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Date posted: Thursday 05 November 2020
This year, the Bega Kwa Bega Fall Festival will take place over two days. Our theme is Together & Apart.
On Saturday, Nov. 14, you're invited to join by Zoom from your home at 9:30 a.m. for a celebration prepared by BKB leaders from Iringa and the Saint Paul Area Synod. The opening celebration will be hosted by Barb Lind and will include greetings from The Rev. Askal Mgeyekwa, Dean of the ELCT Iringa Diocese, Deacon April Trout who is completing her service as BKB Coordinator, and Pastor Lusungu Msigwa as he moves from serving as the BKB Coordinator in Iringa to studying at Luther Seminary.
This opening session will be followed by three workshop opportunities. Participants can either stay on the main Zoom link for a fellowship time or break off to one of three specific workshops:
Presenter/Host - Pastor Joy McDonald Coltvet & Pastor Peter Harrits
Even when we are physically present with our companions, we are often worlds apart when it comes to culture. With an iceberg as a guiding image and the cultural dimensions research of Geert Hofstede as a tool, we'll use conversations and storytelling to identify 'differences that make a difference' we've observed in our relationships, lean into what they may mean, and learn to be better companions when we are back together.
Presenter/Host - Pastor Heather Roth Johnson
Learning to talk to people who are different from us is an important skill. The exciting part is that we don't have to go around the world to learn how to do this. We can start with the generations in our own churches! This track is for all who want to discover how discipleship is about “accompanying” one another in our congregations and in our households; and how involvement in “mission” cannot be separated from faith formation for every age and stage of life.
Presenter/Host - Kirsten Levorson
How does your congregation keep travelers engaged in your companionship after they arrive home? How do you engage congregation members who will never travel? This session will share strategies and experiences from a variety of SPAS congregations who do those things well.
On Sunday, Nov. 15, any congregations throughout the Saint Paul Area Synod who are sharing weekly video worship with their worshiping community are invited to use the BKB Sunday Worship. These resources will be available for posting by Tuesday, Nov. 10 on the Fall Festival webpage. It is intended to be a gift from the BKB Festival Team to any congregation (pastors/worship leaders) who would like a "week off" from worship video production and who would like to join in celebrating our BKB partnership. If your congregation is worshipping another way on Sunday, you are also welcome to participate in the worship video at any time.
Sunday worship features participants from more than 20 congregations throughout the Saint Paul Area Synod and DIRA, a greeting from our Bishop, music from the combined SPAS/DIRA choir tour in summer 2019, Thanksgiving for Baptism, The Rev. Askal Mgeyekwa preaching on 1 Thessalonians 3:6-10a, Confession & Forgiveness, Prayers for Partners and more. Parts of worship will also be available for download, if a congregation would like to use portions of worship rather than the whole.
Children's resources are also available for those congregations that would like to offer them for use in Sunday School/Faith Formation programs throughout November.
We hope that you will join in all or part of the BKB Fall Festival this year!
With gratitude,
Pastor Joy McDonald Coltvet,
Member of the Iringa Committee & the BKB Fall Festival Team
No registration is necessary! Just visit the BKB Fall Festival page and click the link for the Zoom meeting starting at 9:20 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14. The festival begins at 9:30 a.m.
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