Bethany Congregational Church

Transcription

1 Bethany Congregational Church Volume 4 May, 2014 Number 3 Foxborough, Massachusetts You re invited to a delicious complementary breakfast on Easter morning before the Traditional Service from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. Our menu will include such delicacies as: Eggs on a Cloud, Baked Oatmeal Delight, assorted fruits, cereals, and yogurt. All are welcome! On Monday, April 28 at 6:00 pm The Welcome Team is having a meeting in the parlor and would like to invite anyone who has ideas and suggestions on how to make our church more "welcoming". Come find out what we're about. We promise to be welcoming! Maybe you'll decide to join the team or support us in one of our activities. Please see Libby Carter or Deb Graham for more information. s with ideas and suggestions are also encouraged. libbycarter46@gmail.com. Project Bread Walk for Hunger We will be sponsoring a team in the annual Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 4th. It s a 20-mile walk through and around Boston to raise funds for Project Bread, the widest anti-hunger network in MA. How can you help? - Join the walk team--can t walk the whole 20 miles? That s okay; buses are available back to the finish line from all the checkpoints. -Sponsor a walker -Provide snacks and water -Encourage and pray for the team Each $7 raised will equate to one meal in our "Feed the 5000" challenge. Please see Libby Carter if you have any questions or would like to get involved. Whether you call on him or don t call on him, God will be present with you. --Frederick Buechner 1

2 Dear Friends, By the time this newsletter reaches your inbox or mailbox, we ll be in the midst of Holy Week. As a child, and to be honest, for a lot of my early adulthood, I didn t take much notice of it. As a child, it meant getting a palm branch on Sunday, a day off from school on Friday, and a lot of begging over when we would dye the eggs. A shift in thinking came to me through an experience my brother had, and continued to grow and deepen over the years. I have three brothers all older than me. One of them had seizures as a young boy. I don t remember this, since he is six years older than me. The seizures went away and we thought nothing more about them as a family. After he married, he went out to begin a PhD/MD program in the Midwest. A few years into it, he began to notice finger twitches, which eventually led to seizures. He saw a neurologist, and went back on anti-seizure medication, but the seizures continued. At this point, he had his PhD, but decided to take a leave of absence from the medical school for a year, and took a job at Yale. The seizures continued, getting progressively worse. The doctors decided the only way to figure out what was going on was to have him monitored during a seizure, but that would require a hospital stay, with wires connected to his head 24/7 until he had a seizure and they could read the information. The waiting time to get in was long, but a spot unexpectedly opened up, and my brother went in at the start of the week prior to Easter Holy Week. After a few days, my brother had some seizures, and the doctors were able to get the information they needed. And what did they discover? It wasn t epilepsy; in fact, the seizures were the result of taking the anti-seizure medication (a side effect of taking it if you don t have seizures). In that week, my brother s future changed significantly. Their future had been seen to be one with hardships a medical condition that would impact their family and his work. My brother s and his wife s reaction to this news was the turning point for me and for my understanding the significance of Holy Week. They looked at this news as a gift from God, that my brother was given a new life during that week leading up to Easter. They found the timing of this news a spot opening up in the hospital for him right before Easter to be significant. It was, to them, a clear sign from God. And so for years after this, my brother and his family would take time during Holy Week to go on a hike or find some other way to be together as a family, remembering the new life given to him that year at Easter time. By the way, after that diagnosis, my brother had one seizure as they weaned him off the medication, and hasn t had any since. That was over ten years ago. So what s the take away from this story? Is there a reason to share it? I think so. In Paul s second letter to the Corinthians, he writes, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Making the choice to believe and to follow Jesus gives us an incredible gift: a new life! I realize that Paul isn t writing about a new physical life, but my brother s story miraculous to me reminds me that believing in Christ turns our lives around 180 degrees. My brother was one day facing an uncertain, difficult future and the next day, a hopeful, promising one; I tend to think on that during Holy Week. We go from an uncertain, difficult future to a hopeful, promising one ourselves on Easter morning, when we hear and believe the news of the resurrection. And while our time here on earth isn t promised to be free from challenges, it is promised to us that God will be with us throughout our journey. May you be blessed this Easter season with the new life found in Christ. Blessings and Peace, Nancy Kaeser Director of Fellowship and Little Footsteps 2

3 This favorite event is back for 2014! Mothers, daughters, grandmothers, granddaughters you are all invited to our Mother- Daughter Tea on Saturday, May 10, 2014 from 12-2 p.m. Is there someone who is special to you, just like a daughter, or just like a mother? Call her, and invite her to come with you! Find your favorite teacup, put on your prettiest clothes, and join us in the vestry for a sampling of tea, punch, finger sandwiches, and desserts. We ll make a craft together, and some wonderful memories! To sign up, contact Nancy Kaeser at (508) or kaeser@bethanychurch.org or look for the sign up sheet in the Fellowship Hall beginning April 13 th. We are also looking for people to help out with serving, sandwich preparation or cleanup. Please contact Nancy if you would like to help. Little Footsteps Preschool Update We are blessed up on the third floor. We are blessed this year with 24 students who attend our preschool two or three days a week, taught and nurtured by our three fantastic teachers. These children are growing, learning and discovering so much! Our older students are practicing values like kindness, self-control, and responsibility. Our younger students are experts at taking turns and playing together. All of them are learning about letters, numbers, and God s love for them. Our registration for the school year has been underway since January, and we have had an amazing response! Our three-year-old preschool class and four-year-old pre-k class are both filled, with a waiting list for the pre-k class! In the fall we will offer a class for 2.9- year-olds two mornings a week. This class has a few openings, and we would love to have more students for it. If you or someone you know has a child who will be turning three this fall, please direct them to our program. Details can be found on the school website - or you can call the school at (508) Mission Outreach Committee News Harvest Hands Student Sponsorships During the month of May, Mission Outreach will have available student sponsorship forms to sponsor or re-sponsor a Harvest Hands Mexico child to attend school. Please see Ann Conaty or Carol Fraser for more information. There are pictures of the children that Harvest Hands supported for school on the bulletin board in the Fellowship hall. Mission Outreach thanks all who sponsor the children. Mission Possible proves to be quite Possible! Among the many things accomplished on Mission Possible day, it was reported that Carol Fraser delivered lots of non-perishables to the Mansfield food pantry and Anne Conaty delivered to the Attleboro Area Council of Churches a large donation of food, diapers, and a bag of the blankets for Sue Smith s homeless ministry (Homes with a Heart). Also 6 mattress pads from 6 wonderful ladies at our church, to also help Sue Smith. On April 19th, Carol and Anne will be making lunch for the Food n Friends soup kitchen with volunteers in Attleboro. Twelve contractor bags of gently used children s clothes were delivered to Cradles to Crayons in Brighton, and one bag to the Salvation Army. 3-D was a Resounding Success! Our Lenten Study, Dinner-Discussion- Devotion, was a blessing to all who participated. Thank you to all who helped make it so; but a special thank you to Deb Byron, Pastor Derek, and those who donated our yummy entrees each week. The following is the recipe for a particular favorite 3

4 Patti Swiatek s Chicken Stew Serves 4-6 (can be easily doubled) -2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (use thighs as breasts dry out) -2 onions, chopped into chunks -6 (ish) red or Yukon gold potatoes, skins on, cut into chunks -4 or 5 stalks of celery chopped into 3 pieces, leaves included -1 bag of baby carrots or 4-5 carrots cut into pieces -2 cups chicken broth (canned or homemade) -1/2 cup flour -1 tsp celery seed -Salt and pepper to taste Throw all the vegetables and potatoes into a large crock-pot. Lay the chicken on top. Whisk flour, broth, and seasonings together and pour over entire mixture in crock-pot. Cook on low heat for about 8 hours, or until your whole house smells like Cracker Barrel on a busy Sunday. Tweak as you like with seasonings; maybe dill, thyme or oregano [or garlic]. Add tomatoes and/or mushrooms, maybe peas. Play with it. I did. This was actually two recipes that I married. They have lived happily together for many years NEWS BYG! Bethany Youth Group The Jr. High meets 5:00-6:30 pm and Senior High meets 6:45-8:30 pm on Sunday evenings. The Spring Fridge Flyer is out! Please check out our FB page and the Bethany website for details! Our Spring Fridge Flyer runs from April to June with a special rafting trip for the senior high in July. April 20th : Easter Sunday - No Youth Group April 27th: Major Pains! Confirmation Sunday will be held on April 27th. Please join us as we celebrate the confirmation journey with our second year Confirmands and their Mentors! The First Year confirmation class continues to meet regularly on Sunday mornings from 9:15-10:15. Vacation Bible School Save the date! Gangway to Galilee our Vacation Bible School this year - will be held this summer from August 4 th through August 8 th for children ages Preschool through Grade 5. More information to come! There will be a class on Tuesday, May 13 th at 6:30 p.m. for anyone wishing to explore the possibility of joining the membership of Bethany Congregational Church. A make-up class will be offered on Sunday, May 18th at 12:00 noon. New Members Sunday will be June 1 st, at which time those who choose to may join the church membership. 4

5 Discipleship Opportunities: Contact Deb Byron at org for more information about any of these. Book Discussion Group On the fourth Tuesday of each month at 4:00 pm in the Parlor, discuss the book of the month. Members of the group will share responsibility for selecting each month's title and leading the discussion. For more information contact Jane Michelmore at Upper Room Devotional Bible Study - Join Carol Fraser every 2nd and 4th Thursday at 7:00 pm to read and discuss teachings and insight from The Upper Room devotional. All are welcome! Basket Cases This is a group of missionminded folks who show Jesus love for the women and children of New Hope, a homeless shelter, through monthly gift baskets. Contact Carol Fraser to help out! Coffee & Chat - Are your kids getting to the stage where you re doing less mothering and more worrying? Do you want to talk with others experiencing the challenges of parenthood and find Christ-centered support? Join Libby Carter at the Commons Eatery in Foxboro Sunday mornings at 8:00. Book of Life Chancel Flowers April 6 th, given to the glory of God and in loving memory of our grandparents by Heidi and Rick Hobbs. April 13 th, given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Matthew Cream by the Byron family. April 20 th, given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Mr. & Mrs. Leo Conway, Mr. & Mrs. Lester Goodwin, Mrs. Effie Engley, Mrs. Frances Domanowski, and Mrs. Lee Prosser by their family. April 27 th, given to the glory of God and in celebration of our Confirmands! Special Anniversary! Reverend Jack and Phyllis Whitehead celebrated their 60 th wedding anniversary on April 10 th! Congratulations! How To Feed 5000 It only takes a spark to get a fire burning. It only takes a minute to get an idea growing. What is a meal and how does it work with the Bethany Challenge of 5000 Meals? Everyone can make a small impact in reaching the goal of 5000 meals. Here is how it works. Volunteerism: If you deliver meals, volunteer serving meals, or help distribute meals in anyway shape or form, we want to hear about it. Fill out a Feeding 5000 card and leave it in the church office. We will add it to the tally. Just share what part you did in serving the meal and how many were fed through the event and we will calculate it into the total. Food Donation: If you bring the food to the church for donation we will keep track of it. If you donate food directly to another organization fill out a Feeding 5000 card. Estimate how many meals you could have fed yourself with the amount donated. Meals taken to someone sick or food brought to a shut-in can be counted. If you share food in Christ s name - count it! WORSHIP VOLUNTEERS Deacon of the Service Traditional Service 5/4 David Fisher 5/11 Jim McKinney 5/18 Laurel DeCoste 5/25 ** Contemporary Service 5/4 Tom Garcia 5/11 Carol Fraser 5/18 Margie Wheeler 5/25 Deb Graham Nursery Volunteers Traditional Service 5/4 Deb Mertz 5/11 Mary Lou Pike 5/18 Janet See 5/25 Aurora Pop-Vicas 5

6 Contemporary Service 5/4 Brenna Murphy 5/11 Angela Maynard 5/18 Meghan Hayward 5/25 Emily Maynard Service Readers Traditional Service 5/4 Laurel DeCoste 5/11 Terry Becker 5/18 Julie Cline 5/25 Virginia Banian Contemporary Service 5/4 Ron Sullivan 5/11 Bev Crocker 5/18 Sarah Murphy 5/25 Peter Lathrop Ushers/Greeters 5/4 Penni Jenkins, Deb Graham, Todd Kaeser, Libby Carter ** We have an opening, could YOU help? Jesus. A plastic egg filled with a surprise reminds us of God s wonderful Easter surprise the risen Christ! Please let Deb Byron know if you can help with this fun event! Parlor Chats with the Elders The Elders would like to invite you to sit and chat about any church issue that is on your mind. What do you like? What would you like to see changed. Perhaps you have questions we can answer. We will meet the first Sunday of the month in the parlor between the two services so that everyone can come. See you then. The deadline for the next edition of The Bethany Bell is Friday,May 16th at 8:30 a.m. Material may be submitted to haney@bethany church.org. Thanks! Play It Again, Sam! Reruns from previous newsletters, but worth repeating! Holy Week Schedule -Tenebrae Service with Communion Maundy Thursday, April 17 th at 7:00 p.m. -Easter Sunday with Communion Celebrate the risen Christ! April 20 th 9:15 Traditional Service 10:45 Contemporary Service Invite friends and family to join you as we rejoice in Easter! -Easter Egg Hunt April 20 th at 10:15 Bring a Friend! We will have an egg hunt Easter morning in between our two worship services. Among the many symbols of Easter the most familiar to both children and adults are Easter eggs! As Christians we hunt Easter eggs not because the Easter Bunny brings them, but because they remind us of God s amazing gift of Christ 6 Christmas Fair News! Save the Date! Saturday, December 6th, 2014! Here are things to keep in mind during the year: -Start a pile in your closet, garage, attic, or cellar, of gently-used items for Gramma! -Pick up an extra souvenir of anyplace you visit this year, and donate it to the Fair! -The bookworm in the Book Nook has already started collecting fiction, cookbooks, music and movies for next year! Call her, Glenda Haney, to donate at any time during the year. -Keep an eye out for cool ideas for crafts, or new recipes for the Bake Table and Candy Table! The Foxboro Food Pantry, run by the Discretionary Fund, thanks you for all your past donations. They are

7 currently in need of the following items: Juice, canned chili and hash, spam, any kind of canned chowder, marshmallow fluff, canned fruit. Donations may be dropped off at the Church in the bin in the Breezeway. Thanks! The Five Finger Prayer 1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty." 2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers. 3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance. 4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger; as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them. 5. And lastly comes our little finger; the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively. The U in Jesus Before U were thought of or time had begun, God stuck U in the name of His Son. And each time U pray, you'll see it's true, You can't spell out JesUs and not include U. You're a pretty big part of His wonderful name, For U, He was born; that's why He came. And His great love for U is the reason He died. It even takes U to spell crucified. Isn't it thrilling and splendidly grand 7

8 He rose from the dead, with U in His plan? The stones split away, the gold trumpet blew, and this word resurrection is spelled with a U. When JesUs left earth at His upward ascension, He felt there was one thing He just had to mention. Go into the world and tell them it's true That I love them all - Just like I love U." So many great people are spelled with a U, Don't they have a right to know JesUs too? It all depends now on what U will do, He'd like them to know, but it all starts with U. Submitted by Virginia Banian, thanks Virginia! 8