Suwannee Lights 2009 ~ Wednesday 6:00pm

Join us for a bus trip to the Spirit of the Suwannee for Suwannee Lights 2009
~ Wednesday ~ bus departs at 6:00 pm sharp! ~
Everyone is welcome, kids & grown-ups!!

Christmas Program Rehearsal

Seems there may have been some confusion about the children's parts in the Christmas service on December 20th. They will still have an opportunity to participate, but Mrs. Tammy & Mrs. April will be working with them on several songs and costumed parts for the service. Children should come to choir rehearsal on Wednesday at 6:00 pm if they wish to participate!

Kids singing...

Mrs. April began working with the kids on Wednesday to prepare to sing with the choir during the morning service on December 20th. All children are invited to participate.

If you are interested in singing with the group, they will practice again this Sunday during children's church and again on Wednesday, the 16th during choir practice. They will sing Away in a Manger.

This is an excellent opportunity for the children to give back to the church and show off their God-given talents! We hope you will all sing out loud!

Woohoo! Wednesday is coming soon!!

Each Wednesday during December we will do something to give back!

This week we will hear the story of Saint Nicholas and we will learn about a little girl named Michaela who lives in the Philippines. Michaela was selected by Rachel, Cassie, and Allie from Food for the Hungry. We have committed to sponsoring Michaela and will be collecting money for her each week. Michaela is 9 years old and in the 4th grade. She lives with her parents and 3 brothers. $32 a month helps provide Michaela and her family with food, health care, clean water, education, local church development and more. Each week we will ask one of the children to write a letter to Michaela.

This week, we will send Christmas Cards to Michaela and her family. Please pray for them. Even though we are thousands of miles away, our prayers can make a direct difference in their lives.

All Wednesday Programs Canceled this Week...

Due to the tornado warnings in effect, we will not meet tonight!

We were planning to make Christmas Cards for service members, veterans, and their families. This is a great way to give back this holiday season - by sharing kind words and thanks with those who have given a great deal to our country.

You could do this as a family project tonight! All of the info is available here:

http://www.mybethelumc.com/ministries/missions/

No K4C or CHAOS this week!

We will not meet this week as we will be busy as buzzards getting our Thanksgiving dinners together!

We are thankful for each and every one of our kids, little and big! You guys and gals make us very proud and we enjoy the time we get to spend with you each week.

The Lord has a great plan for each of you as well as a great plan for our church and youth group! Just you wait and see!!

We are also thankful for your parents who are committed to teaching you the ways of the Lord and bringing you each week!

Happy Thanksgiving! Tell us what you're thankful for by commenting below!

We now return to our regularly scheduled program!

We had a great time at the Fall Festival this weekend and you all were a great help setting it up last week.

This week, it's business as usual! We'll meet at 6:00 pm in the Youth Annex. Mrs. April will be there to lead us in some great worship songs. Then we will break into our smaller groups for devotionals.

CHAOS kids need to bring their report cards. We will tally up all our points to see who wins the CD or T-shirt! A and AB Honor Roll students will get to go to lunch with Pastor Ken one Sunday this month!

See ya tonight! Bring your Bibles!!

Fall Festival ~ Saturday 4:00 pm 'til

Our 3rd Annual Fall Festival will be this Saturday, October 31st starting at 4:00 pm. This year the festivities will begin at the Lake City Air Park. (446 SW Aviation Dr, Lake City, FL)

Carnival Games
We've set up all of our carnival games inside her airplane hangar, just in case it rains! It's going to be so much fun! We hope you can come.

Costume Contest
There will be a Biblical Character Costume Contest! If you're having troubles coming up with ideas for costumes, consider these: Angels, Animals (from the Ark), Job, Moses, Noah, Mary & Joseph, Adam & Eve, Wisemen, David and the Giant (great Father\Son idea), or one of the creatures from Revelation 4:8, now that'd be cool!

Hot Dogs & Homemade Chili
A traditional Fall Treat for Bethel! Hot Dogs & Homemade Chili will be served just before dark!

Hayride, Bonfire, & More
Once it gets dark, we will head over to the Williams' Farm for our traditional hayride and bonfire. There will be hot chocolate and marshmallows to roast!

You don't want to miss this fun-filled celebration!

Gettin' ready for some fun!

That's what we'll be doing this Wednesday!

Pastor Ken has asked us to help him set up for the Fall Festival that will be held on Saturday! He will take us to the Festival location Wednesday so we can help get the games and things set up for Saturday!

See you there! Be there at 6:00 sharp so you don't miss the bus!

This week is Family Night

This is just a reminder and an invite! Tomorrow is Family Night!

Bring your family and a dish for fun fellowship and good food!

7:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall!

You can bring some underwear too if you like!!

Hope to see you all there!

Serving our church...

...that's what tonight is all about. Mrs. April will lead us in some worship music, we'll have prayer time and then we will tackle our list.

Pastor Ken and Mrs. Terry have entrusted us to help with the Homecoming clean-up list! This is a great time for us to show our appreciation to our church family for all that they allow us to do all year long.

See you there! Come with a thankful heart and ready to work!

Joy, Choices, Cupcakes and... Shoes?

We are so excited about our plans for tonight! Our worship session is going to be amazing! Note the red balloon...

K4C will meet with Mrs. Dawn and talk about making the right choices, hearing a story about a young boy convinced by his friends to shoplift.

CHAOS will get to "walk a mile in someone else's shoes"! Don't worry, not literally, but we will talk about shoes and be reminded to get to know one another and to understand one another without judgment.

And then come the cupcakes! I heard tell that Mrs. Lynn is making confetti cupcakes...now, this may just be a rumor, but that's what I heard!

Don't forget your Bibles and you Devo books. Bring a friend for extra points!

Underwear for Africa!

Got Underwear?

Something simple that we take for granted each day, yet thousands of men, women and children in Africa go without!

This is a problem with a simple solution - you can donate any new undergarments (socks, underwear, etc.) for the Basotho people and they will be delivered by a team of individuals from the Tallahassee area.

Departing for Africa on November 16, 2009, they will be going to the Katse Village, approximately 1.5 k WNW of the Katse Dam. Katse is a tiny village in the Lesotho Highlands. It is near and gives its name to the Katse Dam, a huge manmade reservoir built to sell water to neighboring South Africa. All four of the team members are paying for their own airfare, food and lodging.

They will spend their time there doing walking ministry, handing out Bibles, working with orphans and sharing in the Word. It will be amazing for the Basotho to see God doing a work where there is such a need but they feel so forgotten.

Additionally, the team will deliver seeds, eyeglasses, vitamins and hygiene items.

Please keep this team and mission in your prayers.

Bring your donations to Bethel beginning Sunday, October 11th. They will be delivered to Tallahassee on November 1st.

Updates, Info & Such

We are so excited that our new CHAOS\K4C format is really working well! Last night we witnessed kids singing worship to our Lord & Savior and it was just awesome! Mrs. April has been a great addition to our team and we are so grateful for her talents!

CHAOS has a new points system which offers great incentives for attendance, participation, and grades! Check it out!

Additionally, we have started a new Sunday Morning series for the Middle & High school age group - Crazy Love. This will be a 10 week series, based on the Crazy Love book by Francis Chan, offered on Sundays @ 11:00 am. This is a great resource for adults as well. You can read the first chapter of the book here. We started with an introduction last week and will continue on Sunday, October 11th. We will not hold these sessions on the first Sunday because we feel it is important for the Youth to experience worship and communion with our church body on this day.

Congrats and thank yous to all you parents for seeing the importance of raising Godly children. We appreciate your commitment to bringing your children on Sundays and Wednesdays!

Peer pressure, bullies, oh my...

We'll be talking about some serious issues that our youth face tonight. CHAOS will discuss both sides of bullying and see what the Bible says about it. The K4C group will learn about peer pressure and how to avoid it!


Mrs. April will be back to help us give praise and worship our amazing Lord through music and Mrs. Lynn will bring the yummy snacks!

Can't wait to see you guys! CHAOS - don't forget your progress reports & your Devos!!! You don't want to miss out on those points!!

Lying & Learning

Tonight is bound to be lots of fun! CHAOS will be talking about how we all learn differently and the K4C group will learn the difference between lying and "just kidding".

I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. - Psalm 69:30

Mrs. April will be there to help us give praise and glory through music and Mrs. Lynn will bring the yummy snacks!

See you later! Bring your Bible and your books! Bring a friend too!

RTU 2009

Wow! What an experience! We had a great time with great kids who behaved just great!

As a youth leader, many times, I ask myself, why? Why have I committed myself to this? Why? Why? Why? This weekend, God, once again, showed me Why!

Thanks to everyone who helped us get to Orlando this weekend! You were a part of something HUGE for these kids!

Thanks to Rob, Dan, Jason, Daniel, Brittany, and Dawn for being there always! Thanks to parents for allowing your children to participate and for recognizing the importance of their relationship with each other, the church and most importantly Jesus Christ!

Much love to all,
Amy

CHAOS Rock the Universe Packing List

You will need the following items this weekend!

1. Bible
2. Clothes & Shoes for two days - dress cool as we will be outside!!
3. Swimsuit, two pieces are okay but you must be modest.
4. 1 Towel for swimming
5. 1 Towel for showers
6. Hygiene stuff: shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant etc.
7. Camera (optional)
8. Backpack or small bag for carrying in the park. (optional)
9. NOTE: you cannot bring food or drink into the parks.
10. You may want to bring money for souvenirs or extra snacks at the theme parks. Your meals will be covered.
11. Great Attitude (mandatory!)

If you have any questions, please call us!

Car Wash, Cakes & Funworks!

The new format for CHAOS & K4C is off to a great start. Miss April came by this week and sang with us and we went on a "Secret Mission", hiding from the adults!

Saturday is the CHAOS Rock the Universe Car Wash! We'll be at the Hardees next to Wal-mart washing cars for donations from 9 am to 2 pm. All kids are invited to help! CHAOS kids going to RTU are required to attend and need to be there at 8:30 am.

Sunday's a busy day!

Family Ministries will provide an Indoor Picnic Lunch for Labor Day.

There will be a Rock the Universe Cake Auction fundraiser, where you can bid on delicious, homemade desserts to take home!

When all of that's over the K4C (K-5) kids are invited to Sunday Fun-Day at Skate Station Funworks in Gainesville. We will leave after lunch, around 1:30 pm and return to the church around 6:00 pm.

See you Saturday!

Exciting & New!

Starting this week, K4C & CHAOS will follow a new format! One that we are very excited about! It'll go a little something like this:

6:00 pm - Praise & Worship
6:30 pm - Small Groups
7:00 pm - Projects, Games, etc.
7:20 pm - Snacks

We are super excited about having Miss April join us in September to help lead some worship songs! CHAOS will meet with Miss Amy and K4C will meet with Miss Dawn for small group devotionals. Pastor Ken will also be dropping in to lead devotions from time to time! Each week we will work on a service project or play some fun games! Another exciting addition, Miss Lynn is back with snacks and she already has this week's yummy treat planned! Mmmm, yummy!

Can't wait to see you all on Wednesday! Please bring your Bibles and your best friends!

CHAOS Rock the Universe Breakfast Fundraiser!

Come support out youth and get some good grub!

Sunday, August 23rd
9:30-10:45 am
Fellowship Hall
Grits, Eggs, Sausage, Biscuits and more!
$5 Donation
Get your tickets today!

No K4C\CHAOS this week! ~ Family Night!

Family Night - Wednesday, August 19th, 7:00 pm - Bring a dish and your whole family for good food and fun fellowship, guaranteed!

We will start with a new format next Wednesday, August 26th, at 6:00 pm!

CHAOS Preparing to Rock the Universe!

CHAOS Rock the Universe Trip Info
September 11-13, 2009

This will be an awesome opportunity for our Middle school group! It will be an opportunity for some to hear their favorite Christian bands and for others to be introduced to Christian music at a whole new level!

We will meet at Bethel at 1:30pm on Friday, September 11th. We plan to depart at 2:00pm so please be on time. This may mean that some of you will have to get out of school early but we want you to get the most out of this trip and if we leave any later we won’t arrive in Orlando until after 7:00pm. We will return home on Sunday around 5:00pm but will have students call parents when we are 1 hour out.

Cost:
We will not know until after our breakfast fundraiser and cake auction, how much the trip will cost the students. A $50 deposit is required by September 1st. We are doing everything possible to keep the costs minimal. Right now we are estimating the cost per person to be about $150 ea. (Don’t panic, this is before the fundraising!). We will try to reduce this by as much as possible.

See below for fundraising events!

This cost includes the following:
Concert\Theme park tickets for the weekend
Meals in the park for dinner Friday and Saturday night
Breakfast and Lunch on Saturday and Sunday
Lodging for two nights

If you have any questions, please call us!

Check out www.rocktheuniverse.com for concert times, new rides and speaker schedule.

Fundraising:

****Everyone who plans to go to Orlando is expected to participate in the breakfast fundraisers and attend 2 Wednesday CHAOS meetings.****

Breakfast Fundraiser
Sunday, August 23rd
9:30 – 10:45 am
Bethel United Methodist Church
Kids will have tickets to sell in advance. Please help them sell them. Even if people can’t make it to the breakfast, they may buy a ticket in support of the activity.

Cake Auction
Sunday, August 23rd
9:30 – 10:45 am
Bethel United Methodist Church
In conjunction with the breakfast, we will have a cake auction, where we will take bids for delicious cakes donated by parents and other members of the congregation. Parents are asked to donate a cake for the auction.

**Kids should be at the church at 8:00 am on the 23rd to help with the cooking. Parents are encouraged to help as well.

This Week - Game Night!

As the summer winds down, we're taking it easy at K4C & CHAOS. This week we will have a fun Game Night. Kids are welcome to bring their favorite board game to share with everyone. We will just relax, have snacks and play games at the Youth Annex!

We are preparing for an exciting new format for the Fall that will engage everyone in some new praise and worship, small groups, service projects and more! Look for updates soon!

See you Wednesday @ 6:00 pm!

Kids Movie Night - Wednesday, August 5th @ 6:00 pm

We will be holding our final Kids Movie Night for the summer tonight. All movies will be Family-Approved Suitable for all ages by the Dove Foundation. Tonight we will show The Tale of Despereaux.

Synopsis:
Tiny and graced with over-sized ears, Despereaux was born too big for his little world. Refusing to live his life cowering, he befriends a Princess named Pea and learns to read (rather than eat) books -- reveling in stories of knights, dragons and fair maidens. Banished from Mouseworld for being more man than mouse, Despereaux is rescued by another outcast, Roscuro, who also wants to hear the tales. But when the Princess dismisses Roscuro's friendship, he becomes the ultimate rat and plots revenge with fellow outsider Mig. After Pea is kidnapped, Despereaux discovers he is the only one who can rescue her...and that even the tiniest mouse can find the courage of a knight in shining armor.

We will start in the Bethel Fellowship Hall where we will have pizza at 6:00 pm. We will then move over to the "theater" at 7:00 pm for the movie with popcorn! Parents are welcome to stay for the movie as well or may return to pick up children at 8:30 pm. Children ages 4 and up are invited to join us for movie nights.

Attn: CHAOS Students and Parents

We will be offering an exciting new True Love Waits series for students entering the 7th grade or higher beginning Sunday, August 9th at 11:00 am. Check out the details here. Students must sign up in advance by August 5th.

K4C & CHAOS to resume August 5th

While there will be no regularly scheduled K4C or CHAOS meetings until August 5th, we will have many opportunities to gather together in the name of the Lord over the next few weeks:

Wednesday, July 15th @ 7:00 pm - Family Night Covered Dish Dinner
Bring a dish and your whole family for some good food and fun fellowship.
This week we are hosting a Youth\Young Adult Mission Team from Franklin, North Carolina. Come out to meet them and show them some good 'ole Bethel hospitality. If you are Middle School or older, you may join them on their mission projects throughout the week. Simply contact Pastor Ken for details.

Sunday, July 19th @ 11:00 am - Worship Services & Children's Church
"...and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." - John 4:24
Join us as we worship our Lord and share the Word of God. Children may go over and see what's happening in the Dog House with Mrs. Tammy and Mr. Todd and special guest, Girl, the golden retriever.

Sunday, July 19th to Friday, July 24th - Wesley World VBS
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." - Proverbs 22:6
This year we will learn how God can do amazing things in our lives when we make ourselves open to God’s will, listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to us, and really try to live out Jesus’ love…!

Two times to choose from:

Evenings: Sun.-Thurs. 5:30-8:30 pm
Kindergarten – 5th Grade

Mornings: Mon.-Fri. 9 am-12 pm
3 years - 5th Grade

Saturday, July 25th @ 4:45 am - Honduras Mission Team departs!
"...go and make disciples of all nations..." - Matthew 28:19
If all goes well, Mrs. Amy and Mrs. Dawn along with Stephanie, Allysa and 20 more missionaries will depart for Honduras on this day. Please remember them in your prayers this week.

Sunday, July 26th @ 11:00 am - Worship Services & Children's Church
Join us as we worship our Lord and share the Word of God. Children may go over and see what's happening in the Dog House with Mrs. Tammy and Mr. Todd. See Pastor Ken for a prayer bracelet to help you remember to pray for the Honduras Mission Team this week.

Hope to see you all real soon!

Helping Honduras!

The Mission 2 Honduras is off to a GREAT start! We have four ladies headed that way on July 25^th! Please be in prayer for us as we prepare for this journey. (We are preparing to go until we hear otherwise.)

Now that the team is formed and funds are raised, we are collecting things for the children and people we will be ministering to once we get on the ground!

We are collecting the following items for Care Packages:

Bars of Soap

Wash Clothes

Disposable Razor

Toothbrushes

Combs

Toothpaste

Band-aids

We need 100 care packages.

Additionally, we are collecting soccer balls and crayons to be given to the schools that we will visit.

Thank you for ALL of your support and generosity!

Amy Polk, Stephanie Jones, Dawn Skinner and Allysa Sliksbier

Fun in the Son Day @ Camp Blanding

“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”. Psalm 118:24

We are looking forward to a great time on Friday, July 3rd. We will leave the church at 9:00 am and return at 7:00 pm. We will enjoy a day of fun, swimming, boating, playing volley ball, etc. at Camp Blanding. We will grill hot dogs and hamburgers for lunch and have leftovers for dinner. We will conclude with a devotional before returning to the church.

Here is what you need to bring*:

Towels
Water toys
Life vest
Signed permission slips
Your Bible

*If you cannot swim, you will be required to wear a life vest in the water at all times, there are no exceptions. If you do not have a signed permission form, you cannot attend. Please put your name on all of you personal belongings.

We will provide lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks and sunscreen.

Please note, your name has to be on the list that was turned in on Monday to attend.

Tonight is our 2nd Summer Movie Night!

We will be holding a Kids Movie Night on the first Wednesday of the month through the summer. All movies will be Family-Approved Suitable for all ages by the Dove Foundation. Tonight we will show Bedtime Stories.

Synopsis:
An adventure comedy starring Adam Sandler as Skeeter Bronson, a hotel handyman whose life is changed forever when the bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew start to mysteriously come true. He attempts to take advantage of the phenomenon, incorporating his own aspirations into one outlandish tale after another, but it's the kids' unexpected contributions that turn Skeeter's life upside down.

We will start in the Bethel Fellowship Hall where we will have pizza at 6:00 pm. We will then move over to the "theater" at 7:00 pm for the movie with popcorn! Parents are welcome to stay for the movie as well or may return to pick up children at 8:30 pm. Children ages 4 and up are invited to join us for movie nights.

This week @ K4C & CHAOS!

We will meet at our regularly scheduled time and place Wednesday. 6:00 - 7:30 pm in the Youth Annex! K4C will continue learning about being good Christians by learning that there is no right or wrong way to pray. Talking to God, which we call prayer, is an integral part of a Christian’s
life. We can talk to God anytime, anywhere, about anything. They will also continue work on their craft projects.

CHAOS will reflect on camp and the things they did and learned there.

Next Wednesday, July 1st is Movie Night!

From Camp on Thursday!

Thursday!

By now we are all really getting to know each other and everyone is having a great time. Our small groups are really picking up steam and we talked about commitments that we have made to God.

Elementary Camp was able to go out to the ropes course today like Middle School and High School did earlier. This really allowed our small groups to get to know each other better. We also got to go folk dancing today which consists of a series of dances that have become a camp tradition. At the end of the day two, superheroes hosted a skate party that was interrupted by a villain. The campers were able to save the day by playing a fantastic game of superhero showdown.

Middle School attended workshops this morning. There are many workshops that the campers can attend and they get to choose the one that they think they would gain the most from. Workshops include learning about Invisible Children, how to treat your friends like Christ, and how to keep your faith interesting. Next was lunch and then rest hour. However, when we got to our cabins, it turns out they were locked by Old Man Jenkins so we had to have a movie party! After the movie party our cabins were unlocked and we were able to have rest hour.

High school got to participate in a service project this morning where they learned about the homeless in America and ways they can help. One of the ways introduced was to hand out bags with food and supplies to help them out. Also, there was an update with the band that was supposed to play on Friday. We were able to see what the band has been doing since breaking up. Then, at the end of the day, we had a pool party with the cool waterslide and some fun music.

Wednesday Camp Update!

Wednesday!

We can’t believe it’s already Wednesday! Today was packed full of fun, with campers participating in everything from water games to folk dancing and game shows – all while learning about today’s theme, forgiveness.

Everyone woke up to a fabulous breakfast and devotions followed by the always-exciting praise time.

Elementary Camp went to small groups and skills and then to the pool before lunch. After a second round of skills, we went to workshops. Here, we got to choose between learning about the environment, joy, poverty and sharing God’s love. After dinner, we played a massive game of twister and went on to experiential worship time where we learned five different ways to pray.

Middle School also began the day with skills and small groups after praise time. After lunch, we went to skills again and played a crazy game of “fake jeopardy,” during which we participated in team challenges. Later, after small groups and dinner, girls and boys split up and took turns playing volleyball in the pool along with Ultimate Frisbee and nine square. Old Man Jenkins tried to take away snack shack today, but Middle School prevailed in getting back by rising to the challenges of “Fake Jeopardy.”

High School had an equally exciting day that began with a pool field game after praise time. After skills and lunch, we went to small groups and skills again, before we went to folk dancing after dinner. The fun didn’t stop with that, however, as we played a survey game show directly after dancing. Unfortunately, we also found out that the band broke up, but we didn’t let that spoil the fun we’d already had throughout the day.

Tuesday Update from Camp!

Tuesday!

Today at camp we had our first full day! Every camper woke up to an amazing breakfast cooked by our new camp chef. Then we all participated in morning praise time where every camper meets in the fellowship hall to sing and dance to praise and worship.

Elementary camp had their skills after praise time where they did fun things like crafts and outdoor games. After lunch the kids went to the pool where they encountered a super villain who had come to mess up pool time. Luckily two super heroes were there to save the day! I think we might be seeing more of these heroes and villains later. After dinner we participated in really fun group games involving everyone or REGIE!

Middle school went to the ropes course with their small groups today in order to get to know each other a little better. After lunch we got to go to the pool and play a really fun pool game, however, when we got to the pool old man Jenkins had encased all the game equipment in jello so we had to get all our game equipment out. Then tonight after worship we went back to the cabins and had a cabin party where we got to hang out and get to know each other better in the cabin.

High school also got to go to the ropes course this morning with our small groups. After lunch we got to enjoy some skills like photography, interpretive dance, and sailing. After dinner we were supposed to go to folk dancing but the band needed help getting some equipment back together, so we went on a scavenger hunt to help the band!

Update from Camp

Monday!

Today camper’s arrived at camp and got settled into their cabins with their cabin counselors. Everybody started out with some praise and worship in Praise Time and got introduced to the camp director Mike Standifer.

Elementary Camp had dinner and worship together. After worship the campers went to their small groups and then were able to pick out their skills and crafts for the week.

Middle School started their week off with really fun games involving everyone or REGIE for short. Then, they met with their small group for the first time and had worship together with our worship band and guest speaker. Then middle school got to choose the skills that they will be participating in all week.

High School Started the week by signing up for the skills that they will be doing the whole week. High School is excited to see a video of the band that will be playing for them later on this week. They also met with their small groups for the first time this week and got to experience worship together as a group.

This first day was exciting for everyone and every camper is excited for the week ahead.

Gone Camping!

We sent 8 of our youth members off to camp this morning!

Rachel, Allie, Nicole, Katlen, Kenneth, Dreema, CJ, and Eric!

Please keep these children and their families in your prayers this week. We will be picking them up on Saturday!

Many thanks go out to our loving congregation who made this possible for our children!

There will be no K4C of CHAOS meetings this Wednesday since it is Family Night! Bring your family and enjoy a great meal with your extended church family at Bethel!

Keep up with our Youth Events for the Summer by checking out our online newsletter or sign up for updates from the blog!

We Now Return to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

This week we will meet on our regular schedule - starting at the Youth Annex at 6:00 pm and wrapping up at 7:30 pm.

This week’s lesson begins a Summer-long study of how we are to live as Christians. For direction on how to live our lives, we look to the Bible. We believe that Bible stories can teach us how to live as Christians. Today’s lesson is taken from 1Kings on Solomon building the Temple and gathering God’s people together for worship. It reminds us that gathering together to praise and honor God through worship is an important aspect of living as Christians.

Can't wait to see you all! Bring your Bibles and be ready to tell us what you've done that was good this week!

Free Movies from Regal Cinemas

Here's another FREE summer fun thing!

When school’s out, kids around the country visit selected Regal theaters for the Free Family Film Festival. It’s a fun-filled nine weeks of movies for kids and parents.

Selected G & PG movies start at 10AM each Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. First-come, first-served seating is limited to theatre capacity. The Free Family Film Festival is safe, lots of fun and a great way for kids to spend a weekday morning in the summer.
Tickets for our 2009 Free Family Film Festival are exclusively available at select theatres’ box office on the day of the show.

Cinema 90
2830 Highway 90 West
Lake City ,FL 32055
386-752-8583

06/09/2009-06/10/2009
Curious George (G)
Spiderwick Chronicles (PG)

06/16/2009-06/17/2009
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (G)
Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep (PG)

06/23/2009-06/24/2009
Mr. Bean's Holiday (G)
Madagascar 2: Escape To Africa (PG)

06/30/2009-07/01/2009
Arctic Tale (G)
Igor (PG)

07/07/2009-07/08/2009
Everyone's Hero (G)
Kung Fu Panda (PG)

07/14/2009-07/15/2009
Charlotte's Web (G)
Shrek The Third (PG)

07/21/2009-07/22/2009
The Tale Of Despereaux (G)
Bee Movie (PG)

07/28/2009-07/29/2009
Space Chimps (G)
Alvin And The Chipmunks (PG)

If you want to find a FREE movie while your on vacation or traveling, go to the Regal Website and search for your location!

Kids Movie Night @ Bethel - 6-8:30 pm

We will be holding a Kids Movie Night on the first Wednesday of the month through the summer. All movies will be Family-Approved Suitable for all ages by the Dove Foundation. We will kick it off tonight with Wall-E.

Synopsis:
Academy Award®-winning writer-director Andrew Stanton ("Finding Nemo") and the inventive storytellers and technical geniuses at Pixar Animation Studios ("The Incredibles," "Cars," "Ratatouille") transport moviegoers to a galaxy not so very far away for a new computer-animated cosmic comedy about a determined robot named WALL•E. After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL•E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL•E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet's future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home). Meanwhile, WALL•E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most exciting and imaginative comedy adventures ever brought to the big screen.

We will start in the Bethel Fellowship Hall where we will have pizza at 6:00 pm. We will then move over to the "theater" at 7:00 pm for the movie with popcorn! Parents are welcome to stay for the movie as well or may return to pick up children at 8:30 pm. Children ages 4 and up are invited to join us for movie nights.

It's your birthday - eat a cupcake!

Tonight we will party like it's Pentecost! Sunday is Pentecost and we will celebrate the birth of the Church (big C) tonight!!

Pentecost comes from the Greek word “pentecoste,” which means “fiftieth day.” Pentecost Sunday is celebrated fifty days after Easter each year. It is the day that the church celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit to the apostles and the other disciples that were gathered in Jerusalem at the time. The Spirit miraculously allowed those gathered to hear the Word spoken in their own native
languages. Over three thousand people were converted and baptized that day. The Christian church marks Pentecost as the beginning of the church, and it is often referred to as the birthday of the church.

See ya at the party! Bring your Bible!

Kids Bowl Free

With summer coming up and the economy being what it is, several people have asked what fun things we will be doing for the kids this summer. We have some great things planned as you can see in our Summer Newsletter.

But here's a little something extra that's not an option for use with group outings, but is a great, inexpensive way to have some family fun this summer. All you have to do is rent the shoes.

Kids Bowl Free

How the program works:

1. All of the participating bowling centers are listed at http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/all_centers.php.
2. Select a bowling center near you.
3. Register directly on the bowling center page (The registration is valid only at the bowling center where you register and cannot be used at any other bowling center unless otherwise noted.)
4. Once you register, you will have the opportunity to purchase the family pass. The Family Pass was created to allow for adult family members to enjoy bowling throughout the summer as well. The Family Pass starts from $23.95 and includes 2 GAMES PER PERSON PER DAY. The Family Pass covers up to 4 adult family members. You may have 1, 2, 3, or 4 adults on the family pass.

This low one-time payment covers up to 4 adults for the entire summer and is a tremendous value.

The closest participating alley is Gainesville, but you can check your vacation destination too and see if there is a participating alley near where you'll be going.

Ezekiel and the Dry Bones

$1 Flip-flops 4 Honduras

Suddenly we are collecting Flip-flops! I heard Old Navy was having a "One Day Wonder Flip-flop sale", Saturday, May 23rd. Solid colored flops are $1.00!

So I called the Gainesville store to confirm! Yes! They are participating in the sell! They are $1 and there is a 5 pair limit!

Adult and children's sizes are needed. They are all in need! We carried some flip flops last year and the people get very excited about the shoes!

I will be glad to meet you some place to pick them up or you can drop them by the church - Bethel UMC - at the corner of Racetrack Road and US 41 South - past the high school, but before Ellisville, on the left if your headed South.

New Youth Newsletter

If you missed church Sunday, you also missed the first edition of the new Youth Newsletter. You can download it here: http://www.mybethelumc.com/news1-1.pdf. Check it out for all of our Summer activities.

No K4C or CHAOS this week - Family Night

There is no meeting this week. We would love to see you all at Family Night on Wednesday. 7:00 pm, bring a covered dish and your whole family.

Tonight - The Valley of Dry Bones

Have you ever heard about Ezekiel and the dry bones? I hadn't until I started getting things ready for our meeting tonight. It's an amazing story about how God made bones come alive again.

We're going to do some fun things tonight and learn more about this miracle; come check it out!

Bring your Bible, bring a friend and have some FUN!

Tentative Youth Events for Summer 2009

Mark your calendars! These are possible events for the Summer. We will post the absolute definite dates, times and details ASAP!

June 3rd - Youth Movie Night

June 10th - K4C & CHAOS

June 15-20th Summer Camp

June 17th - Family Night

June 24th- K4C & CHAOS

July 1st - Youth Movie Night

July 3rd - Cookout @ Camp Blanding

July 5th - Care for Sundaes at FM 4th of July Lunch

July 8th- K4C & CHAOS

July 11-17th - Habitat Mission Group

July 15th - Family Night Kickball Tournament

July 22nd - No K4C & CHAOS

July 19-24th - VBS

July 29th - No K4C or CHAOS

August 5th - Youth Movie Night

August 12th- K4C & CHAOS

2nite - The GR8 Commission

Today’s Bible Story: Matthew 28:16-20

★ We will connect with the Bible story of the Great Commission.
★ We will explore ways we can show our love for Jesus by sharing the good news that Jesus came to save us from our sins so that we may live forever in Heaven.

Miss Lynn is making chocolate cupcakes!

See you at 6:00 pm!

Bring your Bibles!

Family Night Tonight

There will be no K4C or CHAOS tonight. It's Family Night! Bring your family to the covered dish dinner for good food and good company. 7:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall!

No K4C of CHAOS tonight ~ Holy Week

We will not meet tonight.

We think families should spend time together during Holy Week and we encourage you to spend the evening with your family. Holy Week is the most important week of the year for Christians. It is a time for us to remember the events that led up to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Following are some of the days with specific events celebrated by Christians during Holy Week:

PALM SUNDAY

Palm Sunday marks the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a colt. The people waved palms to honor Jesus. In Jesus' day, people waved palms to welcome royalty. We celebrated Palm Sunday with our special Easter Cantata on Sunday.

MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY

These three days are simply called, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday and Holy Wednesday. The Bible doesn't give us full details of the events of these days. Wednesday is sometimes called Spy Wednesday because it is the first day that Judas conspired to betray Jesus for the 30 pieces of silver.

Read aloud Matthew 26:14-16.

Judas betrayed Jesus for the amount of about 120 days wages back then. Was Jesus' life on earth worth more than 30 pieces of silver? Why or why not? What was the true value of Jesus' life to your family?

MAUNDY THURSDAY

Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday, sometimes called Holy Thurday. The name Maundy is Latin for "command," and it refers to the new commandment Jesus gave his disciples to love one another. Many churches celebrate this day with an Agape Feast or Love Feast, footwashing service, or observance of communion. Bethel will have a Love Feast at 6:30 pm. We hope you will attend with your family!

GOOD FRIDAY
Good Friday is the day that Jesus died on the cross. It's typically a solemn day for Christians as we consider the suffering Jesus endured. Because we know the end of the story, though, we can celebrate His death.

RESURRECTION DAY
Easter Sunday is at the heart of our Christian faith, for it's the Resurrection that distinguishes our faith from all other religions. It is this day that we proclaim to the world that Christ is more than a good man; he is the resurrected Savior!

Jesus came to Earth and died so that we may be forgiven for our sins and know God!

Praise Him!

CHAOS - Save the Date!

Look at all those fish!

Fishing 4 Honduras

Miss Amy and Miss Dawn are going to Honduras this summer to help kids like you learn about Jesus! Other people from our church are going too!

To earn money for their trip, the group is having a Fish Fry Fundraiser. So, we need your help catching some fish to fry!

We are going fishing this Sunday, April 5th, after the church-wide birthday party! We will be going to Miss Amy’s dad’s pond north of Lake City. We will take the bus, leaving the church around 1:30 and returning to the church around 5:00 pm.

Bring your fishing pole if you have one. If you don’t have one don’t worry, we’ll have plenty! You can bring your parents too!

Hope you can come help us on Sunday! It’ll be a lot of fun!

Wednesday - Peter's Denial

K4C will meet at 6:00 pm Wednesday to finish up our month-long journey with Peter.

Children will hear the Bible story of Peter saying that Jesus wasn’t his friend in Mark 14:26-31, 66-72 and John 21:15-17. Children will realize that even though it isn’t always easy, we can be faithful friends to Jesus.

CHAOS will meet with Daniel, Brittany, and Amanda.

We have a lot of fun things planned for this week! See you there, bring your bibles!

This week!

We meet tonight as usual. We will be learning about prayer - praying for ourselves and others! We've got a bunch of fun things planned. See you there, bring your bible!

Family Night ~ Making Hands!

We do not meet this week because of Family Night. You are invited to join the Bethel family for a covered dish dinner in the Fellowship Hall at 7:00 pm.

Kids will be invited to make Hanging Hands to be hung in the Capitol Rotunda for Children's Week as a reminder to legislators and advocates that we must take care of our most precious commodity our children.

Hope to see you all there!

CHAOS Girls' Night!

Tonight @ K4C & CHAOS - Wash My Feet

We will have a combined meeting tonight - K4C & CHAOS will meet together to worship and to hear the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. It is our hope that they will realize that they can care for others just as Jesus cared for the disciples. We have some fun things planned that the kids are sure to enjoy! This a great preparation for our upcoming Maundy Thursday service.

March’s Bible Verse
Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. --2 Corinthians 5:17, CEV

Today’s Bible Story: Wash My Feet John 13:1-9

Bring a friend and bring your Bibles! Wear flip flops if you can!

Field Trip to the Capital - March 31st

The “Children’s Capitol for a Day” is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31st from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the State Capitol. We had a great time last year! The kids can get an excused pass for school. The day includes free walking tours of the Capitol, hands-on educational activities for children, and legislators reading and distributing books to children. Dozens of non-profit organizations will host interactive and educational booths for children in the State Capitol Courtyard and Rotunda on March 31st. Live entertainment, children's characters, face-painting and free Children's Week t-shirts to the first 750 attendees.

We will be traveling by bus, leaving Bethel at 7:00 am.

K4C & CHAOS meets tonight @ 6:00 pm

We will return to our regular schedule this month, meeting the 4th, 11th and 25th. We will spend March learning about Peter, a Disciple. We believe that the stories of Peter show us that God can use imperfect people.

March’s Bible Verse
Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. --2 Corinthians 5:17, CEV

Today’s Bible Story: Follow Me John 1:35-51

Today’s Objectives
★ Children will hear the story of Peter choosing to follow Jesus as a disciple.
★ Children will realize that they can choose to follow Jesus and be disciples.

We'll also learn what about Peter's real name and what our names mean! We can't wait to see you all tonight! Bring your Bibles and if you're going to camp, bring your completed registration form.

This Week - Ash Wednesday

This week, we will meet at the Sanctuary at 6:00pm to observe Ash Wednesday with the congregation.

What is Ash Wednesday?
This is the day that Lent begins. It occurs forty days before Good Friday, which is the day that Jesus was crucified on the cross.

Why is it called Ash Wednesday?
Actually, its official name is the Day of Ashes. It is called Ash Wednesday because, being forty days before Good Friday, it always falls on a Wednesday and it is called Ash Wednesday because on that day those who believe in Jesus have their foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross.

Why do we put a cross on our foreheads?
By putting the cross on our forehead, we are acknowledging that we have sinned, and are sorry for those sins.

What is Lent?
Lent is a time of the year when Christians are invited to simplify their lives to focus on their relationship with God. It is the 40 days before Easter.

What does Lent have to do with me?
It's pretty easy to get caught up in the drama of work, school, relationships, and family. Our lives are filled with distractions that take us away from living a life with Christ. We try to fill the emptiness inside us with mindless TV, meaningless chatter, or other things. We run from silence because we're afraid of being alone with God. So, like Jesus, we need to take some serious time to pray and figure out where God is in our lives, and where God is calling us to serve. We need to re-focus our lives to be more in line with God.

COOL THINGS TO DO FOR LENT
1. Skip one meal a day and give the money to the poor.
2. Start a prayer "rhythm." Say a prayer every time you brush your teeth, see a commercial, or check your e-mail.
3. Read a chapter in the Bible a day. (Matthew is a good book to start with).
4. Forgive someone who doesn't deserve it (maybe even yourself).
5. Give up sodas. Give the money you save to the Red Cross.
6. Spend ten minutes a day in silence.
7. Write someone a thank you letter.
8. Say one nice thing to someone each day.
9. Pray for others on your way to work or school.
10. Volunteer one afternoon a week at a local shelter or helping a neighbor in the yard.