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| December 14, 2014 - Third Sunday of Advent |
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The Long Journey IS the Gift
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Jean Brown sent me this story recently in an e-mail. It was so good I wanted to share it with you. An African boy listened carefully as his teacher explained why Christians give presents to each other on Christmas day. "The gift is an expression of our joy over the birth of Jesus and our friendship with each other," she said.
When Christmas day came, the boy brought to the teacher a seashell of lustrous beauty. "Where did you ever find such a beautiful shell?" the teacher asked as she gently fingered the gift. The youth told her that there was only one spot where such extraordinary shells could be found. When he named the place, a certain bay several miles away, the teacher was left speechless. "Why . . . why, it's gorgeous . . . wonderful, but you shouldn't have gone all that way to get a gift for me."
His eyes brightening, the boy answered, "The long walk is part of the gift." We forget that giving is made more joyous by the sacrifice that comes from the gift we give. A gift ordered without cost is nice but it is not as precious as the hard won gift - the one that says, "you mean so much that I went to the ends of my earth for you." Isn't that what God did for us, when in God's faithfulness God came and became flesh and (as the Message translates) moved into the neighborhood" and "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son - whosoever believes this has eternal life." The long journey's end - our salvation in Jesus Christ - is the source of our joy - the truest gift from our Father in heaven!
Blessings, Rev. Ellen
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Christmas Program at Bethpage This Sunday!
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The annual Bethpage Christmas Program, The Greatest Story Ever Told, will be held this Sunday, December 14th at 9:00 AM in the church fellowship hall.
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Order Your Holiday Boston Butt by This Sunday, December 14th!
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| The Kannapolis Area Presbyterian Men are selling delicious BBQ Boston Butts to raise funds for Cooperative Christian Ministries' Fuel Assistance Program. Tickets are available from members of KAPM and the cost per Boston Butt is $35.00. Deadline for purchasing tickets is this Sunday, December 14th. You may pick up your order at the Bethpage Presbyterian Church Pavilion at 6:00 PM on Friday, December 19th OR on Saturday, December 20th from 10:00 AM until Noon at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, 900 Klondale Avenue, Kannapolis. We always appreciate your support of our efforts to help others!
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Joint Choir Christmas Cantata at Bethpage - December 21st
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 The choirs of Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, Flow Harris Presbyterian Church and Bethpage Presbyterian Church will join together to present a Christmas Cantata next Sunday, December 21st at 9:55 AM in the sanctuary of BPC. All are enthusiastically invited to this musical offering. The choirs are working very hard to make this a cantata to be remembered. Instrumentalists have been invited to add more to the program and we are excited to be able to give this gift of music, song, Scripture and worship to all our congregations. We will enjoy a covered dish lunch in the BPC Fellowship Hall immediately following the cantata. So bring your favorite foods to share and join us for a time of delicious food, great fellowship, and wonderful music on Sunday, December 21st! |
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The Sunshine Group will not meet during
the month of December. See you in January!
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Share in the Love of Christmas
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The Communications Ministry Area invites everyone to share a Christmas card with the entire church family and save a stamp! Bring a Christmas card and place it in the offering plate during Advent and it will be displayed for everyone to enjoy.
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Christmas Joy Offering to be Received December 21st
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Next Sunday, December 21st, Bethpage and Presbyterian Churches around the country are receiving a special offering, the Christmas Joy Offering. Your gifts to this offering are shared equally by the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions nd the Presbyterian-related Racial Ethnic Schools and Colleges in our denomination. Please consider a financial gift to this special offering. A special envelope will be provided for you in your bulletin. Please make checks payable to Bethpage Presbyterian Church and write "Christmas Joy Offering" on the memo line. To find out more about this offering, click on the graphic below.
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The deadline for items for the December 28th edition of The Beth Page is Monday, December 22nd. There will not be a Wednesday evening supper or G.I.F.T. Program on December 24th or 31st. The church office will be closed on Thursday, December 25th an Friday, December 26th. Wednesday evening supper and G.I.F.T. Program will resume on January 7, 2015!
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Christmas Eve Service - Wednesday, December 14th at 8:00 PM
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 "For unto us is born . . . a Savior, Christ the Lord." Join us with your family and friends as we celebrate the wonder of "God with us." Our Christmas Eve Service begins at 8:00 PM on Wednesday, December 24th in the church sanctuary. Together we will explore God's plan of redemption from Genesis through Revelation with a service of Lessons and Carols. The evening will end with a Bethpage Church tradition, a candle lit singing of Silent Night. Don't miss this Holy Night; bring your friends and family. |
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Ad Hoc Committee for Church Improvements
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| News! Good News! The session of Bethpage Presbyterian Church has created an Ad Hoc Committee to explore Capital Improvements to our beloved church. This committee will include Richie Goodman, Peggy Overcash, Gip Rumple III, Ellen Shore and members of the staff of BPC. The task: to identify the projects needed to revitalize our church buildings, classify these projects in phases, nominate and fill a committee to implement the changes after session and congregational approval. The time for these improvements has come! We look forward to this time of growth and renewal!
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| 2015 Offering Envelopes are available for church members to pick up in the hallway behind the sanctuary. If you have a mailbox in the church office, your envelopes will be there. Please double check the envelope number on the label with the number inside to make sure they match before you take the envelopes home. If you can't find your envelopes, please contact the church office. Thank you!
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Would You Like to Place Flowers in the Church?
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| If you would like to place flowers in the church please contact Margaret Griffin at 704-932-7418.
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In memory of Ray Christy
Steve and Rachel Christy
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December 7:
Joys: Bethpage Young People lighting the Advent wreath (Connie Goodman), Rick Mullinax, Frank and Jimmie Melton and Glenda Kirkman's presence in worship, Kannapolis Area Presbyterian Men donation of $1,000 to CCM (Ed Kusper), Christy family as they celebrate Ray's life (Margaret Griffin)
Concerns: Linda Blum as she fights cancer, Laudington Family's loss (Carrie Paxton), Joyce and Jerry Deal as Joyce recovers from surgery (Charlotte Penland), Calvin Rodgers and his whole family - recovery from surgery, Exams for college students, Ernest as he seeks a call (Roger Hamilton)
November 30:
Joys: Rick Mullinax is doing better - continued healing (Jenny Linebarrier), College care packages were great (A.J. Smith), McNeal Family reunion - they enjoyed the fellowship hall (Betty Christy)
Concerns: Ron Morton - more cancer, Family of Judy Slesser in her passing (Rob Cox), Betsy Shore and family as she recovers (Kim Shore), Andrea Waters - the cancer has returned (Chris Ferguson), Glenda Kirkman's healing (Heather Kirkman), Joyce Deal's surgery at Duke this week (Jerry Deal), Lauren Shore's fiancé Brad - having headaches - have gone to the emergency room (Ellen Shore), Calvin Rodgers having surgery on the 4th of December (Margaret Griffin)
November 23:
Joys: Maurice - Marcia's Father celebrating another birthday (Marcia Graybeal)
Concerns: Leah Holt and Andrea Mathes - prayers for healing (Sherry Childers), Judy Maybry's passing (Jenny Linebarrier's sister-in-law), Rick Mullinax is with us this AM (Janice Morgan), Sarah Smith fell and is in hospital, former Hickory Ridge student died at Appalachian State last week (Marty Paxton), Al - my cousin's husband has taken a turn for the worse (Cheryl Kusper), Calvin Rodgers (Eric McKnight), Steven Brown has cirrhosis of the liver (Rhonda Jones), Marcia Johnson's husband is recovering well from surgery (Frances Hartsell), Kim Shore's mother broke her foot (Charlotte Penland), Jim McKnight (Eric McKnight), Harold Thompson - my cousin - was diagnosed with cancer (Susan Smith)
November 16:
Joys: Many thank to BPC for the prayers and love you have shown us (Marty and Bick Bickerstaff), Zumbathon - especially Rob Cox and the youth group (Madison Cox)
Concerns: Continued prayers for Joyce Deal and Rick Mullinax (Jenny Linebarrier), Helen Barnhardt had a serious blood sugar drop this week (Janice Morgan), Family of Danny Pike after his passing from a heart attack (Marty Paxton), Family and students of Appalachian State Student who killed himself this last week (Amy Ritchie), Louie Blackmon (Becky Eckels)
BIG ELM RETIREMENT CENTER: Paul Christy
BRIAN CENTER: Glenn Bickerstaff
TRINITY OAKS RETIREMENT CENTER: Shirley Helms
ST. ANDREWS LIVING CENTER: Eloise White
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 Serving This Sunday |
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USHERS
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Head Usher
Roger Hamilton
Ushers
Jill, Eric & Kevin Hamilton
Aubrey Tarlton
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LECTOR
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Kim & Leslie Gibson
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CHILDREN'S NURSERY
SUNDAY SCHOOL & WORSHIP
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Rhonda Jones & Sara Rodgers
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CHILDREN'S WORSHIP
(No Sunday School)
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Carrie Paxton & Heather Goodman
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Our Attendance and Financial Stewardship
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OUR ATTENDANCE STEWARDSHIP
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Sunday Worship - 101
Sunday School - 41
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OUR FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP
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12/7/14
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Year-to-date
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General Budget Giving
Weekly Budget Needs
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$7,770.00
$4,854.43
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$230,649.94
$237,867.07
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10˘-A-Meal Offering received last Sunday: $313.58
10˘-A-Meal Offering received for 2014: $3,934.37
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Sermon from Sunday, December 7, 2014
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Rev. Ellen Campbell Gardner's sermon from the Second Sunday
of Advent, December 7, 2014. Peace is the message.
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Thank you to Jean Brown for uploading the sermons.
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Lectionary for the week of December 14 - 20, 2014
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Sunday, December 14, 2014
Monday, December 15, 2014
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Friday, December 19, 2014
Saturday, December 20, 2014 back to top |
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Please drop us an email and let us know if there is something you would like to see included in the newsletter.
We would love to hear from you!
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Sunday School at 9:00 AM - Worship Service at 9:55 AM
6020 Mooresville Road - Kannapolis NC 28081
704-933-2209 (church office phone)
Church office hours: 8:30 AM until 3:30 PM, Mon - Fri
Rev. Ellen Campbell Gardner: 704-431-3700
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