3608 Midland Road Guyton, GA 31312 Phone: (912) 728-3332 Fax: (912) 728-5801 Email: [email protected] Pastor: Rev. David Cott
Bethesda Beacon A publication of Bethesda United Methodist Church
www.Bethesdaum.com
July 2016
Bethesda United
Methodist Church
Page 1
“When it rains it pours,” is an appropriate proverb for afternoons in the coastal region. One thing that I really enjoy about moving back to the coast is those afternoon downpours that come out of nowhere, then disappear just as quickly, leaving everything smelling clean and new, if feeling a little humid. Lately Katie and I have been caught in a downpour of life events. In the past year I have graduated from seminary and Katie has been finishing a PhD. Chelsea, our oldest has been accepted to grad school at GSU and will be getting married this weekend in Daytona to a wonderful young man. Brittany and Sarah have graduated from UCF and UNG respectively and will both start teaching this fall. Emily, our youngest will be starting her second year at UGA.
Then, just a short time ago, Dr. Moseley, our Coastal District superintendent, called to say that he wanted to appoint me to an absolutely wonderful church in Effingham County. Katie and I thought the time for appointments had passed and we were ready to settle down for another year in north Georgia. We scrambled to pack, look for a teaching position for Katie, and say our goodbyes to family, friends, and churches. Katie was offered a position, just around the corner, at South Effingham Middle School. That was a wonderful blessing in addition to being a real treat for her, since she has been commuting fifty minutes a day, each way, through Atlanta traffic.
When it rains, it pours. But the rain washes away the dust and dirt, and big moves give us a chance for new starts and new opportunities. As I write this, Katie is unpacking boxes and setting up our wonderful new home. We are also getting ready to head south for a wedding this weekend. I hated to miss my second Sunday with you, but Katie assures me that being the father of the bride apparently gives me an all-occasion pass. When we get back, we have so much to look forward to; getting to know all of you better, hearing the stories of the youth returning from River of Life, spending a week at Camp Meeting, and planning for the fall. God has so many wonderful blessings in store for Bethesda, those we can foresee and plan for, and those that we cannot even imagine (Ephesians 3:20). It will be a privilege and an adventure to serve God alongside all the wonderful people of this congregation.
We are very grateful for everyone who has helped us in our big move; the staff parish committee, the parsonage committee who worked so hard on preparing our new home, the “moving team” that unloaded our U-Haul at the end of a long day, our secretary, Linda Collins, who has answered my million questions, and everybody who made the worship services go so well last Sunday. Lastly, I want to thank Brother Matt for his help in the transition. I know we will all continue to pray for the Waldrons in their new church home.
May God continue to bless our congregation,
David
Page 2
Happy July Anniversary Wishes to:
Durell & Royce Nease 7/1 Years Married: 39
Harry & Reba Edwards 7/3 Years Married: 62
Dennis & Martha Heinen 7/19 Years Married: 36
Michael & Frances Ambrose 7/19 Years Married: 13
Prayer Thoughts for July – from the South GA UMC Conference
Prayer is the greatest neglected resource that we have; it’s a power that we simply are not using.
J. Vernon McGee
Pray For Our New Bishop We can have confidence that the will of God for us is good. Even now, God is preparing a new bishop to be assigned to South Georgia beginning Sept. 1. We do not know if it will be one of the new bishops elected at Jurisdictional Conference in July, or if one of the current bishops will be re-assigned to us. In any event, we can begin praying now for our new episcopal leader. Seek God's anointing on our new episcopal leader. Pray for Bishop James King and his wife Rose as he makes the transition to retirement. Dr. Derek McAleer, Treasurer of South GA Conference, UMC, published in Wesleyan Advocate Pray for an Increase in Attendance and Membership South Georgia by the numbers Membership stands at 116,733, down 2,111 from the previous year. Worship attendance stands at 49,424, down 854. Church school attendance stands at 33,398, down 1 from 2015. Four motions were made and approved by the 2016 Annual Conference. One, made by Rev. Jay Hanson, director of Congregational Development and lead pastor of The Chapel in Brunswick, set a goal for the conference to increase its average weekly worship attendance by 10 percent by January 2018. The Office of Congregational Development has plans in place to help put this motion into action during the next two years. Pray that our South GA Conference UM churches will achieve this goal, that Bethesda will meet the challenge. “Testify and Multiply” During Wednesday evening’s opening worship service, Bishop King, presiding over his eighth and final Annual Conference session in South Georgia, introduced the confer-ence theme and emphasized the importance of sharing faith stories and love with others. “When you feed people with the love of God ... they will come,” he said. “Use your tes-timony to testify. If you say you are a Christian, you should have a story to tell!” The heart of the Church’s mission is to make disciples, he said .“So I say to you, Beautiful People, all of us have a story to share. And that story is our witness platform that God has given us to testify. Do you have a story? Tell the story and grow the kingdom of God and glorify God! Tell the story and testify and multiply! Pray that we will all learn to share our story with others and that we will do so with boldness.
We’ve a story to tell to the nations that will turn their hearts to the right. A story of truth and mercy, a story of peace and light,
A story of peace and light. H. Ernest Nichol, 1896
Welcome our newest members to the family of Bethesda UMC:
Brandi Strickland Dakota Hollis
Johnna Stringer Ricky Stringer Jackey Nease
Cortnee Frazer
Infant Baptism (Children) : Palmer Dasher
Blake Strickland
Page 3
Prayer list:
Our Pastor
All Ministries at
Bethesda UMC
Military
Leaders of America
Justin Beasley
Leah Beatty
Lula Dixon
Patrick Donaldson
Harry Edwards
Emmory Ely
Wanda Evans
Vickie Farmer
Ethan Ferguson
Sharon Floyd
Channon Fraser
JD Fulcher
Richard Gilman
Justin Gulley
Debbie Hickman
Tony Hickman
Lou Dean Hinely
Ashley Helmey
Becky Hester
Robert Jarecki
Ginger Kieffer
Warren Kruen
Jackson Lindauer
Mary Little
Scott Morgan
Caroline Morton
Bernie Pierce
Shirley Pitts
Evelyn Rose
Jessie Rought
Tommy Sexton
Ruben Shearouse
Connie Shuman
Irene Stanford
Lamar Stregles
Helen Stokes
Joyce Wadsworth
Glenda Willis
Jaymie Wilson
Wannette Yarbrough
Cathy Zipperer
Marilyn Zittrauer
If you have someone
you want to add or
remove from the prayer
list please send me an
email, call the office or
leave a note on my
desk.
Thank you,
Linda
The Ronald McDonald House relies on donations from the
community and fundraising projects to help
provide for the families finding refuge at our House. It's truly a win-win situation!
Please continue to save & donate your pop tabs, you can give them to George Zittrauer or drop them off in the box located in the church office. Thank you.
We need help with grass cutting on the church grounds.
A sign up sheet is on the counter in the office.
Please help whenever you can. Thank you!
Happy July Birthday
Wishes to:
1st Darrin Dickerson
2nd Megan Caldwell
2nd Janet Flowers
2nd Shannon Kessler
6th Keri Morgan
9th Vickie Oliver
10th Heather Kessler
14th Kathy Dean
15th Macy Morgan
16th June Allen
18th Ty Keener
19th Madison Caldwell
19th Rachel Schoonover
20th Tiffany Yarbrough
20th Anne Sexton
24th Leah Allen
24th Hunter Gordon
25th Ann Parsons
25th Wendy Honnerlaw
26th Cathy Zipperer
26th Charlie Waldron
28th Shirley Pitts
31st Dana Davis
31st Tira Jenkins
31st Mackenzie Oliver
Youth events - see page 4
9:00AM NURSERY SCHEDULE 11:00AM
3rd Beverly Donaldson Marie Johnson & Jana Fox 10th Marie Johnson Beverly & Gary Donaldson 17th Vickie Oliver Peggy Kessler & Joyce Wadsworth 24th Tina Keener Martha Heinen & Dencie Edgy 31st Peggy Kessler Vickie Oliver & Nichole Gordon
NO UMW Hope Landry
Circle Meeting during July
Children’s Church Workers
1st Sunday Tina Keener & Cathy Hickman
2nd Sunday Clay & Lyna Morgan
3rd Sunday Clay & Lyna Morgan
4th Sunday Clay & Lyna Morgan
Administrative Council Meeting
Monday, July 25th @ 7:00pm
God bless America
NO Bethesda Women’s Association Meetings during July or August
Newsletter Deadline for August 2016
Please have all information turned into the office by July 18th
Thank you!
Effingham United Methodist Campground
226th Annual Campmeeting
July 15-20, 2016
Everyone Welcome!!
WWW.effinghamcampground.com
Bethesda United Methodist
Church Non-Profit Organization
Permit #12 U.S. Postage Paid
Rincon, Georgia 31326 3608 Midland Rd.
Guyton, GA 31312
Page 4
JULY 2016
Bethesda UMC Youth We invite all youth (grades 6 - 12)
to join us for the following
Sunday, July 3 No UMYF-Happy 4th of July
Wednesday, July Bible study 6:45-7:45pm
Sunday, July 10 Lunch/”Finding Dory” with Children’s Ministry
Wednesday, July 13 Bible study 6:45-7:45pm
July 14-17 Youth Camp at Effingham Campground
(see brochure
July 18-20 226th Effingham UMC Campmeeting/Dairy Queen
(meet at Bethesda nightly at 6:45pm)
Sunday, July 24 Early service/Lunch/Beach
Wednesday, July 27 Bible study 6:45-7:45pm
Sunday, July 31 Early service/”People helping people”
Questions?? See Tammy Saxon or Jennifer Granat
“May the Lord bless you and keep you”
Called by Name Candle Burning
Recognize a special person in your life by burning a candle in the worship service of your choice.
This is a way to supplement mission giving through the Bethesda UMW. The cost of candle is by
donation of $5 or whatever amount you want to donate. Please complete the form and place it in the
envelope with cash or checks made out to Bethesda UMW.
The envelope can either be left on Linda’s desk or in the UMW mailbox.
We thank you for your support of the local UMW.
Youth & Children Children’s day with youth on July 10th
We will eat lunch at the church then go see “Finding Dory”. Kids need money for the movie.
Parents are always welcome to join us!