Continued next column

The Outreach

A People of Hope.

A Culture of Grace

Vol. 49 No. 7 July 2017

Parish Nurse

Chick-fil-A Spirit Night

Music Director’s Note

Ladies Lunch

Many Thanks

pg. 1 & 2

pg. 3

pg. 3

pg. 3

pg. 2

Inside

This

Issue

Message from Todd

Mission News

Chick-fil-A Devotional

Men’s Fellowship Lunch

Christmas in August

pg. 4

pg. 2

pg. 2

pg. 3

pg. 4

Charlotte’s Pantry Schedule

Worship Schedule

Birthdays

Connect (Youth News)

Opportunities for Ministry

pg. 2

pg. 4

pg. 4

pg. 4

pg. 3

Coffeehouse

Wednesday Nights

Preschool Enrollment

Promised Land Quartet

pg. 4

pg. 4

Last page

Last page

Last month we had to say “goodbye for now” to Warren Tooley, a beloved member of Bethel. He passed away on Sunday, July 9th from complications from multiple myeloma. I was actually planning on writing a newsletter article about Warren before he passed away because Warren inspired me during one of our visits together. Shortly before he was hospitalized I visited Warren in his home and he was struggling. He was having a difficult time breathing and walking; even conversation seemed to make him uncomfortable. What impressed me was Warren’s attitude in the face of suffering. In 2013 Warren was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. He managed this disease well and was never really sick until about 6 months ago. The family said he was extremely positive throughout this disease. If you asked Warren how he was doing he’d say, “If I was any better, there’d be two of me.” He took his inspiration and “never give up” attitude from former NC State Basketball coach Jim Valvano who delivered that famous speech, “Never give up! Never give up! Never give up!” Warren never gave up and always had hope. It was a hope I witnessed on several occasions. During my last home visit with Warren he proudly showed me a new guitar that his son Todd, and his wife Amy, bought for him. Warren hadn’t played guitar in years, but he wanted to start playing again and he had a goal to play that guitar at Bethel one day. Sadly this goal was not realized. Had it been realized I’m sure we would have all celebrated with Warren. Perhaps we would have been

reminded of the importance of setting and achieving goals. Maybe we would have been reminded of the power of a positive attitude. While we’re saddened that this goal wasn’t achieved, I’m wondering if Warren didn’t teach us something even more Important? One of his favorite sayings was, “Don’t talk about it, BE about it.” In other words, actions are more important than words. As I watched Warren face his final days on this earth I saw a picture of what faith in action looks like. For anyone who visited him in the hospital, Warren showed us how to embrace the end of our earthly lives with faith and grace. Despite how badly he felt, I never witnessed him complaining and he was constantly leaning on the Lord for strength, ready to embrace what came next. Perhaps one of the most sacred moments I’ve ever experienced in ministry happened just a couple of days before Warren passed away. I visited him in the hospital and I asked him how I could pray for him. He said, “Pray that I’ll have everlasting life.” Those words hung in the air for a few seconds as I thought about the words “everlasting life” while holding the hand of a man who I knew would shortly be with the Lord. In his final hours, Warren Tooley possessed a faith that looked forward with hope, the hope secured by Christ, the hope of eternal, everlasting, life with God. While it would have been wonderful to witness Warren playing that guitar at Bethel, he showed me something I’ll truly never forget. He showed me what hope and faith looks like when we face the final days of our earthly lives. As the Apostle Paul was facing the final days of his life he wrote these words found in 1 Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Warren Tooley certainly fought the good fight, he finished his race and through it all, he kept the faith and in doing so, he showed us how to finish our own races with a faith that looks forward. Thank you Lord for the witness of Warren’s life. I thank you for Warren’s positive attitude and for a faith full of hope.

Continued next page

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A Note From Your Music

Director:

by Gayle Taylor

Upcoming pantry schedule:

Wednesday August 9 (5 to 6:30 p.m.)

Friday August 25 (9 to 11 a.m.)

Wednesday September 13 (5 to 6 :30 p.m.

Friday September 22, (9 to 11 a.m.)

If you would like to help on any of these dates, please

contact Brenda Peck.

The next Spirit Night fund raiser will be Wednesday,

August 16, between 5 and 8 p.m. During the summer

months the money raised will go toward various mission

projects. Please remember to mention Spirit Night when

you place your order.

“Opportunities”

As we prepare for a new church calendar year, I wanted

to say a heartfelt “thank you” to the church for all of the

opportunities you have given me this past year: You

gave me the opportunity to complete my internship

requirement for seminary. You gave me the opportunity to

be ordained at Bethel in February. Most recently, you

gave me the opportunity to serve you through pastoral

care and pulpit ministry while Todd was on vacation. Also,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your

willingness to allow me to try out new ideas in the worship

service. Finally, thank you so much for my seminary

graduation recognition and gifts. You are wonderful!

Additionally, as the new church year begins soon, I would

like to extend opportunities to you as well.

Have you thought about participating in one of our musical

programs?

Adult Choir – Meets on Wednesdays, from 7:30-8:45

p.m. The choir sings music that falls into the traditional,

contemporary, and gospel categories. Beginning August

23, the choir begins rehearsals for the Christmas

cantata, Sing with the Angels! If you would like to sing

with the choir for the cantata only, practice lasts from

7:30-7:55 p.m. (no pressure to stay longer). The choir

will present the Christmas cantata on December 17.

One Accord (A Cappella Group) – Meets on designated

Sundays at 9:00 a.m.in the choir room for 25-30 minutes.

The music style is best described as being eclectic.

Hand Bell Choir – Meets in the Fall and Spring on

designated Monday evenings (Bill Carlson is the director).

The music complements the Christmas and Easter

services.

The Praise Team – Meets on designated Sunday

mornings from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Persons interested should

be able to play an instrument or to sing. This group helps

to lead contemporary Christian songs for the worship

services on a monthly basis. See me or one of the group

members if you are interested in joining the group this fall.

Other ideas? Perhaps you have an interest in creating a

group or participating in a one-time musical event. If so, I

would be excited to explore this opportunity with you and

make it happen!

Lord, I thank you most of all for Christ, who offers each one of us the promise of everlasting life. May God bless Betty Tooley and her family and may God bless Bethel Church. Amen.

Todd

Continued from page 1

Christmas in August collection will continue until

August 12.

Collection containers are in both

buildings.

Items requested are listed below:

Thank-you cards

Pencils

Blue or black ink pens

Folders with side pockets

Letter-size file folders

Walmart gift cards

3

Missions News

by Frances Morris

Mission Opportunities

Monday, August 7: Adults on Mission Meeting:

Meet at Bethel at 10 a.m.

Saturday, August 12:District WMU Meeting at 1:30 p.m.

at the Midlothian Library

Christmas in August: Collecting until August 12

See page 2 for more details

Wednesday, August 16: Chick-fil-A fund raiser from 5

to 8 p.m.

Kroger: Please re-register your Kroger card so Bethel

can continue to receive reward points toward Missions. Re-registration, is required every year. Go to www.Kroger.com and sign in. Then click on "Community" on tab bar and click on "community Rewards." The church member number is 83564.

Our next lunch is set for August 3, at 12 noon.

We will meet at the Italian Delight in South Creek

Shopping Center in Powhatan. Everyone will be

responsible for the cost of their own lunch. Please

call the church office if you plan to attend so we can

make the appropriate number of reservations. All

men are invited.

Mission/Ministry

Music Ministry/Choir

(See Gayle Taylor)

Adults on Mission

(Meets the first

Monday of each

month at 10 a.m.)

Charlotte’s Pantry

(See Brenda Peck)

Backpack Ministry

(See Vera Caniglia)

Sunday Morning

Nursery Ministry (See

Errin Hasty)

Friends of the

Homeless (5th

Mondays at 8:30 a.m.

See Gayle Rogers)

AA Meeting every

Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Puppet Team (See

Andrea Hale)

Library Volunteers

Needed (See Barbara

Bell)

Above Division Jail

Mission (See Michael

or Shannon Gerace)

Care Team Ministry

(See Shirley Lewis)

Fellowship/Discipleship

Men’s Fellowship Lunch

(1st Thursday of each

month at noon, see

Bruce Lewis)

Women’s Fellowship

Lunch (1st Thursday of

each month at noon, see

Margaret Gillis)

Youth Group Meetings

every Wednesday night

at 6:30 p.m. (See Lauren

Moore)

Bible/Discipleship Study

Wednesday evenings at

6:30 p.m. (See Pat or

Bruce Bartlam)

Sunday School Classes

9:30 a.m. each Sunday

Zumba every Thursday

evening at 7 p.m. (See

Megan Luck)

Brotherhood Breakfast

(every 5th Sunday)

JIGSAW children’s

ministry, every Sunday

(See Tina McNeel)

Children in Action meet

every 5th Sunday, during

the Sunday School hour.

(See Frances Morris)

Join us at Chick-fil-A at Westchester Commons Shopping

Center each Monday morning at 8 a.m. We will enjoy

breakfast and a devotional time together. This is a

wonderful time of fellowship. For more information,

please contact Bruce Bartlam at 804-739-2936.

Please join us on Thursday, August

3 at noon at Carrabbas Italian Grill,

right next to Chesterfield Town

Center. Everyone will be responsible

for the cost of their own meal. All

women are invited. If you have any

questions or you plan to attend,

please call or text Margaret Gillis at

804-305-6931 so she can make the appropriate number

of reservations. Hope to see you there.

4

We are taking a break from Bible Study for the month of

August. We will resume on Wednesday, September 13.

ENJOY the month off.

4 Patrick Ferguson

5 Malin Carlson

5 Nora Estep

5 Michael Watkins

6 Vivian Speas

7 Nick Elam

7 Jill Sheek

9 Walker Smith, Jr

10 Josie Stump

12 Elizabeth Humphreys

12 Marjorie Stagg

12 Andrew Suddarth

13 Lisa Hardy

14 Katie Beltz

14 Tommy Stagg

17 Anne Brandon

17 Margie Simon

18 Linda Call

20 Paul Merchant

20 Raymond Moschler

21 Susan Wright

21 Frances Morris

21 Todd Bradbury

21 Joann Cole

22 Luke McNeel

24 Marshall Cole

24 Kaylin Stine

25 Sam Wight

26 Wallace Cordle, Jr.

26 Reid Watkins

27 Faye Carter

28 Glenda Fisher

29 Barbara Breschel

29 Dennis Marshall

29 Paul Sherwood

29 Diane Roper

31 Wray Brown

31 Carolyn Turner

31 Robert Watkins Sundays 10:30 a.m. in the People of Hope Center

Cindy Luck, is available on the third

Sunday of each month from 9:00 to 10:15

a.m. Feel free to stop by on August 20, to get your

blood pressure checked or to ask questions.

YOUTH NEWS by Lauren Moore

We are gearing up for the month of August. This will be a time of fun, fellowship, and growth. A time to come together each week and connect! Each month two weeks will focus on Bible study or a devotional, one week will be missions based as we work with Charlotte's pantry and the backpack program, and one week we will get together solely for the purpose of fellowship. We will meet somewhere in the community just to have fun. We look forward to a month filled with fun and good times. Feel free to bring a friend to any event!

Below is our schedule for August as well as the date and place for our cookout at the end of July.

July 30 Youth cookout and pool party after church at Bruce Moseley's

August 2: Connect, 6:30—8pm

August 9: No Connect

August 16: Connect 6:30—8 pm

August 18: Movie Night at Lauren Moore’s, 6:30 p.m.

August 23: Connect 6:30—8 pm

August 30: Youth Pick—Windy Hill 6:30

Dear Bethel Church,

Thank you for all your visits and prayers, as well as the beautiful flowers sent to me during my hospitalization. I appreciate your concerns and thoughtfulness.

Sincerely, Nancy Glazener

Dear Bethel Church,

I would like to thank everyone for the cards, the gift cards, the phone calls, and the prayers for me and my family since the death of my nephew. I would also like to thank Elaine Bradley, Ardelle Florence and Pat Bartlam for covering the office while I was away. Bethel is truly a family of wonderful people and I am very blessed to a part of it.

Love, Linda Gardner

Join us on Saturday, August 5, at

7:30 p.m. for another Bethel Coffeehouse! We’ll be serving

iced coffee and tea with desserts and some great music. Come

and see local talent, enjoy some

sweets and fellowship through song. If you would like to be one of our performers,

please contact Elizabeth Bradbury at bradburyeg@vcu.edu. We hope to see you there.

5

Bethel Baptist Church 1100 Huguenot Springs Road Midlothian, VA 23113 Change Service Requested

Non Profit Org.

U.S. Postage Paid

Permit 2133

Midlothian, VA 23112

WORSHIP TIMES

9:30 Sunday School | 10:30 Worship

For more information, please call Carter Cosgrove

at 804-794-8590 or go to our website at

www.bethelchurchmidlothianva.org and click on

preschool.

WHEN: Sunday, September 3, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Bethel Baptist Church, 1100 Huguenot

Springs Road, Midlothian, VA 23113

For More Information:

Call 804-794-8590