May 2015 A Publication of

Bethany Christian Church

1920 N. Rangeline Road Anderson, IN 46012 Phone: 765.643.5713

www.bccanderson.org

SUNDAY MORNING: 9:00 A.M. Worship

Sunday School Kids Church

10:30 A.M.

Worship Sunday School

STAFF:

Bob Bell, Senior Minister

Chris Bell,

Students

Gabriel Ohmes, Worship

Kent Stookey, Pastoral Care

Tim Fair,

Discipleship

Tisha Schultz, Children

Left: Traci Gossett; Kristen & Rob Slone, Carrigan, Quinn (5), Liv (3); Krista Auxier, Braelynn; Tisha & Brian Schultz, Mara

There is no greater foundation for a child and their family than to be grounded in God’s Word. On Sunday, April 26th, these families made a commitment to fulfill God’s calling to bring up their children to know, love and serve God.

Above: Jennifer & Tyler Jugg, Gideon; Jessie & Jake Whit-tenburg, Hollis Left: Christy & Eric Bevans, Cambrie, Callie (6), Blaine (3); Kyle & Jerrica Riggs, Carter; Joey & Shea Hart, Easten

“It was a long 2 1\2 days of driv-ing, but it was worth it.” That was the general consensus from all of the twenty-five people that ventured out to Show Low, Arizona for our recent student ministry mission trip. We traveled in two church vans, hauling a trailer, and went through six states to reach our destination at the American Indian Christian Mis-sion. For all but three or four peo-ple, this was their first experience in missions outside of doing local mis-sions around Anderson. It turned out to be an experience that none of us will soon forget.

A typical day consisted of morning devo-tions followed by breakfast and then riding in a bus for an hour to go to the Fort Apache Reser-vation. During the morning

hours, we worked at an old, aban-doned church camp and spent our time tearing down old cabins that had been condemned due to a rat infestation. We were able to tear down five cabins during four days of work! The goal is to rebuild eight cabins and reuse the camp for the Apache children. We would then eat lunch, and travel again by bus to a neighborhood known as “Dark Shadows.” This bus was different though, it was known as “The Blue Bus.” It’s an old school bus that has had all of the seats removed and benches installed. Under the benches are games, balls, skates, legos, etc. While out in the neighborhood, our students taught a VBS lesson to about fifty to sixty Apache children. After the lesson

and game was over, the rest of the time was spent playing with and hanging out with the children. As

you will see in some of the pictures, this was the majority of our stu-dent’s favorite times where relation-ships were built.

While there are hundreds of sto-ries I could share with you, this is one that sticks out the most. One of our female students made an instant connection with an Apache girl and hung out with her all week while at

the neighborhood. When it was time to take her home on the last day, she asked the high school stu-dent if we were coming back. The high school student said that she didn’t know. The little girl then said, “I love you, I don’t want you to leave.” Through tears, the high school student gave the best answer

she could have given. She said, “I love you too, and I don’t want to leave but I have to. But there is someone that will never leave you, and his name is Jesus.”

I can say without a doubt that the week we spent on the reserva-tion made a significant impact on the students of Bethany. They saw people in despair and poverty, but were able to share in the smiles that each of the children had on a daily basis and show the love of Jesus.

One of the reasons I love this church is because of its heart for missions, both internationally and locally. The challenge that each of

the students came home with was to bring what they learned on the res-ervation to their local community. I know that this church will continue to be there to support and challenge the students to continue their growth in their own faith and also challenge them to continue loving their neighbors and neighborhoods.

May we all not keep for ourselves this life and love that we have found, but may we continue to pour it out into our own neighborhoods and communities.

Thank you! Thank you! For all

who supported this trip through

prayers, encourag-

ing words and fi-

nancial donations,

you were a part of

changing lives this

week.

Show Low Mission Trip Chris Bell

You ever have those moments where a certain idea or concept keeps coming up in conversations with people from different circles in your life? Usually when an idea or concept keeps coming up like that, I know I need to pay attention, be-cause I think God is trying to move me somewhere.

Lately the theme has been this idea of hospitality. I read a story a while back and I want to share it with you. “Going to town one day to sell some items, a man met a crip-pled man on the roadside, paralyzed in his legs, who asked him where he was going. The man replied that he was going to town to sell some items. The crippled man asked, ‘Do me the favor of carrying me there.’ So he carried the crippled man to town. The crippled man said to him, ‘Put me down where you sell your items.’ He did so. When he had sold one item, the crippled man asked him what he sold it for and the man told him the price he had sold it for. The crippled man then said, ‘Buy me a cake,’ and so he did. When the man sold his second item, the crippled man asked again how much he sold it for and he replied with the price again. Then the crip-pled man said, ‘Buy me this,’ and he bought it. Having now sold all of his items, the man was ready to leave. The crippled man asked him ‘Are you going back?’ and he replied

‘Yes.’ Then the crippled man said, ‘Do me the favor of carrying me back to the place where you found me.’ Once more picking up the crippled man, he carried him back to that place. Then the crippled man said, ‘Sir, you are filled with divine blessings, in heaven and on earth.’ Raising his eyes up to see the crippled man, he saw no man; it was an angel of the Lord.”

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews encourages us to practice hospitality to strangers, “Do not for-get to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Often times it is diffi-cult to love and include those who do not seem to fit our opinions of the righteous or do not meet our expectations of what good behavior is. The man in the story, who was on his way to town to sell some items, did what he was asked to do.

He did it without judging the crip-pled man and without expectations. He simply made himself available to the man and is led, or some would say misled, to a place, maybe even a place he didn’t want to go. He was making himself available. Bob Goff often says that people follow avail-ability.

What I have found is that often when my heart is filled with preju-dices, worries and fears, there is very little room for a stranger or some-one who doesn’t think or act like me. Henri Nouwen says that “Real hospitality is not exclusive but in-clusive, requires a radical openness, and creates a space for a wide range of human experience.” It can be a scary thing when boundaries that had been there for a long time are pushed out and walls that we had in place for a long time begin to break down.

What I am learning is that I don’t have to wear the hat of judg-ment or sit on the seat of being a judge. I get to love others well. Je-sus tells us not to judge in Matthew 7:1. We get to include and invite and love others into this new way of living with how hospitable we are; not only to those who think and act like we do.

Jesus tells us that the world will know that we belong to him by how we love.

Hospitality Tim Fair

Care Ministry Birthdays

Please remember the birthdays of our shut-ins with cards and visits.

Willametta Whitaker - 5/23/20 303 E. 500 North Anderson, IN 46012 642-5853

Births Daisy Jean Willis - 4/2/15 Parents: Kyle & Allison (Long) Willis Grandparents: Doug & Terry Long

Mara Lynn Schultz - 4/5/15 Parents: Brian & Tisha Schultz

Hollis Landry Whittenburg -

4/11/15 Parents : Jake & Jessie Whittenburg

Braelynn Rose Auxier - 4/13/15 Parents: Keith & Krista Auxier Grandparents: Todd & Jerilyn Davis GGP: Tom & Fern Davis GGP: Jerry & Carol Wisler

Deaths Beverly Gilley - 3/31/15 Mother of Brian (Jana) Silvey

William Kinser - 4/15/15 Father of Judy (Scott) Odom

Adults - $10

Children 6-12 - $6

5 Years & Under - Free

Volunteers are needed!

V O L U M E X L , I S S U E 5 B U G L E M A Y 2 0 1 5

(USPS 106-930), published monthly by Bethany Chris-tian church, 1920 North Rangeline, Anderson, IN 46012-9666. Periodicals Postage paid at Anderson, IN. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: THE BETHANY BUGLE, 1920 North Rangeline Rd, Anderson.

March Statistics March Offering Received

$85,048

Average Offering Per Week

$17,010

Percent of Monthly Budget

107%

Year to Date Budgeted Offering Needed

$206,803

Actual Offering Received

$200,161

Budgeted Weekly Offering Needed

$15,908

Actual Weekly Offering Received

$15,397

Offering deficit to budget

$6,642

Percent of Budget

97%

2015 Faith Promise Funds sent to C.M.F. for support

of the Kineman Family

March

Individuals/Classes $3,127

Missions 1,225

Total $4,352

YTD

Individuals/Classes $8,646

Missions 3,675

Total $12,321

If you are interested in giving and would

like envelopes, please contact the church

office at 643.5713. We can also set up

automatic withdrawal and bill pay.

THE

BETHANY

BUGLE