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When It's Time to Go | |
I came to be your pastor in October 2001. It has been my great honor and privilege to shepherd this wonderful family of believers for the past 498 weeks (at the end of May). I came to this position nine months after President Bush was inaugurated and just three weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. I have served through all of President Bush's two terms and through more than half of President Obama's first term. Not to compare leading at Bethany with being the President of the United States, but nine and half years is a long time in the rapidly changing environment of the Twenty-first Century. Now it is time for a new leader at Bethany. This month will be my final month as your Pastor. It is time for me to step aside and make room for the next Pastor God is going to bring to our church.
I've chosen Acts 20:16-38 as the text for my final sermon series to be preached May 1, 8, 15 and 22 called, When It's Time to Go. This text contains the Apostle Paul's farewell message to the elders of the church he founded at Ephesus. And though he was only with them for less than three years, his ministry there was deep, significant and life-changing for Paul and for the congregation of believers at Ephesus. In this farewell message Paul talks candidly about himself, his ministry among the Ephesians and the future. His words describe many of the thoughts and feelings I have in leaving Bethany.
No, I'm not comparing myself to the Apostle Paul in any way, except that we both pastored great churches full of people we loved dearly, and we both look back with confidence in how we led, preached, shepherded and served the church. We both also face an uncertain future, but we face it with faith. And we both know that the future of the church we are leaving, we are leaving in the care of God the Great Shepherd of his people. The church we served was never really ours at all; we served and led and preached on Someone else's behalf and in his name, not our own. The final note in Paul's farewell is a deep personal love and affection for the people he shepherded. That's my feeling too.
I'm looking forward, with a bittersweet anticipation, to these final Sundays and this last series of messages from the Word. I know they will flow from my heart and I hope they will touch yours too.
When It's Time to Go (Acts 20:16-38)
May 1 Looking Back with Contentment
(Acts 20:16-21, 25-31)
May 8 Looking Forward with Faith
(Acts 20:22-24)
May 15 Looking to God for Grace
(Acts 20:32-35)
May 22 Looking at Each Other with Love
(Acts 20:26-38)
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| Senior Pastor Search Committee Named |
With Pastor Rich Hendrix leaving us later this month, the task of identifying candidates for the position of Senior Pastor lies ahead of us. As prescribed by Article VIII, Section 1 of the Bethany Community Church Bylaws, the Board of Elders has declared a vacancy and, along with the Nomination Committee, have impaneled a Senior Pastor Search Committee. The committee is comprised of four Elders and four Members of the church.
The members of the Senior Pastor Search Committee are:
- Scott Arehart
- Harriet Askew
- Theresa Board
- Jim Crocco
- Ben Eubank
- John Hoffman
- Don Kelley
- Joey Tartaglia
The committee will lead our church through the process of this search. We ask that you pray for them and also thank them for volunteering their time and talents to perform this very important task for us. We expect that as the committee starts doing their work, we will get periodic updates from them. If you have any questions or comments you would like to share with the Senior Pastor Search Committee, you can contact them at PastorSearch@bethanycc.com.
- Dave Chittenden, Chairman, Elder Board
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| Missional Life: Community Outreach Update |
... I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. ~ Matthew 25:40
 Children First Academy
The following is taken from the last note I received from Children First Academy:
Thank you all for the wonderful donations you make on an ongoing basis. We appreciate you so much for continually thinking of us.
Not only do they thank you, I do too, and I am amazed at the great response week after week. God bless each and every one of you!!
Please be praying for the students and the staff that the right decision is made in regard to summer school, which is being debated at this time. Many of the students need the extra help that they could get during the extra month of school. It has been well attended in previous years.
Questions or comments?? eMail me at montgomery49@cox.net, or call me at 480.775.1771.
In His Love,
Beulah Montgomery
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Partners In Prayer |
Pray For An Elder
The Partners in Prayer team would like to invite each of our congregation to be a participant in a new undertaking at Bethany.
Since the announcement by Pastor Rich Hendrix our Elders have been extremely busy with many important tasks in moving forward with planning for the future of Bethany. We believe that there could be no more important time than now for us as a congregation to gather around our elders as one and lift them up before our Lord and God. Would you join with us? Please choose one or more of the following Elders and pray for them on a daily, weekly, or without ceasing basis.
Here are some items for which you might pray:
- A hedge of protection around them spiritually, physically and emotionally (see 2 Kings 6:15-17)
- Wisdom and understanding in their daily decisions (see Proverbs 23:23)
- A closeness and freshness in their walk with Jesus and the Holy Spirit throughout the day (see John 8:12 and 1 John 1:17)
- That they will follow the Lord's commands, fear and respect God fully, study and obey His Word, and walk in His ways (see Psalm 19:7-11 and Hosea 14:9)
- That joy and authenticity will mark their lives as they communicate with those whom God has placed into their lives each day (Philippians 2:14-16)
Then, thank God for the opportunity you have to play a vital role in their ministry (through prayer you will, and do) and for His abundant grace in their and your lives that day (Ephesians 6:18). We believe strongly that the last thing the devil wants us to do is pray; and the most important thing we can do is pray. Let's not leave our elders to battle against the devil and to seek the Lord's direction for our church without the proper cover we can give them through prayer.
Jesus' Example
As we reflect on the wonderful news of our Lord's resurrection to glory in this just-passed Easter celebration, let's take a moment to look at the last two times we see Jesus in earthly prayer.
First, in the garden where He pleads with his Father not that He might not sacrifice himself for us (for He knew beforehand that He must), but instead asking if there was another way. Then, his prayer on the cross, Father forgive them for they know not what they do.
Even at the most trying times in his earthly life, Jesus was thinking about, praying for, others (us). As always, Jesus is the greatest example for a praying saint. He always put others ahead of himself, and one of his most important ways of doing that was by lifting them (us) up before the Father. Let's go forth each day and do the same as He did.
God Bless,
Partners-in-Prayer
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| BLC Spring Carnival a Hit! | |
Bethany Learning Center hosted its annual Spring Carnival on Friday, April 8. Families came by the dozens to enjoy the cool air, hot pizza, toddler town, bounce house, games, prizes, petting zoo and more! Smiles were seen as far as you looked as children and adults participated together, making this year's carnival a success.
The Learning Center is currently enrolling students from 12 months to 6th grade for the summer and 12 months to Kindergarten for the fall. Drop by any weekday from 7am until 6pm for a tour or call 480.838.2440 for more information.
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Hot News for a Cool Summer | |
Bethany Learning Center is launching a Facebook page that will highlight our summer day camp and fall programs.
The launch date is set for May 5, which is National Day of Prayer! Our hope is you will share our inaugural prayer with your friends and of course Like us.
Click the image below for a sneak peak, and be sure to hit the Like button so that we can share information and our prayer with you on May 5.
Bethany Learning Center
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| Improving Your Financial Fitness | |
The Financial Guidance Team is planning a four-week small group experience to strengthen personal financial fitness. Topics to be covered will include goal setting, developing a spending plan and tracking expenditures, giving, credit and debt reduction, and savings and retirement. Mentors are also available if you would prefer one-on-one guidance.
For more information on this opportunity, you can contact the team at financialgt@bethanycc.com , call Debbie Wallace at 480.839.1368, Cherrie Vinton at 480.580.2839 or stop in the Connecting Point on Sunday morning and speak with Linda.
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| Upcoming Program & Event Highlights | |
Last Week of Spring Programs is May 2-5
Monthly Elder Meeting - May 3
Adult Ministries
Lifescapes: for Young Couples - May 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29
The Bait of Satan Study - May 3 Student Ministries
High School Ministry (HSM)
Mid-Week Programming - May 4
CU @ the Pool - Starts June 1
HSM Summer Camp - June 2-July 1
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