WESTERN DISTRICT CONFERENCE
SPROUTS
March 4, 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:
*Pick My Brain
*Announcements
Pick My Brain – Lot’s-O-DVD’s
by Marlene Bogard, Minister of Christian Formation
Here is a sampling of the brand-new DVD’s that are now available for you and your congregation!
The Bible’ Buried Secrets (NOVA/PBS), 112 minutes. Dig deep into the origins of the Old Testament as this archeological detective story tackles some of the biggest questions in biblical studies.
How the Bible Came to Be (Gospel Communications), 55 minutes. A carefully documents presentation of the origins of both the Old and New Testaments, with photography from the Holy Land.
Jerusalem: Center of the World (PBS), 120 minutes. Covers a sweeping history of 4000 years, this film explores the founding of this city, the birth and convergence of the world’s three monotheistic religions.
The Jewish People: a story of survival ((PBS), 60 minutes. From slavery to loss of homeland; from exile to Holocaust, how do they endure?
The Christian Traveler (Reader’s Digest), 11 hours. This collection features some of of the “must see” sites of Jesus’ times and the journeys of Paul. Disc’s include: The Gates of Jerusalem; Journey through the Bible Lands; The Exodus Revealed; Where Jesus Walked; Helena, First Pilgrim to the Holy Land and The Apostle Paul.
From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians (Frontline/ PBS), 240 minutes. Tells the epic story of the rise of Christianity. Explore the life and death of Jesus, and the men and women whose belief, conviction, and martyrdom created the religion we now know as Christianity.
God in America: how religious liberty shaped America. (American Experience / PBS), 6 hours on three discs.
The Amish: Shunned. (American Experience / PBS) 120 minutes. Follows seven former members of the Amish community as they reflect on their decisions to leave their tightly knit communities.
All of these would be excellent for Small group, Sunday School, Mid-week as well as home viewing. Call or email to reserve! 316-283-6300 / crlib@mennowdc.org
WDC Announcements
1. Attention basketball players – This is your last chance to register for the 2014 WDC Basketball Tournament which will be held March 24-29 at Bethel College. Please register by tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5, after which it will be determined if there are enough teams to run a tournament. See all information at: www.mennowdc.org/calendar (click on Basketball Tournament). NEW THIS YEAR: register and pay online!
2. Pastors: You are invited to the premier roll out of resource materials “Growing in Ministry Journey,” for Pastor Mentors and Pastor Mentees who are licensed towards ordination or licensed to specific ministry. You may choose between two dates: Thursday, March 13, 3-5 pm or Thursday, April 10, 8:30-10:30 am at the WDC office. As much as possible, it would be desirable for mentor pairs to attend on the same date. In some cases only one of the pair might be able to attend. This is a first-ever meeting for mentors and mentees and the first time for providing resources that fit with the six pastoral competencies. To register, call 316-283-6300 or email wdc@mennowdc.org.
3. COMING April 25-27: Pastor/Spouse/Family Retreat at Camp Menoscah. See: www.mennowdc.org/calendar for all information and register by April 1! Register and pay online!
4. Palm Sunday Drama and Easter Children’s Feature. If you are using the Lent worship materials from The Leader, you may have noticed that there are NO dramas for Palm Sunday and Easter. Mike and Marlene Bogard put their heads together and have some ideas for you. Mike wrote a drama for Palm Sunday that continues with the same characters, and uses the technique of interview, as the reporters try to find out about the “bearded man.” Marlene offers an idea for using simple props each week during the drama that will serve as “prompts” for re-telling the story on Easter morning. Find this doc attached!
5. Bible Games available for loan! Here is what one extremely nice person donated to the Resource Library: a whole stack of Bible games! Guesstures (Bible edition); Bible Pictionary; Life of Christ Bible Game; Bible Categories; Bible Mystery events; Bible Charades; Match-It Bible ABC’s. Some are traditional board games, some are interactive group experiences. There are options for all ages!
With this much Bible loot, you might want to reserve the whole stack and have a Bible Games night at your church or retreat!
6. For the Busy Retiree! We know that when folks retire, they discover so many things to do–volunteering, fixing those things that have gone undone for years, cleaning out the attic. But you need a break. We know this. You’re so busy that you don’t feel retired. We invite you to spend time relaxing with us at Camp Mennoscah during our Retirees’ Relaxation Retreat, April 21-23. Our theme this year is “Little Drops of Water, Little Grains of Sand” and we’ll be looking at those little but significant things that change the world. Contact us at 620-297-3290 for more information. Come take a vacation from your retirement!
7. Adventures await! Camp Mennoscah is all scurry and flurry working to get things ready for our summer youth camps. It feels weird to say this while snow coats the ground, but we have absolute faith that by the first week of camp, no coats will be in sight. Grab those registration forms and send them in! Don’t forget that there is an online payment option! Check it out at www.campmennoscah.org!
Mennonite Church USA Announcements
1. PRESIDENTIAL BRUNCH – You are invited to join Sara Wenger Shenk, president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, for brunch and “The State and Update of AMBS” on Saturday, March 22, 9:00 – 11: a.m. at Faith Mennonite Church, Newton. Requires RSVP by March 10 to Marlene Faul at AMBS-Great Plains, mfaul@ambs.edu or 316-283-7098.
2. Shirley Hershey Showalter, author of Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets a Glittering World, will present three public programs locally. Sun., March 9, 3:30 pm, Kauffman Museum — “Finding Gold in Our Attics and Basements: How to Find, Use and Share the Artifacts that Prompt Our Stories. ” Mon., March 10, 11 am, Bethel College convocation in Krehbiel Auditorium. Mon., March 10, 7 pm, Schowalter Villa chapel — “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Memoir. ” For more information on these free programs, contact Rachel Pannabecker at Kauffman Museum (316-283-1612) or Wendy Miller at Schowalter Villa (620-327-3415).
3. FROM AMBS, Church Leadership Center, Elkhart, IN:
Believing Out Loud: Finding your Preaching Voice (face to face in Harleysville, PA)
Preaching Seminar: Thursday and Friday, May 1-2, and Friday, September 12
Dr. Allan Rudy-Froese, Get details and register by April 10
See all of our upcoming Church Leadership Center events
For more information contact: churchleadership@ambs.edu
574-296-6269
4. Join Mennonite Church USA Executive Director, Ervin R. Stutzman, as he presents information and reads from his most recent book “Jacob’s Choice” based on the true historical events of Ervin’s ancestor, Jacob Hochstetler, an Amish farmer whose family was attacked by Natives during the French and Indian War. Book signings/presentations are as follows and open to the public:
March 19, 12:00 – 1:00 pm Faith and Life Bookstore, Newton, KS
March 20, 7:00 pm Center Amish Mennonite Church in Hutchinson, KS
March 21, 7:00 pm Kidron-Bethel Village, North Newton, KS
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