|
|
|
| Christmas Eve |
|
Christmas Eve Services
4 & 6pm
This year, we will again have two services to celebrate the coming of Immanuel (God with us). We will have coffee, hot chocolate and home baked goodies in the courtyard, giving us an opportunity to fellowship and to welcome those who may be visiting Bethany for the first time. We truly want to share and celebrate the coming of our savior with all who will hear. Take the opportunity to invite those who are not here yet to celebrate along with us. |
|
XP Report |
Each week we tell you about bethanycommunity.com during our announcements because we think that our web site is a great place to find out what's going on and to learn more about the people, staff and ministries of Bethany.
Recently on a Sunday morning Rich  demonstrated some of the new features at bethanycommunity.com, including sermons in streaming video and the ability for online giving. If you get a chance to watch one of these video sermons on line, be sure to thank Andy Losch, our IT and Media Director, for his good work in providing this capability.
If you haven't checked out our Online Giving feature yet, I would encourage you to do so! If you are like me, you pay many of your bills on line or through periodic automatic deduction from your checking account. Well, that capability is available here, too! If you prefer the personal feeling of putting a check into the little bag or box--that's great, keep doing it!
One additional feature of our web site that came with Online Giving is an electronic directory. As a matter of fact, when you log on via the "Online Giving" link, you come to a page entitled, "Bethany Community Church WebView," that includes five tabs:
- Home
- Directory
- Personal Profile
- Online Giving
- Contribution History
On the "Home" page, be sure to read the "Welcome." It includes the following privacy policy and usage statement for our online directory:
"The Bethany Community Church On-Line Directory is intended solely for personal use by staff, members and attendees for the purpose of conducting Bethany Community Church business, facilitating programs for spiritual growth and for connecting with others within the Bethany community for fellowship and service. Your User Name and Password is for your use only and may not be shared with anyone. Use of the directory for commercial purposes and/or personal gain is strictly prohibited. By signing on to this directory you are agreeing to these terms and conditions of use."
The "Directory" tab takes you to a red letter alphabet and a couple of boxes where you may search for people in variety of ways. Clicking on a red letter in the alphabet will bring up all of the people with last names starting with that letter.
The "Personal Profile" tab allows you not only to update the information in the directory (and with the church office), but also allows you to control the amount of information that is visible to others in the directory. If you do not have Internet access and wish to change your personal information or to remove your name from the directory, please contact Penny Campa at 480.831.5005.
The "Online Giving" tab, as I mentioned before, starts a screen dialogue where you can give a one-time or recurring gift. You may also designate your gift to be used for the General Fund, Benevolence or the Building Fund. Other designated funds will be available in the future for giving to designated accounts, such as Bethany-sponsored short-term mission trips.
The "Contribution History" tab allows you to see what you have given during the calendar year, including the breakdown of your giving to various funds.
Finally, let me say that all of this information is completely confidential and delivered electronically via "https" secure, encrypted Internet. Only YOU will be able to see your own online giving information and contribution history. And, only Bethany staff and registered users (again using "https" secure, encrypted Internet) are able to view any information in the directory.
Soon we will have more information to share about additional changes and features of bethanycommunity.com and how they will help you better connect to the people and staff of Bethany. In the meantime, have a very blessed Christmas season with family and friends!
Blessings,
Jim Crocco
Executive Pastor
480-831-5005
jcrocco@bethanycc.com
| |
|
Christmas Eve Offering 2008: The Immanuel Project |
|
This year's Christmas Eve offering will focus on Mexico. Over the past years, Bethany has partnered with local churches in Mazatlan, Mexico, through gifts of baggies filled with small toys and useful items for children and their families. The Immanuel Project 2008 builds on this Mazatlan outreach by expanding to needy children near Hermosillo, Mexico, through partnership with local churches there.
To participate, pick up an empty baggie (or two--there's no limit . . .) at the table in the courtyard. Inside, you will find a list of suggested simple gifts and an envelope. Please fill the baggie with items from the list below and place $3 inside the envelope to help with the project (put the envelope back into the baggie). Return the filled baggie to the table or to the church office no later than Sunday, December 21.
Suggested items to be put into the baggies:
Teams are now forming to personally deliver the baggies to the children of Mexico. If you would like to be a part of one of the teams, please contact John Wood in the Bethany office at jwood@bethanycc.com or Greg Thayer at heythay@cox.net.
Just as Jesus took the children of his day into his arms and blessed them, this year each of us has the opportunity to embrace and bless a needy child in Mexico through our Christmas gift.
-John Wood, Outreach Pastor |
|
Community Outreach |
|
Angel Tree is Back!
Jesus said, "Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." Matthew 18:5
The people of Bethany have the opportunity again this year to reach into the lives of some of the most at-risk children in our community. Gifts given by anonymous donors in the incarcerated parent's name are often one of the few connections a child has with that parent.
If you have picked an "angel" from the Angel Tree, don't forget to return your gift in an open gift bag by December 7.
Celebrate Outreach!
The people of Bethany of have been busy serving our community in a variety of ways.
 Nearly 520 filled Salvation Army boxes were brought on November 23, destined to feed the increasing number of people in need in our community. Also, for the second time, Bethany served as a drop-off point for Phoenix Rescue Mission. This effort collected more than 156 frozen turkeys from Bethany and our local community.
 Everyone seemed to get into the action this year. Two Girl Scout troops and their families built boxes for the pyramid in the worship center lobby and taped grocery lists to boxes. The K-5 kids brought their own offerings. Bethany Middle Schoolers ferried food boxes to and from the church and the High Schoolers loaded filled boxes onto the Salvation Army truck. The people of Bethany responded generously, even in these tough economic times. Thanks to all who worked so hard to make this happen.
Thanksgiving Week Community Service Challenge The numbers aren't all in yet, but this is what we know so far about your incredible response to Pastor Hendrix's challenge.
 Many, many more of you have served over the past two months--too many to track.
-
Do you have a story to tell about ministering to someone in our community? Send it to Peggy Levesque at plevesque@bethanycc.com.
Habitat for Humanity
We have our family!!! Ngan Ha is a hard-working single mother of a daughter (Thran, age 12) and son (Brandon, age 4). They currently rent a room from another family where Ms. Ha shares the master bedroom with her children. This makes for extremely crowded conditions and doesn't allow the children space of their own. She has been with the same employer for the past 15 years and has moved into a supervisory position. Ms. Ha looks forward to being able to offer her children a place to call home. We're planning a reception to introduce the family to their "adopted" Bethany family (that's us) on January 4. Watch for details later this month. As you are probably aware by now, our Habitat house at 425 S. Delaware Street (Lot #10018) begins construction on January 3. While we are sharing the volunteer build slots that day with our other partners, we plan a "wall-raising" ceremony at about 10:00am. We would love to see as many Bethany people there as possible to show support. Mark your calendar now. Signups for the build will begin in earnest sometime in December. Let's put our heads together to come up with ways that everyone can participate, even if you never go to the build site. If you have any questions, please direct them to Jim Gabler at JimGabler@aol.com.
- Peggy Levesque, Community Outreach Ministries Director |
|
International Outreach |
Bethany's Kosovo Albanian and Mibu PartnershipsSince 2003, Bethany has maintained a particular focus on two people groups, the Albanians of Kosovo and the Mibus of Papua, New Guinea. We have recently received encouraging updates from the Areopag Student Resource Center (Kosovo) and from Geoff Husa in Mibu. Following are excerpts from the letters for which the full text is available at bethanycommunity.com. From the Areopag Student Resource Center: "It's a great joy to have Mary Richardson here in Kosova. We are blessed to talk together for the future of Areopag."
"Areopag is becoming a place for study for our members-students... we have 83 user-members total." (note: students pay a yearly fee to become a member-user of the Areopag resources).
"All of our members know that we're Christians and God is ... giving more opportunities to talk with members ..."
The Areopag team says "praise the Lord for ... Bethany Community Church congregation support in prayer and financially.
Areopag future plans include an English language course and a computer class for beginners, both to begin in 2009.
From Geoff Husa of Mibu: "One really awesome thing that I got to witness during this epistle translation workshop was actually experienced during our first night here. I brought out two of my friends from Mibu, Sesi and Lucas ... All the other missionaries brought their translation helpers as well, so all in all there were about 18 helpers attending the workshop from all over Papua New Guinea."
"The first evening ... Sesi has this huge perma-smile going and starts telling me about how happy he is that all the other nationals at this workshop are believers. He explained how that within an hour or two of everyone being there they'd all shared how they came to know the Lord and even shared some songs that they typically sing in worship to God. I seem to recall him excitedly commenting something to the effect that we're all different, but we're all the same."
- John Wood, Outreach Pastor |
|
Men's Ministry |
|
Men's Ministry Workday
Men, your help is needed every third Saturday of the month to help with some light landscaping. Please join us from 7-10am outside building J. This will be a great time to enjoy the weather and fellowship and to lend a hand to maintain the look of campus and help Bethany keep maintenance cost down. Coffee and doughnuts will be available. Contact John Wallace at 602-390-2827.
- Terry Gott, Men's Ministry Pastor
|
|
Young Adults |
CrossOver Faith Community
Are you a young adult seeking to connect and build friendships with others? Then Crossover is the place for you! Every First and Third Sunday of the month, young adults from 20 to 30 get together at 7pm in the H Building (the Chapel) to seek God in worship, truth and community. For monthly events check out the young adults page on the Bethany website at bethanycommunity.com.
|
|
Student Life |
Halloween Outreach Party
MSM's Halloween Outreach Party on October 31 was a HUGE success! The MSM room was very well decorated and 35 students came to the event. Of the 35 students, ten were new to MSM. Praise God! The students and leaders bobbed for pumpkins, watched "Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin," performed funny skits, and more. It was a great night. Thanks to everyone!
 Magic MountainFrom November 7 through 9, MSM and HSM boarded a charter bus and headed to southern California for a couple of crazy fun-filled days. We spent a full day at Magic Mountain, going on rides that we never thought we would. The next day we attended a youth service and went to a windy Santa Monica Beach. Being together in the name of Jesus throughout the weekend was such a blessing for students and leaders alike.
MSM Serves at Carestone
MSM students have continued to serve on a monthly basis at Carestone Assisted Living of Tempe. We have had great times recording the memories of the elderly and playing Bingo. In December, we will be going to sing Christmas carols...check the MSM web site for all the details.
MSM Christmas Party
On Wednesday, December 10, from 6:30-8:00pm, MSM will be having a Christmas Party in the MSM room. There will be a white elephant gift exchange...all details are available in the MSM room and on the website.
MSM Lock-In Coming in January!
Mark your calendars! MSM is having our annual winter Lock-In January 2-3, 2009! Stay tuned for more information in the weeks ahead. This is a great opportunity to bring friends that don't have a church home!
- Josh Harper, Middle School Ministry Director |
|
Children's Ministry |
|
Superheroes Winter CampSuperheroes Winter Camp
Camp Ponderosa in Heber, AZ No rain, sleet or snow will stop the Superheroes Winter Camp for 4th and 5th graders, January 23-25. This will be a time for your children to learn about our Bible heroes from the Old and New Testament. There will be Bible lessons, games, skits, food, and lots of time to make new friends. Gordon West will be the guest speaker and The Band from Sun Valley Christian Church will be leading worship.
Register before December 5 and the cost is $165 per person, which includes: meals, lodging, T-shirt and transportation. The cost to register after December 5 will be $185. All registrations must be made by January 9. Register online now at www.bethanycommunity.com.
- Sheri Baltzer, Children's Pastor |
|
Upcoming Events |
Ollie The Trolly is Back! 
All aboard! Ollie the Trolley is taking the Bethany women on a Christmas Light Tour Thursday, December 4. We will start with appetizers at 5pm in the front by the H Building. At 6pm, hop on the trolley to take a Christmas light tour while singing Christmas songs. Stop at Christmas Lane to visit what some may call "Sweet Tooth Central," and then back to the Church at 9pm.
All gals are welcomed. This year we have even added a multi-generational trolley to include girls from kindegarten age on up! Seating is limited, so purchase your tickets online now! The cost is $15 and a small dessert or appetizer to share.
Mary Beth Cochran 480.831.5005 or mbcochran@bethanycc.com
Barleen's Arizona Opry.
Saturday, December 6, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $25 per person for dinner and a show. For those who need transportation, the van will leave the church at 5:00 pm.
Alice Garner 480-895-9074
PrimeLife Monthly Luncheon Meeting
Wednesday, December 10
Special Guests Robyn Dahl, Women's Ministry Director and Richard Compton, Music
PrimeLife monthly luncheons are a time for fellowship, prayer, devotions, music, catered lunches, and informative, challenging or inspirational messages on a variety of topics. Sign up at the PrimeLife table in the courtyard or your faith community.
Laura Tipton 480.893.1702
Girlfriend ConnectionTis the season to be jolly! With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, take a break on December 12 at 7pm in C2 to enjoy chatting with the gals, eating tasty appetizers, and playing games. There is no cost and new friends are always welcome. Mary Beth Cochran 480.831.5005, mbcochran@bethanycc.com
NUTCRACKER 08 with the Mill Ave Chamber Players 
Sunday, December 14, 3:00pm, Bethany Worship Center Join the Mill Ave Chamber Players and Narrator Don Crosby this holiday season for a great family event! Hear the music from "The Nutcracker" by P. I. Tchaikovsky while narrated with the original tale that inspired this work by E.T.A Hoffman, "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King." Coloring books with the tale will be given to each child! Tickets are $10 per person, $5 for students and seniors, and only $30 for the entire family (2 adults and children from the same family) and are available for purchase at millavechamberplayers.org. Mary Beth Cochran 480.831.5005, mbcochran@bethanycc.com
Christmas Caroling
Tuesday, December 22, 7:30pm Come join us in front of the Worship Center Monday, December 22 at 7:30pm as we go caroling around the Bethany neighborhood. All ages are welcome to sing and celebrate the joy of Christmas with our surrounding neighbors. Please bring a flashlight. Caroling books will be available. Mary Beth Cochran 480.831.5005 or mbcochran@bethanycc.com
Hiking Group
Do you enjoy getting out in the beautiful Phoenix Fall weather to enjoy nature? Join the small group of hikers meeting on Saturdays at 7:30am. We hike for approximately an hour on some of the surrounding trails at South Mountain. Then it's off to the coffee shop for breakfast goodies and visiting. This is a great way to get some exercise and start your Saturday morning. If you are interested, or for more details, contact Linda Whipple at lwhippple@bethanycc.com.
Yoga - Begins in January
Start the New Year off with a healthy beginning. Join this on-campus yoga class that restores, builds and maintains strength to the body while listening to music that encourages the soul and de-stresses the mind. Everyone needs to regularly exercise and de-stress to enjoy optimum health, wellness and fitness. Bring your neighbor, co-worker or a relative and enjoy this friendly, fun way to better health. Begins Tuesday, January 13 from 6:30-7:30 pm in the H Building. Cost is $40 for a 10 week session. Register online or call Mary Beth Cochran at 480.831.5005. |
|
Life in Christ |
Unique New You! Spiritual Gift Study
"We are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 Do you know what you were created to do? Join the Renewal Faith Community as we attempt to discover our unique design and purpose in a study of Spiritual Gifts. Sundays in December at 9:00am in room E7. Register online at bethanycommunity.com/Events and Registration or contact Fran Carey at 480.839.4749 for more information. Last Chance - Hebrew StudyTutoring is available to catch up and join the Hebrew Class on January 8. After January, this class is permanently closed. This class is for any person interested in studying the original language of the Old Testament. The class will meet weekly for one hour and require three to four hours per week of study. The teacher for this course is Jill Pack. Jill has taught similar classes in several valley churches. She has studied extensively at ASU, Fuller Seminary and under Hebrew University professors in Israel. Class meets Thursdays from 6:30-7:30pm in C2. Contact Mary Beth Cochran at 480.831.5005 or mbcochran@bethanycc.com for more information. See the Bible for Yourself
Are you ready to devote some time and energy to studying God's Word and discovering God's truth for yourself? Do you want to be part of a highly interactive discussion of Bible truth each week? Join like-minded adults each Tuesday as we travel through the Word of God, 7-8:30pm in D4,with a discussion of Proverbs. We will be following this study with Ecclesiastes beginning December 2. Come early for fellowship at 6:30pm. For more information, contact Fran Carey 480.839.4749.  Baptism - January 11
The Bible clearly teaches that those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior should be baptized in water as a testimony of their faith. Adults and students interested in baptism, please contact Mary Beth to set up a time to meet with a Pastor. If your child knows Christ as their personal Savior and wants to be baptized, there will be a class on Sunday, January 4 in D3 at 10:45am. To sign up for a child baptism class, please contact Mary Beth Cochran at 480.831.5005 or mbcochran@bethanycc.com. |
|
Opportunities to Serve |
Camp Volunteers needed!
In order to make our Winter Escape successful, we your need help. If you can assist with anything listed below, please contact Mary Beth 480.831.5005 or mbcochran@bethanycc.com with your name, email, and phone number.
3-4 Counselors
1 Nurse or EMT
1 Video person to take and edit
1 Recreation leader
1 MC for worship times
1 Tech person to run sound for worship
1 Decorator/ craft person
Van Driver Needed for Sunday Rotation
We are in need of a volunteer to drive the church van an average of one Sunday a month. The driver would pick up individuals starting at 8am (one hour before the start of the first service) and return them to their home following the end of the second service. In most cases you will return to the church parking lot by 1pm. Total time commitment would be about two hours per month. This is a rewarding job serving those who have a heart for Jesus but cannot drive. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Jeff Hackett at 602.318.6152 or jhackett75@cox.net |
|
Bethany Reunion |
|
 Rob Crusoe's mother, Mary Janice Crusoe, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, November 15 in Columbus, Ohio. Please pray for Rob, his sister and the family as they mourn their loss. Shirley Notestine, a dedicated Bethany Bible Study and Faith Community leader, lost both a sister and then a brother within the last few weeks as they went home to be with the Lord. "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." -Romans 12:15 |
|
Other Items of Interest |
|
Need a Tax Credit?
The December 31, 2008 tax credit deadline is fast approaching. It is not too late to donate to any of the Arizona Private School Tuition Tax Credit Organizations. Donations received before December 31, 2008 will be credited on the donor's 2008 Tax returns. Married couples filing jointly can donate up to $1,000 and single taxpayers can donate up to $500. Donors will receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit against their Arizona state income tax.
Donations can be made for an individual child attending Bethany Learning Center or to Bethany Learning Center's general donation pool to be distributed by the tax credit organization.
The tax credit organizations are:
If you have any questions, please call the school office at (480) 838-2440.
Tax Credits for the Working Poor
Did you know that, in addition to the education donation tax credit, Arizona offers the opportunity to make a $200 ($400 if married and filing jointly) donation to a qualified not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) agency that serves the working poor? This must be over and above your total 1996 charitable contribution and comes directly off your Arizona tax liability. So basically, it's a donation that costs you nothing. Especially in the current economic climate, non-profit organizations rely heavily on these contributions to continue to offer their services. Detailed information is available through Taxpayer Information and Assistance at http://www.revenue.state.az.us.
Most qualifying agencies post forms to fill out on their web sites, or you can call them for information. If you don't already have a favorite agency to support in this important and painless manner, please check out some of the ministries Bethany people already support in some way:
Hope Community Health Center www.hopecommunityhealthcenter.org
Mentor Kids www.mentorkidsusa.org
Children First Academy (formerly Pappas School) qualifies for the Tuition Tax Credit and Extra Curricular Tax Credit childrenfirst.edkey.org/index.php/tempe.html
IRA Charitable Donations
The Charitable IRA Transfer is back! Last month the President signed into law the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 which includes the Charitable IRA Rollover. If you are 70-1/2 or older, this law enables you to directly transfer an IRA distribution to Bethany Community Church as a charitable donation. Transferred amounts are excluded from your taxable income. This provision is effective through December 31, 2009 and applies only to traditional IRAs. For information on how to make a transfer or to receive a sample transfer request letter, contact Kathy Huizingh at 480-305-5790. | |
