February CONNECT by Bethel Sarnia

CONNECT BETHEL CHURCH

Welcome to Bethel Welcome to Bethel! We are so glad to have you here! As you look through this Connect Bulletin, we trust that you will quickly find that Bethel has something for you and your family. Our hope is that you will take the next step into our community and get involved. As you do, you will begin to see that Bethel is more than just a Sunday service, it is a family of everyday people following Christ to bring hope and change to the world one life at a time.

WWW.BETHELSARNIA.COM

FEBRUARY 2014

This Month

BETHEL NEWS Annual Business Meeting Sunday March 2nd For all official members of Bethel, our Annual Church Business meeting will be taking place on Sunday, March 2nd following the morning service. We will have a shorter morning service to accomidate the meeting and will make it our goal to have both service and annual meeting concluded by 12:30PM. Children’s ministry will continue until the end of the meeting. Your attendance that morning is very important. Candidates for election for the Elder Board will be announced on Sunday, Feb 23rd.

Bethel Cafe Our Bethel Cafe has now reopened. It will be open one hour before Sunday morning service and 30 minutes after. The Cafe will also be open for special functions on announced Sunday nights. We will be making some changes / improvements to the Cafe over the next few months to serve our congregation better. Come and enjoy a coffee and a muffin and get to know some new people!

Tax Return Following our recent financial courses, ‘Financial Peace University’ and ‘Family Finances’, there has been inquiry about assistance with tax returns. In response, a professional tax advisor who attends Bethel is offering to assist people in preparing their tax returns for a discounted price of $45 per person, including tax. This is open to all who would desire this assistance. Contact the church office if interested.

Missions Kenya Pastor Tim, along with PAOC Pastor David Baker will be traveling to Kenya from Feb 10th to 20th. Pastor Tim will be speaking for 5 days at a Pentecostal Bible College working with PAOC missionaries Mike and Sheila Middlebrook. Please remember Pastor Tim and Pastor David in your prayers for safety in travel and effectiveness in ministry.

Watch Services Online Bethel is now Live Streaming both Sunday morning and evening services. As well, past sermons are available on video through www.bethelsarnia.com

Upcoming

NEXT STEP - BE PART OF ALPHA AT BETHEL New Alpha Group at the home of Darwin & Angela Armstrong begins Thursday Feb 27th at 6:30PM. Another course is also starting March 31st at Pastor Keith & Patricia’s house. Discussion times, coupled with great social times. Contact church ofﬁce to join an Alpha Course or for location details and more.

Student Ministries Dear Parents, In May our PAOC district hosts a Youth Convention called “Overflow” which is a great opportunity for your student. It’s a weekend where 3,000 teenagers come together to worship, hear youth-focused messages, and spend time with their youth group. And your teenager needs to be there. I’ve been reading the story of Samuel and was struck by the similarities in Samuel’s life to our own youth. Here was a young man who was brought to Church by his parents, was given opportunities to serve in the Church, and was well versed in Biblical law. He had all the opportunities that our young people have today and it was through those opportunities that Samuel learned to hear the voice of God and grew to become a great man of God. But growing up in the same situation as Samuel were Eli’s sons, who had identical opportunities but grew to mock the things of God and participated in immoral acts. The example of this comparison shows us that growing up in Church doesn’t save our youth. It’s an opportunity. And we have to give our teenagers every opportunity we can for them to learn to hear the voice of God for themselves and discover God’s call for their lives. Overflow is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity for your teenager to see 3,000 of their peers passionately worshipping our God... to hear messages from God’s Word that are geared directly to their age... to respond to an altar call without feeling any perceived pressure... to grow closer to their Christian friends in their youth group… to hear the call of God to become a Samuel away from friends who are following the way of Eli’s sons. Let’s help our students seize the opportunities! - Pastor Trish

REVO SCHEDULE FEBRUARY 6TH | Prodigal A message on staying in the Father’s House.

FEBRUARY 20TH | The Truth About Sex Tearing down the lies and myths about sex.

FEBRUARY 13TH | The Right One A discussion night on searching for the right person to date.

FEBRUARY 27TH | Love & Marriage Guest speakers will be sharing their insight on love that lasts.

This Is My Story Kelly Buruma medications and prescription decongestants and nasal sprays were no longer effective. Even the trusty Netipot was incompetent. In October 2012, I was referred to another ENT specialist. He suggested surgery for a deviated septum, and scrapping the sinuses. Surgery was Feb. 11/2013 and only provided short term relief. In the fall of 2013, my family doctor once again was prescribing pain medications and the whole gamut of cocktails until I would see the specialist again. My appointment with the ENT doctor was booked for Monday, October 28, 2013.

Until October 29th 2013, I cannot recall a day passing without suffering pain from chronic sinus issues and infection. Over the years, I had seen several Ear, Nose and Throat specialists, diagnoses ranged from being an “It’s in your head” issue, to being a monthly occurrence, and can’t forget the very empathetic, “Sorry you will just have to suffer with this.” My family physician was treating the symptoms prescribing antibiotics, nasal sprays, decongestants and pain medications at a record rate and by this point, I had become completely immune to over the counter

Being in constant pain, took me to very dark places. I was feeling completely hopeless, like I was drowning with no shore in sight. You need to know, I have been saved since I was 13 years old and attended church. My family & I attended the Encounter Services in October with Evangelist Nathan Morris. Earlier that week, I remember the feeling of desperation and not having a clue where to turn to next. During the Wednesday night service, I cried out in desperation as a last resort. Little did I know that I was desperate for Jesus as much in the spiritual realm as in the physical. That night, I was ushered up on the platform and Nathan began to walk towards me reaching his hand out and instantly I was lying on the floor. Time passes, I got up and began to walk off the platform, Nathan was walking up the

stairs, touched my face placing his thumbs on my sinuses, speaking no words, instantly my legs buckled and I was lying on the floor again, apparently HE wasn’t done with me, in these moments God was doing a great restoration, a fresh anointing and lighting a new fire in my heart. Driving to work the next day, I heard a popping sound in my right ear, it was loud enough it actually startled me to the point I began to feel inside my ear, I thought something had burst. I suddenly noticed the pain in my face was gone. I immediately phoned my husband Kevin. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, THE LORD had healed me. Knowing that I was healed, I struggled with keeping my appointment with the specialist the following Monday. I attended my appointment; the doctor suggested a CT scan and called when my results were in a few days later. “Mrs. Buruma, your sinuses have never looked better, you have no issues to be concerned about.” He had confirmed what I knew. HALLELUJAH!!!! I am a fully restored, pain free, grateful follower of Jesus Christ! I challenge all of us, to seek HIM first in all things.

Love ukraine Project smila

Smila, Ukraine is about a 3 hour drive from Kiev, the nations capital in Ukraine. Smila is a city of about 75,000. Bethel has been connected with the Church of Praise in Smila, led by Pastor Dennis, for the past 3 years. In 2012, Bethel raised $20,000 to assist in the purchase of land in Smila for the purpose of constructing a church building. Then in 2013, Bethel raised $30,000 for the construction of the building (see side section for breakdown of how money was spent). This being the first Christian Evangelical Church in Smila to have its own land and building. The congregation of Church of Praise runs a little over 100 people each Sunday and is growing.

16th to share a report on the Smila church and to appeal for our support in raising the additional funds. We have included this project in our 2014 Missions Budget.

As you can see from the photo above, much of the building has been completed. However, some more funds are still needed to complete the job. Also there is a breakdown of how the $30,000 we sent was spent - and what monies are needed to complete the` job. All of the funds are given through the ministry LOADS OF LOVE led by our missionary Ed Dickson. Ed will be at Bethel on Sunday February

On Sunday, February 16th, we will have 150 hearts on the wall of our Lobby, with each heart having a number on it from 1 to 150. Each number represents a dollar amount. We invite you to select a heart with a dollar amount to be your donation to this project. With all 150 hearts selected, this fundraiser will raise over $10,000. We appreciate your support in this missions fundraising effort.

Having known Pastor Dennis for the past 3 years, along with his family and church congregation, we are very excited to have this opportunity to partner with him and the work of the Lord is Smila. The church building we are assisting to build will seat around 200 people but will also include some office space and a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teaching area. What a blessing for Bethel Sarnia to be able to build a house of worship in Ukraine for the Glory of God!

breakdown of how the $30,000 was spent Rings for the septic system $253 Boiler $144 Architectural plans for the building $340 Legal documents for the land $891 Installation of electronic meter $119 Doors $356 Janitorial items $61 Construction materials $1,898 Cement $2,792 Thermal blocks $3,070 Metal Re-bar $635 Sand $555 Small stone $981 Cement mixer $308 Wood $3,472 Brick $741 Insulation $57 Fuel $111 Profiled sheets $2,450 Labor for the building $7,688 OSB boards $290 Garbage pick-up $30 Labor on the roof $2,654 Total : $29,896

Here is what we want to raise to complete the project Windows and inner doors $3,087 Heating system $4,914 Floors (concrete) $3,350 Electric $1,049 Total needs : $12,400

THE CIRCLE MAKER 40 Day Prayer Campaign March 5th to April 17th Beginning on March 5th, Bethel will begin a 40 day prayer campaign based on the best-selling Christian book The Circle Maker. Pastor Mark Batterson, senior pastor of National Community Church in Washington D.C, is the author of this book. In The Circle Maker, Mark provides a fresh approach to prayer that teaches you how to pray in a new way by drawing prayer circles around your dreams, your family, your problems, and most importantly, God’s promises. In the process, you’ll discover this simple yet life-changing truth: God honours bold prayers and bold prayers honour God.

THIS CIRCLE MAKER PRAYER CAMPAIGN WILL INVOLVE 4 AREAS: 1. We are encouraging everyone at Bethel to purchase a copy of Mark Batterman’s 40 day devotional book called: Draw the Circle. This devotional book is based on the writings of The Circle Maker and will inspire through true stories of miraculous answers to prayer through this fresh approach to prayer. We would like to see everyone at Bethel read the daily devotional over the 40 days so we as a church family can grow together in the area of prayer. The cost of the book, Draw the Circle, is only $10 and can be ordered beginning Sunday, February 9th.

2. Pastor Tim will be, with the inspiration of The Circle Maker book, developing his own 6 Sunday morning messages to inspire each of us to form prayer circles around our faith, our family, our finances, our church and our city. 3. Each week will also include a collective prayer focus for that week. A hand-out will be made available to assist in circling God’s promises over various areas of our lives. Each Wednesday night at our church prayer meeting we will be praying together on that week’s prayer focus. 4. We will also have some special prayer times where we will invite you to participate in prayer walks around our church and our city. At Bethel, we believe God’s Word that declares “Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things.” (Jeremiah 33:3). We believe that this campaign will result in 2 things. First, each participant will experience a deeper, more passionate, persistent and intimate prayer life. And second, that we will see and hear awesome testimonies of answered prayer that will light our faith on fire and help us to pray with even more boldness. Let us join together in this prayer campaign to draw circles around our biggest dreams and greatest fears... and see God move in our church in an even greater way than ever before!

WHAT CHRISTIAN LEADERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE CIRCLE MAKER: “Through the stories of modern-day miracles, you will be inspired to draw prayer circles around your family, friends, and yourself.” - Matthew Barnett, Pastor of the Dream Center LA “Mark Batterson’s The Circle Maker will have you praying circles around any situation you are facing. You’ll be inspired and motivated into a deeper level of prayer and faith.” - Craig Groeschel, Author & Pastor of LifeChurch.tv

FEBRUARY 2014 SUN Sun

MON Mon

TUE Tue

WED Wed

THUR Thu

FRI

SAT

Fri

Sat 1

7:00 PM Encounter Service-John Wilkinson

10:30 AM Service John Wilkinson

6:30PM DivorceCare

6:30PM Cancer Prayer Support Group-Board Room 7:00 PM Alpha & Community Groups 7:00 PM LIFE-Young Adults at –116 Paul Sloggett Crt

11 6:30 PM Bible Study & Hymn Sing-Prayer Room 7:00 PM Alpha & Community Groups

6:30 PM Service Pastor Tim Gibb Communion

6:30PM DivorceCare

7:00 PM LIFE-Young Adults at –116 Paul Sloggett Crt

10:30 AM Service Ed Dickson “Love Ukraine”

FAMILY DAY OFFICE CLOSED Family Skate 4-5pm Clearwater Arena

10:30 AM Service Pastor Tricia Gibb 6:30 PM Service Pastor Tim Gibb

6:30PM DivorceCare

9:30 AM Mom’s Group

6:00 PM Rescue 6:00 PM Prayer 7:00 PM Choir

7:00 PM REVO

9:30 AM Mom’s Group 6:00 PM Rescue 6:00 PM Date Night

6:00 PM Prayer 7:00 PM Choir

7:00 PM REVO

6:30 PM Bible Study & Hymn Sing-Prayer Room 6:30PM Cancer Prayer Support Group-Board Room 7:00 PM Alpha & Community Groups 7:00 PM LIFE-Young Adults at –116 Paul Sloggett Crt

6:30 PM Service Ed Dickson

6:30 PM Bible Study & Hymn Sing-Prayer Room

6:30 PM Service John Wilkinson

10:30 AM Service Pastor Tim Gibb

6:30 PM Solid Way

6:00 PM Rescue 6:00 PM Prayer 7:00 PM Choir

7:00 PM REVO

7:00 PM Ladies Night Out– Marcin Bowl

6:30 PM Bible Study & Hymn Sing-Prayer Room 7:00 PM Alpha & Community Groups

6:00 PM Rescue

6:30 PM Alpha (New) at Darwin & Angela’s

7:00 PM LIFE-Young Adults at –116 Paul Sloggett Crt

7:00 PM Choir

OUR PASTORS PASTOR TIM GIBB

Lead Pastor Ext. 228 pastortim@bethelsarnia.com

PASTOR TRICIA GIBB

Student Ministries Pastor Ext. 223 tricia@bethelsarnia.com

PASTORS KEITH & PATRICIA PATRICK Pastoral Care Ext. 226 pastorkeith@bethelsarnia.com

6:00 PM Prayer

7:00 PM REVO

9:30 AM Mom’s Group 12 NOON– Keenager’s Luncheon

NEED A RIDE TO CHURCH? Need a ride to Church on Sunday morning? Just call the church office before 8:30AM Sunday morning & follow the instructions to leave a message.