Bethany UMC Weekly Announcements

Worship Announcements

  • Immediately after church this Sunday (November 23rd) we will remove the pulpit and lectern for the holiday season. In addition, we will be putting up the Chrismon Tree. Anyone willing to stay for a few minutes and help, your assistance will be greatly appreciated!
  • Christmas Choir will rehearse immediately after the service on November 23rd.
  • Sunday November 23rd, Weyers Cave Community Thanksgiving Service at 5:00 pm at the Weyers Cave Community Center. Our Bethany worship team will be leading worship and we will be sharing in a meal, as well as table conversation focused on our thankfulness in our everyday life.
  • This Sunday, November 23rd is the last day to order poinsettias in honor or remembrance of a special person or group. Order forms can be found in the Welcome Center. Poinsettias will be in place on December 14th and if you are willing, please allow them to adorn our sanctuary until the end of December.
  • On November 30th the Bethany Christmas Card Postal Service will be in place in the fellowship hall. Skip the stamps and leave your cards for your Bethany family members and if you choose, a small donation that will go to our next Friend of Barnabas Mission Team. This card exchange area will stay in place until Sunday, January 6.
  • Hanging of the Greens – Fellowship Hall. Come out and catch the Christmas spirit on Sunday evening November 30th at 5:00 pm. as we decorate our Chrismon Tree, play some Christmas song trivia, sing a few Christmas tunes and begin our celebration of the birth of Jesus! Pizza and salad dinner will be provided. This is an event for ALL ages. No bah, humbug! It’s a time of joy and fun! Hope to see YOU there!
  • Please plan to attend our Bethany Family Christmas program on December 14th during our regular service time. “Christmas Present” will include a shortened version of the Christmas Carol with ole’ Scrooge himself, as well as special music, the retelling of the Christmas story and more. Plan to arrive a few minutes early as our Praise and Worship band will perform some favorite Christmas tunes! Following the program, stay for a wonderful finger food brunch as we celebrate together. Food sign ups for the brunch can be found in the Welcome Center. What a great opportunity to invite a friend or neighbor, share the joy of the season and allow them to experience the gift of Jesus’ love for them!
 

Dates to Know

  • Choir Practice, Wednesday, November 19th at 6:30 pm – Sanctuary
  • Fellowship Hall Reserved, Thursday, November 20th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm
  • Fellowship Hall Reserved, Friday, November 21st from 4:00 – 8:00 pm
  • Weyers Cave Community Thanksgiving Service, Sunday, November 23rd at 5:00 pm – Weyers Cave Community Center
  • Fellowship Hall Reserved, Sunday, November 23rd from 11:30 am – 3:30 pm and 5:45 – 7:45 pm
  • Church Office Closed – November 26th and November 27th for Thanksgiving
 
Other Announcements
  • Advent Book Study – Somehow, someway, Advent is just a few weeks away! During the Advent Season we will be reading Matt Rawle’s “The Redemption of Scrooge” as we journey through the Advent Season together! The study will be on Mondays December 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd at 10 am AND 6:30 pm. Pickup your book in the Welcome Center and mark your name off the list. Another shipment of books is expected to arrive on November 24th. If you would like to donate $10 for a book you may, but this is not required.
  • Mark your calendars!
    On Sunday, November 23rd, our children will present a special Thanksgiving skit titled “Fruits of Thanksgiving.” Come and be blessed as our children share a joyful message about gratitude and the Fruits of the Spirit. Following the skit, we will receive a love offering to help purchase fruit for Christmas gift baskets for our food pantry neighbors. Let’s join together in thankfulness and generosity this season!
  • Apple Tree Gifts are due Sunday, November 23rd. There is a table setup in the Welcome Center. Thank you for helping with this project.
  • We are a couple of weeks away from being able to come together as a community to spark a movement of compassion! Sign up for our Winter Blood Drive and be the beacon of hope that brings joy and life to those in need this Christmas season. The Blood Drive will be on Friday December 5th from 9 am through 2 pm. There is a Sign-Up sheet in the Welcome Center OR you can sign up at Bethany UMC December 5th Blood Drive.
  • There is a sign-up sheet for Ringing the Bell for the Salvation Army on Saturday, December 6th from 10 am to 6 pm at the Shenandoah Valley Heritage Market. The 2:00 – 3:00 pm slot is the only time slot left. If you can’t do this day, please let Lori Mooney know and you can choose another day and time.
  • The “Pew-ew” challenge is a get to know your neighbors sitting on your pew at church. Get together with your pew partners and purchase a sleeve or box of diapers. Please put these on the table in the front hall. For every sleeve or box donated, a pew will get a bow, and we want all 33 pews to have a bow. These diapers will be donated to our Food Pantry neighbors that need them. According to our diaper buying guru, Carrie Ashton, Walmart (Parent’s Choice diapers) has the best price for most diapers. Most used sizes are 5, 6, and 7. The count of diaper packages/boxes donated as of Sunday the 16th is 13!
  • “Happy Birthday, Jesus” project with the Gideons. In the front hall, there will be a small Christmas tree on the table. If you are making a donation, please place the money in the box. Take a purple ornament and write your name on it and hang it on the tree. For every $5 donated, that buys 3 small testaments to be handed out by the Gideons. Please make your donations to help this worthwhile group today.
  • Young At Hearts Annual Christmas Party, Tuesday, December 2nd at 12:00 pm at Rowes Restaurant in Staunton. The cost will be $27 for the 3-meat buffet, salad, pie and a drink. Please bring a wrapped gift for the gift exchange. If you need transportation, please call Leslie at 540-470-8603. There is a sign up sheet in the Welcome Center. Please be prepared to pay Leslie by check or cash on December 2nd.
  • The Weyers Cave Community is having its annual Christmas Parade on December 14th and the suggestion came out that Bethany could put together a float for the parade. We have plenty of stuff to use for a manger backdrop or a frame of a gingerbread house. If you are interested in heading this up please let Laura Lucas know in the office.

Prayer Requests:

Members:
Tom and Jan Gorden, Barbara Long, Lois Baker, Charlotte Saufley, Kathleen Stump, Alex and the Stump family on the passing of Mike Stump.
Celebration of Life Service for Mike Stump will be held on December 6th at 2:00pm at Bethany UMC.
 
Our Shut-ins: Audrey Bradshaw, Ramona Garrison, Carolyn Roller, Nadine Moore
 
Extended Family: Declan, friend of Sawyer Dunsmore; Shay Suter, Dale Roller’s friend’s granddaughter; Jean and Melvin Glass, friends of Terri Shifflett; Marsha Hammond, daughter of Pat and Eddie Lynn; Michael, Gary and Bettina Ruleman’s son-in-law; Kay Gum, Dale Roller’s neighbor; Shirley, Pam Lynn’s aunt.
 

Community Announcements:

  • Jack & Davis Reid, Friday, November 21st from 7:00 – 9:00 pm at Mt. Olive Brethren Church, McGaheysville. See poster on the Fellowship Hall door for more information.
  • WRE – Family Movie Night, Saturday, December 6th at 6:00 pm at Augusta Stone Church, Fort Defiance. See poster on the Fellowship Hall door for more information.
  • The Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir will present Starlight & Firelight on Saturday, December 13th at 7:00 pm and Sunday, December 14th at 4:00 pm. in EMU’s Lehman Auditorium. Enjoy the angelic voices of children and youth, ages 7–18, joined by 12 guest instrumentalists in a festive program of seasonal favorites presented within an historical and culturally-rich context. For details or tickets, visit svcc.org.
 
Pray for all those impacted by the Government Shutdown as we continue to pray for peace in our world, in our nation, and in our community.