PRAYING FOR OUR NURSING HOME RESIDENTS
Virginia Loan - Holland Lake Nursing Home
Carol Sportsman - Santa Fe Health and Rehab.

MONTHLY HOMEBOUND VISITATION
Our monthly homebound visitation will be on Thursday, Sept. 18th. The group will be leaving the church at 1:00 pm. Please consider being a part of the visitation team.

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS
Lewis Turner 1st
Tom Nissen 6th
Holly Baggett 11th
David Rueter 12th
Karen Rueter 12th
Lauren Coalson 18th
Paul Stetzel 19th
Eli Walker 21st
Rebecca Tanner 22nd
Betty Hopson 26th
Cody Mathews 26th
Karen Glover 28th
Madilynn Nichols 28th
Walt Causey 28th
Joe McMillan 29th
Joyce Simmons 29th
Joan Evans 30th

COMMUNION OFFERING TO BENEFIT
FOOD PANTRY
Every first Sunday, we will be receiving an offering during Holy Communion that will benefit the Food Pantry in Mineral Wells. Of course, we will still accept non-perishable canned goods, but we now have an option of giving a gift during Holy Communion to benefit others who are less fortunate.

WEDNESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY
Our Wednesday morning Bible study will resume on Wednesday, September 17th. The study will be consist of five weeks of study and reflection on the church’s current study of Five Practices of Faithful Congregations. The study begins at 9:30 am, and you are invited to attend.

CHILDREN’S CHURCH
We have an ongoing ministry for our children during worship each Sunday morning. Following the choir anthem, they are free to attend their own worship time in Johnson Hall.

WEDNESDAY EVENING ACTIVITIES
Every Wednesday evening Bethesdan’s and their guests meet at 6:00 pm for a wonderful meal. After a time of eating and visitation, we have a brief time of worship and prayer. Please join us for this wonderful time of food, fellowship, music, prayer, and small groups.
Starting Wednesday, September 17th, Dianne Irvin will be leading a small group study on the church’s current study of Five Practices of Faithful Congregations written by Bishop Schnase. The study will begin at 7:00 pm following the meal, music and prayer.
We will have activities for the children led by Sandi Glover. This is an excellent time to attend this small group and to bring your children.

LORD’S ACRE
October 4, 2008 - Two Months Away
From our past Lord’s Acre, we know that handcrafted items often create excitement and interest, but they also take extra time and planning to complete.
So what is your talent? Consider using your special talents to start on something today!
With two months still left until the big event, you can get a head start today and reduce your stress level in October. Thanks so much for your support of this very important event for Bethesda!
 

COMING TO BETHESDA IN SEPTEMBER:
THE FIVE PRACTICES OF FAITHFUL CONGREGATIONS
Radical Hospitality
Passionate Worship
Intentional Faith Development
Risk-Taking Mission and Service
Extravagant Generosity
These words capture the core process by which God uses congregations to make disciples - congregations offer the gracious invitation, welcome, and hospitality of Christ so that people experience a sense of belonging; God shapes souls and changes minds through worship, creating a desire to grow closer to Christ; God's Spirit nurtures people and matures faith through learning in community; with increased spiritual maturity, people discern God's call to help others through mission and service; and God inspires people to give generously of themselves so that others can receive the grace they have known. (p.7)
These fundamental practices are so critical to a congregation's mission that failure to perform them in an exemplary way results in congregational deterioration and decline. By repeating and improving these practices, churches fulfill their mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. (p.7)
This study includes: a daily devotion for everyone who attends worship, the opportunity to be in a small group that provides weekly study/conversation, and a sermon each week based on the topic of the week. Several have volunteered to host the study in their homes or at the church. If you want to host a study, please call the pastor ASAP. It is important that we have several opportunities for small group attendance so that everyone in church has an opportunity to be a part of a small group.
The study will begin the week of September 8th, with each group setting their own weekly meeting time and place and having their first weekly small group meeting. Everyone in church should receive at least one phone call from one of the group leaders inviting you to be a part of the study. Please say “yes” and join the weekly study. It will add so much more to your daily devotions and to the sermon series on The Five Practices of Faithful Congregations than you will receive by simply reading the accompanying daily devotions.
Following this study, we will begin an eight week DISCIPLE Bible Study on the book of Romans that will be led by the pastor. The format will be that of the normal DISCIPLE Bible Study consisting of a video presentation, discussion of the video, and small group discussion.

BISHOP MICHAEL LOWRY BECOMES
CENTRAL TEXAS CONFERENCE BISHOP
On September 1, 2008 our current Bishop for the past eight years will retire, and we will welcome Bishop Lowry as our new Bishop.
Bishop Mike Lowry was consecrated on Saturday, July 19, 10:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, Dallas and will report for work in the Central Texas Conference on Sept. 1.
Bishop Lowry, Executive Director of New Church Development and Transformation in the Southwest Texas Annual Conference, will serve as a general superintendent for the Church assigned to the Central Texas Conference. Lowry saw law school and seminary and the ordained ministry as his life choice, but "that call was very clear in my life." Bishop Lowry’s bio is enclosed.
The Jurisdictional Episcopacy Committee has recommended, and the delegates have ratified, the placement of bishops for the 2008-2012 quadrennium.
Bishop Earl Bledsoe, North Texas
Bishop Mike Lowry, Central Texas
Bishop Jim Dorff, San Antonio Area (Southwest Texas and Rio Grande Conferences).
All other bishops will continue in the episcopal areas they served for the 2004-2008 quadrennium.
In the United Methodist tradition, bishops are not “ordained” as bishops, but are clergy elected and consecrated to the office of bishop. Bishops give general oversight to the worldly and spiritual interests of the Church. Bishops also have the responsibility to see that the rules and regulations developed by General Conference are carried out. Bishops are responsible for setting all clergy appointments in the annual conferences they serve. Most bishops also serve on a general agency board, often as the president. The bishop is the presiding officer at the annual conference session and rules on points of law.

OUTSIDE WORSHIP
Bethesda UMC has a tradition of worshiping outside under the Pavilion on the Sunday before Lord’s Acre. Since Lord’s Acre is Saturday, October 4th, we will worship outside on Sunday, September 28, 2008.
Men, please come early to help set-up the Pavilion for the worship service. This is always a great time of worshiping together, so please bring a friend with you to worship, and enjoy God’s blessings of being outside.