Bethany UMC Weekly Announcements

 
Office Announcements
Laura will be out of the office from April 8th through April 14th. If you have any need(s) that arise please reach out to Pastor Blaine.
 

Worship Announcements

LENT AND EASTER GRATITUDE – Thank you to all who contributed to our Lent and Easter season with your time, talents and physical presence. Our theme was An Unlikely Lent, but there is certainly nothing “unlikely” about the Bethany family working together to connect, serve and grow as a church to celebrate this important season!
 
What a gift to have Abby and Emma Riddle sing at our Easter celebration service. Thank you Abby and Emma for sharing your vocal talents with us! Also thanks to Jon Northrop for his special music on Palm Sunday. We are blessed to have folks willing to use their voices to praise God and make our services special.
 
Please extend your thanks to Mary Beth Schwab for her dedication to playing the piano for our worship services. This weekly commitment is no small gift to our church. We love you Mary Beth and appreciate your example of time and talent given to the Lord!
 

Betty Stroop Services

A graveside service will be held at 10 AM, Wednesday, April 8th, at Naked Creek Cemetery. A Celebration of Life Service will follow at 11 AM, at Bethany United Methodist Church. Pastor Blaine and Pastor Shawna Hiner will officiate.
 

Annual Conference Kits

This year we will be collecting and assembling Hygiene Kits for Annual Conference, which will be held in Harrisonburg. These kits will go to areas affected by natural disasters and other emergency relief efforts through the UMC. Directions and items needed are at the end of the Happenings and we ask that the kits be at church by May 10th. There will be a box for collecting them in the Welcome Center starting this Sunday. For those who do not want to put an entire kit together, feel free to bring items that go in the kit. If you prefer to make a monetary donation towards the supplies for kits please note “Hygiene Kits” on your donation. If you have questions you can contact Rosemary Wagoner at 540-256-8066 or roswag13@gmail.com. Click here to see how to assemble a Hygiene Kit.

Other Announcements

Financial Update

            April 7, 2026

Budget                  $242,083.20

 

Where We Should Be

$65,170.00

Where We Are

$58,136.18

Deficit of

$7,033.82

Net Percentage

-10.8

These figures do not include on-line giving for the month of April.

 

  • Softball Practice continues Sundays at 3PM through April 26th at the Weyers Cave Ruritan Ball Field.
  •  It’s that time of year again!! Time to mow! We are looking for folks to sign up for a month (April – October) to mow the church lawn. We have a zero-turn mower and gas will be reimbursed (with receipts). You can mow when it suits you (except on Sunday mornings). If you enjoy being outside, please prayerfully consider if this is something you can do. There will be substitutes if you need to miss a week. There is a sign-up sheet at the Welcome Center with August and September still open for volunteers. If you have any questions reach out to Mark Dunsmore.
  •  Mark your calendar now, as we will be hosting our next Red Cross Blood Drive on Friday June 5th from 9AM-2PM in the Fellowship Hall. There is a sign-up in the Welcome Center for the drive! The following link is also available for sign-ups: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=bethanyumc.  Need folks to sign-up!
 
  • REACHING INTO OUR COMMUNITY – For many reasons most families in our community are not a part of a church family and they probably are not going to show up at a church either. How do we reach these many families with the love of Jesus Christ and the gospel message? We meet them where they are at! We are exploring doing several “Meet You at the Park” events at the Weyers Cave Community Center playground this summer. It might involve providing some simple and fun activities, games or even a hot dog picnic. Who knows? But we are seeking God’s direction in reaching out to families in our community and truly making a connection. Interested in being a part? Maybe one on one discussion or doing stuff with kids isn’t your thing? There will be many roles that need to be filled. Is God tugging at your heart? Come be a part of the discussion and planning on Wednesday, April 15th at 6:30PM. Sign up in the Welcome Center if you are interested.
  •  Summer Meals Program – The August County Public Schools Nutrition Program will be providing the opportunity for all children in Augusta County ages 1-18 to receive FREE Meals this summer. Check out the Community Information section of the bulletin board outside of the sanctuary for details.

Dates to Know

  • Graveside Service for Betty Stroop, Wednesday, April 8th at 10AM – Naked Creek Cemetery
  • Celebration of Life Service for Betty Stroop, Wednesday, April 8th at 11AM – BUMC Sanctuary
  • Laura Out of the Office, April 8th through April 14th
  • Fellowship Hall Reserved, Thursday, April 9th from 5:45-8PM
  • Women’s Ministry Lunch & Hike, Saturday April 11th at 12PM – Harvest Table, Dayton
  • Softball Practice, Sunday, April 12th at 3PM – Weyers Cave Ruritan Ball Field
  • Caring Cards, Tuesday, April 14th at 10AM – Sunday School Classroom
  • Community Outreach Meeting, Wednesday, April 15th at 6:30pm – Sunday School Classroom
 

Prayer Requests:

Members: Tom and Jan Gorden, Charlotte Saufley

Pam Lynn is at Monroe Health & Rehabilitation Center, 1150 Northwest Dr, Rm 111, Charlottesville, VA 22901.

Our Shut-ins: Audrey Bradshaw, Ramona Garrison, Carolyn Roller, Nadine Moore, Dollie Wilfong, and Barbara Long

Extended Family:

Cecil Wright, a Weyers Cave neighbor; Mike Morris, Kathy Kile’s brother-in-law.
 
We extend our deepest Christian sympathy to the Betty Stroop family as they grieve the loss of their mother, aunt, grandmother, and friend. Betty passed away on Sunday, March 29th.
 
We pray for all of our Food Pantry Neighbors and for all those in our community and world.
 

Hygiene Kit Materials

One hand towel (15 x 25 –17 x 27 inches)  – No kitchen, cleaning, or microfiber towels  

One washcloth – No kitchen, cleaning, or microfiber towels  

One comb -Must be sturdy with at least 6 inches of teeth. No pocket combs or picks o Rattail and combs without handles are acceptable but must have at least 6 inches of teeth   

One toenail or fingernail clipper -No emery boards or metal nail files  

Bath-size soap (3 oz. bar or larger) – No Ivory or Jergen’s soap. Do not remove from packaging. 

One adult toothbrush – Do not remove from packaging Personal advertising not acceptable  

10 adhesive bandages (¾ by 3 inches) – Common household bandages acceptable  

One one-gallon size resealable bag

Assembly Instructions: 

Lay hand towel flat on a table.

Lay the washcloth in the center of the hand towel.

Place all remaining items on top of the washcloth (except the plastic bag).

Fold the sides of the hand towel to cover the items.

Grasp the bundle tightly and roll over the remainder of the towel.

Place the tightly rolled bundle in the plastic bag, remove air, and seal.