Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Strawberry Festival 2013
This coming Saturday is Bethel’s annual Strawberry Festival. All are invited!
Weather permitting, this fun event will be held outdoors in the shady area next to the church building from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. It is an opportunity to enjoy strawberry shortcake and other foods, meet new friends, engage in fellowship with neighbors, and enjoy the laughter of children at play. In addition, kittens from a local shelter will be available for adoption.
The money raised from this 50+ year annual event supports the Red Cross and Bethel’s ongoing ministry.
Parking is available in the lot at the adjacent Red Cross building.
Click here for a flier for the 2013 Strawberry Festival.
Game Night
Join us for Bethel’s “May Day Game Night” on Friday, May 17th at 5:30 p.m. There will be plenty of games and activities for adults and children. Hot dogs will be provided; bring a side dish to share. The fun and games–and fellowship–will take place in Bethel’s Fellowship Hall. All are welcome!
Save the Date!
Click here for a flier for the 2013 Strawberry Festival.
The 2013 Strawberry Festival will be on Saturday, June 1st from 3 pm to 7 pm. What can you contribute to make this event a great success? Work the grill, assemble strawberry shortcake, be the cashier, or bake something for our bake sale.
Community Yard Sale
Bethel UCC is joining with the Arlington Church of the Brethren’s Community Yard Sale, to be held Saturday, May 18, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Some of the proceeds go to support AFAC (Arlington Food Assistance Center). The Church of the Brethren is located at 300 N. Montague St.
Bethel Celebrates New Lay Leadership
Bethel UCC recently installed new lay leadership as they elected their Consistory, and placed a renewed emphasis on programs with new committee chairs. The actions were approved at a congregational meeting last month. Chairs have been selected for all the church’s committees, creating a new sense of energy to move the church forward in all its missions. The committees are: Outreach and Fellowship, Christian Education, Social Concerns, Worship and Music, and Church Property.
Bethel United Church of Christ, like all UCC churches, is led by its members. This is done through three congregational meetings – Jan/Feb (leadership), Jun/Jul (programmatic) and Nov/Dec (budget). Between the congregational meetings the Consistory, the church’s governing body, acts on behalf of the congregation. The heart of Bethel is its members and their passion about living Christ’s mission in the world.
Open House at Bethel UCC
Bethel UCC extends a special welcome to worship with us on Sunday, January 27th at 10:00 am…
and then stay for a particularly warm (literally and figuratively) welcome at fellowship hour afterwards when we’ll be serving chili and cornbread. We’ll have crafts and games for children.
This is an opportunity to learn about Bethel UCC and meet others who are seeking a faith community.
Click here for a flier.
Advent 2012
Welcome to the Season of Advent!
May it be a season filled of hopeful longing, spiritual exploration and soulful awakenings as we prepare for the birth of Jesus.
Each Sunday during Advent we light our Advent wreath prayerfully preparing for God’s light to come into the world. We celebrate the expectation with our children as the ABC (All Bethel’s Children) Choir sing their joyful response.
On December 16th during worship we tell the Christmas story with voices of all ages adorned in costumes and singing familiar songs as we remember the Christmas miracle.
We gather in community on Christmas Eve at 7 pm for Candle Light Lessons and Carols on the holy night when we give thanks for the birth of Jesus – the son of God, the Messiah, Emmanuel.
Click here to see a copy of our Advent brochure.
Give Thanks
Join us on Wednesday, November 21st at 7:00 pm to give God thanks for all the blessings in our lives. We will gather in ecumenical community at Arlington Church of the Brethren for music, prayer, and scripture. Worship will conclude with fellowship and pumpkin pie. All are welcome and invited to join us.
Arlington CROPwalk 2012 – Oct 20th
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Do you like to walk? If so, please consider walking for a good cause. The 2012 Arlington CROPWALK will be held on Saturday October 20, 2012, starting at 8:30 AM at Arlington Forest United Methodist Church (4701 Arlington Blvd., Arlington, VA). The aim of the walk is to help raise money for Church World Service to fight hunger around the world. A quarter of the money collected will come back to Arlington for the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). Last year Bethel’s walkers raised $6305, which meant $1576.25 went to AFAC. With more walkers we could raise even more. If you want to walk for CROP, please contact Art Lipman (703-920-6423). If you can’t walk, please sponsor our walkers generously.
*To donate to the 2012 Bethel UCC CROPWalk Team, please click here.*
The Lenten Journey
This is a season of reflection and meditation where we cleanse our hearts and minds as we journey towards the cross. It is a time to think about your relationship with God and seek new way to renew that relationship which is central to who we are as people of faith.
This year instead of giving something up for lent as many of you may do, maybe this year try adding something – ten minutes each morning of journaling, making one call to a friend each day or reading a psalm each evening. I’d like to encourage everyone to find a daily faith practice and add it to your routine. Adding something new to your day is a way to honor and remember Jesus’ sacrifice. As you do this practice each day reflect on how you are connecting with God. Drawing nearer to God, this is the heart of the lenten season.
Join us each Wednesday evening during lent for a soup dinner at 6:15 followed by a lenten bible study at 7:15.
Holy Week, April 1st through 8th -We enter Holy Week with Palm and Passion Sunday. During our 10 am worship we’ll move from the triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the communion table and betray that follows. Maundy Thursday we will share a feast and tell the story of the Last Super at 6:30. Good Friday worship will be hosted at Arlington Church of the Brethren with our ecumenical partners. Join us stand with all the saints before us at the cross of Jesus. Easter Sunday we will gather at 10 am to experience the joy and new life that comes on Easter morning.