Special Ministries

Special Ministries

Leisure Ministries
Bethany is especially blessed to have a wonderful gymnasium, weight room, game room and other leisure facilities at our disposal. Bethany’s Leisure Ministries runs a full complement of activities for all ages. The goal of the Leisure Ministries Committee is to ensure that recreational activities are offered as a means of encouraging Christian fellowship and growth.

Areas of involvement in Leisure Ministries include:

Adult sports
Children’s sports and activities
Coach a sports team for league competition
Summer Sports Camps assistant
Youth sports and activities

For more information, contact Bethany’s Leisure Ministries Director.

Music Ministries
Music has been an active part of worship in various ways throughout the history of Christendom and is no less so today at Bethany. Our music program seeks to serve by aiding the worship of God, providing spiritual enrichment through music, using music as an evangelizing tool, and proclaiming the worthiness and majesty of a great God.

Areas of involvement in Bethany’s music programs include:

Bethany Crusaders member (grades six through 12)
Bethany Ringers member (adult)
Celebration Ringers member (youth)
Chancel Choir member (adult)
Children’s Cherub Choir member (ages 3-5)
Children’s Melody Choir member (kindergarten through second grade)
Children’s Wesley Choir member (grades three through five)
Festival Ringers member (youth)
Imogene Williams Handbell Ensemble member (adult)
Instrumentalist
Sanctuary Choir member (adult)

For more information, contact Bethany’s Music Director.

Endowment Board
The Bethany United Methodist Church Endowment Board oversees the Endowment Fund, which supports Bethany’s ministries by assisting the church with projects such as building programs, major repairs to property, purchases of property and mission projects for people who are not members of our church. The Board receives and administers gifts to the fund to advance the Christian faith in accordance with the philosophy of the United Methodist Church.

Communications
Bethany is blessed with a membership that is steadily growing. A growing membership means the church is sharing the news of Jesus Christ with more and more people. In addition, new members bring their time, talents and resources to Bethany, all of which increase the church’s ability to minister to those in need. In spite of the positive aspects of a growing congregation, however, stumbling blocks naturally accompany tremendous growth such as Bethany is experiencing. With more people come fresh ideas, new programs and more activities. In other words, with growth comes change, and it can be difficult for a church to communicate those changes to such a rapidly growing membership. It is the role of the Council on Communications to study and improve the way the church shares information with its members, its staff and the community.

The Communications office shares information through a monthly newsletter entitled the Bethany Beacon. In addition, the office works with the Senior Pastor’s Assistant to produce weekly worship bulletins that include announcements and a calendar of activities in the coming week. The office also promotes church activities to the congregation through flyers, posters, brochures and special mailers; shares church programs with the community through press releases and contact with local and regional media; and manages the church’s web.

Areas of involvement in communications include:

Bethany Beacon stringer (contributing articles and news tips)
Bethany Beacon Mailing Prep Team volunteer
Bulletin Board Team member
Communications Council member
Photographer
Web Site Team member

For more information, contact Bethany’s Communications Director.

Food Ministry
The Food Committee oversees the use of the kitchen and coordinates the church functions that involve the kitchen. The committee works with the Bethany Bash Committee, Loving Hands in Times of Need and numerous other groups in connection with the meals that are served. Keeping the kitchen clean and organized makes the kitchen an efficient place to work.

Interfaith Ministries
Bethany United Methodist Church supports a number of interfaith ministries including:

The Palmetto House, an inter-denominational, cooperative mission that aids needy families and the homeless. Support comes through Sunday School classes, as well as Lenten and Christmas offerings. In addition, Bethany members routinely volunteer to work at the home during the evenings.
Epworth Children’s Home, a children’s home established in 1895 and supported by the South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, Epworth provides childcare, counseling, and related services to families and children, without regard to race, religion, national origin or ability to pay. Bethany supports Epworth through a special offering each Mother’s Day.
My Sister’s House, which provides 24-hour crisis response services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. My Sister’s House helps with medical, legal, and investigative procedures; provides temporary shelter, individual and group support sessions, referrals to helping agencies, and assistance with housing, education and employment.
Meals On Wheels, a non-profit, volunteer community service program providing home delivery of meals for anyone unable to prepare or obtain adequate meals.
Thanksgiving Food Baskets that are distributed to needy families. For several months each year, Bethany members donate food items, which are sorted and distributed to families who would otherwise be unable to prepare a traditional holiday meal for Thanksgiving. In 2003, Bethany distributed 125 Thanksgiving Food Baskets to area families.

BethHaven
More than 500,000 children are in foster care in the United States. Most of these children have been the victims of repeated abuse and prolonged neglect and have not experienced a nurturing, stable environment during the early years of life. Most of their young lives are in flux.

BethHaven is a mission providing children who have suffered abuse, neglect or other hardships beyond their control, a safe and nurturing environment built on Christian principles where they can flourish spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually until they can be reunited with family or become healthy independent members of society. Working with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, BethHaven’s objective is to enhance the lives of at-risk children and to optimize the potential of these children by providing additional financial support for foster care providers.

Blood Drives
Several times each year, Bethany hosts the Bloodmobile sponsored by the Summerville Chapter of the American Red Cross. Blood drives are usually held on Sunday mornings from
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Large Fellowship Hall. Early church attendees can give blood after worship, while worshippers at the 11:15 a.m. service can give blood beforehand. Blood drive dates are posted in the monthly newsletter, the Bethany Beacon, in weekly worship bulletins and on bulletin boards throughout the church.

Ministry Through Scouting
The United Methodist Church has long supported scouting as a vehicle that builds character, promotes patriotism and encourages Christian citizenship. In keeping with this tradition, Boy Scout and Girl Scout Sundays are observed annual in morning worship services at Bethany. Our church also provides facilities for regular scout meetings.