WESTERN DISTRICT CONFERENCE
SPROUTS
December 11, 2018
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
*Pastoral news & transitions
*Announcements
Pastoral Openings
Bethel College Mennonite Church, North Newton, KS – Associate Pastor for Faith Formation
Mennonite Church of the Servant, Wichita, KS – Pastor
Peace Mennonite Church, Dallas, TX – Pastor
News and Transitions
The WDC Executive Board has certified a new WDC church plant – Iglesia Palabra Viva, located in Liberal, KS. Jaime Rocha is the church planter for this church.
Our sympathy to Damian Rodriguez, pastor at Iglesia Menonita Comunidad de Esperanza in Dallas, TX, upon the death of his mother on December 4 in Honduras.
WDC announcements
1. Take note! WDC credentialed persons needing to take Healthy Boundaries 101 training. This training will be offered as a “Leadership Clinic” on February 25, 2019, just prior to the beginning of AMBS Pastors and Leaders Week in Elkhart, IN. This Leadership Clinic meets the Healthy Boundaries training requirement for credentialed leaders in Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada. More information at: https://www.ambs.edu/lifelong-learning/leadership-clinics
2. Churches, please run this announcement in the bulletin 12/16: Come celebrate Christmas! The Resource Library is decked out in its Christmas finery. Come take a look and go home with a good book! (or DVD). There are stories for all ages, pictures to color, giant Advent posters, and scratch off ornaments to make. We will mail books and other Christmas fun to you! Just let us know. crlib@mennowdc.org We’re open 8am-5pm all week! (Closed December 24-January 1.) 2517 N. Main in North Newton, KS.
3, Don’t miss a great opportunity for adaptive leadership training in 2019! Grants are still available through WDC’s Leadership Transformation Grant from Kansas Leadership Center, to attend a training program at KLC in 2019. Program sessions are filling up fast, but space is still available in Your Leadership Edge (the introductory training) and Equip to Lead. (Lead for Change cohorts are full, with waiting lists). The grant pays full registration fee so this is a great deal! To learn more see https://kansasleadershipcenter.org, and the attached information page and WDC grant application form. Please pass this announcement on to leaders and members in your congregation who are interested in growing their leadership skills!
4. Borderlands Tour: WDC Immigration Task Force invites you to register for the May 6-11, 2019 MCC South Texas Borderlands Learning Tour. Go to https://mcc.org/get-involved/events/learning-tour-south-texas-borderlands to register. Cost: $650. For more information, please contact Kathy at 316-283-6300.
5. The WDC office and Conference Resource Library is open 8 am-5 pm through December 21, and will then be closed for Christmas & New Year’s break from December 24 through January 1.
6. A set of keys was found at First Mennonite Church in McPherson after the German dinner on December 1. You may call the church at 620-241-4040 to identify and claim.
Camp Mennoscah announcements
1. The Christmas Gathering for All Volunteers is almost here! All counselors, all cooks, all summer staff, all volunteers for the past 70 years are invited to dash away all to Camp Mennoscah for a time of sugar plums and cookies, conversation and games, and a white elephant gift exchange on December 15 at 2:30pm-ish. Meet at the Retreat Center; no registration required! Questions? Call 620-297-3290 or text 316-293-7313. Families are invited, too!
2. Camp Winter Wonderland Worship on Dec. 28 from 3-6pm! Join us for songs from evening worship at summer youth camps (praise and worship songs) at Camp Mennoscah in the Dining Hall. Enjoy classic *Sunday* camp sandwiches, hot chocolate, time by the campfire/fireplace, and the warmth that comes from being surrounded by friends at camp! Also, TP the Christmas tree! We’ll metaphorically TP our Christmas Tree with your donations of toilet paper or paper towels. Cash or checks for 4-square/gaga balls are welcome, too. RSVP to 620-297-3290 or office@campmennoscah.org by December 26 so we know how many sandwiches to fix–and tell us about any food allergies.
3. Camp Mennoscah is now accepting applicants for a quarter-time (10 hours/week) custodial position. The position starts January 2, 2019, and will remain open until filled. Contact Olivia at 620-297-3290 or olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.org for further information. (See also attached document.)
Mennonite church announcements
1. Looking for that next great adventure? Mennonite Central Committee SALT positions now available! Take chances. Make mistakes. Get messy. Be challenged. Learn some things. Teach some things. Spend a year living somewhere that you never dreamed you’d go… Serving and Learning Together (SALT) is a year-long, cross-cultural service experience. Through SALT, Christian young adults from Canada and the U.S. serve internationally in a wide variety of positions in fields like education, agriculture, health care, information technology, peace and more! Start now at salt.mcc.org, to find answers to frequently asked questions, assignment options and to apply, don’t delay the deadline to sign up is Feb. 15!
2. This Christmas, consider giving alternative gifts through Mennonite Central Committee! With 25 ways to give, you can find something for everyone in your family! Give chickens, provide hope, education, tools and new skills to help build up communities. These are gifts that easily fit under the tree and can fit within any budget, but have the power to bring joy for years to come! Visit mcc.org/christmas or call our office for details, 316.283.2720.
3. The Mennonite, Inc., invites your original submissions for our February 2019 print magazine issue and corresponding online content focusing on Transformation. More information at: https://themennonite.org/february-2019-call-submissions-transformation/
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