Advent Giving: Items may be placed under the Christmas tree in the sanctuary. 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.
Note of Thanks
"How can we thank God enough for you…" (I Thessalonians 3:9) From the museum’s earliest beginnings, this congregation has been a cornerstone of faithful support and continues to do so today. We were again blessed by your generosity at our recent pizza fundraiser meal on November 28. Contributions of nearly $1,000 were received. These gifts will be used as vital operating funds to close the year. We have also been blessed by the individual contributions of church members, both financially and through volunteer time. We are deeply appreciative of each and every one of these gifts and ask for your ongoing prayers and support.
With sincere gratitude, The Board and Staff of the Mennonite Heritage & Agricultural Museum
Congregational Announcements
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.
Night in the Barn: This weekend, December 8 and 9, is your last chance to experience Night in the Barn at Papa’s Pumpkin Patch from 5 – 8pm. 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!
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.
Wednesday Evening Schedule for December 12:
5:20: Faithful Fitness
5:45 – 6:30 pm: Supper
6:30 – 7:30 pm: Christmas Eve Practice no regular Children’s activities
7:00 pm: TMYF caroling
7:30 pm: Adult Choir
No Adult Bible Study. Resume Jan. 2.
Tabor Wellness: Thank you to everyone who participated in the "Climb The Mountain" wellness challenge! Recording has come to a close and you are encouraged to turn in your log sheet no matter how much you completed. Logs should be totaled and placed in the wellness box or turned into Kevin by Sunday, December 16.
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.
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.
Blood Drive: This fall Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Florence forced the cancellation of about 250 drives, causing 7,500 units of blood to go uncollected. In this season of giving please consider donating blood (800-733-2767 or redcrossblood.org), sign up to work at the drive, or provide a doz. Christmas cookies (sign up on bulletin board) on Dec. 26. Thanks for saving lives!!
Annual Report: Please submit 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.
Volunteer Opportunity: Would you be interested in joining the team of volunteer drivers who deliver daily noon meals from Bethesda to homes in and around Goessel? If so, please contact Ruth Goertzen at Alexanderwohl (367-8192, alexmenno) for more information and to sign up.
Conference Announcements
Prayer Requests:
« Western District Conference: Give thanks for volunteers who share their time and energy to support the work of WDC.
« Mennonite Mission Network: MMN’s Service Adventure unit in Jackson, Mississippi, includes Gabe Graham, Alexa Rathscheck, Jakob Seiferth, and leaders Cynthia and Roger Neufeld Smith. Pray for them as they worship with the Open Door Mennonite congregation, and as they volunteer with a community soup kitchen and a transition home.
« Mennonite Education Agency: Join the Bethel College community in giving thanks for the light of Christ that has come into the world as students, faculty, staff and friends observe the 33rd annual Lighting of the Green this evening.
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.
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.
Looking for that next great adventure? MCC SALT positions now available! Take chances. Make mistakes. Get messy. Be challenged. Learn some things. Teach some things. Spend a year living somewhere that you never dreamed you’d go… Serving and Learning Together (SALT) is a year-long, cross-cultural service experience. Through SALT, Christian young adults from Canada and the U.S. serve internationally in a wide variety of positions in fields like education, agriculture, health care, information technology, peace and more! Start now at salt.mcc.org, to find answers to frequently asked questions, assignment options and to apply, don’t delay the deadline to sign up is Feb. 15.
This Christmas, consider giving alternative gifts through Mennonite Central Committee! With 25 ways to give, you can find something for everyone in your family! Give chickens, provide hope, education, tools and new skills to help build up communities. These are gifts that easily fit under the tree and can fit within any budget, but have the power to bring joy for years to come! Visit mcc.org/christmas or call our office for details, 316.283.2720.
Bethel College:
—Sun., Dec. 9 – 33rd annual Lighting of the Green at Bethel College, 8 p.m.
Kauffman Museum is open through the holidays (closed Mondays, plus Tues., Christmas Day, and Tues., New Year’s Day): hours 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays, Sat.-Sun., 1:30-4:30 p.m. Visit the current special exhibit “Better Choose Me: Collecting and Creating with Tobacco Fabric Novelties, 1880-1920,” featuring the collection of the late Ethel Ewert Abrahams. See www.bethelks.edu/kauffman/ or the Kauffman Museum Facebook page for more information.
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).
