The Beacon I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Malawi cont. 2 Malawi...Lives Transformed A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 Calendar 3 Birthdays 4 Church Picnic Session 5 Bible Study Help Wanted 6 Associate 7 Pastor Kids Night 8 Golden Oldies The service at Chiradzulu on July 23 was an event like none other I had seen: 650 chairs filled with worshippers in the sanctuary, with a hundred or so cramming into aisles or outside crowding around the windows. Forty to fifty pastors present, plus dignitaries from the church Synod and Presbytery. Ten young men and women to be ordained into ministry. Multiple choirs, presentation of gifts, including goats, roosters and turkeys. Talks given by a representative of the President of Malawi, by the Sr. Chief of the area, by church leaders, by Carl Suppo representing Bethany and Pittsburgh Presbytery. Sermon by Pastor John Hamilton with Abusa (Pastor) Joseph Moganga translating. The newly constructed Manse and greatly improved church building dedicated with a reverent and joyful processional to the front door of each building. All of this topped off with a meal for everyone!
P A G E 2 Malawi...Lives Transformed cont. It was a major event for the church, the region and the Blantyre Synod of the Church of Central Africa. Oh yes...and for Bethany Presbyterian Church. Through your prayers and giving, worship and support, God is transforming lives...in Bridgeville and the South Hills of Pittsburgh...and in places like the Chiradzulu Church and parish in Malawi. Remember those three-hundred prayer crosses we handed out to prompt your prayers? They worked! Or more accurately, God worked. Ambuye alemekezeke! Praise God for the prayers and giving of Bethany, the vision and hard work and sacrifice of the Abusa Joseph and Chiradzulu, and the support and leadership of the partnership teams of the Blantyre Synod and Pittsburgh Presbytery. God is making a difference through you, through us. Mulungu akudalitseni God bless you, John Hamilton Thank you so much for the cards and notes in recognition of the 40th anniversary of my coordination to ministry. I will value each word, each expression of your love and gratitude.
P A G E 3 AUGUST 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 mtg 2 10:00 AM Fellowship of Prayer 7:00 PM Boy Scouts (board of review only) 7:00 PM SHIM Lunch Prep 3 4 5 6 Mission Trip 8:15 AM Worship 10:00 AM Worship 6:00 PM Worship 7 6:15 PM PW Body Carpenter Workout 7:00 PM Deacon Meeting 8 9 10 Mission Trip 11 12:00 PM Men's Friday Lunch 12 9:00 AM PW Bible study 11:00 AM Saturday 13 8:15 AM Worship 10:00 AM Worship 6:00 PM Worship 14 6:15 PM PW Body Carpenter Workout 7:00 PM Session Meeting 15 16 17 12:00 PM Golden Oldies Luncheon 18 19 7:30 AM Food Bank 20 Church Picnic 8:15 AM Worship 10:00 AM Worship in the Park 21 6:15 PM PW Body Carpenter Workout 22 23 7:00 PM Boy Scouts 24 25 12:00 PM Men's Friday Lunch 26 9:00 AM PW Bible study 11:00 AM Saturday 27 8:15 AM Worship 10:00 AM Worship 6:00 PM Worship 28 6:15 PM PW Body Carpenter Workout 29 7:00 PM PW - Flower Bingo 30 7:00 PM Boy Scouts 31
August Birthdays Happy Birthday! 08/01 Tyler De Rose 08/01 Cheryl Harold 08/01 Carol Willhite 08/01 Case Martinec 08/01 Celina Farabaugh 08/01 James Cawley 08/02 Stefani Jazudek 08/03 Daine Lower 08/03 Robert Butt 08/03 Ryan Doyle 08/03 Susan Radzik 08/03 Joseph Patterson 08/03 Lynn Underwood 08/03 Samantha Saracco 08/03 John Wolstoncroft 08/04 Donna Slack 08/04 Tricia Gibson 08/04 Austin Abel 08/05 Melissa Ayres 08/05 Brian Eater 08/05 Bill Ramous 08/05 Matthew Heasley 08/05 Charles Wilson 08/06 Kimberly McAuley 08/06 Randi Shelton 08/06 Amy Ryan 08/06 Jennifer Jenkins 08/06 Delphine Prohaska 08/06 Brady Gullo 08/07 Rylie Mendenhall 08/07 Frankie Palombi 08/07 Jaymi Neely 08/07 Arnold McAuley 08/08 Laurie Steedle-Sysak 08/08 Alexandra Findley 08/08 Jeffrey Miklavic 08/08 Dawn Starr Lytle 08/09 Jonathan Henderson 08/09 Melinda Schweitzer 08/09 Teresa Dunn 08/09 Veva Tessmer 08/10 Elizabeth Suppo 08/10 Shawn Zwigart 08/10 Margaret Nicholson 08/10 Shawn Arlet 08/11 Harriet McCray 08/11 Mark Wolstoncroft 08/11 Bettina Beattie 08/11 James Goerdt 08/12 Emily Henderson 08/12 Tyler Carnahan 08/12 Finley Arlet 08/12 Leah Wallis 08/12 Marley Lynn Arlet 08/12 Stephanie Saracco 08/13 Sarah Smith 08/13 Gregory Price 08/13 Brittany Poglein 08/14 Joseph Del Conte 08/14 Robert Fulton 08/15 Luke Bizzack 08/15 Randall Shaffer 08/15 Joseph DePaoli 08/16 Ashley Vollmer 08/16 Carson DeRoss 08/16 Jacob Kundra 08/16 Erynn Barish 08/16 Sara Escobio 08/17 Darcy Julius 08/17 Bradley Miller 08/17 Rebecca Price 08/17 Joshua Naples 08/18 Jerod Witwicki 08/19 Barbara Druchniak 08/19 Colin Barbish 08/19 Debra Poglein 08/19 Lou Nowasielski 08/20 Audrey Clarke 08/20 Nicole Casciola 08/20 Cathy Fink 08/22/ Sylbia Kunst 08/22 Ashley McAuley 08/22 Michael Shildt 08/22 Mary Beth Hampson 08/22 Ian Hunter 08/23 Sandra Miklavic 08/24 Jordan Underwood 08/24 Ava Martinec 08/24 Sophia Martinec 08/24 Molly Mazzanni 08/25 Mackenzie Smith 08/25 Patricia Black 08/25 Lily Duffill 08/26 Benjamin Doyle 08/26 Eric Millerschoen 08/26 Harper Crabb 08/27 Amber Williams 08/27 Stanley Underwood 08/27 William Gray 08/28 Kathryn Martinec 08/29 Ralph Wolstoncroft 08/29 Virginia Millerschoen 08/30 Colleen Veneski 08/30 Patrick Harding 08/31 Rebecca Scalise 08/31 Noah Sommerfield 08/31 Tracey De Rose 08/31 Dorothy Smith WORSHIP IN THE PARK AND CHURCH PICNIC ON AUGUST 20TH AT 10:00 AM! Please join your church family on Sunday, August 20th for Worship in the Park followed by the annual church picnic. Worship starts at 10:00 AM at Chartiers Park in Bridgeville. Music will be provided by the Bethany Praise Band. (please note the 8:15 service is at Bethany Church and there is not a 6:00 PM service that day) The church picnic will begin shortly after worship with a Games through the Decades theme. Please look in your bulletins for your food assignments. Come and have some fun with twister, Frisbees, water balloons, corn hole, horse shoes, etc. Please bring your lawn chairs! All are welcome!
P A G E 5 With Deepest Sympathy Keep in your prayers: Marilyn Waldman, mother of Laura Edwards, who died on July 3, 2017. Notes from Session... Exciting changes are coming to our Welcome Center, including a new and improved area for our coffee service! Construction will begin in a few weeks. The August Session meeting will be held on Monday, August 14 th. If you haven t had a chance yet to write a note or email to Rev. John Hamilton in celebration of the 40 th Anniversary of his ordination, and would like to do so, it is not too late. Snail mail can be sent at your convenience and the email address (kindwishes@bethanypresby.org) will remain active and open as well. HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW OUR CHURCH? How many of you have sat in church and tried to count the number of organ pipes? Be honest, most of us have done it, but do you know the correct answer? Let s have some fun and see how well we really know our church. 1. How many bathrooms do we have? 2. How many stained glass windows are in the church? 3. How many refrigerators are in the church? 4. What is the square footage of our building? 5. How many bells are in the bell tower? 6. How many pews are in the sanctuary? 7. How many floors does the elevator stop on? 8. How many water fountains do we have? 9. How many ramps can you find in and around the church? 10. How many outlets can you find on the floor in the sanctuary? 11. And finally, how many organ pipes do we have in the front of the sanctuary? The answers to these questions will be available at the church picnic on August 20 th and in the September newsletter. FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS. Okay, women of Bethany (of all ages!) you asked, and we have paid attention. Starting the second week of September we will offer an in-depth Bible study on the book of ESTHER (subtitle: IT S HARD BEING A WOMAN). One class will be held on Thursday evening at 7:00pm. Another class will be held on Friday morning at 9:30 am. ESTHER gives us a great story of threat and deliverance. Her life speaks clearly to any woman who has ever felt inadequate, threatened, or pushed into situations that seem overpowering. This book from our Old Testament contains treasures to aid us in our hurried, harried and pressured lives. Think about it. This might be just the right Bible study for you for such a time as this. Any questions? Speak to Pastor Melany, the facilitator for the ESTHER studies.
P A G E 6 Help Wanted... No experience necessary. Only a love of Christ required. All positions offer a full guarantee of smiles and fun. The time commitment is minimal but the rewards are eternal! And, the application process is easy too just contact the church office or one of the Pastors or Elders. 1. WORSHIP USHERS Our Worship Ushers are on duty to pass out bulletins, help people find seats, collect the offering and pew pads and any other service-related tasks that come up. Positions are available for all three services. Time requirement is 15 minutes prior to the beginning of worship through the collection time, and for a few minutes after the service to put the pew pads back into the pews. This is a great opportunity for children to be involved and help too -- families are encouraged to apply! We can accommodate your busy schedule with as many or as few Sundays as you would be able to help. Please email worship@bethanypresby.org for more information. 2. FELLOWSHIP GREETERS Do you enjoy saying Hello to people? Do you find it fun to make people smile? Our Fellowship Greeters are waiting to welcome people to church as they enter the church building, or at the doors entering into the Welcome Center. Time commitment only for the 10 to 15 minutes prior to worship. Please email evangelism@bethanypresby.org for more information. 3. GOOD NEWS GREETERS After our worship services, our Good News Greeters seek out visitors, to welcome them to Bethany and to provide any assistance they might need. This is often our "First Contact with visitors and we feel it is very important to show the warmth and general welcoming nature of our congregation. If you have helped with this ministry in the past, or if you are looking for a new opportunity to serve, we want to hear from you. Please email membership@bethanypresby.org for more information. 4. HELPING HANDS TEAM MEMBER Our Helping Hands ministry offers assistance to church members with small indoor household and outdoor projects. Some of our recent projects have been preparation of meals, painting, yard work and cleaning. Perfect for the person who doesn t want to be part of a long-term, ongoing project or committee -- just help when you can! Please email mission@bethanypresby.org for more information. 5. NURSERY WORKERS If you like holding babies, we have a job for you! We need adults to help in our nursery for all the worship services, as well as for special events and other church activities. Won t you please consider giving some of your time so that our young parents can have time to worship our Lord and enjoy some Christian fellowship? 6. CHOIR MEMBER Do you sing along when your favorite song comes on the radio? Couldn t it be wonderful to have the opportunity to sing for the Lord while helping others lift their hearts in song during worship? What an amazing blessing you could be to our congregation! All singers, in every voice part, are needed and encouraged to join our choir. Rehearsals begin in September and are held on Wednesday evenings. Email henninger@bethanypresby.org for more information. 7. STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN AND TEAM MEMBER Stewardship is how we use our God-given gifts; it is how we use our talents, our time, and our treasure. Bethany is seeking people to help us to grow and manage all of the gifts God has bestowed on us. You don t have to be a number counter to be on the Stewardship team, just someone who counts on the Lord. Please consider using your talents and time as a member of our Stewardship team. For more information, email stewardship@bethanypresby.org. NOT SURE WHAT YOU WANT TO HELP WITH AT THE CHURCH AND NONE OF THE OTHER 7 VOLUNTEER AREAS LISTED ABOVE SEEM APPEALING TO YOU?? We have just the answer. The vast responsibilities of our Discipleship Team require diverse help and a multitude of skills and talents. This is the one place you are guaranteed to find exactly the right fit. From being a team member who helps us to develop programs and policies, to being a volunteer who cleans up the kitchen after a VBS snack, the possibilities are endless of how you can be helping and..we NEED YOUR HELP!! Please email our Discipleship Team at discipleship@bethanypresby.org ---- Tell us how much time you might be able to give, and perhaps some things that you enjoy doing, and let us help you find a place to serve.
P A G E 7 From Pastor Melany I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 So, how is your abiding these days? Even in the midst of summer, have you stayed close to Jesus? Even as I ask the questions, I know that many of you have been abiding, staying close to Jesus. I have seen it in those who faithfully worship Christ, and make time to be a part of Bible studies, and your dedicated service in the missions that are right on our doorstep, or in our region, or a county or two away, or a state away, or nations away. You have nourished your faith, encouraged others, and reached out to those Jesus loves the least of these my brethren. You have brought hope, joy, and love to many others and I trust that you have experienced that for yourself. With Vacation Bible School, Junior and Senior high mission trips, and Worship and Wonder each Sunday morning, we have done our best to help children and youth learn now to abide in Jesus, and serve Jesus. We will continue that as school approaches and vacations end. We will have Sunday evening gatherings for Junior High and Senior High youth groups. We will have Sunday School classes each Sunday morning.for three year olds through high school seniors. Again we will provide Confirmation classes, and retreats during the year. A new and delightful program for kids in kindergarten through 5 th grade is in the works. It will start in mid-september. Keep watch for details as they appear on the church website and in the worship bulletins each Sunday. We witness to our children and youth every time they see adults active in a class, small group, and Bible study. Men s and Women s groups will continue. Adult Bible studies in Sunday School and Mid-week will be ready to go in September. Again, watch for the details. All of us, whatever our ages, must abide in the vine stay close to Jesus our Savior. Apart from Him we can do nothing. No mission. No ministry. No progress and growth in our personal life. We have to abide in the Vine. When we do that, we will be blessed to see the amazing fruit brought forth by the Holy Spirit. God bless you all! Melany Hamilton Interim Associate Pastor PS: Many, many thanks for the encouragement, patience, and help you gave to me while John was away in Malawi. You are wonderful people! Pastor
SAVE THE DATE!!!! Starting Friday night, September 15 KIDS NIGHT OUT! An uplifting and action-packed ministry for kids in kindergarten through 5th grade, on the third Friday night each month. We will gather downstairs at the church from 6:00pm until 8:00pm. We will enjoy kidfriendly meals, a Bible and devotional time, a time to choose between organized sport play or top notch arts and crafts, and a cool down time for concessions and a Christian movie. There is NO COST for this ministry. We do need registrations, so that we can have the appropriate amount of food and other supplies. Please pay attention to upcoming announcements in the church bulletins and on the website for information on registration. Bethany Golden Oldies will gather on Thursday, August 17 at noon in Fellowship Hall for pizza, salad and a special summer dessert. The August 10 trip to Pittsburgh is cancelled because of low interest in this adventure. The September 26-27 train trip to Elkins is now filled. All trip reservations must be paid in full by August 17. Have fun, stay cool, and be healthy. Www.bethanypresby.org Bethany Presbyterian Church 740 Washington Avenue Bridgeville, PA 15017 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Bridgeville, PA 15017 Permit #38