Congregational Announcements
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!
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
Advent Giving: Help mothers give their infants a good start. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) kits are given to families displaced by war or disaster and are used in a number of other settings to help support mothers who lack the supplies they need for a new baby. Kits include 3 gowns/sleepers (flannel or similar warm, soft material); 1 cap; 3 undershirts/onesies (short or long sleeves); 1 pair of socks; 4 large, heavy-duty safety pins; 1 large bar mild soap (leave in wrapper); 1 receiving blanket (lightweight fleece or flannel, min. 30”x30”, larger preferred). New items only, size 3 to 12 mo. Items can be purchased or hand sewn. Contact MCC’s material resources centers for a pattern for hand-sewn gowns. Items may be placed in the basket in the foyer.
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.
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 is 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.
Genealogy Group to meet: Monday, December 10, 7:00 p.m., in the Goessel City Building Community Room. Denise Goossen will be sharing about life and Christmas in Ukraine where she and her husband live. This will be followed by a Christmas-memory sharing time. There will be no meeting in January.
Commodities will be distributed on Friday December 21, at Goessel Mennonite Church from 5-6 p.m. If you know anyone that is struggling to make ends meet please direct them here! For any questions please contact Jenny at 367-8492.
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: Pray for WDC’s Ministerial Leadership Commission as they support credentialed ministers and offer leadership training and resources.
« Mennonite Mission Network: Praise God for Linda Oyer, who retired this year after three decades of service in France through Mennonite Mission Network. Pray for a smooth transition as she moves to the United States and speaks in churches. In “retirement,” she plans to return to France twice a year to teach and lead workshops.
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/
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!
You’re invited to the annual MCC Christmas Soiree at MCC in North Newton on Thursday, December 13 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Join us for this holiday party to enjoy festive food and fellowship! We’ll pause at 6 p.m. to hear from International Volunteer Exchange Participants share about their current work and Christmas traditions from their home countries. Everyone is welcome for this come and go holiday event. MCC is located at 121 E. 30th in North Newton. Call us with questions, 316.283.2720.
Volunteer with SWAP: Sharing With Appalachian People (SWAP), a program of MCC Great Lakes, has openings for volunteer groups. Groups of all ages are an essential component of SWAP’s ministry, addressing multiple challenges of low-income families in Appalachia, including home repair and personal need. If your church has never been to one of our SWAP locations, or if it has been a while since you have been to SWAP, please consider forming a group to come and experience a week at one of the locations in West Virginia or Kentucky. For more information go to https://mcc.org/get-involved/serve/volunteer/swap or call Angela Maggard at 606-633-5065. You can also check out the latest newsletter at https://mcc.org/media/resources/8302 .
Nurture children’s faith at home this Advent and Christmas through family worship. Find a free, downloadable guide at AnabaptistFaithFormation.org with daily scriptures, songs, activities and questions to ponder together.
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.
—Thurs., Dec. 6 – Bethel College Steel Drum Band Christmas concert, 7 p.m., Memorial Hall
—Fri., Dec. 7 – Christmas Gala jazz concert with Bethel College Jazz Ensembles I & II, 8 p.m., Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center
—Sun., Dec. 9 – 33rd annual Lighting of the Green at Bethel College, 8 p.m.
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.
Hesston College Performing Arts will celebrate the Christmas season with "Peace on Earth," a music and theatre performance at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus. The concert is free and open to the public. A free-will offering will be collected for Mennonite Central Committee hygiene kits. Monetary donations or donations of hygiene kit items are welcome. Hygiene kit items should be new and in original packaging: adult-sized toothbrush, bar of bath soap, nail clipper, hand towel (approx. 16" x 26", medium-weight in dark or bright colors), wide-toothed comb (6" to 8").
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! Join us at The Gathering on Monday, December 3rd from 12-1:00 pm. Questions? Contact Anna Rusche at 316.284.3628.
Kidron Bethel Parkinson’s Support Group will meet Tuesday, December 4, at 2:00 p.m. A short inspirational video, “Tips for Living Well With Parkinson’s Disease,” will be shown, followed by small groups sharing on a number of topics. All are welcome.
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.
Bethel College’s peacebuilding institute, KIPCOR, has seen a recent uptick in churches requesting help in resolving various conflicts. Because our own resources are limited, we’re offering an opportunity for congregations to help address this need themselves – KIPCOR’s semi-regular training course “Managing Differences within Faith Communities.” The two-day course runs Jan. 3-4, 2019, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., at KIPCOR’s North Newton office. Lead instructor is Sharon Kniss, KIPCOR director of education and training. Cost is $300 per person, or $250 with a non-refundable deposit of $75 made by Dec. 12. For congregations who send three or more people, the cost is $200 per person with a $225 deposit made by Dec. 12. Please register soon so we’ll know if we have the numbers to run the course. Online registration is at kipcor.org (Managing Differences within Faith Communities link), or call KIPCOR at 316-284-5217.
The Neuf Memorial Run: The Neuf 9K and 2 mile run returns to the campus of Bethel College on Jan. 12, 2019 to honor the memory of Russ Neufeld, a former MC USA and and Hesston College employee. The race will start at 10 a.m. outside of Mojo’s Coffee Shop on the campus of Bethel College, N. Newton. The Neuf will raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the Russ Neufeld memorial scholarship at Hesston College. Register & read other details about the race at www.runtheneuf.neuf.ca. We would love to have you join us for this fun community event!
Come to Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp for the annual Men’s Retreat to spend time with God and other men in the beauty of creation, March 1-3, 2019. Men’s Retreat is planned each year by a committee from Mountain States Mennonite Conference church members. The festivities for the weekend include worship times, foosball, ping pong, chess, human curling, snowshoeing, great fellowship and more! Register online at rmmc.org or call camp with questions (719-687-9506).
