OPEN DOORS. What s Inside. Pastor Andy. Portland, OR. Fall 2016 Sep Oct Nov. Bethany Alive. Bethany Presbyterian Church

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1 OPEN DOORS Bethany Presbyterian Church Bethany Alive Sermon Series on Psalms Last spring I was sent an from my seminary that featured two very unlikely people getting together to discuss the Psalms. The two people were Bono and Eugene Peterson. Bono is the lead singer of the famous rock band U2. Eugene Peterson is a retired Presbyterian minister who wrote the bestselling translation of the Bible: The Message. They met to talk about their mutual love of the Psalms. It was a powerful conversation that you can find online at Their conversation inspired me to pick the Psalms to study this Fall for our sermon series. The theme of this series is Beyond a Superficial Faith. One of the themes of the conversation between Bono and Eugene was how honest and real the Psalms are. The Psalms inspire us to be honest with ourselves and honest with God. That is the power of these scriptures. They tell our story, but most importantly they tell God s story about us. In the Psalms we find our faith and doubt, our pain and joy, our loneliness and our community, our weakness and our strength. The hope this Fall is that we can explore together the honest strength of the Psalms as they draw us closer to each other and especially closer to our God. Worship Service Change This summer the music team has been exploring some changes in the worship service. Our continued hope is to create an intergenerational worship that fits our congregation and is welcoming to the visitor. We have been: collaborating with all the worship team; sharing personal and congregational favorite hymns, brainstorming ideas, working on involvement for youth, etc. The following comes from one of my exchanges with the music team: I believe our worship services here are crucial to the future of our ministry. It is our big event as a congregation and my hope is to put renewed focus on it. Worship is God centered and deeply personal. Another way to put that is that worship is both independent of and indigenous to the local church. That is why we balance change with remaining true to how God has molded worship at Bethany through the years. It is difficult and only accomplished with God s Spirit leading us. Please keep this all in your prayers. Keep the music team in your prayers as we seek to worship our God each Sunday. Thank you Cooper! Cooper Ottum did a great job as our ensemble leader for the last year. He is now moving on to a teaching assistantship at Central Washington University in its graduate music education program. Thank you Cooper, for your ministry at Bethany. You will be missed! Ways to Get Involved! There remains a constant need for volunteers and ways to get more people involved in the ministry and missions of Bethany. With that in mind we have developed a new brochure as a key recruiting tool and reminder of the needs/ opportunities available. Please take a look at this brochure to find ways you too can be involved at Bethany. Pastor Andy 1 Portland, OR Fall 2016 Sep Oct Nov Centered in Christ - Sharing the Good News What s Inside Bethany Alive... 1 Bethany Beach Blast!... 9 Bethany Blast (VBS)... 6 Bethany Book Club BPW Calendars Deacons Esther Circle Bible Study Family Ministry... 4 From Megan Jones... 8 Mobile Giving... 3 Music Happenings... 2 Small Groups/Bible Studies 10 Stephen Ministry... 7 Youth Ministry... 5

2 Music Happenings Be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:19-20 Megan Peterson Music Director In our Sunday services, we engage in worship through song. Together, we sing hymns and psalms throughout the service to connect with the scripture and open ourselves to God. We listen to songs that encourage faith, remind us of God s deeds and decrees and express gratitude to God. All of this joyous music in our services help us be filled with the Spirit and give thanks to God the Father. Bethany Presbyterian offers many opportunities for all ages to enrich and engage in worship through music. Whether you are a professional musician or an in-the-car singer, you are invited to join a music group. Descriptions and rehearsal times of the ensembles are below. Use your musical gifts to honor God and lead worshippers to rejoice, reflect and refocus. All are invited to join this ministry. Chancel Choir SATB choral ensemble singing a variety of sacred songs. High schoolersadults. Rehearsals first 3 Tuesdays of each month from 7:30-8:30pm starting September 6th Children s Choir Youth choir celebrating the joy of Jesus through song. 4 year olds-5th grade. Rehearsals with Jody Jones Sundays 9:45-10am starting September 11th. Bethany Bells Handbell ensemble joyfully ringing hymns, spirituals and sacred songs. Middle school-adults. Previous music reading experience helpful. Rehearsals every Tuesday from 6:30-7:30pm. New member bell basics rehearsal August 30th; returning members September 6th Worship Ensemble Contemporary music ensemble leading the congregation in modern songs and hymns at Sunday worship. Voice, guitar, bass, drums and piano opportunities. Middle school-adults. Rehearsals 4th Tuesday of each month from 7:30-9pm and Sunday mornings before worship 2

3 Bells Fund Drive Praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. (Psalm 150:5-6). I can t imagine another instrument other than the hand bells that better reflects this sentiment. Church bell ringing is not just a decorative or nice thing to have in worship. It is an intrinsic and historical part of the church. Historically, bells have been used to call us to wake, to pray, to celebrate, to grieve and in times of crises, to come together. The hand bell choir is a community. Each individual person is responsible for the notes of the few bells they hold, counting and waiting until the precise moment to ring. But bell music is not individual notes that suddenly make music when smashed together. Each player relies on the player next to them and the player down the table from them to ring at the precise moment to create a cohesive piece of music that rings in our hearts and lifts our souls. But like any instrument, hand bells need regular care and maintenance to maintain their unique sound. Bethany s hand bells were scheduled this spring for a basic check-up, but were found to need more extensive repairs. The difference from our original budget and the new repairs was $1520. To make up the difference, we are asking for you to make a one time offering on September 18th to help us continue this joyful ministry. Our community of bell ringers thanks you for your support and hopes you will consider joining us praising the Lord with bells. Megan Peterson, Director of Music Coming Soon! Mobile Giving go to Get.Tithe.ly Give in seconds! Give one-time with or without an account. Schedule automated giving (weekly or monthly). View giving history. Manage account and payment information. Giving method #1: Mobile giving Giving method #2: Text-to-give Giving method #3: Online giving More information will be forthcoming...watch the weekly bulletins and the weekly updates this Fall! 3

4 F AMILY MINISTRY Family Ministry Sep - Nov Schedule Calendar of Events September (9/23-9/25) Bethany Beach Blast (9/28) Hosanna October (10/6) Parents Night Out (10/26) Hosanna Here is a look at what we have happening in our family ministry as we enter the Fall. Mission Trip Info Night: On October 6th we will be having an info night to discuss our Bethany 2017 Mission Trip! Come learn about the trip s details, cost, and plan for the year as we prepare for the big service opportunity. Hosanna: Beginning in the fall, we will be putting on a monthly worship night. This will be a mid-week opportunity to come together and spend some time worshipping God. Bethany Beach Blast: On September 23-25, we will be heading over to Rockaway beach for our annual Bethany Beach Blast weekend. Bring the whole family for a weekend filled with fun and community as we all grow in our faith together. For more information on any of these events, please contact me at trevorw@bethanypc.com November (11/3) Mission Trip Meeting Trevor (11/30) Hosanna 4

5 YOUTH MINISTRY Y OUTH MINISTRY Bethany PC Youth Sep-Nov Calendar of Events September: (9/14) MSM Event (9/19) Kick-off Young Life Club (9/23-25) Bethany Beach Blast Here are some exciting events coming up this Fall for our youth ministry: High School Retreat; This year our high school students will be heading to the coast for a retreat on November 11-13th. We will join a couple of other schools for a fun-filled weekend on the beach! HSM Thanksgiving: We will be continuing our tradition of hosting a thanksgiving dinner for students in our community. We are looking for any sides or desserts for the dinner! October: (10/12) MSM Event (10/29) Transition Dinner November: Club Year begins: With the fall comes the return of our regular youth program. We will be spending the year growing in service, fun clubs, and discipleship nights. Stay tuned for starting dates and special events. If you would like to learn more about our program or receive monthly updates, please me at trevorw@bethanypc.com Trevor (11/11-11/13) High School Retreat (11/9) MSM Event (11/21) HSM Thanksgiving 5

6 Scenes from Kid s Summer Blast

7 Stephen Ministry Can You Hear Me Now? by Merica Fooks You probably recognize this phrase as one of the most popular cell phone ads of all time. The person asking, Can you hear me now? struggled for cell phone reception. This ad had a universal appeal because we all want to be heard. Being heard, however, requires a good listener. For some people, listening comes naturally, but for most people, (including myself), being a good listener requires conscious effort and practice. Have you ever been on a phone call when you realized that the person you are talking to is watching T.V.? They give robotic uh-huh, uh-huh. It s an awful feeling when that happens. Bethany Presbyterian Church Stephen Ministers: Emily Wirsig Sherry Labavitch Debbie VonHollen Dinah Chadwick Kim Gaston Merica Fooks Kim Gaston Why? Because being a good listener reflects how much we care do we care enough to take time to listen? Being a good listener reflects the respect we have for the speaker. Are we willing to be patient while we listen, or do we push the person to finish, or do we interrupt? In our Stephen Ministry training, listening skills is one of the first modules. The art of listening takes the desire, the patience, and the commitment to listen. I ask myself do I desire to listen to God? Do I wait patiently on God to respond? Am I committed to listening to God? Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the clouds said, This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him. (Mark 9:7) In Job 2:11-13, Job s three friends didn t do everything wrong. They came to be with Job when he was suffering, they empathized with him, and then they sat with him for 7 long days in silence. Empathetic, silent listening can be a treasured gift to a friend, and often more valuable than advice. Jesus had a lot to do in His brief time on earth but he took time for the people around him. Jesus listened. Jesus asked us to listen. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord s feet, listening to what he taught. (Luke 10:39) Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James 1:19 1 Samuel 3:9 Speak Lord, your servant is listening. In researching for this article I found so many Biblical references to listening and hearing. God has placed listening as a priority in our Christian walk. Let us serve God and one another with open ears and open hearts. At Bethany Presbyterian Church we have a team of trained Stephen Ministers. We are here to listen with compassion and confidentiality. Please phone Pastor Andy if you would like to request a meeting with one of our Stephen Ministers. Give me time for patience For understanding, too. Time to remember Thoughtful deeds to do. Time to believe in all fellow men Time to perceive the value of a friend. We are a Stephen Ministry Church 7

8 From Megan Jones Finally, the end of the school year arrived! That final push conjured many memories of cross-country races for me, and I am SO thankful it was finally over with. Despite the finish, June was a whirlwind of activities end of year get-togethers, graduation, finals, last day party, a friend s wedding and this is just the Japan side! To say I m grateful for the end of this school year barely scrapes the emotions felt when that final bell rang. This year has been the hardest by far emotionally, work related, and more; however, I can say I survived. Lot s of learning, but all of it was good; I certainly believe I m a better person for it and feel more prepared to handle what may come. To snag a line from Eleanor Roosevelt You are able to say to yourself, I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes. Just asking the next thing to wait a bit before it arrives. I recently finished a month stateside visit, and enjoyed seeing and catching up with so many of you! It was a whirlwind but fun! Thank you to everyone who made the visit so enjoyable, and thank you again for your pr=yerful and financial support. Believe me, it makes a difference and I appreciate it. Blessings! Megan Japan s Christian Past The Early Years: Japan is a difficult nut to crack for missionaries, and understanding why many Japanese are interested in Christianity, but not seeking it out is baffling. As one long time pastor put it The Japanese don t care that you re here, and they don t care that you are here. In China, people generally were interested in why you lived there, and the government was nervous about your presence. It created the temptation for locals to know you more and seek information they were sure the government was keeping from them. However, Japan, for the most part, lacks this. There is interest, but without the forbidden fruit mentality people don t necessarily seek it out. This is sad considering the enthusiasm Christianity encountered when it first arrived and the history of martyrdom in Japan. Arriving with Jesuit missionaries in the mid-1500s, Japan was a haven for spreading the gospel message. The Warring States Period was in its final moments, the rigidness of Japan s caste system, and the emotionless existential nature of Buddhism offered little comfort to the people who were suffering on a regular basis. Christianity, however, was different. Much like the early church in Rome, the faith spread quickly because of its equalizing message and the hope provided. In the first 50 years over 200 churches and 250,000 converts were recorded. Some converted for political/economic reasons, but many were genuine changes. Initially, with a divided Japan, there was no way to stop Christianity s spread, but after unification in 1604, things began to change. Hideyoshi, one of the great unifiers of the country, vacillated between tolerating the movement and hating it; however, full persecution didn t happen until after Hideyoshi s death and Tokugawa s ascension to power. Tokugawa, like many rulers, viewed Christianity as a subversive force. There were several suppressions of the faith, expulsions of missionaries in the following years, and some 200 Japanese Christians were beheaded or burned at Nagasaki in Unfortunately, Tokugawa s fear became hysterical 8

9 during the Shimabara Rebellion. What began as a farmer s revolt against radically high taxes, took on a religious fervor when Christian leaders and samurai joined the battle to protest the persecution. The four month standoff ended in April 1638, and was the final nail in the coffin. Tokugawa expelled ALL foreigners and missionaries, and Christianity was outlawed. The great purging that followed was insane. The Japanese leaders recognized that martyrs simply embolden Christians, so rather than kill believers outright, they wanted those they arrested to renounce their faith completely. This shifted the beheadings to burning alive and other torture methods. Even children as young as five underwent the torture too. Sometimes it was an attempt to coerce parents to apostasy by forcing them to watch; other times it was because the children refused to slander God. Christianity did survive the purging, but just barely because it was forced to go completely underground. The toll of these persecutions shattered the movement of the faith in this country for the next two centuries. Threat of persecution and torture convinced many to renounce their faith and encouraged others to stay away from Christianity entirely. It s sad, but at the same time hopeful for me to remember this bit of my host country s history, because it shows me the desire to know God DOES exist in Japan. Persecution has a way of showing those whose faith is true, and those who only pay lip service; that so many willingly underwent torture and death for what they believed tells me that the desire to serve the Lord is present here. It also challenges me. Under those circumstances, what would I do? Would the pain be so much that I would renounce Christ, or would I hold on to the Father? Would I continue to live boldly for Him despite the circumstances, or would I hide and deny Him? I don t know the answer. But I do know that my desire is this, when I pray each morning for the Holy Spirit to guide me, and when I hand myself to the Lord as a living sacrifice I want to mean that with every fiber of my being. Japan s Christian history is saturated with believers who knew the worth of what that had, and I want to recognize that worth myself and share it with those around me. Bethany Beach Blast 2016 Time is running out! The weekend of September 23-25th is fast approaching for our annual Bethany Beach Blast! It is seriously A BLAST!! Games, food, fellowship, sand, sun (hopefully), and more!! Come join your Bethany family at Camp Magruder on the Oregon coast. Accommodations are still available, so register today! Questions contact Jody Jones. 9

10 Small Groups & Bible Studies Book Club - 3rd Monday each month 7pm - Janet Smith s house Info: Janet Smith or jvsmithpdx@gmail.com Esther Circle - 2nd Thursday of each month 9:30am CE 1 Info: Launa Zurbrugg Men s Bible Study - Tuesdays 6:30pm Elmer s Restaurant NW Waterhouse near 158th & Cornell Rd. Info: Craig Johnson Connect Discover Serve Men s Breakfast - 2nd Saturday each month 7:30am Elmer s - Cornell and 158th Info: Craig Johnson Quilting / Knitting Prayer Shawls - 2nd Saturday of every month 9:30am - 1pm Fellowship Hall Info: Susan Gillespie Shipmates - Seniors Fellowship Group- 3rd Sunday each month 11:30a Fellowship Hall Info: John Baldwin or Women of the Spirit - 2nd & 4th Wednesdays each month 7-9pm Info: Maryanne Weed Esther Circle Fall Bible Study The Bible is filled with promises God has given to believers, but do we ever think we might have to do battle to claim them? This was a lesson the Israelites needed to learn as they approached and entered the Promised Land. This year, the Esther Circle will study the book of Joshua where we will learn the importance of staying strong in our faith by claiming and acting upon God's promises. We meet monthly on the second Thursday from 9:30a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in Room 1 of the CE Building. Contact: Launa Zurbrugg

11 Bethany Book Club The Bethany Book Club meets on the 3rd Monday of each month. For information and/or directions, please contact Janet Smith at or SEPTEMBER The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are. France, 1939 In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive. Vianne s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others. With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women s war. OCTOBER The Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig A lively and poignant coming-of-age story about a boy and his great-uncle on a cross-country odyssey. Eleven year old Donal Cameron is being raised by his grandmother, the cook at the legendary Double W ranch in Doig's beloved Two Medicine Country of the Montana Rockies. But when Gram has to have surgery for "female trouble" in the summer of 1951, all she can think to do is to ship Donal off to her sister in far away Manitowoc. His adventures there and on the Greyhound bus will keep you reading. Coffee with Your Deacon On November 15, the deacons will host Coffee With Your Deacon. It will be held during fellowship time after church. It is a great time to visit with your deacon and enjoy some coffee and treats. 11

12 Prayer Chain Tip If you are on the Prayer Chain, sometimes you may wish to contact the person requesting prayer to encourage him or her. If so, be sure to click on Forward rather than Reply. When you click on Reply it goes to the Prayer Chain mailbox and NOT to the person you are trying to contact. By hitting Forward instead, then typing in the address of the person you re trying to reach, it will go directly to him or her. The Prayer Chain Administrator thanks you for taking care to send your to the correct party. If you would like to be added to the Bethany Prayer Chain, please contact the church office by phone or . BPW-Bethany Presbyterian Women FALL ACTIVITES: September TBA October - Lunch at Pumpkin Ridge November - Operation Christmas Child December - Soup and Song Details will be in the weekly Bulletin. FOOD BANK: The Bulletin has a suggested item of the month. However, all nutritious food in unbreakable containers is most welcome. If there is something on sale that you would like to donate or you are overstocked in your kitchen with some item, the food baskets have lots of room. If you are donating items that have been in your cupboard for awhile please check the expiration dates to be sure the dates have not been exceeded, or so close to expiration that there is not time for distribution before the expiration date occurs. Also the Food Bank cannot accept opened packages or individually wrapped item from opened packages. Put cash donations in an envelope marked Food Bank or make checks to The Oregon Food Bank and put them in the offering on Sunday. Bethany has donated 265 pounds of food to the Food Bank in April, May and June of Our total of the year is 340 pounds. Our donations have helped many neighbors in need over the past 10 years. Thank you for your generosity and faithful support. LABELS/BOXTOPS FOR EDUCATION: Containers to deposit your Labels/ Boxtops for Education for Springville Elementary are available in the narthex and Fireplace Room. Labels can be found on Campbell s Soup, Glad Sandwich Bags, Kleenex etc. They are quite small and not in a prominent spot, so look carefully on the various products that you use. Schools can use them to purchase a variety of things they need. KITCHEN USE: Probably everyone has experience in finding the sink full of dirty dishes when preparing for an event or the counter is piled high with clean dishes that were not put away. Sometimes it is necessary to do more than just cleanup your own mess. Life isn t always fair. Please leave the kitchen the way you would like to find it; perhaps better than you may have found it. KITCHEN ITEMS: The Board has determined that items from both kitchens need to be stored and used only on the premises. When kitchen items disappear, they must be replaced, and are therefore not always. available when needed. We all need to be good stewards of our resources. 12

13 The recurring Sunday Schedule is printed in the lower left-hand corner of the calendar. Additional events are added to the Sunday schedule as they occur. All events are subject to change. Please check the weekly Sunday bulletin for updates. Sep

14 The recurring Sunday Schedule is printed in the upper left-hand section of the calendar. Additional events are added to the Sunday schedule as they occur. All events are subject to change. Please check the weekly Sunday bulletin for updates. Oct

15 The recurring Sunday Schedule is printed in the upper left-hand corner of the calendar. Additional events are added to the Sunday schedule as they occur. All events are subject to change. Please check the weekly Sunday bulletin for updates. Nov

16 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postal PAID Beaverton, OR Permit No. 82 Bethany Presbyterian Church NW Springville Road Portland, OR RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Dated Material Living a Life Centered In Christ OPEN DOORS is published seasonally by: Bethany Presbyterian Church Phone: Fax: info@bethanypc.com Website : bethanypc.com Church Office Hours: Mon. Fri. 8:30am-Noon, 1-4pm Sat.-Sun. closed Sunday Schedule (Sep-May): 9:00am Sunday School for all ages (Sep-May) 10:00am Celebration Worship / Children s Church 11:00am Coffee Fellowship Time Childcare provided (newborn - 3 yrs. old) We are a Stephen Ministry Church 16