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December 28, 2014 - First Sunday After Christmas


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A Word from Rev. Ellen

"I looked and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, . . . standing before the throne and before the lamb, robed in white . . . Then one of the elders asked me, "who are these, robed in white and where have they come from?" I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes in the blood of the lamb." Rev. 7:13-14

 

     The strange truth for us as Christians is that while we miss those who have passed on in 2014, we are reminded that in Christ they have not died, but have been raised to an eternal glory. That even now they are praising God, restored as they are from all brokenness, all sickness, or age to their full glory, surrounding the throne of God and singing, with perfect pitch, "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb."

     As The Bethpage makes its last post of 2014, as we gather around the Christmas tree and table, some are missing this year. Missing but not dead! Left us for now - yet in time we will see them again. All because of the God we love and serve; the one who became like us, in a lowly stable in Bethlehem, that we might know, without doubt, that God wins and death has lost!

     As we enter into the New Year, may any mourning we have be turned, in time, into dancing once again and the fullness of life God has called each of us to live!!

 

"For this reason they are before the throne of God and worship Him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter him. They hunger no more, thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd." Rev. 7:15-17

 

We remember: Bernard White, Melvin Helms, Steve Ballard, Ralph Chapman and Mary McKnight. Also, remembered are the many family and cherished friends of Bethpage who have suffered losses this year.

Blessings, Rev. Ellen

The Story Continues with "The Birth of the King" - Chapter 22


Personal Journaling

 

Adult Lessons 

 

Holiday Schedule

The deadline for the January 4th edition of The Beth Page will be this Monday, December 29th.  There will not be a Wednesday evening supper or G.I.F.T. Program this week, December 31st.  The church office will be closed on Thursday, January 1, 2015. 

Communion - January 4, 2015
 
Spares and Pairs January Meeting

Spares and Pairs will meet Monday, January 5th at 6:30 PM in the BPC Fellowship Hall.  Everyone is requested to bring an snack and/or a drink.  See you there! 

Pastoral Care While Rev. Ellen Is Away

Rev. Ellen will be out of the office January 5th through January 11th, 2015 on vacation.  If you have a pastoral care concern, please call the church office or Macky Petrea, Clerk of Session.

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Wednesday Evening Supper & G.I.F.T. Program
 Our Wednesday evening supper and G.I.F.T. Program resumes on January 7th.  Please join us and don't forget to make your supper reservation by Noon on Tuesday.  You may register by signing the Ritual of Friendship pad on Sunday, calling the church office, or submitting a form by clicking here.
Annual Church Meeting - January 25, 2015

Our Annual Church Meeting will be on Sunday, January 25th immediately following the 9:55 AM Worship Service.  Reports will be distributed to the congregation on Sunday, January 18th so that you will have time to review them prior to the meeting.  Please try to be present for this important meeting in the life of our church.  Ministry Area Moderators, please turn in your reports to the church office by Thursday, January 8, 2015. 

News of The Story

If anyone has an anecdote to share concerning something that you have experienced as a result of studying or sharing The Story, please send your experience to Jean Brown.  The Communications committee would like to share all of these experiences with the whole congregation.  We will write your account and add it to the big bulletin board (with a photo of you, if you'd permit), outside the east rear sanctuary door, where the progress of The Story is being charted.  Please let everyone in the congregation know what God is doing with our study and our people. 

Starting the New Year with God

As we stand on the brink of a new year, let us consider the words of 1 John 2:7-8, "Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you have heard.  Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining."  May The Light shine on each of you this coming year. 

new-year-header5.jpg

 

2015 Offering Envelopes
2015 Offering Envelopes are available for church members to pick up in the hallway outside the Sunday School office.  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!
Would You Like to Place Flowers in the Church?
If you would like to place flowers in the church please contact Margaret Griffin at 704-932-7418.
   
Prayer Joys & Concerns

 

December 14:

 

Joys: College Students are home (Amy Ritchie), Suds of Love will go out on the 18th (Chris F.), 25 Children from Fred L. Wilson will have a Christmas (Chris F.), Young People's Pageant - Bethpage and Christ Savior youth (Sandra Cox), Mark Gurley's last day of work on Wednesday (Vicki Gurley), Choir Cantata next week (Rev. Ellen), Niece's graduation from UNC Wilmington (Glenda Kirkman), Granddaughter's graduation from Elon (Toot and Faye Rodgers), Clean Up day - all who helped from Bethpage and Christ Savior (Christel Josey)

 

Concerns: Dorothy Brown has a cold (Jean Brown), Neeha Tracy's husband was killed this week - has a 9 year old son (Marcia Johnson), Jason - a friend of Madison Scarborough - was diagnosed with Colon Cancer - He is 26 years old (Teresa Kincaid), Eva Aldridge - Christel's mother (Heather Kirkwood), Joyce Deal's recovery (Jerry Deal), Calvin Rodgers' healing and sister Lucille who lost her husband of 72 years this week (Calvin Rodgers), Families of Steve Brown, Frances Hinson, Helen Hensley and Terry Mac McCollum on their deaths, Phillip Eckels who is sick, Phillip and Melanie Eckels on the suicide death of their next door neighbor - Lemc Giddigs, Brenda Paige as she fights cancer - in Hospice now, the Eckels family - feeling beset by tragedy (Becky Eckels)

 

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 fianc� Brad - having headaches - have gone to the emergency room (Ellen Shore), Calvin Rodgers having surgery on the 4th of December (Margaret Griffin)

 

BIG ELM RETIREMENT CENTER: Paul Christy

TRINITY OAKS RETIREMENT CENTER: Shirley Helms

ST. ANDREWS LIVING CENTER: Eloise White
ServingThisSundayServing This Sunday

  

USHERS

 

 

Head Usher

Roger Hamilton

 

Ushers

Jill, Eric & Kevin Hamilton

Aubrey Tarlton

 

LECTOR

 

Brandi Coley

 

CHILDREN'S NURSERY
SUNDAY SCHOOL & WORSHIP

 

Carrie Paxton

 

CHILDREN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL & WORSHIP

 

Ellen Shore & Rhonda Jones

 

      

Our Attendance and Financial Stewardship

  

OUR ATTENDANCE STEWARDSHIP

December 14th

Sunday Worship - 90     Sunday School - 81

 

December 21st

Sunday Worship - 202    Sunday School - 34

 

OUR FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP

 

 12/14 &

12/21/2014

Year-to-date

General Budget Giving

 

Weekly Budget Needs

*$13,120.00

 

   $4,854.43

$243,759.94

 

$247,575.93

10�-A-Meal Offering received for 2014: $3,954.37

           

*reflects total offering received for 12/14/2014 and 12/21/2014.

    

Sermon for Sunday, December 14, 2014
December 14, 2014 - sermon & scenes from Children's Christmas Play
Rev. Ellen Campbell Gardner's sermon for Sunday,
December 14th - The Third Sunday of Advent
and scenes from the Annual Christmas Play

   
 Thank you to Jean Brown for uploading the sermons.

DailyLectionaryLectionary for the week of December 28, 2014 - January 3, 2015

Sunday, December 28, 2014


Monday, December 29, 2014


Tuesday, December 30, 2014


Wednesday, December 31, 2014


Thursday, January 1, 2015


Friday, January 2, 2015


Saturday, January 3, 2015

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We would love to hear from you!

 

  
photo by Jean Brown

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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