3608 Midland Road Guyton, GA 31312 Phone: (912) 728-3332 Fax: (912) 728-5801 Email: Bethesdaumc@planters.net Pastor: Rev. David Cott

Bethesda Beacon A publication of Bethesda United Methodist Church

www.Bethesdaum.com

July 2016

Bethesda United

Methodist Church

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“When it rains it pours,” is an appropriate proverb for afternoons in the coastal region. One thing that I really enjoy about moving back to the coast is those afternoon downpours that come out of nowhere, then disappear just as quickly, leaving everything smelling clean and new, if feeling a little humid. Lately Katie and I have been caught in a downpour of life events. In the past year I have graduated from seminary and Katie has been finishing a PhD. Chelsea, our oldest has been accepted to grad school at GSU and will be getting married this weekend in Daytona to a wonderful young man. Brittany and Sarah have graduated from UCF and UNG respectively and will both start teaching this fall. Emily, our youngest will be starting her second year at UGA.

Then, just a short time ago, Dr. Moseley, our Coastal District superintendent, called to say that he wanted to appoint me to an absolutely wonderful church in Effingham County. Katie and I thought the time for appointments had passed and we were ready to settle down for another year in north Georgia. We scrambled to pack, look for a teaching position for Katie, and say our goodbyes to family, friends, and churches. Katie was offered a position, just around the corner, at South Effingham Middle School. That was a wonderful blessing in addition to being a real treat for her, since she has been commuting fifty minutes a day, each way, through Atlanta traffic.

When it rains, it pours. But the rain washes away the dust and dirt, and big moves give us a chance for new starts and new opportunities. As I write this, Katie is unpacking boxes and setting up our wonderful new home. We are also getting ready to head south for a wedding this weekend. I hated to miss my second Sunday with you, but Katie assures me that being the father of the bride apparently gives me an all-occasion pass. When we get back, we have so much to look forward to; getting to know all of you better, hearing the stories of the youth returning from River of Life, spending a week at Camp Meeting, and planning for the fall. God has so many wonderful blessings in store for Bethesda, those we can foresee and plan for, and those that we cannot even imagine (Ephesians 3:20). It will be a privilege and an adventure to serve God alongside all the wonderful people of this congregation.

We are very grateful for everyone who has helped us in our big move; the staff parish committee, the parsonage committee who worked so hard on preparing our new home, the “moving team” that unloaded our U-Haul at the end of a long day, our secretary, Linda Collins, who has answered my million questions, and everybody who made the worship services go so well last Sunday. Lastly, I want to thank Brother Matt for his help in the transition. I know we will all continue to pray for the Waldrons in their new church home.

May God continue to bless our congregation,

David

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Happy July Anniversary Wishes to:

Durell & Royce Nease 7/1 Years Married: 39

Harry & Reba Edwards 7/3 Years Married: 62

Dennis & Martha Heinen 7/19 Years Married: 36

Michael & Frances Ambrose 7/19 Years Married: 13

Prayer Thoughts for July – from the South GA UMC Conference

Prayer is the greatest neglected resource that we have; it’s a power that we simply are not using.

J. Vernon McGee

Pray For Our New Bishop We can have confidence that the will of God for us is good. Even now, God is preparing a new bishop to be assigned to South Georgia beginning Sept. 1. We do not know if it will be one of the new bishops elected at Jurisdictional Conference in July, or if one of the current bishops will be re-assigned to us. In any event, we can begin praying now for our new episcopal leader. Seek God's anointing on our new episcopal leader. Pray for Bishop James King and his wife Rose as he makes the transition to retirement. Dr. Derek McAleer, Treasurer of South GA Conference, UMC, published in Wesleyan Advocate Pray for an Increase in Attendance and Membership South Georgia by the numbers Membership stands at 116,733, down 2,111 from the previous year. Worship attendance stands at 49,424, down 854. Church school attendance stands at 33,398, down 1 from 2015. Four motions were made and approved by the 2016 Annual Conference. One, made by Rev. Jay Hanson, director of Congregational Development and lead pastor of The Chapel in Brunswick, set a goal for the conference to increase its average weekly worship attendance by 10 percent by January 2018. The Office of Congregational Development has plans in place to help put this motion into action during the next two years. Pray that our South GA Conference UM churches will achieve this goal, that Bethesda will meet the challenge. “Testify and Multiply” During Wednesday evening’s opening worship service, Bishop King, presiding over his eighth and final Annual Conference session in South Georgia, introduced the confer-ence theme and emphasized the importance of sharing faith stories and love with others. “When you feed people with the love of God ... they will come,” he said. “Use your tes-timony to testify. If you say you are a Christian, you should have a story to tell!” The heart of the Church’s mission is to make disciples, he said .“So I say to you, Beautiful People, all of us have a story to share. And that story is our witness platform that God has given us to testify. Do you have a story? Tell the story and grow the kingdom of God and glorify God! Tell the story and testify and multiply! Pray that we will all learn to share our story with others and that we will do so with boldness.

We’ve a story to tell to the nations that will turn their hearts to the right. A story of truth and mercy, a story of peace and light,

A story of peace and light. H. Ernest Nichol, 1896

Welcome our newest members to the family of Bethesda UMC:

Brandi Strickland Dakota Hollis

Johnna Stringer Ricky Stringer Jackey Nease

Cortnee Frazer

Infant Baptism (Children) : Palmer Dasher

Blake Strickland

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Prayer list:

Our Pastor

All Ministries at

Bethesda UMC

Military

Leaders of America

Justin Beasley

Leah Beatty

Lula Dixon

Patrick Donaldson

Harry Edwards

Emmory Ely

Wanda Evans

Vickie Farmer

Ethan Ferguson

Sharon Floyd

Channon Fraser

JD Fulcher

Richard Gilman

Justin Gulley

Debbie Hickman

Tony Hickman

Lou Dean Hinely

Ashley Helmey

Becky Hester

Robert Jarecki

Ginger Kieffer

Warren Kruen

Jackson Lindauer

Mary Little

Scott Morgan

Caroline Morton

Bernie Pierce

Shirley Pitts

Evelyn Rose

Jessie Rought

Tommy Sexton

Ruben Shearouse

Connie Shuman

Irene Stanford

Lamar Stregles

Helen Stokes

Joyce Wadsworth

Glenda Willis

Jaymie Wilson

Wannette Yarbrough

Cathy Zipperer

Marilyn Zittrauer

If you have someone

you want to add or

remove from the prayer

list please send me an

email, call the office or

leave a note on my

desk.

Thank you,

Linda

The Ronald McDonald House relies on donations from the

community and fundraising projects to help

provide for the families finding refuge at our House. It's truly a win-win situation!

Please continue to save & donate your pop tabs, you can give them to George Zittrauer or drop them off in the box located in the church office. Thank you.

We need help with grass cutting on the church grounds.

A sign up sheet is on the counter in the office.

Please help whenever you can. Thank you!

Happy July Birthday

Wishes to:

1st Darrin Dickerson

2nd Megan Caldwell

2nd Janet Flowers

2nd Shannon Kessler

6th Keri Morgan

9th Vickie Oliver

10th Heather Kessler

14th Kathy Dean

15th Macy Morgan

16th June Allen

18th Ty Keener

19th Madison Caldwell

19th Rachel Schoonover

20th Tiffany Yarbrough

20th Anne Sexton

24th Leah Allen

24th Hunter Gordon

25th Ann Parsons

25th Wendy Honnerlaw

26th Cathy Zipperer

26th Charlie Waldron

28th Shirley Pitts

31st Dana Davis

31st Tira Jenkins

31st Mackenzie Oliver

Youth events - see page 4

9:00AM NURSERY SCHEDULE 11:00AM

3rd Beverly Donaldson Marie Johnson & Jana Fox 10th Marie Johnson Beverly & Gary Donaldson 17th Vickie Oliver Peggy Kessler & Joyce Wadsworth 24th Tina Keener Martha Heinen & Dencie Edgy 31st Peggy Kessler Vickie Oliver & Nichole Gordon

NO UMW Hope Landry

Circle Meeting during July

Children’s Church Workers

1st Sunday Tina Keener & Cathy Hickman

2nd Sunday Clay & Lyna Morgan

3rd Sunday Clay & Lyna Morgan

4th Sunday Clay & Lyna Morgan

Administrative Council Meeting

Monday, July 25th @ 7:00pm

God bless America

NO Bethesda Women’s Association Meetings during July or August

Newsletter Deadline for August 2016

Please have all information turned into the office by July 18th

Thank you!

Effingham United Methodist Campground

226th Annual Campmeeting

July 15-20, 2016

Everyone Welcome!!

WWW.effinghamcampground.com

Bethesda United Methodist

Church Non-Profit Organization

Permit #12 U.S. Postage Paid

Rincon, Georgia 31326 3608 Midland Rd.

Guyton, GA 31312

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JULY 2016

Bethesda UMC Youth We invite all youth (grades 6 - 12)

to join us for the following

Sunday, July 3 No UMYF-Happy 4th of July

Wednesday, July Bible study 6:45-7:45pm

Sunday, July 10 Lunch/”Finding Dory” with Children’s Ministry

Wednesday, July 13 Bible study 6:45-7:45pm

July 14-17 Youth Camp at Effingham Campground

(see brochure

July 18-20 226th Effingham UMC Campmeeting/Dairy Queen

(meet at Bethesda nightly at 6:45pm)

Sunday, July 24 Early service/Lunch/Beach

Wednesday, July 27 Bible study 6:45-7:45pm

Sunday, July 31 Early service/”People helping people”

Questions?? See Tammy Saxon or Jennifer Granat

“May the Lord bless you and keep you”

Called by Name Candle Burning

Recognize a special person in your life by burning a candle in the worship service of your choice.

This is a way to supplement mission giving through the Bethesda UMW. The cost of candle is by

donation of $5 or whatever amount you want to donate. Please complete the form and place it in the

envelope with cash or checks made out to Bethesda UMW.

The envelope can either be left on Linda’s desk or in the UMW mailbox.

We thank you for your support of the local UMW.

Youth & Children Children’s day with youth on July 10th

We will eat lunch at the church then go see “Finding Dory”. Kids need money for the movie.

Parents are always welcome to join us!