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About Us - Areas to Serve
at Bethany UMC
Younger Children Ministries (Nursery-Kindergarten)
Before our children can read they are already developing
much of what they will believe for the rest of their
lives about God, other people, the Christian faith and
life. Love, trust and hope are in their formative stages
before our children ever start school. The goal of
Bethany's Younger Children Ministries is to provide a
safe and enriched environment for our preschoolers
during worship, Sunday School, Bethany Bash and other
special church activities. This committee's focus is to
support the development of our young children as
followers of Jesus.
Children's Church
One of the most creative programs at Bethany is our
Children's Church ministry during the 8:45 a.m. worship
hour. Children worship with their families in the main
sanctuary for the beginning moments of the service, and
then are dismissed to Children's Church, in Spell
Chapel, for more age-appropriate worship and learning
experiences. The role of this group is to ensure the
success of Children's Church as a ministry to our
children.
Children's Ministries (1st-6th grades)
The Christian development of children in first through
the sixth grades is the responsibility of this
committee. Working with the
Minister of Education and the Children's Coordinator, this team
regularly reviews programs being offered by the church
for children (other than Sunday School) to determine if
new programs need to be implemented or existing programs
improved. In addition to Sunday School, Bethany offers
choir programs,
Bethany Bash (art
and recreation),
Vacation
Bible School, summer Day Camp and Children's Church for the children in
this age group.
Youth Ministries (7th-12th grades)
Youth, as defined in Bethany Church, are young people in
grades seven through 12. Adults remember how important
these years were in shaping us into the people we have
become. In junior and senior high school, young people
develop their identities, habits, friendships and
values, qualities that remain with them throughout their
lives. Because these years are so important, Bethany is
dedicated to having a strong, positive impact on the
young people in this age group. Currently, our
ministries to youth
(in addition to Sunday School) include United Methodist
Youth (UMY) on Sunday evenings, Bible study, prayer
breakfasts on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the school
year, a banquet for our high school graduates, and a
music program geared toward this age group.
Young Adult Ministries
Young adults are defined as being 18 to 35 years old.
The phrase that best describes the stage at which most
young adults find themselves in life is "starting out."
College, career, marriage and parenting are all places
where young adults are "starting out." These are
important years, and it is incumbent upon Bethany to
look carefully at the special needs and circumstances of
young adults to identify what our church can do to help
them "start out" with the Christian faith at the center
of their lives. The goal of Young Adult Ministries is to
identify the spiritual needs of young adults and offer
programs to answer those needs.
Single Adult Ministries
Single adults come in a variety of ages and life
situations. Some are just out of high school. Others are
just completing college. Some are established in the
work place, but still "looking" for a long-term
relationship. Others are divorced and seeking to recover
from the pain of that process. Still others were
formerly married, but are now beyond the pain and ready
to get on with their lives. There are single adults who
are widowed and those who have grown into senior
adulthood without ever having been married. Each of
these groups has its own varied needs. The job of Single
Adult Ministries is to find ways to identify and meet
those needs.
Adult/Family Ministries
There is in every church a group of people to whom other
members turn for leadership and direction. This group
gives most of the money, assumes most of the leadership
roles and provides both energy and stability for the
church's ministry. Members of this group are the adults
ages 36 to 65. Unfortunately, they are the most
overlooked group in the church when it comes to asking,
"What are your needs? How can the church minister to
you?" Adult/Family Ministries strives to minister to
this group in the name of Jesus Christ, while providing
educational and ministry programs that respond to the
group's many needs - from financial problems to marital
and family stress to faith crises, empty nests, job
lay-offs and more.
Senior Adult Ministries
The fastest growing population group in the country is
the 55-and-older senior population. For many years, the
Church focused its ministry to senior adults on issues
of death and dying, but with longevity ever increasing,
senior adults are among the most active and vital parts
of most congregations. Yes, seniors will face the
inevitable questions about life and death that the
Church is uniquely capable of answering. But seniors
also possess experience and knowledge and have the time
to make great contributions to the life and works of the
Church. Many seniors are eager to participate, if the
church provides them with places to grow and serve. It
is the job of Senior Adult Ministries to, first,
determine the greatest needs of the senior adult
population and then develop the ministries and
educational programs to meet those needs.
Bethany Bash
This ministry is designed to provide both fellowship and
learning opportunities in the middle of the week for the
entire family. The
Bethany Bash Committee evaluates the food served
during the Bethany Bash meal and the programming
offered, with the goal of involving more families in
this important church activity.
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