J u l y / A u g u s t N e w s l e t t e r

Transcription

1 Jesus said, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 Pastor s Pen Goldsboro Bethel Wesleyan Church It's surprising how many Christians struggle with the idea of regular church attendance. We are at a crossroads in our nation on the importance of going to church. According to research, church attendance has remained virtually the same percent of our national population for the past 70 years, however, this still means there are a huge number of American Christians who are not active in a local church - in the tens of millions. Of course, this isn't a new problem. Since the beginning of Christianity, the early leaders had to challenge this mindset, saying "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25). The word Church literally means called out ones, plural. It refers to an assembly, a congregation, a meeting; all of which imply the gathering of more than one person. "Church" never refers to a single, individual, lone ranger Christian just going about his or her Christian duties, and never gathering together to worship with other believers. The "Church" by its very nature means multiple believers, who have the promise of Christ s abiding presence "where two or three are gathered in His name" (Matthew 18:20). This is both the Biblical and historical pattern set forth for us by the first followers of Jesus. Meeting together with other Christians on a regular basis has always been a vital part of being a follower of Christ. Acts 2 records the birth of the Church with the coming of the Holy Spirit. This account begins with believers gathered all together in one place (Acts 2:1) and concludes with this summary: They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.... All the believers were together and had everything in common.... Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They would get together weekly to worship God, and at times even daily. And when they did, they would J u l y / A u g u s t N e w s l e t t e r Bethel Wesleyan Church exists to love our community and world with Christ's love, offering everyone His fulfilling way of lif e. Meeting Together (Continued on page 2) Volume 11, Issue 7 Inside This Issue Pastor s Pen ~ Meeting Together continued 2 Power Kids - Slimed 3 VBS Recap 4 Mission Moment - Rick & Clara West 5 Getting to Know BWC - James & Linda Rash Battle of the Mind -Bible Study Series Getting to Know BWC-Allen & Elaine Harrington OASIS Picnic Denton Family Camp Community Yard Sale July Calendar August Calendar 6 7 8

2 (Continued from page 1 ~ Meeting Together) teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in their hearts (Colossians 3:16). Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of Life Church, shared recently, that church is community. It's worshiping with others, praying for others, hurting with other, serving others, being involved in the lives of others." So why should followers of Christ make regular church attendance a priority? Here are four powerful reasons you should attend church weekly: 1. GOD SAID SO: God tells us in His Word to "not give up meeting together." (Hebrews 10:25) The Bible even goes so far as to call the Church the "Bride of Christ." If you love Jesus, you will love the things that He loves, and there is no one a good man loves more than His bride. The Church is this important to God, so it should be just as important to us. God didn't call us to gather for worship to burden us, but to bless us. Church attendance can become one of the greatest blessings in you and your family's life! 2. WORSHIPPING JESUS TOGETHER IS POWERFUL: Jesus lives inside of us by His Spirit when we believe in Him - this is a profoundly incredible truth! But there is also something biblically powerful about gathering together with other believers to worship. Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them" (Matthew 18:20). So, He not only lives in us by His Spirit, but He is in the "midst" of us when we gather to worship Him. There is energy and power available to individual Christians in corporate worship that cannot be found anywhere else! 3. WE NEED CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY: All of us long for community and connection with others. God created us this way when he said of Adam, it is not good for man to be alone. God has given us this gift in gathering together for church, and in smaller groups. It fulfills something inside of us to do life with others, encourage each other and be authentically involved in each other's lives. Christian TV, podcasts, books and conferences are wonderful additions to our spiritual lives, but nothing can take the place of consistent Christian community through the local church. As John Wesley said, You wish to serve God and go to heaven? Remember that you cannot serve him alone. You therefore must find companions or make them. The Bible knows nothing of solitary religion. 4. WE GROW MORE TOGETHER THAN ALONE: From Jesus the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (Ephesians 4:16). There are some things that just cannot be completed in the life of a believer unless he or she is actively involved in the Body of Christ. It can be messy when we step into each other's lives. We are all human, and no one is perfect. So, it requires effort and intentionality and grace from God to do life together, even as believers. Gathering regularly with other believers becomes a refining process whereby we help each other, pray for each other and encourage each other to want to follow Christ more wholeheartedly. It is truly a beautiful thing as each part does its work! Looking forward to meeting together with you this week and in the weeks to come as together we grow and mature in our love for Christ and His Church! P a g e 2

3 This summer, Power Kids will be using slime to learn the life lessons experienced by Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. Sometimes in life it feels like we ve been slimed! Sometimes it s because of decisions we make, sometimes it's from decisions others make that hurt us. Through the life of Jacob, kids will learn that when we stick to God, He can make something beautiful out of any slimy situation. Our Key Verse for SLIMED is: But I call out to God. And the Lord saves me. - Psalm 55:16 Lessons include: July 1, Selfish Slime Genesis 25:21-34, Esau Sells His Birthright - In Jacob and Esau s culture, the birthright was a very important privilege, but Esau treated it like it was nothing which would lead to big troubles down the road. Kids will learn that when we are selfish, and think only about ourselves, it can lead to a slimy situation. July 8, Lying Slime Genesis 27:1-33, 41-45, Jacob Steals the Blessing - With some forms of slime you can stretch it out and see through it like a window though not too clearly. When their father was old and could not see well, Jacob tricked him into giving Jacob the blessing meant for Esau. Kids will learn that lying can lead to getting slimed, because God always sees clearly. July 15, Seeing Past Our Slime Genesis 28:10-22, Jacob s Dream at Bethel - Jacob had tricked and deceived his brother and his father, and was running for his life. But God showed Jacob a glowing stairway to heaven, to prove that he still loved him and had a wonderful purpose for Jacob s life. Kids will learn that God has a plan no matter how much slime we may be stuck in. July 22, Other People s Slime Genesis 29:1-30, Leah and Rachel - When you manipulate the slime just right it creates a surprising, popping sound. Jacob got surprised and slimed by someone else when Laban tricked him into marrying both of his daughters. Kids will learn that we can still trust God s plan, even when we get slimed by other people. August 12, Working With Slime Genesis 30:25-31:3, Jacob Flourishes - Jacob used his knowledge of animals to create a good situation out of a bad one. Kids will learn that God can help us change a slimy situation into an opportunity for good. August 19, Becoming Slime Proof Genesis 32:13-31, Jacob Wrestles with God - If you add more and more liquid starch to your slime it will eventually harden and become immovable. On the night before his reunion with his brother Esau, Jacob found himself in a hard situation, but Jacob would not be moved. Kids will learn that by persevering through slimy situations and continuing to trust God no matter what, we can become stronger. August 26, Helping Others Out of Slime Genesis 33:1-11, Jacob and Esau Reunite - Stick a straw into your slime and blow to create giant slime bubbles. Jacob hoped to repair his relationship with Esau, but knew if Esau was still angry, his bubble of hope would burst. Kids will learn that we should work to have a good relationship with others, and should seek God s help to repair any relationships that have been slimed. September 2, Slimy Masterpiece Genesis 35:1-15, 23-29, God s Covenant and Blessing with Jacob - Through all the slime of Jacob s life whether from his trickery or others tricking him God made his life beautiful in the end, with a large family and the promise of becoming a great nation. Kids will learn that if we trust God no matter what, He can forgive us for slimy situations we ve created and help us out of slimy situations created by others. P a g e 3

4 WH E WO N YOU RRY JES US. RES.. CUE RE YOU.. N E. WH NELY UES! LO RESC US JES S! W PO HEN JE WE YO U SU RL S R ES RE ES S.. CU. ES! OU EN Y E... WH L ES! UGG STR RESCU S U JES I would like to thank everyone who helped with VBS this year. With Everyone at BWC working so well together it makes it possible to have a great VBS program year after year! It was a great week of sharing The Message of Jesus always being with us and helping us thru life s struggles. Attendance was good, kids each night! We raised a total of $ for our mission. THANK YOU! Looking forward to ROAR next year! Lori Page 4 WHEN YOU DO WRONG... JESUS RESCUES!

5 Mission Moment ~Rick & Clara West Dear Bethel Wesleyan Church, We trust you are doing well today! I am attaching a copy of our ministry update. Please know Clara and I are deeply grateful for the way you have personally partnered with us over the years financially, visiting in your homes or seeing you at Denton Camp, traveling together to the Dominican Republic, it means so much to us, GRACIAS! O Clara is three months into her recovery following open heart surgery. The doctor says it will take a year for full recovery, but she is now back to where she was prior to heart surgery with good progress toward full recovery. God bless, Rick & Clara West P a g e 5

6 GETTING TO KNOW BWC ~ JAMES & LINDA RASH James and Linda were married on February 15, 1964 and live at 6551 Mud Mill Road, Wyoming DE. They have three children, Elaine, Mark, and Carol; eight grandchildren, Taylor, Morgan, Nicole, Colby, Jordan, Logan, Jessica and Lindsey; and a great grandchild, Brook, with another one on the way! James was born on February 10, 1946 in Felton, Delaware and has lived in Willow Grove his whole life. He attended Caesar Rodney School and graduated from James H. Groves at Lake Forest. He is now retired after working 37 years at Poly Tech School. He enjoys camping, trading cars and trucks, buying and selling. His pet peeve is always being asked what he wants to eat! His favorite food is roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy! Linda was born on March 2, 1944 in Blair County, Pennsylvania and is one of nine children. Before graduating from Dover High School, she attended many schools because her family moved around a lot. She ran a Home Day Care for over 40 years, taking care of over 175 children! Linda enjoys camping, fishing, and watching the hummingbirds, George and Henry. Her favorite foods are fruit and potato chips. She doesn t like it when people say they are going to do something and then they don t. James favorite color is red, Linda s is coral. He likes roses, she likes all flowers. Personal Testimonies: A favorite Bible verse for both of them is Philippians 4:13 KJV. I can do all things through Christ which strentheneth me. Both enjoy all the old hymns. James was brought up attending church at Cedar Grove Pilgrim Holiness Church and then in 1973 came to BWC. I was saved and led to Christ by Rev. Mary Garrett. Another favorite scripture for Linda is Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the food of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. God has blessed us in many ways. B i b l e S t u d y S e r i e s ~ E a c h T h u r s d a y B e g i n n i n g J u l y 5 t h, 6 : 3 0 t o 7 : 4 5 p m I f y o u s u f f e r f r o m n e g a t i v e t h o u g h t s, t a k e h e a r t! W e w i l l l e a r n t o d e a l w i t h t h o u s a n d s o f t h o u g h t s y o u m a y t h i n k e v e r y d a y a n d h o w t o f o c u s t h e m i n d t h e w a y G o d t h i n k s. T h i s s t u d y w i l l e n c o u r a g e y o u, e m p o w e r y o u, a n d h e l p y o u t h i n k w i t h p u r p o s e. T h e s k i l l s w i l l a l l o w u s t o b e g i n t h e j o y - f i l l e d l i f e G o d i n t e n d s f o r u s t o l i v e. C o m e a l i t t l e e a r l y t o e n j o y r e f r e s h m e n t s a n d t o s e t t l e d o w n f o r a n e v e n i n g o f j o y a n d e n l i g h t e n m e n t. ( T h e r e i s a o n e t i m e c h a r g e o f $ 1 2 f o r m a t e r i a l s. P l e a s e c o n t a c t M e l a n i e S m i t h t o e n s u r e t h e r e a r e e n o u g h b o o k s a v a i l a b l e f o r e v e r y o n e. ) P a g e 6

7 GETTING TO KNOW BWC ~ ALLEN & ELAINE HARRINGTON Allen and Elaine live at 6575 Mud Mil Road, Wyoming, Delaware. They were married on July 1, They have twin daughters, Taylor and Morgan, along with a granddaughter, Brook, who has a baby brother on the way! Allen also has two more children, Michelle and Jeffrey. On November 3, 1948, Allen was born in Dover, DE. After high school he served in the Navy for 2 years, and then went to work for the Caesar Rodney School District, retiring 35 years later in On April 23, 1965, Elaine was born in Dover, DE. She graduated from Caesar Rodney in 1983, worked a variety of jobs before going to work for the State of Delaware Dept. of Motor Vehicles. Elaine worked there for 30 years, 4 months, and 15 days, retiring on April 1, 2018! Both, Allen and Elaine, enjoy camping. Allen also likes sports and racing while Elaine enjoys reading, kayaking, and fishing. Favorite colors are blue for him and green for her. She likes spring flowers and he likes the yellow rose. Allen likes crab cakes and hamburgers; Elaine enjoys Chinese food, crabs, shrimp, and coffee. Elaine s pet peeve is when asking what do you want for dinner?, getting the reply What do we have? Allen states his pet peeve is drivers who can t use their turn signals. When asked to name a favorite hymn or chorus, Elaine replied, I like them all, I love to sing. Allen named Blessed Assurance and Power of Your Love by Hillsong as his favorites. Allen s Personal Testimony: Believing and trusting God in all I do; knowing that He will always be there; and for leading me to my wife and Bethel Wesleyan Church. Allen s favorite Bible Verse is John 14:6 I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. And Mark 10:27 With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. KJV. Elaine s Personal Testimony: Growing up in the Church and giving my heart to God; knowing that I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13). I was taught at an early age right from wrong. I watched my grandfather get so blessed that he would run the aisle, waving his white hankie and shouting. Elaine s favorite scripture is 1 John 1:9 but if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. Fun, Fellowship, & Focused Ministry F e l l o w s h i p P i c n i c f o r t h e F o l k s T h i r d T h u r s d a y, J u l y 1 9 a t 1 : 0 0 p m G r e e n s b o r o L i o n s C l u b C o m m u n i t y P a r k P a v i l i o n R i d g e l y R o a d P l e a s e b r i n g a d i s h t o s h a r e a n d a f r i e n d! H a m b u r g e r s, H o t d o g s a n d D r i n k s p r o v i d e d P a g e 7

8 Bethel Wesleyan Church will be gathering at Denton Camp for Sunday School and Worship on July 29 & Aug. 5 - All Church Picnic at Jones cottage will be held after worship each Sunday. Free Hot Dogs with Chips & Water or Soda Splish & Splash for Kids Goldsboro Bethel Wesleyan Church P a s t o r D o u g l a s E. M o r l e y M a i n S t r e e t P. O. B o x G o l d s b o r o, M a r y l a n d P h o n e : ( ) E m a i l : p a s t o g o l d s b o r o w e s l e y a n. c o m Prayer Time 9:15 AM Discipleship Classes 9:45 AM Morning Worship 10:45 AM Power Kids 10:45 AM Pray Together 6:00 PM Coming to FAITH in Christ FORMING Christ-like Character FORWARDING Christ s Mission

9 J u l y Prayer Time 9:15 AM Power Kids 10:45 AM Discipleship Classes 9:45 AM Pray Together 6:00 pm Morning Worship 10:45 AM S u n M o n T u e W e d T h u Fri Sat 1 Bob & Margaret Bell Allen & Elaine Harrington Game Changer Kids Camp Remix 2 Hayden Price Judy Jarrell Barbie Semans Paul McMullen 8 15 Davy, Jr. & Julie Elborn IGNITE Middle School Camp Remix 22 IGNITE High School Camp Remix 9 10 Colby Rash 16 Brook Richard 23 Newsletter Info Due Dan & Nikki Jones OASIS Picnic 1:00 pm Gracie Bishop IGNITE Middle School Camp ~ July 9 thru Marion & Kathryn Jarrell 20 Elijah Burns Richard, Jr. & Shirley Dill 21 Rowan Shamp IGNITE High School Camp July 16 thru Kaylah Price Denton Family Camp July 27 thru August 5 29 David Semans Sunday School, Worship & All Church Picnic at Denton Camp 30 Andrea Rash Jason Rash Herbie Richard 31 July Greeters /Parking Attendants: 1st - David & Mary James, David Semans 8th Dave & Barbie Semans, David James 15th Kevin & Michele Covey, Larry Gary 22nd - Larry Gary & Judy Jarrell, Kevin Covey July Fruit Providers: 1st Paul McMullen, 8th Lori Richard, 15th - Barbara Walters, 22nd - Barbie Semans

10 A u g u s t Prayer Time 9:15 AM Discipleship Classes 9:45 AM Morning Worship 10:45 AM Power Kids 10:45 AM Pray Together 6:00 pm S u n M o n T u e W e d T h u Fri Sat 1 Nicole Johnson SUN STAND STILL ~Denton Family Camp July 27 thru August Shirley Dill Sunday School, Worship & All Church Picnic at Denton Camp 12 Howard & Sandra Fitzcharles Nursing Home Service, Brinton Woods, Denton 2:00 pm 19 Bruce Tripp Peris Sunday Services 13 Evelyn Hackman Kayla Gary Kristin Jarrell 20 Silas Jones Rose Leach Billy McGinnis Newsletter Items Due 14 Lucas Foster 15 Marsha Kibler Jason & Olga Rash Giddeon Shamp 16 Mark & Cheryl Rash Pastor Doug & Karen Morley Diane Bartz Tanis Shamp Tyler Marcum Jordan Shuba Norman, Jr. & Diane Bartz Community Yard Sale/ Splish Splash 8:00 am -2:00 pm 26 Mary Baker Harry, Jr. & Mary Richard 27 Sandra Fitzcharles 28 Nikki Jones 29 Madeline Bartz August Greeters/Parking Attendants: 12th Kevin & Michele Covey, Larry Gary 19th David & Mary James, David Semans 26th - Larry Gary & Judy Jarrell, David James August Fruit Providers: 12th Virginia Jones, 19th - Judy Jarrell, 26th - Barbie Semans