CHURCH STAFF

Pastor

Rev. Dr. Bill Herndon

Secretary

Tina Douglas

Financial Manager

Lisa Parris

Director of Music

Barbara Lawson

Pianist

Carolyn Peters

SESSION MEMBERS

2018

Brandon Douglas

Lawson Hooper

Bill Mote

Tracy Pirkle

2019

Shannon Henderson

Paul Lewis

Lanier Mote

A Monthly Publication of the Bethany Presbyterian Church

“Persevere!” Elder Shannon Henderson

April 2018

Bethany Spirit

Inside this issue:

Session Reports 2-3

Kids Club News 3

Calendar 4

Volunteers/Prayer List 5

Missionary Report 6

Praise Notes 7

P erseverance is synonymous with victory. Perseverance is steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. It’s not easy, and often not something we want to deal with, but in the end, the reward of the accomplishment far outweighs the struggles we fight through. During the trails that we face however, we often forget how wonderful it will be in the end. Whether it is an illness, a conflict, a diet, or someone who seems to be opposing you at every turn, we need to remember that our faith is being tested. Bethany is a wonderful example of having stood the test. With a 175 year history, our church and our congregation have proven that we have faith in God to help us persevere. The people of Bethany have pressed on through many wars, the Great Depression, many pastors, lack of pastors, an abundance of members and even years of very few. Through it all, by trusting God; the work we do, the traditions we hold dear, and people we cherish, we give glory to Him. With the love and support of each other and the dependence in God, is with us, our congregation will always be victorious. I am pleased to be a member of the congregation of Bethany. Always remember that you are a special part of our church family and, with each other, we can face our future with pure joy because we have faith that God with see us through.

“175 years of Ministry”

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12

Session Summary Clerk of Session Paul Lewis

T he meeting was opened in prayer by Rev. Herndon at 6:31pm in the Church office and a quorum was declared present Financial Lisa Parris The Financial reports were reviewed and elders were given the opportunity to clarify and ask questions. Financial report approved. Approved sending a $100 donation to Calvin Center Prayer Cards/Concerns The Prayer List was reviewed and updated. Prayer cards were sent to those in need. Pastor’s Comments/Concerns Rev. Herndon Pastor Vacation planned for April 29, Norman Cox will be supply preacher. Discussed out of town procedures Clerk’s Report Paul Lewis Starting membership - Membership – 94, Ending Membership 94 Correspondence: The received correspondence was passed around for Session to read Called Session Meeting Minutes for March 29, 2018 approved

Reports from Ministry Teams Mission and Outreach Shannon Henderson Baby Bottle campaign will be offered again this year from Mothers Day to Fathers Day Administration/Stewardship and Finance Lawson Hooper Nothing to report Worship Lanier Mote Sound System - Working on ordering equipment, approved waiting on for 2-6 months when

it will be available Communion procedures where discussed, Rev Herndon will pray about the communion

process. Revisit at next Session Meeting Pentecost celebration being planned Mother’s Day gifts ordered Caring Hands Offering will not be taken up this year Building and Grounds Bill Mote Fellowship Hall floor will be waxed, planned for week of April 16 Christian Education/Children and Youth Brandon Douglas Spaghetti Dinner being planned for May 6, 2018 @6 pm as a fundraiser for Youth Group,

love offering will be received. Reported that Camp Calvin fees paid in full

(Continued on page 3)

P a g e 2 B e t h a n y S p i r i t

P a g e 3 B e t h a n y S p i r i t

Member Care/Hospitality Tracy Pirkle No report Old/New Business Spirit front page article responsibility for May 2018 will be Shannon Henderson Ad Hoc committee – dissolved, a Thank-You letter will be sent The Docket and minutes pending any corrections that need to be made were

approved. The meeting was closed in prayer by Rev. Bill Herndon at 7:26 pm. Next Session Meeting: May 15, 2018 at 6:30 pm. Devotional for Next Meeting - Devotional eliminated from Meeting Agenda supplanted by Invocation and Benediction.

Kid’s Club / Youth Group News

Submitted by Brandon Douglas

T he month of April we had the privilege of taking our youth to visit Walking Home Together animal rescue group. WHT is in Conyers and is directed by Lori Todd. She runs this animal rescue group out of her house. The youth learned about the things she does as an organization and then helped clean the rescue area. After the hard work came the fun stuff. They were allowed to play with the dogs. I believe that all the youth and dogs loved this mo-ment. We look forward to visiting again!! On April 22, we had another “Youth Sunday” with only a handful of youth present, but loved that we were able to participate. We hope to make “Youth Sunday” a regular event to show the many talents of this youth group. Later, at 2:30, we met to make signs welcoming everyone to our Spaghetti Dinner. It will be held on May 6 at 6:00. Please come out and support our youth. This is our last fundraiser before summer camps and conferences. Thanks to every-one for the continued support of the youth at Bethany!

Mission & Outreach

Opportunity Refuge Pregnancy Center Baby Bottle Campaign — The bottles will be available for distribution from Mother’s Day (May 13) and will be collected on Father’s Day (June 17). During this time, we ask that our congregation take the bottles home, fill them with change, bills or checks, and return them to Bethany. The money collected helps with the good work that RPC does. This ministry provides free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. They offer counseling, education classes, GED classes and help with baby food, clothing and other needed baby items. Through this campaign, we have been assisting RPC change lives for many years now and with your help we will continue to do so.

May 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2

Choir Practice

6:30pm

3

Boy Scouts

7:00pm

4

5

6

Sunday School—9:30am

Morning Worship—11:00am

— Holy Communion

Spaghetti Dinner — 6pm

7

8

Boy Scouts

7:00pm

9

Choir Practice

6:30pm

Haley Hall

Bryanna Henderson

10

11

12

13 Mothers Day/Ascension

Sunday School — 9:30am

Morning Worship — 11:00am

—Holy Communion

14

Girl Scouts

6:00-8:30pm

15

Session Meeting

6:30pm

Boy Scouts

7:00pm

16

Choir Practice

6:30pm

17

18

19

20 Pentecost

Sunday School — 9:30am Morning Worship — 11:00am

—Holy Communion

Kids Club/ Youth Group

2:30-4:00pm

21

22

Boy Scouts

7:00pm

23

Fun Seekers — Ted

Wynne 11:00am

Choir Practice

6:30pm

24

25

Lawson Hooper

26

Sack Lunch Prep/Delivery

10:00am

27 Trinity Sunday

Men’s Breakfast — 7:30am Sunday School — 9:30am Café Connections — 10:30am Morning Worship — 11:00am

—Holy Communion

28

Memorial Day Church office Closed

29

Mildred Moncrief

Cody Pirkle

30

Choir Practice

6:30pm

31

B e t h a n y S p i r i t P a g e 4

B e t h a n y S p i r i t

Prayer Concerns

Monthly Volunteers

May 6 May 13 May 20 May 27

Children’s

Worship Kelly Lewis Tina Douglas Adrianne Mote Kelly Lewis

Liturgists Chris Mize Ansley Douglas Kendyl Nimmons Dennis Mills

Greeters Buddy Cook

Billy Hunt

Buddy Cook

Billy Hunt

Buddy Cook

Billy Hunt

Buddy Cook

Billy Hunt

Ushers

Open Bldg. Buddy & Rae Cook Bill Mote Lawson Hooper Men of the Church

Close Bldg. Carolyn Peters Lisa Parris Tracy Pirkle Chris & Wayne Mize

Joyce & Sam Ball (Boyce) Judy Branch (Pirkle) Pug Buttrill (Cook) Cheryl Burke - Forman University (Pakistan) Ricky Campbell Evelyn Capes C. C. for Christ – Marcin K. & Maciek M. The Family of Ricky Campbell Stuart Clive Bill Cook (B. & R. Cook) Family of Betty Erickson Willene Davis (Ann Herndon) Chris Deaton Nancy Fullerton (Sheri Gahwiler’s Mom) Zach Foster Joey Hancock (L. Mote) Kenlee Hicks George Hushour (L. Mote) Mike Landers (B. Hunt) Jeffery LeMoine (C. Hunt) Lily Lensink (R. Cook) Grady & Judy McMahan (Boyce)

Irene Mize (W. Mize) Jane & Bill Moore (Boyce) Becky Newman (C. Hunt) Marcus Phillips (O’Donnell) Joel & Leah Sanders Schuitema Family (Parney) Florence Sears The Family of Mary Ann Sears Thomas Sexton (Boyce) Travis Sexton (Boyce) Casey Sullivan (Sullivan) Charlotte Sweeten Kevin Waters Mitchell Wheeler (Mize) Family of Buddy Welch (Herndon) Lamar Wilkes (B. Hunt) John Wilburn (Boyce) Ralph Williamson Ava Young (Pirkle) Our College Students Our Military Men and Women Our Session

We need your help to keep our prayer list current. Prayer requests will remain on the list for 4 weeks. They may be added back on the list by request. You may make requests / updates by submitting a blue pew card, calling the office (770-786-1629) or by emailing (office@bpccovington.org). Thank you!

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B e t h a n y S p i r i t P a g e 6

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER – THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018

T he National Day of Prayer is an annual observance inviting people to pray for the nation. Its purpose is to encourage personal repentance and prayer and to mobilize the Christian com-munity to intercede for America’s leaders and its families. The NDP recognizes the Judeo-Christian understanding that this country was birthed in prayer and in reverence for the God of the Bible. The theme for 2018 is UNITY.

“Endeavoring to keep the UNITY of the SPIRIT in the bond of PEACE.” Ephesians 4:3

We are requested to prayer specifically for the Seven Centers of Influence in America:

GOVERNMENT, MILITARY, MEDIA, BUSINESS, EDUCATION, CHURCH, and FAMILY. Our commitment at Bethany is to spend part of this day petitioning God on behalf of our country for mercy, protection, guidance, and healing. Please join us from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm in the soli-tude of the sanctuary for this time of spiritual pleading. “If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14

Youth Group Pictures from April

P a g e 7 B e t h a n y S p i r i t

Praise Notes Submitted by Barbara Lawson

In my Prayer Journal, dated October 19, 2017, I wrote:

“With all my heart, I wish for Bethany Presbyterian Church to become a singing church, overflowing with joyous sound and good music; a vibrant witness in this community.”

God uses music and the Word to transform the world. It is an incredible thing that we, the created ones, have been given a way to communicate with the One who made us. Worship isn’t primarily about music, techniques, or methodologies. It’s about our hearts. It’s about what and who we love more than anything. As Christians, we need not only to know that we ought to sing, but to learn to love to sing. Just as we are told to study the Scriptures, to pray, to give, to take Communion, so we are commanded to sing with the saints because we need to sing. Our spiritual health depends on it! Sing the Word of God—the truth revealed in the Scriptures, the story of redemption. When we sing great truths, great things happen. Christ-filled, Spirit-prompted singing moves out in concentric circles changing your own heart and mind…changing your family…changing your church…and changing this world. Sing and sing again songs that help you see God, so that you are moved to love Him more and to be trans-formed by His Spirit to become more and more like His Son. Songs help us train our children/grand children in the “language” of Christian faith. Training kids to sing and sing well is training this generation to one day sing with their children.

SING of Jesus. SING of your Lord and Savior and greatest Friend. SING yourself strong!

“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.” Psalm 95:1-2

Catch the Spirit!

Thank you to all the members who support the sack lunch program with contributions and volunteering. A woman pulled over while we were passing out lunches last month and donated $100 to our program. It was a true blessing. We have had a short supply of chips and desserts for the past 5 months. With this donation we were able to purchase 2 months of chips, desserts and a few cases of water. Come enjoy the nice weather and help us by handing out sack lunches this spring in Porterdale. I would like to reach out to the community by sponsoring a booth at local events. If you know of any activities such as races or festivals where we could share with our community, please let me know. Thanks, Shannon Henderson

B e t h a n y S p i r i t

We a

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Bethany Presbyterian Church 1002 Bethany Road

Covington, GA 30016 Phone: 770-786-1629

Fax: 770-786-9676 E-mail: office@bpccovington.org

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B ethany’s annual VBS is coming up soon, June from 9am-12pm and we need your help! We hope that you will prayerfully consider volunteering your talents. This years theme is “Deep Sea Discovery” : God is with me Wherever I Go!!

“God is with me and will watch over me wherever I go!” Genesis 28:15

God KNOWS Me!

God HEARS Me!

God STRENGTHENS Me!

God LOVES Me!

God SENDS Me!

The closing program is Friday , with a meal at 6:00pm, followed by the program at 6:45pm. We encourage all of our members to join us for this program to see what our children have learned during this exciting week! Colors for the week: Monday - Orange, Tuesday - Red, Wednesday - Blue, Thursday — Purple, Friday — Green.

If you are a middle school student or older, we need your help to once again to make Vacation Bible School a success. Please Contact Tina Douglas or Shannon Henderson.