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Yesterday was Labor Day, a day our country has set aside to honor the accomplishments and achievements of workers of all kinds. The day recognizes how important each worker is, and offers a day set apart for celebration, fun, and respite. I love how the prayer below gives thanks for all kinds of ‘workers’ and the gifts (‘songs’) they offer. The prayer of course does not include every kind of ‘worker’ … feel free to add your own verses to include those you are thinking of today.
There are two refrains in this prayer: “sing your praise” and “praise your name and glorify you forever.” This calling extends to us all, in all that we do! May it be so
Let the sowers of seed bless you, great God, the gardeners and farmers sing your praise.
May the fishers and foresters bless you, Beloved, praise your name and glorify you forever.
Let the bread from grain bless you, great God, the wine from the grape sing your praise.
May the transformations from cooks bless you, Beloved, praise your name and glorify you forever.
Let the spinners and weavers bless you, great God, the designers of clothes sing your praise.
Let the sounds and silences of music bless you, great God, the great composers sing your praise.
May the improvisers of jazz bless you, Beloved, praise your name and glorify you forever.
Let the software and civil engineers bless you, great God, the architects sing your praise.
May the pastors and clergy bless you, Beloved, praise your name and glorify you forever.
Let the marketers and advertisers bless you, great God, the entrepreneurs sing your praise.
May the attorneys and judges bless you, Beloved, praise your name and glorify you forever.
Let the educators bless you, great God, the academics and authors sing your praise.
May the doctors and nurses bless you, Beloved, praise your name and glorify you forever.
Let the sculptor and scientists bless you, great God, the business owners and janitors sing your praise. May the artists and baristas bless you, Beloved, praise your name and glorify you forever. AMEN
This Benedicite for Human Work was written by Jim Cotter and Paul Payton, with emphasis changes by Mark Mohrlang. Shared on Facebook by the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation.
— Pastor Tonya
CALENDAR for this week
Check your email each week for the coming Sunday’s live-stream (email tonya@hutchfmc.org if you need help!)
Sunday, September 13: Proverbs: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom
Faith Formation Sunday/Bible Dedication
Proverbs 1:1-7; 3:1-8
Preaching: Tonya Ramer Wenger
Worship Leader: Jim Unruh
Children’s Time: Julie Goering
Pianist: Shelley Kauffman
Sound: Allen Yoder
Live Stream: Jonathan Wenger
SUBMIT YOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS AND JOYS & CONCERNS
During each worship service, you are invited to text your prayer joys and concerns – usually to Pastor Tonya but sometimes it will be someone else, and we’ll give you that info at the time!! Please continue to send announcements ahead of time if you can, and it’s just fine to call or send your prayer concerns ahead of time too.
ATTENDANCE @ 9:30AM SUNDAY MORNING LIVE STREAM
We welcome more individuals to be present on Sunday mornings during our live stream of worship in addition to those leading worship. We are keeping the in-person group small right now – around 15 people. Masks and physical distancing required. Contact the church office by Thursday each week to make a reservation to attend in person. After Thursday, contact Pastor Tonya. On August 27 CMT approved the recommendation from the Re-Opening Taskforce (Carol Moore, Joretta Martens, Dohn Fast, Todd Esau, and Pastor Tonya) which Carol shared during the announcement time this past Sunday. Highlights are:
- Keeping our Sunday morning in-person group relatively small through September (around 15).
- Communicate with the church office (by Thursday) or Pastor Tonya (after Thursday) your intent to attend in person. Depending on the numbers of those feeling comfortable attending in-person, you may need to take turns and may not be able to attend every Sunday.
- Wearing masks the entire time while in the building, and physically distancing.
- Water fountains will not be used.
- Bathrooms are open – please sanitize your hands before entering, wash your hands well, and sanitize after exiting as well.
- You may hum or sing softly with your mask on during worship.
- We encourage fellowship time to take place outside; if in the foyer remember to physically distance and keep your masks on.
PLEASE NOTE that this Sunday, September 13, a number of children and their families will be participating in the Bible dedication service which has filled up our numbers for that day. Let us know about Sept 20 or beyond.
CALENDAR – LOOKING AHEAD
September 13 – Faith Formation Sunday/Bible Dedication
September 13 – Fall Sunday School: Uniform lesson discussion begins in person, book study on Wed.@ 7pm
September 20 – Peace Sunday – Eldon Wagler preaching
September 27 – Guess Who’s Coming to the Lawn, 6:30pm (see invitation below)
October 4 – Dr. Joe Manickam, president of Hesston College (guest preacher via video), sharing communion
October 4 – Guess Who’s Coming to the Lawn, 6:30pm (see invitation below)
October 25 – FMC Budget meeting
November 15 – Mission Festival with Michelle Armster from MCC (date tentative)
November 29 – First Sunday of Advent
December 6 – FMC Annual meeting
DEEPENING in Christ…
WHAT’S YOUR GUIDING SCRIPTURE PASSAGE?
In preparation for our annual Bible Dedication Sunday on September 13, send your video (or just a scripture reference) to me by Wednesday September 9 so I can combine them and share them on Sunday September 13. THANK YOU!! Pastor Tonya
SANCTUARY PRAYER – TUES & THURS 11AM-2PM
On Tuesdays and Thursdays between 11:00am-2:00pm, you are welcome to come to pray on your own in the sanctuary, following the procedures posted in the sanctuary.
UPPER ROOM and REJOICE! devotional magazines
The new issues of both magazines to begin in September are available above the mailboxes. Please let us know if you would like a copy mailed to you.
FALL SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINS SEPTEMBER 13, 2020
Classes for all ages – children and adults – will begin on September 13. Children/youth K-12 have ZOOM meeting times on Sundays according to the following schedule:
Kindergarten – 6th grade @ 4:00pm
7th-8th grades @ 11:30am
Senior high @ 1:00pm
The adult discussion class which is using the book, I Am Not Your Enemy, by Michael McRay, will meet by ZOOM on Wednesday evenings 7-8:00pm, beginning September 16. If you would like to join this group, please call or email the office as soon as possible. A ZOOM invitation link will be sent to you on September 15, the day before the first session.
The adult class taught by Harold Kroeker will meet in person in the Fellowship Hall on Sundays at 11:00am. The fall study is entitled, “Joining God: Relationship and Worship.” Copies of the quarterly are available on the table in the foyer near the east entrance. If you would like a copy mailed to you, please call or email the church office.
Masks and physical distancing practices will continue for all in-person gatherings at the church.
SUMMER SEASONAL PRAYER RETREAT
The Summer Seasonal Retreat At Home Prayer Packet is available. Contact Pastor Tonya to request the packet be emailed to you, for a hard copy to be mailed to you or picked up at the church. There are some hard copies already available in the foyer. There are two iMovies also available to accompany this packet which will need to be received by email.
STRENGTHENING Community Connections
GUESS WHO’S COMING TO THE LAWN?
WHEN? Sundays September 27 and October 4, 2020 @ 6:30pm
HOW WILL THIS WORK? We invite you to sign up to be either a HOST or a GUEST on one of these Sundays. Hosts can choose to meet in their own yard, somewhere outside at the church, or a park. Guests bring their own chair, drink and their own snack if they wish. Hosts are not asked to provide food or drink. We hope for this to be a time of rich fellowship and reconnection. Groups will include 6-8 people.
RSVP to the church office by phone (620-662-9385) or email (office@hutchfmc.org) by SEPTEMBER 14.
Indicate which Sunday you want to participate, and please indicate whether you would like to be a guest or a host.
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Tuesday and Thursday 9:00am – 2:00pm
Wednesday 10:00am-1:00pm
SUNDAY MORNING SCRIPTURE READERS NEEDED
Let the church office or Pastor Tonya know if you are willing!!
STRETCHING to Serve as Christ Served
SALTHAWK COMMUNITY SUPPORT NEEDS
If you can provide any of the following, please drop them off at Trinity UMC (use the 16th street Office Door) on Tuesday between Noon-3pm or Thursday between 10am-1pm, or bring them to the church and we will deliver them.
- Men’s deodorant (NO women’s)
- Small girl’s bags to put personal feminine products in
- Chapstick
- Hair ties/brushes/combs
- 3-ring binders
- Backpacks
- Washcloths
FMC AT THE SOUP KITCHEN
Saturday, September 26 is our day at the Soup Kitchen. We’re set for applesauce, but we do need three drivers for delivery and 1-2 people to help with food prep. Call Jane (620 960 6312) or Eldon (620 960 6311) to volunteer.
OUR SUNDAY MORNING DONATIONS FOR FIRST CALL FOR HELP
The Salvation Army and Inter-faith Housing Services are currently accepting donations on behalf of First Call for Help. Personal care/hygiene items such as these are appreciated: toilet paper, laundry detergent, bath soap, Kleenex, deodorant, disposable razors, paper towels, shampoo, dish soap, hand/body lotion. Travel size – new & unopened – are desirable.
Food bank donations may be brought to the Salvation Army. At this time the Food Bank is particularly in need of the following: tomato soup, cream of mushroom soup and green beans.
NAMI RENO COUNTY MEETS ON FACEBOOK
Since Covid and stresses of life have such a negative impact on our lives, we want to fill our time with positive/good things for each other! Try to join us on the Facebook page from 7:00 to 8:00 pm on Thursday, September 10. Remember that our Facebook page is a public forum, so don’t share any private or confidential information. Hope you can join us then. Use this link https://www.facebook.com/groups/2802199389792283
RENO COUNTY CROP HUNGER WALK
Is anyone up to a challenge? Will any of us create our own walk to raise awareness about hunger? The presumptive walk date is Sunday, September 27, so let the church office know if you or your family will be participating in the virtual walk. “The Walk is Virtual. The Need is Real.” Your donations support the Reno County CROP Hunger Walk sponsored by Church World Service! The Reno County Food Bank and the Christian Soup Ministry receive a quarter of funds; the rest supports global ministries with people who need food, water, and shelter. By October 1, please (1) Write a check to “CWS-CROP.” Put [the name of your church] on the memo line. Send your check to Emanuel Lutheran Church (140 E. 30th Avenue, Hutchinson, KS, 67502) OR (2) Give securely on-line at https://www.crophungerwalk.org/hutchinsonks Click “Donate,” then “General.” Every donation will be acknowledged. Thank you for helping our neighbors—local and global!
KANSAS MENNONITE RELIEF SALE ON-LINE AUCTION
This auction features donations that would have been sold at the silent or general auction at the KMRS event last April. Currently there are over 20 donations and items will continue to be added through the time period of the auction so check out the auction site often. Bidding ends on September 26. For more information click this KMRS link https://kansas.mccsale.org/kmrs-online-auction/ OR go directly to the auction page at https://charityauction.bid/KMRS
If you have something you would like to donate or have questions, contact jimandbeatyrobb@gmail.com or call 620-747-0186.
MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITTEE (MCC) many opportunities!!
MCC is in need of SCHOOL KITS to distribute to 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. Pick up a bag from the table in the foyer and purchase the specific supplies listed below. If you like, get together with another family to make the purchases and then bring your bag to church by SEPTEMBER 20. Julie Goering will check the bags and deliver them to MCC. Right now we have only 11 bags, so we would also welcome a volunteer who would make more bags. Call the church office if you are willing to put your sewing skills to work. We’d like to complete this project by SEPTEMBER 20.
Contents (NEW items only)
- 4 spiral or perforated-pages notebooks (8.5 in x 10.5 in and 70 sheets)
- 8 new unsharpened pencils
- 1 ruler (flat, good quality; must indicate 30 cm; inch markings optional)
- 12 colored pencils (in packaging)
- 1 large eraser
- 2 new black or blue ballpoint pens
- 1 small all metal pencil sharpener, one or two holes. All metal sharpeners can be found online at Amazon.com or Bazic.com.or in the art supply section of retail stores like Staples. Plastic case pencil sharpeners are not accepted because these are poor quality and do not last as long. If you cannot find all metal sharpeners please pack the kits without them and we will add the sharpeners.
Mennonite Central Committee is accepting donations to support people in need of food and other assistance in Beirut, Lebanon. A massive explosion on Aug. 4 destroyed the country’s main port and silos filled with grain and worsened an existing economic crisis. You can donate online at mcc.org/beirut-response, by calling (888) 563-4676 or by sending a check earmarked for “Beirut response” to MCC, 21 S. 12th St., Akron PA 17501.
MCC is in need of school kits to fulfill requests from our partners around the world! Complete kits and/or supplies (find a full list of items at mcc.org/kits) can be shipped to MCC Central States (121 E. 30th St. North Newton, KS 67117) or dropped off in the 24-hour donation room at MCC. If you would like help unloading, please contact Kate at (katemast@mcc.org, (316) 804-8432) to schedule a drop off time. Thank you for your continued support of MCC!
If you can tie a knot you can help MCC! There are lots of comforters at MCC in North Newton that need to be tied and we’re looking for volunteers! If you would be interested in borrowing a set of sticks/stands from the MCC Workroom to set up and tie comforters at home, please contact Kate Mast at (katemast@mcc.org, 316.804.8432). Thank you!
CANNER OPERATOR: MCC is looking for new canner operators! This two year service term is unique and offers the opportunity to travel around the U.S. and Canada, working as a team while meeting new people! Check out https://mcc.org/get-involved/canning for details!
SEED PROGRAM: Hola! Estas interesado(a) en aprender o practicar tu español? MCC is looking for young adults for its Seed programs in Colombia and Guatemala/El Salvador which offer experiential learning and formation focused on Reflection, Service and Peacebuilding. Application deadline is October 19, 2020. For more information or to apply, please visit https://mcc.org/get-involved/serve/openings
WDC ISRAEL-PALESTINE TASK FORCE DAY OF PEACE
The WDC Israel-Palestine Task Force invites you to celebrate the International Day of Peace with a virtual conversation on racial justice. Palestinians Alex Awad and Jonathan Kuttab join US citizen Sarah Nahar. They’ll share their own experiences of injustice and hope and discuss the similarities in both contexts. Join us for this free live event sponsored by WDC Resource Commission on WDC’s Facebook page on September 21, 7 pm Central Time. You’re welcome to donate to WDC at: mennowdc.org.
WESTERN DISTRICT WOMEN’S RETREAT 2020
REMEMBER to send your (free) registration for the VIRTUAL retreat on Saturday, September 12 (7:00-8:00pm) to Tammy Duvanel Unruh at 2020womensretreat.rsvp@gmail.com Register by September 10 to participate in this worship gathering on ZOOM.
WDC GARDEN – FALL ISSUE OF WESTERN DISTRICT NEWSLETTER
You are invited to read the September/October/November issue of WDC’s quarterly newsletter, WDC Garden. This issue includes a review of the recent WDC annual assembly, reports on several ways WDC is providing support and hope in this time of COVID pandemic, and information about WDC Resource Library resources for children and adults. Read this issue at: https://mennowdc.org/wdc-garden-september-october-november-2020/.
CAMP MENNOSCAH CAMPING UPDATES
Limited number of openings! Camp Mennoscah’s Scrapbook and Crafts Retreats will take place on Oct. 30-Nov. 1 and Nov. 6-8. Masks and physical distancing guidelines will be followed and the facility used has been changed. More spaces will be opened as determined safe and feasible, so put your name on the waitlist! Register online atcampmennoscah.org! Call 620-297-3290 for further information.
BETHEL COLLEGE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sunday, Sept. 13 – KIPCOR, the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution at Bethel College, will kick off its annual film series virtually. KIPCOR will host a Zoom call, starting at 2 p.m., featuring Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot, the story of a group of Alabama students and teachers who nonviolently resisted a century of Jim Crow in a segregationist state to win voting rights for African Americans. Included is a talk-back session with Larry Burks Sr., president of the Wichita branch of the NAACP. You must register to participate athttp://kipcor.org/
Now at KAUFFMAN MUSEUM (through Nov. 29) – “Sorting Out Race: Examining Racial Identity and Stereotypes in Thrift Store Donations.” Regular hours are Tues.-Fri. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 1:30-4:30 p.m., closed Mondays and major holidays, but with ever-changing COVID-19 protocols, you are advised to check the museum website, kauffmanmuseum.org, or Facebook page or call 316-283-1612 before planning a visit.
For the health and safety of participants and the wider community, Life Enrichment at Bethel College is canceled for the fall 2020 semester.
The Bethel College Women’s Association (BCWA) is now online! See bcwamarketonline.com
Do you have skills with a sewing machine? If so, you can help provide a safer campus for our students, faculty, and staff by making masks. Click here to find the CDC pattern for an easy project, or use any simple mask pattern you already have. You can drop masks off at Thresher Shop in Schultz Student Center, or send them to:
MASKS FOR THRESHERS
Bethel College Advancement Office
300 E. 27th St.
North Newton, KS 67117
If sewing isn’t your thing, you can donate to the Masks for Threshers fund here.
MENNONITE CHURCH USA LAUNCHES ANABAPTIST STORYTELLING
Collaborative storytelling project launched to capture 2020 through an Anabaptist lens: The creators of Anabaptist History Today (AHT), a new collaborative storytelling project, are calling on Anabaptists across the United States and Canada to share their experiences during the remarkable historical, biological and social events of 2020. The AHT website invites individuals, congregations, schools and organizations to tell their
stories of living during these changing times. “We hope this collection will offer a unique perspective on the lives of ordinary people and how Anabaptist faith and identity has shaped responses to the momentous
events of 2020,” says co-creator Jason Kauffman. To learn more about the AHT project, visit https://aht.libraryhost.com/s/archive/page/Welcome.
MCC CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION GEAR
Support Mennonite Central Committee and celebrate MCC’s centennial with a new shirt, hoodie, tea towel, bag or hat! Check out this online store set up by the Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale to place your order today (pssst, it’s never too early to start Christmas shopping!). Visit wearatomic.com/product-category/mcc/ and start shopping to support MCC!
EVERENCE WEBINARS
We are excited to present another Webinar Wednesday series. This series will offer a range of topics from Medicare and retirement income planning to socially responsible investing. The first webinar, Developing My Estate Plan, is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9. Click here to register: https://www.everence.com/everence-events/national-advisors-and-representatives/20200909-developing-my-estate-plan-webinar-wednesday
For any questions, please contact Melissa Short at 800-348-7468 x 3392, 574-533-9515 x 3392 or melissa.short@everence.com.
Everence will host its popular workshop, Make Medicare an easy step, as a webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. Attendees will learn about the various Medicare plans and what they cover; plans that supplement Medicare; and enrollment details and deadlines. This webinar is free. Please register by contacting our office at 877-467-7294, 316-283-3800 or central.kansas@everence.com.
ANGELS CARE HOSPICE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Megan Wright, with Angels Care Hospice, is seeking volunteers to provide companionship and assistance to patients in our area. If you are interested, contact her at 316-854-0859.