BCC Newsletter Jan 09

8/14/2019 BCC Newsletter Jan 09

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The Bethlehem Word

Featured in this Issue...

Message from the PastorThe Christmas season has now just about passed.

Some of you no doubt still have your Christmas tree and/or decorations up at the house. But hopefully the spirit

of the season lives on well past the twelve days of

Christmas. Below is something I received in an email.It is an invitation that none of us should pass up. Its

good not just around Christmas, but all year round.

You are cordially invited to

A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!!!

Guest of Honor: Jesus Christ

Date: Every day. Traditionally, December 25

but He's always around, so the date is flexible...

Time: Whenever you're ready.

(Please don't be late, though, or you'll miss out on all

the fun!)

Place: In your heart.... He'll meet you there.

(You'll hear Him knock.)

Attire: Come as you are... grubbies are okay.

He'll be washing our clothes anyway. He said som

thing about

new white robes and crowns for everyone who sta

till the last.

Tickets: Admission is free. He's

already paid for everyone...(He says you wouldn't have been

able to afford it anyway...it cost Him everything He had. But

you do need to accept the ticket!!

Refreshments: New wine, bread, and a

far-out drink He calls "Living Water,"

followed by a supper that promises to be out of t

world!

Gift Suggestions: Your life. He's one of those

continued on pg. 4

January 2009

Calendar Pg. 2

Womens Book Club Pg.4

Meal with theMinister Pg. 4

Missions SoupLuncheon Pg. 5


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n Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 1 2 3

5 6 Veritas TeamMeeting 7pm

7 8 Bible study7pm

9 10

Worship

:30am

issions Soup

uncheon

12 Music & Wor-

ship 6:30pm

Pastoral Rela-

tions Committee

Mtg. 7pm

13 Board Mtg.

7pm at church

14 15 Bible Study

7pm

16 17

Worship

:30am

19 20 21 Meal with the

Minister 12pm

22 Bible Study

7pm

23 24

Worship

:30am

26 27 28 29 Bible Study

7pm

30 31

January 2009

Thank YouDear Bethlehem Covenant,

On behalf of our director David Johnson, my wife

and myself, we wish to express our gratitude to all

for your donations for our Thanksgiving baskets.

Your dedication has been overwhelming as usual.

Henry and Nettie Kimbar

Food Pantry Coordinators

Dear Parishoners,

The teachers and staff at Quinsigamond School

would like to thank the church for your generous

donation of clothing for our students. Your dona-

tion will help us in caring for the Quinsigamond

students and is truly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Joan Sherman

Holiday Greetings to all the women at Bethlehem

Covenant Church...and best wishes for a happy NYear form all at our shelter, Womens Center, foo

pantry, thrift store and our supportive housing fa

cilities. We thank you for your generous contribu

tion which enables us to continue our work with

homeless and battered women with or without ch

dren. What a great ideaa Christmas tea! With

Sincere best wishes to all of you,

Annette Rafferty

Abbys House

Dear Diaconate and Members,

Al and I want to thank you for the beautiful poin

tia John Schonning brought us. We had such a n

visit with John. We enjoy the discs we receive ev

week and the cards we receive during the year. G

Jul.

Gratefully, Al and Lil


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Birthdays and Anniversaries

January Birthdays

Mark Fellion 1/1Johanna Thompson 1/1June Rice 1/5

Gordon Forsberg 1/8

Carl Thompson 1/13

Jeremy Leach 1/15James Zoulias 1/16

Karen Meenan 1/25

Denise McGinley 1/30

February Birthdays

Justin Stafinski 2/6Steven Bartkus 2/9

Judy Nelson 2/9

Esther Werme 2/11

Steven Quinn 2/12Eric Thompson 2/15

Ryan Thompson 2/16

Christine Leach 2/20Sherry Gosselin 2/24

Pamela Johnson 2/24

Debra Miller 2/24Linda Lizotte 2/29

February Anniversary

Robert and Beth Quinn 2/22

Thank You

A special thanks goes out to all those who helped

plan and then execute the Childrens Christmas

party on Sunday, Dec. 14th. While I was not there,

I know a great time was had by all. Special thanks

to Denise McGinley, Michele Koller and Pam John-

son for all their hard work. I am probably leaving

others out. We also would like to thank Jeanne

Bartkus for her part in making the party such a suc-

cess. Jeanne invited a number of children from the

immediate neighborhood to come to church for the

party...and come they did! In all, I believe we had

close to 40 kids at the party. Some from the

neighborhood are already asking about and hoping

we will do it again next year. We certainly will. I

believe God has used this to show us that we can

effective in our neighborhood and there is a huge

potential ministry opportunity here.

On a different note, I would also like the thank ev

ryone for my staff Christmas gift and for the card

and notes I received. We are blessed to be at Bet

lehem. The Christmas season at Bethlehem was wonderful time for all those who were a part of it

Blessings,

Pastor Dave


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The following is an updated list of our church mem-bers and friends who unable to attend church on aregular basis. Let us remember them in ourthoughts and prayers and with a note. Please let thepastor know if you are aware of others who shouldbe on this list.

Mr. Lee & Mrs. Astrid Randall10 Hall StreetWebster, MA 01570

508-943-0847

Mrs. Doris Anderson667 Washington Street #225Auburn, MA 01501508-832-5239

Mr. Algot EkstromBeaumont Rehab & SkilledNursing Center378 Plantation St.Worcester, MA 01608

Mrs. Lillian EkstromNotre Dame Du Lac555 Plantation Street Apt. 327Worcester, MA 01608

Mr. Carl & Mrs. Esther Werme24 Briarwood CircleWorcester, MA01606508-856-7232

Meal with the Minister

Wednesday, Jan. 21st at 12pm

Come join us for a soup luncheonall are invited. Pastor Dave will provide soup, chips an

or bread, drinks. If youd like to bring desse

let pastor know. Hope to see you there.

Womens Book Clu

on January break

Resuming Tues., February 3, at 7pmto discu

Lucy GrealeysAutobiography of a Fac

In a strikingly candid and beautifully written memo

Lucy Grealy describes how at age nine she was diag

nosed with a potentially terminal cancer. When she

turned to school with a third of her jaw removed, sh

faced the cruel taunts of classmates at her disfigure

face.

Grealy tells her story of great suffering and remarkab

strength without sentimentality and with considerab

wit. She captures with unique insight what it is like a

child and young adult to be torn between two warrin

impulses: to feel that more than anything else we wa

to be loved for who we are, while wishing desperate

and secretly to be perfect.

Paul Faler321 Massasoit Rd.Worcester, MA 01604

Mrs. Dagny JohnsonLife Care Center of Auburn14 Masonic CircleAuburn, MA 01501

Mrs. Claire Poirier63 Hudson AvenueGrafton, MA 01519508-839-0364

Mrs. Lydia AndersonWhitney PlaceP.O. Box 93585 Beaumont Dr. Apt. 10Northbridge, MA 01534

Mildred Carlson669 Washington St. Apt.105Auburn, MA 01501

Message from the Pastor

people who already has everything else.

(He's very generous in return though.Just wait until you see what He has for you!)

Entertainment: Joy, Peace, Truth,

Light, Life, Love, Real Happiness,

Communion with God, Forgiveness, Miracles, Healing,

Power,

Eternity in Paradise, Contentment, and much more!

(All "G" rated, so bring your family and friends.)

R.S.V.P. Very Important!He must know ahead so He can

reserve a spot for you at the table.

Also, He's keeping a list of His friends for future

reference. He calls it the "Lamb's Book of Life."

Party being given by His Kids (that's us!!)!Hope to see you there!

God bless,Pastor Dave


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Missions NewsMissions Soup Luncheon

Sunday, January

11th following the

morning worship

service.

All are welcome to attend this free lunch. We will be

taking an offering to help the Covenant Church and

their world mission work in the Congo, Sudan and

India. Here below is an article from the president of

the Covenant, Gary Walter, and the head of World

Mission, Curt Peterson.

CHICAGO, IL (December 23, 2008) Although the global

financial crisis has challenged most families in the United

States, it has devastated families in other parts of the world.

The call to the Covenant is clear real people in real places

are hurting and are looking to us for help, says Gary Walter,

president of the Evangelical Covenant Church, who along with

World Mission Executive Minister Curt Peterson have issued

a special Year-end Appeal for help. As hard as we have beenhit economically, areas in which we work around the world

are being hit even harder, Walter says. Examples:

Congo - one of the Covenants largest areas of international

mission with more than 200,000 Congolese sharing in minis-

try . . . a country suffering economic and social chaos amid an

escalating and devastating war.

South Sudan some 40,000 brothers and sisters in Cove-

nant churches are caught in the cross-fire of conflict and vio-

lence that has torn apart families and communities, leaving

tens of thousands of people destitute and struggling to find a

ray of hope. India - persecution of Christians continues to escalate

one Covenant pastor was murdered and numerous churches

and homes have been burned as believers stand firm in their

faith. In each of these situations and others too numerous

to list our brothers and sisters are reaching out to us for

help, Peterson notes. Although the financial situation in the

United States is serious, we cannot allow our economic down-

turn to result in any disruption of our personal engagement

on their behalf.

Covenant

missionaries are

involved in part-

nerships in more

than 30 coun-

tries. Never

before have we

been in so many

places, Petersonadds, and never

before have so

many places

been so vulner-

able at the same time. Our presence is critical.

My colleagues and I are already implementing plans limiting

other expenses and deferring other budgetary projects to mak

certain we are fiscally responsible in light of economic realitie

Walter says. But, we are unwilling to do so at the expense of

friends around the world who need us now more than ever.

Walter and Peterson request that individuals and churches su

port a special year-end appeal, making a careful and prayerfu

decision about an especially important and sacrificial year-end

gift in response to these challenging and unprecedented times

They point out that all gifts will go toward meeting the Cove-

nants international budgetary commitments, particularly as

relates to personnel being on the ground where they are neede

most.

Generosity is encouraged in support of local church, conferenc

and other ministries similarly engaged in important Kingdom

work. You will

hear me say that

the name Cove-

nant actually

means in it to-

gether, Walter

says. This is an

opportunity to

live into that

spirit. Never

underestimatethe importance

of a single gift,

the impact it makes, and the encouragement it brings.


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The Bethlehem Word

Bethlehem Covenant Church46 Greenwood Street

P.O. Box 70629

Worcester, MA 01607

(508) 7521459

www.bethlehemcc.org

BCC Newsletter Jan 09

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