Bcc Newsletter Oct 09

Featured in this Issue... Calendar

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New Adult Sunday School Class

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Meatball Supper

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Movie Night

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Missionary News

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October 2009

The Bethlehem Message from the Pastor What is the mission of Bethlehem Covenant Church? As some of you should know (since you voted on it) Bethlehem does have an official mission statement and an official vision statement. You can find them printed in the bulletin each week, on the back of this newsletter and also now posted around the church in various places. A mission statement is basically a purpose statement: what are we doing here? What are we here for? A vision statement describes what it will look like when the mission is carried out. It’s great to have a mission and vision statement, but it means little if it is only on paper and not owned by people in the organization. We need to have the vision always before us and in our hearts and minds. For us at Bethlehem that means we need to keep our mission and vision before us in everything that we do. We need to align all of our ministries with our mission and vision. Our mission and vision should drive all that we do and give us focus and a place to start from. So you are probably waiting for me to tell you what the mission and vision statements are. Here goes: It is the mission of Bethlehem Covenant Church to proclaim

Word God’s Word and glorify Christ by serving others. That’s it—short and sweet. Easy to remember. Easy to do? Maybe not. But if we are carrying out our mission, here is what it would look like (our vision): To be a Christcentered, spiritual community that continually introduces people to the God who loves them through relevant worship, formative small groups and life-changing community service. Our leadership is gradually moving towards this vision. We see three main areas of ministry that we need to emphasize and focus on: 1) children and youth; 2) the free medical clinic here at BCC; and 3) small group ministry. Where can you fit into all of this? Perhaps you will feel call to work with the children teaching Sunday School or helping with VBS if we do that next summer. Perhaps you will join a small group or volunteer to lead a group or to host one at your home. Maybe you will volunteer at the free health clinic when that (Lord willing) gets started soon. Maybe you will volunteer to sing with the worship team or help lead worship. The opportunities will be there as we move forward together. It’s not about doing more things, it’s about being—being the type of people and the type of church God has called us to be. God bless, Pastor Dave

October 2009 Sun

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Mon

Tue

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11 Adult Sunday 12 School 9:30-10:15 Worship 10:30 am

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

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9 NA Mtg. 6:30pm Missions Committee Mtg. 6pm @Belfry

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6 Youth Group 7-8:30pm

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8 Bible Study 7pm

13 Board Mtg 7pm

14 Health Clinic Mtg 6:30pm

15 16 NO BIBLE STUDY NA Mtg. 6:30pm

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Youth Group 7-8:30pm

18 Adult Sunday 19 School 9:30-10:15 Worship 10:30 am

20 Veritas Mtg. 7pm Youth Group 7-8:30pm

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22 Bible study 7pm

23 NA Mtg. 6:30pm

24 Tag Sale 9am to 1pm

25 Adult Sunday 26 School 9:30-10:15 Worship 10:30 am

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29 Bible Study 7pm

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31 EPIC Workshop at Salem Covenant 9am to 3:30pm

Youth Group 7-8:30pm

The following is an updated list of our church members and friends who unable to attend church on a regular basis. Let us remember them in our thoughts and prayers and with a note.

Mr. Lee Randall 10 Hall Street Webster, MA 01570 508-943-0847

Mildred Carlson 669 Washington St. Apt. 105 Auburn, MA 01501

Mrs. Doris Anderson 667 Washington Street #225 Auburn, MA 01501 508-832-5239 Mrs. Claire Poirier 63 Hudson Ave. Grafton, MA 01519 Mr. & Mrs. Carl Werme 24 Briarwood Circle Worcester, MA01606 508-856-7232

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Paul Faler 321 Massasoit Rd. Worcester, MA 01604

Mrs. Lydia Anderson Whitney Place P.O.Box 935 85 Beumont Dr. Apt. 10 Northbridge, MA 01534

Adult Sunday School Class This Fall Pastor Dave is leading a Sunday School class before the morning worship. We meet from 9:30 to 10:15. This is a class based on a series of short videos which feature different topics that apply to the Christian life. It will be primarily group discussion. Some of our youth and a few adults have watched some of these and found them very helpful and thought provoking. All are invited to come and be with us for what will be a spiritually rewarding time where we get to better know each other and our God. Continued on pg. 3. →

Birthdays and Anniversaries October Birthdays Elizabeth Pope Elizabeth Quinn Mildred Carlson Colleen Elbe Jeanne Bartkus Janet Clawson Lydia Anderson

10/2 10/5 10/11 10/12 10/19 10/23 10/29

October Anniversaries Joy and Nicholas Monopoli 10/4 James and Jennifer Zoulias 10/9

November Birthdays Delbert Smith Robert Leach Catherine Lindstrom Carl Nordstrom Beverly Gosselin Sue Fellion Corrine Wennerstrand Karin Ciance Roy Lindstrom Robert Salmonsen Susan Strozina

11/04 11/06 11/06 11/11 11/19 11/19 11/19 11/20 11/23 11/24 11/27

November Anniversaries Amy and Kenneth Malo 11/4 Eric and Kathleen Thompson 11/23

Adult Sunday School (continued from previous page) Here is a portion of a review of the video series which is called Nooma... All ten to fourteen minutes in length, the NOOMA videos feature Rob Bell, pastor of Michigan’s Mars Hill Church, one of the fastestgrowing churches in America, and a leader in the "emergent church." From a production standpoint, the NOOMA videos are excellent. But it isn’t just technical merit that has catapulted the NOOMA videos to such popularity. Nor is it simply Bell’s natural ability to communicate and tell a story, though that may be part of it. At the end of the day people are watching these videos because they believe Rob Bell is teaching them about Christianity and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Saturday, Oct. 24th from 9am to 1pm at BCC Last’s month’s sale was a success and so we are doing it again. Tables are available for $10 each. Set up begins at 8am. We are looking for volunteers to help get everything ready beforehand. Proceeds will benefit those going to Camp Squanto in 2010.

Please join us!

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Sunday Worship Volunteers Oct. 4th Worship Leader: Tom Johnson Scripture Reader: Ann Weber Ushers: John Schonning and Jeff Stafinksi Media Tech: Steven Pope Oct. 11th Worship Leader: Pamela Johnson Scripture Reader: Denise McGinley Ushers: Michele Koller and Denise McGinley Media Tech: John Schonning Oct. 18th Worship Leader: Gigi Zepp Scripture Reader: Steven Pope Ushers: Beverly Gosselin and Jeanne Bartkus Media Tech: John Schonning

Movie Night “SiCKO” Saturday, October 17th

Oct. 25th

We will meet at church for pizza at 5:30pm and start the movie around 6pm.

Worship Leader: Alden Anderson Scripture Reader: Susan Strozina Ushers: Delbert and Eleanor Smith Media Tech: Steve Quinn

The words "health care" and "comedy" aren't usually found in the same sentence, but in Academy Award winning filmmaker Michael Moore's new movie 'SiCKO,' they go together hand in (rubber) glove.

Swedish Meatball Supper Saturday, November 7th 4:30 and 6:15pm There is a sign up sheet in the vestry where you can sign up to donate needed food items. Tickets available soon.

While Moore's 'SiCKO' follows the trailblazing path of previous hit films, the Oscar-winning BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE and all-time box-office documentary champ FAHRENHEIT 9/11, it is also something very different for Michael Moore. 'SiCKO' is a straight-fromthe-heart portrait of the crazy and sometimes cruel U.S. health care system, told from the vantage of everyday people faced with extraordinary and bizarre challenges in their quest for basic health coverage. In the tradition of Mark Twain or Will Rogers, 'SiCKO' uses humor to tell these compelling stories, leading the audience to conclude that an alternative system is the only possible answer. Discussion time will follow. This is a movie that is relevant to our current health care situation and is worth seeing no matter where one stands on the issue. Come and discuss this film and this important issue. There will be a sign up sheet in the vestry—let us know if you are coming for pizza.

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Letter from missionaries Tim and Helen Smith

We are not going alone ~ we will be returning with Pete & Cindy Ekstrand. Yes, many other questions now arise: When can we go to Spain and Eq. Guinea to share with our beloved friends there and help them understand how God has brought us to this change in plans?

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) We memorized these important verses as small children yet it seems that we must learn to live them out the rest of our lives. Dear Praying Partners, Thank you for your prayers for us since our special request in July. At that time we asked you to especially pray for us as we wrestled with our Covenant World Mission leaders' request that we return to Congo next year. Several of you sent us verses of encouragement, including Prov. 3:5-6. Thank You! We did pray and fast July 27-29 and we sensed your prayers for us as we indeed 'wrestled' over God's will for us. From that time we clearly received God's instruction to trust Him with ALL our hearts, to NOT lean on our own understanding, AND to submit to our mission leadership...but…when we continued to struggle with thoughts of returning to Congo , we came to realize that we were still not acknowledging God in ALL our ways nor trusting Him in the path He was directing us. So it took us a few more days of praying, reading the Word, and meditating on it and we can now say that we have that 'peace that passes all understanding' in obeying God, submitting to those He's put in authority over us, and going to Congo. Praise God for His patient, loving ways and incredible power to transform! The first question that we (and many of you) have asked is: What will our role be in Congo ? At this time it appears that God would have us 'come alongside' the leadership of the Congo Covenant Church (both men and women pastors and lay leaders), to encourage them through discipleship and evangelism training to continue to strengthen the Church in Congo , and hopefully, to mobilize as well for cross-cultural mission to other countries.

When should we plan to head to Congo? What are the preparations we need to make for ministry in Congo? How do we fund the cost of 'set up' in Congo?....and many more! Please now take upon yourselves prayer for ~ God's comfort for our Spanish and Guinean Churchfolk(Eq. Guinea is still a Covenant Mission Field and efforts will continue to recruit a team for future work there.) ~ Wisdom as to the 'Whens', 'Whats', and 'Hows' for Congo , and continued confirmation and peace as we step forward in faith in what God will accomplish in and through us. Bless you and thanks SO much for your prayers and for your messages of encouragement. May you too find God's peace as you walk each day in obedience to Proverbs 3:5-6. Love in Christ ~ Tim and Helen Smith ~ e-mail: [email protected] Blog: http://blogs.covchurch.org/smith/ 5524 Elizabeth Rose Sq., Orlando , FL 32810 Home: (407) 290-2936 Cell: (407) 619-7403 Support/Gifts: Dept. of World Mission 5101 N. Francisco, Chicago , IL 60625

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The Bethlehem

Word

Bethlehem Covenant Church 46 Greenwood Street P.O. Box 70629 Worcester, MA 01607 (508) 752—1459 www.bethlehemcc.org

Our Mission: “To proclaim God’s Word and glorify Christ by serving others.” Our Vision: “To be a Christ-centered, spiritual community that continually introduces people to the God who loves them through relevant worship, formative small groups and life-changing community service.”