THE BETHANY LETTER

April 17, 2007 Volume 2007, Issue No. 14

This July, the United Church of Christ will officially celebrate its 50^th birthday in special worship at General Synod in Hartford Connecticut. The lead motto for the conference is "Let It Shine", which has been emphasized for the past year. Like "God is Still Speaking" it is a phrase that people can latch onto as they are reflecting on their place amid all God's creations. What is especially nice about this is that it does not come with any lists of how to, ought to, better do or even thou shall not do. It provides wonderful freedom to bring the light of God's love to all those we encounter with whatever gifts we have to offer.

This is something the wonderful people at Bethany UCC are already good at! In the Gospel of John Chapter 15, Jesus was recorded as saying, "I am the vine, you are the branches, those who abide in me will bear much fruit…If you abide in me, and my words in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." It matters not how young or old, frail or fit one is; we can always be a branch-bearing fruit, or in the spirit of this birthday celebration year, letting it shine. How many times have we been enlightened by the innocent statements of young children? Our little ones seem to be ideal vessels for God's love. As I have visited the elderly in nursing homes, hospitals, and homes, I have heard several of them lament that they don't know what good they could be doing or wondering why God was keeping them around. I can tell you exactly what at least one of God's purposes was for each of them: all shared their faith stories with me, sometimes as a new acquaintance or as a long-time friend. Through their stories, they were letting God's light shine from deep within their souls. I came away each time refreshed by seeing God's love in them.

So, instead of looking at "Let It Shine" as a directive, let us look at it as God's words of encouragement for what we are already doing and saying. Better yet, we can look at these words as encouragement to do what we are fearfully hesitant about doing. There are four words that are synonymous with our Christian heritage: faith, hope, love and grace. I cannot imagine living life without any one of these words being part and parcel of my belief system. As part of the "Let It Shine" campaign, the United Church of Christ commissioned a hymn for the occasion. In a much more elegant way than I could ever muster, Carl P. Daw Jr. wrote the new hymn "God Our Maker, Whose First Summons". In doing so, he drew new light from those four words for us to embrace.

Let It Shine, People of Bethany United Church of Christ!

Don Evans

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Mr. Don Evans, Partner-in-Ministry Intern, Guest Preacher

Scripture: John 21:1-19

Sermon: Encountering Christ

8:30 a.m. Worship (Story & Song)/ Memory Bell Choir

9:15 a.m. Church School for Children and Adults

10:30 a.m. Worship/ Memory Bell Choir/ Children's Sunday School

11:30 a.m. Social Hour Host: Choir

Adult Classes at 9:15 - Bible Discoveries; Lounge Class - Guest Speaker; Perspectives; Seasons of the Spirit; Seekers - Relationships; Senior High; Upper Room

It is a great time for men of the church to get together to share faith, food, and fellowship together; as well as a few chores with which the custodians could use some help. The men gather the 3^rd Wednesday of the month at 8:00 a.m. (Next breakfast April 18^th). You can help make this time possible by providing breakfast for 8-10 men once during the year. If you'd like to help in this way call Nancy Read. Please join us!

Please bring in your ACME receipts. They must be dated no later than April 7^th. Receipts must be received at church by April 22^nd in order to be counted in our total. Thank you!

On Sunday, April 22^nd, 9:15 a.m. the Lounge Class invites you to attend and hear guest speaker, Matthew Considine, Ambassador to Ireland (from Akron University) speak about his time spent in Ireland.

The Bethany Buckeyes had a great time Friday night. Our attendance was 32, which was great!. As always, the meal was delicious, thanks to the cooks, Henry and Elizabeth Nagel, Phyllis Casper and Gerry Czetli.

The moans, groans and laughter coming from the table playing the game "golf" was catching. The tables playing Dominos were also quite spirited. Only the tables where the more serious card players playing Euchre and Bridge were subdued. Rumor has it that the women beat the men in the Euchre contests. The next meeting for the Bethany Buckeyes will be on Friday, May 4th with scheduled cooks being Pat Cochran, Sharon Otto, Dale & Betty Pickard and Margaret Deacon. The final meeting of the season for the Buckeyes will be on Saturday, June 2^nd, to be held at the Gehlerts, weather permitting. Details for this June "picnic" meeting will be discussed at our May meeting.

Our next host week is May 6-12. We are in need of volunteers for van driving, meal preparation, overnight hosts, and laundry crew. Please consider donating a few hours of your week to help our IHN families. Please call Carolyn to volunteer.

Strong Roots, Fragile Farms was first aired on ABC television stations in the fall of 2002 and received almost universal acclaim. Having received the platinum award for documentaries at the World Film Festival, Strong Roots, Fragile Farms addresses the many issues faced by family farmers throughout the world and here at home in an age of economic globalization. The issues it addresses are just as relevant, critical and pertinent today as then. The documentary has been shown since 2002 on Hallmark cable channel six times. We are please to announce that it will also be making its second network appearance, this time on NBC stations beginning on May 20, 2007. NBC affiliates will have a 30-day window in which to show it. We are asking our friends to go to web site www.ucc.org/fragilefarms and check the station listings. If your local affiliate has scheduled the showing, take a moment to thank them and assure them that you and others will watch. If it has not scheduled a showing, call the station and let them know of your interest in viewing the documentary. - Justice and Witness Ministries of UCCC

We have even more young people who hope to go on the Esperanza Mission Trip next year. They are looking for work to help reduce the cost of the trip. If you have a job that you need help with, just give one of them a call, then, instead of paying her or him directly, make out a check to Bethany, to their Esperanza account. The hopeful Esperanza Mission Trippers are: Taylor Giffin, Emma Jensen, Keith McDevitt, Ariel Myers, Alex Wachovec, Anna & Caitlin Zeller.

Many of us enjoyed so many wonderful soups (this year there were 24 different kinds!) at the Wednesday night Lenten Suppers.  There have been numerous requests for recipes, so we've decided to put together a booklet of soup recipes.  I've already requested recipes from this year's soup makers, and would like to also include any other favorite soup recipes you are willing to share.  Please give them to me in person, by e-mail or leave a copy in the Upper Room class mailbox in the office hallway.  Thanks! - Mary Seymour

Bethany UCC is planning on a paper-recycling receptacle in the near future. We contacted the company to receive one but it will not arrive for another 4-6 weeks. Thank you for your patience.

Notice the change of week this year!

To Jack and Kristi Dugan on the birth of their baby daughter, Makena May Dugan, born April 12^th.

Thanks so much to all those who have gone to the trouble of collecting and bringing in used packaging material for us to recycle!  With every box of pottery communionware we ship out, we thank God for those who help us in this ministry.  Without your help, the churches that purchase the wares would have to spend more of their precious resources because the costs of shipping supplies would be higher - so it's not only helpful to us, but to Christians far and wide!  At this time, we could use a few bags of old newspapers in addition to the regular stuff: Styrofoam peanuts and Styrofoam thin sheets (not bulky pieces), air bags, bubble wrap.  Thanks again, and God Bless!  - Adam and Debra Ocepek

Thanks for Contributing

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Noisy Offering on Palm Sunday. We raised $532.87 for our mission projects. Thanks too for the donations for the Harvest for Hunger Food Drive.

Dear Bethany Family, Thank you for the beautiful altar flowers delivered to me by Olive Devine and Margaret Deacon. We had a nice long chat. The flowers will be replanted in our beautiful garden here at Danbury. Thanks also for my many birthday cards on my 93^rd birthday and the beautiful Easter cards. - Evelyn Vance

Kathy Ruch, home

Robert Tromp, home

6:30p Mission Trip Planning

4/28 9:00a TREASURES & BAKE SALE

Volunteers - Names of Sunday Volunteers are published AHEAD of the scheduled Sunday as a kindly reminder & an early thank you! If you are unable to volunteer the day you are scheduled, please remember to 1) find someone to take your place and then 2) call the church office so we may make necessary revisions.

Greeters: Tim and Beverly Eberhardt, John and Cathy Dix

Lay Reader: Ruth Schreiber

Music: Memory Bell Choir at both services

Nursery: Amanda Keenan, Beth Lees, Jennifer France, Eric Spencer

Social Hour: Chancel Choir

Ushers: Tim Hermann, Herb Walker, Sue Truby, Sharon Ward, Hilda Bowman, Mark Jensen, Nancy Buck, Andrew Slota

Van Driver: Linda Goodwin

Visitor Outlook: Beth Lees

Greeters: Ken and Linda Smith, Gary and Carol Eiber

Music: Chancel Choir/ 7^th Day, Son Singers, Young Shepherds

Nursery: A. Lorentz, E. Jensen, A. McVan, V. McVan, A. Wachovec

Ushers: L. Luginbill, F. Read, J. Grazulis, J. Seymour, J. Williams, L. Short, K. Fratz, E. Cool

Van Driver: Linda Goodwin

Visitor Outlook: Jennifer France

Please donate a baked good item for the Treasures-Bake Sale! Bring in your goodies on Friday, April 27^th. There will be a table set up in the social hall. If you have not heard from Linda Read about donating an item, please call her and save her a call! Your goodies are greatly appreciated and will benefit a Bethany Mission. Questions? Call Linda Read.

A change: You may bring in your treasures starting NOW! Please put them in the lower level in the Seekers Room. This will help Kim as the Boy Scouts help set-up the Friday night before the sale.

Anything and everything (okay, EXCEPT clothes) is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for all of your help!

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