From the Desk of Our Pastor

A New Year, A New Focus At the beginning of a new year people reminisce, take account, and plan their future.

January is a goal setting time. But one goal that rarely makes the list is emotional maturity. And yet without emotional

maturity there can be no spiritual maturity. The author of “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” shares these markers of spiritual and emotional maturity.

EMOTIONAL INFANTS:

look for others to take care of them/ have difficulty entering the world of others/ are driven by the need for instant gratification/ use others to meet their own needs

EMOTIONAL CHILDREN:

are content as long as the get what they want/ unravel quickly from stress and disappointments/ complain, manipulate, and take revenge when they don’t get their way/ are easily hurt

EMOTIONAL ADOLESCENTS:

are often defensive/ are critical and judgmental/ are threatened and alarmed by criticism/ are preoccupied with themselves and unaware of others/ deal poorly with conflict (blaming)/ listen poorly to other’s point of view

EMOTIONAL ADULTS:

recognize and take responsibility for actions and feelings/ respect others without having to fix them/ appreciate others for what they are—good, bad, and ugly—not for what they can get from them/ accurately assess their

own strengths and limits/ resolve conflicts maturely, are capable of negotiating solutions without withdrawing/ are able to genuinely listen to others—what they’re saying and feeling

It may be easier to remain childish, but it’s ultimately self-defeating; relationships remain shallow and

unrewarding, we make the same mistakes over and over, and are constantly frustrated and angry without really

The Bethany Buzz Bethany United Methodist Church 1853 Maybank Hwy. Charleston, SC 29412 www.bethanyji.org bethanysecretary@comcast.net 843-795-3527

JANUARY 2020

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knowing why. Jesus calls on us to love our enemies—to be perfect even as our heavenly Father is perfect (mature).

We can’t reach that goal until we are willing to do the hard work of growing up emotionally; only mature people are capable of seeing and loving others.

Ephesians 5:1,2, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life

filled with love, following the example of Christ.” Peace of Christ,

Pastor Cindy Meetings 01/05 Men’s Club 8:00 am 01/07 UMW 6:45 pm (Dessert) 7:00 pm Meeting in Friendship Center 01/13 Staff Meeting 11:00 am 01/13 NOW 6:30 pm 01/14 Ministry Council 7:00 pm - Conference Room 01/29 SPRC Time to be determined

Please remember to keep the following people in your prayers:

Tess Penninger Gloria Welch Brenda Pitts

Kathy Evans Bilbow Henrietta Killingsworth

Edith Oshinsky Sarah Margaret & Jacqueline Woods

(Tina Atwater’s granddaughters) Tucker Eubanks

Jim Fralix Mary Grace Belbusti and Children

Bethany “Shut-In” Members Sweetgrass Village - Paul Lewis

The Palms - Janie Thomas Family - Elizabeth Harley (Please see office for contact info)

Home - Tess Penninger - Harriet Fosberry - Alvis and Helen Hancock - Sulie Patterson Franke at Seaside - Henrietta Killingsworth

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01/01 Deborah Spell 01/03 Neal Lawson 01/14 Ron Davis 01/15 Joan Sidbury 01/17 Bob Bell 01/18 Rick Cockerham 01/20 Mark Conway 01/21 Carroll Swisher Charlie Beck 01/24 Lawson Hough 01/26 Janell Coffey 01/29 Belinda Whitfield 01/30 Stro Prothro 01/31 Craig Whitfield

01/12 Charlie & Anne Beck 01/25 Bill & Theresa Dinius

UMW The United Methodist Women will begin a new year of exciting programs on Tuesday, January 7th, in the Friendship Center. Refreshments will be served at 6:45 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. In December several of the ladies visited Mepkin Abbey and the Creche Festival. The ladies who attended will share a video and talk about their experience. ALL ladies of Bethany are invited and encouraged to atttend UMW meetings for spiritual and social enrichment! Hope to see you January 7th! Blessings, Carol Killingsworth, UMW President

Men’s Club

The United Methodist Men’s club will meet on Sunday, January 5th, for breakfast at 8:00 followed by their monthly meeting. All men of the church are welcome to attend.

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Memorials Craig and Belinda Whitfield in memory of our parents. Craig and Belinda Whitfield in memory of Woody Killingsworth.

Terrific Tuesday Join us for lunch on Tuesday, January 14th, at noon. Bring a potluck dish to share. Following lunch Pastor Cindy will do a short Bible Study. White Elephant Bingo

We are collecting items for Bingo prizes for our White Elephant Bingo. This is a fun family event on January 25th. It’s also a great opportunity to de-clutter and send old treasures to a new home. If you have any questions, you can contact Gloria or Sharon through the church office or using the Bethany pictorial directory. And as always, we can use some help. New Members

Trey McLeod is a local and has spent time in Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, and James Island. Trey works in property management and home renovations. His teams of choice are the Gamecocks and the Dallas Cowboys, while he enjoys yoga and tennis too. When relaxing, he prefers the funky sound of Prince as well as watching his favorite TV shows. A couple of his literary preferences are The Tools and Super Brain. Trey joined our Bethany family on December 1, 2019, and usually attends our 9:00 am service. Welcome Trey!

From the Trustees 2019 was another busy year for improvements to Bethany. Both the inside and the outside of the Friendship Center was painted and floors refinished. The Parsonage had several problems corrected and the back yard improved for plantings. A coffee bar was set up in the Sunday School area. The sanctuary received new hanging lights. Security cameras were installed throughout the church. Several classrooms and the choir room were painted. The Fellowship Hall received seven large prints on canvas. We purchased a new water fountain, stove and refrigerator and several plumbing problems were resolved. Neal Lawson, Trustees Chair 2019 Online Giving for 2020 If you provide financial support of Bethany using pre-scheduled donations through our Onrealm giving and tracking system, please remember to update your scheduling as necessary. Details such as amounts, expiration dates, and donation date may need to be updated to meet your intentions. The website has a number of help files to assist you in any potential updates. If you need additional help, please contact Alison or Joey for assistance.

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Thank You Thank you to the Bethany family for your generous Christmas gift this year! Don and I are so blessed to

serve as pastors alongside some truly wonderful people! What a blessing to be in spiritual community with all of you.

My prayer for us all in 2020 is that we continue in the same spirit of generosity, offering our whole lives to God as living sacrifices. May God call us to something so big that we know only God could accomplish it and so good that we know ourselves blessed to be part of it. Then may we have hearts that rejoice in God’s will and God’s work!

Thank you for making me part of the Bethany family where we’re Growing God’s Family of Friends! May God Bless You and make You a Blessing, Rev. Cynthia Muncie Charleston Wesley Foundation Dear Bethany Family, thank you all so much for providing a meal to our Citadel gathering! Especially on their final worship night of the semester. It means so much to our students to be blessed with your generous hospitality! Thank you! Aly Fain, CWF Staff

Choir Notes As we begin a New Year, I invite you to come be part of the choir. This is a group of dedicated people who sing their hearts out. We are always looking for new voices. Come try us out; you’ll find out what a great time we have together.

Blessings on your New Year. Melinda Live Nativity 2019 Thank you to those that volunteered to help with the Bethany Live Nativity this past Christmas. Though the night of the 22nd was a washout, we were able to fill the manger on the 23rd to keep our annual event as meaningful as always. The wonderment of the still display touched several families that stopped by for a closer look. We may never know how many others experienced the Babe for the first time as a result of our volunteers. Also, thank you to the children of Bethany who staged our Nativity on Christmas Eve.

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Bethany United Methodist Church

Of James Island 1853 Maybank Hwy JANUARY 2020 Charleston S.C. 29412 843-795-3527

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2 Choir Practice 7:00 pm AA Meeting 8pm

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5 8:00am Men’s Club Casual Service 9am Sunday School 10am Traditional Service 11:15am

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7 Riverland Terrace Garden Club UMW 6:45pm

8 Praise Band 5:30 pm AA Meeting 7:30pm

9 Choir Practice 7:00 pm AA Meeting 8pm

10 11 Fellowship Hall Reserved

12 Casual Service 9am Sunday School 10am Traditional Service 11:15am

13 Staff Meeting 11:00am NOW 6:30pm

14 Terrific Tuesday Lunch 12:00 Ministry Council 7:00pm

15 Praise Band 5:30pm AA Meeting 7:30 pm

16 Choir Practice 7:00 pm AA Meeting 8pm

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19 Casual Service 9am Sunday School 10am Traditional Service 11:15am

20 MLK Holiday Office closed Trustees 6:00pm

21 22 Praise Band 5:30pm AA Meeting 7:30pm

23 Choir Practice 7:00pm AA Meeting 8pm

24 25 White Elephant Bingo, Time TBD

26 Casual Service 9am Sunday School 10am Traditional Service 11:15am

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29 Praise Band 5:30pm AA Meeting 7:30pm SPRC-TBD

30 Choir Practice 7:00pm AA Meeting 8pm

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