Hesston College will mark a century of serving the Mennonite church with a host of activities and celebrations during Centennial Homecoming Weekend, September 25-27, 2009. Alumni, friends, families, and the local community will return to campus for a variety of events.

“We welcome everyone from near and far to celebrate with us,” President Howard Keim invited, “and we hope that many from south central Kansas and beyond will join in the celebration and enjoy the events even if Hesston College is new to them or they’ve never been on our campus. Join us for a wonderful weekend!”

The college established “Living the Vision” as the theme for its centennial year celebrations. The theme draws on the college’s efforts over the years to remain faithful to the biblical vision and to ground the Hesston College educational experience on the biblical narrative.

“As people of faith we seek to serve our students in ways that honor God,” Keim added. “Our mission is to educate and nurture students in Christ-centered community for service to others in the church and the world.”

Centennial events begin Friday morning with a campus chapel service featuring alumni Herm and Cindy Weaver (both members of the class of 1979) and their daughters Hope Weaver (2009) and current sophomore Chloe Weaver, all of Nederland, Colo. The Weavers will share dreams for Hesston College’s future. The service will include the introduction of two new emeritus faculty members and the unveiling of the college’s centennial sculpture by artist, alumnus, and emeritus faculty member Paul Friesen of Hesston.

A Friday afternoon history forum will explore Hesston College’s connection to the Mennonite Church and how it has changed through the college’s history. Guests can also take a walking tour of historic Hesston homes. Actors will present “Front Porch Narratives” at two locations Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, sharing the stories of Hesston College founder T.M. Erb and Henry G. Brunk.

A Former Presidents Reception at 4:30 Friday afternoon offers guests an opportunity to visit with former Hesston College presidents Laban Peachey, Kirk Alliman, and Loren Swartzendruber and interim presidents James Mininger and Peter Wiebe. The college’s academic divisions will host open houses, as will the residence halls from 3:30 to 5 that afternoon.

The community will gather at 6:30 Friday evening to celebrate the release of A School on the Prairie: A Centennial History of Hesston College 1909-2009 by faculty member John Sharp at a book premiere and reception.

Hesston College’s Theatre and Music departments will present Quilters A Musical Tribute to the Women of the Prairie. The first of three weekend performances is Friday evening at 8:30 with performances to follow Saturday morning at 10 and Sunday afternoon at 2. Friday evening’s performance will include the unveiling of the college’s Centennial Quilt made by a mother and daughter team of Hesston College alumni, Martha Hershberger and Faith Penner.

The college will host a gathering for young alumni and current students at Lincoln Perk, 709 E Lincoln Boulevard in Hesston and a coffeehouse for the “older set” at Lincoln Perk at Hesston College in the Larks Nest, Lincoln Perk’s campus location.

Hesston College teams will compete, too. The women’s volleyball team will host its annual Hesston Invitational Tournament at the Hesston High School Auxiliary Gym Friday and Saturday. The eight-team tournament includes Kansas community colleges from Labette, Highland, Butler County, Allen County, and Dodge City as well as Brookhaven College (Dallas, Texas) and Otero Junior College (La Junta, Colo.).

The tournament will be a “Team Pink” breast cancer awareness fund raiser for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation with a portion of gate proceeds and t-shirt sales as well as a donation box to benefit the foundation. The team invites fans to wear pink to its games, scheduled for 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. and 1 or 3 p.m. Saturday.

The Larks men’s and women’s soccer teams will play McPherson College junior varsity teams Friday evening on campus. The women’s game starts at 5:30, the men’s game at 7:30.

Saturday morning starts with a gathering for all former and current Hesston College faculty and staff. The college will also host class reunions for the Hesston College classes of 1949, ’54, ’59, ’69, ’74, ’79, ’84, ’89, ’94, ’99, and 2004. Hesston Academy (high school) classes of 1949, ’54, and ’59 will also gather.

President Howard Keim and the Hesston College development staff will host Hesston College Partners-donors who contribute at least $500 each year to the college’s operating budget Saturday noon.

A Centennial Heritage Auction featuring works donated by alumni artists, quilts, and a variety of college memorabilia is scheduled Saturday afternoon. Proceeds will go toward renovations of the central and west wings of Erb Hall, one of the college’s residence halls.

The college community will gather, along with alumni and friends, to remember long-time industrial arts faculty member Freedley Schrock and to dedicate a memorial to him. Schrock taught from 1944-1972. The memorial is located along a sidewalk north of Alliman Administration Center, near where the industrial arts shop used to stand.

Saturday’s feature events are scheduled for the evening: the Alumni and Friends Centennial Banquet and the Centennial Music Gala. Sisters Luanne (Yoder) Southern and Lana (Yoder) Dale, both members of the college class of 1981, will speak at the banquet on Hesston’s service emphasis to the church and the world.

The Centennial Music Gala includes selections by Putney Gulch Pickers, a bluegrass ensemble from Colorado; Jubilee Transfer, a Missouri gospel quartet; The King’s Messengers, an alumni men’s quartet from the 1950s; the college’s student choirs; and artist-in-residence Tony Brown. Several solo artists will perform as well, including alumnus Tim Shue of Kidron, Ohio, who has served as worship leader for several Mennonite Church USA conventions.

Former interim president Peter Wiebe will offer the meditation at Sunday morning’s Centennial Worship Service, at 10 a.m. Wiebe will speak on the theme, “Back to the Future: Century II” with Hebrews 12:1-2 as his text. The service will also feature selections by the Centennial Choir under the direction of former faculty member Dr. David Gerig.

Following worship, guests are invited to participate in a service of blessing for a Mennonite Disaster Service and Hesston College Partnership Home Project house. The college community will frame a home in the week before homecoming, then take the home apart in panels for shipment to Picayune, Mississippi, where it will be reassembled and finished for a local resident.