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September/October
2006
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September/October
2006
CELEBRATION SUNDAY
October 29, 2006
9:30 AM in the
Auditorium of Bel Air High School
We will be celebrating
the conclusion of 40 Days of Community
with ONE morning worship service.
This will be a time
for special music and testimonials and praise
for the many ministries and outreach opportunities
that have taken place
during these 40 Days.
And you know we can’t
have a celebration without food!
Make plans now for you
and your family to join the celebration!
Childcare for infants
through age 4 will be provided at the High School.
Children in
Kindergarten through 5th Grade will be participating
in the worship service and special
activities.
There will be NO
morning services or Sunday School classes here at the
church.
5:30 PM Dinner at Mt.
Carmel Chapel
There will also be an
evening of celebration at Mt. Carmel Chapel!
A Potluck Dinner will
be held at the Chapel at 5:30 PM.
If you’re planning to
attend, or if you have any questions about what to bring,
please contact Don Renner at (home)
410-893-0401, (cell) 443-504-8308,
or e-mail imdonren1@comcast.net.
7:00 PM Celebration
Concert at Mt. Carmel Chapel
The celebration concludes
with a country gospel music concert by Mark Williams,
beginning at 7:00 PM. Everyone is invited to attend this free concert!
Did you know?
There are over 40 Small Groups currently participating in the 40 Days of Community study, using the
book Better Together – What On Earth Are We
Here For? by Rick Warren.
During the 40 Days of
Purpose, we discovered that God placed each of us on earth for five
purposes: to get to know and love him
(worship), to learn to love each other (fellowship), to grow in becoming like
Jesus (discipleship), to practice using our talents in serving God (ministry),
and to share the Good News with others (evangelism). Throughout these 40
Days of Community, our focus is on fulfilling God’s five purposes
together. We’re doing this
two ways: first, by deepening the
community of love within our church family, and second, by reaching out in love
to the community around our church family.
Our Sermon Series so far has provided insight into Why
We Need Each Other (Romans 12:3-8), Reaching Out Together
(Philippians 1:3-11), Building Relationships (1 John
4:13-17), and How We Help Each Other Grow
(1 Thessalonians 5:8-11).
We Serve
Better Together
● By Using Our Talents
“Each
one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others…” 1 Peter 4:10
● By Offering Our Help
“Carry
each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2
● By Sharing Our Resources
“Share
with God’s people who are in need.
Practice hospitality.” Romans
12:14
On Sunday, October 15, we’ll find out more about Serving
Together during our MINISTRY
FAIR. Following each morning worship service, you can “Take
Action” at the Ministry Fair in McComas Hall.
Don’t miss this great opportunity to start using your talents and time to
offer a helping hand here at Bel Air United Methodist Church. There are numerous ministry opportunities for
Adult Discipleship, Children & Family, Church & Society, Church Office,
Congregational Care, Hospitality, Membership & Welcome, Missions, Worship
& Arts, Youth Ministries, and other areas.
Challenge yourself to find one new area where you can serve our church. If you are already serving, find a special
one-time project you can do to help a fellow member through our “People Helping
People” emphasis. When you take action
and use your skills, knowledge, background, or experience to help someone else,
you grow, you give back to our church family, and you glorify God.
How To Tell God You Love Him will be the sermon topic on Sunday,
October 22. And then everyone will share
in worship together on CELEBRATION
SUNDAY – October 29, 2006. (See the front cover for all the details.) So… From the combined morning
worship service at 9:30 AM in the Auditorium of Bel Air High School… To the Potluck Dinner at
5:30 PM and the Celebration Concert at 7:00 PM at Mt. Carmel Chapel… This will be a celebration for our entire
church family!
Father,
help me commit to living better together
in
the community of my church and neighborhood…
REACH OUT: To love sharing my faith boldly
Pray that we
will work side-by-side to share our faith with those locally
and around the
world who have not heard the Good News of Jesus Christ.
BELONG: To
love living as the Body of Christ
Pray that we
will love one another with the abundant love we ourselves
receive from God.
GROW: To love bringing out the
best in others
Pray that we
will grow spiritually as we encourage one another
to have daily devotions and memorize a weekly Bible verse.
SERVE: To love serving
sacrificially
Pray that we
will work together with one heart by using our talents,
offering our help, and sharing our resources with those in
need.
WORSHIP: To love glorifying God with
others
Pray that we
will long to worship God together in our daily roles,
small groups, and church.
A LASTING LEGACY
Most of us would like to think that we could leave a legacy
for the next generation. The Legacy
Committee of Bel Air United Methodist Church wants to help you realize it is
possible. We believe that we can
continue the work of God’s Kingdom through leaving a legacy. Many people haven’t even thought about
leaving a legacy to our church because they didn’t know how to go about
it. We want to provide the information
and resources to help you answer questions like:
1.
Are
there some SIMPLE methods of leaving a legacy to God’s Kingdom?
2.
How
do I develop a plan (a will or other document) that includes the work of God’s
Kingdom?
3.
How
do I structure a beneficiary designation that could include leaving a legacy
(large or small) to God’s Kingdom?
4.
How
would I benefit through tax-favored gifts to God’s Kingdom?
5.
Is
there a seminar that will outline several general guidelines to help understand
ways to include leaving a legacy (regardless of size) to the work of God’s
Kingdom?
The Bel Air United Methodist Church Legacy Committee was
formed under the direction of the Finance Committee to help people fulfill
their desire to leave a legacy. The
Legacy Committee’s mission statement is:
“We,
the Bel Air United Methodist Church Legacy Committee, are called to support
people who wish to make a difference in God’s Kingdom through a lasting legacy by
providing guidelines and direction toward making a charitable donation to Bel
Air United Methodist Church.”
For many Christians, expressing their faith through a
charitable gift is given out of their gratitude for what the Lord has done for
them. To do the work of the Lord
engenders a spirit of generosity. If you
have that spirit of generosity and desire help in fulfilling your legacy,
contact the Bel Air UMC Legacy Committee through the Church Office, through Rev.
Barry Hidey, or through the committee chairman, Jim Paradise (410-877-7197).
Youth Ministry
Teenagers are very busy, but that’s the way they seem to
like it. Who has time to rest? All of us older people (also known as “old fogies”)
wonder where they get the energy to keep going!
We may never know the answer to that, but I’m not worried about the
answer as long as they keep going and doing!
That’s the really neat thing about this new generation -- their energy
level and the degree of passion with which they seem to attack things that have
meaning to them.
Take for instance, the Baltimore
Mission Trip at the end of July. It
was a hot, humid week in the city, with people we really didn’t know all that
well in a place that is much like a foreign country to us, yet our youth were
servants with open hearts, energy, and compassion, and they showed the better
parts of unconditional love. They opened
their hearts and arms to small children living in the facility where we stayed
and played with them and held them all throughout the day. They took verbal slashes from older children in
the community. They ran around all
afternoon on the playground with these kids.
And they still had energy to smile and spend time together planning for
the next day at night! I was -- and you
should be -- proud of our youth as they went on mission to share the light of
God’s presence in a place that may not see it very much.
We are looking forward to returning there next year and
during “Saturday School” throughout the year.
Saturday School helps us keep
and maintain those relationships with the kids that we began during our week in
the summer. We continue teaching them
about Christ, but as the relationship grows, so does personal trust. With kids in a cultural setting that doesn’t
often find much to trust in, this on-going mission of Saturday School is
critically important and necessary.
Please keep praying for all those involved in the Saturday School and
the Baltimore Mission.
There are so many great things going on in the EXIT412 Student Ministry. Like BIG
WEEK, which was held during the week of August 21-26. During Big Week, the incoming 9th Graders
were introduced into the Senior High student ministry, and everybody got
together at the Back-2-School Kick-Off Extravaganza. We had music from Faith Under
Fire, and Dave Whitescarver (also known as King of Kings), and Unsearchable
Riches. David Burke was our speaker and
gave an inspirational and encouraging back-to-school message. There was food, a dunking booth, and a 35-foot
wide bungee jumping machine. It was a
lot of fun! We’re going all out to let
the students in our community know how much we care for them and how we are
here for them.
The
Floodgate Café officially opened on Thursday, September 21 and is now open
every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 2:30-6:30 PM (in the Youth Center). Snacks and various amounts of junk food will
be available for free, and fountain sodas will be available for only $.50
each. Every Wednesday will be “Movie
Day” where we will show a movie and provide popcorn for everyone (movies will
never exceed the “PG” rating). Every
Thursday, ice cream will be available with all the toppings for only $1 per
bowl (about 3 HUGE scoops). This after-school
ministry will continually evolve as we grow into providing tutors for homework
help, computers with filtered Internet access for homework help and typing up
papers, and who knows what else. I am
excited about the possibilities in providing this safe-haven for students to
come after school and allow parents the peace of mind knowing that their kids
aren’t always at home by themselves.
There is now a place they can go and hang out and be accepted and have
fun!
See You At The Pole took place on Wednesday,
September 27. This annual event
encourages students to meet around their school’s flag pole in the morning and just
pray for their school, teachers, administrators, local government leaders, and
national leaders, as well as issues around the globe. We will be supporting all our students this
year with helping them achieve a visual presence and witness by supplying them
with lanyards they can wear that will declare proudly, “I was there and I
prayed!”
Other
exciting news and things to add to your calendar…
to helping this
year’s group by becoming one-on-one mentors.
There’s a lot going on, as you can see. But, most importantly, your teens are getting
good, consistent, and Biblically centered teaching in our Bible study times at TNT on Tuesday nights (for Senior High)
and at FUEL on Wednesday nights (for
Middle School).
If you ever have any questions regarding the EXIT412 Student
Ministry, please email Tom Hodges at hodgest@baumc.com or call him at the Church
Office (410-838-5181, ext. 16) or on his cell phone,
443-617-2842.
The Floodgate Café
An Afterschool
Ministry of Bel Air UMC
Fountain Sodas &
Drinks -
$.50 to $1 each
Snacks &
Chips -
Free
Every Wednesday is
Movie Day – with Free Popcorn!
The Floodgate Café is open every
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
from 2:30-6:30 PM. The Café is located in the Youth Center
at Bel Air United Methodist Church (21
Linwood Avenue).
The Café follows the Harford County
Public School schedule for closings,
for holidays, and for inclement weather. For information, call 410-838-5181.
STEPHEN MINISTRY
Sometimes God calms the storm –
sometimes He calms the child. – Anonymous
Ministry
is when you serve others in the name of the Lord. It is a way of sharing the Good News with
others in need and involves spirituality.
Jesus was clear that the Spirit of the Lord was involved when he
proclaimed that He had been appointed to preach Good News to the poor, to
proclaim that captives should be freed, that the blind would see, that the
downtrodden would be released from their yoke, and that the year of the Lord’s
favor had come (Mark 4:18-19). But what
does spirituality mean? It means we must
pay attention to the Spirit that is inside of all of us. We must nurture this Spirit by taking time to
pray, welcoming the Lord with an open heart and an open mind, and contemplating
the majesty of our Lord and His everlasting love for us.
Grow Spiritually --
Make A Difference -- Become A Stephen Minister
What is a Stephen Minister like?
They
are among us. No, we’re not talking
about angels or aliens. We’re talking
about individuals who care about others.
The Scriptures describe their service well: “Remember those in prison as if you were
their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were
suffering” (Hebrews 13:3). If you or
someone you know wants to do more as a Christian caregiver, consider Stephen
Ministry.
What do Stephen Ministers do?
Stephen
Ministers bring distinctively Christian care to those in need. They use both words and deeds to express
Christ’s care for others – listening and comforting, calling on the training
they have received and employing the tools of faith. If this job description fits your personal
goals for ministry, consider becoming a Stephen Minister.
Stephen Ministers care.
When
was the last time someone really listened to you? We’re talking about that undistracted, full
attention kind of listening. That’s one
of the ways Stephen Ministers care for others.
We need Stephen Ministers to care for those who are making that long
journey through the valley of a life crisis.
Will you consider serving in this way?
An informational session about Stephen
Ministry will be held on Tuesday, November 7 at 7:00 PM in the Parlor. To find out
more about whether serving as a Stephen Minister is something you’re being led
to do, or if you have questions about what this ministry entails, please
attend.
In
January 2007, Bel Air UMC will begin training Stephen Ministers. As we begin to launch this God-anointed
ministry, we will be sharing news articles and displaying posters and bulletin
boards to help explain what Stephen Ministry is and what it involves. We invite you to watch for these displays and
begin to familiarize yourself with this ministry – which may very well be a
lifesaver for you or someone you love.
The
leaders of Stephen Ministry are Connie McNey and Rev. Peggy Groseclose, who are
trained to lead this ministry here at Bel Air UMC. If you feel led to know more about what it
takes to be a Stephen Minister, please contact Rev. Peggy at 410-838-5181, ext.
14, or e-mail groseclosep@baumc.com.
The Fall Meeting & Silent Auction of the Baltimore-Harford District Board of Child
Care Auxiliary will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2006 at 10:00 AM at
Overlea Chapel UMC in Baltimore. Our
representatives to the Auxiliary, Sandy Millner (443-299-6039) and Linda Myrick
(410-638-1939), report that churches throughout the District have been asked to
collect the following items for the upcoming holidays:
● Canned string
beans and cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving baskets.
● New or like-new
items for the resident’s Christmas store.
We will be collecting these items on Sunday, November 5
at the Welcome Center. Your donations
will be appreciated.
TRC The Recovery Connection
In
a recent survey conducted at Bel Air United Methodist Church, nearly 85% of
respondents reported that they believe it “very important” that our church help
those who may have problems with alcohol or drugs, while nearly 64% of those
responding reported not knowing where to go in the congregation to get help for
someone who has an alcohol, drug, or other addiction.
The
mission statement of The Recovery Connection is:
Bel Air United
Methodist Church will provide support for the addiction sufferer and his or her
family, education for the congregation and community, and a program of
prevention in an open, caring atmosphere to help provide spiritual recovery from
addiction.
In
recognition of National Recovery Month in September, The Recovery Connection began a six-part educational series on
topics related to addiction and recovery.
The talks, including a separate roundtable discussion concluding the
series, will be held on the last Monday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Youth
Center. Refreshments are served. Please register by calling the Church Office
at 410-838-5181.
TEAM MEMBER PROFILE: Micki Thomas, C.A.C., C.R.P.S.
Micki Thomas is certified through the State of Maryland as
an addictions counselor and through the CENAPS Corporation as a Certified
Relapse Prevention Specialist. She has
been affiliated with Father Martin’s Ashley, a treatment center for chemical dependency
and alcoholism located in Havre de Grace, Maryland, since 1983.
Micki, who recently retired from Ashley, has an extensive
background in education and treatment of the addicted person, and helped to
develop and implement the relapse prevention program at Ashley. She has also developed an educational program
for young children whose parent(s) are alcoholic or chemically dependent.
She has facilitated many workshops and training events for
the recovering community, professionals in the field of addiction, and the
alumni of Ashley.
Why did she join The
Recovery Connection ministry? “The
most common cause of death from alcoholism and drug addiction is not cirrhosis,
heart disease, or other physical complications – rather it is the stigma of
addiction or the many myths that we carry in our minds. It is my hope that through education and
resources, we can illuminate the way for those dealing with addiction in their
family to find help and ultimate change.”
Addiction and Recovery Education Series
#1
September 25, 2006
Parents: The Hidden Victims of Drug Abuse
Timothy P. Newnan, M.H.S., L.P.A.D.C.
President, Together Recovery Works
#2
October 30, 2006
What Are the Early Signs and Symptoms
of
Alcoholism and Drug Dependency?
David Matukaitis, C.A.C., Father Martin’s
Ashley
#3
November 27, 2006
How Does Addiction Affect the Family?
Patty Denney, Family Counselor, Father
Martin’s Ashley
#4
January 29, 2007
What is Family Co-Dependency and How Does
It Start?
Marilyn Emanuel, L.P.C., Pastoral
Counselor
#5
February 26, 2007
What Are the Effects of Alcohol and
Drugs on Your Body?
Donna Allen, R.N., Father Martin’s Ashley
#6
March 26, 2007
A Closer Look at the Disease of
Addiction
Micki Thomas, C.A.C., Counselor,
Homecoming Project (Long-term residential
treatment for women)
#7
April 30, 2007
Round Table Discussion: How, When, and Why
to Intervene on Addiction in the
Family
The
Recovery Connection Ministry Team
A Recovery Connection Note of Hope That’s
how we are to live in this world: as
citizens of what’s yet to come.
There is no grief, no sin, no problem, no frustration, no captivity,
no abuse that cannot be redeemed, and the redemption will be more than
worthwhile. Paul assured us that the
glory to be revealed will far outweigh anything in our present
circumstances; that no eye has seen or ear has heard what God has in store
for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
We’re to live like we know that. From
inWord, August 18, 2006
October is Mental Health Awareness
Month.
NAMI Harford County
(the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Harford County, Maryland) is a grassroots organization
founded by and made up of families, sponsors, and friends of persons with major
mental illnesses and persons with brain disorders. Together, they help to rebuild lives
devastated by a loved one’s mental illness and vigorously promote a greater
understanding of these disorders. This
is done through support groups, education, and advocacy – along with lots of
love, tears, and humor, too.
An informational brochure is available at the Welcome
Center. NAMI meetings are held here at
Bel Air United Methodist Church on the 1st Tuesday and on the 3rd Wednesday of
each month. For further information,
please call 410-879-0111 or 410-893-4968.
Please continue to keep in prayer those who are living with
mental illness, and the people who love them and care for them.
Need to make travel
arrangements? Why not do it through the NAMI website at www.nami.org/travel? Did you know that every time you use a travel
website, the travel companies pay big commissions for your reservation? When you book your travel at this website,
which provides the lowest available rates for all types of reservations, NAMI
will receive 40% of the commission on your arrangements. By booking your travel through this website,
you will be providing a donation to NAMI to help people living with mental
illness. Many families are faced daily
with the realization that someone they know and love is dealing with some form
of mental illness. Take a step to make
that road for those dealing with these sometimes life and death issues a bit
easier, by using this to book your next vacation!
BLOOD DRIVE
♥ Totals… Our summertime Blood Drive on July 10 netted
59 units of blood, and our Blood Drive on September 11 netted a total of 54
units of blood. Our sincere thanks go
out to each individual who came out in support of the drive as a willing donor
or a volunteer worker, including those who made calls to schedule appointments.
♥ Looking
Ahead… Our next Blood Drive is
scheduled for Monday, November 13 from 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM. Your support is critical to someone else’s
health. Please plan to donate if you are
eligible. The appointment sheet is
posted across from the Church Office.
♥ Red
Cross Call List… Some of our donors
are receiving calls from the Red Cross asking them to signup for our
drive. If you would like to be removed
from the Red Cross call list, please call 1-800-448-3543 and ask that your name
be removed from the tele-recruiting list.
Explain that you would like to be called by your donor sponsor (Bel Air
UMC) only. This should stop the calls
from the Red Cross. You will then get a
call from the church for scheduling (if you’ve not signed up) and a reminder
call (if you have a scheduled appointment) on the day before the drive.
Let’s Recycle!
Abitibi
Consolidated, the World’s Largest Newspaper Manufacturer and the World’s
Largest Newspaper Recycler, now has two collection bins on the parking lot of
Bel Air United Methodist Church (in the back, near the apartments). Payment will be made by Abitibi on a monthly
basis to benefit the Zimbabwe Medical Clinic Fund.
The
following items CAN be placed in the recycling bin: catalogs, magazines, newspapers, junk mail,
office paper, fax paper, notebooks, folders, envelopes (even with windows),
shredded paper, and colored paper.
The
following items CANNOT be placed in the bin:
trash, phone books, or cardboard.
This
program has been designed to make recycling both easy and profitable. In addition to promoting environmental
stewardship and diverting paper from landfills, it will allow us to raise money
for the Zimbabwe Medical Clinic. We hope
you will join us in this effort!
For
more information, go to www.paperretriever.com.
EXCITING ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE
FAMILY!
GIVE THANKS
WITH A GRATEFUL HEART
Join the Bel Air UMC Children & Family
Ministries as we “GIVE THANKS”
For All of God’s Good Gifts
Sunday, November 19, 2006
5:00-6:30 PM in McComas Hall
There
will be informal worship, family games and crafts, and a Pot Luck
Thanksgiving Dinner (turkey, dessert, and beverages provided). Free! But please bring one non-perishable food item
for the BAUMC Food Pantry AND a dish (vegetable, salad, potato) to share.
It was a sold-out crowd who enjoyed a great Fall evening at the
Family Hayride at Beachmont Christian Camp on Friday the 13th of October! Mark
your calendars now for the opportunities for fun and fellowship at these
upcoming Family Activities. Remember
that “family” means everyone – all “ages and stages” – as we are all family in
Christ!
Monday, January 1,
2007
2:30-4:30 PM
BAUMC on Ice! Start
the New Year at our
Annual Skating Party at Ice World in Abingdon.
More information to follow…
Saturday, May 5, 2007
5:00-6:30 PM
Come and celebrate at the Cinco De Mayo
Family Fiesta in McComas Hall.
More information to follow…
TINY TOTS SCHOOL NEWS
from Joan Elloff, Director
Tiny
Tots School began its 59th year as an outreach of Bel Air United Methodist
Church. Our 3 and 4 year old program
will be serving over 137 children and their families this school year.
In
September, our 3 year olds started “Getting Acquainted.” The children learned about the color red, the
numbers zero and one, and circles. Our 4
year olds reviewed colors, shapes, and numbers.
They began science, learned about the United States in social studies,
and how God made us all different and unique.
Most of all, we are making lots of new friends and having fun!
In
October, we’ll take our first field trip to Harman’s Farm Market to learn about
farming and pumpkins. We’ll learn about
the number two and learn new sight words.
In social studies, we’ll “travel” to England, and in music appreciation,
we’ll be talking about classical music and composers. Our “All About Me” unit continues, and we’ll
learn more about the creation story from Genesis. At the end of the month, we’ll sing at Manna
House and have a parade, program, and party on Halloween. Wow, what a fun month!
The Charles W. Lightner Library of Bel
Air United Methodist Church
Your
Christian Community Library
LIGHTNER LIBRARY HOURS
Sunday – Open 8 AM-1 PM
Monday – Open 9 AM-12 Noon
Tuesday – Open 9 AM-12 Noon & 7-9
PM
Wednesday – Open 12 Noon-8 PM
Friday – Open 9 AM-12 Noon
Thanks to everyone who supported the Wednesday Night
Dinner on October 11, 2006 to benefit the Lightner Library. Stop by and visit
the Library – we have over 3,500 books cataloged so far!
Also,
if you’re looking for a gift for that person who has everything, we’re offering
“gift certificates” for the purchase of books or a donation to the Lightner
Library in honor of that person. Please
take advantage of this opportunity to obtain a great gift and support our
Library!
SATELLITE/OFF-SITE
PLANNING TEAM…
Do you know that we are exploring the development of a
worship service and outreach out in the community?
We are developing a team of people who want to expand the
reach of our church in a new way.
We might be looking for you!
Are you ready for the next step in your Journey?
Do you see the need to touch people who are not ending up at
21 Linwood Avenue at one of our worship services?
Do you have passion for those who are unchurched in Harford
County?
Are you ready to pray and fast for discernment for this new
ministry?
Will you commit to work with a team that will seek to do a
new thing for the growth of the Kingdom?