W E L C O M E. Maundy Thursday Communion will be held on Thursday, March 29, at 8:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

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1 W E L C O M E We are happy you could join us today! 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 March 18, 2018 Pastor Seth Ordination This Morning Today we celebrate Pastor Seth Miller s ordination! Ordination is a high point in the life and ministry of a pastor and the church. It is a life-shaping and identity-giving moment (Mennonite Polity) and it places a pastor into a special office of ministry. Ordination is an act of the church (congregation, conference, and denomination). It is a time when the congregation calls and appoints a person to ongoing leadership in ministry in the life and mission of the church. The ordination rite includes the covenant between the church and the minister being ordained. Today is a time for the congregation and the wider church community to rejoice as we call Pastor Seth Miller and affirm his gifts for ministry. EASTER SERVICES Palm Sunday: Next Sunday, March 25, Preschool through grade six will meet in their Sunday School classrooms at 9:15 a.m. We will walk into worship together waving palm branches. Preschool through grade six are invited to a Passover meal Thursday, March 29 from 6:30 8:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. There will be no Midweek Wednesday, March 28. More details to follow. Maundy Thursday Communion will be held on Thursday, March 29, at 8:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Donations of Easter lilies are needed to decorate the sanctuary on Easter Sunday, April 1. Gold foil with white ribbon is preferred. Lilies should be brought to the church on Saturday, March 31. Please notify the office no later than noon on Wednesday, March 28, if donating in memory or honor of a loved one.

2 THIS WEEK AT BETHESDA SUNDAY, March 18 8:45 a.m. Deacon Prayer Time 9:30 a.m. Worship/Pastor Seth Ordination Service 10:40 a.m. Sunday School/Catechism 11:50 p.m. Ordination Celebration Meal MONDAY, March 19 8:00 a.m. Verenike Making (Church Kitchen) TUESDAY, March 20 8:30 a.m. Staff Meeting 8:00 p.m. Board of Education 8:00 p.m. Board of Service & Outreach WEDNESDAY, March 21 9:30 a.m. Women s Bible Study (The Upper Room) 12:00 p.m. Bulletin Announcements Due 12:00 p.m. Lent Service (Sanctuary) 7:00 p.m. NEW Women s Bible Study (Narthex) 7:00 p.m. Adult Bible Study 7:00 p.m. Midweek 7:00 p.m. CORNERSTONE 7:00 p.m. Powerhouse 7:30 p.m. Board of Business 8:00 p.m. Chancel Choir 9:00 p.m. Lent Service (Sanctuary) THURSDAY, March 22 6:30-7:30 p.m. Bethesda Preschool Enrollment 7:00 p.m. Henderson Health Care Information Meeting FRIDAY SATURDAY, March 23 & 24 Nebraska MCC Sale, Aurora, Nebraska Fairgrounds

3 Next SUNDAY, March 25, 2018 Palm Sunday (Children, please meet in your Sunday School classrooms at 9:15 a.m.) 9:30 a.m. Worship / Message Pastor Seth Miller Offering / Local Church Pianist Marilyn Kroeker / Special Music Powerhouse 12:00 p.m. Potluck 7:30 p.m. Youth Bible Study at Jeff & Tami Peters home We will be making verenike for the MCC sale Monday, March 19 starting at 8:00 a.m. in the church kitchen. Looking forward to seeing you there! A women s Bible study will begin Wednesday, March 21, at 7:00 p.m. in the Narthex. This will be a 9-week study on the book of James. Please contact Jerri Janzen at , or the church office, if you are interested. Materials will be provided. Preschool Enrollment Night Enrollment night for the Bethesda Preschool year will be March 22 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Preschool classroom. Enjoy refreshments and play in the classroom while you get signed up for next year s class. If you are interested in securing your child s spot for next year, an $80 nonrefundable deposit will be required. That deposit will be put towards your child s first month s tuition. If you cannot make it, but would like to enroll your child, please let Mrs. Kori know and we can make other arrangements. Also, if you have friends or family with children that qualify for preschool go ahead and invite them to come along! Children must be 3 years of age by July 31 and potty trained. Thank you! March is Severe Weather Preparedness Month It s that time of year again where uncertain weather, severe thunderstorms, and tornados are common. Knowing what to do during an emergency is an important part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count. Please take time to review the Bethesda Mennonite Church Tornado Preparedness Map located in the back flap of the Hymnal of Worship Book and be familiar with where to exit should it become necessary to evacuate the sanctuary.

4 CHURCH FAMILY Please pray for those with health concerns, grief or family needs. Prayer Requests Caleb Friesen (son of Rick/Brittany Friesen) Bryan Bechtel Effie Kroeker Children s Hospital, Omaha Henderson Care Center The Henderson Child Development Center is looking for a gently used or new play structure. If you are able to meet this need, please contact Brad Janzen at Thanks! Henderson Health Care Services will host two community informational meetings following the recently approved construction of a new long-term care facility to be located north of the current 60-year-old facility. March 22, Bethesda Mennonite Church will host a meeting at 7:00 p.m. and on March 27, the meeting will be held at Henderson MB Church at 7:00 p.m. These meetings are open to the public and refreshments will be served. The new long-term care facility will provide 40 resident rooms, a large activity room, library, therapy room, large living rooms with fireplaces and small, more private dining. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2018 and be completed by the spring of Midweek Service Project Night The last night of Midweek, service project night, will be held Wednesday, April 4 at 7:00 p.m. Following the service project, we will have root beer floats - be sure to join us! It s Vacation Bible School Time Again! Volunteers are needed for Bethesda s June 4-8, 2018 Vacation Bible School. We will be traveling to Babylon with Daniel to witness his courage during captivity. Individuals who would like to volunteer may sign up online. Go to Under the HOME screen, click Vacation Bible School, then click the link to volunteer. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Erin Sams at or JoAnn Friesen at

5 ACROSS THE STREET & AROUND THE WORLD Nebraska MCC Sale March 23-24, 2018 Craft Auction: The website and Facebook page would like to post photos of items for the sale. Please register your craft auction items on the website, nebraskamccsale.org and include a photo. Fine Art: Fine art items are needed for the art booth. Please contact Carrie Bergen at , or her at carrie@mainstaycomm.net. You can also register your fine art items using Carrie s address. Verenike Meal: Your help is needed on Saturday, March 24, to ensure a successful verenike meal! Please sign up on the east bulletin board or contact Evan and Kristen Friesen at Areas of need include: 7 additional dozen zwieback 2 additional serving line volunteers from 12:00 1:15 p.m. 7 additional table servers from 11:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 7 additional table servers from 12:00 1:15 p.m. 3 individuals to help clean-up from 1:15 2:15 p.m. 1 individual to mix coleslaw from 10:45 a.m. 1:15 p.m. 1 additional host couple (or two singles) We are also in desperate need of two couples (or 4 individuals) to help coordinate various aspects of the verenike meal beginning next year. These individuals will job shadow the existing coordinators during this year's sale and take over these duties in 2019 to ensure that the verenike meal can continue in the future. For more information, please contact Evan and Kristen Friesen at or Curt and Nancy Friesen at Contact Persons: Brad and Kara Janzen, If you would like your items transported to the sale, please bring them to the Fellowship Hall by Friday noon, March 23.

6 YOUTH For junior high and high school calendars visit the Bethesda Faith Formation page at Powerhouse (high school) will meet Wednesday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. to prepare to lead worship. CORNERSTONE (junior school) will meet Wednesday, March 21 in the church parking lot at 6:30 p.m. to head to B Strong Ministries in Aurora. We will have supper at the Pizza Hut and should arrive home around 9:00 p.m. Catechism will meet this morning, March 18 and March 25 from 10:40 a.m. until noon. Catechism 2018 Reminder: Mark your calendars for March 29 to participate in the Maundy Thursday service at 8:00 p.m. BETHESDA WOMEN S MINISTRIES Bethesda Mennonite Women s Ministries next sewing and project day will take place March 27 from 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. The menu will be lasagna and French bread. Devotions will be on the subject of Receive by Kathy Friesen. All women are invited! Bethesda Women March and April Birthday Celebration On Thursday, April 19, 2019, at 7:00 p.m., Mary Hiebner will host the Bethesda Women s Ministries March and April birthday celebration north of the church kitchen. If you have a March or April birthday, please sign up on the BWM bulletin board in the east hallway.

7 Financials FINANCIALS Worship Offering Sunday, March 11, 2018 Worship Attendance 255 Sunday School Attendance 128 Dayspring Ministries... $ Facility Renovation Fund and Parking Lot... $3, MCC School Kits... $ Bethesda General Operating Receipts... $9, Total Worship Offering... $13, Sunday School Offering... $ Total Sunday Morning Offering... $13, Young Adult Opportunity to Serve with MCC: Looking for ways to actively engage in issues around justice and equity, with the support of a community? Are you a Spanish speaker? Perhaps the Seed Central America Program is for you! Seed, a global two-year program, is being implemented and led by MCC with young adults between 20 and 30 years of age. The Seed Central America program focuses on the crossroads of place and ecologies of peace -- in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Visit for information or contact heidihuber@mcc.org. Lunch & Learn at MCC with Joanna Shenk! Join us on Thursday, April 5 from noon to 1:00 p.m. at MCC in North Newton, Kansas, to hear Joanna share about her new book, The Movement Makes Us Human an Interview with Dr. Vincent Harding on Mennonites, Vietnam and MLK. Lunch will be provided by Mojo s Coffee Bar. Please RSVP for lunch by April 3. For the first time, we re offering an opportunity for you to join this event virtually, on any computer or device. Visit mcc.org/lunch-learn for information about Joanna, the book and about how to join the event from your home or office! Questions or to RSVP: or patsydirksen@mcc.org.

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