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Education
| Worship
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Ministries
for Children |
Ministries for Youth
Ministries for
Adults |
Administration Volunteers
Education
Areas of
Service |
Bethany Bash
Christian Education is central
to the Church’s goals of
deepening relationships with
Christ. Bethany’s strong
emphasis on Christian Education
is evident in Sunday School
classes for all ages; Bible
studies for youth and adults;
and Children's Church, which
helps young people learn about
the traditions, ceremonies and
structure of organized worship
services. Numerous programs at
our church – from Disciples to
Bethany Bash to Vacation Bible
School and Day Camps –are
designed to strengthen the
Christian faith through
education.
Areas of
service in Christian
Education include:
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. For more information,
contact Bethany’s
Director of Christian Education.
Worship
Opportunities to Serve |
Children's
Church |
Acolyte and Crucifer Program
Ushers and
Greeters
Worship of God is at the very
center of the life of the
Christian Church. The Council
on Worship is charged with
the awesome task of developing,
implementing and evaluating our
worship at Bethany UMC, as well
as constantly finding ways to
improve this crucial facet of
the church’s life.
Opportunities to serve in
the ministry of worship include:
Children's
Church
One of the most creative
programs at Bethany is our
Children's Church ministry
during the 8:45 and 11:15 a.m. worship
services. Children worship with
their families in the main
sanctuary for the beginning
moments of each service, and then
are dismissed to Children's
Church, in room 118, 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.
If you have thoughts or ideas
about our worship and would like
to share in the process of
thinking with us about the
future of this important aspect
of our ministry, come share with
this group.
Acolyte
and Crucifer Program
Youth are trained twice each
year to help with worship
services by lighting candles and
assisting with the offering and
service of Holy Communion. The
Acolyte and Crucifer program
develops leadership skills and
helps young people feel a part
of the worship service.
Ushers and
Greeters
Our ushers help make the worship
services at Bethany effective
opportunities for experience the
divine Presence in places
consecrated by God. Our greeters
seek to extend a welcome to all
who come for worship, both
members and nonmembers.
If you have thoughts or ideas
about our worship and would like
to share in the process of
thinking with us about the
future of this important aspect
of our ministry, come share with
this group.
Ministries for Children
Younger
Children’s 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 Ministries (1st-6th
grades)
The Christian
development of children in first
through the sixth grades is the
responsibility of this
committee. Working with the
Director of Christian 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. For
more information on how you can
help Bethany’s ministries for
children, contact the
Director of Christian Education.
Ministries for Youth
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.
Opportunities to serve in
ministries for youth include:
-
Bible Study leader
-
Chaperone on retreats
-
Confirmation mentor
-
Covenant Group leader
-
Elijah Prayer Project
participant
-
Helper with 5th Quarter
Event
-
Parent Support Group member
-
Parent newsletter
contributor
-
Play a guitar or other
instrument
-
Share your home for a UMY
meeting
-
United Methodist Youth
counselor
-
Youth Drama Team member
-
Youth Praise Band member
-
Youth Prayer Ministry
participant
-
Youth writer for the
newsletter
-
Youth writer for the web
page,
bums4christ.com
If you’re interested in being a
part of the Youth Ministries at
Bethany, contact the
Youth Director.
Ministries for Adults
Young Adult
| Single Adult
| Adult/Family
| Senior Adult
United
Methodist Women |
United Methodist
Men
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.
United
Methodist Women
The
United Methodist Women (UMW)
is a community of women whose
purpose is to know God and
experience freedom as whole
persons through Jesus Christ, to
develop a creative supportive
fellowship and to expand
concepts of mission through
participation in the global
ministries of the church and
local ministry projects. Women
at Bethany United Methodist
Church participate in UMC
“Circles”.
United
Methodist Men
The
United Methodist Men (UMM)
is a supportive fellowship of
men who seek to know Jesus
Christ and to declare the
centrality of Christ in the
lives of men and all their
relationships.
Administration Volunteers
Bethany Church has been given
the responsibility of being a
good steward of our church
buildings and land. Volunteers
can play a vital role in
building maintenance and
improvement projects, as well as
long lawn care.
Volunteers are also integral to
church staff by serving in a
number of jobs, including
receptionists during office
hours and bus drivers for
children’s activities and youth
retreats.
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