Congregational Announcements
If you count the Mennonite Heritage & Agricultural Museum a blessing for our community, come join us for supper in the fellowship hall from 5:45 to 6:30 pm, Wednesday, November 28. You’ll enjoy good company, plus a meal of Menno Bros. Pizza, fresh tossed salad, and delicious cookies. We’ve received wonderful support for the Schroeder Barn restoration, slated to begin in November, but the general operating budget could use a boost to finish out the year well. All proceeds will benefit the museum; your contribution will be gratefully accepted.
Night in the Barn: Everyone is invited to attend and experience Night in the Barn at Papa’s Pumpkin Patch from 5 – 8pm during the first two weekends in December (Dec. 1 & 2 and Dec. 8 & 9). Come and interact with the characters, animals, sights, and sounds of the timeless tale. Enjoy this walking tour of the Nativity with family and friends. The suggested donation of $5 per person includes a hot drink and snack (part of the proceeds raised will go towards the Tabor Building Fund). Come and share in the wonder of the Christmas Story!
Christmas Piano Prelude: Plan to come to worship at 9am on Sunday, Dec. 2, when Jerry Toews will play Christmas hymns and carols.
Parsonage Open House: Everyone is invited to swing by the parsonage on Sunday, December 2 anytime between 3:30-5:30pm. We’ll have plenty of snacks and drinks to share, and look forward to good fellowship! ~Phil, Mary, Ethan, Noah, and Doodle
Tabor Mennonite Women, girls and guests: The annual Christmas Breakfast is on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 9:00 a.m. Please sign up by Dec. 2. Sign up sheet is on the bulletin board. Program is by JoAnn Nickel.
The Mennonite subscriptions: If you are interested in subscribing to The Mennonite at a reduced rate, please let Barb Abrahams know by next Sunday, December 2. The annual rate will be $39 if we have 3-5 subscribers, or $37 if we have 6-49 subscribers.
Library Remodel Update: Thanks to everyone for being patient with the Library remodel. The Library Committee is meeting for a few hours every week to sort, purge, dust, organize and replace the books to the shelves. This process is taking longer than we thought! The plan is to have the purged books available for purchase (by donation) at the Tabor Trading Post (December 9 & 16).
The Tabor Trading Post will be back on December 9 and 16 following Sunday morning Worship and Faith Formation. Bring your projects to sell and come purchase items to benefit the Tabor Building Fund. The Trading Post will be located in the fellowship hall. If you have questions, please ask Carol Duerksen.
Brass Christmas: Come join us at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church on Sunday, December 9 at 7pm for an evening filled with Christmas music! The evening will feature the McPherson Brass Choir under the direction of Jerry Toews along with the Elbiata Singers from Goessel High School under the direction of Braden Unruh. A freewill offering will be received to support the ministries of the Goessel ministerial Alliance. We hope to see you there.
Giving Tree: The Goessel Ministerial Alliance Christmas Giving Tree will be at the Citizen’s State Bank this year. Gift tags are available on the tree now and gifts will need to be at the bank by Dec.14. Thank you for using this opportunity to help make a child’s Christmas more joyful.
Instrument for Fellowship Hall: If you are a church accompanist or are interested in discussing what might be an ideal instrument (e.g. piano, keyboard, etc…) for the new Fellowship Hall, please join us in the Sanctuary on Sunday, January 6 during Faith Formation. If you have any questions, please contact a pastor.
Annual Report: Please begin thinking about submitting your report now. Fiscal year end reports are due in the church office (email preferred: kfunk) by the end of December. Directory Updates and changes to the church directory are also requested at this time.
Conference Announcements
Prayer Requests:
« Western District Conference: Give thanks for all the congregations of WDC, and the unique gifts and perspectives that each one brings to our conference.
« Mennonite Mission Network: Participants with Journey International, a MMN program, are serving in Benin and Ecuador. Pray for God’s love to flow through Requiyah Johnson, working with children at La Casa Grande, and for Maura Longenecker and Samantha Miller, working with refugees and children in Quito.
« Mennonite Education Agency: Give thanks for AMBS President Sara Wenger Shenk, who plans to retire at the end of June, and for how God has used and is using her leadership gifts, strengths, experience and expertise in carrying out AMBS’s mission. Pray for the Spirit’s guidance in this upcoming transition.
Giving Tuesday is November 27 – Western District Conference invites you to join this global giving initiative! Share a gift with WDC during this season, to help our congregations Witness & invite others to faith in Jesus Christ, Dwell in just & loving relationships, and Connect to God’s mission in the world. You may make an online contribution at http://mennowdc.org or send a check to Western District Conference, PO Box 306, N Newton, KS 67117. Thank you for your generosity!
Looking for a unique Christmas gift this year? Consider buying one of the resources on our wish list in honor of your loved one! The Resource Library is excited to partner with Faith & Life Bookstore for this project. Visit our list & purchase online OR visit the wishing tree in the store. All items purchased will be delivered to the library and added to the collection in January. http://faithandlifebookstore.net/wdc-resource-library-wish-list/
Virtual author "visit" at the Conference Resource Library on December 4. Hear from author Jacqueline Woodson as she shares her about new picture book "The Day You Begin" at 10:00 am and her novel "Harbor Me" at 12:00 pm. These presentations are geared for children and youth but everyone is welcome! 2517 N. Main in North Newton. (Newton area churches, please consider running this announcement on 11/25 and 12/2.)
MCC and WDC are co-sponsoring a Texas Borderlands Learning Tour May 5-10, 2019. The WDC Immigration Task Force encourages every congregation to send someone, and financially and spiritually support this individual.
Christmas Gathering for Volunteers of All Years! Volunteers of all sorts from all years are invited to come to Camp Mennoscah on December 15 at 2:30pm-ish for a time to have conversation and cookies! If you have been a summer staffer, a cook, a nurse, counselor, program staff, part of Work and Play Camp or a service day, this is you! In fact, if you think you might have volunteered, it’s you! We’ll provide cookies and hot drinks. Bring a gift for a white elephant exchange or watch the crazy unwrapping of who knows what. It’s both a celebration and a time of relaxation. Join us!
Looking to serve in a mentoring role to young adults? Service Adventure is seeking leaders for its unit location in beautiful Anchorage, Alaska. This is a unique opportunity to serve as a mentor and to foster community with a household of young adults through faith formation, daily living, and house activities. For more information, contact Susan Nisly at Mennonite Mission Network: susann.
Ten Thousand Village Fair Trade Gift Festival will be held at two locations in the Newton area for shorter time this year:
1) November 23-25 Prairie Harvest Mezzanine, 601 North Main, Newton. A variety of Fair Trade items will be sold from artisans around the world.
2) Saturday, December 1 ( 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) Kidron Bethel Marketplace, 3001 Ivy Drive, Newton. We will have Fair Trade coffee, tea chocolate along with Christmas Ornaments and small nativities.
Bethel College Women’s Association (BCWA) invites you to enjoy Five Places of Christmas to be held Dec. 1 from 10 am – 4 pm Located at Bethel College, Luyken Fine Art Center. BCWA’s theme is “Star of Bethlehem “. Children (and those young at heart) can make their own star ornaments. All can find homemade candies, peppernuts, baked goods, and handcrafted gifts. Other locations this year are Warkentine House, Carriage Factory Gallery, Kaufman Museum and the Harvey County Historical Society Museum and Archives. Please help with your presence and donations of baked goods, including peppernuts and candies. Donations can be delivered to Luyken Fine Art Center Friday, Nov. 30 from 3-5 pm or Saturday, Dec. 1 from 8-10 am.
Bethel College: Wed., Dec. 5 – Annual sing-along to Christmas portions of Handel’s Messiah, with Bethel College instrumentalists, soloists and student conductors, 11 am, Bethel College Mennonite Church; scores provided.
Hesston College: What should we do about the asylum-seekers and their caravan? Join the community in a prayer vigil and informational meeting about the Central American Caravan Sunday evening, December 2, 8-9:00 PM at Hesston College, Bontrager Worship Center in the basement of Keim Center
Join Hesston College students as they…tell real stories from Mennonites working with asylum seekers, explain the “why” of the caravan, and outline ways to help our sisters and brothers. In the middle of our time together, we will pray in a variety of ways….with song, movement, drawing, writing and lighting candles.
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) is doing a StepUp fundraiser. On November 27th individuals will come together to take 1,000,000 steps to help create awareness about CASA and the need to be a voice for children in the foster care system. To be a part of this important mission and learn more about StepUp visit: https://www.mightycause.com/team/Stepupforcasa or call CASA board member Kathy Wiens at 316-587-7244.
Everence® will host an all-inclusive retirement planning workshop on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Topics will include Medicare, Social Security and retirement income planning. The workshop will be presented by Everence staff and will take place at the MCC Central States Office, 121 E. 30th, North Newton. Reserve your spot soon by contacting Michelle Ramer at (316) 283-3800; (877) 467-7294 or michelle.ramer.
Domestic Violence Education Opportunity: Fr. Charles Dahm, O.P., Director of the Archdiocese of Chicago Domestic Violence Outreach program, will be in Newton to speak about what we can do as community organizations and individuals to respond to those in abusive situations. Open to anyone interested, this message will be especially valuable to those in organizational leadership roles such as pastors, work supervisors, administrators, and local agencies. Join us at The Gathering on Monday, December 3rd from 12-1:00 pm. Questions? Contact Anna Rusche at 316.284.3628 or arusche
Hopeful Blues Christmas Concert : You are invited to begin your Christmas season with us, Sunday, December 9, 4 pm at Hope Mennonite Church, 868 N. Maize Rd, in Wichita. Refreshments served.
