Congregational Announcements
Adult Bible Study: Join us on Wednesday evenings beginning on January 25 to study the Minor Prophets together! Come for the fellowship meal at 5:45 pm or just come to Bible study beginning at 6:45 pm. I hope to see you there and I look forward to how God will inspire us and challenge us through this study! ~Pastor Phil
Last Call for Directory Updates: Please submit updated contact information and any other updates and changes for the Tabor Church Directory this week. Email: kfunk, call 367-2318 or leave a note in the secretary mailbox.
Tabor Wellness: Thank you to all those who participated in the 2016 wellness challenges! We had 40 people who participated in at least one challenge and 10 who participated in 3 or more. In the “Tabor Goes Mobile” year long challenge our participants logged over 11,000 miles with Kristin Schmidt, Carol Duerksen, and Katy Schmidt earning the most miles. We look forward to another fun year in 2017 and hope you’ll join us!
Thank you for your generous donations to the Tabor Food Pantry this past year. The food pantry continues to be a source of hope for families who may be struggling financially. The Tabor Food Pantry has seen an increase in use recently. Supplies are running low and your donations of any non perishable items would be welcome. Especially needed: Cereal, peanut butter, applesauce and canned fruit, spaghetti and pasta, spaghetti sauce, boxed meals (like Hamburger Helper), pancake mix, canned tomatoes, laundry soap and paper bags. Monetary donations are also appreciated. Thank you for your continued support of the food pantry.
Commit a radical act of love this Valentine’s Day! Offender Victim Ministries (OVM)
is providing two opportunities to show kindness to inmates at Hutchinson Correctional Facility (HCF) in the spirit of Valentine’s Day and Jesus’ way of compassion:
1) They will be hosting Valentine’s Day letter writing events to send encouragement to HCF Inmates on Monday, February 13 and Tuesday, February 14.
2) In the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, OVM is inviting churches to support the work of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in reaching out to prisoners by collecting Men’s Prisoner Care Kits. A shopping list for these kits is listed below. We invite you to purchase the items for one or more kits and place them in the collection basket in the foyer between Sunday, January 22 and Sunday, February 12.
1 pair white underwear (briefs), 1 bottle lotion (max. 2 oz.), 1 bar soap (min. 4 oz.), 1 tube toothpaste (min. 6 oz.), 1 deodorant, alcohol free (min. 2.25 oz.), 1 pair white crew socks, 1 white crewneck undershirt
Please choose men’s L or XL and buy all clothing in chosen size, new items only.
Attention Young Adults! There will be an Area Wide PC-PF (Post College- Pre Family) Potluck and Game Night on Saturday, February 4 at 6:00 pm at Tabor Mennonite Church. This group is designed for young adults in similar life stages to socialize together. Please bring table service, a dish to share, and games to play. Drinks will be provided. If you have questions, please contact Kristin Unruh at kristin.unruh. We hope to see you there!
Faith Formation on February 5:
In two weeks, our Sunday morning worship service will focus on Sexual abuse and the scripture passage from 2 Samuel 13, the story of the rape of Tamar. Parents, you are invited to use your discretion on whether or not this would be appropriate for your children. There are alternate activities being planned by the Christian Education team. Children may go to the fellowship hall following the children’s story for these activities.
This service will also include a time of anointing for healing and deliverance. Pastors Phil, Rosie and Katherine will be available following the service to anyone who would like to visit more personally, and are always available for counseling by appointment. May God grant comfort and healing to all who suffer.
Faith Formation: Classes for children will meet as usual.
All adults are invited and encouraged to meet in the sanctuary with Kathy Wiens. Her presentation is titled, “Wisdom of the Wounded.” Kathy is an author, speaker and survivor of childhood sexual abuse & neglect. She has her degree in clinical counseling and lives in Newton.
Hesston College’s 2017 Anabaptist Vision and Discipleship Series, Feb. 17 to 19. The theme, When the Unthinkable Happens, will address a congregational and community response of dealing with trauma in its many forms. Visit hesston.edu/avds to see a full weekend schedule. If you are interested in attending, please sign up on the bulletin board by February 8 and submit a $25 check payable to Tabor Mennonite Church with AVDS in the memo. Tabor will pay the remaining $50 of the registration fee. We hope you can join in this important conference! (If you are interested in attending the bonus STAR-Lite Training on February 20, we encourage you to register for this on your own at hesston.edu/avds.)
Save the Date! We are excited to announce that Bryan Moyer Suderman (http://www.smalltallministries.com/) will be with us April 21-23 to lead community Bible Study sessions on Friday/Saturday, to provide a community concert for all ages, and to lead worship at Tabor on Sunday morning! If you haven’t heard Bryan’s music, be sure to check it out. This event will be hosted at Tabor and is sponsored by the Goessel Ministerial Alliance. Save the dates and plan to join us for this fun and enriching opportunity to study scripture, worship, and fellowship together! More information to come.
Tabor Mennonite Youth Fellowship is going to Orlando to attend the Mennonite Church USA Convention this summer! We have appreciated the support of this congregation and for the many ways that you support and encourage our youth group! Because of the costs of traveling to Orlando, we are trying a new fundraising idea this year (in addition to Night in the Barn and serving a congregational meal). Beside the Youth Room is a wall full of envelopes, each with a monetary value given to it from $1 to $100. If you would like to help us in our fundraising efforts, you are welcome to take any envelope and put in a donation for the amount printed on the envelope (For example, if you take 42, you would put $42 in the envelope). Then please put the envelope in Pastor Katherine’s mailbox or Phil and Sarahanne Unruh’s mailbox.
If you are able to give a little bit, wonderful! Every bit helps! If you are able to give a larger amount, wonderful! Every amount is appreciated! And all donations that exceed the cost of Convention will go towards the Tabor Building Fund. Thank you again for your generosity, your prayers, and your support!
Mennonite Church USA Convention in Orlando: Are you interested in attending the Orlando convention (July 4-8) as a Tabor delegate? If yes, please talk to one of the pastors soon.
The Mennonite Heritage and Agricultural Museum Annual Meeting is this Sunday afternoon, January 22, at 2:30 p.m. in the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church Fellowship Hall. Following a short business meeting, Rod Ratzlaff, Alexanderwohl native, will be speaking on “Children of Przechowka: The Low German Mennonites of 19th Century Volhynia.” Rod has been researching this topic for nearly 20 years to find his family roots All are invited to attend the program and the traditional faspa which will follow.
Please check your church mailbox for a flyer with ways to support the Museum this year.
Kansas Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) ~ Sale April 7 & 8
—Please put your pre-sale expense checks in Jerry and Leann Toews, Archie and Kris Schmidt or Eric Litwiller’s mailbox. Thanks for your help.
—Tabor Children will start the Coin Offering next Sunday. Please come prepared to help along.
—Here are a few ways your MCC dollars help hungry families: $45 buys one goat; $10 buys a rabbit or chicken; $150 buys a beehive full of bees; $15 provides garden training. These are ways that MCC teaches folks to sustain themselves.
—Wanted: Cars, trucks, tractors, farm equipment (old & new) and large items of value for the KS MCC Sale. These are tax deductible that can benefit you as well as MCC. Please consider donating these items to the sale. We take your donations seriously and will make every effort to help them bring a good price. Call Jerry Toews 620-367-8257 for more information.
Conference Announcements
Prayer Requests:
« Western District Conference: Pray for junior high youth gathering next weekend for Know Jesus, a retreat sponsored by the joint WDC and South Central Conference Youth Ministry Committee, hosted at Hesston College.
« Mennonite Mission Network: JCS International, the consortium of mission agencies through which Mennonite Mission Network serves in Mongolia, requests prayer for “the many families in our fellowships and communities who are struggling to keep their homes warm in the cold weather this winter.”
« Mennonite Education Agency: Mennonite Early Childhood Network World Fellowship Day falls on the Sunday nearest January 21. On that date in 1525, the first Anabaptist baptisms took place in Zurich, Switzerland. Pray as adults remember their worldwide koinonia, that they give thanks for God’s all-inclusive family. Pray for grace to accept and respect unconditionally each child as one of God’s own. In doing so, pray that as adults guide children to befriend those who look and dress differently, those who speak and act differently, those who irritate and mistreat others, that they learn to live as the family of God.
Western District Announcements:
—What’s So Funny About Money? Sunday, February 19, 7 pm at the McPherson (KS) Opera House – Why is it hard to talk about finances? How do our finances mesh with our faith? Is the banjo really necessary for the show? The public is invited to this Ted and Company show. Cost? By donation to benefit the WDC Matching Fund, assisting pastors with financial challenges. Sponsored by Everence. Invite your friends!
—Camp Mennoscah is a great place to spend your summer! And you, trusty college-age folks, are exactly who we are looking for. We need lifeguards, office assistants, music leaders, crafts leaders, naturalists, and grounds/maintenance folks for our summer staff. More information at campmennoscah.org/application
—Camp Mennoscah is having a Hymn Sing & Dessert Auction as a fundraiser for the new playground structure on Feb. 26 at 4pm at Eden Mennonite Church. A variety of desserts will be open for bidding as a silent auction. Don’t miss out on this chance for some sweet singing!
—Youth Volunteer Weekend! Youth in grades 7-12 are invited to head out to Camp Mennoscah on March 10-11, for a weekend of service, worship, and fun. We have counselors to help with activities. Online registration and more information at campmennoscah.org or contact us at 620-297-3290. Scholarships available.
— Scrapbook and Crafts Retreats March 3-5 and March 17-19. Register online at campmennoscah.org–we can’t wait to see you!
Coming this summer: MennoTalks! A new feature for the Mennonite Church USA Convention 2017, the talks will feature 20 slides for 20 seconds each in a fast-paced presentation on topics such as “Celebrating Women,” “Race, Religion and Justice” and “Global and Local Peacemaking”. Come to Orlando July 4-7 to experience this and much more. For additional information visit: http://convention.mennoniteusa.org/mennotalks/.
Webinar to address financial needs of women: Everence Financial will present an informational webinar on the topic of Women and Money Thursday, Feb. 2, from noon to 12:30 p.m. Designed to address the distinctive financial needs of women, the presentation will include information on saving and investing for the future (including retirement) and getting started on a sound financial plan. The information will be presented by Andrea Bontrager Unzicker, Managing Director for Everence Financial Advisors in Central Kansas. To register, go to
everence.com/kansas or contact Darlene Buller at
darlene.buller.
Bethel College: Sat., Jan. 28 – Kauffman Museum marks the 150th anniversary of the Chisholm Trail with its Kansas Day celebration: 11 a.m., Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center; 1-4 p.m., special activities in and around the museum.
Hesston College is hosting a new fine arts series – the Andover Organ Series – which will bring four talented organists to south central Kansas in three concerts to perform on Hesston Mennonite Church’s Andover pipe organ during the spring 2017 semester. The first concert is at 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 31, and will feature Emmanuel Arakélian of Paris, France. The concert is free and open to the public, and a reception will follow.
Jan 22 announcements
