BETHESDA NEWS. November 3, 2013

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School Kits: Join us this evening to pack school kits! Youth will be serving the evening meal beginning at 6:00 p.m., as a fundraiser for their summer service project and Youth Escape.

1 School Kits: Join us this evening to pack school kits! Youth will be serving the evening meal beginning at 6:00 p.m., as a fundraiser for their summer service project and Youth Escape. Early comers can begin stringing bags. Packing bags will begin at 7:00 p.m. A great big thank you to everyone who helped sew bags, and for helping us meet our goal with the cost of the kits. We look forward to seeing you all, young and old. God is surely at work among us. Thank you! ~Adeline and Lindy On November 10, Bethesda will welcome Dr. Jeanette Harder and Jon Stanton from The Dove's Nest, an organization dedicated to equipping faith communities to keep children and youth safe in their homes, churches, and communities. Bethesda's Education Board, in partnership with the Board of Deacons, invited Jeanette and Jon to lead worship and the Sunday school hour for adults, to help us think about how to be proactive in reducing abuse and neglect in our community. Adult Sunday school classes will not meet. Both Jeanette and Jon attend First Mennonite Church in Lincoln and are working with Mennonite Church USA and Central Plains Mennonite Conference to help churches develop child protection plans. For more information on The Dove's Nest visit Deacon Selection Process: October 20, 2013, the congregation nominated Bethesda members to fill the term of Marlene Ott. Listed below are the top 17 names in alphabetical order (not in order of number of votes received). Those willing to continue on in the Deacon Selection process are in bold and have an asterisk beside their name. Please keep these members in your prayers as they seek and prayerfully discern God s will. *Gary Buller, Milford Doell, Evan Friesen, Gentry Friesen, Mike Friesen, *Kathryn Goertzen, Linda Goertzen, Ron Goertzen, Lynn Hall, *John Huebert, Jay Kroeker, Steve Michel, Burton Peters, Jeff Peters, *Larry Roberts, Corbin Tessman, and Norm Yoder. Upcoming Deacon Selection Process Dates. November 17, 2013 Nominee Preference Vote December 8, 2013 Deacon Election Vote BETHESDA NEWS serving others as a witness of God s grace and love A community caring for all God s people, being transformed by Christ's love,. Bethesda Mennonite Church November 3, 2013

2 WEEK AT A GLANCE SUNDAY, November 3 Daylight Saving Time Ends 8:50 A.M. Deacons 8:55-9:15 A.M. Prayer Time 9:30 A.M. Worship Service 10:40 A.M. Sunday School 6:00 P.M. Youth Fundraiser Meal 7:00 P.M. Pack School Kits TUESDAY, November 5 8:30 A.M. Staff Meeting 7:00 P.M. Bethesda Women s Ministries WEDNESDAY, November 6 12:00 P.M. Bulletin Announcements Due 7:00 P.M. Adult Prayer and Bible Study-We continue the DVD series Advent Conspiracy. Session 4: Love All Scripture readings: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, especially verse 9; Matthew 25:34-40; Philippians 2:1-11 All are welcome! 7:00 P.M. Mission:Possible (Midweek) 7:00 P.M. Powerhouse 7:00 P.M. CORNERSTONE 8:00 P.M. Chancel Choir FRIDAY, November P.M. 9:30 P.M. Conflict Seminar at Wood River SATURDAY, November 9 9:00 A.M 4:30 P.M. Conflict Seminar at Wood River 5:00 P.M. Benefit for Spencer Prentice. Next Sunday, November 10, 2013 Sermon Dr. Jeanette Harder/Mission Sunday Offering Local Church Music Powerhouse Pianist Marilyn Kroeker Adult Sunday School Teachers: No adult Sunday school classes November 10 and November 17.

3 OUR CHURCH FAMILY Please pray for those among us with health concerns, grief or family needs. Births: Twins, Weston Isaac and Landon James, were born to Bruce and Tracy Cady, on October 22, Congratulations to the parents, grandparents Cal and Brenda Friesen, and great grandparents, Janice Siebert and Myron and Arlyce Friesen. Wedding: Congratulations to Sheila Huebert and Eugene Goering, who were married on Saturday, November 2, 2013, at Zion Lutheran Grand Prairie Church, near Platte Center, Nebraska. Death: Funeral services will be held for Alfred Regier, brother of Lavina Quiring and Elsie Friesen of Henderson and Pete Regier of Phoenix, Arizona, on November 9 in Wichita, Kansas. Our condolences go out to the family. Do you enjoy visiting? Are you seeking to share your gift of caring one for another? The Care Team continues to seek persons to visit members of the congregation living in the Care Center, Rosewood Court or one of the care centers in the area. The commitment is one visit a month and attendance at the monthly Care Team meeting the second Thursday morning of each month. If you have questions please contact Pastor Jim at the church office. Pastoral Search Prayer Support Please join us for prayer each Sunday morning as we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our search for a new lead pastor. We gather in the northwest adult classroom, across from the Preschool, at 8:55 a.m. and dismiss by 9:15 a.m. We need your prayer support as we continue our search. ~Pastoral Search Committee We have a young single mother living at Midtown Apartments who is employed and is in need of a babysitter for her 5 month old baby. Please contact Shari Peters at if you could be of assistance to this young family. Thank you! The Prayer Board, located near the church office, is a place to post prayers that come to the office. If you wish to have a prayer matter posted, please call the church office, Pastor Jim Voth or him at

4 These may be prayers of praise, thanksgiving or intercession. If you wish to post a prayer for someone other than yourself, please request their permission. Thank you! Prayer request from Central Plains Mennonite Conference: Pray for Christ Community Church in Des Moines as lead pastor Kent McDougal takes a year-long sabbatical. Attention Advent devotional writers if you received a writer s instruction sheet from Barb Voth or Mike Wall, please note that devotions are due by Wednesday, November 6. Devotions can be typed and ed to Barb at brvoth09@gmail.com or to Mike at mwall@mainstaycomm.net. Hand written copies can also be given to Barb or Mike, or left at the church office. Thank you for your participation. Coming Events Curtis McCarthy, a Nebraska resident, who spent nearly 20 years on death row in Oklahoma for a crime he didn't commit, will share his compelling story. He will speak at Grace United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall in Hastings (1832 W 9th) on November 5 at 7:00 p.m. and at First United Methodist Church old Fellowship Hall in York (209 E 7th) on November 7 at 7:00 p.m. His speaking tour is organized by Nebraskans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Please see the east bulletin board for more information. Please contact Cathy Wismer if you are interested in carpooling to either event. Bethesda will be hosting a community benefit chili feed and silent auction for the Prentice family on Saturday, November 9, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Spencer Prentice, a freshman at Heartland Community School suffered a brain AVM Arteriovenous Malformation and was taken to Omaha for surgery. Spencer remains in a coma at Nebraska Medical Center, Clarkson Tower. Please keep him and his family in prayer. Cinnamon rolls are needed for chili feed benefit meal. If you are willing to donate gooey rolls or frosted rolls for this community event, please contact Jill Weisheit at by November 4. Thank you!

5 MEDA Convention: Are you interested in addressing global poverty and/or integrating faith into the workplace? If so, please consider attending the upcoming convention of Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) to be held November 7-10, 2013, at the Wichita Hyatt Hotel. The convention theme, Cultivating Solutions: Harvesting Hope, will be featured in the sessions. More information is available at and on the east bulletin board. Wood River Ministerial Association: A workshop on how to work through conflict will be held on November 8-9, at Wood River High School. Elizabeth Troyer-Miller, a resident of Wood River and trained mediator, will be leading this workshop. For more information, please contact Pastor Matt Troyer-Miller at or take note of the information on the east bulletin board. The Pastors and the Board of Deacons will be attending this workshop and invite anyone from the congregation who is interested to attend. Living Water Rescue Mission s 5 th Annual Celebration Banquet will be held on November 11, 2013, at the York City Auditorium, beginning at 6:00 p.m. One of the many ways people help us that evening is by sponsoring meals at one of our banquet tables. Individuals who sponsor a table will be recognized on our program. The cost to sponsor a table is $125.00, and you may sponsor as many tables as God puts on your heart. Please call for reservations. More information on the east bulletin board. MCC Meat Canner at Bethesda: The canner will be in Henderson November 12-15, Tuesday, November 12, is set up day. November 13, 14 and 15 will be three full days of canning. Canning begins at 5:30 a.m. and continues through the day until 10:00 p.m. There is a place for everyone who wants to help. Please join in this project to feed the hungry in the name of Christ! Wood River Mennonite Church invites you to our Greek Night on November 15. Our fellowship hall will be decorated with a Greek theme, and Greek food and delicacies will be served from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Bring your appetite and your sense of adventure! It will be prepared by our own resident Greek, Sophie Jantzi, who was born and raised in Greece. A free will offering will be taken. If you are interested in a fun evening with good food, please call the church office at or Pastor Matt Troyer-Miller at chase1056@hotmail.com. If you or your congregation are interested, we would love to see you there! ~Matt Troyer-Miller

6 Congregational Meeting Scheduled: Mark your calendars for Sunday, November 17, during the Sunday school hour. Pastor Sherm Kauffman will lead us in a follow-up conversation on two important patterns identified in the Congregational Journey Wall Exercise. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall around tables so more people have opportunity to engage the conversation and see if we can begin to understand some of the dynamics that have contributed to the patterns and begin to imagine how we might change the patterns that seem to be having a challenging impact on our journey together. The two patterns include 1) Lead Pastor turnovers accompanied with pastor/congregation tension, and 2) the declining attendance pattern. Your voice is needed as we discern our way forward together. ~Daphne Hall, Congregational Moderator We will have our Potluck Meal on November 17 instead of November 24, since Pastor Sherm and Betty will be with us for the Congregational Meeting. Anyone interested in going on a Fellowship and Learning Tour to Ecuador from January 16 to 28, 2014, please contact Don Kempf at donaldkempf@windstream.net or This is an excellent opportunity to know our brothers and sisters in Ecuador intimately as you visit them in their homes and communities and you will be able to observe the amazing things that God is doing through the Ecuador Partnership. ~ Don Kempf, Ecuador Partnership Swan Lake Christian Camp needs volunteers to help with the new addition being built at the camp. Contact Jerry Kroeker at if this is something that would work into your plans. Are you planning a special occasion? Please fill out an event planning form in the church office to let us know your set up needs. On this form you can fill out how you want tables set up, if you have need of the kitchen, sound, or technology. Help us make your occasion as successful as we can. The Board of Deacons would like to inform the congregation that we are beginning the ordination process for Pastor Andrea Wall. More information will be given at a later date.

7 Let Justice Roll Down Let justice roll down like a mighty river and righteousness like an ever flowing stream. - Amos 5:24 We are coming to the close of our study of Amos with only two more evening gatherings in 2013! Join us THIS week: November 5, First-Tuesday Tuesday 7:00 p.m. In the Fellowship Hall Bible Lesson: Turning Back By Florence Friesen Feature: Habitat for Humanity By Carol Knieriem Refreshments will follow. ALL women are welcome. Bring yourself and invite a friend! * * * * * PLEASE NOTE: The December First-Tuesday will be on December 3 rd. This is a change from our printed brochure. The November BWM birthday party will be hosted by Shirley Friesen on Monday, November 25, 2013, in the Youth Crossroads Coffee House. If you have a November birthday, please sign up on the east bulletin board.

8 All You Need is Love: Honoring Diversity in Women s Voices: We want to make you aware of an exciting event that is coming up this winter: All You Need is Love: Honoring Diversity in Women s Voices, a conference meant to bring women across the church together to do theology. This project grows out of the Women in Leadership Project, sponsored by Mennonite Church USA s Executive Board staff, which seeks to celebrate and amplify women s voices within Mennonite Church USA. You can read more about the project on our website. This conference will take place from February 20-22, 2014, at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia. Attached to this you will find the promotional poster for the event, as well as a call for papers and proposals. We are defining the process of doing theology broadly, and hope that we will receive proposals from pastors, spiritual directors, academic leaders, activists, physical therapists, and beyond. We think that conversations about God are relevant to women in all professions. We hope that you will encourage women to attend and to submit a proposal to present a workshop or paper. BETHESDA PRESCHOOL I cannot believe that it is November already! Time flies when you are having fun! This month we will be talking about Thanksgiving and what it means to be thankful. We will learn ways to show our thanks to God for everything. We will also be preparing songs for the Festival of Carols, which will be held on December 8. Thank you so much to everyone who donated items to the Preschool! We received some really good stuff and will be putting it to good use. Kori Lewis, Preschool Teacher/Director

YOUTH Fundraiser Tonight: School Kit Night The youth are serving the evening meal tonight for School Kit night. Please be at the church kitchen at 5:15 p.m. Rather than youth bringing food this year, cash donations will be received to help cover the cost of the meal.

9 YOUTH Fundraiser Tonight: School Kit Night The youth are serving the evening meal tonight for School Kit night. Please be at the church kitchen at 5:15 p.m. Rather than youth bringing food this year, cash donations will be received to help cover the cost of the meal. Jill will be purchasing all of the food. Youth will receive credit for your donation. Fall Clean Up Fundraiser We are planning an additional fall cleanup day for November 9. We will meet at the church parking lot at 9:00 a.m. Please bring rakes and gloves. Zzzzzzzz Yes there is a time for sleep! Check out the NEW DEVOZINE on pages 4-7 about how to find a break. You can pick up your copy in the Crossroads Coffee House in the magazine rack near the couches. The high school and junior high calendars are available on our new Faith Formation website Go to Bethesda s website and click on the Faith Formation link on the home page. Powerhouse/CORNERSTONE Update On Wednesday, November 6, Powerhouse (high school) will meet at 7:00 p.m. in the Powerhouse Room for worship. Powerhouse will lead worship on Sunday, November 10. CORNERSTONE (junior high) will meet at 7:00 p.m. in the couch room upstairs. Be sure to bring your computers. *Check out Bethesda s Pinterest page for more quotes see the Just Sayin folder. The youth are selling fresh wreaths and swags for the upcoming Christmas season. Wreaths are $20.00 and swags are $ Orders are due by Wednesday, November 13. You may order from any high school youth, or there are order forms at the church office and the Coffee Spot in the Fellowship Hall. Pick up date is Sunday, December 1 at the church. Proceeds from the sale of greenery will help fund the summer service trip and Youth Escape.

Check out the new Bethesda Faith Formation Website www.bmcfaithformation.weebly.

10 Check out the new Bethesda Faith Formation Website Food Stamp Budget Cut Felt Far and Wide: In the November issue of the The Mennonite, an article by Kelsey Hochstetler calls upon us as churches and individuals to help out local food banks and those in need after the $40 billion cut to the food stamp program. This cut will take place over 10 years, with $4 billion cut annually. Mennonite Mission Network service program participants suggest the following ways to help local food banks meet the increasing need for food: 1. Volunteer. 2. Learn to grow food with others. Sharing knowledge about gardening is just as important as sharing food, says Johnson. 3. Let state representatives know how you feel about the budget cut. 4. Donate food or money. Angel Tree It is once again time to make a difference in the lives of inmate s children. The Angel Tree is set up in the Fellowship Hall. This is a meaningful was to express our Christian love. For more information, please call Connie Bechtel at or

11 FINANCIALS Worship Offering Last Sunday, October 28, 2013 Worship Attendance 328 Sunday School Attendance 164 Temporary Holding Accounts Mennonite Central Committee... $50.00 Menno Village Japan Dayspring Dayspring Thailand Reach Int l Sam/Sherri Reach Flora Mae Fund Campus Crusade Service Workers Benevolent Fund Cemetery Directory MCC Canner MCC School Kits Radio Broadcast Fund Youth Ministry Fund Bethesda Preschool Support Sunday School Offering General Operating Receipts... 11, Total Worship Offering... $13, Bethesda Operating Fund: January 1 October 28, 2013 Approved Operating Budget through October 28 $515, Offering Receipts through October 28 $387, **We have received 75% of our Approved Budget. Operating Expenses through October 28 ** We have spent 87% of our Approved Budget. $446, Summary Deficit in comparison to Approved Budget (-$127,583.00) Deficit in comparison to Actual Expenses (-$58,746.00)

12 SERMON NOTES

BETHESDA NEWS. January 5, 2014

BETHESDA NEWS. January 5, 2014 BETHESDA NEWS A community caring for all God s people, being transformed by Christ's love, serving others as a witness of God s grace and peace. Bethesda Mennonite Church www.bethesdamc.org January 5,