November 30 Hanging of the Greens 5:00 pm

December 4 Aberdeen Tree Lighting 6:00 pm Bethesda Bells provide music

December 7 Carol Choir musical 11:00 am “Shepherds, Sheep, and a Savior”

December 14 Merry Hearts preschool sings 11:00 am

December 21 Chancel Choir cantata 11:00 am “A Blest Messiah Born”

December 24 Community Christmas Eve service 7:00 pm First Baptist Church

Candlelight Communion Worship 11:00 pm

BETHESDA BEACONA Publication of Bethesda Presbyterian Church

1002 N Sandhills Blvd Aberdeen, NC 28315 www.bethesdapres.netSunday School 9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m. Vol. 33 Issue 12

In Sympathy The love and sympathy of the congregation is extended to Harold and Nellie Williams and family upon the death of Harold’s niece, Carolyn Williams Futrell and to Melinda, Dan, and Mary Gooden upon the death of Melinda’s mother, Rosario Grady.

Congratulations Congratulations to Alicia Dunlap for making the A Honor Roll at Grace Christian School for the first nine-week grading period! Congratulations to Christian Crumpton who has been accepted to attend UNC-P in January. She will complete her studies at Sandhills Community College in December and continue to pursue a degree in Business.

Mail Call My love and gratitude to all my Bethesda family for your prayers and cards during my mother's illness and death. Your kindness and support during this difficult time was much appreciated. Carolyn Burns

To members of Bethesda: I am trying to collect some of the many letters Marcella McKeithen wrote over her lifetime. These will eventually go into an archive at the Southern Historical Collection at The University of North Carolina Library. I believe this will be a valuable resource that shows the interests and concerns of a North Carolina woman in the second half of the 20th Century and the beginning years of the 21st.

If you have any letters or notes—recipes, thank-yous, letters of condolence, Happy Birthday or any other letters from Marcie—I would be so happy to include them in this collection.

Letters should be sent to my address below. Although I prefer having the original letters, scans of these letters are welcome. I can return original letters if requested, but would much prefer to have them for the collection.

If you think you might have some letters from Marcie, but can’t get around to finding them right now, please send me an email (anne.mckeithen@gmail.com) so I can check back with you later.

Many thanks for your help. Anne McKeithen 233 E. Jefferson St. 434.979.4479 (home); 434.825.9307 (cell) Charlottesville VA 22902 anne.mckeithen@gmail.com

********************************************

Committee News Mission

Thank you to everyone who helped with Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes this year! We were able to deliver over 60 boxes to the local collection spot at First Baptist Southern Pines. Thanks also to all who cooked, served, organized, and otherwise made our third annual Community Thanksgiving Meal a success!

December 2014 edition

This month at Bethesda…

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will make music to my God while I have my being.

So shall my song be sweet to him, while I rejoice in the Lord. Psalm 104:33-34

Heartfelt thanks to the people who provide special music each Sunday at worship:  The Chancel, Handbell & Carol Choirs; Ruth Sinclair & Larry Arnold, MaryLynn Sutphen, Chris Dunn, Emily Braun, & Aaron Vandermeer. Thank you to all of the readers and musicians, cookers and decorators for your participation in the Hanging of the Greens on the first Sunday of Advent.

Bethesda Handbell ringers will entertain at the Aberdeen Tree Lighting at the Depot on December 4th beginning at 6 pm.Bethesda's Carol Choir will present Shepherds, Sheep, and a Savior by Ed Kee during Bethesda's 11 a.m. worship on December 7th.

Members of Bethesda Chancel Choir will join Larry Arnold, playing piano to provide Caroling at Rhett's in Southern Pines on Tuesday, December 9 at 6 pm. Merry Hearts Preschool will join us during worship to sing December 14, 2014.Our Chancel Choir will present  A Blest Messiah Born, by Larry Shackley  on Sunday, December 21st during our 11 a.m. worship service.  Moore Brass will join us for our worship service. There will be no Carol Choir Sunday, December 21, 28 & January 3. There will be no Chancel Choir or Handbells Wednesday, December 24 & 31.

 

Sewing4Mission: We will not meet in December but will resume Saturday, January 3 at 10:00 am.

Music Notes

Committee News Presbyterian Women

Many thanks go to all the women of Bethesda who attended the Thank Offering Luncheon on November 9 and supported the Presbyterian Women’s efforts in mission around the world. Our guest speaker, Mary Ray from Interfaith Prison Ministries for Women gave an inspiring and enlightening message about how the ministry changes women’s lives and gives them encouragement for being Christian mothers and citizens.

Each year Presbyterian Women in the Presbytery of Coastal Carolina offer scholarships to an accredited institution of higher learning. Any deserving full time student from Presbytery of Coastal Carolina who is a member of a Presbyterian Church (USA) of proven scholastic ability, who needs financial assistance to further his/her education will be considered. Preference will be given to students attending Presbyterian colleges. Applications and guidelines will be in the church office as of November 1.

Our circles will be meeting in December and all women are invited to attend a circle.  

✤Martha Circle will meet Monday, December 1 at 7:30 pm in the parlor. The leader is Lisa Noyes.

✤Circle 4 will meet Tuesday, December 2 at 10:00 am in the parlor. The leader is Sandy McLaughlin.

✤The Friendship Circle will meet Monday, December 8 at 10:00 am in the Seekers classroom. The leader is Kay Mack.

  If you are not in a circle, you are still a part of the Presbyterian Women of Bethesda and we encourage you to get involved and participate in any way you can. Please call Kay Mack if you would like to know more about Presbyterian Women.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wedding Calendar (bold indicates church member) Allison Duncan and Justin Brooks Liz Gingerich and Mike McDonald Wedding December 20, 2014 2:00 p.m. Wedding April 11, 2015 6:00 pm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Assistance Team During the month of September we served 225 households, averaging 56 patrons per week, and in October, which had five Wednesdays, we served 281 households, again averaging 56 patrons per week. As most of you know we are once again coordinating with Southern Middle School (SMS) in Aberdeen to adopt underprivileged families during the Christmas season. This year Southern Middle School has 676 students, of which 69% qualify for free or reduced-fee lunches, which means that there are many students who need help, especially during the holidays. There are two organizations that work with the SMS staff during the holidays: one is the Salvation Army and the other is Bethesda Presbyterian. This year the Salvation Army will not be providing help for students over age 12, which represents about 50% of the SMS student population. Therefore, Bethesda’s support is more critical than ever before. In addition to adopting families with children ages 13 and over, the Assistance Team is also making a holiday donation to the school to help with this group of children. Anyone interested in adopting a family or would like to share adopting with another Bethesda family, please contact Barb Ficklin via e-mail at wdf1@embarqmail.com.

Donated for auction at next spring's Backyard BBQ & Craft Fair: 2 partially completed quilts. Needed: folks to help finish them! If you are interested in working on these beauties as a group effort,

please contact Gail Cunningham 910-638-8739.

The Bethesda Care Fund was established to help out church members who find themselves in need of financial

assistance for whatever reason. At this time, our balance is very low. If you would like to contribute to this fund please designate your

wishes on your check.

Stewardship 2014“We Are Called”

It’s not too late to turn your pledge cards in to the church office!

Join us for Sunday School! There is a class for everyone:

✴ PreK - 5th grade (begins in Chapel with music)✴ Middle school (upstairs)✴ High School (downstairs across from Chapel)✴ Seekers Class (downstairs by parking lot)✴ Jesse Wimberley Class (upstairs)✴ Healthy Living (downstairs in Parlor)✴ Young Adult (fellowship hall)

Join us December 21 in the Fellowship Hall during the Sunday School hour as we celebrate Christmas with abirthday party for Jesus!

Youth Group ScoopThe Youth Group would like to express our sincere appreciation to all of Bethesda for your support at our 2014 Youth Auction. With your help, donations, bids and prayers, we were able to raise over $27,000 this year for mission work! Thank you. God is good. 

Dinner schedule:Dec. 7 - NoyesDec. 14 - PagesDec. 21 - Caroling & Christmas party at the Jacksons' houseDec. 28 - no youth group

Dec. 13 - cleanup at Gene Morgan's house 10:30 AM (required for Costa Rica team)

$50 Montreat and Massanetta non-refundable deposits due January 4th. 

Costa Rica payments ($50) due January 4th. 

Next Youth Council meeting: Sun, January 11th at 4:00 PM

UshersGrant Martin Jeff Hill Pam Laswell Mike Laswell

Nursery VolunteersDec. 7: Victor Andersen Dec. 21: Samantha Taylor

Kelly Clark Alicia DunlapDec. 14: Sandy McLaughlin Dec. 28: Scarlett Roth

Palmer Noyes Amanda Dworak

Session GreetersDec. 7: Jeff Hill Dec. 21: David KeithDec. 14: LoJuanna Pages Dec. 28:

Lectionary Readings for SundaysDec. 7: Isaiah 40:1-11 Dec. 21: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 Psalm 89:1-4, 19-262 Peter 3:8-15a Romans 16:25-27Mark 1:1-8 Luke 1:26-38

Dec. 14: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 Dec. 28: Isaiah 61: 10-62:3Psalm 126:1-6 Psalm 148:1-141 Thessalonians 5:16-24 Galatians 4:4-7John 1:6-8, 19-28 Luke 2:22-40

Bethesda Beacon If you would like information included in the Beacon, please email to emilybraun@nc.rr.com or

leave in the church office by December 15.

Editor: Emily Braun Production: Lisa Keith Beaconettes: Dottie Folley, Flora Hollister, Joyce McInnis,

Margaret McLeod, Louise Monroe, Nellie Williams

Non

Pro

fit O

rg.

U.S

. Pos

tage

Aber

deen

, NC

Perm

it N

o. 3

Beth

esda

Pre

sbyt

eria

n C

hurc

h10

02 N

. San

dhills

Blv

d.Ab

erde

en, N

C 2

8315

1 Chantelle Thomas 15 Evelyn Miller 2 Nora Andersen 17 Christopher Garren 3 Elliot Frank Crystal Garren Vandiver 4 Charles Worley Catherine Pinkston 5 John Wilson 18 Maxine Gibson 6 Ashtyn Clark 19 Hester Combs Brandon Hood 20 Chad Fogleman Martha Keith 21 Harold Williams Isiah Stefanelli 23 Steve McKenzie 7 Wyatt Roth Erin Wallace 8 James Allison 25 Ginny Ferguson 10 Carol McDonald Rachel Hudson 11 Craig Fogleman 26 Flo Hollister 12 Scott Richardson 28 Emily Braun Tyler Horney 29 Andrew Richardson Ashley Smithson 30 Samantha Taylor J. Cunningham Andy Robinson 14 Keshia Smith 31 Virginia Wilson

DECEMBER