Bethel Methodist Church

Special Events

Download the December issue right here, right now!

Bethel Friends & Family Fellowship Dinners
Dinners are on the third and fourth Wed. nights, 6-7pm.

We have three Wednesday Fellowship Meals.

The 3rd Wednesday Feb 15– Fishes and Loaves Meal (Covered dish supper) no cost for this meal; any donations will go to cover utensils, plates, napkins, etc.
The 4th Wednesday Feb 22 – Hosted by the Christian Fellowship Sunday School Class, $5/person, $20/family cap.

Bethel's Weekly Communal Prayer

Please join us, from your home, every Wednesday morning at 7:00 a.m. as we lift to God prayers for our Bethel Church Family.

Pray for God’s favor on our church as we move forward to attain our long-range goals.
Pray for our continued faithfulness to be able to reach our goals.
Finally, Pray that God will bear much fruit through Bethel as we grow forward and strive to accomplish our long range goals.

Mission 2012 Update

Please read about our upcoming trip to Honduras in 2012 and the new project we are embarking on along with other mission opportunities. Pray about joining us.

Financial Peace University is coming to Bethel
We would like to offer you the opportunity to participate in Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. If you are interested in learning to manage your finances in a more biblical way that will give your family a sense of peace, please sign up in the Narthex of either the Chapel or the Worship Center. In the 13 lessons you will learn how to Beat Debt, Build Wealth, Find Bargains and Invest for the Future. Class dates and time have not been set at this time.

Women and Men's Ministries

We encourage all the ladies and men of the church to consider getting involved this year in one of our two United Methodist Women (UMW) Circles and our Men's Ministry. These small groups allow for some great fellowship, meaningful service in missions, and an expansion of spiritual growth among women.

There are many opportunities for men and women to meet together. This group is a chance for women to gather and discuss mission possibilities and grow with each other. And, as any of these women will tell you, they also have a whole lot of fun in the process!

Something for every woman and man in the church... United Methodist Women and United Methodist Men Ministries are about missions and creating strong Christ-centered relationships among the men and women of the United Methodist Church, and strong relationships with others involved with or benefiting from missions. Come and see what we're all about.

(UMW) Katie Nep Circle – Feb. 11, 3pm
Katie Nep Circle welcomes all ladies to their monthly meeting. The meeting will be at the Worship Center Conference Room. Join this circle for a time of mission oriented fun and study. All ladies of the church are invited.

(UMW) JOY Circle Meeting – Feb. 16, 7pm
All ladies at Bethel (and any friends) are invited!
Bring a dish and join us at 7pm for a light meal in the Fellowship Hall and a joyful time of sharing in mission, service, and prayer. Bring a side dish if you can, but don't let that keep you from coming! We always have enough!

United Methodist Men – Feb. 18, 8am
Regular Breakfast Meeting, 8am. Breakfast, Fun, Fellowship, and devotional study. All men of the church are encouraged to come!

Lunch Bunch
Ladies, please join us! We meet at the church around 11:00 am every 2nd & 4th Tuesday of the month. You are welcome to come eat and fellowship with us!

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY:
Do you enjoy working with children? Are you looking for a way to serve? Then become part of an exciting year for our Children’s Ministry.

Kids on Sunday Nights
Go BeYond: yourself, your church, your community, the Sunday evening program starts at 5pm with a light meal followed by worship, fun, and fellowship. Please share with children in your neighborhood and in your family that this is a time of food, fun, and fellowship. Children in grades pre-K through grade 5 are always welcome. Dinner is served at each evening meeting.

Our kids program (follows the school vacation schedule) from 5-7pm. Kids from grades preschool through 5th have a chance to meet every Sunday evening from 5-7pm for drama, music, food, fun, and the word of God. This programs follows the Henry School calendar.

Why Sunday School?

Here are 5 of the 10 reasons to BRING your child to Sunday School, according to www.ministry-for-children.com
1. Praying Teachers: Our staff and volunteers consistently pray for your child's faith to grow. Coming to Sunday School gives another occasion for God to answer those requests.
2. Big Reward For a Small Investment: If you're already coming to church, just come a little earlier. That one change will equal over 800 hours of additional Christian teaching before your child graduates.
3. Send the Right Message: Making Sunday School a priority shows your kids that God's Word really does matter more than bedtime.
4. Adult Bible Fellowship: While the children enjoy their class, you can fellowship with other adults in your own Bible study group.
5. You'll Be On Time: Families who come to Sunday School always get to worship on time. It's the easiest way to avoid being late.
So BRING your children, grandchildren, neighbors to Sunday School at 9:45am in the fellowship hall. We are serious about preparing our children to be disciples of Jesus!

YOUTH - Our youth site should be up and running soon. Meanwhile, get connected by getting on their email list and plugging in to the great opportunities for fun and growth. For additional information please see the church web site at http://www.bethel-umc.com and the youth web site at http://youth.bethel-umc.com.

PARENTS: Check out the Parent Page on the Youth Web (http://youth.bethel-umc.com) site!! The Parent Page will contain articles and or information specifically for parents of teenagers.

Bethel Student Ministries kicked off the school year at Sunday Night Live. Please join us for student led Worship, a message, and food/fellowship. This semester our theme will be Wit-ness, where we will spend time looking deeper into being a living witness for God and what that looks like our daily lives.

We can always use adult help! If you would be interested in learning about the opportunities and the ways you can help please contact Justin at justin@bethel-umc.com or by phone at 828-342-7926. Also if you know of any youth (middle school through high school), please inform them of our events and also send Justin their contact information so he will be able to contact them.

Sunday Night Live: 5 – 7pm

YOUNG ADULT / COLLEGE MINISTRY:

Keeping in Touch…We want to keep in touch with all of you! If you are away pursuing knowledge at a college campus, please email us (Pam Gay) your new address and contact information!

Calling all college students! Your Bethel family will be lifting up special prayers for you during "back to school" time. Please send and email to stgpsg@bellsouth.net keeping us updated with your email address, snail mail address, and phone number so we can communicate this school year. We also want to pray specifically for divine intervention as you find yourself in struggling situations. We'll look forward to seeing you in worship as often as possible!

Watch the newsletter and/or the Bethel & Beyond Facebook Page for updates for more activities to come.

Adults...Do you have a heart for encouraging college students? If you'd like to be a part of this outreach & support program, please contact Pam Gay at 770-474-5472 or by email

How Can You Help? Where Can You Help?

Sign up to be a part of the Intercessory Prayer Group
A new prayer group is forming, more info to come. Contact the church office for more information about this 770-474-2570 or email.

Sign up to be a Communion Steward
We are looking for people to volunteer to be communion stewards for 2011. This would entail being available to serve communion during worship services and also being available to take and serve communion to our home bound members. Those preparing the communion elements will continue as normal. Contact the church office for more information about this 770-474-2570 or email.

Abigail's Pantry
There are many people in our community using Abigail’s Pantry. Donations of food are always needed and welcomed. There is also another need and opportunity to help with Abigail’s Pantry. We would like to have volunteers to cover set hours of the day to be here to assist people who come in that are in need of help from Abigail’s Pantry.

This would involve a volunteer during a couple of hours on Tuesday through Thursday. It would be during normal office hours. Normal office hours are 9:00 to 2:00 Monday through Thurs. The volunteer would not only help individuals who need assistance with the pantry, but also help answer the phones. This would help the administra-tive assistant to be more effec-tive in day to day operations, as well as provide a safer work environment. If interested contact Pastor Lavell at the church office. 770-474-4906.

As we enter into the season of outdoor fun, we should remember that while we are having holiday Barbeques, there are many who won’t have these same op-portunities. Did you know that as the school year comes to an end there are many children who will lose their only opportunity to have at least two meals a day. This is why we are so grateful for your continued faithfulness to this ministry.

Abigail's Pantry Item Requests
Last month we were able to help 78 people. This month 36 families with a total of 172 family members have been helped with food. Please keep these families in your prayers. Below is a list of food items that Abigail’s Pantry tends to run low on. If you can pick up an item or two from this list periodically, we will stay stocked and ready for God to touch our community.

Food items: Peanut Butter, Jelly, Spaghetti Sauce, Mac n’ Cheese, Canned Fruit, Green Beans, Cereal (hot/cold), Dry Milk, Salt/Pepper, Canned Soup, Canned Meat, Dry dog/cat food
Non-food items that we are frequently asked for: Toilet Pape,r Soap, Shampoo, Feminine Hygiene
Any monetary donations are used for emergency bills and for buying gift certificates from C&D Grocers for fresh vegetables (they partner with us to provide generously to those in need with the gift certificate program).

Remember WHO we are? Workers Helping Others
We did a few home repairs, some yard work, painted a porch railing and ran a couple of er-rands for a few members of our Bethel Family last year. Could there be any projects around your house not getting done for one reason or another? Would you like for WHO to tackle them for you? Let us know. If there is enough interest, we will be posting instructions on how to sign up in the near future. For more information, contact Harold Moore or Mary Ann Hill.

Nursery Team Volunteer Openings
The Nursery Ministry needs you. We have two teams each Sunday. The first team is there from 8:30 until 10:30 and the second team is there from 10:30 until the end of service. We rotate so that you can attend one of the church services. If you are willing to volunteer for this vital service to the church, please contact the church office. We will try to work with what you time you are willing to volunteer.

Calling All Pray-ers
As we prepare for our upcoming activities at Bethel — would you (yes, you) please consider making a commitment to pray specifically for Bethel, her staff (and their famlies) and her leaders on a daily basis? Would you also consider meeting together with other pray-ers on a weekly basis (time to be determined based on responses) specifically for this purpose? If so, please contact Deborah by email or the church office. Thank you.

Help Us Grow Our Kids on Sunday Nights and other Children's Programming at Bethel

Three ways you can help this ministry grow:
1) Talk to Chanda White about being on a "Go Beyond" Sunday evening leader team and/or dinner team
2) Talk to Chanda White about being on a Sunday Morning Children's Church team.
3) Talk to Sheila Ricks about being on a Sunday Morning Nursery Team.

Stephen MInistry

How can you access a Stephen Minister? What will a Stephen Minister do, or not do? Folks are always a little uncertain about what all Stephen MInistry means to the church, congregation, and community. Well, there is a great short video about Stephen Ministry that we want to bring to your attention. You know, you can both access a Stephen Minister or become a Stephen Minister. Maybe you've been led in this direction, or you know you need someone to stand by you. View the Stephen Ministry feature on the PBS Web site Watch the video and just see what it's all about. And please pass this along to others who might be in need of a Stephen MInister.

If you find yourself or someone close to you needing a Stephen Minister, or are interested in exploring Stephen Ministry, please call the church office at 770-474-2570 or email us at the church office. Or, contact Diane Geno, Gail Craft, or Laurie Smith for more information.

Join a Class or Study today!
Join a class or study at Bethel or invite another person to come to your class or studay. There's always a place at Bethel for you to plug in and grow!

Wednesday Mid-day Bible Study: 12 noon

Every Wednesday at noon in the conference room
Drop-ins welcome always! Focus is on prayer right now.

DISCIPLE CLASSES Contact the church office if you are interested in our next round of Disiciple Classes. These classes are limited to 12 people per class and they do fill up quickly (see above listing about short-term Disciple small groups. A new one is starting up this month. Call today if you are interested!

Life Line Ministry
Everyone needs a Life Line at some point. Why wait until it's an emergency? Why not get a life line right now? Bethel is now starting Life Line groups. You can connect with other people who attend Bethel to share devotions and friendship. Sign up in the narthex of the Worship Center and get involved in a Life Line group today.

What is your passion and what are you doing with it?

From a recent Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Life) devotion:
From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love God, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you, he'll take charge of sending the rain at the right time .... Deuteronomy 11:13-14 (MSG)

Aim instead for "the better life" -- serving God in a way that expresses your heart. Figure out what you love to do -- that which God gave you a heart for -- and then do it for his glory!

Do you have certain things that are passionate to you? Things you love to do? Activities you love to take part in or do on your own? God gives each of us individual passions, talents, gifts...things that really make our hearts beat faster and stronger. Do you realize He may also want you to exercise that passion in ministry? Whether it is a hobby, a natural talent, something you do for a living, or just something that others have commented that you do well — consider using that passion for God's Kingdom. There are obvious and much less obvious needs in ministry... and you are a stroke of paint in the big picture. If you have a passion and you'd like to explore how to exercise it, contact Clyde, Kellie, Pam, Alan, or Diane and tell us about it. Let's see if we can help get you plugged into a ministry that God has that is just waiting to happen!

Why Church is important to You?
(from Purpose Driven Life) ...God's purposes for his church are identical to his five purposes for you. Worship helps you focus on God; fellowship helps you face life's problems; discipleship helps fortify your faith; ministry helps find your talents; power helps fulfill your mission. There is nothing else on earth like the church!

The Bible says we are put together, joined together, built together, members together, heirs together, fitted together, and held together and will be caught up together. (1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 2:21, 22; 3:6; 4:16; Colossians 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:17)

Community Events, Updates and Thank You's for recent events:

Did you know you can recycle all paper in the recycling bin behind the church? If you can tear it, you can recycle it in the bin. Newspaper, magazines, white office paper. The church receives money from SP Recycling for paper by the pound. So not only are you saving landfills and trees, you are also helping the church raise funds. So set aside a place at your home and work, put your paper there (but nothing confidential, please), load in your car, and drop off the next time you're at church. For those of you who have switched to online phone lookup, drop your phone books off in our paper recycling bin – the weight will really help with our fundraising! And tell your friends, neighbors, and relatives too!

Recycle Your Scrap Metal and Get Cash Back
The Church and Society ministry wants to make sure you are aware that you can recycle your scrap metal at Stockbridge Recycling Center on 23/42 just south of Highway 138. And get cash back too! You can take cleaned tin cans after your meal preparations, aluminum beverage cans, old car parts, old metal bed frames, brass fixtures left over from a renovation, or just scraps of metal you have no use for. They will pay for steel, aluminum, brass, copper, in addition to batteries and such. So clean out your garage and take unused and scrap metal to be reused and made back into something new again, saving earth's resources and dumps and making space at home! For questions call them at (770) 474-2621 or MapQuest the address:
3451 N. Henry Blvd. in Stockbridge

Where do I recycle? Find out at earth911.com!
The Church and Society ministry wants to make sure you know about earth911.com, an online guide to local resources includ-ing recycling centers, how to recycle, pollution prevention and how to help protect the environment. You type in the item you want to recycle, along with your zip code, and resources and centers are listed, starting with closest proximity. Take a minute also to click on the interesting articles.

Recycle Greeting Cards: Recycle your Christmas cards next year as gift tags, or resend the front only as postcards. Repurpose your gift wrap for covering storage boxes. Find new uses for worn out decorations. Here's a link with some helpful suggestions:
http://earth911.com/news/2010/12/20/ways-to-recycle-holiday-cards-wrapping-decor/

Cards for St. Jude Children’s Hospital (not just Christmas): St Jude's Ranch for Children accepts card fronts (Christmas, Birthday, etc) for their recycled card program. They take them and make new cards to sell to raise money. So, this year, please save your Christmas cards!

Card Donating Tips:

All types of greeting cards, including Christmas are used.
Only the card front can be used (please check to be sure the back side is clear of any writing, etc.)
We can not accept Hallmark, Disney or American Greeting cards.
5" x 7" size or smaller is preferred.

Mail donations to:
St. Jude's Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude's Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

More information on the program can be found at www.stjudesranch.org/help_card.php.
You can also purchase cards - www.stjudesranch.org/store.

Support for Phillips Family in Turkey
Please pray for Tom & Tisha Phillips as they serve in Turkey, especially as they and their children adjust to life in a new city. You can join their newsletter list by emailing them at Tom & Tisha. Please be careful not to use words in your messages that would draw attention to their work there.
If you'd also like to support them financially, you can send contributions to:
World Horizons
2102 East Main St.
Richmond, VA 23223
On the memo line: Acct #20984

Friend's House Collection

For several years now our congregation has supported Friends House. Save up your coins for the 3rd Sunday of each month. The Friends House Home will come around to collect your change. See below for more info about Friends House.

A Friend’s House is dedicated to meeting the emotional and physical needs of children in crisis. Services such as counseling, medical treatment, academic assistance and recreational opportunities are available for the children. Please join us in our effort to improve the lives of these special children. Please visit the other pages on our website detailing volunteer opportunities or giving opportunities.
Thank you for your interest in A Friend’s House.

Donations Accepted Monday - Friday 8:00 - 5:00 pm a wish list is listed on their website www.afriendshouse.org/friends-house/about-us.html

Someone needs your used towels, comforters, blankets, etc...
Do you have old towels, old comforters or blankets, or old small, machine washable rugs that you're not using, but just don't want to throw out ? A local vet will be happy to take those off your hands (or floors or out of closets) to be used in crates and kennels for sick and healing dogs and cats. They are happy to help you recycle these items and put them to good use! Drop them off in the red plastic basket above the rice and beans bins in the narthex. If you have any questions, contact Diane Geno.

Is it Candy or Medicine?
Please use this poster to help your kids learn what is poison to them and what is really candy. The similarities are startling.

Recycle Tips - With nearly 73,000 households throwing away an average of 16.8 pounds of waste per day in a community with no landfill of its own, it is critical that we begin doing more to reduce our waste and protect our environment. Henry County’s New Curbside Recycling Program is a giant step in the right direction. Beginning June 1, all waste haulers must offer curbside recycling for homeowners in unincorporated Henry County.

For details on a specific hauler, green tips, or other helpful information, please visit www.co.henry.ga.us/Green

Ongoing Clothing Donations Made Easy - Nspire in Atlanta has a ongoing way for you to easily schedule clothing and other items for donations. They will pick it up depending on when you are ready. And they will also send email reminders to you to remember to schedule a pickup. What could be easier!! Just visit http://clothingpickupatl.com/.

Bethel United Methodist Church | 245 Fairview Rd | Stockbridge, GA 30281 | 770-474-2570