VBS Staff Orientation: Vacation Bible School is just around the corner! Staff orientation will take place on May 11 at 7pm in the Fellowship Hall. There are still a few opportunities open to help with VBS. See Sarahanne Unruh or Eunice Nickel for more information or if you would like to be a prayer partner. Thanks to all who are helping this year!
Children’s Church Banks: Children who would like to turn in their church bank to the Financial Task Force are welcome to leave them with a member of the committee or in the Fellowship Hall next to the Lego church building where the children gather before Faith Formation.
Kansas MCC Annual Relief Sale Dinner:
Your Help is Welcome!! The Financial Task Force is hosting the MCC Relief Sale Dinner on May 19 here at Tabor as a fund raiser for the fellowship hall addition. Anyone who would like to help with this event is welcome to sign up on the bulletin board in the coming weeks. We will need servers, table decorators, dish washers, and general help all around. We are also seeking funds to help offset the food costs so that as much of the fund raiser as possible goes towards the project. If you are interested in helping with a monetary donation, please contact a member of the FTF committee.
Thank you to everyone who helped make the 48th Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale a huge success! You are all invited to celebrate this success at the KMRS annual meeting. On behalf of MCC, Maynard Knepp will be presented with a check from the proceeds of the sale. Date: Thursday, May 19, 6:30 pm at Tabor Mennonite Church. The meal is $15 a plate payable at the door. Please RSVP to Kristin and Archie Schmidt or Leann and Jerry Toews by May 16 if you plan to attend.
The Tabor Food Pantry is running low on a number of items: cereal, oatmeal, mac ‘n cheese, Hamburger Helper / boxed meals, ramen noodles, canned meats, spaghetti sauce, pancake mix, cake mixes, peanut butter, jelly, ketchup, mustard, laundry soap, dish soap. Any non perishable food donations are welcome. Thank you for your continued support of the Food Pantry!
For information on Pastor Phil’s upcoming sabbatical please see Ron Schroeder’s article in the April newsletter.
Conference Announcements
Prayer Requests:
« Western District Conference: Today is Eastern Orthodox Easter! Pray for WDC congregations as they foster relationships of grace and peace with other communities of faith, in the spirit of the Risen Christ.
« Mennonite Mission Network: Praise God for the Sister Care ministry of Mennonite Women and its partnership with Mennonite Mission Network in offering hope around the world. Pray for Noëlie Bananzaro, Nancy Frey and Claire Traoré from Burkina Faso, as they share what they learned in Sister Care sessions last month in Kenya.
« Mennonite Education Agency: Pray for Hesston College students as they prepare for and take their final exams. Pray that God would give them peace of mind and the strength they need to finish the school year strong.
Mennonite Central Committee:
—SWAP needs summer staff! Summer will be here before we know it, and Mennonite Central Committee’s Sharing With Appalachian People (SWAP) program is seeking summer staff for three month assignments in Kentucky and West Virginia. Job site coordinators utilize volunteer labor to accomplish quality home remodels/repairs, while meals coordinators plan balanced, nutritional meals for volunteers. Summer staff are a critical component of SWAP’s successful ministry, as they help facilitate the weekly SWAP service groups working on housing repair for low-income persons. Summer staff vary in age from 19 to 70+, and they receive meals, lodging and a weekly stipend for their service. For more information go to swap.mcc.org or call Angela at 606-633-5065.
—MCC Workroom Update! Thank you for your generous response to our recent request for kits supplies. We still have a number of school and infant kits to complete. We welcome your time to come and fellowship and assemble the kits along with donated items to complete them. As of now, we need gowns/sleepers (flannel or similar warm, soft material) size 3-9 months for the Infant Care Kits and colored pencils (pack of 12) for the School Kits. A friendly reminder we do not need toothpaste for any of the relief kits. Please come on your own or bring a group. You can let us know of your attendance by calling 316.283.2720. See you soon!
—Mennonite Voluntary Service is accepting applications for the 2016-2017 year! Opportunities to serve and live in community with others are still open in a variety of placements and locations, including teaching in Puerto Rico. Ages 20+ can apply at MennoniteMission.net/Serve, or contact
NeilR for inquiries.
Mennonite Central Committee and WillowSpring Downs are hosting two events the weekend of June 11-12.
-June 11, 1-5 p.m. Fun on the Farm: In the tradition of Day on the Farm, but different, Fun on the Farm features interaction with animals, relays, snacks, games, nature scavenger hunt, obstacle course, stick horse race, rides, and crafts for children of all ages. Come at 1:00 for all the fun, and you just might learn a little bit about MCC’s work around the world in the process! Admission is free. In case of rain, call 620-386-0709 or 620-367-8432 for updates.
-June 12, 5-8 p.m. Song on the Law: This year’s mini-music festival features the Book of JEBB, Cottonwood River Band, Newton Men’s Quarter, Senior Jammers, and Elaine Unruh/Emil Schmidt and Friends. Meal catered by Keith Banman. Bring your lawn chairs, table service, friends and family. Admission is free, donations accepted for MCC. In case of rain, event will be at Goessel Elementary School. Call 620-386-0709 or 620-367-8432 for updates.
Directions to WillowSpring Downs for both events: From Goessel: 3 miles north on Hwy K-15, 4 miles east on 150th, ¾ north on Falcon.
Camp Mennoscah Retreats and Opportunities:
—Thank you to all who attended the Kitchen/Dining Hall Renovation Fundraiser at Camp Mennoscah! Book of JEBB graced us with wonderful music and their own camp memories, and the meal was superb! Your generous gifts bring us $9331 closer to reaching the estimated $200,000 needed. A painting of the camp drive by Virgil Penner is up for grabs, too. Be the first to donate $25,000 or more, and it’s yours!
—Camp Mennoscah has all sorts of space for you to Bring a Friend! Both you as a returning camper and your first-time friend attending the same camp get a free camp tee shirt. It’s a great way to share Camp Mennoscah with your friends–a bit of the river, a bit of singing, a few friendship bracelets, and a whole lot of faith and fun! Our summer theme is Fearless Faith: Courage in Community. Contact us at 620-297-3290 or register online. Scholarships still available!
For all of the above: Online at www.campmennoscah.org
Telephone: office.
For more information contact olivia.bartel.
Bethel College:
—Sun., May 1 – KIPCOR Film Series wraps up with The Waiting Room, 3 p.m., Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center at Bethel College. Talk-back session with Dr. Ted Cook, medical director of the emergency department at Newton Medical Center.
—Sun., May 8 – Masterworks Concert, 3 p.m., featuring Te Deum by Bruckner and Choral Fantasy by Beethoven, along with presentation of the second Goering Music Award, Memorial Hall at Bethel College; tickets at Thresher Shop in Schultz Student Center, or at the door
—Sat. May 14 – Woven concert, 7 p.m., Memorial Hall at Bethel College
The Dyck Arboretum of the Plains, Hesston, will host a “pop-up concert” featuring “chamber-grass” sister band, SHEL. on Thursday, May 5 at 7 p.m. The concert will take place in the Prairie Pavilion at the Arboretum overlooking the lake. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Join us for an evening of great music in a prairie garden setting. Tickets: $20 adults/$10 kids, may be purchased at the door. Call 620-327-8127 to reserve your seats.
The Harvey County Homeless Shelter is taking applications for the position of volunteer coordinator/bookkeeper. This is a full-time position. For more information or to submit resumes, email: james. Applications can be picked up at the shelter.
May 1 announcements
