eJune15 Broadcaster

Bethany Baptist Church exists to glorify God by proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and preparing His people to worship Him forever.

Broadcaster God’s Glory and Our Joy When I was a teenager, my pastor would close each service with the benediction from Jude. That benediction powerfully communicated to me as a young person both God’s goal for my life and God’s grace available to me to strengthen me to reach that goal.

It kept in my view what life was all about and how I could realize that supreme purpose in my life.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever.

Amen.” (Jude 1:24–25, NKJV) What Life Is All About When God created us, He gave us a paramount target. That bull’s-eye for our life is that we would glorify God and enjoy Him forever. If we

hit that mark, we will forever be happy. Our life’s happiness now and forever is bound up in our connection to God’s glory and majesty. Our present and future joy is found in our submission to His dominion and power. John Piper is right when he says, “God’s glory is the source and sum of all full and lasting joy.”

To many the talk of God’s “glory” seems distant and a bit irrelevant to real life. Reference to God’s glory sounds a bit mystical and ethereal. Since the glory of God is our primary purpose for living, it is important that we understand what God’s glory is. In short, God’s glory is simply the reality of God’s infinite goodness and greatness.

God does not need an advertising agency to make Him seem better than He really is. God is truly good and great to an infinite and Continued on page 2.

Dr. Ritch Boerckel

Senior Pastor 3

June Calendar Highlights

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Adult Soccer First Prayer Women’s Ministries Seasoned Singles PrimeTime Fellowship Collingsworth Concert

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Children’s Ministry Youth Summer Calendar Global Outreach RESOLVEDto Singles

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Share the Gospel This Summer!

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MusiCamp The Gospel Institute VBS

Continued from page 1.

incomprehensible measure. The reason that man does not constantly enjoy God for His goodness and greatness is not that God’s goodness and greatness loses its power to astound and amaze. The reason we do not constantly worship God is that our eyes often are blinded to the reality of God’s goodness and greatness.

Satan’s chief aim is to blind the minds of people so they will not see God’s glory and worship Him. The apostle Paul writes, “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor. 4:4, ESV) More than anything else, Satan hates that God receives glory from being God. The destruction of God’s glory is Satan’s primary motivation for everything he does. Satan wanted God’s glory for himself and tried to take it from God. God cast him out of heaven for his vain attempts.

Everything Satan does is motivated by his hatred of God receiving worship for His goodness and greatness.

Our ability to glorify God is completely dependent upon the present and future ministry of Jesus in our lives. The future grace offered us

by Jesus is grace that presents us faultless before the presence of the Father. The present grace of Jesus is able to keep us from stumbling into ruin in this life. Only through Him can we see, savor and show how great and good God is. I love these two ministries of Jesus toward us!

“We glorify God when we see and savor His goodness and greatness for ourselves and then we show His goodness and greatness to others.”

If God’s glory is the reality of God’s true goodness and greatness, what does it mean for us to “glorify Him”? We glorify God when we see and savor His goodness and greatness for ourselves and then we show His goodness and greatness to others.

Glorifying God means that we first experience His glory for ourselves. Worship is first tasting and seeing for ourselves that God is good and great. “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!” (Psalms 34:8, ESV) After we have tasted of God’s goodness and greatness we are qualified to communicate God’s glory to others.

Tasting precedes telling.

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How We Realize God’s Purpose of Glorifying Him

Ministry #1: Jesus presents us faultless to the Father.

On the future day of judgment when we stand before God, Jesus will present His redeemed as blameless so that the Father will treat us as ones who have never been guilty of any transgression. We will be presented as ones who are 100% pure.

Each one of us have grievously broken God’s holy commandments so we are not faultless. How can Jesus present people who are filled with sinful faults as faultless? The answer is through the imputation of His own righteousness to us. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) The perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to every person who believes in Jesus as their Savior and Lord. “For what does the Scripture say?

‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness . . .” (Romans 4:3-5) Jesus’ future grace is sufficient so we can anticipate the joy of glorifying God forever and ever.

JUNE 2015 Calendar Highlights

Ministry #2: Jesus keeps us from stumbling.

Without the daily sustaining grace of Jesus active in our lives, we would stumble into sin and away from practical righteousness. No one is sure-footed enough to keep themselves from stumbling.

Jude uses the term “stumble” to describe one who began the walk of faith, but who then trips and nearly falls completely to the ground. This “stumbling” is a stumbling into self-directed life, a stumbling into soul-destroying sin, a stumbling into false doctrine, or a stumbling into idolatry. No one “stumbles” on purpose. Stumbling usually happens to a person who is simply careless and not watchful. The danger to our spiritual life is not so much a conscious rejection of Christ as an unconscious consequence of living faith carelessly.

How easy it is to “stumble” into the sins of gossip, deceit, sexual immorality, pornography, bitterness, covetousness, fearfulness and anger.

The present ministry of Jesus in keeping us from stumbling effectively overcomes our own weaknesses so that we can be successful in our daily walk with God. No Christian need to ever live a life of constant stumbling away from God and then returning. A stumbling Christian is a sorrowing Christian. We forfeit so much joy because we do not lean on Christ daily for this ministry in our lives. Be encouraged to know that our joy in glorifying God today is enabled by Jesus!

No hurdle exists over which Jesus does not help us to successfully leap.

As we pursue the glory of God in our daily lives, let us look more to Christ and less to ourselves. We stumble and fall when we rely on our own strength. We are right to humble ourselves before God each day and open our hearts to the grace that Jesus offers us.

“To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:25, NKJV) 

Please see page 5 for youth calendar.

June 1-5 MusiCamp, 6:00pm June 3

First Prayer, 6:30pm

June 6

Saturday Night Service, 6pm

June 7

Worship Services, 8:15 and 11am ABCs/Sunday School, 9:45am Children’s Musical, 6:00pm

June 13 Saturday Night Service, 6pm June 14 Worship Services, 8:15 & 11am ABCs/Sunday School, 9:45am June 15 PrimeTime to Peoria Riverfront Museum, 11:45am Women Helping Women, 7:00pm June 16 Hats of Hope, 6:00pm June 20 Saturday Night Service, 6pm June 21 Worship Services, 8:15 & 11am ABCs/Sunday School, 9:45am June 27 Saturday Night Service, 6:00pm June 28 Worship Services, 8:15 & 11am ABCs/Sunday School, 9:45am VBS Training, 6:00pm View the full calendar at bethanycentral.org!

Hover over the “Connect” tab, then click the “View Calendar” button. Use the pull-down menu to select the view of your choice (day, month, week, etc.).

The Birthday & Anniversary list is now available at the Welcome Center.

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Adult Soccer Tuesdays: June 2, 16 & 30 6-9pm RESOLVEDto and the College ministry invite all adults for outdoor co-ed soccer. Players of all abilities are encouraged to come play!

Seasoned Singles 35+ Cookout Friday, June 5, 6:00pm At the home of Erech & Molly Virden 710 Washington Street, Pekin All seasoned single adults 35+ are invited to come and get to know one another. Meat for grilling will be provided. Please bring a dish to share. Adults only. RSVP by June 3 to SoldbyMolly@gmail.com.

First Prayer Wednesday, June 3 6:30pm We will focus on praying for Children’s Music Camp and Youth Summer Camp. Bring a friend and join us in the prayer room.

Women Helping Women Monday, June 15 at 7pm Women Helping Women serves those 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.

PrimeTime Fellowship Monday, June 15 D-Day Documentary with Tom Brokaw at the Riverfront Museum All those age 60 and up are invited. Meet at the museum at 11:45am. Documentary is at noon.

(Cost: $5 veterans and their families, $6 seniors).

Following the film at 1 pm, we will go to lunch with those interested. If you would like a ride to this event please call the church at 692-1755.

Hats of Hope Tuesday, June 16 at 6pm 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.

MOPS .

Registration is now open!

Moms whose youngest child is in kindergarten or below are eligible to participate. For more information and to register visit: www.bethanycentral.org/MOPS

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Tickets $20 each. Children 15 and under are free with a paid adult. Tickets are available in the church office.

C h i l d re n ’s M i n i s t r y

Youth Summer Calendar June 3

VBS Testimony

by Kimberly Boerckel

Jr./Sr. High at Mt. Hawley, 6:15pm

June 7-12 Summer Camp

When God’s Spirit begins to draw a person, it is a beautiful thing! For me this happened In June of 1973. I am the eldest of two girls born to Alex and Margo Valcanoff. We were a close family traveling through life without really even thinking much about God. We attended church once in a while, but it was more of a tradition than any kind of true worship. We certainly did not regard God in family decisions or in everyday life. I do remember my mom teaching me “The Lord’s Prayer” so I could recite it by memory as a part of bedtime prayers. This seemed very special to me and made me begin to have thoughts about who God is and how I could possibly relate to Him.

June 17

Youth/Parent Camp Celebration and 12th grade promotion, 6:15pm

June 24

No Youth Group

June 25

Jr./Sr. High Field Games, 2:00pm

June 26

Jr. High Late Night, 6:00pm

July 1

No Youth Group

July 8

Youth Summerfest #1, 6:15pm Sr. High Volunteer Student Leader Meeting, 8pm

One day my friend, Kathy Carlson, invited me to her church for Vacation Bible School. It was the third week of June 1973. I was 9 years old. I attended Monday, June 17 through Friday, June 21. I am sure there was a Bible lesson each day, but I only remember one day of the Bible lesson. That day was Friday, and that day the Spirit of God blew upon me and opened the eyes of my understanding so that I recognized the truth that I was a sinner and that Jesus was the only One capable of saving me! I sought out the teacher after she had explained the Gospel and I asked her to help me understand more.

She led me to true faith in Jesus through His Word which she had me read to her out loud. I prayed and asked Jesus to forgive me and save me. I was so elated!

July 11

Jr. High Pool Party, 1:00pm

July 12

Sr. High to Sharon Pines

July 15

Youth Summer Lunch, 12:00pm No Youth Group

July 22

Youth Summerfest #2, 6:15pm

July 24

Jr./Sr. High Bike Ride, 9:00am

I went home that Friday and shared with my mother.

She was so intrigued that she sought out her Christian friend and soon came to Christ as well. Within one year, God had opened the eyes of all four of us in my immediate family. I praise God for the vehicle of VBS! He used this Vacation Bible School to begin the transformation of an entire family!

July 27-28 Class of 2015 Transition Retreat July 29

Youth Summerfest #3, 6:15pm

August 5

Youth Summerfest #4, 6:15pm Sr. High Volunteer Student Leader Meeting, 8pm

August 7

Sr. High to Six Flags

August 9

Sr. High to Sharon Pines

August 12 Youth Summerfest #5, 6:15pm August 14 Sr. High at Lake Bethany, 6:00pm

VBS 2015

August 19 Youth Summerfest #6, 6:15pm

Join us for “A Journey Off the Map” July 13-17 from 9-11:45am!

Kids entering Kindergarten through 6th Grade in the fall are invited. Register online at www.bethanycentral.org now.

August 26 All Youth Cookout and Parent Meeting, 6:15pm For additional details, please contact: Josh Beakley (josh@bethanycentral.org) or Aaron Boerckel (aaron@bethanycentral.org).

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Global Outreach

The recent earthquakes in Nepal provide opportunity to directly engage in what God is doing outside our own fellowship. Your generosity and love for others has generated over $12,000 toward relief work in Nepal. These financial resources will be shared between the relief work of Samaritan’s Purse and the efforts of Child Hope International, which is a ministry of the former pastor of our own Ishor and Prisca Dhakal of Nepal. These gifts provide food for the hungry and help with the need for shelter.

Bethany Baptist Church exists to glorify God by proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and preparing His people to worship Him forever. Our Global Outreach Ministry accomplishes this outside of our fellowship by ministering to people around the globe, bringing them the good news of salvation from sin through Jesus Christ, and teaching them to love God and obey the Scriptures. Relief work in natural disasters is one way we do that; another is by serving on short-term GO-teams.

A team of 17 will leave for Ecuador on June 18 for 10 days to serve with Pablo and Judi Perez and with Cesar and Nancy Cortez upgrading some ministry space and providing safe drinking water in a remote village in the Andes Mountains.

The following day, June 19, a team of 10 will leave for India for 14 days to serve in the Spiritual Life Conference for the SIM mission agency. This team will care for the children of the GO-workers in the conference, which will include the Paul and Katie Masek family whom we recently began to support.

On July 30, a team of about 12 will depart for the Czech Republic to staff a missionary kid camp for a week (the team returns on August 10). They will be cabin counselors and lesson teachers, and they will organize crafts, games and all other activities. The team is still forming, so pray for Pastor Fred as he leads, and as all of the skills and roles are matched to team participants.

You can learn more about each of these: Ecuador India Czech Republic

www.bethany-fellowship.org/outreach/details.asp?id=131 www.bethany-fellowship.org/outreach/details.asp?id=130 www.bethany-fellowship.org/outreach/details.asp?id=133

Thank you for all you do to support these manifestations of our love for mankind and our desire that all become mature brothers and sisters in Christ that in turn disciple others.

- Steve Hornbrook

RESOLVEDto Thursday Night Bible Study The RESOLVEDto Thursday Night Bible Study is studying 2 Peter. Join Rodney & Katie Harms and the RESOLVEDto group at the Harms’ home (3318 S. Hilton Lane, Bartonville) as they look at 2 Peter. The study meets weekly on Thursday evenings. Dinner is at 6:30pm and the study begins at 7:30pm. Contact Rodney Harms (rdharms@gmail.com) with any questions.

RESOLVEDto Worldviews & Christian Ethics lesson series in the 20/20 ABC class Join the RESOLVEDto 20/20 ABC class as we look at Worldviews & Christian Ethics with Pastor Jerry Sanderson.

Over the course of about eight weeks we will be looking at the topics below:    

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Analysis of “Imagine” video and contrasting worldviews Pre-suppositional thinking Introduction to ethics Ethical dilemmas

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What to ask of every worldview Analysis of Christian worldview Christian ethics Cults

Let’s Share God’s Gospel this Summer!

Pastor Kevin Sauder How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7

Warmer weather opens more doors and hearts to neighborly conversations and sincere hospitality. This means more opportunities to talk with our lost neighbors and loved ones about our greatest treasure! Please join me in praying that God would use me and you to effectively testify to our amazing God of salvation this summer. Let’s all be encouraged and strengthened as we pray that God would allow us to be part of His saving work in the lives of our loved ones this summer!

Keep it true. Evangelism is not defined by people’s response or results. A successful evangelistic conversation with a loved one is simply faithfully sharing God’s good news of salvation with them.

Clearly communicate that he/she is a sinner who is condemned to eternal punishment, and invite them to God’s full forgiveness, acceptance, and eternal life through repentance and faith in Christ’s death and resurrection.

“It is not primarily out of a compassion for humanity that we share our faith or pray for the lost; it is first of all, love for God. … People deserve to be damned, but Jesus, the suffering Lamb of God, deserves the reward of His suffering.”

John Dawson Taking our Cities for God, 2002, 208-9

Keep it real. People quickly perceive if you are viewing them as a “project” or if you are somehow using them to make yourself feel better. Be genuine in your love and care for others. Invest time and relational equity in your relationships with your unsaved loved ones. Open up your hearts and home to allow others to see the difference that Christ has made in your priorities and relationships.

Keep it simple. You don’t need to know all the answers to people’s questions. You don’t need to follow a complicated formula. Your own life doesn’t need to be perfect (although obviously all transformation that God’s Spirit has worked in your own life lends credibility and hope to your message). In fact, you can just focus on helping them understand one verse like Romans 6:23, for example. Ask your loved one if you could draw a simple diagram to help them understand this verse. Invite them to believe and put their faith in Christ. Share the hope and joy that is offered to them in Christ if they would repent and turn from their sins and follow Christ.

Keep it going. Don’t lose heart when your loved ones reject your message, or even reject you personally.

Remember God’s Spirit is with you and He is committed to empowering your witness (John 16:8ff). Lord Jesus is with you until the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). You are secure in God’s eternal love towards you (Romans 8:31ff).

Stay patient remembering God’s patience towards you. Seek to encourage and strengthen other believers in their witness as well. Keep your “knees bent” and your “eyes wet.” Stay attentive to every opportunity God brings you each day, and prayerfully celebrate every time you are privileged to tell others of God’s amazing grace by which we have been saved!

Prayer: God please free our hearts from all unbelief, indifference, self-love, despair, or worldliness that would self-rationalize our lack of evangelistic power, passion, and prayers this summer. Consume our lives with Jesus Christ as our greatest treasure, and joyfully use our life and lips as a bold and compelling witness for your glory this summer!

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Bethany Baptist Church

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

7422 N. Heinz Lane

P A I D

Edwards, IL 61528

PEORIA, ILLINOIS PERMIT NO. 917 Return Service Requested

MusiCamp June 1-5 from 6:00–8:15pm

Registration for the Summer 2015 Semester is open until June 5.

Classes meet Monday nights from 6-9pm at various locations.

Courses offered this semester include:

All kids who have finished Kindergarten through 6th Grade are invited!

We will work on a musical which will be performed on Sunday, June 7 at 6pm.

Cost: $10 per child (for T-Shirts).

Biblical Counseling: Soul Care 3 Teaching the Bible: Communicating Biblical Truth Evangelism Training: The Gospel, The Church & The Nations Church History: A Legacy of Faith For information or to register, visit www.peoriagospelinstitute.com.

Vacation Bible School July 13-17 9:00-11:45am Kids entering Kindergarten through 6th Grade in the fall are invited.

Register online at www.bethanycentral.org