Christmas in October? The gift of Christmas is a year long celebration and children age 3 through 5th grade have begun to explore the gift of Jesus during “The Great ADVENTure” Wednesday night from 6:30-7:30pm in F015.
Families are growing together as they discover the events that led up to the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our leaders take the families through the readings and lightings of the Advent wreath and then open the scriptures to the prophecy and fulfillment of the miraculous birth of God’s son, Jesus. Children take home a craft each week to remind them of the preparation and anticipation of that historical night in Bethlehem and the baby Jesus that would forever change the world. Each week we prepare the empty cradle for the gift of CHRISTmas as we prepare our hearts to receive God’s gift of hope, peace, joy and love.
Join us on Wednesday nights through November 19th and prepare your family and your hearts to receive “the gift” of CHRISTmas. Please feel free to contact Sherri Juliani at 770-971-3447 or sherri.juliani@mtbethel.org.
On Sunday, August 24th, 115 backpack Bibles were presented to our 3rd grade children, it was an exciting day in the life of our 3rd graders, their families, and their Sunday school teachers. And the adventure was just beginning…this past Friday over 70 children and adults joined us for our very 1st 3rd grade lock-in from 6:00-10:00pm in the Fellowship Hall, as they began the journey of “Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible”.
The night began with pizza and an opening session with “Indy” and “Professor” before children began traveling to 4 different libraries that would teach the children about the books within the Bible. The Library of Law (God’s Mighty Acts), Library of History and Poetry, Library of Prophets and Gospel Writers, and the Library of Acts and Letters. In each Library children used their Bible and a Treasure Code Guide Book to decode scripture and learn how to look up a book, a chapter, and a verse. Children were given an item as they left each library such as: a compass - God’s word is the same today, as it was yesterday, as it will be tomorrow; a coin - the true treasure is within the pages of the Bible; a glow stick - Jesus is the light of the world; and a lock/key - all you have to do to unlock the mystery of the Bible is to open the cover, read, study and pray.
The night closed with decorating their backpacks to carry their new treasure in and a treasure seeker sundae topped with goodies that also themed with the night. M&M’s represented the rainbow God placed in the sky; candy hearts represented God’s love and forgiveness; gummy fish represented the life and teachings of Jesus Christ; and chocolate syrup represented the “acts” of spreading the good news.
Fun was had by all! The blessing was the excitement I saw in the eyes of the children on Sunday, and the feedback from parents that their children came home excited about their new treasure and eager to practice reading and looking up scripture in their new Bibles. The mystery has been unlocked, the treasure revealed, the adventure began…the journey for these children in God’s Mighty Word begins now. Glory be to God for all His blessings on the lives of His children and their parents as they experience this adventure together!
Be sure to check out our album of photos from the event.
Sherri
Camp Infusion was held last week and was an incredible experience for all who attended. You can check out a few hundred photos here, or keep reading to hear some first-hand account of the trip.
————–
Oh what a mighty God we serve!
We watched upper elementary students build relationships with their upcoming student ministry leaders, we watched college interns connect with students, we watched parents that volunteered their service connect with their children and their peers. Several parent leaders ministered side by side with their adult child. God used different generations to build relationships at the foot of the Cross!
I am thankful for the opportunity to partner with Dianne, Sarah Beth, Justin and Chris in prayer, planning, and preparation for an amazing week of ministry at Camp Infusion! What a testimony to see the Holy Spirit at work!
Our prayer is that this week of basic training (2 Timothy 3:16) ignites each student’s desire to grow in relationship through a life of prayer, wisdom through study of the Holy Bible, continued fellowship with the Body of Christ, and an overflowing love that only our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can fill their hearts with.
To God be the glory!
Sherri
————–
WOW!
What a fantastic week we had at Infusion Camp. I wish you all could have been there.
It was an inspiring week. A week where we invested our time with the students and made new friends and built new relationships.
Rob Perry, the speaker and Seraph, the band ingrained the work of God into our hearts and minds.
The students spirits were ignited to go and share the word of God with the world in service to our Lord.
My prayer is that we walked away with hearts, minds and souls ingrained with God’s word and joyfully commit to be contagious with our faith in Jesus. I believe that we accomplished that.
Thanks to Sarah Beth for leading a terrific team, the Sherri for an ultimate unit time where we work together in teams to make missions happen, to Justin who never fails to bring joy and fun to the group and to Chris for the games that will forever be in our memories.
What a pleasure being able to be a part of a new adventure in the Mt Bethel UMC ever expanding ways.
Love,
Dianne Hylton
Here are some areas around the church that need you to come volunteer.
Sunday School
Did you know that Children’s Ministry will need over 85 volunteers every Sunday from June 1 - August 10 to minister to the children who will arrive to hear the Word of God at Mt. Bethel? To volunteer, contact Janis Caverlee (preschool) or Sherri Juliani (elementary) to join the team this summer.
VBS Volunteers Needed
Youth and adult volunteers are vital to the success of Vacation Bible School. Contact Dianne Hylton if you would like to volunteer your time. A free lunch is provided.
Parking Shuttle
Our parking lot shuttle, “Toby” the golf cart, runs on Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 12:30. There are 2 shifts from 9:15 to 10:45 and 10:45 to 12:30. This is a once a month or every other month commitment. Toby is very helpful to members who park far away with small children and senior members, too. We also need parking ushers to help direct members and visitors to available spots. Contact Kibbie Jones for more information.
Greeters on Sundays
Welcome church members and visitors for a 30-minute shift for a month and rotate with two other teams every 3rd month. We rely on greeters from 9:00am to 9:30am and 10:30am to 11:00am. Substitutes are available. This is an easy way to get to know other church members. Contact Kibbie Jones for more information.
Older Adult Center - Youth or Adult Volunteers Needed
Share Your Special Talent: Come sing, come perform, share your hobby, or share your pictures from a favorite trip or special collection. Whatever you choose, we make for a great audience. Contact Dawn Reed for more information.
Christmas in October? The gift of Christmas is a year long celebration and children age 3 through 5th grade have begun to explore the gift of Jesus during “The Great ADVENTure” Wednesday night from 6:30-7:30pm in F015.
