Efeb by Bethany Baptist Church

Dr. Ritch Boerckel

Senior Pastor

Marriage Maintenance Checkups Community Marriage Conferences HolyHomes Flip This House Seminar

Women’s Ministries Sr. High News Hornbrook/Peppers Wedding Children’s Check-in Is Coming

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Music Ministry Bulletin Board Engage PrimeTime Fellowship Birthdays & Anniversaries

February Calendar

Adult Bible Communities

Local Mission Services GO News Trewyn Good News Club LinC

10 Small Groups 11 Children’s Ministry 12 First Prayer

Restructuring Bethany’s Elder Ministry The ministry of the elders at Bethany has been a great blessing to me and to the entire church family. God has gifted our church with lay leaders who diligently teach God’s Word, visit the sick and shut-in, pray over the hurting, oversee ministries, steward financial gifts, equip members for service, administer communion, welcome new members, pursue those who stray, and protect the flock against false doctrine and sin. They do this intense work in love for God and His people without remuneration or fanfare. I have been privileged to serve Jesus alongside of these men for the advance of His kingdom. The elders are integral to our ability as a church family to glorify God as we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and prepare His people to worship Him forever. Over the last year, the elders have been asking this question: “How can we as elders be more fruitful in our service to God in shepherding the people whom God entrusts to our spiritual care?” What a great

question to ask! We have been praying over this question as we study God’s Word for answers. Scripture has led us to the conclusion that a restructure of our elder ministry will enable our elders to serve in a manner that more closely reflects the ministry of the elder in the New Testament. We believe that these changes will bring much joy to the individual members of Bethany and will yield spiritual fruit for the strengthening of our whole church. What are the specific goals we seek to meet through a restructuring of our elder ministry? The purpose for restructuring our elder ministry is to glorify God by developing a more biblicallyfunctioning elder leadership ministry. We believe that God would have our elders lead our church more practically to fulfill our church’s overall purpose of “Proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and preparing His people to worship Him forever.” Our restructuring seeks to Continued on page 2

“Elders” continued from page 1 meet the following specific goals: 1. A more personal involvement by the lay elders in shepherding individuals in the church toward ministry and maturity in Christ. 2. A more personal involvement by the lay elders in leadership decisions and vision of the church. 3. A deeper relationship among the elders in life and ministry. 4. A more focused training plan for future elders so that they would be fully equipped prior to being confirmed by the church for elder ministry. 5. An elder ministry that can expand to meet the needs of the church. 6. A leadership that is uninterrupted in its ministry of shepherding God’s flock. 7. A clearer communication to the church about the elder candidate prior to being confirmed by the church for elder ministry. The specific passages that led us to these goals are: 1 Peter 5:1-5, Ephesians 4:11-16; John 13:31-35; 1 Timothy 3:1-10; Titus 1:5-9; Acts 20:17-38. What changes can we expect to see in the elder ministry? Our restructuring of the ministry of elders proposes the following changes: 1. We design our monthly elder meetings to be primarily for the purpose of prayer, biblical training, and elder team reports. 2. We plan to begin an ongoing leadership-training plan that includes instruction, modeling, ministry participation and evaluation. We desire to develop men who have the head, heart and hands of a spiritual leader. 3. We desire to create a leadership climate in which each elder/deacon is involved in discipleship and equipping others in the body toward maturity in Christ and for ministry to Christ. 4. We propose to remove any limits on the number of elders and deacons that may serve at any one time. 5. We plan not to have an annual induction of elders/deacons to their office in May, but to induct individuals to the office based on the individual’s readiness and God’s calling. 6. We propose to allow elders to serve for indefinite terms as opposed to three-year terms. 7. We propose that some of Bethany’s ministry staff will serve on the elder and deacon teams as elders and/or deacons. Why are changes in the elder ministry necessary? As we studied the New Testament, we discerned that the office of elder was not “corporate” in emphasis, but “personal.” We believe our present system tends to produce a corporate leadership board that primarily makes decisions for the corporate body rather than a team of shepherds who oversee and care for God’s sheep. (We will no longer be using the term “board” when we communicate the ministry of the elders.) We also believe that our present elder ministry hinders our ability to expand spiritual leadership to meet the leadership needs of the church. It tempts the participants to view their role in the church as a short-term commitment versus a life calling from God to invest in the glory of Jesus through the local church. It creates problems for leadership continuity by requiring that one third of the elders be newly inducted every year. It hinders our ability to train future elders prior to taking office by tying the election of the elders to a specific date rather than to spiritual readiness. It creates an unhealthy divide between the staff leadership and the lay leadership. And finally, while we do not assert that our present system is contrary to Scripture, we do not see it reflected in Scripture. When will these changes be implemented? We hope to vote as a church on these changes in April of this year. We plan to teach about the elder ministry from the pulpit on the first two weeks of February. Please send us your questions and comments! If God is to be glorified in our church, it will be essential for us to pursue Him and His will together! Please pray for God to be honored and for our church to grow in Christlikeness as our elder ministry grows in depth and fruitfulness.

“And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Acts 20:32 2

Marriage Maintenance Checkups Have you ever gone to a car dealer for a 30,000–mile maintenance check? We want to offer the same type of service for something far more important than your car— your marriage! We would encourage everyone to consider participating in a Marriage Maintenance Checkup, especially those couples who will celebrate their first anniversary in 2014 or those who will celebrate an anniversary that is a multiple of five (fifth, tenth, fifteenth, etc.). In February, we will be offering 35-minute appointments with one of our pastors. Plan now to set aside time during the week of February 24-27 to invest in your marriage! Watch the weekly worship folder for details or contact Melody at 692-1755 or melody@bethanycentral.org.

Community Seminars to Strengthen Your Marriage Love & Respect Marriage Conference February 7-8 at Northwoods Community Church This dynamic, high-energy, practical seminar is designed to help couples everywhere achieve the relationship they’ve always dreamed of. Learn to: Stop the crazy cycle of conflict Initiate the energizing cycle of change Enjoy the rewarded cycle of new passion Cost: $55 per person Register at: www.loveandrespect.com FamilyLife “A Weekend to Remember” April 11-13 at Embassy Suites in East Peoria During the Weekend to Remember.® The speakers will show you exactly how to pursue a marriage that really works through stories of their own breakthroughs and blunders. We want you to leave the weekend with encouragement, hope, and practical tools to build and grow your relationship. Register at: www.familylife.com/weekend

March 7-8, 2014 Friday 6:30-8:30pm Saturday 8:45am-12:00pm Bethany Baptist Church Through their HolyHomes Marriage Conferences, Clay and Renee Crosse answer the simple question, “So…what's the importance of having a godly marriage?” This conference will include music from multi-award-winning recording artist Clay Crosse as well as an honest and humorous approach to practical marriage application. Clay and Renee want to convey that their conferences are not strictly for marriages in crisis. No, they are for all of us. Clay says, “We all have marriages that deserve protecting and that can be rare and set-apart for God's glory.” Clay and Renee have been married since 1990 and have four children. They live in Bentonville, Arkansas where Clay serves as worship pastor at First Baptist Church. Along with Bethany will his ongoing singing not be hosting a schedule, Clay and his Valentine’s Banquet this wife, Renee, speak year. We encourage you . to attend this seminar at marriage events in March with your . nationwide with Valentine! their ministry, HolyHomes. Cost: $15 per person Register at: www.bethanycentral.org/holyhomes Free childcare will be provided (sign up required).

Women’s Ministries Bridal Shower for Becky Hornbrook Saturday, February 8 at 10am Becky is engaged to Josh Peppers. They are registered at Kohl’s and Bed Bath & Beyond.

Hats of Hope Tuesday, February 11 at 6pm Work nights provide an opportunity to meet cancer survivors, use your gifts and talents in sewing and knitting, or simply to cut fabric and make fabric flowers for hats for cancer patients. Yarn and materials are supplied for you if you desire to make hats at home. Contact: Holly Miller at 648-1693 or hlm112770@aol.com.

Women Helping Women

Monday, February 17 at 7pm Work Women Helping Women serves those Nights experiencing miscarriage, still birth, early infant death, and infertility. On work nights we prepare products and kits for keepsake boxes that will help parents through the difficulty of losing a child. Sewing skills are not required. Contact: Nicole Pepper at 683-1181

Sr. High News Families with students in Sr. High should note four events in February. On Wednesday, February 5 the youth will lead First Prayer. We will join together with the church to pray. On Saturday, February 8 we hold our annual Apologetics and Preaching competition called “Engage.” Engage is a wonderful opportunity for youth to grow in their knowledge of the faith in a world increasingly more antagonistic toward the Gospel. On Sunday, February 16 from 6-9pm we will host Pizza with the Pastors. We will meet together in a home with our pastors to eat pizza and ask questions regarding faith and practice. Saturday, February 22 from 6-9pm is our monthly hangout at the Barn! This great fellowship time occurs on the last Saturday of every month. We meet at the Unsicker’s Triple U Barn off of Grange Hall Rd. in Dunlap. Please join us for an informal time of food, fun, and friendship. We enjoy snacks, board games, Frisbee, and more. For questions regarding details, directions, and other events, please send me an email or give me a call. My door is open to you all. I am excited to be a part of your lives and eagerly anticipate what the Lord has in store for our youth this year. -Josh Beakley

josh@bethanycentral.org

Coming Soon! Computerized Check-In for Children’s Ministries As a next step in our implementation of Shelby – Arena Church Management Software, we will be working to implement a computerized check-in system for Children’s Ministries. The purpose of this system is to enhance our security of children. We will first implement one Sunday School class to test it out and then work toward rolling it out to the rest of Bethany’s Children’s Ministries. Please pray for us as we work to implement this system this Spring/Summer.

Music Ministry Bulletin Board Teen Choir Choir

oir! o join ch t e im t t grea esday Now is a ls are on Wedn a m in s Rehear rom 7:45-9:00p f s evening Choir Room. the

Save the Date for MusiCamp: June 2-6, 2014

Calling all teens! Te en choir rehearsals will begin again on Sunday, February 16. Rehearsals are on Su ndays at 4:07pm in the Choir Room.

Children’s Choi r Mark your cale ndars! Children’s Choi r will resume on Sund ay March 16 at 4:00 , pm. We are looking for teachers to help with Children’s Choi r. Please contact Pastor Fred if you are interested.

Handbells Join one of our two handbell choirs! Daytime Choir: meets every Friday from 10:30am-Noon in the Choir Room

Orchestra Orchestra rehearsals will start back up mid-February! The orchestra rehearses on Sunday afternoons from 4:00-5:15pm in Room 805. Contact Peter & Kelli Rummel at pete.kelli.rummel@gmail.com for more information.

Saturday, February 8 at 9:00am Encourage our young people by attending this competition which is designed to develop young people who will effectively learn, defend and communicate Biblical truth. The event begins at 9am. For details contact Josh Beakley (josh@bethanycentral.org).

Evening Choir: meets every Wednesday from 6:15-7:15pm in the Choir Room

PrimeTime Fellowship Monday, February 17 at 11:00am All those age 50 and up are invited to join us! Jerry and Karen Sanderson will be sharing about their trip to Israel. Main dish will be provided. Bring a side or dessert to share. To sign up, call the church office at 692-1755.

Birthdays & Anniversaries 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 -

Joseph Betts Daniel Cain Helen Hrivnak Margo Marx Bo Windish Emily Carlile Linda Hamilton Nathan Korf Rebekah Nerad Loraya Waterman Mike & Pam Duncan Roger & Lisa Haywood Sarah Ellison Dennis Van Meter David Weidner Justin & Anita Davis Roger Bennington Gary Conner Anna Hofmann Patty Inman Kaitlyn Kreeger Mickala Kreeger Melissa Lueken Aaron Tolson Janine Tolson Molly Wilson Lizzie Anderson Benjamin Bobchik Nathan Burnham David Hoerr Acadia Jacobs Tamar Kern Ben Nelson Camden Palmer Emma Borop Robert Cassidy Becky Hornbrook Laurie King Matthew Lueken Mary Smith Abby Anderson Ben Arends Noah Bauman Lydia Benedict Charles Hill Jon Baumann Ruth Burnett Caleb Lonergan Justin McMenamy Kim Sauder Kyle Talbot

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 -

Jon Bateman Steven Bohde David Wilmoth Ethan Buenaseda Isaiah Kern Drake Herman Steve & Carol Hornbrook Ada Foreman Braden Fouts Hunter Fouts Lydia Garrett Brad Gerdes Gerry Greb Wayne Miller Tessa Moore David Philyaw Spencer Raw Caroline Baer Brent Graham Carrie Moore Joelle Andris Deidre Carlson Lynn Carps Amari Hoyt Karen Joyce Julie Koch Grant & Diana Burton Bob & Anna Garrett Karsyn Dowd Joe Grimaldi Amy Inman Jillian Philyaw Melanie Rowley Casen Rummel Cadence Stuber Rich & Cherie Layne Hanna Ham Ishan Kishore Cora Moon Ken Park Jake Rogers Karen Wilton Abigail Betts Carol Bricker Justin Herman Reagan Mason Emily Nielsen Levi Ham Andrew Sauder Cheryl Scherer

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 -

Anna Barngrover Karen Burnham Elias Critten MaKenzie Glover Jacob Hoerr Mason Kieser Ron Penick Kaytlin Post Sam Smith Luke Tucker Zachary Weers Ishor Dhakal Marc Boyd Hannah Dobra Makenna Gillespie Eden Moon Daniel Schellenberg Mike Barber Mick Dobra Riley Siebenborn Brice Teubel Taylor Klaus Kimberly Matthews Jasmine Penick Steve & Jill Delinski Grace Yergler Justin Davis Treyton Graham Erin Myatt Connor Setterlund Hailey Tackett Vi White Jordan Brush Tom Colligan Ellen Kelch Delaney Burton Braden Dietz Dan Good Alyssa Ellenbecker Leah Morgan Jake Peters Greg Urban Steve Herron Jacquelyn Servey Ken & Amy Park Micah Bailey Agatha Baumann Chuck Hill Fang Qu Rachel Ellison

February 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

8:30am Men’s No Regrets Conference

8:15 & 11:00am Worship Services 9:45am Sunday School

7:00pm Men’s Bible Study

5:00-5:45pm Family Meal 6:15pm Awana Youth Group 6:30pm Prayer Room Open 7:45pm Choir Rehearsal

7:00pm Women Helping Women Men’s Basketball

12:20pm & 6:15pm GriefShare

7:00pm Men’s Basketball

9:00am Ladies Bible Studies 12:20pm & 6:15pm GriefShare 7:00pm Men’s Bible Study

8:15 & 11:00am Worship Services 9:45am Sunday School

7:00pm Men’s Basketball

9:00am Ladies Bible Studies 12:20pm & 6:15pm GriefShare 6:00pm Hats of Hope

8:15 & 11:00am Worship Services 9:45am Sunday School

8:15 & 11:00am Worship Services 9:45am Sunday School 12:30pm First Grade Lunch

11:00am PrimeTime Fellowship

7:00pm Men’s Basketball

9:00am Ladies Bible Studies

7:00pm Men’s Bible Study

9:00am Ladies Bible Studies 12:20pm & 6:15pm GriefShare 7:00pm Men’s Bible Study Charlotte Mason Mtg.

5:00-5:45pm Family Meal 6:15pm Awana Youth Group 6:30pm First Prayer 7:45pm Choir Rehearsal

5:00-5:45pm Family Meal 6:15pm Awana Youth Group 6:30pm Prayer Room Open 7:45pm Choir Rehearsal

6:00pm Ladies Bible Study

9:00am MOPS

9:00am MOPS Tea

8:00am-11:00am Church Membership Class 9:00am Engage Competition 10:00am Bridal Shower for Becky Hornbrook

Adult Bible Communities (ABCs)

Two New ABC Series Begin February 2:

New Elective: Sacred Marriage Our ABC ministry door is open to adults of all ages. Classes meet on Sunday mornings at 9:45am. Please join us as we continue the following studies: 20/20: The Life of Christ Bereans: James, 1 John, 2 John, Jude City On a Hill: Letter of John College: Testimonies CrossPoint: The Story Crossroads: Reward & Punishment Dust To Glory: Bringing the Bible to Life Elective: Great Stories of the Bible Foundations: Our Indwelling Helper—Investigating the Role of the Holy Spirit Joint Heirs: Responding to Relativism Living Stones: Rebuilding God’s City—Israel Returns from Exile New Heights: Isaiah Salt & Light: Balancing Life's Demands—Biblical Priorities for a Busy Life Temple Builders: I Corinthians

Class Location: Choir Room Leader: Marty Roth What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy? Your marriage is much more than a union between you and your spouse. It is a spiritual discipline ideally suited to help you know God more fully and intimately. The Sacred Marriage DVD curriculum shifts the focus from marital enrichment to spiritual enrichment in ways that can help you love your mate more. Whether it is delightful or difficult, your marriage can become a closer walk with God. This six-week study begins February 2 during the ABC hour and is open to both couples and singles. Join us as we strengthen our hearts for marriage.

The Master's Touch: Heaven— HEAVEN Myths and Marvelous Myths & Mysteries Marvelous Class Location: Room 401 Teacher: Brad Dunham

Mysteries

What do you know about Heaven? Come and learn with us about various aspects of Heaven: Where will Heaven be located? What will Heaven look like? What things will be “missing” in Heaven? Who will be in Heaven? Will there be animals in Heaven? What will we look like in Heaven? What will we do in Heaven? See what Scripture has to say or not say about these and other matters. Uncover myths about heaven that many people, including Christians, believe.

Mission Services Each month, we have the JESUS opportunity to share the Gospel A with, worship with, and encourage the men who stay at the Peoria V Rescue Mission and the women E and children at the South Side S Mission. Our mission services consist of a time of singing praises to God, praying for the folks, and preaching the Word. If you are interested in joining the team of Bethany volunteers that participate in these services, contact Jon Baumann at baumanns2@comcast.net or 303-5656. You can also be an encouragement to those serving and the residents by attending a service. I encourage you to check it out. Bethany Mission Services in February: South Side Mission 1127 S. Laramie Street, Peoria February 16 at 6pm Peoria Rescue Mission 601 SW Adams Street, Peoria February 2 and 20 at 7:30pm

Global Outreach News GO Christmas Offering: Thank you for your generous Christmas gifts for our GO-Partners. Total income from our three Bethany Fellowship churches was $14,942. Global Partner Wall: We added a number of global partners this past year and many others made location and ministry changes. We encourage you to stop by the Global Partner Wall located in the hall between the office and the gym to pick up recent prayer letters to help you get to know and pray for those representing us around the world.

Meet LinC - the new monthly Friday Night ministry for Bethany’s RESOLVEDto Single’s Ministry! LinC stands for Live in Community. We are praying the LinC ministry will help foster community in our group among our current members. We are also hoping this ministry will be a great entry point for non-believers and for other believers who are looking to get plugged into a vibrant body of believers. In the past years we have enjoyed the Friday Night Impact ministry once a month. LinC replaces this ministry. For LinC we will be moving away from meeting in various homes throughout the year and we will meet regularly in the top floor of the Christian Center. The night will be a mix of worship, teaching and fellowship. We'll begin at 7:15pm on scheduled Friday nights. The night begins with a worship session with a worship band, speaker, and some other fun things such as occasional videos and testimonies. If you've been to our fall retreat the sessions will be similar to those sessions. After the formal session we'll have a time of fellowship and food. Our 2014 LinC theme is "God is ..." We are asking our speakers to finish the sentence. So one month a topic could be on "God is gracious" or "God is worthy of our worship." The theme is pretty broad and we’re very excited to see the different way the speakers take it throughout the year. Everyone (singles, married, young, old, etc.) is welcome – whether you are active in other RESOLVEDto ministries or not – we’d love to have you join us for these monthly times of energized worship and excellent Bible teaching! We look forward to seeing you there!!

The next Friday Night LinC is February 21 at 7:15pm at the Christian Center. Micaiah Wilmoth, leader of Peoria Area Campus Ministries will be our speaker. Mark your calendar for these upcoming Friday Night LinC events: March 21, April 25, May 16, June 20.

Trewyn Opportunities

For more information, please email Alex Neukomm aneukomm@gmail.com or Jonathan Eisenmann jonathanserves@gmail.com.

Our Trewyn ministry is growing and we are impacting more children with the Gospel of Christ! There is a great opportunity for more workers to come and love on the children at Trewyn on Tuesday afternoons from 2:00-4:00pm. For more details, contact Rod Abel at rodbonabel@comcast.net or Abby Pfeiffer at abby@bethanycentral.org.

Our RESOLVEDto Singles ministry at Bethany seeks to compel our members to become “resolved to” Bless our Church, Build our Community, and Reach our City – all for the glory of God!

6. LOVE them with the affection of Christ Jesus. Paul didn’t love his disciples with merely human affection. Real, sacrificial, discipling love is a fruit of the Spirit. It is the love of Christ flowing through us because we have given our bodies to be used for His purposes. “I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus” (v. 8). The most important thing we can do in this life is to make disciples, as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19-20. But often we are not aware of how to accomplish this task. How do we invest in and develop others? Our best help comes from looking at disciple-makers and following them! Next to Jesus, Paul seems to be the best at this task. We find ten proven tips in discipling from simply observing his care for his disciples at Philippi (Philippians 1, NASB).

10 Proven Tips on Discipling Others by Bill Elliff

1. REMEMBER them. We should care so deeply for our disciples that they often come to our minds. If they don’t, it probably indicates that our minds are consumed with ourselves. “In all my remembrance of you” (v. 3). and “I have you in my heart” (v. 7). 2. THANK GOD for them. Discipleship can be messy, not to mention disappointing at times. But spend conscious time giving thanks for your disciples, and let them know that you’re grateful for them and for the work of God in their lives. “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you” (v. 3). 3. BE JOYFUL for them. Let them know they bring you joy! “Always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all” (v. 4). 4. BE CONFIDENT in God’s work in their lives, and express this to them. Paul’s faith was not in them, but in the work of their faithful God on their behalf. And he reminded them that God was bigger than their weaknesses and would continue His work in them until it was complete. “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (v. 6). 5. PARTNER with them. He let them know of his work, and they participated in this work. Therefore, they became “partakers of grace” with him. “Both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me” (v. 7).

7. PRAY SPECIFICALLY for them, and tell them what you’re praying for them. This is the greatest tool in our arsenal, because prayer can do whatever God can do and go wherever God can go. Notice the four specific prayers: “And this I pray, that your (1) Love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may (2) Approve the things that are excellent, in order to be (3) Sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been (4) Filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (vv. 9-11). 8. MODEL SACRIFICIAL, MISSIONAL LIVING before them. Paul lived what he preached. They watched him be imprisoned for the gospel. But then they heard of his joy in prison because it turned out for the greater progress of the gospel. He was joyful and courageous, even in the toughest circumstances. What a lesson this must have been to his disciples! “Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel” (v. 12). 9. SUFFER for them. “I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith” (vv. 23-25). 10. COMMUNICATE with them. Paul was always teaching. This whole letter is Paul’s best means of maintaining communication with his disciples so that he could encourage, instruct, and continually disciple them. When he could not be with them, he sent others (as he tells us later in Philippians 2). And he used every means at his disposal to keep communication and discipling active— all the way to the end of his life. 1

Reprinted with permission. Posted on the Graceful Truth blog on November 23, 2013. Accessed 1/16/14 at http://www.thesummitchurch.org/blogs/billelliff/post/ 10-proven-tips-on-discipling-others/

2014 is a year for connection at Bethany! Several of our small groups are seeking more people to join them this month. It’s not too late to get connected! Call the church office today to plug in to a small group that is right for you.

Children’s Ministry Wendy Kirkpatrick wendy@bethanycentral.org

The moment you step into Bethany Baptist Church you are served by volunteers. From the door greeter to the Sunday School teacher, people are volunteering to serve you, and ultimately our Savior. Our children’s ministry is no different. We have so many opportunities to serve our Savior through loving on children and partnering with their parents to teach them about Jesus.

Have you seen the changes in our Children’s Wing?

Volunteering is a great way to get connected with the body of believers at Bethany. It allows you to make new friends and impact the body of Christ.

The 7-Cs of History are taking shape!

In all areas of service, you can observe, or try out a ministry without making a commitment up front. If, after trying it, you enjoy serving in that capacity, you can be officially added to the team. If you decide that particular area is not for you, feel free to try another area until you find where God wants you. Please contact wendy@bethanycentral to learn about ways that you can serve in AWANA, nursery, and children’s church. We would love to have you on our team! VBS THEME ANNOUNCEMENT

Take a journey through the children’s wing the next time you’re at church and thank God for how He’s been using the gifts of David and Betty Webster to help bring the Gospel to life in our children’s hallways! Please continue to pray for this project’s completion to the glory of God as we together seek to define our ministry space with the compelling truths of God’s story of redemption – from Creation to Consummation in heaven above!

Join us July 14-18 as we put on our SPY gear and trace it back to just the facts! The evidence is clear. The proof is all right here. Come discover, decide, and defend the truth about who Jesus really is at Agency D3. AWANA SPECIAL DATES February 12 – Crazy Hearts night ~ wear hearts on your clothes and be sure to bring Valentine cards for Bethany’s Senior Saints! March 5 – Inside out night – wear your clothes inside out! April 23 – AWANA Carnival April 30 – AWANA Awards CHILDREN’S MINISTRY 2014 SAVE THE DATE! June 2- 6 – Music Camp July 14-18 – Vacation Bible School August 17 – Church Picnic Sunday School (SS) and Children’s Church (CC) Lessons in February: 2-2

SS: Matthew 21:1-11 Jesus’ Triumphal Entry CC: Nahum 1-3 Nahum, Prophet to Ninevah

2-9

SS: Matthew 21:33-46 Jesus Confronts the Pharisees CC: Jeremiah 1 God Called Jeremiah

2-16 SS: Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus Teaches the Parable of Talents CC: Jeremiah 36 Jeremiah Warned of God’s Judgement 2-23 SS: Matthew 26:1-56 The Jew’s Response to Jesus CC: 2 Chronicles 36:1-21 Judah was taken into captivity

Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and all Puzzle-Solvers – See if you can help your children find the three different places in the hallway (so far) where the words “Jesus Saves” are painted into the scenes!

Bethany Baptist Church 7422 N. Heinz Lane Edwards, IL 61528

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE P A I D PEORIA, ILLINOIS PERMIT NO. 917 Return Service Requested

First Prayer Wednesday, February 5 at 6:30pm In the sanctuary Join us for special time of prayer.