THIS WEEK @ FMC – August 28-September 10, 2024

This fall at FMC we’ll be engaging with two different worship series. 

The first, beginning September 8, offers an Anabaptist lens to the theme, To Hope and Act with Creation, based on a series developed by the Season of Creation ecumenical coalition.  Season of Creation is an invitation to Christians around the world to engage in six weeks of worship, prayer, and action dedicated to the healing of our common home.  Romans 8:14-25 provides rich scriptural frameworks for the season, inviting us to join creation in lament and praise as we actively hope for “our reconnection as kin within the whole, a full release from our collective bondage to a culture of destruction, into a fully restored and embodied web of life.” (Romans 8:23b, translation from a book written by Victoria Loorz p. 179, used with permission) 

The second worship series, beginning October 27, will be adapted from series rooted in a collaboration between Worship Design Studio and Resurrection, a United Methodist Church, for their 2024 Kindness Campaign, titled “Do Unto Others.”  This series is designed to help carry us into and beyond the November election. Recognizing how consumed our word seems to be with division – often typified in the colors blue and red, this series invites us to get out of our monochromatic silos. The Golden Rule in scripture challenges us to engage in conversation andseek to create whatever common good we can with our relatives, friends, and neighbors who we might consider to be on the “other side” politically and ideologically. As we attempt to come together, the idea is not that we are obliterating either one or trying to change each other, but rather we discover the beauty that can be created when we work together to make the world a better place. The “purple space” is where we cultivate kindness, compassion, humility, respect, and love for one another and for the good of all the world, no matter what.

We hope both of these worship series will help us continue our summer “Quest” to live with a traveler’s mindset as we encounter creation and the ‘other,’ in hopefully new ways.  We’ll continue to encourage awareness of new encounters, of God at work for good wherever we find ourselves, and the importance of reflection and change, for our own sake, and for the sharing of God’s healing and hope with the world around us.

-Pastor Tonya

PLEASE NOTE: Our next THIS WEEK post is scheduled for September 10.

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP at 9:30am 

The link to join is on our website: www.hutchfmc.org  Join 5 minutes early for announcements.  The bulletin can be found under the BULLETINS tab on our home page. 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 – QUEST: THE AWAKENED TRAVELER, Stories of “REFLECTION” and “RETURNING HOME”

(The eighth in an 8-week series)

Scripture: Psalm 15; John 20:1-15a

• Meditation: Magdalena Wenger
• Storyteller: Jean Gaeddert
• Worship Leader: Stephanie Gehring
• Song Leader: Jon Miller
• Children’s Time: Julie Goering
• Scripture Reader: Sadie Pritchett
• Ministry Moment: Faithful Service and Outreach (Pastor Jim Unruh)
• Musicians: Arwen Iwashige, Pauline Buller
• Ushers: Jay Gehring
• Nursery Attendant: Susan Combs
• Sound Tech: Earl Ediger
• Live Stream Tech: Jonathan Wenger

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 – TO HOPE AND ACT WITH CREATION: KINSHIP (week 1)

We hope and act in a spirit of kinship with all of God’s creatures.

Romans 8:14-15

All who are led by the Spirit of God are the children—the kin—of God. For you did not receive a spirit

of slavery that returns you to fear; but you received the Spirit of Kinship, with whom we cry, “Abba,

Father! Mama, Mother!”  (translation of Romans 8 used by permission from Victoria Loorz’s book: Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us Into the Sacred. p. 178)

• Worship Leader: Jon Miller
• Preacher: Tonya Ramer Wenger
• Song Leader: Trae Gehring
• Children’s Time: Calvin Nisly
• Scripture Reader: Stephanie Gehring
• Organist: Pauline Buller
• Ushers: Glenda & Rick Hooper
• Nursery Attendant: Anna & Jalen Crable
• Sound Tech: Adam Pounds
• Live Stream Tech: Joel Iwashige

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.  

VOLUNTEERS FOR READING SCRIPTURE

If you would be willing to read scripture, please sign up on the bulletin board opposite the mailboxes. We welcome readers of all ages, and we’d be happy to bring a mic to you if you would prefer reading from your seat.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announcements are scrolled Sunday mornings before and after worship.  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. 

OFFERINGS

We welcome, and are grateful for, your financial donations to our ministry here in Hutchinson.  Instead of collecting an offering during worship (except on special occasions), an offering box is placed at the back of the sanctuary for your Sunday morning donations.  You can also now make a donation directly from our website (www.hutchfmc.org) using a credit card or your banking account.  You are also welcome to send a check to 52 Rambler Rd Hutchinson KS 67502. 

CALENDAR – LOOKING AHEAD

• Sept 1 – Sr. Youth Hamburger fundraiser (after worship)
• Sept 8 – Sunday school fall classes begin for all ages; Sunday School Teacher Blessing
• Sept – NO Craft Night in September; regular schedule resumes with the October 14 gathering.
• Sept 22 – Bible Dedication (Kindergarten, 3^rd grade, 7^th grade) – NOTE DATE CHANGE!!!
• September 26 – Pastor Congregation Relations Committee, 4:00pm
• September 28 – FMC serves at the Soup Kitchen

SR. YOUTH HAMBURGER FUNDRAISER . . . September 1, after worship @ 11:00am

Plan to stay after worship this coming Sunday for a fundraiser lunch offered by the senior youth and sponsors.  They hope to begin serving at 11:00, or very soon after.  A vegetarian and a gluten-free option will also be available.  If you can’t be at the meal but would like to support the youth group in their activities, you can donate anytime to FMC, designated for Senior Youth Group.  Thank you for your support!

REMINDER:  If you are last one out of the church building, be SURE the doors lock behind you.

DEEPENING in Christ…

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.    

LPC: Listening-Prayer-Conversation Groups

These groups meet for an hour once/month in the Common Grounds room and are facilitated by Pastor Tonya.  The format allows for time in prayer by yourself and also with the group.  Any are welcome to join, or to just come and check it out! It’s also possible to join on Zoom if you prefer.

• The Tuesday group next meeting Tuesday, September 10 at 1:00pm
• The Wednesday evening group next meeting is at 6:30 on Wednesday, September 11

SUNDAY SCHOOL – FALL QUARTER BEGINS SEPT 8

Thank you to all who helped teach and support our summer Sunday School series!

Our fall Sunday School quarter, for all ages, begins on September 8:

• Preschool through 4^th grade meet in the basement Sunday School wing.
• 5^th grade-8^th grade meet upstairs in the Junior Youth room
• Senior Youth (9^th-12^th) meet upstairs in the Youth room

Adults:

If you are interested in helping teach children or junior youth Sunday School, please contact Joy Miller, who is coordinating that scheduling on behalf of the Faith Formation Team.

UPCOMING WORSHIP: TO HOPE AND ACT WITH CREATION

• Sept 8: Week 1: Kinship – We hope and act in a spirit of kinship with all of God’s creatures
• Sept 15: Week 2: Interdependence – We hope and act recognizing our dependence on God, and our interdependence with all other beings in the web of life.
• Sept 22: Peace Sunday (Mennonite World Conference resources)
• Sept 29: Week 3: Revealing – We hope and act for the revealing of God’s sacred presence in human and more-than-human creation.
• Oct 6: World Communion Sunday & Week 4: Freedom – We hope and act trusting in the Spirit of Christ that frees us from captivity to fear and death
• Oct 13: Week 5: Birth – We hope and act with eager expectation for the birth of new relationships with Creator God and our creaturely kindred.
• Oct 20: Week 6: Hope – We hope and act, trusting in God to work in unseen, marvelous ways.

UPPER ROOM and REJOICE! devotional magazines

• UPPER ROOM – The September-October issue is available above the mailboxes.
• Rejoice! – August-September issue is available above the mailboxes.

STRENGTHENING Community Connections…

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

• Tuesday and Thursday 9:00am – 2:00pm
• Wednesday 10:00am – 1:00pm (NO Wednesday office hours this week, August 28)

PASTOR TONYA’S HOURS/SCHEDULE

Office hours:

• Monday: Day Off
• Tuesday-Friday: generally working 8:00am-5:30pm 
• “In 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)

Upcoming “Day Apart with God” dates (for silence, reading, prayer & journaling – will NOT be checking email or responding to texts/calls (except for emergencies). Next “Day Apart” is THIS WEDNESDAY, August 28.

Pastor Tonya’s Sabbatical dates (spread out between summer 2023-summer 2025)

Pastor Tonya has joined a study program called, “Transforming Community.” Retreats take place in Chicago. Her next scheduled retreat is September 15-18.

FALL BOOK GROUP WILL BE READING THE SPIRIT OF OUR POLITICS

All are invited to join the book group that will be meeting on Wednesdays at 1:00pm this fall, beginning in late September, to discuss The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life by Michael Wear.  We’ll meet weekly for approximately 8 weeks.  Pastor Tonya will be placing a book order (exact cost tbd); if you’d like to have her order a book for you, please let her know by next Wednesday, Sept 4.  If there are those who would like to read & discuss this book, but the Wednesday 1pm daytime doesn’t work, please also let Tonya know and we’ll explore options.

Description of the book: For those discouraged and exhausted by the bitterness and rage in our politics, Michael Wear offers a new paradigm of political involvement rooted in the teachings of Jesus and drawing insights from Dallas Willard’s approach to spiritual formation.When political division shows up not only on the campaign trail but also at our dinner tables, we wonder: Can we be part of a better way? The Spirit of Our Politics says “yes,” offering a distinctly Christian approach to politics that results in healing rather than division, kindness rather than hatred, and hope rather than despair.

In this profound and hope-filled book, Michael Wear–a leading thinker and practitioner at the intersection of faith and politics–applies insights taken from the work of Dallas Willard to argue that by focusing on having the “right” politics, we lose sight of the kind of people we are becoming, to destructive results. This paradigm-shifting book reveals:

• Why we need to reframe how we view our political involvement as Christians
• How as Christians we can reorient our politics for the good of others
• The crucial connection between discipleship to Jesus and political involvement
• A different way of talking about politics that is edifying, not stomach-turning
• How to navigate political strife in churches and small groups
• Why who we are in our political life is not quarantined from who we are in “real life”
• Why gentleness is entirely possible in our political discourse

WEST NILE VIRUS information

Currently South Central Kansas is in the high risk area for getting bitten by a mosquito infected with the West Nile virus.  This is a seasonal epidemic that flares up in the summer and continues into the fall.

What Can I Do to Prevent West Nile virus?

• When outdoors, use mosquito repellents
• Wear long sleeves and pants.  Mosquitoes are most active from dusk to dawn.
• Make sure you have good screens on windows and doors.
• Empty containers of standing water, change bird baths weekly

Symptoms of West Nile

Symptoms range from no symptoms (80%) to severe (1 in 150).  Seek care for fever, headache, neck stiffness, body aches, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, tremors, vision loss, numbness.

West Nile is spread by infected mosquitoes, not human to human contact.

The more time spent outside increases the risk of being bitten.  People over the age of 50 are more likely to develop serious symptoms if they do get sick.  There is no vaccine to mitigate the effects of West Nile

ARMS WIDE OPEN – FMC’s history book

The amazing story of First Mennonite Church’s 100 years is told in the history book prepared for our centennial celebration. Copies of the book are available for $25.00 (cash or check). You can also purchase a book online at a price that includes the cost of shipping (click on the “DONATE” button on our website to find this option).   Check with the church office to pick up a book.

STRETCHING to Serve as Christ Served…

SUNDAY MORNING DONATIONS FOR RENO COUNTY FOOD BANK:  

September: Canned Meat/Tuna

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, toothpaste and toothbrushes.  Travel size – new & unopened – are desirable.

BETHEL COLLEGE announcements

Mon., Aug. 26 – “The Rose Aesthetic,” works by Gwen and Victor Rose, opens in the Regier Gallery in Luyken Fine Arts Center at Bethel College (reception Sept. 19). Gallery hours are Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 2-4 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 14 – Duo piano recital: Dr. Christina Liu (Bethel College) and Dr. Brett Janssen (Central Christian College), 4 p.m., Ad Building chapel at Bethel College

Forum on Democracy and Christianity with David Gushee, leading Christian ethicist, pastor and author. Gushee will speak Sunday, September 15, during worship (9:30 a.m.) and Sunday school (10:30 a.m.) at Bethel College Mennonite Church and, in the afternoon, will keynote a forum on democracy and Christianity. The afternoon program will run from 3-6 p.m. in Memorial Hall on the Bethel campus. It will also include a panel of local leaders and a chance for table discussion. September 16, Gushee will speak in convocation at 11 a.m. in Krehbiel Auditorium in Luyken Fine Arts Center at Bethel.

MENNONITE DISASTER SERVICE (MDS) announcements

Our August Edition of On the Level is now available. In this edition, Executive Director Kevin King shares our need for volunteers at our warehouse in Mississippi, read the latest on our flood response in Vermont, meet an inspirational 22 year-old volunteer and get the back story on a popular MDS photo. Click on this link to read more: https://conta.cc/46Ym9WM

MENNONITE IMMIGRATION TO CENTRAL KANSAS 150th ANNIVERSARY . . . events

Grace Hill Mennonite Church 150th Homecoming Celebration, August 31 – September 1. The celebration will begin at 10:00 am on Saturday with coffee and donuts, while you reminisce and browse through historical displays. The afternoon includes a light lunch, self-guided tours of the past/present Grace Hill community and faspa. Enjoy an organ concert by Pastor Chelsea Vaught from 4:00-4:30 pm. A German dinner will be held from 5:00-6:30pm, followed by “Celebrating Our History” program at 7:00 pm. On Sunday, participate in Worship at 9:30 am, followed by a potluck lunch and more time for self-guided tours, reunions and browsing displays. Contact Virgil Penner at (316) 283-6738 or gracehill1874@gmail.com for information and meal registration. The church is located at 10218 SE 12th St, Whitewater, KS 67154

Hoffnungsau Mennonite Church is celebrating their 150^th anniversary and invites you to join us August 31, for Community Fun Night and September 1 for worship service. Saturday beginning at 4:00pm, will be fun for the family with inflatables, cornhole tourney with cash prizes, yard games, food trucks, music entertainment and the outdoor movie “If” at dark!  Sunday worship begins at 10:00.  Following Worship, we will have a catered meal at the cost of $15.  Please RSVP for the meal by August 25 by calling/texting Barb at 620-543-6863 or email HoffSecretary@gmail.com with payment by Venmo @BJ-Reeves-55 or check to Hoffnungsau, 43 13^th Ave, Inman 67546.  Watch Hoffnungsau Facebook for other info.