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

Size: px

Start display at page:

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

Rosanna Hicks
5 years ago
Views:

Suzanne Hooper Chris Mize Bill Mote Carolyn Peters Inside this issue: Session Reports 2-3 Calendar 4 Volunteers/ Prayer List Children/Youth News 6-7 New Bible Project 8 5 A Monthly Publication of the

1 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 Salmon Barbara Smith Class of 2015 Stuart Clive Suzanne Hooper Chris Mize Bill Mote Carolyn Peters Inside this issue: Session Reports 2-3 Calendar 4 Volunteers/ Prayer List Children/Youth News 6-7 New Bible Project 8 5 A Monthly Publication of the Bethany Presbyterian Church The summer season seems to be a time where things slow down a bit. Many of us use the summer to take a break from the hectic schedule of the program year. Others use it as an opportunity to go on vacation trips and spend time with family. Our schedules are more relaxed, but still busy nonetheless. As the summer months begin, I want to encourage y all to stay involved at Bethany! Even though many of us go on break for the summer, Bethany still has a lot going on. Be sure to take part in what is going on this summer! Vacation Bible School starts the first week of summer June 2-6! Kids Club/ Youth Group: The Youth Group will be busy with their summer trips to Great Escape and Fun in the Son. But that s not all that s happening this summer! Kid s Club has a pool party in June, and the Youth Group has a number of events like a pool party, Stone Mountain, and a Braves Game. Be sure to check out the Summer Schedule to see dates and times. Don t miss the annual 4th of July BBQ, which is always one of our biggest events of the year! Music: Be sure to come to Sunday worship to check out some of the special music that is happening this summer. Joanna, our choir director, has a lot planned for the music during worship this summer. Mission Opportunities: We will still meet every month to assemble and hand out 80 sack lunches in Porterdale. Fellowship: Fun Seekers and Men s Breakfast will continue to meet, and be sure to catch up with your Bethany family during Café Connection! Sunday School will also be offered every week this summer. Bethany has a lot going on in the next few months. Be sure to mark these events so you do not miss them. See you around this summer! Summer at Bethany Rev. Daniel J. Commerford

2 P a g e 2 Session Summary B e t h a n y S p i r i t Elder Barbara Smith The regular monthly meeting of the Bethany Session was called to order at 6:30pm in the church sanctuary. Rev. Commerford led the Call to Worship, followed by a hymn and a prayer. We then moved to the church office for the remainder of the meeting. Carolyn Peters gave the devotion from Psalm 128 on the topic of being faithful. She reminded us that it is particularly important to be faithful by planting seeds with our children, remembering what a blessing they are in our lives. Carolyn then closed with prayer. Prayer concerns were discussed. Prayer cards were signed by members of the Session and prepared for mailing. A quorum was declared present. The April financial report, prepared by Annie King, was reviewed and discussed. Annie was available for questions and clarifications. Rev. Commerford gave his pastoral care report for March and April. He then led a discussion on hearing and answering God s Call, following up on his sermon from last Sunday. He encouraged us to work together to figure out who we are as a congregation and what our focus should be in the 21 st century. Barbara Smith gave the Clerk s Report stating that Katie Smith transferred to First United Methodist Church in Milledgeville, Georgia, on April 27, This brings our active membership to 151. Pastor Dan gave a report on the recent Presbytery meeting that he attended. Bethany was recognized at this meeting for having the 5 th highest percentage of growth in Our membership increased by 7% last year. Ministry Teams Highlights The children s Sunday School classes will be combined for the Summer Quarter. Pre-K through 4 th grade will meet together and 5 th graders will meet with the Youth Class. A signup sheet will go in the bulletin to recruit Sunday School Teachers for the fall quarter. Work on the Fellowship Hall is almost complete. There are two trees on the church grounds that need to be taken down. Tommy will follow up on getting a quote to have this done. Stuart gave a report on the recent Stewardship Workshop that he and Rev. Commerford attended. His committee will discuss how we can implement some of the ideas shared for a successful stewardship campaign. Plans are moving forward toward replacing our pew Bibles. We will be offering people an opportunity to purchase a Bible in memory or in honor of someone. On Pentecost Sunday, June 8, Pastor Dan will propose this plan to the congregation. The cost of each Bible will be approximately $10.00 and we will need about 100 Bibles. Member Care took meals to Jessica and Jimmy Robinson following the birth of their baby and to Paul Lewis following his recent hospital stay. Our active membership roll is being reviewed. Letters will be sent to those who have not been active for the past year. (Continued on page 3)

3 B e t h a n y S p i r i t P a g e 3 Session Summary (Continued from page 2) Carolyn reported that our next Communion date will be Sunday, June 1. Pentecost Sunday is June 8. We will be asking people to wear red in recognition of this day. The Youth will not meet regularly during the summer, but will have several special outings. Lanie King and Pastor Dan will go as chaperones to the Great Escape Youth Retreat this year. and Joanna Reesman will serve as chaperones with the Senior High at Fun in the Son. The Back to School Ice Cream Social will be held the last Sunday in July. The recent offering for Presbyterian Homes was not as well supported as in the past. The Baby Bottle Campaign for the Refuge Pregnancy Center has begun and will be taken up on Father s Day. The Elder Nominating Committee continues its work. Any proceeds above and beyond expenses from the 4th of July barbecue will be used to replace the wooden playground equipment beside the fellowship hall. The meeting was closed with prayer by Rev. Commerford at 9:15pm. The next regular meeting will be June 17. Christian Education Ministry Team Elder Bill Mote In our last session meeting Carolyn Peter read a devotion from Psalm 128. Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. Later on in the meeting, we discussed how we need more people to help and be more involved with the church. For me, these two things go together. I know it makes me very happy when I am able to help with things in the church. Worship Ministry Team Elder Carolyn Peters May has had its blessings! Our pastor, Dan, went to Montreat for a conference which he shared with us in his sermon. He had a wonderful time and an experience with God. His absence let us enjoy Rev. Dr. Al Myers who filled our pulpit on May 11. Bethany has three high school graduates this year; Rebecca Hall, Cody Parris, and Sarah Swope. Congratulations! Also, two graduating from college, Thomas Bowen and Crystal Stevens. Congratulations to you, also! Our church has been busy with many events this month; a bridal shower for Katie Smith, we wish her the most wonderful wedding and happiness in her upcoming marriage; the Kid s Club and Youth had their end of the year parties, and there was a luncheon for the graduates and their families. We are still looking for choir members! Please come and join us on Wednesday nights at Please start saving your empty milk jugs for us to use at Christmas for the luminaries.

4 P a g e 4 B e t h a n y S p i r i t June 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Sunday School 9:30am Morning Worship 11:00am Communion 2 3 Cub Scouts Vacation Bible School 9AM 12NOON, Closing Program Friday at 6PM Suzanne Hooper Lee Allen Maggie Hall 8 PENTECOST Sunday School 9:30am Morning Worship 11:00am 9 10 Cub Scouts Girl Scouts The Great Escape at Lee College, Cleveland, TN Lisa Parris Michael McNally Rae Cook 15 FATHER S DAY Sunday School 9:30am Morning Worship 11:00am Lawson Family In Fellowship Hall 10:00am 3:00pm Mallory Adams Dee Norris Jenni Rudasill Violet Cowan 22 Sunday School 9:30am Morning Worship 11:00am - Newsletter Deadline Youth Group Pool Rev. Commerford s 2:00-4:00pm Cub Scouts Session Meeting 6:30pm 25 Fun Seekers 11:00am 26 Girl Scouts Sack Lunch Prep/Delivery 10:30am Dee Starr Joanna Reesman Jamie Mote Grier Sims 29 Men s Breakfast 7:30am Sunday School 9:30am Café Connection 10:30am Morning Worship 11:00am Kid s Club Pool Party following worship

5 B e t h a n y S p i r i t P a g e 5 Monthly Volunteers June 1 June 8 June 15 June 22 June 29 Children s Worship Jessica Salmon Suzanne Hooper Terri Quackenbush Annie King Acolytes Liturgists Tommy McFarlin Rachel Commerford Sandi Thompson Schylar Parris Chris Mize Greeters Ushers Open Bldg. Annie King Bill Mote Buddy & Rae Cook Bill Mote Men s Breakfast Close Bldg. Lisa Parris Kim Mills Tracy Pirkle Annie King Wayne & Chris Mize Prayer Concerns Lee Allen Jane Asbel (Friend of the Wagners) Sam Ball (Nancy Boyce s friend) Cheryl Burke missionary Mark Burton Sarah Cason 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) Amanda Holsey (Friend of the Wagners) Hazel Johnson (Carolyn Sullivan s mother) Ruth King Paul & Lynn Lewis Ruth MacEntee Melisa (Danny Douberley s daughter) David Morris and son, David Doris Mote Susan Mote Charles Rape Will Reymundo (Chandler Salmon s nephew) Dayle Robinson Cooper Salmon Vanessa Sears Grier Sims Hazel Smith (Friend of the Parneys) John Spears (Friend of the Cooks) Glen Stanley (Friend of the Cooks) Patti Starr Randy Stufflebeam (Annie King s cousin) Betty Thomas Brent Tunison (Charlene Rape s brother) Avery White Our College Students Our Military Men and Women

6 P a g e 6 July 4th Barbecue The Fourth of July Barbecue has been a tradition at Bethany since the early 1930's. The cooking will begin at approximately 9:00pm on July 3 and continue all night until 12:00 noon on July 4. The menu will be pork barbecue, stew, slaw, pickles, chips, bread, and plenty of cold drinks. The charge for this all you can eat meal is expected to be around $8.00 per person and children under six eat free. This is not a fundraising event. The intent is to collect just enough money to cover the expense of the meal. If there are funds collected beyond expenses they will be used to replace the wooden playground structure. We encourage you to invite your friends, relatives, and neighbors to join us! Don t Forget! B e t h a n y S p i r i t Support the Annual Baby Bottle Campaign of the Refuge Pregnancy and Resource Center in Conyers. Please return your baby bottle filled with loose change on Father s Day! (If you didn t get a bottle, you may make a donation by cash or check!) This money will be used to help the center purchase items to help women in crisis. Youth Group Submitted by Rev. Commerford This month kicks off the summer schedule for the Youth Group! Although we won't be meeting like we do during the program year, there is still a lot happening in June. A lot of our students are volunteering their gifts, talents, and time for Vacation Bible School, our middle school students are going to Great Escape. The entire group will meet again for a pool party at Pastor Dan's place on June 22. As you can see, there is a lot going on in the lives of our youth. Please remember to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Summer Schedule: June 2-6: Vacation Bible School June 9-14: The Great Escape June 22: Pool Party at Pastor Dan s (details to follow) July 13-18: Fun In The Son July 25: Stone Mountain (and Laser show) August 17: Braves Game (1:30pm details to follow) Join us on June 8 for Pentecost Sunday Please remember to wear red as we celebrate God s gift of the Holy Spirit.

B e t h a n y S p i r i t P a g e 7 Welcome to the newest member of the Bethany family! Jimmy & Jessica Robinson became proud parents to, Cade Wayne Robinson.

We will have Bible stories, music, crafts, games and snacks. Don t miss it!

We all rejoice at the newest addition to the Bethany family!

We had a different type of scavenger hunt we had a dig! We used the sand volleyball court to bury treasures, toys, and other sand castle toys to play with.

7 B e t h a n y S p i r i t P a g e 7 Welcome to the newest member of the Bethany family! Jimmy & Jessica Robinson became proud parents to, Cade Wayne Robinson. Remember How Fun Vacation Bible School Was? Bring your child to Bethany for V.B.S., June 2-6 from 9:00am to Noon. Classes are open for age 4 through completed 8th grade. We will have Bible stories, music, crafts, games and snacks. Don t miss it! Colors for the week: Monday Orange, Tuesday Red, Wednesday Blue, Thursday Purple, and Friday Green Cade was born on May 7, weighed 7 pound, 5 ounces, and was 21" long. We all rejoice at the newest addition to the Bethany family! VBS at Bethany Late 1980 s Kid s Club Submitted by Suzanne Hooper We wrapped up this season with an End of the Year Party for Kid s Club on Sunday May 18. We had a different type of scavenger hunt we had a dig! We used the sand volleyball court to bury treasures, toys, and other sand castle toys to play with. While the rain held off for us to finish the hunting it did come shortly after so we moved into the breezeway for bubbles, sidewalk chalk and cold watermelon and hot popcorn! It was a great time of fellowship and fun for everyone! After meeting with volunteers and parents, we have decided to schedule one big event for this summer a pool party! Mark your calendars for Sunday, June 29. Bring your swimsuit and a packed lunch. After church, we will eat lunch and gear up and head over to the pool together. We are asking that parents plan to stay to help us watch everyone in the water (and enjoy the sun and pool too!) please let Tina Douglas know if you are planning to attend or have any questions.

Bethany Presbyterian Church 1002 Bethany Road Covington, GA 30016 Phone: 770-786-1629 Fax: 770-786-9676 E-mail: office@bpccovington.

8 Bethany Presbyterian Church 1002 Bethany Road Covington, GA Phone: Fax: P a g e 8 B e t h a n y S p i r i t Bethany is Getting New Bibles! Submitted by Rev. Commerford This summer we will begin the process of purchasing new Bibles for the church. The Bibles that are currently in the pews have been well used and loved for about 20 years and the time has come to replace them. We will need to purchase 100 Bibles to have enough to fill the sanctuary and all the classrooms. Because of the cost associated with this, I am asking for your generosity to help fund our new Bibles. In the next few months, we will give everyone an opportunity to sponsor a Bible. Anyone who sponsors a Bible will have the opportunity to give that Bible in memory or honor of someone. Each Bible will cost $10, and we hope that the generosity of the congregation will be enough to provide for every Bible purchased! If you wish to purchase a Bible and are not able to do so in person, you can mail a check to the church office or pay through the "Online Giving" page on the church website. In either case, we ask that you designate your gift to "Church Bible" so we know where your donation is going. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact me.

Bethany Spirit. A Monthly Publication of the Bethany Presbyterian Church CHURCH STAFF. Pastor. Rev. Daniel J. Commerford. Secretary Annie King

Bethany Spirit. A Monthly Publication of the Bethany Presbyterian Church CHURCH STAFF. Pastor. Rev. Daniel J. Commerford. Secretary Annie King Bethany Spirit January 2015 CHURCH STAFF Pastor Rev. Daniel Commerford Secretary Annie King Pianist Carolyn Peters Choir Director Joanna Reesman SESSION MEMBERS Class of 2015 Stuart Clive Suzanne Hooper