The Bethlehem Star. Kenya? I Think We Can!

Transcription

1 The Bethlehem Star Volume 1, Issue 4 October 2012 Rooted in Christ, Reaching the World Ministry Opportunities: Bethlehem United Methodist Church PO Box 57 Trunk or Treat Amy Yanelli Ushers/Greeters Kristen Layne Welcome Table Sue Ricciuti Newsletter Staff Brenda Orso Westtown Road Thornton, PA P: F: Newsletter Editor: Brenda Orso brendaorso@yahoo.com Calendar: Margaret King Contributors: Cheryl Mathes Janice Butterworth Kenya? I Think We Can! There is a lot of excitement at BUMC around the upcoming Kenya trip being scheduled for late summer, 2013! We will be leaving somewhere around July and returning on August 10. The exact leave date will be determined by the cheapest airfare. Stay tuned as we should have this information shortly. The question may still remain for some, why Kenya? The answer to this question began last September when I read a book by David Platt, titled Radical. This book began to shake my faith and challenge me on core issues of the Gospel. These issues concerned where my true priorities were and how I was living as a Christian in response to the radical message of Jesus, who calls us to take His message everywhere and look after those less fortunate. I was confronted by my comfortable lifestyle that somewhat insulates me from the needs of the poorest of the poor. In fact, I had never even been by Pastor Tom Wolff Q&A With Pastor Christie Kelly, Worship Arts by Cheryl Mathes Where did you receive your music education? I received my Bachelors Degree in Vocal Performance from Eastern University. Besides singing, what instruments do you play? Piano, some guitar, and I m currently working on learning the Organ! What is your favorite instrument? Voice has always been my favorite instrument even though many don t think of it as an official instrument. If I had to choose exposed to the poorest of the poor not in real life at least. Yes, I have seen their plight on TV and the internet but I had never been to where they live had never personally seen the sights and smelled the smells of their situation. I had never looked directly into hollow eyes and seen the hopelessness of their world. As God continued to challenge me and as my heart began to break over those whom I had never even met, I surrendered my apprehension to go somewhere I knew I would be uncomfortable, to be the hands and feet of Jesus in whatever way He would ask. That having been settled, the next question was, where to Lord? The world is a huge place and the needs are overwhelming in so many places; it was impossible to know where to begin. What I did know was that I wanted to go someplace where we could establish ongoing relationships with other churches and other peo- continued on page 2 another instrument, I would say violin is my favorite. How many years have you been playing these instruments? I started learning piano from my Mom when I was 4, and have taken from a couple different teachers since then. According to my parents, I have been singing since I could babble. My first official solo was at the age of 3, singing Jesus Loves Me for church. continued on page 3

2 Our Vision: To be an authentic Christian community, which is radically loving, outwardly focused, and grace giv- The Bethlehem Star Page 2 Kenya? I Think We Can! continued from page 1 ple groups. I wanted to be in this for the long haul; not just doing projects, but investing ourselves deeply in others lives. Then in January of this year a missionary, Bill Coble from Start With One Kenya, came and shared for five minutes in our church service. I met with Bill the following Monday for breakfast and he shared with me for two and a half hours about the ministry of Start With One bringing If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion how can God s love be in that person? Dear children, let s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions (1 John 3:17-18) clean water to people in Kenya who otherwise wouldn t have any. He showed me a simple water filter that could be purchased for $60.00 that could filter up to one million gallons of water! This filter was portable and one family could share the benefits of it with several other families thus bringing the gift of clean water and the love of Jesus in the most practical way possible! It doesn t get any more basic or essential than clean water. Most of the people we met suffer continually from dysentery, cholera and typhoid all preventable simply by purifying the water. So, for $60.00 we could literally change the lives of several families profoundly and instantly! I was sold! Next, I traveled to Kenya in April to see the work and the country for myself. I was even more sold as I met the wonderful people of Kenya and the many United Methodist pas- continued on page 3 On The Spot: What Service do you Attend and Why? Sue and Steve Epp: We go to the 8:00 service now because it was our family s tradition when we had young children; we found we could still do sports with the kids. We like the more conservative service and we are early risers. Tom and MaryAnn Romans: We go to the 9:30 service because it fits well with our schedule. The kids go to Sunday school at the 9:30 service, and I (Mary Ann) help with Super Church at the 11:00 service. Cal, Bernadette, and Caldon Driscoll: We go to the 11:00 service because we attend Sunday school at 9:30. Caldon is in the Confirmation class this year. We enjoy spending the early part of Sunday morning at home.

3 Volume 1, Issue 4 Page 3 Kenya? I Think We Can! continued from page 2 tors and congregants who were so grateful for us showing an interest. My last obstacle was the distance and expense of a country so far away. After I returned however, I met folks from at least three other churches in the area that go to Kenya every year to help. I began to see that the real issue isn t money God has people everywhere with the funds we will need to go to Kenya it is getting the money from wherever it currently is to where it will need to be and that s God s part! Make no mistake, the trip will be expensive and it may seem we could pool those resources and do more by simply sending materials and resources, but God s currency is relationship and presence. As we look into people s eyes and love them with the love of Christ, it becomes evident that we must BE there. The ministry of presence is priceless. This will be a church -wide effort with some us feeling called to actually go, some feeling called to primarily pray, and some feeling called to primarily support. We will ALL share in the blessing of the fruit of this endeavor. I am excited to see how God is already at work, providing the support through volunteers that we will need to accomplish our goals. We have an administrator for the trip, someone to head fundraising, and I have approached someone to head a Kenya prayer team. Please pray about this trip in which area is God calling you to participate? I will keep you all up to date with all developing aspects of the project and will be sending special s concerning all trip preparations for those who will be going. May God bless us as we prepare to go and join hands with our brothers and sisters in Kenya. May we love each other with God s love and may we see, Your kingdom come on earth Amen. Q&A With Pastor Christie Kelly, Worship Arts continued from page 1 What led you to become a Music Minister? Music Ministry didn t really become my passion until after graduating from college. I was very performance-oriented at school, and my faith was not as strong at the time. After college, I went through some painful experiences that brought me back to the Lord, and He put a fresh calling on my life, and from then on I ve had a heart for worship, and for sharing that with others. What is your favorite worship song? I don t know if I could pick ONE song every style and genre can bring something incredible to a worship experience I love the hymn Great Is Thy Faithfulness, and I love a song called Still by Hillsong. If you were to recommend a worship CD, which one would it be? I have two favorites at the moment. One is Matt Redman s 10,000 Reasons that includes very powerful lyrics. The other is Michael W. Smith s new instrumental CD Glory. continued on page 4

4 The Bethlehem Star Page 4 CrossRoads Intersecting Faith and Life Sundays at 9:30AM Fall 2012 The Art of Dying: Led by Paul Cass, Barrie Denaro, and others. This class meets in the lounge. Case for a Creator: Based on the book by Lee Strobel and led by Charles Baker and others. This class meets in the Choir room. Jonah: Was there ever a more reluctant witness? Led by Steve Trandahl and Brian Maskell, capping off with a trip to Sight and Sound theatre. This class meets in Room 201. Leading the Way: A parent s guide for helping their teenagers into adulthood. Led by Dale Plummer and others. This class meets in Room 202. Christmas at Bethlehem, Dec. 14, 15, by Amy Yanelli Hard to believe we are talking about Christmas but it will be here before long. The holidays are always an exciting time and this year we are celebrating our 5 th Christmas at Bethlehem! This incredible event is only possible through the dedication and hard work of our church members, and we have already begun organizing for our 2012 event. Paul writes in Romans 12:6, We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Christmas at Bethlehem is what it is each year because of the special gifts of each volunteer. This spectacular event comes to together Q&A With Pastor Christie Kelly, Worship Arts continued from page 3 Where did you spend your childhood years growing up? I was born in South Carolina, but we moved to Florida when I was two, and grew up there near the beach. My dad was called to the church here in Pennsylvania when I was 13. How many people are there in your family? 6 total. My parents adopted my three sisters and me as infants, all from different families, so we are a diverse group. What are your favorite Bible verses? Psalm 139 has always because our members look to their gifts and use those gifts for the glory of God. In Agan Hall, we decorate in the Christmas spirit, Christmas trees are adorned with ornaments made by our spoken volumes to me as an adopted kid. Psalm 32 has been one of my favorites since God did His healing work in my life after college. Romans 8:18-39 and James 1:17 are also favorites. What are your hobbies? Writing music, cooking, anything outdoors (hiking, boating, fishing, camping), and traveling (experiencing other cultures). What is your long term vision for BUMC s music ministry? I m reading a book right now called The Lost Art of Pure Sunday School and Preschool students. Lights hang from the ceiling giving off the glow of a starlit night. Mrs. Claus listens to children telling their secret wishes for Santa Claus. Fresh baked treats and warm drinks await guests. Each year, visitors follow the lights to our church and a highlight of the event is the live nativity, a joy to behold. We are proud to have a new nativity this year and we need volunteers to fill it. Mary, Joseph, shepherds, wise men and angels are among the parts to choose from. Make it a family continued on page 5 Worship by James Goll, and it expresses perfectly what is on my heart for this church. The desire that we would return to worship that is initiated by the love of the worshipper. A pure desire to delight the heart of our Father, regardless of style, genre preference, instrumentation, age, or anything else that holds us back from worshipping freely. And for all to see that the many calls to sing a new song in the Bible are crucial for each one of us individually, as well as corporately.

5 Volume 1, Issue 4 Page 5 Please join us on Saturday, November 10th as BUMC lives out our mission statement. Were you nudged when you read the first chapter of "Soul Shift"... Me to You? Did you hear a whisper? Here is a great way to give just a part of one Saturday to help others in need. We'll gather at BUMC at 9 AM and break out in small groups, helping local families with fall yard and home chores. All you need to bring is a rake, gloves, etc, and a cheerful, giving spirit. Please look for the sign-up sheet in Agan Hall on Sundays or call Gary Morgan for more information. Also, please let any of the pastors know if you or any neighbor/relative/friend might need a team at your home that day. Clip n Keep Calendar October 5-7 MYF Leaders Training--Avalon October 6 Part I, New Member Class, 8:00AM-12:00N October 7 Crossroads for Adults: Sundays at 9:30AM October 8 Administrative Board Meeting, 7:00PM October Vandemere North Carolina Service Trip October 20 Christmas at Bethlehem continued from page 4 event; for the past 2 years my son and I have been a part of the nativity together. We will have roaming carolers singing throughout the church, parking lot, bonfire and near the nativity. You don t have to be a member of the choir to join in, only desire to use your gift of music to fill the night with favorite Christmas carols. The sanctuary, so beautifully decorated, is a wonderful place to sit and listen to live music to fill a soul with Christmas spirit, or to hear a children s piano recital. Volunteers greeting guests will surely tell all to visit the sanctuary. Other areas in need of help will be parking, greeting, outside lighting, and anyone with advertising contacts. Look for signup sheets in November and December to select the area you feel best suited to serve. This is a terrific event, and Lily Hudack and I are blessed to have been asked to coordinate. We look forward to working with the entire church to make our 5 th Christmas at Bethlehem a marvelous spectacle for the whole community to enjoy. Remember: Watch the sky for the lights of Bethlehem! DDS Classes: 101,201,301,401, 8:00AM-12:30PM October 27 Trunk or Treat, 5:00-7:00PM October 28 Reception of New Members and Luncheon November 8 Charge Conference at BUMC, 6:45-8:00PM November 10 Service Saturday, 9:00AM November Senior High Retreat, Avalon December 1 Women s Christmas Brunch 9:00AM-12:00N Every Sunday except holidays Prayer meeting in Sanctuary Soaking Prayer, 5:30-6:00 PM Intercessory Prayer, 6:00-7:00 PM

6 The Bethlehem Star Page 6 Preschool News by Karen Palaio The preschool has come alive again with children s happy voices and smiling faces! We would be so pleased to have a full house this year. Please share with family and friends there are still some vacancies available in our 3 Day Three Year Old PM Class and our Tues/Thurs Two Year Old Class. All inquires can be made to the preschool office. Please check out our website at dilworthtownpreschool.com for additional information. We have kicked off our first fundraiser of the year, the KidStuff Coupon Book, always a popular favorite. Use just a few coupons and save more than the cost of the book. KidStuff has 17 editions in 8 states making it easy to purchase as gifts for out of town families. All church proceeds will benefit our school scholarship program! Please contact karen@bethmeth.com if you would like to purchase a book. The preschool is registering with the Giant Food Store A+ School Awards Program. If you link your bonus card to the preschool once our registration is accepted, we can earn rewards every time you shop! This program begins in October and runs through March More information will be provided in the church bulletin once the school is registered. by Jan Samuelian IT S A GREAT PUMPKIN BREAD CHARLIE BROWN! There are probably as many pumpkin bread recipes out there as there are chili recipes. This is my favorite. My dear Aunt Mae shared this recipe with me years ago. Although no longer with us, every time I make one of her recipes and see her familiar handwriting, I feel a connection beyond time. For just a little while, there is a shadow of my Aunt in my kitchen, and I get to visit with a dear old friend. Pumpkin Bread 1 cup vegetable oil 3 cups sugar 3-1/3 cup of all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in 1/3-cup warm water 1-1/2 teaspoons table salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 cups of pure pack pumpkin*(i use Libby s Brand) 1 cup chopped dates 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 4 large or jumbo eggs Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees (allow to heat another 15 additional minutes when oven reaches temperature) Grease and flour two large bread pans. Mix all ingredients together, (batter will be heavy). Fill pans and bake anywhere from 1 hour to 1 hour and fifteen minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick. Cool and enjoy! If you find bread getting too dark before baking is complete, place a sheet of foil loosely on top. *DON T accidentally get pumpkin pie ready mix, must be pure pumpkin.