Table of Contents
Perhaps, like me, you are still humming the song we sang at the end of our worship together this past Sunday morning. In case you’ve forgotten the words, here they are again: a witness to the choice to not deny or avoid our differences AND to refuse to be divided because of difference … because in Christ, we have already been made one.
You’re not alone, we are one body.
You’re not alone, we stand with you.
You’re not alone, your time of suffering is our suffering too,
and I know the day is coming when we will be rejoicing anew.
Many members in this body that we know,
some are great and some are small:
eyes and ears and hands and just a little toe,
one God who activates them all.
You’re not alone, we are one body.
You’re not alone, we stand with you.
You’re not alone, your time of suffering is our suffering too,
and I know the day is coming when we will be rejoicing anew.
One body, Spirit formed and Spirit fed,
different genders, rich and poor;
a banquet where the least sit at the head:
one body broken for the world.
You’re not alone, we are one body.
You’re not alone, we stand with you.
You’re not alone, your time of suffering is our suffering too,
and I know the day is coming when we will be rejoicing anew.
(music and lyrics by Bryan Moyer Suderman)
And, if you’d like to listen to it again, go to this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqFZi3UOfH8 and start at about the 1:19:00 mark.
- Pastor Tonya
SUNDAY MORNING Worship In Person & Live Stream @ 9:30am
The link for Sunday morning worship (as well as archives of past worship services) is found on our website: www.hutchfmc.org! Join at 9:25am to see the announcements!
COVID-19 case increase prompts suggestions for safety for ourselves and others
With the increase in Covid cases in our community, please use whatever precautions are prudent for your own health and well-being, and for the safety of others around you – let us be particularly mindful of those who are immuno-compromised. Feel free to wear a mask in church and while you are out in the community, particularly if you choose to be part of large group activities. Wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your face, and stay home if you do not feel well. Don’t hesitate to contact your healthcare provider so you can begin treatment early and make sure your immunizations are current.
FELLOWSHIP TIME following the Worship Service has been suspended for a time.
SUNDAY, JULY 24: FACES OF OUR FAITH: Jonah
Jonah 4
- Preacher: Pastor Tonya Ramer Wenger
- Worship Leader: Elsie Wickliffe
- Children’s Time: Lona Willems
- Scripture Reader: Jade Piros de Carvalho
- Organist: Pauline Buller
- Ushers: Susan Combs & Joretta Martens
- Nursery Attendant: Nick & Cathia Krehbiel
- Sound Tech: Murray Reimer
- Live Stream Tech: Sadie Nisly
SHARING JOYS & CONCERNS
During each worship service, you are invited to text your prayer joys and concerns – usually to Pastor Tonya. You are also invited to send prayer joys & concerns during the week. The recording of our worship service is public, so let us know if you’d prefer your request to only be shared via email during the week.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announcements are scrolled Sunday mornings before (beginning around 9:25) and after the worship service. There will be no spoken announcements unless there are pressing announcements that did not make it into the PowerPoint. Please send any announcements you’d like to have included to the church office by Thursday each week.
CALENDAR – LOOKING AHEAD
- July 21 – Congregational Ministry Team (CMT), 3:00 pm
- July 29-31 – Western District Conference annual assembly, Camp Copass, Denton TX
- August 4 – Service and Outreach Coordination Team, 3:00pm
- August 4 – Faith Formation Coordination Team, 4:00pm
FMC CENTENNIAL . . . LightHouse Giving Opportunity
To date, the total raised for the LightHouse project is $26,875, which exceeds the goal we set of raising $22,000! Thank you for your tremendous generosity! The $22,000 will be used for construction costs and furnishings for the apartments. But we are not finished! More dollars are needed for ongoing maintenance needs, so your donations are still very much appreciated from now until October and beyond. As contractors complete their work, we anticipate inviting volunteers for painting, trim work, cabinet installation, floor work, etc. Interfaith’s goal is to have the building finished by sometime this fall or winter.
REMINDER: If you are last one out of the church building, be SURE the doors lock behind you when you leave. Go out, watch the doors latch, give both door handles a tug, and make sure they are locked! Thank you.
DEEPENING in Christ…
SUMMER 2022 WORSHIP – FACES OF OUR FAITH
Created by A Sanctified Art, our summer worship series will explore ordinary people of faith – those doing what they can with what they have to make a difference. The worship series invited us into stories of those often overlooked in our Biblical narratives. Using visual art and prompts for reflection (study journal pages are available for each character explored), we hope to dig deep into the worlds of these characters, entering their stories with curiosity and openness to what they might teach us. As we journey with these characters, may they remind us that we all play a role in shaping God’s story of redemption and grace. May they awaken us to the faces of our faith in our world today. And may they encourage us to know that no action is ever too small to make a difference.
As part of the series, we will invite you to think about and name the faces of your own faith and how they have impacted you. You might wish to name friends, family members, mentors, pastors, public figures, strangers, authors, musicians, or artists … anyone and everyone who has made a lasting impact on your faith. There will be an interactive visual display in the foyer where you can add names that come to your mind (as many as you wish!) at any point in the summer.
UPCOMING WORSHIP SCHEDULE:
- July 24 – Jonah (Jonah 4) Pastor Tonya preaching
- July 31 – Philemon Pastor Jim preaching (Tonya @ WDC Assembly in Texas)
PRAYER GROUPS
- A Prayer group meets Thursday mornings from 10-11am in the Prayer Room. All are welcome.
- A small ecumenical Centering Prayer group meets on Thursdays (in person @ FMC) from 12:30-1:30pm. If you’d like to learn more, contact Pastor Tonya.
SUNDAY SCHOOL @ 11:00am (TWO SUNDAYS A MONTH – SEE DATES BELOW)
SUMMER SUNDAY SCHOOL SCHEDULE
Sunday School will be offered for children (preschool-6th grade) on the SECOND and FOURTH Sundays during the summer from 11:00-Noon. The Younger Adults Class will meet at the same time as the children.
- July 24
- August 14 and 28
The children’s group will gather in the fellowship hall from 11-Noon on the dates listed above. Plans for Jr/Sr Youth are TBD – stay tuned!!
The two Adult Bible Study groups will take a break during the summer and begin again in the fall when weekly Sunday School for all ages will also resume.
UPPER ROOM and REJOICE! devotional magazines
REJOICE! and UPPER ROOM . . . new issues are available above the mailboxes. Please let us know if you would like a copy mailed to you.
STRENGTHENING Community Connections…
FMC YOUNG ADULTS PARTICIPATING IN MISSION NETWORK SERVICE PROGRAMS (FALL 2022)
This fall both Michaela Esau and Micah Wenger are participating in Mennonite Mission Network voluntary service programs. Michaela will be with Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS) in Tucson AZ. Micah will be with Service Adventure in Colorado Springs, CO. We are asked as a congregation to provide various kinds of support for Michaela and Micah, including prayer and financial support. Each are asked to raise $4000 to help cover the costs of participation. If you would like to donate to either Michaela or Micah (or both!), you can:
- send a check to the church (note in the memo line who the donation is for),
- send a check to Mennonite Mission Network (718 N Main Street, Newton, KS 67114 … for Michaela put MVS and her name in the memo line; for Micah put SA and his name)
- or donate on their personal fundraising pages:
Micah https://igfn.us/vf/SAColorado/MicahWenger
Michaela https://igfn.us/vf/MVSTucson/MichaelaEsau
NEW VIDEO BLOG (VLOG) FROM PASTOR JIM
Check out Pastor Jim’s new Video Blog (also known as a Vlog) on our church website: https://hutchfmc.org/ (scroll all the way down to the bottom of the home page!).
You’ll also find past episodes of “Beautiful Salt City Podcast” in which Pastor Jim talks with people in our community to learn their life stories and to dream together for a future story for our beautiful salt city.
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
- Tuesday and Thursday 9:00am – 2:00pm
- Wednesday – 10:00am – 1:00pm
PASTOR TONYA’S HOURS/SCHEDULE
- Monday: Sabbath Day
- Tuesday-Friday: generally working 9:00am-5:30pm
- Office Hours: 9-2 Tuesday and Thursday; 10-1 on Wednesday
- Available other times by appointment.
- Available evenings and weekends (cell phone is most reliable)
Pastor Tonya is back from vacation and Mennonite World Conference and will be in the office as usual, except for the last weekend in July when she will be attending Western District Conference Assembly in Texas (gone July 29-31).
STRETCHING to Serve as Christ Served…
SUNDAY MORNING DONATIONS FOR RENO COUNTY FOOD BANK – ITEM OF THE MONTH FOR JULY
. . . is Hamburger or Tuna Helper!
Personal care/hygiene items such as these are appreciated anytime: toilet paper, laundry detergent, bath soap, Kleenex, deodorant, disposable razors, paper towels, shampoo, dish soap, hand/body lotion, tooth paste and tooth brushes. Travel size – new & unopened – are desirable.
FMC SERVES AT THE CHRISTIAN SOUP MINISTRY IN HUTCH ON JULY 23
Thanks to all who have signed up to help with the Soup Kitchen this coming Saturday! We look to be in pretty good shape for cooking, serving and delivering! But, based on the sign-up sheet here at church it appears donations of applesauce and salad greens are still needed. You can bring those to the soup kitchen on the 23rd between 2-3pm or make other arrangements with Kevin Martin Nisly, Sadie Nisly, or Juliet Nisly.
COLORADO PEACHES FUNDRAISER FOR COLORADO MCC RELIEF SALE
Colorado peaches are back! Place your order for fresh Colorado peaches at just $27 for 10 lb. box and $38 for 18 lb. box by calling MCC at 316.283.2720 or emailing patsydirksen@mcc.org. Peaches must be ordered and paid for by July 25. The peaches are offered as a fundraiser for the Colorado MCC Relief Sale, please make payment by check to Beth-El Mennonite Church with “peaches” in the memo line.Generous volunteers Jerry & Leann Toews will bring the peaches from Colorado to MCC in North Newton for you to pick-up around August 22.
WESTERN DISTRICT CONFERENCE announcements
WDC annual assembly will be July 29-31! WDC delegates, friends, and their families will gather at Camp Copass, Denton, TX. Delegates from FMC will be Carol Moore (virtual), Ken Neufeld (in person), Tonya Ramer Wenger (in person), Delon Martens (in person) and Joretta Martens (in person).
KANSAS STATE FAIR VOLUNTEERS . . . info and form on the table in the foyer
The Kansas State Fair needs volunteers for a variety of positions. A list of jobs and sign-up forms are on the table in the foyer. Volunteers must be 16 or older and will receive free gate admission and food tickets.
MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITTEE (MCC) announcements
MCC School Kits (ITEMS DUE @ CHURCH BY SUNDAY JULY 24) – the following supplies fill one bag:
- 4 spiral or perforated notebooks (about 8.5” x 10.5”), 70 sheets
- 8 new unsharpened pencils
- 2 new black or blue ballpoint pens
- 1 ruler (flat, flexible plastic, 12”)
- 12 colored pencils (in packaging) [no crayons]
Place your donations in the designated basket under the table in the foyer by SUNDAY MORNING JULY 24. Kits will be packed that Sunday by the kids Sunday School class.
Notebooks and pencils are treasures for families who struggle to afford basic school supplies. School kits often are requested after disasters and help bring normalcy to children whose families have been forced to flee their homes. Last year MCC shipped 52,549 school kits to Ecuador, Jordan, Syria, Ukraine and Zambia.
MCC in need of material resources – MCC is resuming shipments of material resources to Ukraine. Go to mcc.org/kits for information on needed supplies and drop-off locations.
CAMP MENNOSCAH announcements
This expression of gratitude was sent by Camp Mennoscah for contributions given by FMC above and beyond the fees for FMC’s Sunday at Mennoscah.
Greetings from Camp Mennoscah!
Thank you, First Mennonite Church of Hutchinson, for your generous gift. Camp Mennoscah’s vision to create a sacred space for people of all ages to renew themselves, their relationships, and their connection with God through Jesus Christ is realized only with your help.
On behalf of the Camp Mennoscah Board of Directors and the Camp Mennoscah staff, thank you for your donation to Camp Mennoscah. Your gift will be used to continue our mission to provide a retreat for people of all ages. Your willingness to share in our work through your giving is greatly appreciated.
We gratefully acknowledge your contribution of $344.00 for the Camp Mennoscah General Fund. Thank you for your long and continued support of our camping ministry in so many ways. With peace and prayers, Olivia Bartel, executive director
‘Tis the Season for Mowers and String Trimmers! Camp Mennoscah is looking for people to help us keep the campgrounds trimmed and looking neat. Let us know when you would be able to mow or string trim! Call 620-297-3290 or email office@campmennoscah.org –we’ll get you scheduled!
BETHEL COLLEGE announcements
The 2022 issue of Mennonite Life, Bethel College’s annual online journal, is now live at ml.bethelks.edu, with articles and reviews by Daniel Shank Cruz, Chris Dick, June Mears Driedger, Susan Kennel Harrison, Raylene Hinz-Penner, Gordon Houser, Reinhild K. Janzen, Gayle Gerber Koontz, Steve Nolt, Rachel Pannabecker, Karen Reimer, Ben Woodward-Breckbill and Melanie Zuercher.
DOVE’S NEST
This message from Nancy Major, Dove’s Nest executive director:
It’s summer and that means a lot of kids are out and about, often without adult supervision or structured day programs. As much as we wish all kids had the opportunity to enjoy carefree, fun-filled days, we know that summer can bring additional safety concerns. Please keep your eyes and ears open and don’t ignore a gut-feeling if something doesn’t seem quite right with a child in your community. Here are some basic tips for recognizing child abuse and/or neglect and what you can do:
Recognizing Child Abuse
- If you see a child you know who’s acting differently, it could be a sign of abuse or neglect.
- When you have concerns for a child’s well-being, the indicators listed below may help guide you.
- Many of these signs could be caused by things other than abuse or neglect. However, these indicators can indicate that a child’s safety may be at risk and the situation should be assessed by a professional who is able to determine the causes of these symptoms and offer the help and assistance necessary to reduce the child’s risk.
Signs of Neglect*
- Lacks needed medical or dental care, immunizations, or glasses
- Is frequently absent from school
- Begs for or steals food or money
- Lacks sufficient clothing for the weather
- States that there is no one home to provide care
- Lacks adult supervision
Signs of Abuse
- Discloses maltreatment
- Is reluctant to be around a particular person
- Shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance
- Has unexplained bruises or injuries
Remember, if you see something, SAY something! You could save a child’s life!
If you think a child is in immediate danger, call the police at 911!
Childhelp: Call or text for crisis intervention, information, literature, and referrals. Operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 800-4-A-CHILD
Missing & Exploited Children:? Have you seen a missing child? Contact the Cybertipline 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Reports may also be made online at www.cybertipline.com. 800-THE-LOST (843-5678)
National Runaway Safeline: The national communications system for runaway and homeless youth. Call, text, or email for youth crisis intervention. Operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. https://www.1800runaway.org/