WESTERN DISTRICT CONFERENCE

SPROUTS

November 12, 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)

To support WDC ministries, contributions may be made HERE.

IN THIS ISSUE:

*Pastoral openings

*Pastoral news & transitions

*Announcements

Pastoral Openings

Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, Goessel, KS – Associate Pastor

Faith Mennonite Church, Newton, KS – Pastor

Southern Hills Mennonite Church, Topeka, KS – Pastor

Turpin Mennonite Church, Turpin, OK – Pastor

News and Transitions

Congratulations to Brett and Cassie Klingenberg upon the birth of their son, Jake William on November 10.  Brett is the Pastor at First Mennonite Church in Beatrice, NE.

Ann Showalter, retired pastor, died on November 6 in Newton, KS.

WDC announcements

  1. Every three years, First Mennonite Church in Newton presents Handel’s Messiahwith an 80 voice choir, orchestra and soloists. We can’t do this without help from community singers, so you are invited to join! Please consider this opportunity to sing. Rehearsals are Sundays, November 17, 24, December 1, and 8 from 1:30-3:00 pm in the First Mennonite Church Sanctuary, 429 E. 1st, Newton. Please bring your own Messiah book or purchase one for $15 at the first rehearsal.  Dress rehearsal is on Saturday, December 14 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and the presentation is on Sunday, December 15 at 7:00 pm.  Questions?  Please contact Matthew Graber at 605-310-1656 or email mgraber2013@gmail.com.
  1. WDC Leadership Lunches continue.  Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the next Leadership Lunch will be on Thursday, November 21.  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 office from 12-1:30 pm on November 21 (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.
  1. Curious about the immigration situation in the United States?  Learn more with resources selected by WDC’s Immigration Task Force.  Click on the red link, or check out the display in the WDC Resource Library.  2517 N. Main in North Newton, KS.
  1. Policies and Practice:  If your congregation is updating your child, youth, and adult safety (“Safe Sanctuaries”) policy and/or wants an updated safety training or Circle of Grace orientation, contact WDC Associate Conference Minister Kathy Neufeld Dunn (kathynd@mennowdc.org or 316-283-6300).  She keeps current on sexual abuse prevention and response and is happy to help congregations do so, too, on paper or in-person.
  1. Shine Curriculum webinars:  Amanda Bleichty, Central Plains Mennonite Conference, is hosting a Shine curriculum webinar and we are invited!  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.
  1. Mennonite Church of the Servant, Wichita, invites you to join us for a special, yet simple, Jazz Thanksgiving worship service, Sunday, November 24, at 10am. Scripture reading will be interspersed with favorite songs and hymn lead in jazz and blues style in three movements: Thanks for what God has done: Prayers for God’s justice, mercy, and healing; and Looking forward to the Reign of Christ the King. Following the service pumpkin based (and pumpkin themed) snacks will be provided during a fellowship time.
  1. Shaping Faith in a Digital Culture is a joint conference between AMBS Pastors & Leaders Week and Deep Faith.  It’s all in four days, March 2-5, 2020 on AMBS campus, Elkhart, IN!  How do we recognize the gospel in our digitally-saturated culture?  How do we attend to faith formation in our congregations and communities?  Karen-Marie Yust, author of Real Kids, Real Faith, will be the keynote presenter.  The early bird discount ends December 2. Register at https://www.ambs.edu/lifelong-learning/pastors-and-leaders-register Do you want to carpool?  Please contact WDC at wdc@mennowdc.org or 316-283-6300.

Camp Mennoscah announcements

  1. Tap some shoulders and spread the news!  Camp Mennoscah is recruiting at Bethel and McPherson Colleges on Nov. 13 and 14 respectively.  Stop by, pick up information, and say hi!  A pizza gathering for all interested in summer staff positions will be Nov. 13 at 6:15pm at Papa John’s in Newton.  Response needed!  Please let us know you plan to come at olivia.bartel@campmennoscah.orgor 620-297-3290.
  1. Christmas for Volunteers!  Camp Mennoscah is hosting a gathering for all who have volunteered–this year, last year, or many years ago–on December 14 at 2:30pm.  We’ll have cookies and snacky items, hot drinks, games, and whatever reasonable activity you can think of–it’s a time to enjoy camp and other camp folks.

Mennonite church announcements

  1. There is still time to register for the biennial  Worship and the Arts Symposiumat Bethel College, November 21-22.  The deadline for registration has been extended to November 18.  This year the focus is “Many Cultures, One Worship: A Foretaste of a Reconciled Heaven in a Broken World.”    Special group rate for 3 or more persons registering from the same congregation.
  1. Join us on the Bethel College campus on Friday, November 22, at 7 pm for an Urban Doxology Worship Experience, created by musicians from Richmond, Virginia. This event is free and open to the public—a special invitation to youth groups to attend. There will be a freewill offering for Harvest of Love through the Newton Ministerial Alliance and the Newton Community for Racial Justice.  The event will take place in Krehbiel Auditorium in the Luyken Fine Arts Center on the Bethel campus. For more information, see urbandoxology.com.
  1. All bakers and craft makers are invited to make items for 5 Places of Christmas December 7, at Bethel College Fine Arts Center.  Bethel College Women’s Association will again be selling baked goods, and crafts and poinsettias. Christmas candy, zwieback, peppernuts, poppyseed roll and cinnamon rolls are always a great seller.  Please bring your items on Friday, December 6 from 1:30-4:30 pm or on Saturday from 7-8 am in the Fine Arts Center Room 140 which is behind the Box Office.  Thank you for your support of Bethel College!  Lori Regier for BCWA

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