WESTERN DISTRICT CONFERENCE
SPROUTS
September 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)
Bethel College Mennonite Church, North Newton, KS – Interim Associate Pastor of Christian Formation (no CIF)
Faith Mennonite Church, Newton, KS – Lead Pastor
Kingman Mennonite Church, KS – Youth Pastor (1/2 time)
News and Transitions
Nathan Koontz will become the Associate Pastor at First Mennonite Church, Hutchinson, KS, on October 1.
WDC Announcements
1. TODAY is the deadline to register for the Michael Novelli event: The Art of Bible Storying. Call TODAY (WDC: 316-283-6300) and sign up yourself or three of your teachers… a good time will be had by all. Details: Faith Mennonite, Newton, KS, 3:00-6:30 pm Sunday September 15. Includes learning, fellowship, brownies and pizza. Such a deal! $10 per person / $25 per 10 persons coming from same church.
2. Joy Mennonite Church, Oklahoma City, is co-hosting an anti-racism event called “Becoming an Anti-Racist Community: First Steps” on Friday, October 4 from 7-9 pm at the Trinity Presbyterian Church, 2301 NE 23rd St, Oklahoma City. For more information, call Sadie Mast at 405-771-4743 or email paxchristiokc@gmail.com.
3. The Choir Director’s Roundtable, that was planned for this Saturday, September 14, is being POSTPONED.
4. Pulled Pork (and an Annual Meeting)! Camp Mennoscah Association’s 2013 Annual Meeting is September 22 and everyone is invited. Activities will begin at 3 pm with a gathering time, followed by a 4 pm business meeting and concert by Tom, Lois, and Anna Harder, and will conclude with a pulled pork meal and groundbreaking for the new bathhouses. Meat, buns, and drink provided. Please bring a side dish to share and table service. Donations accepted. Call 620-297-3290 for more information.
5. It’s Bushels of Fun! Work & Play Camp is a service-oriented camp for all ages! This fun retreat at Camp Mennoscah is September 15-18 and is for all folks of all skill levels and abilities. We have coffee breaks and do things like painting, cleaning, sewing, repairing, canoeing, and skydiving. (We’re kidding about the skydiving but we thought it might catch your attention.) Call us at 620-297-3290 for information or find the brochure online at www.campmennoscah.org No charge for this retreat; donations accepted. This is a great retreat, whether enjoyed for one day or all days!
6. Scrapbooking Retreats–This past spring our Scrapbooking Retreat at Camp Mennoscah was soooo full that we added a second retreat. We’re testing the waters to see if there is enough of a demand for two retreats this fall. The two retreat dates are November 1-3 and November 15-17. The brochure will soon be on our website at www.campmennoscah.org under Retreats. We can’t wait to fill these retreats to the fullest for hours of cropping fun! Call us at 620-297-3290 with questions.
Mennonite ChurchUSA Announcements
1. New People & New Hours – Mennonite Central Committee Central States has several new people to introduce to you! Michelle Armster is our new Transitional Executive Director. Michelle currently lives in Lancaster, PA and is Associate Pastor of Community Life at Blossom Hill Mennonite Church. She will move to Kansas and work from the North Newton office. Also in North Newton, Anna Yoder is Donor Relations Coordinator, Megan Upton-Tyner is Office Manager and Dan Stucky is Warehouse Coordinator (he works daily from 1-5pm). New Hours! The North Newton MCC Center is once again open Monday-Friday, 8am-12pm and 1pm-5pm. Please stop by and see us 121 E. 30th in North Newton or call 316-283-2720!
2. All Are Invited to Participate in the Loss of Turtle Island on Friday, September 27 at Shalom Mennonite Church in Newton, KS at 10am. The Loss of Turtle Island exercise provides an opportunity to interactively explore the historic relationship between Europeans, specifically Mennonites in the Central States region, and the Indigenous nations who inhabit the land we now call the United States of America. The exercise uses blankets to represent the lands of what is now known as the United States, and the distinct cultures and nations which live on those lands to this day. Following the exercise all who attend are welcome to stay for lunch with MCC Central States board and staff to learn more about MCC’s current work. Shalom Mennonite Church is located at 800 E. 1st St, Newton, KS 67114. Please RSVP for this event to Tina Schrag at tinaschrag@mcc.org or 316-283-2720.
3. The Bethel College Women’s Association Market on the Green Committee is asking for donations of ethnic foods, poppy seed rolls, zwiebach, homemade noodles, pies, and other baked goods and home grown produce for the Bethel College Fall Festival on Saturday, October 5. Please bring your items to the large tent on the north side of the green anytime Saturday morning after 7:30 a.m. Also available for sale will be gift items that include the NEW! Hot off the press, “A BC ABC Book”, a limerick book of Bethel life and lore with illustrations by alumni artists. This along with anniversary picnic baskets and T-shirts, pewter Christmas Tree ornaments, stadium seats, cookbooks, Lithuanian candle house replicas of Goerz House and the CD “Nights of Wonder”, which features music selections from previous BC Christmas Fests. Come start your Christmas shopping early!
4. “Mothering Mennonite” Symposium, Saturday, October 26, 8:30-3:30pm, Bethel College. Join us for a day of readings, presentations, conversations, and panel discussions on what it means to “mother” in a Mennonite context. Based on a new book of the same title (Demeter Press, 2013), this symposium brings together writers, historians, stay-at-home mothers, church workers, social activists, and professors from several Mennonite colleges. Topics will include Old Colony mothers, gender roles and stereotypes, mothers in the mission field, infertility, sexuality, step-mothering, and other-mothering. Cost for the day is $10, including lunch. Please pre-register by emailing mennomother@gmail.com by October 15.
5. From the AMBS Church Leadership Center – Please join us for:
Exploring Peace and Justice in the Bible (short course)
Online, non-credit, six weeks, $200
Perry B. Yoder
October 23-December 3
Reflect on peace and justice practice today through the study of Biblical passages. Focus on issues such as the relationship between peace and justice, how God acts for peace and justice and how we should act. Get details and register by October 2
Webinar: Congregational Finances and the Role of the Pastor
Beryl Jantzi and Terry Shue
Thursday, October 3, 10:00-11:30 a.m. EDT
This webinar will highlight money-related issues which impact pastors daily. Some congregations expect the pastor to engage at all levels and others try to separate the pastor as much as possible from the financial work of the church. The two presenters have extensive experience in pastoring, conference, denominational and agency-related involvement.
Get details and register by September 29
Webinar: Advent Planning
Rachel Miller Jacobs
Thursday, October 17, 7:30-8:45 p.m.
Participants will be introduced to the Advent theme, “O the Mystery of God’s Dwelling!” and the lectionary scriptures for the season. We will explore how to use and adapt worship resources published in Leader magazine, including suggestions for visuals, music, scripture presentations, sermons, and children’s worship. Get details and register by October 13
See all of our upcoming Church Leadership Center events!
For more information contact churchleadership@ambs.edu
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