Extraordinary

I read an article this week entitled "New England Tourism Rebounds Due To Perfect Summer Weather". I hope you have had an opportunity to enjoy these past few months. A time for rest and relaxation is most welcomed after a New England winter! The spiritual landscape of New England was well watered this summer. Bethany Church had the opportunity to welcome many new visitors. We provided services and programming that both challenged and comforted. Every Sunday throughout the summer Bethany Church proclaimed the good news of Jesus with a deep passion to awaken the spiritual life of those seeking to know Him as well as to inspire those already convinced. Our congregation consistently displays faithfulness to this work and to its commitment to reaching our neighbors. This ministry could not continue without the willingness on the part of so many to be involved. As you return from your travels and begin to settle down to the welcomed patterns of work, school and worship, I would ask that you remember the outstanding efforts put forth by many this summer: Sunday School teachers, youth workers, musicians, technical support, greeters, ministry leaders, prayer groups, staff and pastors . . . the list of those committed to serve is endless. Rejoice with us that throughout this summer men and women took time to visit the sick, comfort the hurting, and pray for the grieving. Give thanks for the selfless acts of charity that helped families heal and thrive. Offer a word of encouragement to the men and women serving on committees, preparing lesson plans and taking time to meet with others to share the joy of knowing Jesus. We are all indebted to the saints of God who comprise the ministry of Bethany Church. In addition, I would like to commend Pastor Dirk and Pastor Mark for their outstanding job in proclaiming the word of God during the months of July and August. You will want to visit our media site at www.bethanychurch.com/media and be inspired by these messages as well as the LifeChange moments (www.bethanychurch.com/lifechange) that were shared by our Bethany family every week. There is nothing so heartwarming as to witness the work of God in the words and life of another. Our Fall programming is abundant with opportunity, but I will leave that for another day. I just wanted to encourage you to remember those who served so faithfully this summer and to remind you that your contributions make all of this possible. As you can imagine, our General Fund is very lean during thesummer months. Your help will ensure that we can continue to serve others. If you would like to consider a regular, online gift, please visit our eGiving link at the bottom of our web page.