Notes of Thanks
We would like to thank everyone who joined us for the Community Thanksgiving Meal on Nov. 12. Attendance was near 425 and the largest ever in the five years we have gathered together. Much gratitude for all the food and monetary donations for the meal. A special “thank you” to the Food Planning Team: Keith and Barb Banman, Lynette Duerksen, Linda Peters, Kim Voth and Becky Wedel. We enjoyed beautiful decorations provided by Tabor Mennonite Church. We are so grateful for all who set up tables, served the meal and helped clean up afterward. Wonderful things happen when we all work together! Donations received for the ongoing care and support of our community was $2,439.05. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Thank you so much! ~ Goessel Ministerial Alliance
Congregational Announcements
Christmas in Ecuador: The program that Karina Brandt is working with this year in Ecuador is hoping to receive some financial donations to go toward the purchase of toys for children of refugee families and other children connected to the local church. Please consider giving money for this purpose during one of our special offerings that will be collected on Sunday mornings, November 12, 19, and 26. Make checks payable to Tabor Mennonite Church, with Ecuador on the memo line, and place in the Christmas gift bags during the offering.
Tabor Thanksgiving Meal and Service: Plan to join us on Wednesday evening, November 22 for a Thanksgiving meal provided by the Reception Committee followed by a Thanksgiving service in which we will share and sing heart songs and receive a special offering to support our Mennonite Mission Network Mission Partners, Dan and Kathryn, John-Clair, and Jacob Smith Derksen. (Please make checks payable to Tabor Mennonite Church with ‘mission partners’ on the memo line). The meal will be in the Fellowship hall beginning at 5:45 p.m. and the service will be up in the sanctuary following the meal. Everyone is welcome!
A coffee bar is coming to church on Sunday, November 26 between worship and faith formation. In addition to offering coffee, we will have some non-coffee drinks and baked goods for sale. Proceeds from the coffee bar will go towards the building fund. Please bring your own mug and come check it out!
Is Nun Ist Sie Erschienen one of your heart songs? If yes, and if you are willing to share briefly about it during church on a Sunday morning in December, please let Pastor Phil and Pastor Katherine know! We would like to have at least one person share about this hymn each Sunday of Advent before we sing it together. Also, if you have other Advent or Christmas heart songs, please fill out another heart song sheet and return to Pastor Katherine’s church mailbox or simply send her an email. Thanks!
Parsonage Open House: Come join us at the church parsonage on December 3 anytime between 3:30 and 5:30pm. There will be snacks, drinks, and plenty of good fellowship. We look forward to seeing you then! ~Phil, Mary, Ethan, Noah, and Doodle
You are invited to come out to a Christmas Hymn Sing at Tabor on December 3 at 6:30 p.m. Please bring cookies for the social to follow.
The Tabor Trading Post is Back! Some of you will create something wonderful to sell, and hopefully all of you will come buy! (Think Christmas). The Trading Post will be open for business Sunday, Dec. 3 after church, and then after Cynthia’s piano recital and during the parsonage open house. Sellers collect the money for their products and then give a minimum of 50% to the building fund. Contact Carol Duerksen if you will be participating as a seller and if you have questions.
Are you looking for delicious dessert options for your Sunday meals or to satisfy your sweet tooth? If so, the Tabor Mennonite Youth Group will be selling homemade desserts on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of every month to help raise money for our summer service trip to Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp in 2018. Suggested donations for the desserts are $10. Thank you, as always, for your support, prayers, and encouragement for our youth group!
Night in the Barn: Please note that TMYF will be taking a year off from Night in the Barn this year due to poor weather and attendance last year as well as the busyness of the season. If you have questions or concerns about this, please speak with Pastor Katherine. We will then reevaluate and seek to discern whether or not to host this event in 2018.
Our "Getting to Know Each Other" project has been extended until the end of November, so please join the 20 people who have already shared a little bit about themselves. When we put the booklet together, we will give copies to those who sent in responses or others who request it, and there will be another copy in the library available for everyone to read. You received a list of questions regarding this project. When you’ve completed your answers, return them to Diana Schmidt’s mailbox (or email to her at jd77schmidt).
Rejoice is a daily devotional made available by our Christian Ed Commission to anyone who would like one. Dec.– Feb. issue is now available on the table in the foyer or on north mailbox shelf. Please feel free to take one for your personal use.
Please Help: A Meal Train website has been set up for the Ben Davis family. Ben is a young father diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer. He and his wife have four children in the Goessel schools. Tabor is encouraged to sign up for at least 3 meals: https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/98omlo
Conference Announcements
Prayer Requests:
« Western District Conference: Pray that gratitude, wisdom and generosity would flow through WDC and its congregations, helping us to be faithful stewards of the spiritual gifts and financial resources God has entrusted to us.
« Mennonite Mission Network: Robin Gingerich of MMN has added helping Middle Eastern students adapt to life at LCC International University in Lithuania to her administrative and teaching load. Pray for Robin and the students as they study STAR (Strategies for Trauma, Awareness and Resilience) – English-learning through a curriculum of emotional healing.
« Mennonite Education Agency: Pray for Goshen College students, especially those who will celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday far away from their families.
Discovery: A Comic Lament: On November 19 at 7 pm, Faith Mennonite Church, Newton, KS, in partnership with Western District Conference, MCC Central States, and Bethel College, is sponsoring the Kansas premier production of "Discovery: A Comic Lament" produced by Ted & Co. TheaterWorks. The production will take place in Krehbiel Auditorium on Bethel College Campus. Tickets are $10.
Register now for the Year of Evangelism Kick Off: Anabaptist Witness, January 19-20, 2018. Reconnect ancient spiritual practices, social justice, and authentic Anabaptist evangelism for today. You’ll find a poster, schedule and online registration about this exciting workshop for church groups and individuals at: http://mennowdc.org/year-of-evangelism/.
Camp Mennoscah:
—Christmas Gathering at Camp Mennoscah! December 16 at 2:30pm-ish for conversation, games (indoor or outdoor), and cookies!
—We need your help! Camp Mennoscah is seeking volunteers to help prepare the kitchen for renovations beginning Saturday, December 2, and continuing Mon.-Sat. Dec. 4-9 until the kitchen is completely gutted. Both women and men are welcome to come out and help, and we will have a variety of tasks to complete. All work will be inside, so don’t worry about cold temperatures! If you wish to volunteer multiple days, that’s great! We can arrange lodging and meals for you. Carpooling to camp may be available on some or all of the days. If you have questions or are interested in volunteering, please contact Jim Yoder at jdyoder, or Camp Mennoscah. Bring a friend, or bring multiple friends! Thank you for considering this opportunity!
Information for all events at Camp Mennoscah or to register:
Online at www.campmennoscah.org
Telephone: 620-297-3290.
Email: office.
Contact: olivia.bartel.
Spread cozy, colorful warmth around the world! All you have to do is tie knots! Mennonite Central Committee has a generous number of comforter tops, and now we need your help tying them! MCC has paired tops and backs that are ready to be tied, and we are inviting you or your church group to pick some up (or we can ship them to you)! If you are interested, please either stop by the MCC Material Resources Center in N. Newton, or contact Kate Mast at katemast, or 316-283-2720. We ask that you provide the batting and the crochet tying thread if possible. Thank you in advance for helping to spread warmth and love to our brothers and sisters around the world!
Many people do their Christmas shopping at the Newton Et Cetera Shop! Please bring us your clean, gently-used toys, shoes, jewelry and children’s coats. Your donated items might end up as cherished gifts under someone’s Christmas tree! Support MCC Thrift Shops because you care . . . about your family, your community, and beyond. Thank you!
Ten Thousand Village/Fair Trade International Gift Festival is coming to Newton at the Mezzanine above Prairie Harvest, 601 N Main. It will be open on
November 24-25, December 1-3, 8-10, 15-17. Hours on Fridays and Saturdays: 10 am-5 pm. Hours on Sundays: 1-4 pm.
Hesston College—Are you looking to do "something different" this holiday season? Consider opening your heart and home to an International Student! Hesston College has several students from other countries who need someplace to stay when the dorms are closed for Christmas break. This is a fun way to get to know international student(s) who are part of the Hesston College family…and to share your holiday traditions with them. Host families are needed from Dec. 15 through Jan. 9. Even if your family is only available part of the time, you may still be able to help. Contact Carlota Ponds, Director of International Student Support, at carlota.ponds.
Bethel College:
—TODAY (Sun., Nov. 19) – Mid-Kansas Jazz Ensemble and Bethel College Jazz Combo I in concert, 4:30 p.m., featuring guest artists and student compositions, Memorial Hall
—“Jerry Holsopple: 7×7: Lament for an Age of Sexualized Power” is in the Regier Art Gallery in Luyken Fine Arts Center through Dec. 7; hours: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun., 2-4 p.m.; closed Nov. 22-24 and Nov. 26 for Thanksgiving break
—Sat., Dec. 2 – Five Places of Christmas, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Bethel College Women’s Association offers the rare chance to see the decorated main floor of Goerz House, traditionally the president’s residence, with baked goods, home-made candy (by the pound) and Bethel gift items for sale. Kauffman Museum offers free admission (including the special exhibit “Voices of Conscience: Peace Witness in the Great War”), refreshments, sale items in the museum store, and Karen Bauman Schlabaugh playing Christmas music at 3 p.m. on the historic Teschemacher-Deknatel-van der Smissen parlor organ.
Bethel College Women’s Association is hosting “5 Places of Christmas” at the historic Goerz House in North Newton on Dec. 2, and has an urgent need for donations of baked items. These may be dropped off at Goerz House, 2512 College Ave., Sat., Dec. 2, before 10 a.m. All proceeds from the bake sale are used to benefit Bethel College students, faculty and staff. Questions: contact Cindy Erb, cindy.l.erb.
Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp’s 2018 camps and retreats are now open to register online! Log in to RMMC’s registration page (rmmc.campbrainregistration.com) to register for: Summer Youth Camps, Family Camps, Junior High Snow Camp, Senior High Snow Camp, Young Adult Snow Camp, Men’s Retreat, Quilters Retreats, Work & Play Retreats. For the summer Wilderness and Resident Youth Camps, remember to take advantage of the “Better” (register before May 15) and “Best” rates (register before March 1st). Registration for all programs will stay open until the week prior to each camp. Hope to see you at RMMC soon!
