Sprouts, December 10, 2013

WESTERN DISTRICT CONFERENCE

SPROUTS

December 10, 2013

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)

Hope Mennonite Church, Wichita, KS – Pastor

Kingman Mennonite Church, KS – Youth Pastor (1/2 time)

News and Transitions

Gail Graber, Associate Pastor of Visitation at Eden Mennonite Church in Moundridge, KS, has resigned effective December 31.  Gail will be continuing and expanding her role as chaplain at Bethesda Home in Goessel, KS.

Rachel Siemens has been called to be the pastor at Faith Mennonite Church, Newton, KS, beginning March 1, 2014.

Our sympathy to Cynthia and Roger Neufeld Smith, Pastors at Southern Hills Mennonite Church in Topeka, KS, upon the death of Cynthia’s mother, LaVera Neufeld, in Bluffton, OH on December 1.
WDC Announcements

1.  Pastors and worship planners save the date: Saturday morning January 18, 9:30-11:30, at Tabor Mennonite Church, Newton, KS – Lent and Easter worship planning!  Call WDC at 316-283-6300 to reserve your spot.

2.  First Camp Schedule Change–Whoops!  Sorry, folks.  Camp Mennoscah is making a change to the 2014 summer youth schedule.  Our First Camp for those going into 3rd and 4th grades in the fall of 2014 is now scheduled for July 10-12, 2014.  (It was previously in June.)  Check and change your calendars, alert your friends, and send us a good nose-thumbing for our hasty declaration of the schedule.  Contact us at 620-297-3290 with questions.

3.  Finished your holiday preparations?  Great!  That means that you can look ahead to the spring and register for one of Camp Mennoscah’s Scrapbooking Retreats.  The preregistration forms for the 2014 March Scrapbooking Retreats are available at http://campmennoscah.org/camp-retreats/  Just a cautionary statement–last year these retreats filled up.  Contact us at campmno@mennowdc.org with any questions.

4.  Camp Mennoscah sweatshirts, mugs, and other souvenirs available!  It’s just the right temperature to snuggle up with your Camp Mennoscah mug in your Camp Mennoscah sweatshirt (with camp tee underneath) while munching on your favorite Camp Mennonite treat!  We know you know how to get Camp Mennoscah souvenirs during the summer, but did you know that you could get them in the winter, too?  Yep.  Just call us at 620-297-3290.

5.  “Five Times Harder,” the family music ensemble featuring Tom and Lois Harder and their three daughters, will perform their annual Christmas Concert at the Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church in Wichita, KS, on Sunday December 22 at 4:00 p.m.  Their program will feature an eclectic mix of Christmas favorites in bluegrass, folk, classical, and jazz styles.  A free-will offering will be collected to benefit the work of Christian Peacemaker Teams.

6.  The WDC office will be closed December 24 through January 1.