October 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

This is Larry and Debbie Kineman’s 22nd year in England bringing Christ to the unchurched through various avenues: church planting, going into the city to reach the lost “clubbers” through the ministry of GLOW (God’s Light On Worcester), Bible studies, an outreach to Czech students, mentoring and teaching English to immigrants.

Faith Promise is an opportunity for you to make a one-year commit-ment to support the Kinemans through prayer and finances. The financial commitments are made over and above our giving to the church. The gifts can be given weekly, monthly, quarterly, or an-nually. Commitment cards will be available on October 25th. Please prayerfully consider joining us as we partner with the Kinemans to change the world!

I am not a big church sign kind of guy. More often than not, the sayings on church signs embar-rass me. Every now and then, I read one which I find a little hu-morous or insightful, but most of the time I am hoping people who are unchurched do not read the signs and think the signs represent how all Christians think. One church sign which I saw recently was from Gethsemane Lutheran Church on the south side of St. Louis. Their sign read: “If you hate anyone because of your faith, you’re doing it wrong.” Okay, I kind of liked that sign. It’s a whole lot bet-ter than the sign from Benton Heights Presbyterian Church which said, “Have trouble sleeping? We have sermons. Come and hear.”

Back to the sign about “If you hate anyone because of your faith, you’re doing it wrong.” It is not uncommon to hear Christians here in the United States talk about be-ing persecuted. In fact, not long ago on a nationally broadcasted news program, they interviewed a pastor who talked about the pre-sent day persecution Christians in the states are facing as Christians and Christian beliefs are being mar-ginalized, cast aside, or legally at-tacked. We will not discuss whether or not persecution is the right word or whether or not the statement is true or to what degree. What concerns me at times is the current pressure we might be ex-periencing causes many Christians

to think fighting back with the same venom and hatred is an ap-propriate response. This is where the church sign comes into play.

I am confident there is not just one way we are to respond when we face opposition. Different cir-cumstances might require different kinds of responses. But when we are being struck on one cheek, I am pretty sure we are not to strike them back on their cheek. Jesus said that “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is no longer valid (Matthew 5:27-42). Jesus said, “You

have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’” (Matthew 5:43-44). What does that look like when laws and moral standards no longer uphold Biblical morals, when laws and morals promote unbiblical morals, or when Biblical morals are viewed as wrong?

As we are studying through Acts, we see Peter and John told to no longer speak in the name of Je-

sus. Their response is “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29), and they continue to speak the name of Jesus. However, they do not stir up a crowd, they do not start an anti-Sanhedrin (Jewish rul-ing counsel) campaign, and they do not attack those who oppose them. Instead, even after they are physi-cally persecuted for their faith, “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted wor-thy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Je-sus is the Christ.” (Acts 5:41-42)

I am not always confident what response is appropriate when we face opposition. We know the ap-propriate response is love. It is just difficult at times to decide how the love of Jesus is to be expressed. However, I am fairly certain what is an inappropriate response. Hatred, fighting back using the same lan-guage and tactics as those who op-pose us, speaking evil, slander, gos-sip; all those are definitely inappro-priate responses. Jesus speaks of turning the other cheek and not hating your enemies in Matthew 5:38-48. He demonstrates what this looks like throughout the remain-der of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Learning to follow Jesus is a lifelong pursuit, and if, in following Jesus, we hate anyone because of our faith, then we are doing it wrong.

Working Toward an Appropriate Response Bob Bell

Oct. 9 - Men’s Camping Trip

Oct. 9 & 10 - Resolve Overnighter

(5th & 6th grades)

Oct. 16 & 17 - Guys’ Campout &

Girls’ Sleepover at the Sperry

Homestead (7th - 12th grades)

Hospitality. I believe it is one of the richest biblical terms. I also believe it has the potential to deepen and expand our under-standing of our relationships with each other. God’s people all throughout the scriptures are known for being a hospitable peo-ple. The scriptures not only show us that it is our obligation to wel-come strangers into our homes, but they also tell us these guests are carrying gifts with them that they are eager to share as well. When Abraham received three strangers at Mamre and offered them water, bread and something to eat, they revealed themselves to him as the Lord, announcing that Sarah, his wife, would give birth to a son (Genesis 18:1-15). When the widow of Zarephath offered food and a place to stay for Elijah, he re-vealed himself as a man of God, of-fering her an abundance of oil and meal and raising her son from the dead (1 Kings 17:9-24). When the two were traveling to Emmaus and invited the stranger who had joined them on the road to stay with them for the night, he made himself known in the breaking of bread as their Lord and Savior (Luke 24:13-35). These are just a few stories that help us realize that not only is hos-pitality an important virtue, but both guests and hosts offer their gifts to each other and new life to each other separately, but together. The guest is not the only one blessed. The term hospitality should not be limited to only this idea of re-ceiving a stranger into our home, but as an attitude toward one an-other. Over the past several years, we have offered a lunch a couple times a year to those who are fairly new to our family and faith community here at Bethany. From what I can gather from our notes over the last five years, we have had more than 230 individuals that have joined us for a meal and conversation.

Many individuals who are around here would say that they are here and a part of this faith community because of the hospitality that they received and still receive. Many will say that the hospitality they re-ceived from many of us here at Bethany was more than just a hand-shake, a friendly face and a meal. It was a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen. It was a friendship. Hospitality has many layers to it, one of them being this idea that we create a space where someone can enter and become friends. Hospi-tality is not this idea to change peo-ple, but to offer a space where change can take place. It’s not this idea to bring people over to “our side,” whatever that even means, but to offer freedom and friendship and a place where you are welcome, as you are. And this is both for the guest and the host. To come as we are; broken individuals brought to-gether by the grace, hope and love of Jesus. We learn from each other, and we are in this together. So as Henri Nouwen says, thank

you for offering an “open and hospi-

table space where strangers can cast

off their strangeness and become

fellow human beings.”

Hospitality - Matthew 25:35 Tim Fair

At a recent Care Ministry Team A p p r e c i a t i o n Dinner, the fol-

lowing were recognized for their "over the top" numbers of visits to our homebound: Kay Stevens, Carol Rivest, Saralee Riggs, Arlene Ashby, Denny & Sharon Beltz, Marcia McKowen, and Nancy Johnson. Mary Martin was thanked for coordinating visits for the Tem-porary Homebound. Completing this team of dedi-cated Bethany people are: Jeanne Brumfield, Gus Buben-zer, Marvella Hiles, Jim & Shirley Lindsey, Dale Martin, Billy McKowen, Patty Murphy, Richard Riggs, Sandy Skillman, Fred & Rose Ullom, Ernie Ste-vens, and Bennie Wilhoite. This team has made 524 docu-mented visits plus 270 com-munion visits equaling 794 vis-its within the past 11 months! Marcia McKowen thanked this wonderful group for assist-ing her and making her respon-sibilities easier over the past years. They are certainly dedi-cated to " bringing Bethany" to the homebound, with a cheerful heart.

V O L U M E X L , I S S U E 10 B U G L E O C T O B E R 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.

New Decisions Eli Stinson - 9/6/15

Lily Hoss - 9/13/15

Chris Hoover - 9/27/15

Jennifer Hoover - 9/27/15

Statistics as of August 2015:

GENERAL BUDGET

August Offerings $74,239

Year-to-date budget needs $556,776

Year-to-date actual giving $531,133

Amount under YTD $25,642

Budgeted weekly income $15,907

Average weekly income $15,176

FAITH PROMISE

Funds sent to C.M.F. for support of the

Kineman Family (Individuals/classes)

August offerings $3,072.00

YTD offerings $22,197.50

AVG WEEKLY ATTENDANCE

Year-to-date 537 (as of 8/30/15)

Please contact the church office

(765-643-5713) if you would like to

request giving envelopes or set up

your gifts for automatic withdrawal.

THE

BETHANY

BUGLE

Care Ministry Birthdays

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

Viola Walters - 10/20/15 425 N. 8th St. P.O. Box 125 Middletown, IN 47356 354-2026

Kathryne Balsley - 10/21/26 Bethany Pointe - Rm. 209 1707 Bethany Rd. Anderson, IN 46012 643-2487

Paul Hood - 10/25/26 527 Dream St. Anderson, IN 46013 608-4405

Births Caleigh Elise Mitchener - 8/31/15 Parents: Scott & Angela Mitchener Grandparents: Ted & Valerie Mitchener

Gracelyn Maric Howatt - 9/5/15 Parents: Brian & Janaye Howatt Grandparents: Jerry & Diana Martin Gr. Grandparents: Dale & Mary Martin

Elaina Nicole Sprunger - 9/15/15 Parents: Ryan & Sandi Sprunger

Help Feed Families In Need by donating non-perishable food items during the month of October. Your donations will help feed the hungry in our community through

Operation Love Ministries.

Donations will be collected in the Atrium each Sunday in October.

Daylight Saving Time Ends Nov. 1st at 2:00 a.m. Don’t forget to set your clocks BACK one hour before going to bed on Saturday night, October 31st!

Deaths James McReynolds - 9/9/15 Father of Julie (Dennis) Brown

Doris Jones - 9/27/15 Mother of Julayne McKinster

Tom Roberts - 9/27/15 Brother of Patty Murphy Uncle of Janis Wilson