Welcome! REACH, GROW, SERVE A community caring for all God s people, being transformed by Christ's love, serving others as a witness of God s grace and peace. www.bethesdamc.org December 2, 2018 Donated by Doug & Karen Tessman Doug & Karen Tessman Nate & Amie Friesen & Family Stan & Cindy Friesen & Family Lavina Quiring & Family Don & Chery Siebert Elva Janzen & Family Elvera Epp & Family Elmer Friesen Family Shirley Buller & Family Byron & Teresa Friesen & Family Carey & Jan Friesen & Family Lowell & Shannon Siebert & Family Cindy Huebert & Family Carol Ott & Family Berdine Buller & Family John & Adeline Huebert Corbin, Lisa, Mariah, Hallie & Waylon Tessman Inez Epp & Family Ardith Epp & Family Phil & Melissa Goertzen & Family Paul & Audrey Janzen Marie Janzen & Family Elroy & Carrie Bergen Myron & Arlyce Friesen & Family Poinsettia Donations In Memory of Olene Tessman Gary Joyce Cora Kay Friesen Alvin & Viola Friesen David Quiring Shane Siebert Walt Janzen, Gary Janzen Willis Epp Bertha Friesen Don Buller Effie Kroeker Lauren Huebert Ron Ott Lee Buller Lynn Huebert Olene Tessman Owen Epp Darrell Epp Lynn Huebert Our Loved Ones Maurice Janzen Henry M. & Bertha Bergen John A. & Elisabeth Peters Darrell Epp, Ken Bergen, Kermit D. Peters, Betty A. Regier, Cora K. Friesen Virgil Erb, Beverly Friesen Thank you to all who donated poinsettias for the sanctuary!
SUNDAY (12/2) First Sunday of Advent 8:45 a.m. Deacon Prayer Time 9:30 a.m. Worship 10:40 a.m. Sunday School 5:45 p.m. Soup Supper/Gospel of John Bible Study TUESDAY (12/4) 8:30 a.m. Staff Meeting 7:00 p.m. Bethesda Women s Ministries 8:00 p.m. Preschool Committee this week WEDNESDAY (12/5) 12:00 p.m. Bulletin Announcements Due 6:30 p.m. CORNERSTONE Boys (Meet in church parking lot.) 6:30 p.m. CORNERSTONE Girls (Jan Friesen s Home) 7:00 p.m. Powerhouse 7:00 p.m. Adult Bible Study 8:00 p.m. Chancel Choir SATURDAY (12/8) 9:30-11:30 p.m. Children s Christmas Program Dress Rehearsal NOTE CHANGE OF TIME! NEXT SUNDAY (12/9) Second Sunday of Advent Advent Candle Lighter: Riann Goossen Message: Pastor Jim Voth Offering: Local Church 9:30 a.m. Pianist: Marilyn Kroeker Music: Powerhouse Parent Child Dedication Deacon Vote 6:30 p.m. Preschool/Sunday School Christmas Program Bethesda now offers the option of Online Giving. To donate securely online, visit www.bethesdamc.org and click GIVE. More information about upcoming events and other news can be found online at www.bethesdamc.org.
Please pray for those with health concerns, grief or family needs. Prayer Requests Caleb Friesen (son of Rick/Brittany Friesen) Yohei Epp Doris Kroeker Lavonne Friesen Abe Buller church family Advent Sunday School Class Put away your hectic Christmas to-do list and pick up some moments of peace. Join an Advent Sunday School class on the first four Sundays of December (December 2, 9, 16 and 23) in the Powerhouse room. This is a busy season, so you do not need to commit to all four Sundays. This will be a time for a short devotional from the book Because of Bethlehem by Max Lucado, Christmas music, Christmas cookies and coffee. There will be coordinating coloring pages provided or time for Bible journaling as we relax and focus on God s gift of Jesus. Books are not required but can be purchased from the Faith and Life Bookstore and will be available at their booth at the Christmas Market (see insert). All are welcome! Congregational Meeting The following individuals were nominated for deacon: Arlin Hiebner and Kara Janzen. The final vote will be held Sunday, December 9. Absentee ballots are available in the church office. Bethesda Bible Series: The Gospel According to John The Gospel According to John Bible Series with Pastor Seth Miller will continue this evening, Sunday, December 2, with a soup supper at 5:45 p.m. and study from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. This extensive study will help us as a congregation dive deeply into this life-changing gospel. Child care will be available. Online links for previous sessions may be accessed by going to www.bethesdamc.org. On the Home page, scroll down and click the Bethesda Faith Formation Link. Birth Congratulations to Justin and Lindsey Makovicka of Aurora on the birth of a son, Archer Irvin, on Sunday, November 25. Brother Oliver welcomed
him home. Local grandparents are Don and Karen Mierau and great grandmother is Martha Hiebner. God s blessings on this family! Thank You Dear Bethesda Church, I want to thank everyone for contributing money to help get me a new van. I deeply appreciate it. God bless you all. With all our love from our family, Cynthia Bell. MCC Meat Canning Thank you to all those who helped with meat canning in Newton this year. It was a success! MCC has sent us information about Bethesda s share of the costs. Approximately $12,000 is still needed in donations. Please write your checks to Bethesda and note MCC Canner in the memo line. Thank you for your support of this vital ministry of food to those in need. Brent Swartzendruber Parent Child Dedication If you would like to have your child dedicated, please contact the church office. Parent Child Dedication will be held during the worship service, Sunday, December 9. The K-6 th Sunday school children will present the Christmas musical Crazy, Busy, Peaceful, Holy Night on Sunday, December 9 at 6:30 p.m. The final dress rehearsal will be Saturday, December 8 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the sanctuary (please note the time change). A cookie social is planned to follow the musical. We are asking each family to bring two dozen cookies to the church kitchen by 3:00 p.m. Bethesda Women s Ministries Birthday Celebration If you have a birthday in November or December, you are invited to the home of Arlyce Friesen (1250 10 th Street, Henderson) on Monday, December 10, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. Please sign up on the east bulletin board. Hope to see you there! The Christmas Eve Pageant cast will be rehearing on Saturday, December 22 at 10:00 a.m. The script will be given out shortly. Please let Bev Quiring (402-723-4637 or quiring@mainstaycomm.net) or Laura Steingard (402-723-4536 or dlsteingard@mainstaycomm.net) know if you will be able to attend rehearsal or not.
Angel Tree Angel Tree is a program of Prison Fellowship that serves incarcerated parents by providing a pathway for strengthening and restoring relationships with their children and families. It is a unique program that gives our church the opportunity to share Christ s love. The Angel Tree will be set up in the Fellowship Hall with name tags of children/family members and Christmas gift suggestions. Grab a tag (or two or three!) and make a difference in the lives of children whose parents are incarcerated. If you have questions, please contact Connie Bechtel at 402-723-5250 or 402-366-9973. across the street & around the world Swan Lake Christian Camp 2019 Winter Retreats are just around the corner. Make plans now to attend! Family Camp is February 8-10. Families with children, grandparents, singles and young married couples are invited to attend this fun-filled weekend. Youth retreats are as follows: January 18-20, 2019: 5 th -6 th Grade Retreat January 25-27, 2019: Junior High Retreat February 1-3, 2019: Senior High Retreat Sign up online at www.myslcc.com. The Mennonite Subscription As a ministry of outreach, Bethesda provides a subscription to The Mennonite magazine as a gift from the church. (The subscriptions are paid for from the MC USA offering.) It is time to renew our group subscription. If you do not receive The Mennonite and would like to start receiving it please contact the church office by December 13, 2018. (The same deadline applies to anyone wishing to discontinue their subscription.) The Mennonite magazine provides a forum to promote the ministries within Mennonite Church USA to help improve spiritual growth. It seeks to fulfill its mission through articles that challenge and inspire, and news that connects readers to the larger Mennonite community and the world.
financials Worship Offering Sunday, November 25, 2018 Bethesda Canner Project... $200.00 Bethesda General Operating Receipts... $2,217.00 Total Worship Offering... $2,417.00 Thanksgiving Offering November 22, 2018 Mennonite Church USA... $1,420.00 Central Plains Mennonite Conference... $1,008.84 Swan Lake Christian Camp... $500.00 AMBS... $500.00 Bethel College... $500.00 Dayspring Ministries... $1,000.00 Grace Children s Home... $500.00 Henderson Child Development Center... $500.00 Ashland Fellowship... $200.00 Bethesda MCC Canner Project... $8,483.84 Benevolent Fund... $100.00 Facility Renovation Fund... $1,000.00 Backpack Project... $100.00 Radio Broadcast... $150.00 Preschool Support... $500.00 General Operating Receipts... $44,793.84 Total Thanksgiving Offering... $61,256.52 Bethesda Operating Fund January 1 November 30, 2018 (91.66% of year) 2018 Approved Annual Operating Budget... $633,856.00 Bethesda Income... $470,664.00 (We have received 74.25% of our Approved Budget.) Operating Expenses... $530,763.00 (We have spent 83.74% of our Approved Budget.) Year to Date Income minus Expenses... $(60,099.00) Expected December Expenses... $(42,000.00) Total Needed for 2018... $(102,098.62)
youth For junior high and high school calendars visit the Bethesda Faith Formation page at www.bmcfaithformation.com. Preschool-Grade 6 Parents/Youth: Check out this month s Shalom Book of the Month at http://www.bmcfaithformation.com/shalom-readersclub.html. You will find a video retelling of the story and pictures of Shalom projects. We also have new Shalom books available in the library! Powerhouse will meet Wednesday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m. to prepare for leading worship Sunday, December 9. Bring your Bibles. CORNERSTONE girls are invited to a Christmas party at Jan Friesen s home (820 South 15th Street, Henderson, 402-723-4260) Wednesday, December 5 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Bring a dozen cookies for a cookie exchange, your Bibles and journaling supplies. CORNERSTONE boys will meet Wednesday, December 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the church parking lot to go bowling. Please bring money for bowling and food. Kids will be dropped off at their homes. If you have any questions, please give Corbin Tessman a call. Junior high parents and grandparents ask your youth this week what the purpose for the book of John is. At CORNERSTONE last week we practiced hand motions to help us remember why we are studying this book this year! If they need a little prompting check out John 20:31 for the answer. All high school youth are invited, following worship today, to continue our conversation around the Gospel of Mark 14:26-72. Catechism will join Sunday School today. During Advent, we will continue our study of the final chapters of Mark as we look at the Easter story alongside the Christmas story to remember Jesus is both the Son of God and Savior of the World.
fundraisers Fresh Greenery Pick Up: Orders from youth can be picked up by contacting the youth. Orders from the Coffee Spot can be picked up in the flower cooler in the Powerhouse room. Be sure to mark off your name and give any payments due to the office. Christmas Market: Thank you to all who volunteered, donated, and participated in the Christmas Market this weekend. Not only was it a great fundraiser for the youth, but it brought together community members and provided local and fair-trade Christmas gifts. We are grateful for the ways this experience enriched, encouraged and spiritually nourished those involved. A special thank you to Christa Janzen and Tammy L. Ott for coordinating this event. We will be cleaning up the Fellowship Hall to prepare for tonight s Bible study following Sunday School, and welcome volunteers to help move tables, chairs and carry boxes.
First Tuesday Gathering December 4, 2018 @ 7:00 p.m. Lesson: Live by Margie Siebert Feature: What we have learned in 2018 through the study of Live Your Call.
message notes: Luke 21:25-36