been able to walk from birth. When people of Lystra saw

this, they tried to worship Paul and Barnabas. The men

quickly reminded them that only God who made the

heaven and the earth and all that is in them was worthy of

worship and able to satisfy the deepest longings of their

souls.

“Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did

good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful

seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.””

(Acts 14:17, ESV)

There is something to think about when you are lying in

your bed on a cool October night and you hear the furnace

kick on.

BY PASTOR KEN PIERPONT

We’ve been sleeping with an extra cover on the bed for the

last few weeks, but tonight the temperature is dipping into

the mid-forties so we turned on the furnace. Down in the

basement the faithful appliance goes to work and in just a

couple minutes a beautiful stream of warmth fills the room

to just the perfect temperature and then falls quiet.

Last week I decided to test the furnace

just to be sure it was ready for the

season. It wasn’t. I called Keith

Gillmore, who is as handy as they come

and an expert at furnaces. He came over

tonight for a good talk and noticed a part

that was supposed to be turning was not

turning. He removed a few screws and

discovered a dead bat was plugging the

works.

We stood outside for a bit to talk about furnaces and

restoring old cars and making cider. Keith grew up on a farm

with an orchard making cider. I asked him if he missed it

this time of year. He said he didn’t, but a smile comes to his

face as the tells his cider-house stories. Something about it

just seems right standing out in the cool of an October

nightfall while the farmer back of Bittersweet Farm shaves

the last remaining rows of corn off his place and pours the

precious fruit of the earth into a waiting grain truck.

I love living in a place where deer and wild turkeys stroll

around the back acre, geese and cranes soar overhead,

bittersweet grows in the rocky fencerow, and bats and other

critters flit and steal about in the darkness. The windows are

closed to the night air tonight, but my walk in the morning

will be bracing.

The trees bending over the road are beginning to turn

orange and yellow. When the sun falls on them they irradiate

their color. Something in the beauty of it leaps into our soul.

When I drive through a tunnel of October-tinted trees, it is

a worship experience without fail. My heart rises up in

grateful praise. The Great Artist of the Universe did not have

to paint with such vivid and captivating colors, but He did.

He did it as a witness to His goodness to draw your soul

upward to Him.

Jesus himself is the Great Creator and only He can satisfy

your heart. He alone should have your heart.

On one of the Apostle Paul’s church-planting missions he

visited Lystra. God allowed them to heal a man who had not

PARSON’S CORNER

SATISFIED HEARTS: God’s goodness and gladness

Michigan’s “tunnel of trees” along M-119

WE THANK THEE THEN, O FATHER,

for all things bright and good,

the seed-time and the harvest,

our life, our health, our food.

Accept the gifts we offer

for all thy love imparts,

and, what thou most desirest,

our humble, thankful hearts.

~ Matthias Claudius,

1782

6.

Conor’s Mission Trip to Brazil

Bethel’s Sept. 23 Mission Spotlight featured Conor

Flaherty, a young man from

Seattle who has worked with

Bethel’s youth group in the

recent past.

Conor, having completed his

Bible college training, is

interning at Ethnos360 Bible

Institute (formerly New Tribes).

He plans to take on further

training for the missionary field.

“I hope to be a missionary

someday,” he told the Epistle.

“There isn't a particular place I

feel drawn to right now. I figure

I'll ask where they need me

and think I would work best

and go with it, or maybe I'll feel God drawing me

somewhere in particular by the time I'm done training.”

His spotlight report was on a trip last June to Brazil

with Ethnos360. The team numbered 15 to 20 people.

Their work took place at a sister school – the Missionary

Training Center Shekinah.

“We worked to help replace the collapsing roof on one

of their houses,” Conor reported. “We also had the

opportunity to meet many of the missionaries currently

serving with Ethnos360 in Brazil and to visit a people

group unreached by the gospel. Though there is some

influence of modern culture and technology in their

village, they still have no way to hear or read the gospel

in their own language yet. This trip was a great learning

experience for all of us involved.”

MID-OCTOBER to MID-NOVEMBER 10/16 Rick Moore 10/20 Chloe Betz, Sherry Lemmon 10/22 Gale Borchert 10/24 Harriett Cornett 10/25 Sandy White 10/26 Jocelyn Ackley, Leo Cumings 10/27 Vaughn Bennett 10/28 Bob Burritt 10/29 Jackie Williams, Silas York, W.E. Wheeler Sr. 10/30 Marielle Metcalf 11/01 Janelle Bradley, Sara Walkowski 11/02 Bill Horne 11/03 Ken Pierpont 11/06 Diana Clevenger, Carrol Roark 11/08 Alison Lehman 11/12 Mark Haavisto / 11/13 A. Lydia McGlade 11/14 Ernestine Raymond

Conor Flaherty.

Bits ‘n’ Pieces f

Worship Studies. With the fall season, Worship

Arts Pastor

Patrick Kelly

is initiating a

new training

program for

those on the praise/worship team. Worship Workshop is

an online program run by an Ohio-based worship leader.

The training involves viewing several hours of videos on

topics intended to help team members work better

together with the same perspective on worship.

Choir Return. Ever since Bethel was organized in the

mid-‘50s, a choir has assembled each fall to provide

choral music to the congregation. This year is no

exception. Bethel’s choir gathered for its first rehearsal

on Oct. 3, and will be featured several times in the

coming months. James and Ashley Cumings, who

provide leadership, welcome all who have a tuneful

voice, an ability to read music and a willingness to use

your musical gifts in worship.

Marlin’s Kiddy Kar. When Daisy Strauss arrived at

Bethel for Awana recently, she spotted a white sports

convertible parked next to her grandpa Ken’s Nissan.

“Oh, papa!” she said. “Look at that car! It has no top on

it!” Indeed, it did not. After a photo appeared on

Facebook, the owner was soon identified - Marlin

Callender. Years ago his sister Marsha, knowing he

would have liked to buy the car from her but could not

afford it, decided to give it to him. It is a 1993 Honda

Del Sol. And Marlin, the father of three little girls who

grew up to be three grown-up girls, offered to give little

Daisy a ride around the parking lot before Awana. And

the following Wednesday evening, Marlin provided both

Daisy and her brother Max with a ride in his roadster.

September Reports. Last month witnessed a true

harvest ingathering. Total giving for September was

$48,116.18 – nearly $10,000 over our monthly budget

need. Meanwhile, our elders meetings have included

reports of people coming to the Lord, plus an uptick in

attendance. Praise God from whom every blessing flows.

SYMPATHIES to Carol Bliss and family on the death of

Carol’s sister, Thelma Losey, who passed away on Oct. 4

at the age of 91.

Daisy gets a ride in Marlin’s Del Sol.

6.

A: My goal is to make sure the kids are encouraged to

deepen their relationship with God. I want them to take

head knowledge and make it heart knowledge. I am not a

theologian or pastor. I encourage. I love to take aspects of

a person's life and reflect on them, helping that person

grow. So I want to help the teens

take their experiences and

knowledge deeper to attain a deeper

relationship with God.

Q: What can parents and others

do to help Bethel's youth

ministry? A: First, pray for us all

that we are able to serve the kids

effectively. Remember that there

are a ton of people stepping up to

fill the void, not just me. There are

people carrying a heavier weight

than I am. We have multiple people

who are engaging and creating a

great place for Bethel's youth.

Second, encourage the kids to

enjoy this moment. I have a

different perspective and style of

teaching compared to what they are

used to (as well as others who are teaching). I like to take

real world experiences and drive points home that we

cover. Help your kids to know this transition is something

God is using to help them grow.

Third, if issues arise, contact me. It is not my goal (nor

the goal of the pastors, elders and other teachers) to create

an environment counteractive to helping all the kids grow.

This is something new for many of us and we want input

as well. This is an opportunity for the kids and parents to

see what they really want for a youth ministry.

We should be able to have a great foundation set for the

next person coming in to lead our youth.

+ + +

Recently the Elders Board, on recommendation

of Pastor Ken, affirmed Troy Smith as Bethel’s

Interim Youth Director. Here are some questions

and answers the Epistle put to Troy:

Q: Are you a Jackson native?

A: Not from Jackson. I am from a

small town in the thumb called

Sandusky, Mich. (Not Ohio).

Q: How and when did you become

a Christian?

A. Grew up in the church, so I was

always involved. But my freshman

year of high school during a youth

event called Power Surge is when I

fully committed myself as a

Christian. I do not remember what

the speaker was talking about, I just

knew the Spirit was moving. I found

a group of friends that were praying

together. I joined them, we prayed,

cried and worshipped together.

Q: What drew you to youth

ministry?

A. I was involved in the youth

group at my church, plus a group called Teens For Christ

during high school. Being part of that, the relationships I

made with friends I am still in contact with, plus some

really great friendships with adults that were part of it

made me want to continue being a part of it. When I was

living in Lansing, before meeting Lyndsay, I was

involved in the youth ministry at Williamston Free

Methodist Church. When I finished my Family Life

Education degree, I interned at Bethel. I worked mainly

with the Junior Teens, but also worked with Senior High

as well.

Q: Since you are filling an interim position, what is

your goal for this period?

MINISTRY

TROY SMITH: Attaining intimacy with the Almighty

Troy and Lyndsay Smith.

For years, Bethel featured October as Pastor

Appreciation Month. The formal practice lapsed at some

point. For all who suspect special days and months are a

bit contrived, this is not an effort to revive a tradition that

served its purpose and perhaps outlived its usefulness.

It is a simple reminder that pastoral leadership is a

biblical gift to be valued and appreciated. We elders are

not always called to full-time ministry. We look to a lead

pastor to exercise his own gifts in the areas of preaching

and leadership in ministries in which all of us exercise

some responsibility. We look to associate pastors to

exercise their leadership gifts in specific areas of ministry

– whether worship arts, youth or Christian ed.

But enough of my own words. Let St. Paul speak to the

point: “Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are

your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among

you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great

respect and wholehearted love because of their work.

And live peacefully with each other.” – Ken Wyatt

ELDERS NOTEBOOK: Appreciate our pastors? Amen!

6.

BETHEL

Foto

Pages

Pastor Ken tells the story of two

Mary serving birthday cake to Sara.

Emily and Wendi at the women’s retreat.

Youth group gatherings bring out the playful in Trinity and Lily.

Bethel in worship mode.

Chris with some girls on Crazy-Hair night at Awana.

Bethel women at Barakel for a weekend retreat.

Some of the youth gathered for a Sunday evening

Dave Reeverts and one

of his tractors At the

Tompkins Steam

Days fest. Bethel folks with

Dave at the Steam Days festival.

6.

MINISTRY

Awana’s rebirth at Bethel: A gospel outreach

Awana is a parachurch ministry with the purpose of

reaching boys and girls with the Gospel of Christ.

Awana’s hope and prayer is that, “all children and

youth around the world will come to know, love and

serve the Lord Jesus Christ.”

It’s not just kids that are impacted; parents become

engaged with the Gospel when they help their

children with their handbook sections.

Awana began in 1950 at the North Side Gospel

Center in Chicago, Ill., when two men, Lance Latham

and Art Rorheim, had a passion for reaching children

with the Gospel.

From its beginning through today, millions of

children and youth have heard the Good News, and

attended a local Awana Club all around the world.

This is where Bethel Church fits in. Bethel has had

an Awana Club since 1974. Through the years, Bethel

has been known for its thriving children’s ministry.

However, in the normal process lifecycle, when a

champion departs, so goes the vision and motivation.

Often, when this happens, ministries begin to exist

and move to auto-pilot. Excitement, passion and

vision typically wane to the point where the ministry

loses its impact and intent.

God is good and He answers prayers. Recently,

Steve Flagg stepped in to become the Awana

Commander. His passion for reaching boys and girls

and helping build the club has become contagious

within the Bethel Awana leadership.

He has been a commander for over 18 years. Both

Debbie and Steve served with the High Plain Awana

Ministry Team in Nebraska and Steve even worked

part-time for Awana. His Awana knowledge coupled

with his passion for reaching boys and girls with the

Larry Carlson, co-founder of Youth Haven Ranch and one of Bethel’s elders, is also an accomplished accordion player. But recently Larry accomplished something with his accordion that was new, challenging – and worth notice by the Bethel family.

On Oct. 2, Larry joined 30 or so other instrumentalists as part of a Gala Concert by the Grand Rapids Accordion Ensemble. The concert, held at Wyoming Junior High south of Grand Rapids, has been an annual feature of the music scene since the early ‘90s.

LARRY CARLSON: Newest member of the band

Gospel has helped reignite purpose and passion for Awana at

Bethel. Three weeks into the new club and there are 67

children registered. That’s more kids than there were at the

end of the last club year. It’s not about the numbers. It is all

about making a Kingdom impact.

Larry usually plays solo accordion, but this is different.

“Music has been a big part of my life since I was 13 years old when my loving mother patiently taught me my first year of piano lessons,” he explains. My 16th birthday gift from my parents was my first accordion and I began taking accordion lessons along with piano lessons. Being part of the Grand Rapids Accordion Ensemble has been a new, stretching, enjoyable learning experience.”

Ed Beasley and Steve Flagg, new Awana commander, on Crazy Hair night.

Steve leads Awana kids in opening exercises.

Larry playing his accordion during the recent

concert by the Grand Rapids Accordion ensemble (see another photo on p. 6).

6.

A couple of photos from the Oct. 4 Women’s Ministry

Fall Event.

Northwest Schools students taking a break after packing

Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.

“Pass Me Not” – closing song in the Sept. 16

service. Father Ken, daughter Hope.

Shots here and there at Bethel

Larry Carlson with Lars, Amy and Lucas after the concert

by the Grand Rapids Accordion Ensemble.

The names say it all – at the Oct. 4 women’s event.

“Crazy Hair” night – Pat’s and Megan’s trio.

Youth group pals Charis and Tori. (Below) Some youth group activities.

One of the Northwest kids who have been an ongoing help to

Bethel, whether filling OCC Christmas shoeboxes or

helping in other ways.