Bethesda United Methodist Church

Pastor John and Mary Elizabeth will be on vacation until August 7th.  They will be traveling to Texas to see their son and daughter-in-law who live out there.  Please keep them in your prayers for traveling safety.  If you have an  do not hesitate to call Athel on her cell 404-452-5392 or our Lay Leader, Carroll Waters at 770-921-2360.  Joseph McBrayer (see website for full bio) will be preaching on August 1st.  Pastor John will be back in the pulpit on August 8th.

Katie, Adam and Nolen are also on vacation this week, so pray for their traveling safety as well.

PLEASE NOTE – Sunday, August 15th is our Annual Home Coming and our guest speaker is going to be Rev. David Walters (one of our former Youth Directors).  The Laymen Quartet and the Chancel Choir will be ministering in song.  There will be a covered dish lunch immediately following the service.  PLEASE NOTE we will only have one am worship service and it will begin at 10:45am sharp!  So please note this on your calendar and we ask that all Sunday School Teachers, please dismiss your classes early so that we can begin the service on time.  We look forward to a FANTASTIC Home Coming!

For a full schedule of events in August, please check the calendar on our website.

This week at Bethesda

Monday – 6:30pm – Ladies Prayer Group

Wednesday – 6:30pm – Chancel Choir/Youth

8:00pm – Handbell Choir

Thursday – 7:00pm – Young Adult Bible Study

Saturday – 9:00am – Praise Practice

Sunday – 8:45am & 11:00am – Joseph McBrayer preaching

9:45am – Sunday School

4:30pm – Youth

6:00pm – Coffee House

6:30pm – Contemporary Praise Service

Rev. David Walters will be our guest speaker for Home Coming this year.  David was Youth Pastor here at Bethesda for four years and had a tremendous ministry with the youth of our church and our community.  We are so pleased that he and his family will be with us on August 15th for a combined worship service at 11:00am.  David is a native of Georgia. He became a follower of Jesus at an early age and was called into ministry at the age of 18. Almost immediately after receiving a call into ministry, God gave David an opportunity to live out this calling as a youth pastor. After serving as a youth pastor for 7 years, he was ordained by the United Methodist  Church and appointed to Snellville UMC as an associated pastor in 2002. David was the lead pastor of the contemporary service and he led the evangelism ministries. In June of 2006, David started The Vine in Braselton. David is married to Elizabeth, and they have four children: Laney, Brayden, Carley, and Cade. David is passionate about connecting with humanity and connecting humanity with God.

Following service we will have a covered dish lunch in the fellowship hall.  Mark your calendar and help us spread the word!

GREAT WORSHIP, GREAT MUSIC, GREAT SPEAKER, GREAT FOOD, GREAT FELLOWSHIP!

This is defintely one Sunday you do not want to miss.  Pastor John has a special Pentecost Service planned, Brock has got all the choirs doing special music (Hand Bell, Chancel, and Children’s).  At the end of each service everyone will be given a red balloon as they leave, and we will gather on the front lawn to release them at the same time to celebrate Pentecost.  Oh, by the way if you have red, (blouse, shirt, tie, dress) please wear it.  Hope to see  you this Sunday in the House of Worship, Bethesda United Methodist Church.

Don’t Miss This Great Sunday at Bethesda! – If you have something red to wear, please wear it to the services Sunday.  Red represents Pentecost.  We have a special service in store for you.  Following each Sunday morning worship service, you will be given a red balloon to release!  I promise you that the Worship Services will be very meaningful to you.  The children’s choir will be singing and the hand bell choir will be performing during the 11o’clock service.

¹When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ²Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues^[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

 ⁵Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? ⁸Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?

Bethesda’s Easter Sunrise Service was well attended this year. Many worshipers came and celebrated the glory of the morning! We had a nice crowd to enjoy the service/drama, the wonderful weather, the birds singing and fellowship with each other. In addition to our own members we had several visitors.

Below is the content of a thank you card that I received from one of those visitors and another from a church member.

Please express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who moved a chair, learned a line, sang a song, or waved a banner at Bethesda UMC’s Easter Sunrise Drama and celebration. I was a first-time visitor who found out about the service by doing a web search. I was totally blown away by the quality of the production. The Holy Spirit truly annointed the efforts of everyone involved and I found myself weeping in His presence. Thank you for blessing me. B.H. – Lawrenceville

I cannot begin to tell you how inspiring and thought provoking the sunrise service was! I often forget about the sins of omission…. BUMC member

Thank you again to everyone who helped in any way to support that service. With God’s help Bethesda can do great things and touch many lives!

Everyone is invited to attend Easter Sunday Morning Events

7:00am - Sunrise Service presented by our Drama Team

This will take place in the cemetery.  Chairs will be set up, all you have to do is attend.

8:00am – Pancake Breakfast in the fellowship hall

Sponsored by the United Methodist Men

9:45am – Sunday School

11:00am – Easter Worship Service with special music by the Chancel Choir, Handbell Choir and Cherub Choir.

Pastor John Whatley’s Easter Sunday Morning Sermon:  Go Quickly

Three Nails by Daniel Rens

To borrow from the late Paul Harvey, this is “The rest of the story….”

At the Sunday evening Coffee House Service on March 14th Bev Hombroek asked this question:

What is the one thing in heaven that is manmade?

Answer: Men made the scars that Jesus bares on His hands, feet, and side.

Come to the Easter Sunrise Service to find out more about the nails that made those scars.  Come to “The Three Nails” at 7:00 am on Easter Sunday morning!