The Beacon. From Your Pastor...

Transcription

1 B E T H A N Y P R E S B Y T E R I A N C H U R C H The Beacon I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Interim 2 Assoc. Pastor From Your Pastor... M A Y May Calendar 3 Birthdays 4 Music Notes Session 5 Notes Save the 6 Date Mission News 7 Vacation 8 Bible School Dear Friends, The signs are everywhere of the Holy Spirit at work through Bethany Presbyterian Church: The Mission Team recently travelling to Beaumont, Texas, helping in the restorative work after the devastating floods there. The team just returning from Mississippi and the intensive training from Living Waters for the World. The Kid s Night Out last Friday, abounding in laughter, joy, good food, and learning more of Jesus. The testimonies of our new members class as they describe having found a home at Bethany. The passionate and positive response to Pastor Melany s recent sermon...and her transparency about her faith journey. The life-changing experiences of those in Bible studies men s groups, women s groups, mixed groups, MOPS and so much more. The huge success of Mission and Ministry Sunday. The resounding music that comes from a thriving choir, Sunday School singers, hand bell choir, and trumpets on Easter and an outstanding Praise Band that leads worship each Sunday evening at Modern Worship. Moving Sunday School dramatizations of Jesus last earthly days (Palm Sunday, the last Supper, Prayer in the Garden) and then of his followers discovering that he is risen! The thriving Food Bank and Pancake Breakfast both last Saturday...the Family Promise ministry this week. The list is almost endless. The testimonies are moving. The Holy Spirit is at work through Bethany. Your presence in worship, investment in one another, generous giving, devoted service, and faithful prayer are making a life-changing and eternal difference. He is Risen! John Hamilton Come this Sunday for the Youth Sunday presentation at all three services: 8:15 am, 10:45 am and 6:00 pm.

2 P A G E 2 Associate Pastor Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. On April 14, I stood with a crowd of witnesses to pray for and cheer on a group of runners, including our daughter, Bethany. She is part of the Team World Vision group in Chicago. They run for Living Waters for the World, in particular for water purification projects in Kenya. It was not a very good day for running especially for running an ultra marathon 31 miles. Yep, you read that right: 31 miles. It was below freezing, with heavy rain and high winds. First the Team World Vison got in a huddle for prayer (and they invited me to be a part of that what a blessing!) and then they took off running. I did not run. I prayed and cheered and prayed and cheered. Honestly, I had some struggles with fear for the safety of the runners. That s why I prayed so much I am a mother, after all. But I was also filled with gratitude and respect, as I saw the perseverance of the runners. Despite the horrible weather, they ran with perseverance the race marked out for them. Perseverance is something we all need not just for ultra marathons, but for living a Christian life. We persevere in being faithful in family life, in sharing our faith in Christ, in joining others in crucial mission projects (some very near and some far away), in organizing and teaching, in our Christian Education ministries, in comforting the grieving, the lonely, the sick We persevere in providing music for worship, in maintaining a lovely, functional, and community-blessing church facility We persevere in balancing our budget, getting food for the hundreds of people who come to our Food Bank, and kindness for those who need our Family Promise ministry, and getting leaders and materials for Vacation Bible School and Kids Night Out and Upward Basketball and Sunday School. Some of us persevere in keeping the Session and Deacons organized and on track some persevere in preparing sermons and funerals and baptisms and weddings There are times when people need to step to the side for a while. We become part of the cloud of witnesses, cheering on the runners from heaven or earth. We need to cheer and pray, cheer and pray, cheer and pray. God bless you all, whether you are running with perseverance in a challenging ministry or mission endeavor or cheering and praying for others. 5 hours and 47 minutes after the prayer huddle by Lake Michigan, our Bethany crossed the finish line with a beautiful smile upon her face. Perseverance. I thank God for the privilege of being there. With love and admiration for every one of you, Pastor Melany

3 May 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 9:00 AM Women's 6:00 PM Rummage Sale Drop Off 6:30 PM Women's 2 10:00AM Fellowship of Prayer 6:00 PM Rummage Sale Drop Off 7:00 PM Choir 3 11:30 AM Rotary Scholarship Luncheon 6:00 PM Rummage Sale Drop Off "Breath" 4 8:00 AM Rummage Sale set up 9:30 AM Women's Small Group 10:00 AM Womens 12:00 PM Preschool Lunch Bunch 5 8:00 AM Rummage Sale 6 8:15 AM Worship 9:30 AM Sunday School 10:45 AM Worship 12:00 PM New Members Meet With Session 4:30 PM BYG - Jr. 6:00 PM Worship 7:00 PM BYG - Sr. 7 6:15 PM PW Body Carpenter Workout 6:45 PM APNC mtg 7:00 PM Deacon and Session Teams 8 9:00 AM Womens 6:30 PM Women's 9 7:00 PM Choir 10 9:15 AM MOPS "Breath" 11 9:30 AM Women's Small Group 10:00 AM Womens 12:00 PM Men's Friday Lunch 12:00 PM Preschool Lunch Bunch 12 9:00 AM Spring Grounds Cleanup and Mulching 11:00 AM Knitters 13 COMMUNION MOTHERS DAY 8:15 AM Worship 9:30 AM Sunday School 10:45 AM Worship 4:30 PM BYG - Jr. 6:00 PM Worship 7:00 PM BYG - Sr. 14 6:15 PM PW Body Carpenter Workout 6:45 PM APNC mtg 15 9:00 AM Womens 6:30 PM PW Planning Meeting 6:30 PM Women's 16 7:00 PM Choir 17 12:00 PM Golden Oldies Luncheon "Breath" 18 Men's Retreat 7 Springs 10:00 AM Womens 6:00 PM Kid's Night Out 19 Men's Retreat 7 Springs 7:30 AM Food Bank 9:00 AM PW Bible study 11:00 AM Youth Group car Wash 20 New Members Installed PENTECOST 8:15 AM Worship 9:30 AM Sunday School 10:45 AM Worship 4:30 PM BYG - Jr. 6:00 PM Worship 7:00 PM BYG - Sr. 21 6:15 PM PW Body Carpenter Workout 6:45 PM APNC mtg 7:00 PM Session Meeting 22 9:00 AM Womens 6:30 PM Women's 23 Last Day Picnic 5:30 PM Worship Banquet 24 9:15 AM MOPS "Breath" 25 10:00 AM Womens 12:00 PM Men's Friday Lunch 26 9:00 AM PW Bible study 11:00 AM Knitters 27 8:15 AM Worship 9:30 AM Sunday School 10:45 AM Worship 4:30 PM BYG - Jr. 6:00 PM Worship 7:00 PM BYG - Sr. 28 MEMORIAL DAY OFFICE CLOSED 10:00 AM Parade and Hot Dog Roast 29 9:00 AM Womens Play Camp 30 Play Camp 31 Play Camp "Breath" Attention Golden Oldies You won t want to miss the May 17th Oldies meeting. The Harmony Singers are coming to entertain us. Mark your calendars now. Not a member of Golden Oldies you may come too. Please drop a note in the collection plate or call or text a message to Judy ( ) that you will be joining us. Not a member yet, this will be a good meeting to try us out. Lunch will be served at noon.

4 P A G E 4 Happy Birthday! 05/02 Helena Brickner 05/02 Jackson Gullo 05/03 Rosalie Barbish 05/04 Phyllis Matthews 05/06 Brenda Woleslagle 05/06 Ann Doty 05/06 Rhonda Blosser 05/06 Michael Buchta 05/07 Russell North 05/08 Tom Harold 05/08 Valeria Lorenzi 05/08 Jody Romanelli 05/08 Jenna Foltz 05/08 Kara Julius 05/09 Alex Harbison 05/10 Shirley Skerl 05/10 Brandon Orosz 05/11 Anna Mae Naples 05/11 Larry Gastgeb 05/11 Roberta Gerstacker 05/11 Jacquelyn Nixon 05/11 Kaycee Nelson 05/13 Alyssa Padula 05/13 Brittany Edney 05/13 Karen Talerico 05/14 William Warnock 05/14 Sandra Gastgeb 05/15 Danielle Druchniak 05/15 Mary Christi-Camacho 05/16 Brayden Doyle 05/16 Liam Edney 05/16 Colleen Heasley 05/16 Susan Nagy 05/16 Joan Franks 05/17 Dylan Nock 05/17 Kathryn Evans 05/17 Maximilian Nagy 05/18 Susan Witwicki 05/18 Angela H. Tournay 05/18 Carolyn Morelock 05/18 Judy Vietmeier 05/19 Patricia Frye 05/20 Joseph Szallar 05/20 David Verduci 05/22 Lara Bizzack 05/22 Faith Ruehle 05/22 Logan Smith 05/23 Katelyn Morelock 05/24 Eric Lawlor 05/24 Samantha Hartnett 05/24 Lynette Fink 05/25 Ian Suppo 05/25 Wendi Duffill 05/25 J. D. Cellone 05/26 Peggy Walsh 05/26 Margaret Bolam 05/27 Rebecca Findley 05/28 Robert Montagna 05/29 Cindy Lamberti 05/29 Terri Berton 05/29 Henry Wilson 05/29 Sara Sunderlin 05/29 Jeff Wolstoncroft 05/31 Cara Duda Special Church Announcements for April Congratulations to Amanda Schulz Schwotzer and her husband Ryan on the birth of their daughter Brooke Emily on April 11, Colsen Miller, son of Laura and Scott Miller was baptized on April 15, On Friday April 20, 2018, Melissa Ayres and Stefan Ulik were united in holy matrimony. Congratulations to all the families! Musical Notes by John Henninger Pentecost is celebrated this year on May 20, Pentecost falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter and recognizes the gift of the Holy Spirit descent on the disciples. It also is named as the birthday of the church! You are encouraged to come and celebrate the Holy Spirit and the renewal it brings. Please wear something red to worship that day as well; red represents the fire of the Holy Spirit. This year, Music Ministry Sunday and the Reception of new members also happen on Pentecost Sunday. Plan on attend one of our 3 services (8:15 10:45 6:00 pm) to celebrate the life of the Church. Summer Music Summer is a great opportunity to feature singers and instrumentalists that might not ordinarily have a chance to offer their gifts of music in worship. If you would like to make a musical offering during worship this summer, or suggest somebody who might, be in touch with me. hennninger@bethanypresby.org or

5 Notes from Session PAGE Wilson Restoration has been hired to re-point the bricks in the Christian Education wing. The Evangelism Team wants you to know that you don t have to be able to preach on a street corner to be a part of the team. The team is in need of members who are creative and skilled in many other areas to help bring the message of the Good News of the Gospel to the world. Contact Jean Roemer, or one of the pastors, at evangelism@bethanypresby.org if you would like to a part of this vital ministry The Worship Team has brought back Acolytes to our 10:45am worship service. If you have a child who might like to be a part of this exciting opportunity to serve in worship, the team at worship@bethanypresby.org. The lower walls of the Great Room were repainted. Funding was provided by our Upward Ministry as a thank you to the church for your support during their 2018 season. Session requests the help of all membership in remembering to turn off lights and equipment around the church when you are finished with your events and/or leaving the building. UPCOMING MEETING SCHEDULE Special Session meeting for the purpose of receiving new members Sunday, May 6, 2018 Team meetings and Deacon meeting Monday, May 7, 2018 Session meeting Monday, May 21 News from the Stewardship Team: Introducing GIVE+ App and ed Church Statements Is there an app for that? Yes, there is! The Give + app lets you have the ability to give to Bethany directly from your smart phone! Give + is: Always open for giving. Give anytime, anywhere. Setup and manage recurring gifts. Pay for special church events. Safely and securely make donations using a debit/credit card or checking/savings account. The Stewardship team is also announcing the option of contribution statements for your quarterly giving statements. Forms will be in the bulletin in May to opt in to the program, or you can contact the finance office to request a form. You must complete a form to receive contribution statements. Please contact a member of your Stewardship Team or Kim in the Finance office if you have questions. With Deepest Sympathy Keep in your prayers the family of : Ed Danzinger, who passed away on April 3, 2018 Joe Perkins, who passed away on April 21, 2018 Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father s house are many mansions John 14 5

6 Upcoming Events Save the Dates! The Bethany Youth Group has a fundraiser at Moe's Restaurant on Monday, April 30 and Tuesday, May 1st. You can buy tickets on Youth Sunday, or call Judi Wolstoncroft, The Annual PW Rummage Sale is on Saturday May 5 from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Drop-off your items on May 1, 2, or 3rd from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM or Friday May 4th 8:00 AM-6:00 PM. If you have any questions, please call the church office. New Women s Starts on May 3rd at 7:00 PM and continues for 6 weeks. It is a Beth Moore Women s Study called Breath. We will be in Room 224. Please contact Sharon Salvini for more information or questions. Spring Clean-up for the Church is on May 12. We are starting at 8:00 AM! Come and help. The last Kid s Night Out of the school year will be on May 18th from 6-8 PM. Sign-ups will be on the Bethany website soon. Don t miss it! The Bethany Men will be having their annual retreat the weekend of May Please call Tom Hayes if interested in joining them. The last day of Bethany Preschool for the school year is on May 23rd. There are still some openings for next fall. Please call the church office for more details. The deacons will be hosting the Annual Hot Dog roast during the Memorial Day parade. Please see article below for more details. June and other Summer Events: PW Strawberries To Go will be on Sunday, June 3rd. The last Sunday School Classes will also be on Sunday, June 3rd. VBS is the week of June 18-22nd. See page 8 for more details. Worship in the Park and the Church Picnic will take place on August 26. Please look in upcoming bulletins and newsletters for more information. Memorial Day Events at Bethany For the 5th straight year the Bethany Board of Deacons are gearing up to serve our community at the Bridgeville Memorial Day parade with a new twist. On Monday May 28th, we are thrilled to partner with the Modern Service s praise band to provide Christian worship music before and after the parade. The grill will be fired up to provide hot dogs, and the coolers will be packed with water for this annual event. Come join us early or late to hear a part of what happens on Sunday at 6:00 PM inside the walls of Bethany and enjoy the company of our neighbors at this annual event. If you are interested in helping to serve the community please contact Bob Julius (rjulius7@gmail.com) or Tom Hayes (tleohayes@hotmail.com) to get connected with this fun ministry. The Deacon s will graciously accept donations of bottled water for this event. Please mark the water for Memorial Day and drop it off in the Bethany kitchen. T H E B E A C O N

7 News From the Living Waters Mission Team P A G E 7 Four members of the Bethany Living Waters Mission Team (Brian Bartels, Tim Nagy and Mike & Connie Segeleon) have just returned from Clean Water University, an intensive five day learning experience held by Living Waters for the World at the beautiful Hopewell Camp and Conference center in Oxford, Mississippi. Clean Water U is an extremely well organized, fast-paced training program with an experienced and well prepared training staff. Brian attended the Administrator sessions and learned the specifics of selecting, creating and sustaining a long term partnership with a water committee at an in-country organization. Connie attended the Educator sessions and learned the processes and tricks to teaching an in-country group on how to educate the community and the system operators about the importance and benefits of clean life sustaining water. Tim & Mike attended the Installation and Maintenance sessions to learn how the different water purification systems operate and how to teach in-country operators to assemble, maintain and sustain the water system during our multi-year partnership and long after we have moved on. The team had a very good experience and will soon meet with the rest of the Bethany committee to make plans to move into the next phase of this project. You can learn more about LivingWatersForTheWorld.org or ask any of these team members and they will be willing to share their new knowledge about the organization or any part of the project. Some LWW & CWU fast facts: ~ The goal of Living Waters is clean water for all God s Children. ~ LWW Partnerships have installed 910 water systems in 25 different countries. ~ This was the 59th session of Clean Water University, totaling 2268 graduates. ~ This CWU session was attended by 39 participants, including in-country Network Staff from Peru, Belize and Cuba. ~ This CWU faculty was made up of 9 Trainers (including one from Yucatan, Mexico) and 9 LWW Staff. This project is very large, multi-year undertaking for Bethany and will require many more than just the few people that will travel to the in-country locations! If you would like to be part of the Bethany Living Waters Mission Team we would love to have you join the team. the Mission team for more information at Mission@BethanyPresby.org Bridgeville Community Food Bank News: On April 21, the food bank served 103 families, which included 79 adults, 51 children and 68 elderly. Please support the upcoming Postal Carriers food drive on May 12th. Your postal carrier will be leaving a bag that you can fill and leave at your mailbox for pick up!

8 Bethany Presbyterian Church 740 Washington Avenue Bridgeville, PA Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Bridgeville, PA Permit #38 It s Coming: Vacation Bible School! Bethany Church will host Vacation Bible School the week of June 18-22nd. The doors will be open at 8:30 am, and a light breakfast will be available for those who need it. A fun, creative snack will be provided mid-morning. VBS ends at noon each day, and parents will need to pick up their children in designated rooms. This year s theme for VBS is Shipwrecked. Through Bible study, music, recreation, crafts, and even snacks, we will learn how Jesus helps us in the tough times of life. With joy, we will celebrate the goodness of our Savior. Our VBS classes will be available for Preschoolers (ages 3-4), up through kids who have completed 5th grade. We will also have a nursery group available for the children of VBS volunteers. We encourage parents to register their children online, beginning May 1st. You may also register in the Bethany Church Office. VBS is one of the highlights of the summer at Bethany Church. We hope to see you there! And by the way...we LOVE to have volunteers! If you can help us with childcare, craft time, music recreation, assisting a teacher in Bible class, or serving snacks, we would love to have you join our VBS team. You can make a note of what you could do, and when on our website or Facebook page.