broadcaster 05-11 - Bethany Baptist Church

What are you sowing in your field?
One of the joys of our new setting at
Bethany is the opportunity in spring to gaze
out my office windows and see the back 15
acres tilled and then planted with crops. Soon
after, little green sprouts will emerge from the
dark soil and shoot taller and taller with each
hot, summer day. The green slowly turns to
gold and the harvest becomes ready for the
reapers. What a beautiful way the Lord has
chosen to care for us and feed us! He could
have provided for us by sending manna from
heaven to fall on the ground each day like He
did with Israel during the exodus. But God
chose this slow, gradual process that requires
sweating and waiting and praying and fighting
against pests and weeds. Why did He do
that? Why didn’t God make sowing easier
work? Why didn’t He make the process faster,
more efficient? Microwave farming! Sow
seed in the morning and reap a crop in the
afternoon!
I believe that one reason God chose the
slow sowing and reaping cycle for His created
world is to teach us more about our walk with
Him. All throughout the Bible, God uses the
sowing and reaping season as an illustration
to instruct us about dangers to avoid and
promises to claim. In Galatians chapter six,
Paul uses this cycle as an analogy for our
Christian lives. “Do not be deceived: God is
not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will
he also reap. For the one who sows to his
own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption,
but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the
Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:7-8). The basic
laws of sowing and reaping are three-fold:
1. We reap WHAT we sow.
2. We reap MORE THAN we sow.
3. We reap LATER than we sow.
What is true for corn is also true of our
spiritual lives.
Spring’s season of planting reminds me to
ask my own soul the question: What crop am
by Dr. Ritch Boerckel
I planting for my future? I know that whatever
I sow in the soil of my heart, I will one day
reap. The harvest holds either eternal life or
devastating corruption for me depending on
what I plant in the spring. I know that
eventually the time of sowing will be over, and
the day of reaping will arrive. There may be a
season of waiting between these seasons that
may tempt me to wonder whether harvest time
will ever come, but as surely as spring turns to
summer and summer to fall, there will be a
day of reaping. Depending on WHAT I sow,
that harvest day will be either one of immense
joy or of unending sorrow.
God’s Word describes both good seed and
bad seed that we can sow. Of the bad seed
that yields heartache and misery, Job writes,
“As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and
sow trouble reap the same” (Job 4:8). Job
points out the danger of sowing sin into our
lives. The result will be more sin. This is the
worst kind of harvest! The most severe kind of
judgment from God for our sin against Him is
when He gives us over to more sin. What
misery follows that judgment! Solomon writes
of another kind of bad seed to avoid sowing,
“A worthless person, a wicked man, goes
about . . . continually sowing discord;
therefore calamity will come upon him
suddenly; in a moment he will be broken
beyond healing” (Proverbs 6:12-13). Solomon
speaks of the one who “sows discord” among
brothers as a person who will experience
painful brokenness in their relationships and
tragedy will catch them.
Of the good seed that yields joy and
gladness, the psalmist writes, “Those who sow
in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who
goes out weeping, bearing the seed for
sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:56). God is promising a joyful future for those
(Continued on page 2)
May 2011
Page
From the Pastor
Over the Coffee Cup
Membership Class
Encouragement Ministry
Elders Update
Men’s Breakfast
Missions
Youth Group News
Open Hearts Open Homes
1
2
2
3
3
3
4
5
5
Birthdays & Anniversaries 6
Calendar
7
Children’s Ministry
8
MusiCamp 2011
8
Mwangaza Choir
8
Library Report
9
Women Helping Women 10
Hats of Hope
10
Women’s Events Team
10
Showers
10
GriefShare
11
Community Garden
11
PrimeTime Seniors
11
Summer Events
12
Issue 955
Page 2
Over the Coffee Cup
by Char Wallen
If you could make a wish and have it granted, what would you wish for
today? I sat down in “my chair” and tried to imagine what I would desire. I
made a list. It went something like this, not necessarily in order. I would like
to have the ambition of a young person (say 75 years of age). Why? So I
could be outside and do all the spring clean up and not get tired. I would like
to go back to work for six months to qualify for Social Security’s full amount,
so I could help God care for His own more completely. I quit working after
nine and a half years and didn’t know I needed ten years to get this benefit.
Then I would like to take a trip to a mission field and know what our
missionaries experience so I (we) could pray for them even better each
morning. Then, I would like some real Swedish food that I enjoyed as a
young person. Among them there was Inlage Sill (pickled herring), Köttbullar (meatballs), Bruna böner (Brown
beans), Rusgrynsgröt (Christmas pudding), and Pepparkakor (cookies) to name a few. Most of all I’d want to be
a good testimony to my family, friends, and neighbors for my Jesus!
Now how do I go about making these wishes a reality? Some things, like my age, I can’t change (I’m almost 88),
but that’s not all bad! I learn to work hard, sit, work hard, sit, work hard, sit, and even that’s not too hard! What I
can’t change I’ll leave as it is; and be thankful. I can go to all the mission fields every day via prayer, and the
only cost is time! The food is immaterial, as long as I get my 1000 calories or more daily.
My greatest desire is to love You, Jesus, and be a blessing to my loved ones. Will You show me, Lord, what
pathway I should travel? I now travel on Cookie Boulevard, Cupcake Alley, Poetry Lane, and Coffee Interstate.
What should I add? Yes, I should always walk on Testimony Trailway! Lord, help me before I get too old, and to
always remember, “God’s testimony is greater than man’s” (I John 5:9). Let’s have a cup of coffee; it does smell
good!
Continued from page 1 - What Are You Sowing?
who labor in serving Him. The rewards that bring deep
satisfaction come on the heels of much hard work. We sow
these seeds when we share the Gospel and find ways to
build God’s kingdom through His church. While God
deserves all the credit for this harvest, those who labor hard
can anticipate enjoying the benefits of God’s blessing.
Those who do not toil in the field cannot expect such benefit.
Hosea speaks of another kind of good seed, “Sow for
yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up
your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that
he may come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hosea
10:12). He speaks of sowing seeds of righteousness . . .
living godly lives in this ungodly world. God promises that
when we sow seeds of godly virtue, we can expect to reap
the harvest of God’s love and of more righteousness. Just
as sin begets more sin; righteousness begets more
righteousness. This too is from God!
The next time you pass a farmer planting in the field,
remember to ask yourself the question, “What kind of seed
am I sowing in my field?”
“It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first
share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will
give you understanding in everything.” (2 Timothy 2:6-7)
Church
Sunday Mornings
May 15, 22 & 29
9:45am in the Conference Room
If you are interested in joining the church
or just learning more about Bethany,
plan to attend.
Please RSVP to the church office: jan@bethanycentral.org.
If you have additional questions about the class,
please contact Pastor Joel: joel@bethanycentral.org.
Issue 955
Keep an Eye Toward
Encouragement
Would you like to be a blessing to
others? We are inviting everyone at
Bethany to participate in creating an
atmosphere of encouragement that
helps build up one another in love. We
want everyone to keep an eye toward
encouragement. Maybe there’s
someone to whom you’d like to say:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
You’ve ministered to me.
God bless you.
You’re an answer to prayer.
Good job.
I see Christ’s fruit in your life.
You’re a blessing.
I sense you’re going through a rough time.
I’m thinking of you.
Often, we get busy and forget to communicate a blessing to
others or tell them how God has used them to bless us, so we
want to help you make this a ministry that can easily become a
part of your life on a regular basis. We want everyone to be on
the lookout for how they can encourage others.
We will be placing Encouragement Cards in your worship
folder May 15, so you can write a note to someone God is
calling you to encourage. A few suggestions are:
• someone who is hurting—loss of loved one, job loss,
sickness
• someone who is lonely—house-bound person, single
parent, new to the area
• someone who has benefited you—nursery worker, ABC
teacher, parking lot attendant, greeter, meal server
• positive character quality you want to reinforce—
servant’s heart, joyfulness, friendliness, compassion,
caring, faithfulness
If you want to bless a number of people, there will be extra
cards in the chair pockets and at the Welcome Center.
If you don’t know the name of the recipient of your note, just
ask one of the pastoral/office staff. We’ll be glad to help you.
Also, to help you find a particular name, a list of general
ministry categories with specific names will be available on the
Bethany website. If you drop your Encouragement Card in the
offering plate or hand it in at the Welcome Center, we’ll make
sure it gets to the right person. Let’s be a church that’s known
for encouraging one another. Be observant and keep an eye
toward encouragement.
“Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up . . .”
I Thessalonians 5:11
Page 3
The Elders
Update
As I write this note, our May 1 annual meeting of the
congregation has not yet taken place. Lord willing, it has
now concluded with a new budget in place, new officers
elected, new members voted into membership, a new
pastor added to the staff (Kevin Sauder), and God has
been given greater glory for His work among us. I have
great confidence that God has been actively moving among
us not because I claim a prophetic gift, but because it is
entirely consistent with His history among us. Do you
realize how awesome and powerful that statement is? Day
after day, week after week, month after month, year after
year, we see His Hand at work among His people at
Bethany. Missionaries are sent. Seminarians are trained.
Children are taught. His Word is proclaimed. God is
praised. What a mighty God we serve!
As elders of Bethany, we thank you for the privilege to
serve among you as shepherds and overseers of this
growing flock. We wish to thank Jim Elsasser, Jeff Jensen,
Jim Ausfahl and Dave Perry who conclude their service on
the elder board at this time. We know their service to the
Lord will not end however, and for this we are most
grateful.
Thank you all for your continued prayers for the
leadership of our church.
Chris Larson, Elder Chairman
MEN’S
BREAKFAST
Saturday, May 21
at 7:30am
All men are invited for great
food and fellowship.
Pastor Kevin Sauder
will be sharing on
“Transformed by the
Renewing of our Minds.”
Sign up online, via bulletin tear-off,
or by calling the church office.
Page 4
Issue 955
Missions in May
May Short-Term
Special Offering
For Bethany Fellowship Trips 2011
Name___________________________
Amount ________
Envelope No. _______
Check No._______
Short-Term Missions Teams Offering
Joining His Global Purpose Highway
Every People, Every Nation
02011
Help send out our Bethany Fellowship
teams. Use the special missions
envelope, and see the bulletin for more
details about trip support. Envelopes
were distributed in the worship
bulletin on May 1 and are now
available at the Welcome Center.
Gifts will be collected until the end of
May. Please consider how you might
help this year to advance our Bethany
Fellowship Short-Term Teams.
Mosaic Ministry
International
Dinner
Saturday, May 7
5:30pm
Mosaic provides a ministry to internationals that attend Bethany
and an encouragement to all of us to invite friends
(believers and unbelievers) from other cultures and
backgrounds to worship with us.
Location: Bethany Baptist Church
Please bring a dish from your family’s culture to share.
Please be in prayer for these
upcoming missions trips and
consider if God would have you
serve on those that are still open
for applicants. A short-term
offering will be taken in May to
help contribute toward trip
expenses.
JUNE
Rwanda team to reach out to Ntungan community—June
11-21. *At capacity—applications no longer accepted.
Idaho team—June 20-30. The team will assist our
missionaries, the Bagley's, who serve at a church that focuses
on reaching out to Mormons. If interested, please contact
Bruce Wyckoff at blwyckoff@comcast.net
Drinks will be provided.
Bring a friend!
RSVP to mosaic07@yahoo.com
Would you like to pray
more effectively for our
missionaries?
AUGUST
Czech Republic—August 11-21. This trip is to help our
missionaries, the Waldrops, who pastor a church in
Prague. Each August they put on a week-long camp for
missionary kids, and they have asked us to send a team of
people to help. Please contact Pastor Fred at
fred@bethanycentral.org if interested. NOTE: More
participants are needed to help build this team (especially
females).
If so, consider using the
Missions Prayer Newsletter,
which is distributed monthly.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
To obtain notice of its
availability via e-mail, sign up for the
Missions E-mail on the Bethany Website.
NOVEMBER
Guatemala orphanage trip - August 27-September 5. *At
capacity—applications no longer accepted.
Ecuador — a new trip is available to Ecuador (dates TBD);
if interested, please contact the team leader, Steve Hornbrook
at hornbsl@gmail.com; more details about the trip to come.
Page 5
Issue 955
Anyone who has ever worked with high
school students, whether in the church or at
a particular school, typically has a specific
graduating class that bears the
distinguishing mark of being the first class
that they have spent four complete years
with. For this year’s Class of 2011, that
By Joey Holland
distinction is doubly true. I was entering my
second year in youth ministry at Bethany when this class arrived as Junior
Highers. Then, going into their freshmen year, I took over the duties of the
high school ministry from Pastor Daniel. So not only does this class bear
the mark of being my first four year class, they also bear the unique quality
of being the only class with whom I have been ministering to directly for six
years. And for that and so many memories they will forever hold a special
place in my heart.
They are also unique for their involvement over the years. Over 75% of
them have been actively involved throughout their six years at every level of
our youth group (50% has been the average for the past few years). We
have several who are pursuing full-time ministry, a couple of those who
desire to also attend seminary, and a handful that desire to get involved in
various ministries, both inside and outside of the church. I also have never
seen a class that was as passionate about the Gospel as this one has been.
They have made a profound impact upon our youth group and their
leadership will be greatly missed. Would you join me in honoring them all
by congratulating them on a job well done and praying for God to continue
to guide, direct, and use them in a mighty and powerful way? To the Class
of 2011, we are proud of you and are so excited about the plans that God
has in store for you! You will be greatly missed!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Reminder! Youth Summer Camp is June 5-10.
Registration brochures are now available!
Deadline to register is May 15! See Joey with questions.
Youth Group
Spotlight
Brooke Tolson,
Student Leader
School: Peoria Christian High School
Age: 17
Grade: Senior
GPA: 3.4
Family: Parents – Mark and Janine;
Siblings – Michelle (25), Aaron (23)
Church Activities: Aletheia Leadership
Team, Nursery teams, VBS, Children’s
ministry, Meals (Men’s Breakfasts, funerals,
Wednesday nights, and special events)
School Activities: National Honors Society,
Yearbook, Photography Club, and Key Club
Other Activities: Summer softball league,
watching my brother play baseball and
softball
Job: Emo’s Dairy Mart
Future Plans: Go to ICC for two years and
then transfer to a four-year college and
study elementary education
Highlights from High School: Senior
Retreat, Mini-terms (cooking and ceramics),
Key Club field trips to the Dream Center and
various nursing homes
Youth Group Favorite Memories: Helping
with Jr. High Retreats, going to Six Flags
with the youth group and my brother, and
lots of Summer Camp memories
Open Hearts Open Homes
“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these… you did for me.” Matthew 25:40
Sacrificial Giving
We at Open Hearts, Open Homes Orphan Ministry would like you to consider doing something
hard...very hard. One of the most difficult things for Foster Families is the reality that they need a
break! It is hard to come to terms with the fact that the child you were called to love is driving you to
the brink of emotional and physical exhaustion. Foster agencies have different requirements for foster
child care. Some allow that a foster child can be supervised for several hours by an unlicensed
adult. Others require a background check. The majority require a foster parent license for overnight or multiple night
care. Foster agencies offer respite care through their agencies, however many of our families would hesitate to take
advantage of it because they are concerned for the safety of their child in an unknown situation. As desperate as they are,
they can not imagine dropping their child off at a home that is unknown to them. Considering how long many children are
placed in foster care before adoptions are final or they are returned home, that could be years for foster parents without an
overnight break!
Would you be willing to provide rest to the weary? We would love to have some Bethany families that are Foster Care
licensed for the sole purpose of serving Bethany foster families. Initially, there is a time commitment involving a home study
and foster parenting classes. That is the hard part! After that initial time commitment the effort is minimal; but the impact
could be extraordinary. I think of the encouragement that missionary families receive when Bethany groups "meet them
where they live." We often describe orphan care as an ongoing mission field. What an eternal impact it could have when a
parent’s needs are met and a healing child is kept safe. Please contact Monica Lonergan at 303-7965 or Amy Park at 2661635 if you would like further information on being a Bethany Respite Family!
Visit the Open Hearts, Open Homes Orphan ministry blog for updates of interest to those who care for the orphan.
openheartsopenhomesministry.blogspot.com
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 -
Mark Burnham
Brent Castle
Brianna Nielsen
Marge Coulter
Lisa Haywood
Logan Queen
Tyler Holland
John Myatt
Jessica Rumbold
Molly Schnepel
Martie Scott
Linda Shaner
Robert Barnes
Steve Haroldson
Sydney Hougham
Nicole Pepper
Jeremiah Dozard
Andrea Guingrich
Addison Hiller
Kaitlyn Kallina
Brooke Parrish
Brooke Rumbold
Brooks Shanklin
Hayden Church
Benjamin Clore
Mark & Karen Burnham
Grant Mathes
Brenda Van Atta
Wilma Stringer
Ron & Kristi Hoyle
Jean Davis
Dale Lewis
Taylor Reynolds
Deb Schepke
Rod Abel
Benjamin Gottemoller
Wayne & Jane Miller
Nancie Ham
Scott Kern
Tom Williams
Stephen Hapke
Steve Hartwig
Jeff & JoEllen Borden
Warren & Nicole Pepper
Craig & Kimberly Shepherd
Magdelina Lindahl
Kristen Poremski
Walt & Anna Marie Chave
John & Lori Havenga
Lee & Beth Randall
Terri Chism
Josh Peters
Kourtney Teubel
Eric & Sarah Charles
Joe & Tina Ramsey
Katie Burnham
Brook Hougham
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 -
Owen Kellem
Fred Laugherty
Cameron Lewis
McCully Shanklin
Bob & Pat Goben
Kristyn Hart
Samuel Hoerr
Judith Myers
Robert Turner
Barry & Bridget Schnepel
Peter & Kelli Rummel
David Burnham
Victoria Criss
David Dremann
John Huerta
Elsa Meiss
Stefanie Sage
Sam Zimmerman
Steve & Evelyn Herron
Julie Growchowsky
Beth Hapke
Janet Lawson
Stephanie Wieland
John & Roslynn Huerta
Dan Albaugh
Alivia Ham
Carlos Gonzalez
Kenneth Meiss
Charly Ugorji
Brett & Jill Masear
Gregg & Kris McClelland
George & Debbie Pinkney
Billie Fite
Ed Glaue
Jordan Menold
Steve & Jennell Dietz
Paul & Dana Hake
William & Stacey Jacobs
Joy Alvey
Jean Byerly
Ashley Esslinger
Mary Gerig
Mia Gerig
Steve Herron, Jr.
Carol Vance
Jason & Heather Lied
Naomi Abel
Roger Koehler
Kristy McMenamy
Mason Schrepfer
Linda Slopak
Lowell Wallen
Alexander Weber
Mike & Terri Chism
Tim & Jill Johnson
Justin & Kristy McMenamy
Walter & Debby Rhodes
John & Tina Strawn
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 -
Grace Bonk
Katie Bruza
Lydia Schellenberg
Robert Shockency
Carol Smith
Ashley Stoltzfus
Ted & Jennifer Green
Brian DeBacker
Chelsea Fouts
Jonas Hake
Chuck Hauptly
Jim Kurczodyna
Roger Lawson
Lukas Merna
Gary Page
Josh & Vivian Moon
Joel Borden
Ewald Lipps
Kayla Johnson
Ali Bryant
Gary Bryant
Rebecca Schlich
V. Rick Smith
Liz Thorp
Todd & Lisa Bryant
Al & Joyce Dremann
Andy & Ann Wilson
Ginger Burke
Joe & Ginger Burke
Adam & Mindy Byerly
Joel & Jaclyn Taylor
Jessica Angotti
Philip Bruza
Karen Hart
John & Lynette Eisenmann
Tim & DeAnna Hutton
George & Lindai Lin
Roslynn Huerta
Courtney Jablon
Emma Langan
Emmaline Perkins
Cody Strawn
Joe & Julie Herring
Jim & Ardell Swezey
Tom Palmer
Nick & Rosie Boone
Caleb & Sravani Jorden
Sherrie Dornon
Summer Hoyt
Cherlyn Lied
Amber Metzger
Riley Metzger
Grace Netherton
Christen Weaver
Carl & Brenda Theobald
May 2011
Sun
1
Mon
2
8:15 & 11:00am
Worship Services
9:45am
Annual Meeting
Children’s SS
4:45pm Teen Choir
6:00pm First Prayer
& Kevin Sauder
Ordination
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
3
4
5
6
7
9:00am
Men’s Bible Study
Ladies Bible
Studies
7:00pm
Bridal Shower for
Rachel Harvey
9:00am
MOPPETS Workers
Brunch
12:00pm - Men’s
Downtown Lunch
Study
6:00pm
Senior High
Graduation Banquet
10:00am
Bridal Shower for
Ellie Royer
6:00pm EE
6:15pm GriefShare
6:15pm
AWANA Awards
Night
Youth Group
6:30pm
Prayer Gathering
7:30pm Choir
5:30pm
Mosaic International
Dinner
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
8:15 & 11:00am
Worship Services
9:45am
Sunday School
6:30pm
Women’s Event
Meeting
9:00am
Men’s Bible Study
Ladies Bible
Studies
1:00pm
Ladies Bible Study
6:00pm EE
6:15pm GriefShare
6:30pm
Choir Rehearsal
7:00pm
Bridal Shower for
Anna Bayko
12:00pm - Men’s
Downtown Lunch
Study
5:30pm
Wedding Rehearsal
1:00pm
Dow/Tate Rental
Wedding & Reception
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
8:15 & 11:00am
Worship Services
9:45am
Sunday School
12:30pm
ABC Leader Mtg.
11:00am
PrimeTime Seniors
9:00am
Men’s Bible Study
Ladies Bible
Studies
6:00pm EE
6:00pm Hats of
Hope Worknight
6:30pm
Choir Rehearsal
12:00pm - Men’s
Downtown Lunch
Study
7:30am
Men’s Breakfast
10:00am
Baby Shower for
Julie Herring
1:30pm
Fontana/Malone
Wedding (Knoxville)
24
25
27
28
9:00am
Men’s Bible Study
6:30pm
Choir Rehearsal
Happy Mother’s
Day!
No Evening Service
7:00pm
Women Helping
Women Worknight
Dust to Glory Brunch
6:00pm
Evening Service
22
23
8:15 & 11:00am
Worship Services
9:45am
Sunday School
Membership Class
12:30pm
Usher & Greeter
Appreciation Lunch
No Evening Service
6:00pm EE
29
30
31
8:15 & 11:00am
Worship Services
9:45am
Sunday School
Membership Class
Happy Memorial
Day!
9:00am
Men’s Bible Study
No Evening Service
Office Closed
26
12:00pm - Men’s
Downtown Lunch
Study
Page 8
Issue 955
Bethany Children’s Ministry
By Jerry Sanderson, Minister of Children’s Discipleship
Sunday School
In May we continue the study of the Life of Christ. We encourage you as parents to go through
the Scriptures being taught in Sunday School with your children to reinforce the lesson. The
Scriptures covered in May are:
05/01
05/08
05/15
05/22
05/29
Acts 5:17–42
Acts 6:1–7:60
Acts 8:1–25
Acts 8:26–39
Acts 9:1-31
The Gospel Continues to Spread
The Jews Resist the Holy Spirit
The Church Is Persecuted and the Gospel Spreads
Philip Shares the Gospel with the Ethiopian Eunuch
Saul is converted on the road to Damascus
AWANA
Please join us for AWANA Awards night, May 4th, ending our AWANA year.
Family Devotions
Family Ministries at Bethany have made devotional books available for parents to use with the children at home and for
Middle School children to start having devotions on their own. In addition, Junior and Senior High have devotions available
for that age group. These devotions are available to checkout from the library from a special Family/Youth devotion area
on several shelves. In addition, they are available for purchase in the office or from Joey, Aaron or Jerry.
Vacation Bible School
Mark your Calendars for July 11-15 for Bethany Baptist's Vacation Bible School. You can register your children online at
www.bethanycentral.org It is for children going into Kindergarten in the fall up through children going into 6th grade in the
fall. Children going into 7th or higher grades can participate by helping! The theme this year is Gold Rush - Discovering
the Rock of Ages. Children please plan to attend and think and pray about who you can invite. Adults think about how you
might help us at VBS this year as we proclaim the Gospel to over 300 children! You can sign-up to help online
at www.bethanycentral.org.
MusiCamp 2011
June 6-10
6:00 - 8:15pm
Cost: $5 per child (for T-shirts)
All kids who have finished Kindergarten
through 7th Grade are invited!
at Living Hope Community Church
May 22 — 6:00pm
We will work on the musical
“Joseph—From the Pit to the Palace”
which will be performed
on Sunday, June 12 at 6:00pm.
Come and hear a message of hope through original
Ugandan song and dance! Mwangaza Children’s Choir
is an inspiring group of 20 spirited and talented children,
ages 9-14, who admirably represent the orphaned and
poverty-stricken youth of Uganda.
The concert is free. A love offering will be taken.
Page 9
Issue 955
A progress report on our new church library
We are very excited about our leadership’s vision to strategically develop and improve our
church library. Biblical resources that are readily accessible to our church family help to
multiply the effectiveness of our church’s teaching ministry, and this is our prayer as we
work to “restart” an active church library in our new building! It is our joy to be able to
update you on what God has been doing behind the scenes to prepare for the launch of our
new church library ministry later this year.
We are thankful to Melinda (Steve) Siri for her proficient faithfulness as our church librarian
over the last several years, and wish her God’s blessings as she now becomes more involved in other ministries. Jane
(Kyle) Scholl has recently agreed to serve as our new church librarian, and we are thanking God for the experience and
energy that Jane is already bringing to this equipping ministry. We are researching new library software, and plan to recatalog and reorganize the presentation of existing holdings, and strategically add a significant number of new resources
to the church library in coming months. In recent weeks we have also given much prayer and
consideration to our new Church Library’s Statement of Philosophy. Obviously much of this
work is preparatory and unseen to our church family, but while we patiently trust God’s timing
for implementing these changes with actual resources on the shelves, we are excited to be
able to communicate our new library philosophy with you this month.
Please continue to pray with us that God will be glorified as we seek to better equip our church
family for God’s worship and work through this library ministry. Further questions or
suggestions may be directed to Pastor Kevin Sauder at kevin@bethanycentral.org.
Church Library Statement of Philosophy
Adult Library
Our Adult’s library is designed to build up believers in their faith
and obedience to Christ. The library contains those Christian
resources that Bethany Baptist Church believes will be most
beneficial to the spiritual growth and strengthening of its members.
Therefore our library prioritizes the quality of our resources over
the total quantity of them. Our church leadership seeks to provide
the most God-glorifying resources in each category of the library’s
holdings.
A limited selection of Christian fiction is also provided for
recreational reading. By Christian fiction, we mean those
resources which use fiction to spiritually motivate the reader to
greater biblical understanding or living.
While we recognize that there are many other good Christian
materials, each of the resources in our adult library has been
selected by the church leadership in order to best promote sound
doctrine and godly living.
Children’s Library
Our Children’s library is designed to help children grow in their
understanding of God and in their obedient walk with Christ. The
library contains Christian material that children enjoy reading and
viewing. By Christian material, we mean those resources which
present biblical principles of living through story, biography, or
instruction.
While we recognize other libraries may contain many worthwhile
books for children to read, our children’s library at Bethany Baptist
Church wishes to maintain a uniquely Christian character.
Library Donation Policy
In order that all our Church Library resources are
of the highest quality and of the greatest benefit to
our church family, all donated materials are subject
to the following guidelines:
1. Donations to the Church Library are
encouraged. If the gift is monetary, the church
elders or their delegate(s) are responsible for
decisions made regarding such gift’s use.
2. A list of “Desired Resources for the Church
Library” is available upon request from the
Librarian for anyone seeking to donate specific
resources that are desired by the church
leadership.
3. All donated resources will be reviewed by the
church elders or their delegate(s) to determine
their agreement with the church library’s
philosophy. In the event that a donated
resource is not selected for inclusion in the
church library, it will be donated to another
institution. If a resource is deemed unusable or
unprofitable, it will be recycled.
4. All donated materials should be in good
condition and free of heavy marking or
defacement.
5. No materials for donation should be left in the
Church Library at any time. All donated
materials should be left in the church office
accompanied by the name and phone number
of the donor.
6. Receipts for library donations will be provided
only upon request.
Issue 955
Page 10
Women Helping Women
Work Night
Monday, May 16 at 7:00pm
Women Helping Women seeks to serve
those experiencing miscarriage,
still birth, early infant death, and infertility.
All ladies are invited to help prepare items for people to
sew and to get gowns ready to distribute to local doctor’s
offices and hospitals. Other projects are also available.
Bethany Women’s Ministries
Ha t s of Ho pe
Work Night: Tuesday, May 17
6:00-9:00pm in Room 815
We are hosting work nights for the production of hats for
cancer patients. The work nights are an opportunity to
come and meet some cancer survivors, use your gifts and
talents in sewing and knitting, or simply to cut fabric and
make fabric flowers for the hats. Yarn and materials are
supplied for you if you desire to make hats at home.
Call Nicole Pepper (683-1181) for details.
Contact: Holly Miller 648-1693 or hlm112770@aol.com
Women’s Ministries Event Team
The Shower Committee of Bethany Women’s
Ministries invites all ladies to…
Celebrate With:
We would like to invite you to put feet to your faith
and join the Event Committee. You can participate as a
full-time committee member or by a single event.
The Women’s Event Committee meets the second
Monday of the month at 6:30pm in Room 810. If you
have questions, please contact Kelly Walenta at 309691-2327 or ckone2000@comcast.net. We would love
to have you on the team!
Rachel Harvey
Thursday, May 5 at 7:00pm
Rachel is marrying Josh Smith.
They are registered at Target,
Kohl's, and Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Ellie Royer
Saturday, May 7 at 10:00am
Ellie is marrying Brad Desatnik.
They are registered at Kohl's,
Bergners, and Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Anna Bayko
Thursday, May 12 at 7:00pm
Anna is engaged to Spencer Castle.
They are registered at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Save These Dates:
1. Queen for a Day Luncheon
Saturday, August 20
11am to 2pm
Speaker: Myfanwy Saunders
2. Stewardship – Saturday, October 8
9 to 11am – Speaker: Markie Castle
3. The Main Event – January 20-21, 2012
4. Girls’ Night Out – April 2012
Laura Young
Thursday, June 2 at 7:00pm
Laura is engaged to Craig Janssen.
They are registered at Crate & Barrel, Bergners,
Bed, Bath, & Beyond and Pampered Chef.
_________________________________________________________
Julie Herring
Saturday, May 21 at 10:00am
Joe and Julie welcomed Baby Anna
in November 2010.
They are registered at Babies R Us.
s
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Issue 955
Who Do We Hear From at GriefShare?
In the last issue we shared some of the topics we discuss
at GriefShare. Here are a few more we cover during a 13week session.
- Did you realize that Grief is Unique? It is as unique as
you and the person you lost to death. No two individuals
grieve exactly the same way.
- God gives us A Prescription for Our Grief and we talk
about God’s input in our lives.
- What about feeling Stuck in Your Grief? Those who
choose to avoid their grief by becoming over involved and
not allowing themselves to think about their grief could be
another way of stuffing their grief. For men, that often
includes pouring himself into his job to the exclusion of
his family; for women, she may become super involved
with volunteering in the community or at church, or at
school or by pouring herself into her children’s lives; any
of these can cause the marriage to weaken. We talk
about Moving On vs. Moving Forward and explain which
is done to please others and which builds up yourself.
What about engaging in another relationship? How long
should a person wait?
- We take two sessions to talk about the Top Twenty
Lessons that Grief Teaches Us. What about
Forgiveness of the drunk driver, the misdiagnosis or
failure to start treatment soon enough. What about your
loved one not wanting to go see the doctor? This DOES
affect how you grieve.
- Lastly, and most importantly, we talk about Heaven. Dr.
E. V. Hill lays out the plan of salvation very clearly. And
Dr. Lutzer dispels some myths that many people have
about heaven. For your loved one to become an angel
would be a demotion for them. God has already created
all the angels He needs; we also talk about guardian
angels that God appoints to us.
- So, who else do we hear from in the course of the 13
weeks? Names you recognize like Dr. Paul David Tripp,
Dr. Edward T. Welch, Dr. Erwin Lutzer, Dr. Joseph
Stowell, Dr. John Trent as well as Zig Zigler, Dee Brestin,
Elizabeth Elliot, Joni Erickson-Tada, Kay Arthur and Ann
Grahm Lotz. So it is not just the frail thoughts of two
individuals who experienced a family loss, it is the godly
wisdom of individuals who know and love God, and who
have also experienced death in a personal way. The
participants also hear from individuals on the videos who
have personally experienced various forms of death of
their loved ones from SIDS, infant drowning, murder,
suicide, car accidents, death of a young husband, and
death from medical problems. Simply stated, the
participants CAN identify with someone who encountered
a loss similar to their loved one.
Serving Christ Together,
Dave & Marilynn Perry, 579-2408
Community Garden Ministry
A portion of our land is set aside for a community
garden. Our purpose is to allow church families to
grow fruit and vegetables and then to share the first
fruits of your harvest with those in our community in
need.
The garden is ready! If you would like to participate,
please contact Pastor Lyall to reserve a plot.
Email: lyall@bethanycentral.org
Phone: 692-1755
PrimeTime Seniors
All those age 50+ are invited to a luncheon
on Monday, May 16 at 11:00am
With special guest Pastor Kevin Sauder and
family. Hear his testimony; meet his family.
Main dish provided.
Please bring a dessert, vegetable,
or salad to share.
Call the church office at 692-1755 to
sign-up or register on an upcoming
Communication Card.
Summer Dates for Your Calendar
June 6-10
MusiCamp - 6:00-8:15pm
“Joseph - From the Pit to the Palace”
July 11-15
Vacation Bible School - 9:00-11:30am
“Gold Rush - Discovering the Rock of Ages”
July 24 - August 28
House to House
August 3
Peoria Chiefs Baseball Game
August 14
Taste of Bethany Ministry Fair
Return Service Requested
Bethany Baptist Church
7422 N. Heinz Lane
Edwards, IL 61528
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
P A I D
PEORIA, ILLINOIS
PERMIT NO. 917