Bethany Spirit. Christianity, the Church, and Commitment Rev. Daniel J. Commerford A

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1 Bethany Spirit September 2013 CHURCH STAFF Pastor Rev. Daniel Commerford Secretary Annie King Pianist Carolyn Peters Choir Director Joanna Reesman Youth Director Sam Schaus SESSION MEMBERS Class of 2014 Hal King Tommy Pirkle Jessica Salmon Class of 2015 Stuart Clive Chris Mize Bill Mote Carolyn Peters Inside this issue: Session Reports 2-3, 6 Calendar 4 Volunteers/ Prayer List New Members 6 Youth Update 7 5 A Monthly Publication of the Bethany Presbyterian Church Christianity, the Church, and Commitment Rev. Daniel J. Commerford A nyone who knows me well can say with certainty that I can be an annoying shopper from time to time. Whenever I have to make a decision about a big purchase, I often go through a rigorous research phase where I find everything there is to know about the product. After that, I begin the self-analyzing phase where I go back-and-forth about what my needs are, and how the different products I am researching will meet my needs. Finally, after many unnecessary hours of contemplation, I will make my purchase. Even after that, I am prone to experience buyer s remorse. Sometimes, the freedom to choose what I buy can be a burden. Today, our culture is driven by consumerism. Advertisers spend billions of dollars every year because they know that if we are not happy with their company, we can go to the next store and buy products from someone else. TV shows and movies have commercials and product placements in an attempt to persuade us to buy what they are selling. Someone is always selling us something, and we are always choosing where to spend our resources. Unfortunately, this consumerist mentality has made its way into Christianity in America. All across the country, less people are going to church than ever before, and many churches find themselves fighting for those who still want to be in a faith community. Too often, I hear stories of members who go to their pastors and threaten to leave if their demands are not met. On a larger scale, many denominations in America split because of differences in opinion. Instead of remaining in community with one another, many decide to make their own way. For this reason, churches try to bend over backwards to convince their members to remain. Christianity in America is becoming more and more consumer-driven. One reason this is not a healthy trend is that it encourages all of us to primarily look at church as a means to receive something. While all of us receive benefits from worshipping together, we are also called to serve others. Being a follower of Christ means that we are to love God with our whole heart and others as ourselves. Doing this inherently puts the focus of our lives off of us and onto others. Being consumer-driven keeps the focus on us instead of God and others. Another reason consumer-driven Christianity is unhealthy is that it encourages a destabilization in the local congregation. If everyone threatens to leave if their needs aren t met, then it is impossible to develop a family-like community that can learn and grow together as they seek God as a family. Last month, we witnessed several members make a commitment to the Bethany community as we welcomed seven new members to our family, as well as four more who came back on to the active member roll. This month, we will be ordaining and installing new elders who will help serve Bethany on the Session. For both of these occasions, we praise God for leading these members to make those commitments to God and this community! It is im- (Continued on page 2)

2 P a g e 2 Christianity, the Church, and Commitment (Continued from page 1) portant for any Christian to develop their faith in the context of their faith community. For that reason, where we all decide to worship is a huge decision that should not be taken lightly. With that in mind, we will be spending the first four weeks of September doing a sermon series on commitment. We are going to explore our call to be faithful stewards of our talents, time, finances, and resources. As we explore the idea of commitment to our faith community, my prayer for Bethany is that it continues to be a place where all of us can come as we are, teach and be taught in the faith, and be blessed so we can be a blessing. See you in worship! Pastor Dan Session Summary Elder Sandi Thompson, Clerk The regular meeting of the Bethany Session was held on Tuesday, August 20, 2013, at in the church office. gave the devotion from the Ephesians 2: 8-10 reminding each Elder of our call to recognize our dependence on Christ for the work we do here at Bethany. Lawson opened the meeting in prayer. A quorum was declared present. The docket was approved pending additions/corrections throughout the meeting. The Called Session Meeting Minutes of July 21, were approved, as were the Session Meeting Minutes of August 20, pending corrections. The June and July 2013 financial reports were reviewed. Annie King explained several items and how the reports are laid out. This was an extremely helpful overview for all. The Session examined and approved for ordination as Elder. We are excited to have Suzanne joining us. She will be installed with Stuart Clive, Chris Mize, Bill Mote, Carolyn Peters, and on September 8, during morning worship. It was approved to allow the remaining week of the Pastor s 2013 annual vacation to roll over into the new calendar year. It was approved to have a Facebook page for Bethany. Currently Rev. Commerford maintains the page and is using it as another way to connect to our community. A thank you was received from Presbyterian Homes of Georgia for our Mother s Day donation. Hal King attended and gave a report on the Presbytery meeting held August 17. Several items were discussed. One of the items makes us all more aware of the need for us to raise awareness about protecting our children. Our Sexual Misconduct Policy was reviewed and will be implemented with the new Youth Family volunteers. Ministry Teams Highlights The wedding shower for Eli Stevens and Danielle Healy was well attended. Sign-ups for the pictorial directory continue with over 60 families participating so far! The recent visit of missionary, Rev. Samantha Sale-Hudson, was enjoyed by everyone in attendance. An offering of $68 was sent to the PCUSA s world mission fund. Rally Day will take place on September 1, at 9:30am. Everyone is asked to bring a breakfast dish to share. After a brief program Sunday School classes will begin around 10 am. The Social Ministry Team will make lunch for the New Member Class on August 24.

3 P a g e 3 The Stewardship/Finance Ministry Team will develop a schedule for Elders counting the offering to begin in September. The Christmas Joy Gift program will be held December 8, Current plans include a choir cantata with the Social Ministry Team handling the catered meal beforehand. The Administrative / Personnel Ministry Team will arrange for the staff recognition. Upcoming activities planned for the Youth Group are: Lock in Sept 13, Yard Sale Sept 14, Youth Sunday Sept 29, and the annual Halloween Party Oct 27. The Session approved changing insurance companies to Brotherhood Mutual and to add Workman s Compensation to the package. Bethany received just over $10,500 in member donations to pay for the new air conditioning system. Buildings and Grounds continues to deal with our aging water pipes. Recent leaks have been repaired. We will hand out commitment cards on Sunday, September 1, and Rev. Commerford will have a sermon series on stewardship. The batteries and pads were replaced on the defibrillator. The meeting was closed with prayer by Rev. Commerford at 8:35 pm. The next regular meeting will be September 17, 2013 at 6:30 pm. A Called Session Meeting was held Sunday, August 25, 2013 at 10:30am to receive new members. It was also approved to baptize Danielle Healy prior to receiving her as a new member. The following individuals attended our new member class and were approved for membership: Rachel Commerford, Danielle Healy, Billy Hunt, Connie Hunt, Susan Mote, Joanne Reesman, and Jessica Robinson. The following members were also moved from inactive to active status: Bobbie Mote, Ricky Mote, Terri Quackenbush, and Jimmy Robinson. Bethany rejoices at what God is doing here at Bethany through the addition of these new family members! Following worship on August 25, our active membership will be 153. Member Care Ministry Team Elder Jessica Salmon Say cheese! It's almost time to take pictures for the pictorial directory. We have about 59 families signed up so far! If you are not signed up yet, it's not too late! We want this directory to be as complete as possible. If you're a member, thinking about becoming a member, or attend regularly, we want you!! The dates for pictures are September with a variety of time spots still available. A special thank you to all of those who have helped complete this large project! On Sunday, August 18, the Member Care and Social Ministry teams hosted a bridal shower for Danielle Healy and Eli Stevens. It was very well attended and the happy couple received a lot of nice things. Let's continue to pray for them as they begin this new chapter of their lives together on September 7, right here at Bethany! Thank you to all of those who brought food and came to wish the couple well at their shower.

4 P a g e 4 September 2013 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Communion Rally Day Breakfast / Sunday School 9:30am Morning Worship 11:00am - Communion YG 2:00-4:00pm 2 Labor Day Church Office Closed 3 4 Choir Practice 5 6 Healy Stevens Wedding Rehearsal 7 Healy Stevens Wedding 2:30PM 8 Sunday School 9:30am Morning Worship 11:00am - Ordination/Installation of Elders YG Putt-Putt 2:00-4:00pm 9 Girl Scouts 6:00pm Choir Practice 12 Girl Scouts 7:00pm 13 Youth Group Lock-In 7:00pm 14 Youth Group Yard Sale 8:00am-2:00pm Sarah Cason Barbara Lawson 15 Sunday School 9:30am Morning Worship 11:00am NO YG Session Meeting 18 Choir Practice 19 Pictorial Directory Photography Night 2:00pm 9:00pm 20 Pictorial Directory Photography Night 2:00pm 9:00pm 21 Pictorial Directory Photography Day 10:00am 5:00pm Chandler Salmon Mark Simmons Lanier Mote 22 Sunday School 9:30am Morning Worship 11:00am YG 2:00-4:00pm Newsletter Deadline 23 Girl Scouts 6:00pm 24 Session Meeting 25 Fun Seekers 11:00am Choir Practice 26 Girl Scouts 7:00pm Kim Mills Fellowship Hall 10:00am 4:00pm Sack Lunch Prep/Delivery 10:30am Ansley Douglas Betty Davenport Elaine Sears 29 Men s Breakfast 7:30am Sunday School 9:30am Café Connection 10:30am Morning Worship 11:00am Youth Sunday YG Col. Cobb s 2:00-4:00pm 30

5 P a g e 5 Monthly Volunteers September 1 September 8 September 15 September 22 September 29 Children s Worship Adrianne Mote Kim Mills Ken Frederick Tina Douglas Acolytes Hailey Henderson Hailey Henderson Hailey Henderson Hailey Henderson H. Henderson Liturgists Jessica Salmon Kim Mills Rae Cook Ken Frederick Stuart Clive Greeters Ushers Open Bldg. Annie King Margie Sims Buddy & Rae Cook Bill Mote Men s Breakfast Close Bldg. Lisa Parris Kim Mills Tracy Pirkle Wayne & Chris Mize Hal & Annie King Prayer Concerns Beth & Lee Allen Sam Ball (Nancy Boyce s friend) Charles Boyce (Nancy Boyce s father) Nancy Boyce Corky Briggs (Nancy Boyce s friend) Mark Burton C. C. for Christ Marcin K. & Maciek M. Lucas Cronan (Friend of the Salmons) Betty Davenport Tommy Davis (Friend of Nancy Boyce) Tyler Head (Tommy Pirkle s cousin) Barbara Jarrell (Shannon Henderson s g-mother) Hazel Johnson (Carolyn Sullivan s mother) Kyle Jones (The Wagner s grandson-in-law) Ruth King Ed Lawson Paul Lewis Bill & Cindy Loyd (Friends of Bethany) Anne Lowrie (Grier Sims cousin) Janie Ruth Martin (Lynn Corry s great-aunt) Ruth MacEntee David Morris Doris Mote Sara Mote Susan Mote Jim Parney Charlene Rape and Family Charles Rape Will Reymundo (Chandler Salmon s nephew) Marshall Rogne (Friend of Nathan & McKenna Smith) Cooper Salmon Jessica Salmon Hazel Smith (Friend) Maggie Taylor (Sister of S. Mote & K. Hooper) Betty Thomas Ed Turner Avery White Our College Students Our Military Men and Women

6 P a g e 6 Christian Education Ministry Team Elders Chris Mize & Bill Mote A big shout out to all our teachers who gave of themselves and their time to help with our Sunday School Program. I cannot name all of you here, but you know who you are and hopefully know how much you are appreciated! You are truly an inspiration to all of us at Bethany. We are grateful for your service to the Lord. Our Adults, Young Adults, and all our Youth are blessed to have such dedicated people to lead us in learning about the Bible and putting it to use in our lives. Keep up the good work! We are looking forward to another great year of Christian Education beginning in September! Worship Ministry Team Elder Carolyn Peters Bob King called me Thursday afternoon to ask me to give him a title for a song he wanted to use while writing an article. He gave me a phrase from the song, What He did for others, He ll do for you. I asked Lisa and she didn t remember the title. I could hear the melody, but my mind couldn t remember either! I looked through all of my music, but couldn t come up with it. Later in the afternoon, he called me back to say the song was It Is No Secret! Well, of course, I knew that! Mystery solved! It is strange when you know something, but can t remember. Thank God we have people to help us along the way. What would a committee do without people who volunteer, do their jobs to the best of their abilities, remind you of things you forgot, etc.? Thanks committee members!! Can you believe that we were discussing the Joy Gift Program at the Session meeting? Whoa! It is not September yet. Then we have Thanksgiving and Christmas with plenty of things to do and prepare for these holidays. Let s not forget the yard sale, a youth fundraiser on September 14. Have you gone through your junk yet or maybe I shouldn t use that word? As my daughter, Laura, says, Mama, you need to throw that away. It will free your soul. If you haven't used in in a year, get rid of it! No! No!! Lisa agrees with her. It is a conspiracy! Anyway, we are getting together stuff and I bet you can too. Take some deep breaths and think of all the things you can volunteer for; trimming of the tree, greening of the church, etc. Bethany is delighted to welcome seven new members and restore four members to active status! Our newest members all came by reaffirmation of faith. Our active membership roll is now 153 members! Bethany rejoices that God has added you to our church family! Rachel Commerford Billy & Connie Hunt Joanna Reesman Danielle Healy Susan Mote Jessica Robinson

7 T he youth are back in school, and they couldn t be happier! (I think ). I would like to thank everyone for supporting our youth all of last year and over the summer as they went on their camps and conferences. They are truly blessed to have a church family as supportive as you are! P a g e 7 The month of September is a busy one for the youth! We have many events this month. First of all, on September 1, we are celebrating those students who are joining the youth group as 6 th graders! We will be having a little pool party during the normal youth time (2-4pm). Then, September 13 & 14, we will have a lock-in/yard sale as a fundraiser for the youth s camps and conferences next summer. The lock-in will begin at 7pm on Friday the 13 th (yes, we are aware that it will be a frightening time for all, especially the youth family) where we will organize all of the items for the yard sale and maybe have some fun too! The Yard Sale will be Saturday the 14 th from 8am-2pm. The youth should plan on being there the whole time and to stay after to help clean-up. Because of the lock-in and yard sale, we will not be having youth group on Sunday, the 15 th. The last Sunday in September will be Youth Sunday. Please come and support our youth as they lead the congregation in worship! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me! Blessings, Sam Youth Group News Submitted by Youth Director, Sam Schaus Calling All Family and Friends of Bethany! There s still time to be part of the new church directory! We will be taking photos on September 19, 20, & 21. Call the church office to make your appointment! It s Time for Kids Club / Youth Club Kids Club/Youth Club will kick-off the fall semester on Sunday, September 1. If you have a child between age 4 and 5 th grade, we would love to have them join. We are moving to a weekly meeting time during the same time as the Youth Group - every Sunday from 2-4pm. This quarter we will start to learn the 66 Books of the Bible. We will also do activities, crafts, and games! Please encourage your child to come and learn and fellowship with us on Sunday afternoons and pray for our children and volunteers as we follow Bethany's Vision - Strengthening family of God one child at a time!

8 Bethany Presbyterian Church 1002 Bethany Road Covington, GA Phone: Fax: Nonprofit Organization US Postage PAID Covington, GA Permit #159 P a g e 8 Ordination / Installation of Elders On Sunday, September 8, we will be ordain, as our newest Elder. Suzanne will then be installed with Stuart Clive, Chris Mize, Bill Mote, Carolyn Peters, and Barbara Smith. We appreciate their willingness to serve God and their church in this capacity. After their installation the Elder classes and responsibilities will be as follows: Class of 2014 Administrative/Personnel Hal King Mission and Outreach Tommy Pirkle Buildings and Grounds Jessica Salmon Member Care Clerk Class of 2015 Stuart Clive Stewardship/Finance Youth & Young Adults Chris Mize Social Bill Mote Christian Education Carolyn Peters Worship

Bethany Spirit. Summer at Bethany Rev. Daniel J. Commerford

Bethany Spirit. Summer at Bethany Rev. Daniel J. Commerford Bethany Spirit June 2014 CHURCH STAFF Pastor Rev. Daniel Commerford Secretary Annie King Pianist Carolyn Peters Choir Director Joanna Reesman SESSION MEMBERS Class of 2014 Hal King Tommy Pirkle Jessica