The Vision Sept./Oct. 2018

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1 4 9 5 H W Y S O U T H The Vision Sept./Oct Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord! I hope you have been enjoying the start of a new school year. I know this time of year can be exciting and at the same time very stressful. We often worry about what's ahead. Will this year be better than last year? Can I handle the new challenges and the work load? Can I adjust to the new changes ahead? Anytime we worry about the future it is good for us to consider Abraham and Sarah. God chose to start a new nation by which all people would come to know Him. God built this nation from two faithful people, Abraham and his wife, Sarah who for all practical purposes had no future. The problem was that Abraham and Sarah had no children and they were past the child-bearing years. This didn't matter to God. God promised them a child and in His time and His way Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90. Wow, what a miracle! Although not perfect, Abraham was considered righteous because he believed that God would come through. Over and over again in his life Abraham trusted God to work things out. Trust is not always easy. I bet you have trusted someone to do something for you and then for whatever reason that person let you down. I have a close friend that I would trust with my life. If he says that he is going to do something, you can rest assured that he will. About a year ago, we decided to meet for lunch. We agreed on a day, time and place. I thought after he was 15 minutes late that something must have happened. It was not like him to forget. However, that's exactly what he did. He forgot about our lunch date. Do you know that he is still apologizing for that today? He felt terrible about it because he prides himself on being trustworthy. I don't think forgetting lunch is a big deal and I still think he is very trustworthy. Of course, like all of us, he is only human and we all are very capable of forgetting. God on the other hand, never forgets, never runs late, and never stops caring about our problem. There is nothing too big or too difficult for Him to handle. Abraham and Sarah probably thought God had forgotten about His promise because over twenty years had gone by since God had first promised them a child and there was still no baby. But when the time was right, God came through with His promise in a miraculous way! If you are struggling with something and it doesn't seem like God is answering your prayers, try looking for the bigger picture. Maybe the time is not right yet or maybe God has something even better in mind. Maybe God just wants you to learn to be patient. The Bible tells us in Romans 8:28 that God works all things out for our good. Even when we can't see or feel God, we can rest assured that He is with us and everything that happens is under God's control. Abraham and Sarah lived to see the promise God made come to fruition. Even when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham s promised child, his key to the future, Abraham did not doubt. Hebrews 11 tells us that Abraham trusted God to raise Isaac from the dead if necessary. Now that is trust! I hope we can grow in our own personal struggles to arrive at that same level of trust. No matter how bad it looks, God is always with us working every situation and circumstance to benefit us. Trust Him today! ~Pastor Dan SEPT. /OCT. EVENTS Sept. 4 11:30 am Women of Bethany Sept. 6 7:00 pm Finance Committee Meeting Sept. 9 12:00 pm Sandwich Salad Sweet Fundraiser Sept. 11 & Oct. 9 8:30 am Character Award Breakfast Sept. 23 7:00 pm Administrative Council Sept. 30 United Methodist Men s Breakfast Oct. 2 5:30 pm Women of Bethany Oct. 5 & 6 5:00 pm/ 8:00 am Bethany Bazaar Oct. 13 4:00 pm United Methodist Men s BBQ Oct. 21 1:00 pm Worship Committee

2 October 7 World Communion Sunday Your generous gifts to World Communion Sunday help fund graduate racial-ethnic World Communion Scholarships, with at least one-half of the annual amount reserved for ministries beyond the United States. Donations also provide for undergraduate U.S. Ethnic Scholarship and Ethnic In-Service Training programs. World Communion Sunday is a time to be in communion with Christians all over the world. October 21 Laity Sunday This day calls the church to celebrate the ministry of Christians of all ages in the home, workplace, congregation, community, and world. Through baptism all disciples are called to serve in ministry and mission. October 28 Commitment Sunday Commitment Sunday is a worship expression of the Christian discipline of stewardship. This teaching challenges us to accept the idea that everything belongs to God and we are just stewards of all the resources we have. Therefore, we are called to be generous by setting aside some of our own God given blessings for work of God's Kingdom. On Commitment Sunday members of Bethany will be invited to make their financial commitment and their commitment to pray for the church s work and mission in the community. Covered Dish Luncheon after the worship service November 5 All Saints Day On this Sunday we will be remembering those church members who have died in the past year and celebrate those who have been baptized. November 12 Veteran's Day The worship service will recognize and honor veterans. A separate insert will be in the bulletin honoring and remembering any Veteran that is currently serving or has served in the military. Please contact me with the name(s) of the Veteran(s), if you are honoring or remembering them, and their branch of service. Please contact me at (336) or me at bethanyumcwj@skybest.com by Thursday, November 2. Thanks, Marilyn Disciple Bible Study I have taught many different types of bible studies throughout my ministry but my absolute favorite is called Disciple Bible Study. This study has been the Methodist church s premiere bible study since the late 1980 s. Disciple Bible Study is a comprehensive 34-week study that deals equally with the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. It is designed with weekly DVD lessons from some of our seminaries best scholars, weekly readings, a study manual; 2-hour weekly class meeting that includes prayer time. Class sizes need to be between 8-12 people. The class will be offered Mondays, starting September 10 th from 6:00-8:00 pm. There is a workbook that you will need to purchase and it is a commitment of 34 weeks but I promise you will learn the Bible like never before! Please contact the church office at (336) or bethanyumcwj@skybest.com and let me know if you are interested. Pastor Dan

3 WOMEN OF BETHANY The Women of Bethany have had a busy summer, but our biggest date is yet to come--september 9. We will host our annual Salad/Sandwiches/Sweets luncheon following church. This is our major fundraiser, and we invite everyone to remain following church to help us celebrate all that we do throughout the year: Ashe County Sharing Center Agape Meal Sandwiches for Holy Week service Imagination Ashe Meals for shut-ins Supply Closet Bethlehem at Bethany Fuel Fund Ashe County Empty Bowls Shoes for Kids Coming up: The NEST Alliance Emergency Assistance Church beautification Bereavement meals Desserts for Men's BBQ Prayer Shawl Ministry Ashe County Christmas Project Nicaragua Mission Transportation to medical appointments Ashe Services for Aging September 4 11:30 am Meeting, details to follow soon October 2 5:30 pm Meeting with a program on P.E.O. October The Kitchen Guild's Bazaar November 6 -- Final meeting of the year, luncheon meeting with details pending BETHANY YOUTH GROUP The youth have a few activities planned in the next two months. First of all, we are planning on helping with a community service project in Keep Ashe Beautiful. This will be Saturday morning, September 22 from This is open to all ages. I will have a sign-up sheet to know how many and I need your T-shirt size. If you want to know what this summer s youth mission trip entailed please join us Sunday night, September 23 for a presentation and pictures of our trip. Secondly, we are planning on going to Tweetsie for the Ghost Train on Friday October 12. Registration deadline is Sunday September 9. The cost is $20/person. Finally, the youth will be participating in the fall bazaar held on Saturday, October 6. This will be the last fundraiser of the year. We will be selling hot dogs and will have a candy booth set up. Thanks to everyone for all of your prayers and support. Mr. Les YOUTH CALENDAR Sept. 12 & 26 6:00 pm Small Group Sept. 22 8:45 am Keep Ashe Clean-Meet at the church Oct. 10, 24 & 31 6:00 pm Small Group Oct. 6 TBD Hot Dog and Candy Fundraiser at the Bethany Bazaar/Bake Sale Oct. 12 TBD Tweetsie Ghost Train

4 Exciting news! RSVP requested ASAP. Mark your calendar for Wednesday night, September 19 at 5:45 pm. That's when Paula Williams -- of Sweet Aromas Cafe fame -- becomes our Wednesday night dinner chef! Each Wednesday she will prepare a Chef's Choice Entree plus one of her Signature Desserts for your culinary delight. Bring your neighbors and your friends, and join us for dinner every Wednesday night. Only $8 per person. Dessert (Optional): $1 She will prepare one of the following dishes from scratch each week: Beef Stew over Rice Spinach Lasagna Enchilada Casserole Hamburger Steak Chicken Salad Plate Soup & Salad night Taco Salad Chicken Pot Pie Chicken Tetrazzini Baked Spaghetti/Pasta Grilled Pork Chop w/scalloped Potatoes Shepherd's Pie Italian Sausage w/potato Salad Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes Colcannon (An Irish potato dish w/cabbage, cheese & onions) We'd like to let Paula know if you'll be coming for the premiere event on Wednesday, September 19, and if you would like to be a Sweet Aromas at Bethany regular? I will be coming on Sept. 19 Our family of (how many?) will be coming on Sept. 19 I / We will be coming regularly! Don Sloan on behalf of The Membership Care committee donsloan01@gmail.com UNITED METHODIST MEN S BBQ The United Methodist Men s BBQ has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 13 th from 4:00 pm until they run out. The men will be serving barbecue, coleslaw, baked beans and desserts. Members of the Men s Club will have tickets for sale. The ticket prices are $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for children under 12. Thanks again for your support. DESSERTS Attention all bakers! The United Methodist Men will need packaged desserts for their BBQ. Desserts will need to be brought to the kitchen on Saturday, October 13 th before 4:00 pm.

5 The Kitchen Guild will be having their annual Bazaar and Bake Sale Pre-sale on Friday, October 5 from 5-7 pm with a $5.00 per person fee. Saturday, October 6 there will be the regular yard sale from 8 am-1:00 pm. Donations will be accepted daily, starting Monday, October 1 st from 2-5 pm through Friday, October 5 th from 10 am-2 pm. DONATIONS: We will need all of your talents and treasures to make the Bazaar a success. Please take the time to clean out unneeded items and bring your donations to the fellowship hall starting Monday, October 1 st. If possible, your assistance in pricing your items would be most appreciated. Your wonderful baked items can be brought in on Friday afternoon, October 5 th. Thank again for your support! The Kitchen Guild On Saturday, our men will be serving their usual delicious ham and sausage biscuits and coffee!! In addition, the youth are planning on selling candy and hotdogs DISTRICT DIALOGUES WITH THE DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT As a part of our charge conference process, we will once again hold the District Dialogues during the Charge Conference season. The theme and focus for this year is: Setting a Bigger Table. These Dialogues will be scheduled throughout the District in order to make them accessible for all the churches of our district. Pastors and a team from their churches are expected to attend one (1) of the District Dialogues. We welcome this time together as an opportunity for churches to be in conversation with each other and to share ideas that they have found effective in reaching more people with the life-transforming love of Jesus Christ. Here is the framework for our time together during the District Dialogues. Bethany s scheduled day is Sunday, October 28, 2018 at 3:00 pm located at West Jefferson UMC. BLUE RIDGE RELAY is scheduled for Friday, September 7 th. They are looking for volunteers to assist them. For every exchange zone that our church staffs, the Blue Ridge Relay will make a financial donation to our church. This year, one of the exchange zones will be held at Bethany UMC that will require a minimum of 4 adults during the hours from 10:15 am to 5:30 pm. If you are interested, please contact the church office at (336) or bethanyumcwj@skybest.com

6 MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Thursday, September 6 th at 7:00 pm-finance Committee Meeting. At this meeting we will be setting the church budget for Thursday, September 20 th -Feed the JV Football Team, the Cheerleaders and coaches at 4:00 pm. We will be serving them spaghetti, salad, bread, and dessert. We will need volunteers to purchase some items and also assist during this event. There is a sign-up sheet located on the bulletin board. Sunday, October 21 st -Worship Committee Meeting will be held after the worship service. Sunday, November 4 th at 7:00 pm we will be having our church Charge Conference KEEP ASHE BEAUTIFUL-LITTER SWEEP-Saturday, September 22, 2018 from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm. All residents, landowners, businesses, service clubs and churches are invited to participate. Keeping litter off our roads not only Keeps Ashe County beautiful but also assists in attracting new businesses, residents and visitors to our community. If you would like to participate please contact John Cannon at KeepAsheBeautiful@gmail.com. There is more information located on the bulletin board. PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEW MEMBERS AND NEWLYWEDS Steve Turner and Judy Stroud Turner. Steve transferred from Concordia Lutheran Church in Conover and Judy transferred from First Baptist of North Spartanburg A NOTE FROM KEITH: Dear Bethany Family, I am incredibly grateful for our time together this summer. Thank you for embracing me, guiding me, and trusting me to pastor and teach among you. My time at Bethany helped to affirm my call into pastoral ministry. I was very sad to leave, but you all gave me such a wonderful send off. I will always cherish my time at Bethany and remember you with fondness. With love, gratitude and peace, Keith THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEITH DOVE We raised a little over $3,300 which will assist him with his school expenses. If you would like to contact Keith, his contact information is: Keith Dove 943 Morreene Road, Apt. D 31 Durham, NC Please remember to set your clocks back 1 hour. Saturday, November 3

7 Happy Birthday SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 1 Melba Miller 1 Mike Burgess 2 Cathy Everhart 3 Hannah Abee, Tammy Edwards 3 Zac Lemly 4 Don Sloan 6 Kimberly Money 6 Joyce Kilby 8 Kenneth Greer, Vicki Sansbury 11 Kati Morrison 10 Jerry Denny, Doug Miller, Elizabeth Seagle 13 Jethro (Jay) Gibbs 15 Barbara Barkley, Janice Cox, 16 Eddie Miller, Les Miller Lindsey Hagel 18 John Harms 19 Natalie Kilby 19 Craig Jackson 20 Chance Lucas, Danielle Vitale 20 Kaylee Money 21 John Chapman 21 Julie Greene 25 Bryce Lewis, Becky Marsten 22 Edie Miller 29 Kena Sloop 23 Jane Hines 24 Don Church, David Lemly Edna Suzy Lewis Santana Happy Anniversary SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 4 Art & Kay Ness 21 Keith & Beverly Shaver 8 Al & Jane Hines 24 Alice Atwood & Pat Considine 9 Al & Barbara Barkley 12 Grady & Jane Lonon Catherine and Peter Finch 15 Mike & Mary Burgess 16 Les & Marilyn Miller 20 Caitlin & Ethan Hoffmann 27 Alice & Dennis Sharpe September/October Volunteers CHILDREN S CHURCH Sept/October TBA ALTAR GUILD September Linda Dreyer October Barbara Carter GREETERS September/October-TBD ACOLYTES September 2 Josh Weaver 9 Kenny Dunfee 16 Luke Skerbinc 23 Sarah Brandt 30 Emma Howell October 7 Zoey Krider 14 Kenny Dunfee 21 Charlotte Moretz 28 Sarah Brandt

8 Bethany United Methodist Church 495 Highway 194 South, West Jefferson, NC Church: (336) Website: bumcwj.org Pastor: Dan Money Adult Choir Director: Grady Lonon Bell & Children s Choirs: Jane Lonon Secretary/Treasurer: Marilyn Miller Organist: Allison Weaver Pianist: Joyce Kilby Custodian: Michael Houck Lay Leader: Don Church Youth Director: Les Miller Sunday Sunday School.. 9:45 a.m. Worship Service..11:00 a.m. Wednesday Wednesday Night Dinner..5:45 p.m. Youth Group....6:00 p.m. Adult Choir Practice...6:30 p.m. Adult Handbell Practice...7:30 p.m. Bethany United Methodist Church 495 Hwy 194 S. West Jefferson, NC And he led them out as far as Bethany and he blessed them. Luke 24:50