The Messenger

BETHEL GROVE BIBLE CHURCH

www.bg.org

1763 Slaterville Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14850

April/May2014

What’s Inside...Page 2 - Prayer and more prayer A tribute to Barbara GrimesPage 3 - Youth, PromiselandPages 4- Calendar, Announcements

A SpeciAl Welcome To our GueSTS And ViSiTorS, SundAy, April 6This is a place where faith is nurtured and friendships are formed. If you would like to know more about Jesus Christ or Bethel Grove, please complete the visitor card available in each row. Leave it at the Welcome Desk or place it in the offering plate when it is passed.

9:00am Service - John 11:45-12:11 - “What To Do With Jesus?” -Dave Jones

Splash Kingdoma life saving musical

Performance bybethel grove Kids

10:45Am TodAy!

aster WeekSunday, April 13

9:00am and 10:45am - Palm Sunday Worship3:00pm - Community Faith Partnership - 2014 Resurrection Concert

Ithaca Assembly of, 197 Bostwick Road, Ithaca

Thursday , April 177:00pm - Maundy Thursday Service

Bethel Grove Family Center - Hosted by New Life Presbyterian Church

Friday, April 187:30pm - Good Friday Communion Service

Sunday, April 207:00am - Early Easter Service/Breakfast - see details below

Family Center Building - reservations required - see announcement below9:00am and 10:45am - Easter Worship Services

eArly eASTer celebrATion: A joyous community event featuring song, readings, meditations, friends, and a hot breakfast as we celebrate the Resurrection. We will meet at 7:00am in the Family Center. Preregistration is needed so that we correctly set up the room and order food. All are welcome to join us. Sign up in the foyer today, or contact Susan Barr, koaeula@gmail.com, 539-6524.

EPreparing to Celebrate Christ’s Resurrection

Annual Leadership Nominations

It is time to prayerfully consider new BG leaders as elders, deaconesses and deacons. Spiritual guidelines for can-didates are available in the foyer, along with nomination forms which can be deposited at the Welcome Desk. Get the forms electronically by e-mailing the church office (bg@bg.org). Please include your name and contact infor-mation with your nominations. Sun-day, April 27 is the last day to submit nominations.

The Elders thank you for providing your input through the Pastor Qualities and Characteristics Questionnaire and ask for your prayers as we begin the Pastoral Search process. As mentioned at the March 9 Congregational Meeting, there is a deep desire for the Lord to orchestrate the process in the midst of our transition. A search committee has been named and will begin their task in the coming days. Pray for the following members of this committee: Don Viands, Marie Sanderson, Paw Pha, Naomi Larson, Keith Kaiser, Nancy Jackson*, Jeff Ives, Stephanie Betts.Also pray as Eric Hause steps out of the Youth Pastor role to fill in as the Interim Lead Pastor in mid-June. A search committee has been formed to find someone to fill the need for a staff person heading up the youth ministry. This committee consists of Taryn Deets, Erik Eschelman, Emily Farrar, Matt Farrar, Paul Fisher and Eric Hause. This group is in the process of finalizing the position description with the goal of having it available online and posted in a variety of schools and seminaries by mid-April. The position will stay open until the middle of May.Our optimistic goal is to fill this one year appointment by the end of June in order for the individual to begin in early summer. If you know of someone who might fit this position, please instruct them to send a cover letter and resume to the Youth Ministry Search Committee, 1763 Slaterville Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 or e-mail their materials to Eric@bg.org.*Nancy Jackson has been appointed in the place of her husband Peter, who is fulfilling Charlie Cramton’s elder position through June 30.

Prayer for Pastoral Search Process

The Ethnologue staff and all the SIL family were saddened to hear of the passing on March 1, 2014 of Barbara F. Grimes, editor emerita of the Ethnologue. Though begun by Richard Pittman, the Ethnologue research agenda and the resulting publication were shaped and developed by Barbara over her tenure from 1953 until 2001, first as a research assistant, then as assistant editor in 1967, and finally as editor beginning in 1971. Under her leadership Ethnologue grew from being an incomplete listing of languages to becoming a comprehensive reference work providing a basic description of the situation of every known living language. With the assistance of her husband, Joseph E. Grimes, she also oversaw the transition of the Ethnologue from a paper-based publication to a computer database from which a website and various publications could be produced.

Barbara combined in one person the skills needed to manage and direct such an endeavor. Her concern for accuracy and eye for detail combined remarkably well with an amazing memory and with a growing understanding of language in society. She was knowledgeable in the areas of language identification, bilingualism, language proficiency, language classification, linguistic typology, and a range of other topics which inevitably came into focus as the Ethnologue itself expanded to encompass data related to those topics and many more.

My favorite recollection of Barbara was observing her when meeting people at conferences or other gatherings. She would often ask where they were from. When they told her the name of their home country, she would immediately tell them how many languages were spoken there and then ask which of those they spoke. When they told her the name of their language she could tell them relevant facts about their language entirely from memory and her in-depth familiarity with the Ethnologue content. Often she would engage them in a discussion about how similar or different the language was from other related varieties and she never failed to take note of updated and improved information in order to get it into the Ethnologue. I have often

Prayer Through The WeekAfter the service, if you desire to pray with

someone, come to the front of the sanctuary.bG FAmily

Jesse Jacobsen came home on Monday and the Jacobsens are praising the Lord and have appreciated the prayers of his people. Betsy Wrisley was hospitalized for a bronchial condition that now seems to be under control. Please pray for members of Bethel Grove who are struggling with health and work related issues and those who are facing broken relationships and personal struggles. Pray for God’s mercy to shower on them and encourage their hearts during the upcoming week.Remember in prayer those unable to come to worship on Sunday mornings due to illness and pain: Bob & Diana Jenkins, Lucille Miller, and Sylvia Regrut.

communiTy And GlobAl

Pray for Renovation House in Spencer, NY as it addresses the deepest needs of men faced with life challenging addictions. Also, pray for Dave Jones who meets with the men on Tuesday for Bible study.Pray for our Chinese and Korean brothers and sisters as they worship at First Chinese Church and on campus at the Korean Church that God would be lifted up in their praises to Him and their hearts encour-aged through the Word.BG FAmily And FriendS SerVinG in The miliTAry: Robert Farr/Bahrain, Kevin Finniss/Afghanistan. Also pray for Jeremy & Caroline Hilliker, Michael Juett, Ben & Ethan Scott and Hunter Tom in the States.

bG SupporTed miSSionArieSPray for Jim and Suzy Olsen serving in Quito, Ecuador through Youth World. Also pray for their children: Kaia and baby #2 who is expected sometime in the next 4 weeks!!!Over the past week, the Olsen’s vehicle broke down, then was broken into at the repair center. The ongoing challenge

of insurance coverage, car repair, and the need for a vehicle in the event Suzy needs transportation to the hospital to deliver baby #2 seems overwhelming. Please pray with the Olsen’s as they face these uncertainties.

Persecuted believers need our prayers and weneed their examples of courageous faith.

In the last Messenger we reported on North Korea which remains the #1 ranked country where Christians face the most persecution. Thank you for praying for our brothers and sisters there. Please con-tinue to hold them, and others, up in your prayers.This month we would like to let you know of the great need for Bibles for persecuted Christians. Voice of the Martyrs, a Christian organization ministering to the persecuted reports that they currently have 191,267 names of Christians waiting for a Bible of their own. This goal is not easy to accomplish as the workers who distribute the Bibles risk imprisonment, torture and even death, but the joy seen in the believers face, and the knowledge of how God will use His Word in the believer’s hearts makes the risk worth it.Last year two young Pakistani girls received age appropriate biblical storybooks and after reading them, they gave their hearts to the Lord and began to attend a local church. A few months’ later 2 suicide

Voice of the Martyrs - Will You Pray For Us?bombers forced their way onto the church property and detonated the explosives attached to their vests. 76 people were killed (including the two girls) and another 130 injured.We rejoice that these two young lives are now in the presence of their Lord. We would like to ensure that others will have that same op-portunity by offering them God’s Word. One of the ways this can be accomplished is by partnering with organizations that distribute Bibles in restricted areas.Bethel Grove’s “persecuted church” prayer group sends a monthly check to organizations such as Voice of the Martyrs and Open Doors. If you would like to contribute to this collective donation please con-tact Ann Beyer (eab4@cornell.edu) 277-2513 or Sally Sincock (gss-malc@aol.com) or, for a tax deductible receipt contact VOM https://www.persecution.com/ or Open Doors http://www.opendoorsusa.org/ directly.Thank you in advance for your donation towards changed lives.

A Tribute toBarbara Grimes

continued on page 3

Middle School & high SchoolconTAcT eric hAuSe, eric@bG.orG, 277-3333, exT. 226

Sunday School Classes begin at 9:00am in their regular locations (visit Welcome Desk).High School Summer Trip Meeting- There will be an informational meeting on this year’s summer trip following youth group this evening - 7:45-8:15pm in the Youth Room of the Family Center.High School Bible Study Eric will be at Ithaca High School to pick up students at 3:45pm on Wednesday or you can meet him at his house. We will finish at 5:30pm and be back at church for pickup at 5:50pm.High School Youth Group meets tonight in the youth room so plan to join us there from 5-7:30pm. The Famine- Packets are available from Eric if you are planning to join us for the Famine this year. The dates are April 25-26. More info is available on the Youth website so check there for details. This event is open to all 6-12 grade students. Plans are underway for a powerful event together so don’t miss out! Let’s Release the Feast!

ProMiSeland KidSContact Amy Bach, amy@bg.org, 277-3333, ext. 2229:00am Sunday School program for children grades K-5th. Children meet together as a group in the Fellowship Room and then split into individual classes.10:45am Childcare available for children ages babies- age 3. Children ages 3-3rd grade will attend the worship service with their family. Enjoy the musical!Next Week April 13- 10:45am Children’s church and bible study fellowship resume.Childcare Helpers Needed - Easter Sunday during the 10:45 service for Tiny tots and Pre-K rooms. Contact Carla at bgpromiseland@gmail.com or 257-2762.

If these numbers appear on the pager during the service it means the following: 99 means there is a medical emergency and trained help is needed and 00 means we need additional help downstairs with the children.

iMPortant nuMberS to Know

30 mins Floor Exercises(Stretching and Core Strength)

10 mins Freeform movement with Dance Concept20 mins Active Bible Meditation

Move for physical health, spiritual edification, and soul inspiration!Freewill offerings accepted1210 North Cayuga Street

(through June 2014)visit: www.GraceSpaceStudio.com

or phone (607) 351-9405

Moving Mornings Taught by Holly Hibbert

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7:15-8:15a.m.

TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS

7:15-8:15 a.m. (Jan-Jun 2014)

1210 North Cayuga Street

30 mins Floor Exercises (Stretching & Core Strength) 10 mins Freeform Movement w/Dance Concept 20 mins Active Bible Meditation

Move for physical health, spiritual edification, and

soul inspiration! Freewill offerings accepted.

Taught by Holly Hibbert (607) 351-9405

www.GraceSpaceStudio.com

mel-lif-lu-ous

adjective

1. sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding

2. flowing with honey; sweetened with or as if with honey.

wanted to be like Barbara in that regard and occasionally when I do remember some little tidbit about a language I say to myself with a bit of pride, “I’m turning into Barbara Grimes!”

Further evidence of her virtuosity as editor is that she has been replaced not by a single person but by a staff of three. Each of the current editors has taken on part of the job that Barbara carried out almost single-handedly. Admittedly, the project has grown and the technologies we use, though helpful, require a broad range of expertise, but I often marvel at the capacity and tenacity of one woman to keep it all organized and moving in the right direction for four decades.

A memorial service was held in Tahlequah, Oklahoma on March 13th and a group of us including all of the living past and present Ethnologue editors were able to attend (pictured from left to right: Lewis, Simons, Gordon, Fennig around the photo of Barbara). We were privileged to be able to pay tribute to this remarkable woman

and to her academic and spiritual legacy. Our prayers and condolences are with her family and with the many close friends who will miss her deeply.

This article was a blog written by Paul Lewis, a senior consultant and editor of the Ethnologue with SIL International in Dallas, Texas. Paul is a boyhood friend of Dave Jones and a colleague of BG missionaries, Gary Simons and Ray Gordon.

Grimes Tribute...

Chuck Grimes, Joe Grimes, Dave Jones, Gary Simons, Ray Gordon

SCIENCE, Faith, and Authority(?)Regnant Priests of a Neo-Orthodoxy

- Dr. Matthew Farrar - As our knowledge of the natural world has exploded with the advance of modern scientific inquiry, science itself has be-come for many the arbiter of what constitutes "knowledge". Consequently, for many people scientists have displaced pas-tors, priests, and clergy as authorities on questions of ulti-mate reality and even morality. Dr. Farrar will discuss this paradigm shift and how it shapes the responsibilities and practicalities of Christians in the modern world.Saturday April 12th, 7:30pm, Big Red Barn - CUPre-discussion pizza dinner - 7:00pm, all welcome

RSVP encouraged to DHT33@cornell.ed

Events For Your CalendarApril 6-13

6 9:00am Worship Service 10:45am- Children’s Musical Full Presentation 8 MOPS - 9:30-11:30am 11-13 Acquire the Fire High School Youth Conference 13 9:00am & 10:45am Worship - Palm Sunday 3:00pm - 2014 Resurrection Concert

April 14 - 20

Easter Week Schedule (see front page)

April 21 - 27

22 MOPS - 9:30am 25-26 The Famine- Middle & High School 26 Spring Clean-up Day - All church event 27 9:00am & 10:45am Worship Services 12:15pm - Quarterly Meeting

April 28 - May 4

28 Leadership Nominations Close (see announcement) 1 National Day of Prayer 4 9:00am & 10:45am Communion

Join our facebook page to keep up-to-date on upcoming events and connect with others. You can follow us on twitter @BGITHACA.

May 5 - 11

9 Young Life Banquet contact lrudin@gmail.com or (607) 592-0931 10 Community Faith Partners - Care Day See details on the foyer bulletin board 11 9:00am & 10:45am Worship Services MothersDay-finaltwoserviceschedule

May 12 - 18

13 MOPS Evening Tea (mothers of preschoolers) 18 One Worship Service International Sunday

Spring 2014 Electives9:00am Session - BEGINS TODAY!

Fatherly Wisdom: ProverbsFacilitator: Steve LantzLocation: Family Center Large RoomBiblical wisdom is faith applied to life: acting in the awareness that God loves us and knows even better that we do what’s best for us. The book of Proverbs assures us that when we trust God and follow his ways, we are on the path to real blessing. It’s as if we have a collection of the best advice that a godly father would want to give his son, from the time of Solomon onward. Are we liv-ing it out and passing it on? Do we take these ancient sayings to be our timeless guideposts? Come prepared each week by having read 6 chapters of Proverbs, so we can finish the whole book in 5 weeks (not counting Easter).

21st Century Missions: through April 12A Gospel that Transforms Individuals and Nations Facilitator: Edith Johnson Location: Ministry Center Living Room

10:45am SessionExploring Acts through May 11NO CLASS TODAY OR EASTER SUNDAYLocation: Ministry Center Living Room

Ithaca Women’s Bible StudySpring Seminar and Salad Supper

“Beached or Sailing With the Wind”- Moving from Transfixed to Transformed -

Thursday, May 22, 2014 at Bethel Grove5:45pm - Salad-Supper - Main dish provided Bring your favorite salad to share7:00pm - Seminar with speaker Joyce Jones

imporTAnT deTAilS:Suggested donation

of $5Considerinvitinga friend!Questions?

Mary Smalley607-546-9421