Bethany Baptist Church exists to glorify God by proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and preparing His people to worship Him now and forever.
Broadcaster The Renewal of the Sabbath
Dr. Ritch Boerckel
Page 3 Fifteen years ago, the lay leaders of Bethany prayerfully decided to offer the staff pastors a “sabbatical” that can be taken every seven years. The sabbatical allows the pastor to take seven weeks away from the normal ministry responsibilities for the purpose of allowing him time and opportunity to pursue personal well-being in his body, mind, soul, family, marriage and emotions. This gift from the leadership of the church represents an act of personal care to the pastoral staff. The offering of a sabbatical was predicated upon the belief that the spiritual and personal renewal of the pastors will not only benefit the individual, but also will advance the health of the church as each pastor gains fresh insight, zeal, energy and purpose for the ministry at
Bethany through this season away from the day-to-day duties of ministry. The elders communicated to us when they initiated this offer that a sabbatical was not a reward for past labors, but a season of preparation for future ones. I cannot communicate adequately how humbled we (the pastors) have been by this gift of love. I recognize that few people in our modern world have the opportunity to take a sabbatical from the daily grind of work to focus on spiritual, emotional, relational and physical health. This gift represents no small privilege and honor. My heart is filled with gratitude for a lay leadership team that continues to love their pastors well.
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In This Issue September Calendar
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PrimeTime Fellowship Boomer Breakfast Good News Club Training Congregational Meeting First Prayer Awana Begins Orphan Care Study Safe Families
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Praise & Worship Night at Giant Goose Ranch Women’s Ministries
Page 6
Fall Festival
Page 7
The Gospel Institute Children’s Worship Ministry
Page 8
Small Groups
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Beginning on September 14, I will be taking a sabbatical for the third time. I am asking you to pray that God would be glorified in my life through this time. For a number of reasons, I have felt more deeply a need for a Sabbath rest than at any time previous in my ministry life. I have a profound sense of my need for God to refresh and strengthen me as I enter this season. So your intercessory prayers will be very influential in my life during this season. May I ask for you to pray for six specific requests during my time away on this sabbatical? 1. Pray for spiritual communion with God that would lead to spiritual renewal in my soul. I desire to deeply fellowship with the living God and enter into the joy of my salvation in fresh ways. The joy of the Lord is our strength. And I would ask you to pray that my walk with God will energize my spiritual life. I feel the pull that church responsibilities have upon this vital part of my spiritual life. This pull is similar to the pull that lay people feel from their employment work and pressures. It is easy to slide into the “doing” of spiritual work and take my eyes off the “being” of spiritual life. Pray for God to revive my soul.
“This gift represents no small privilege and honor.”
2. Pray for spiritual repentance. A central part of all spiritual renewal involves repentance from sin. I desire God to show me the attitudes, actions, beliefs and priorities that are not aligned with His glory. I want to become more like Jesus in every aspect. I realize that my self-will and pride get in the way of God’s sanctifying purpose. Pray for God to lead me into deeper dependence upon Him and affection for Him. 3. Pray for God to reorder the habits of my walk with Him. My hope is that the renewed communion and focus on the Lord in this sabbatical will translate into daily change throughout the rest of my life. This season is optimal for this kind of change as Kimberly and I became “empty nesters” this month. So we have been thinking about reordering many daily habits as Jackson has left our home for college. Pray for new habits to be formed during this sabbatical and then set in our personal worship of the Lord for the rest of our lives. 4. Pray for God to grant me fresh vision for the ministry of the church. The old adage, “I cannot see the forest for the trees” rings true for pastors. Sometimes we are so involved in the close up challenges, opportunities, distresses, heartaches, joys and privileges of daily ministry that we have a hard time stepping back and seeing the church from a distance. In my first two sabbaticals, the Lord brought fresh insight and ideas to my shepherding of the church that I 2
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believe helped the church glorify His name. The Lord opened my heart and eyes to see some applications of His Gospel in His church at Bethany. I am praying that He will do the same during this season. Please pray with me!! 5. Pray that the Lord will grant me insight as to His call for me to write for His glory. I plan to write a devotional book during this season as a “tester.” I do not know if the Lord would have me to write for His glory as a major focus of ministry over the years to come. For me, writing spiritual books requires such focus, isolation and intense reflection. It is no small commitment. Through my ministry life at BBC, I have not found the right rhythm of life to do that. Yet I have felt from my youth that God had given me a gift to write. Since I have not taken the time to write very much, I am not sure of that gift. I believe that the gift of writing is similar to the gift of preaching ... it must be confirmed by others. I do not decide whether I have a gift of writing. Others do. If God has given me a gift of writing, I want to use it the way He would have me to. I hope to explore that on this sabbatical. 6. Pray for the sweetening of my relationship with Kimberly and for fresh vision for us about our ministry together. Pray that I would learn more of what it means to love my wife well. She is a treasured gift from God. Pray that God would direct our paths toward a shared ministry together. While we will continue to “parent” our children for the rest of our lives, we know that the time required of us in our parenting is greatly reduced now that they are all out of the home. We want to look at this season with fresh eyes. We are asking the question, “If we were recently called by Bethany to come and be their pastor, what would our weekly lives look like? What would we choose to pursue by way of ministry together?” Of course, there are many other requests that I could suggest, but these are central to a fruitful sabbatical. Thank you for your prayers! They are gifts of love over which I am deeply moved with joy.
September Calendar Highlights Sep 4
Worship Service, 8:15am and 11:00am Sunday School and ABCs, 9:45am
Sep 5
Labor Day — Office Closed
Sep 7
NO Family Meal Awana Begins, 6:15pm Jr./Sr. High Youth Group, 6:15pm First Prayer, 6:30pm Sr. High IMPACT Meeting, 8:00pm
Sep 9
MOPS, 9am Good News Club Training, 6:00pm
Sep 10
Good News Club Training, 9:00am Praise & Worship at Giant Goose Ranch
Sep 11
Worship Service, 8:15am and 11:00am Sunday School and ABCs, 9:45am
Sep 14
NO Family Meal Awana, 6:15pm Jr./Sr. High Small Group Focus, 6:15pm
Sep 17
Christmas Choir & Orchestra Rehearsal, 9am Bridal Shower for Yesikha, 11:00am
Sep 18
Worship Service, 8:15am and 11:00am Sunday School and ABCs, 9:45am
Sep 19
PrimeTime Fellowship, 11:00am Women Helping Women, 7:00pm
Sep 20
Hats of Hope, 6:00pm
Sep 21
Family Meal, 5:00pm Awana, 6:15pm Jr./Sr. High Youth Group, 6:15pm
Sep 23
MOPS, 9am
Sep 24
Fall Festival, 1-4pm
Sep 25
Worship Service, 8:15am and 11:00am Sunday School and ABCs, 9:45am
Sep 28
Family Meal, 5:00pm Awana, 6:15pm Jr./Sr. High Youth Group, 6:15pm
Find the complete calendar online at www.bethanycentral.org. The Birthday and Anniversary List is available at Welcome Center.
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PrimeTime Fellowship
First Prayer
Monday, September 19 11:00am in the Sr. High Room
September 7 at 6:30pm
All those age 55 and up are invited to join us. Lunch will be provided. Sign up on a future Communication Card or call the church office at 692-1755.
Join us for a special time of prayer for our church family in the Prayer Room.
Boomer Breakfast Monday, September 12 at 8am In the Compassion Building We’ll learn about the Compassion Ministry and get a quick tour of the Compassion Building. Call the church office to sign up.
AWANA Begins September 7 AWANA starts Wednesday, September 7 and is for children from 3 years old (starting Kindergarten in two years and potty-trained) up through the 6th grade. AWANA meets at 6:15pm and ends at 8pm (7:50pm for Cubbies). Please Note: Family Meals begin Wednesday, September 21. Family Meals are served in the gym from 5-5:45pm. Suggested donation: $3/person ($15 family max).
Good News Club Training Friday, September 9 from 6-9pm and Saturday, September 10 from 9am-4pm Bethany is beginning a new Good News Club at Ridgeview School this fall. Volunteers serve from 2:15-4:15pm beginning September 20. Interested volunteers are invited to attend this GNC Training at church. For more information please contact, Dana Fitzgerald at danafitz78@gmail.com.
Open Hearts Open Homes Orphan Care Bible Study Begins Sunday, October 2 This study is for anyone interested in what the Bible says about caring for the disenfranchised. Learn what God’s Word says about caring for the orphan. For those with a heart to foster and/or adopt, this is the first step in partnering with the Open Hearts, Open Homes Orphan Care Ministry. All those interested are invited to join us at Bethany Baptist in Room 810 on Sundays at 9:45am from October 2 through November 6.
Bethany is a Safe Families Church!
Congregational Meeting Sunday, September 25 at 9:45am Regular attenders are encouraged to attend. All ABCs will meet in the Sanctuary. 4
Safe Families is a movement of hundreds of families of faith who have opened their homes to care for children whose parents are struggling. You can help through prayer, being a host family, being a family coach, or helping those families who are hosting a child. If you are interested in learning more about Safe Families, please contact Joe or Ginger Burke at safefamilies@bethanycentral.org.
Praise & Worship Night at the Giant Goose Ranch Saturday, September 10, 5pm
The Herman, Plattner, and Kellenberger families invite the church family to a Potluck, Praise and Worship night at the Giant Goose Ranch! Please bring a side dish, dessert, and lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on. Meat, drinks and table service will be provided! RSVP to Katie Herman: katieherman1988@gmail.com call/text—309-258-5954
The Giant Goose Ranch is located on Route 9, just two miles west of Canton at 25369 N Goose Ranch Rd. Rain date is set for Sunday, September 11.
Women’s Ministries Work Nights In September Women Helping Women
New Ladies’ Bible Studies Begin Soon!
Studies vary in length. Details and registration available online www.bethanycentral.org.
Monday, September 19 at 7pm Contact: Nicole Pepper at 683-1181 Hats of Hope
Tuesday, September 20 at 6pm Contact: Holly Miller at 648-1693 Bridal Shower for Yesikha Atmadja
Tuesday Mornings (childcare provided), 9-11am beginning September 6. Luke, Part 2 (Ch. 17-24) Precept--Kay Arthur video Led by: Nicole Habager
Acts—The Holy Spirit Unleashed In You Seven week study. 1 of a 4 part series. Led by: Lisa Lueken
Beautiful In God’s Eyes Elisabeth George study Led by: Kim Benedict & Sandra Larson
Discerning the Voice of God Priscilla Shirer video Led by: Lisa Haywood
Tuesday Afternoon—12:30pm begins September 6
Saturday, September 17 11am in the Café
Tuesday Evening—7:00pm begins September 6
The Armor of God Priscilla Shirer video Acts—The Holy Spirit Unleashed In You Led by: Lona Hudson Led by: Lisa Lueken
Holly Miller, Mandy Hobbs, and Sandi Cross invite all ladies to celebrate Yesikha’s upcoming marriage to Wes Benson. They are registered at Bed Bath & Beyond and Amazon.com.
Thursday Morning—10:30am 5331 N Castleberry, Peoria—begins 9/15
The Life of Faith: Hebrews 11-13 Led by: Beth Fitch
Thursday Evening—6:30pm begins September 8 One In a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land Priscilla Shirer video Led by: Cheryl Buck
Ladies, do you desire to find community among the women of Bethany? Choose a time to chat, laugh, and learn a name or two. Stop by the table in the foyer on Sunday mornings or visit www.bethanycentral.org for more details. 5
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Children's Worship Ministry Discovering Worship in the Arts
All children ages 4*through 6th Grade are invited to join us for Children's Choir this fall! (Children who are age 3 may attend if a caregiver attends with them.) Our newly redesigned format introduces a holistic approach to music for the sake of worship and will include hymns, worship music, theory and vocal technique, and the arts as we gain a vision of the beauty, joy and glory of God. Parents are always welcome and encouraged to come learn with their children. We would love to have you worship with us each week! Children's Choir will kick off on September 25 and will run weekly through November 20. Choir will meet from 4:00-5:15pm. The children's choirs have two special dates when they will be presenting. The first event is on Saturday, December 3 -- the children's choirs (except for 3 year olds) will sing as part of A Community Christmas. The second event is on Sunday, December 11 at 4:00pm when all of the children's choirs will have a Christmas party and sing for their parents and families. Registration is available online at www.bethanycentral.org/childrenschoir. Questions? Contact Julie Stuber (hellojuliestuber@gmail.com or 309.696.8026), Kelli Rummel (pete.kelli.rummel@gmail.com or 309.253.6703), or Pastor Fred (fred@bethanycentral.org or 309.692.1755).
*All children attending need to be age 4 and potty-trained.
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Bethany Baptist Church 7422 N. Heinz Lane Edwards, IL 61528
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Participate in Bethany’s Small Groups Ministry for the Glory of God! If you are not in a Small Group of some sort where you can share life and pray for one another, we encourage you to consider joining one. Small Groups are gatherings of six or more adults seeking to build caring, lasting relationships that are marked by transparency in relation to life’s challenges and struggles. Small Groups are primarily intended for building spiritual friendships where believers can joyfully help one another mature in Christ. Childcare is self-managed by each group. Most small groups follow the school-year calendar, meet in people’s homes, and consist of people drawn together by common geography, life-stages, or interests. Find available Small Groups by going to www.bethanycentral.org and clicking on the “Connect” tab and the “Join a Small Group” button. You may also check out the display on the wall outside the Gym.