A memorial service for Julia Peterson will be held in the sanctuary at 2 PM, Saturday, September 23. A reception in the fellowship hall will follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Bethany Christian Church, PO Box 156, Arapahoe, NC 28510.

Recognize this fire station? Bethany’s Women’s Group 5 decided to honor the Arapahoe volunteer firefighters for their service to the community. They are the ones who, 10 years ago, first responded to the sanctuary fire, and worked hard to try to save it. We are thankful for their efforts, and for all their service to our community.

The firefighters have been invited to attend our worship service October 1, and to join us for a meal in their honor afterward. October is a five-Sunday month, but rather than a Fifth-Sunday Dinner, we will have a First-Sunday Dinner to thank and honor the firefighters. So what you were planning for fifth Sunday, instead prepare for first Sunday. Make something especially good in honor of the Arapahoe Volunteer Firefighters!

If you haven’t yet taken photos for the Communications Photo Contest, there is one week left to submit up to three photos depicting God’s glory, taken between August 27 and September 24. The submission phase terminates August 24 and the judging phase begins that day and ends October 1. The winning photos will be announced here and in The Beacon.

Do not write your name on the photo. When you submit your photos, you will register them and the photos will receive a unique number that identifies them as yours, but members of the congregation who vote for the winning photographs will not know who the photographers are.

The photo below is an example of one that captures God’s glory! Capture several like that this week and submit them by next Sunday!

Click here for tips for taking good photographic images.

The header photo for September depicts labor in the fields.

Speaking to the Ephesians, Paul said, “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35)

Paul is telling us that work is not just for the sake of those who toil; it has a greater purpose: That by the fruits of our labor, we can help the weak.

What Paul said to the Ephesians directly reflects Jesus’ words in Matthew: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25:34-39)

If it is the will of Jesus that we “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you,” (Matthew 28:19,20), where, then, are the laborers, for the harvest is plentiful.

Bethany Communications is holding a photo contest, the theme of which is God’s Glory. The objective is not only to gain some good photographs, but to involve us all in a spiritual experience. As I photograph sunrises, sunsets, flowers, animals and pastoral scenes, I am awed at God’s creation, and for me, it is a way to experience God’s presence and worship Him. If you participate, you may have that experience, too. Get in the spirit!

Between August 27 and September 24, use your phone or camera to take a picture that captures God’s Glory, in nature or in your life. It can be anything you can imagine, like a photo of a new baby, a precious child, a family celebration, a sunrise or sunset, a normal or macro shot of a flower, a farm animal–the opportunities are endless, so charge your phone, put fresh batteries in your camera, and be ready to shoot!

The winning photographs will be selected by the congregation. The photos will be posted for viewing in mid September, and voting will take place beginning September 24 through October 1.

Take your photos between August 27 and September 24. Each person participating may submit three (3) images. We ask that you submit a print that will be posted on a display board, as well as a digital file of the photo that can be used to publish in the Beacon and on bethanyarapahoe.org. Also, we ask that you submit a statement with the photos explaining how they relate to the theme of the contest. Yes, it might be obvious, but please do it. It will help you with the experience.

After the winning photos are determined, everyone, including the winning photographers, will be invited to title the winning images! The winning images will be posted for display at a table set up for submission of title entries.

Photo and Titling Contest rules, details and prizes will be posted on a display in the narthex beginning Sunday, August 27.

So dust off your equipment, plan your shots, take some good photographs, and enter them in the contest, and you’ll have a chance to win some money, have your photo published in the Beacon and on the website, and used on a greeting card for the card ministry. Then, enter the titling contest, write  good titles for the winning photos for a chance to win some (or some more) money!

The communications director and members of the communications committee are ineligible.

Photo by Admin

Bethany is now using a bulletin board mounted in the Sunday School Room/Porte Cochere entrance hallway as a communication tool as well as an attractive centerpiece.

Photo by Admin

Part of the bulletin board (right side) is used to post schedules, such as the acolyte serving schedule, while the left side is reserved for Sunday School classes to highlight what they are learning. The board also is available to highlight special events, like the recent performance of the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra (July/August), and the tenth anniversary of the fire (June).

Currently, the youth Teen class posting on the board is a summary of their Bethany/Operation Veggie Box successful melon garden project. The upcoming Sunday School class posting schedule is: September, Faith Café (Torrie’s class); October, Good Shepherd class; and November, The Seekers (Roger Bennett’s class). December will be a Christmas bulletin board.

As you enter the sanctuary building through the porte cochere and head to the narthex, pause for a minute to glance at the bulletin board, and let us know what you think. Just email communications@bethanyarapahoe.org, or speak to Christine Beeman, or any one of the communications team, Jennie Adams, Meredith Beeman, Susan Bissette, Janci Cahoon, Mac Harris, Torrie Osgood, or Melissa Watson.

A crowd of approximately 110 enjoyed listening Friday evening at Bethany to the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra’s renditions of music by Pisendel, Leclair, Telemann, Vivaldi, Bach and Rameau.

Martie Perry, concertmaster

Frances Blaker, Conductor

Conducted by Frances Blaker, the orchestra performed beautiful and complex baroque pieces. The orchestra currently is on retreat at Camp Caroline, and agreed to perform at Bethany Friday. It is performing Saturday at Craven Community College in New Bern, and Sunday at Hayes Barton United Method  Church in Raleigh.

Bethany is fortunate that its facility proved to be a satisfactory venue for the performance, and Bethany and Pamlico County were blessed to host such a performance, as it is not often that organizations of the quality represented by the NC Baroque Orchestra can perform in sparsely populated areas.

Overview of the event

Martie Perry, the orchestra’s concertmaster, is the sister of Casey Perry, Camp Caroline’s director, who is a Bethany member.

Photos by Admin

The August header photo was taken on the last night of regional camp at Camp Caroline. The campers were assembled for worship at 8 PM in the West Memorial Waterfront Chapel as the sun set across Dawson Creek before them.

Photo by Admin

As the camp season ends, the youth who have attended will be back in their communities and back in school, with only memories of summer camp. But those camp memories–building relationships with each other and with Christ–will be concrete in the sense that the campers will take what they have learned about Christ, and about the value of a relationship with Him, and make it the way they relate to their friends, parents, siblings and their community.

They will be living examples of Christ’s love and how to live as Christians as part of His one church. Though the camp season is ending, their lives for Christ are just beginning!

The North Carolina Baroque Orchestra (NCBO) will appear in concert at Bethany Friday, August 4, at 7:30 PM. It will perform Splendors of the Baroque, including music by Bach, Vivaldi, Rameau, Telemann, Leclair and Pisendel.

About the orchestra (from its Facebook Page):

The NCBO was formed for the purpose of providing opportunities for musicians and vocalists interested in exploring baroque performance practice in a baroque chamber orchestra setting. The orchestra allows musicians in North Carolina and the surrounding area an opportunity to work with highly experienced experts in the field.

Conductor Frances Blaker, is a world-renowned expert in baroque performance practice, in addition to being a virtuoso instrumentalist. She exudes a high level of interpersonal skills, leading rehearsals and sectionals with expertise.

Frances Blaker and the artistic director, Barbara Blaker Krumdieck, strive to create exciting performance opportunities for the members of the orchestra. In addition, the NCBO provides audiences who may be new to baroque music, an opportunity to hear this music performed on period instruments in a vigorous and exciting way, in an intimate and casual setting.

The NCBO maintains a goal of refined, stylistic and fun performances, engaging both the players and the audience members in the stories and historical context behind the music. This un-intimidating atmosphere enriches our community as a whole by providing life-long learning opportunities through experiencing historically-informed Baroque musical performance.

There is no fee, but a donation will be welcome. The flier pictured above and NCBO’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ncbaroqueorchestra/ suggest donation amounts.