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"Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end."

 (John 13:1)

   The song goes, "What the world needs now, is love, sweet love. That's the only thing that there's just too little of." Does that ring true with you? Certainly the love Jesus showed in his ministry was what the world needed then and now. Jesus lived with his disciples, laughed and cried with them, washed their feet, served them in love, even died to ransom them from sin. This loving leadership was then mirrored by his disciples causing the early church to grow like wild fire. That kind of servant love is still needed today. Did you know that among the millennial generation; those born between early 1980 and 2000, the greatest thing they seek is authentic relationships, a.k.a Christ-like relationships.

   Today, Christ continues to love the world, just as he did throughout his ministry, this time through his disciples, who are called his hands and feet. This is how he (as the scripture above tells us), " loved them to the end!" In the Presbyterian Church this model of servant leadership has been what congregations and the elders who lead them have aspired to. Indeed, 1 Peter 5 reminds the elder that he/she is to, " . . . shepherd the flock of God that is among you."

   TO that end, the session of Bethpage Church voted in their November meeting to begin a Shepherding Elder program in 2015. Our goal is that each of our elders will be reaching out to the families of our congregation, offering love and care as Jesus offered it. Your session shepherd has covenanted to: pray for you daily, get to know you and the members of your family better on a monthly basis, and be a source of information to each of you on the happenings and initiatives at Bethpage Presbyterian Church. As time goes by, we pray that you will feel comfortable enough to share your joys and sorrows with them building a bond of Christian friendship, growth and love.

   Perhaps you have already received a telephone call from your shepherd elder. If not, be looking for that first phone call in upcoming weeks.  Blessings, Rev. Ellen

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Personal Journaling

Adult Lessons 

This Sunday, January 11^th, we are privileged to have Aaron M. Orr Sr. preaching at our 9:55 AM worship service. Mr. Orr was born in Charlotte, NC and attended and graduated from J.H. Gunn High School in 1959. After two years at J.C. Smith University, he joined the U.S. Air Force serving four years in the Far-East Theater under the SAC stage, and was honorably discharged in November, 1964. After receiving an Associate's Degree from Central Piedmont Community College, Mr. Orr attended UNCC working on a Religious Studies Degree. He worked in the wholesale Plumbing Supply Service in management and sales and was owner and operator of AMO Plumbing Repair Service for 20 years. Mr. Orr was commissioned to serve Blacks Memorial Presbyterian in Monroe, NC for eight years, served Cedar Grove Presbyterian in Concord, NC for several years, and is currently serving on the Community Relations Committee of Charlotte President Northwood Estates Community Organization. He and his loving wife, Lorraine, are the proud parents of three children and four grandchildren. We welcome Aaron Orr to Bethpage Presbyterian Church! 

The congregation of Bethpage Presbyterian Church extends its deepest Christian sympathy to Phil Allen and family in the death of his nephew, William (Peppy) Johnson. We also extend our deepest Christian sympathy to Betty Christy and family in the passing of two of their family members - the Paige Family and Melvin Christy (Betty's nephew) on the passing of Brenda Paige and Susan Bumgarner (Betty's great-neice) and Family in the death of Hayden Bumgarner.

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Bethpage Presbyterian Church continues its ministry with Fred L. Wilson Elementary School with a Laundromat Ministry, "Suds of Love."  We need volunteers to be at Harris Laundromat (1205 West C Street, Kannapolis) on Thursday, January 15th from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM and 6:00 until 9:00 PM.  If you would be available on that day, please contact Christel Josey (704-706-5752) or Chris Ferguson (704-680-2783).  If you can't volunteer, but would still like to help, we need donations of quarters and laundry detergent. 

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. 

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. 

• Roger Hamilton made a motion to call the meeting to order, voted on and approved. A quorum was declared by the moderator, Rev. Ellen Campbell Gardner, followed by devotions, discussions by the Session (music program, shepherd program, Share Christ, renovations, areas of ministry to move forward discerning what our younger adults are craving.) Christel Josey to share a personal witness at the next regular Session meeting.

• Session approved:

  • Minutes of the Stated Session Meeting of October 20, 2014.

  • a request for membership transfer for Jim Bramlett to Cornelius PC.

  • December 2014 calendar.

  • Facilities reservations requests presented.

• Moderator's report was received by Session and discussed.

• The Session received a letter from Rev. Sergio A. Schmidt - Ref. A time to be grateful. Chris Ferguson made a motion to publish this letter as a Second Page communication in The Beth Page. Voted on and approved.

• Education Ministry Area recommended 2015 Vacation Bible School dates to be July 27 - 30, 2015. Voted on and approved.

• Session reviewed the October 2014 Financial Statements.

• Stewardship Ministry Area updated the Session on Consecration Sunday stewardship program.

• Worship Ministry Area passed around the communion sign-up sheets.

• Christel Josey made a motion to have a curb appeal day on Saturday, December 13, 2014. Voted on and approved.

• Property Ministry Area recommended moving the Latin Mission Christ Savior Food Pantry to the closet on 2^nd floor of the Educational Building. Voted on and approved.

• Communications Ministry Area recommended purchasing banner for outside usage during Advent. Voted on and not approved.

• Chris Ferguson made a motion to regretfully accept Sheila Grey's letter of resignation as Elder and place a copy in the minutes. Voted on and accepted regretfully by the Session.

• Cheryl Kusper made a motion to merge Communications and Fellowship into one ministry area at this time. Voted on and approved.

• Mission/Evangelism Ministry Area recommended to have Lights of Love donations to go to fuel assistance program of Cooperative Christian Ministry. Voted on and approved.

• The next stated Session meeting will be Monday, December 15, 2014, 7:00 PM.

• Kim Shore made a motion to adjourn the meeting and it was closed with prayer.

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December 28:

TRINITY OAKS RETIREMENT CENTER: Shirley Helms

Sunday, January 11, 2015

• Morning Psalms 104; 150
• First Reading Isaiah 40:1-11
• Second Reading Hebrews 1:1-12
• Gospel Reading John 1:1-7, 19-20, 29-34
• Evening Psalm 29

Monday, January 12, 2015

• Morning Psalms 5; 145
• First Reading Isaiah 40:12-24
• Second Reading Ephesians 1:1-14
• Gospel Reading Mark 1:1-13
• Evening Psalms 82; 29 

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

• Morning Psalms 42; 146
• First Reading Isaiah 40:25-31
• Second Reading Ephesians 1:15-23
• Gospel Reading Mark 1:14-28
• Evening Psalms 102; 133

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

• Morning Psalms 89:1-18; 147:1-11
• First Reading Isaiah 41:1-16
• Second Reading Ephesians 2:1-10
• Gospel Reading Mark 1:29-45
• Evening Psalms 1; 33

Thursday, January 15, 2015

• Morning Psalms 97; 147:12-20
• First Reading Isaiah 41:17-29
• Second Reading Ephesians 2:11-22
• Gospel Reading Mark 2:1-12
• Evening Psalms 16; 62

Friday, January 16, 2015

• Morning Psalms 51; 148
• First Reading Isaiah 42:(1-9) 10-17
• Second Reading Ephesians 3:1-13
• Gospel Reading Mark 2:13-22
• Evening Psalms 142; 65 

Saturday, January 17, 2015

• Morning Psalms 104; 149
• First Reading Isaiah (42:18-25) 43:1-13
• Second Reading Ephesians 3:14-21
• Gospel Reading Mark 2:23-3:6
• Evening Psalms 138; 98 

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