Bethany Honors Gary and Stephanie Edge

On the last day of his ministry at Bethany Christian Church, Gary and Stephanie Edge were honored at a reception at the church's pavilion. They will return to their home state of Alabama where Gary will begin a new ministry there. In prayer, John Beeman, Jr. thanked the family for their six years of service while praying for new blessings to be bestowed upon them in their new church home.

New Elders Sworn In

New elders, Chris Watson, left, Julia Peterson, and Mac Harris were sworn in during a special dedication as part of the morning worship on Sunday, October 28.

Stewardship Pledges to be Dedicated, Sunday, October 28

The Stewardship Campaign for the 2008 calendar year will culminate in a dedication of the pledges, Sunday, October 28. Seeing such a large turn-out for Homecoming makes us all realize the great number of lives touched by the ministry at this church. This Stewardship Campaign is for just that, the ministry of this church that touches lives. Please give prayerful thought as you make a pledge to help Bethany continue in this ministry of sharing God's love.

Please keep in mind, your pledge, in some ways, is your personal expression of being an evangelist for Jesus Christ, for with your pledge, the word of Jesus is shared. Stewardship is thus a personal committment to God. With our collective stewardship, the budgetary leaders of the church can map out a plan for the best ways for the ministry of this church to grow. Consequently, the growth of this church, not just in numbers of members, but more importantly, spiritually, is tied to our personal committments to God.

Maxine Angel's Funeral to be Held Saturday, Visitation Tonight

Maxine Angel, a longtime member of Bethany, died Wednesday at 3:00 P.M. Her funeral will be held Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at the Bethany Pavilion. Rev. Gary Edge will officiate.

Visitation will be today, Friday, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Bryant Funeral Home.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Bethany Christian Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 156, Arapahoe, NC 28510.

Rebuilding Plans and Funds Update

Bethany's rebuilding committee is working hard to get to the point where some preliminary floor plan ideas can be shared with the church family, which can provide feedback for the process. At the same time, in order to narrow down a plan, we will need to know the funds available.

At this time, the rebuilding committee's best estimate is that it will cost a minimum of around $900,000 for replacing the same building square footage that we lost, and that with furnishings and any expansion to better serve our needs, the range could be between $1 million and $1.5 million.

Based on what has been donated and how much we have raised so far, we still have a way to go to reach the amount it is anticipated we will need just to replace what we had and to furnish the new building.

Please consider this as you plan your support for the rebuilding effort at Homecoming and Giving Sunday, Oct. 21.

Harvest Dinner Set for Nov. 3

The CWF's Harvest Dinner will be held at the Arapahoe Free Will Baptist Church on NC 306 S on Nov. 3, beginning at 5:00 p.m. and lasting until 7:00 p.m., or until sold out. Plates are $7.00 each.

Stewardship Campaign Begins

The annual campaign to raise funds for the church budget will conclude October 28. Church members will receive special mailings in the very near future emphasizing the importance of creating the funds necessary to meet the church's operating expenses.

According to Ben Casey, 2007 Stewardship Chair, "While it is so vital that we raise funds to build a new sanctuary and education building, it is absolutely necessary that we raise funds to meet operational expenses. Our challenges are perhaps greater than the challenges of the congregation of 1840. We have to not only survive, but we must thrive. All of the people, locally, regionally, and nationwide, who have poured out their love for this congregation in the aftermath of the fire are counting on us. Stewardship is part of our spiritual journey, recognizing that what we give is so small in comparison to what God gave us on the cross."

What Fun One Misses When One Misses Church Activities

Those who missed the Bethany Concert Saturday evening missed a good time. Some can only wonder how good a good time!

The music festival raised over $1,200 for Bethany's Rebuilding Fund!

Bethany thanks Sara and Simon Spalding for organizing the event, the fundraising committee for the food, and special thanks to Pepsi of New Bern (Minges Bottling), Harris Teeter, Piggly Wiggly, Wal-Mart, Sandra Faulkner, Kelly and Buck Jones and the ladies of the church for the donation of food and beverage items, John Cannan and John Beeman for grilling, and to all who helped set up and clean up.

Arapahoe Music Festival Program Set

Saturday, October 6, Bethany Christian Church Pavilion, Corner of NC Highway 306 South and Seafarer Road (Bethany Crossing)
Bring your own lawn chairs and/or blankets. Food concession available.

Admission: FREE. Love offerings to benefit rebuilding of Bethany Christian Church gratefully accepted!

Festival Time: 5:00 p.m. to around 8:30 p.m.

Introductory Remarks & Opening Prayer
Rev. Gary Edge, Bethany Christian Church

Centenary United Methodist Church Praise Team
Contemporary Christian Praise & Worship Music
(Dana Scott, Duffy Huffman, Judi Epps, Cindy Polo, Gary & Nan Barker, Deanie Singleton, Bill Pritchett, Ty Arrowood, Director Simon Spalding)

John & Cathy Hurt
Southern Gospel Music

Craven Brass Quintet
Dixieland, Traditional American and Classical Brass Favorites
(Dan Jones, Frank Swanson, Art Gottschalk, Chris Mele, Dorothy Lupton)

Frank Murphy
Irish Folk Music

The RetroRockets
Vintage Rock & Roll
(Simon Spalding, Chris Kling, Bill Pritchett)

Tuppence & Friends
Hymn Sing-Along Finale
(Simon & Sara Spalding & other performers)

Music Festival Volunteers Needed!

Volunteers are needed to help set up for the Arapahoe Music Festival Saturday, October 6, around 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. For further information, please contact Sara Spalding, 259-5176.

MumFest Booth Volunteers Needed!

Bethany will have a booth at MumFest Saturday, October 13, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 14, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There will be two raffles: a large gift basket filled with donated items, and a queen-sized quilt raffle.

The fundraising committee needs 2-3 volunteers per 2-hour shift at the booth on Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14. Not many have signed up to help so far, so please volunteer! For further information, please contact Terry Cannan, 670-0030 or 249-2422.