focus on how to make the best use of this wonderful teaching tool. Whether you’re considering Shine for the first time or want some new ways to get the most out of it, join the webinars. If your church has a webinar set-up already, you could invite all of your Sunday School teachers to join you at your own church building, then have one person register your group at: http://www.centralplainsmc.org/shine-webinar-registration.html. If you are near North Newton, join the webinar by emailing Nancy Funk to register (wdc@mennowdc.org), then come to the WDC office for the webinar. You may also register as an individual (http://www.centralplainsmc.org/shine-webinar-registration.html) and join from home. Questions? Contact Kathy at 316-283-6300 or kathynd@mennowdc.org.
Camp Mennoscah announcements
- Already?!? You are correct! Camp Mennoscah is recruiting staff for the 2020 summer at Mennonite colleges on Nov. 8 at Goshen and Nov. 11-14 at Hesston, Tabor, Bethel, and McPherson colleges on the respective days. Stop by our booth and say hi, ask questions, and start planning for an amazing and stunning summer!
- Camp Mennoscah is a great place for your next gathering, small group retreat, or training! There are spaces to fit a variety of sizes and needs–and all sorts of God’s creation surrounding you. Plan now for spring, summer, fall, and winter! Call us at 620-297-3290.
Mennonite church announcements
- Alain Epp Weaver, director of strategic planning for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Akron, Pa., will speak on the Bethel College campus Oct. 27-29. He will give the 67th annual Menno Simons Lectures, with the series title “In the Name of Christ: Missiological Reflections on Mennonite Central Committee’s Past, Present and Future.” The first lecture, Sunday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m., is “Constructing Christian Service: Landscapes of MCC.” The second, Monday, Oct. 28, at 11 a.m. (a Bethel convocation), is “Listening and Waiting: MCC and Shifting Understandings of Christian Service.” The third, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., is titled “First to the Household of Faith?: MCC, Humanitarianism and the Church,” and the final lecture, Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m., is “Accompanying, Connecting, Measuring, Dismantling: Missiologies in Tension within MCC.” Epp Weaver’s purpose in these lectures is to “reflect on the meaning of Christian service through an exploration of MCC’s history.” All lectures are in Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center and are free and open to the public.
- Bethel College extends a special invitation to youth groups to attend an Urban Doxology Worship Experience, Friday, November 22, at 7pm, in Krehbiel Auditorium in the Luyken Fine Arts Center on the Bethel campus. The worship experience will feature the Urban Doxology worship band. For more information, see urbandoxology.com. The event is part of the biennial Worship and the Arts Symposiumat the college, which this year is “Many Cultures, One Worship: A Foretaste of a Reconciled Heaven in a Broken World.” Registration for the symposium is required, but not for the Friday evening event, where a freewill offering will be received for Harvest of Love through the Newton Ministerial Alliance and the Newton Community for Racial Justice.
WDC Sprouts announcement guidelines: Announcements pertain to Western District Conference (WDC) ministries and churches, institutions with which WDC has formal relationships, and Mennonite Church USA agencies and ministries.
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