Bethany Road Bethany Pr e sbyterian Church Serving God by Serving Others The Bethany Deacons offer a wonderful caring and compassionate ministry to members of our church family and beyond. One of the ways that makes the Deacon Ministry so successful is because people like you offer to help when needed. Would you please consider helping the Deacons in one of the ways listed below? If so, please fill out this form and place it in the offering plate Will occasionally provide a meal for someone in need. Provide a dessert for a Funeral Luncheon. Can help in the kitchen the day of the Funeral Luncheon. Volume April 2016, Issue Committee Meetings: Property April 5 at 6:30 p.m. Deacons April 6 at 6:30 p.m. Finance April 7 at 7:00 p.m. Christian Ed. April 12 at 7:00 p.m. Worship & Memorials April 12 at 7 p.m. Member Involvement April 12 at 7:00 p.m. SESSION April 28 at 7 p.m. Would like to help during Lenten Lunches. Inside this issue: Would like to offer to help at the Church Picnic. Prayer Ministry; Moms2Moms 2 Would like to help at the Thanksgiving Dinner. Would like to help with various receptions. Occasionally give someone a ride to church or to a doctor s appointment. Would like to Greet at the entrance door on a Sunday morning. Women s Retreat 3 Bethany Women 4 Christian Education 5 Christian Education 6 April Calendar 7 Name Phone Thank You!
From the Desk of Sue Allen No day must pass; though ever so busy a day, though ever so sorrowful a day, without praising God. God is every day blessing us, doing well for us; there is therefore a reason that we should be every day blessing Him, speaking well of Him. (Matthew Henry Commentary) As Matthew Henry states, as believers in God, we will do well to make a habit of praising God, no matter how life is going. For me, some days are wonderful and praising God comes easy. On other days, when life is hard and challenging, praise is more, much more, difficult because I can tend to see the circumstances bigger than God. On those days, I do what the writer of Hebrew states in chapter 13: 15: Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise the fruit of lips that praise His name. I ask God to help me see Him in the blessings that surround me; to see Him high and lifted up -larger than my circumstances, and to give me the lips of praise. Psalm 145 offers many ways and reasons to offer our praise to God. Praise God from day to day I will praise Your name for ever and ever Praise God from generation to generation We will share of God s mighty acts Praise God from need to need The Lord is faithful, loving, satisfying our souls Praise God from prayer to prayer He is near to all who call upon Him When we draw near to God and praise Him, we are never disappointed. Praising God with you, Sue Page 2 Being a mom is hard! Do you ever feel alone in this journey? Need refreshment during this busy season of life? Just need a little break from the kids? We will meet the second Tuesday morning of the month when we will have food, activities/crafts, and speakers on momfriendly topics with free babysitting. All moms of babies to elementary-age children in the community are welcome to attend with free adult babysitters for kids 0-5. Located at Bethany Church 100 W. Venango St., Mercer, PA between Pizza Joe s and the Post Office. Continuing this Tuesday, April 12th from 9:30-11:30 am Register online for yourself (and children, if applicable) at www.bethanymercer.org or find us on FaceBook. Please call or e-mail Teri Childers at 330-883-9085 or terichilders@hotmail.com for more information.
Page 3 WOMEN S SPR NG RETREAT Spiritual renewal, conversation with good friends, quiet time in a beautiful setting, no cooking, cleaning or preparing! Women, mark your calendars now for the up-coming women s retreat. We will be staying at the beautiful Villa Maria Retreat Center in Pulaski, PA, May 6 th and 7 th for 24 hours (a Saturday only option will also be available). Dr. Tammy Smith will be our featured guest speaker; she will be sharing Why We Do What We Do: Our Search for Significance. Tammy s goal for you is to become more aware of and equipped to live out God s special purpose for you! About Dr. Tammy Smith: A licensed professional counselor Holds her PhD in Psychology Did her graduate and undergraduate work in Counseling and Bible Has been ministering to clients for 23 years Husband is a pastor at Vista Community Church in Columbus, Ohio About Villa Maria Retreat Center in Pulaski, PA: Only 25 minutes from Mercer Air-conditioned accommodations include private rooms with a bathroom or the opportunity to share a room with either in-room bathrooms or community bathrooms. The price will be adjusted depending upon the option you choose. Linens and towels are provided, so no need to bring your own!! Buffet style meals will be provided: a hot breakfast and lunch on Saturday, along with delicious snacks. More detailed information is at the Welcome Center. Contact Debbie Latsko with questions at (724) 974-1623 or Cynthia Dembroski at (614) 495-7729
Page 4 My Ladies...Still on Our Lenten Plus Series Bethany Road We will continue our Bible Study which will be meeting on Tuesday, April 5 and Tuesday, April 19. We will meet in the rear of Carson Chapel at 10:00 with our Study concluding by 11:15 a.m. We will be looking at those who were (or those who should have been but were not) at the foot of the cross at Jesus crucifixion. Our base scriptural passage will be from the Gospel of Matthew with additional information from the other Gospels. Watch for your post cards and bulletin announcements for more details. This Bible Study is open to all widows. Sow the Seeds of Friendship...Bethany Women s Spring Brunch...April 30 On Saturday morning, April 30 at 10:00 a.m. in the Social Hall of the Church, the Bethany Presbyterian Women s group is sponsoring its Spring Brunch with a theme of, Sow the Seeds of Friendship. This promises to be a great time of fellowship, relaxation, a few fun games, really good food and an opportunity to win one of our wonderful gift baskets (which everyone has a chance to win.) Our menu includes assorted salads, a sandwich, and a delicious dessert. How much does it cost you can hardly believe it but it is absolutely free. There will be no collections this time, so it is really free! This fun-filled Brunch is open to all members and friends of Bethany and the community at large. Invite a friend! We do need to know how many will be in attendance; so please call the Church Office during regular hours (8:00-12:00 and 1:00-4:00) by Wednesday, April 27 and let us know the number attending. Fun and Fellowship Continues into Spring.... This month we will be meeting on Monday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m. in the Lindsey Room. This will be a relaxing evening of fellowship and refreshments. We will be creating our favors and making final plans for our Spring Brunch to be held on Saturday, April 30. This fun evening is open to all ladies. Why not join us? Suppor t a Community Event... The Mercer Area Chamber of Commerce (of which Bethany is a member) is sponsoring its annual spring event-- A Taste of Mercer County, to be held on Thursday, April 28 at the Mercer County Career Center (or for those of you who are a little older--vo. Tech--on the Greenville Road) from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. This event offers you a variety of delicious food and desserts provided by local businesses. You can graze from table to table, get your samples and then sit and enjoy your selections. Best of all, you can go back and get more of what you really like! You can enjoy seeing old friends and new ones in a leisurely atmosphere. Although tickets are available at the Chamber Office (located at 143 N. Diamond Street) or at the door the evening of the event, discounted tickets (for only $10) are available from Nancy Ollinger-Thiess. If you would want tickets, please call Nancy at 724 662-3986. Your ticket offers you all the samples you can eat on the premises, non-alcoholic beverages (tea, coffee, and bottled water). There will be a Chinese Auction for those who wish to participate. Excellent parking is available in the rear. Why not support the local community and have a great evening out?
Page 5 Bethany Road From the Desk of Mr. Nate, Monday-Friday, June 6-10 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Pre-School-6 th Grade This year s Vacation Bible School, we Diving into Noah s Flood and discovering why this is an important part of God s story in history. New this year, we will be having separate craft and Bible lesson sections for younger & older elementary to make smaller groups. If you are available to be a leader please register by going to www.answersvbs.com/vbs/bethanymercer or circle #4 on your Attendance Card. Totally Terrific Tuesdays continues April 5, 12, 19 for 1st & 2 nd grades. Our theme this session is Stories Jesus Told focusing on three of Jesus parables on loving your neighbor, forgiving others, and treasures. If you are able to volunteer or donate food items, please sign up using your bulletin insert. Explore Jr. Camp (3 rd -6 th graders) will have a special all day Independence Day celebration and then on Tuesday will play Bubble Soccer. Augie Hurst will be the camp speaker and John Scott Somora will be the program director for the week. Brochures are available at the Welcome Center and will be mailed home to those who do not attend Bethany regularly. Register by May 1 st for a discount! We are starting Small Groups for Jr. High (7th-9th grade) and Sr. High (10 th -12 th grade) Small Groups for guys and girls separately in April & May starting either April 3 or 10. Our topic of discussion is called "Bare Essentials" with discussions on Dealing with Temptation, How Far is "Too Far," Starting Over, and How to Give God Control. https://www.silverringthing.com/bareessentials.html The plan is to meet on Sunday evenings, but if this isn't the best time, we can meet whatever day is better. We are hoping to have it in someone's home each week to make it more welcoming and fun. Maybe a different place each week or same place all four weeks. If you are interested in being a part, please Circle #5 on your Attendance Card or contact Nate Childers at 724-974-9250 or nate@bethany-presbyterian.org.
Page 6 Mission Discovery Presents The Go Together Tour with special worship leaders and speaker. Sunday, April 24 from 6:00-7:30 pm at Lebanon Presbyterian Church Mark your calendars Silver Ring Thing at Grove City College Sunday, May 22 nd from 6-8 pm Cost is $5. Camp brochures are available at the Welcome Center and will be mailed home to those who do not attend Bethany regularly. Register by May 1 st for a discount! Emerge Middle School Camp will canoe one afternoon and there will be afternoon surprises the rest of the week. Your speaker for the week will be Andrew Scibbe from Crown Point, IN and Teri Childers not-so-little brother. Cynthia Dembroski will be your program director for the week and Doug & Carrie Schmid will be two of your counselors! Equip Staff (CIT s) will be leading games in the morning, helping out at meal times, along have High Ropes Course at Peek & Peak. New this year is the Afternoon Breakout Sessions which you will pick which topics after you register and Bubble Soccer with Jr. Campers on Tuesday. Engage Assistant Counselors (11 th & 12 th graders) will have the opportunity to serve with adult counselors in the cabins and play paintball with Pastor Peter for his (and possibly your) first time. You will also have your daily breakout focusing on life post-high school. Thank you to all of those who supported the Dessert Auction for our Class of 2016 Belize Mission Trip. We raised almost $1,800! We leave in almost two months!
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 3 9:00 Sunday School 10:15 Worship 6-8 Youth Groups 4 6:30 Cub Scouts 1 2 5-8 Marriage Seminar in the Social Room Page 7 Bethany Road 17 Communion 5 10:00 My Ladies 10 9:00 Sunday School 10:15 Worship 6-8 Youth Groups 8:15 Men s Breakfast 9:00 Sunday School 10:15 Worship 6-8 Youth Groups 24 9:00 Sunday School 10:15 Worship 6-8 Youth Groups 11 Mom2Mom Set Up 6:30 Cub Scouts 18 6:30 Cub Scouts 7:00 Fun & Fellowship 25 6:30 Cub Scout Pack Meeting in the Social Room April 2016 3-6 TTT 6:15 Children's Musical Practice 6:30 Property 12 9:30-11:30 Mom2Mom 3-6 TTT 6:15 Children s Musial Practice 7:00 W & M; Mem. Inv.; Christian Ed. 19 10:00 My Ladies 3-6 TTT 6:15 Children s Musical Practice 6:30 Cub Committee 26 6:15 Children s Musical Practice 6 8:00 Quilters 9:30 Moms In Prayer 6:30 Deacons 7:00 Choir 13 8:00 Quilters 6:30 Military Prayer 7:00 Choir 20 8:00 Quilters 9:30 Moms In Prayer 7:00 Choir 27 8:00 Quilters 7:00 Choir 7 7:00 District Scouts; Finance Committee 8 9 8:00 Rotary District Meeting in the Social Room from 8-2 5-8 Marriage Seminar in the Social Room 14 15 16 5-8 Marriage Seminar in the Social Room 21 22 23 5-8 Marriage Seminar in the Social Room 28 7:00 Session 29 5:00 Set Up for Women s Brunch 30 10-12 Women s Brunch 5-8 Marriage Seminar in the Social Room
Bethany Presbyterian Church 100 West Venango Street Mercer, PA 16137 Regular Office Hours Mon. Fri. 8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. (724) 662 4340 Prayer Chain: sueallen@bethanypresbyterian.org Fax: 724-662-1080 Web: www.bethany-presbyterian.org Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Mercer, PA 16137 PERMIT No. 39 We re here to Exalt, to Encourage, to Equip, to TO: Current Resident BETHANY MEN NEED A GIFT IDEA FOR A WONDERFUL WOMAN IN YOUR LIFE?! Give your wife, mother, sister, or adult daughter a gift to remember! A night away or a day committed to spiritual and personal renewal in a beautiful setting at Villa Maria Retreat Center in Pulaski, PA. Retreat dates are May 6 th and 7 th ; with the option either to spend the night or just a Saturday away (back in time to celebrate Mother s Day with the family!). For further details, see the announcement in this newsletter. Did you know there are over 2,350 verses in the Bible about money? Did you know that nearly half of Jesus parables are about possessions? The Bible is packed with wise counsel about your financial life. In fact, Jesus had more to say about money than about heaven and hell combined. Managing Our Finances God s Way is a seven-week, video-based, study that provides biblical financial management. The study will be led by Steve Amsler and is starting Sunday, April 3 at 9 am in the Manse. Please circle #2 on your Attendance Card if you are interested in attending.