If You Write It, They Might Believe It / Pastor Dan Baumgartner
The clank of iron. The smell of sweat. I was lifting weights at the gym...“While you do that,” a friend said, “I wanted to ask you a question. I wanted to know what you thought of The Da Vinci Code?”

Four Home Groups That Make a Difference
Sarah McMahon’s group formed about 4 years ago after she and her husband, Keith, attended a Marriage Enrichment workshop. Jill and Matt Bell are part of a home group which supports InterVarsity missionaries Alex and Mae Moore. Misty Grieger’s group found a service project that involved eight children between the ages of 2 and 7 along with seven adults...

How To Pray for Kenyan Friends in Soweto / Renee Frederickson
Our Kenyan sister in Christ, Peres, begins her every email message with greetings and joy. But sometimes her news is hard: The community lost two sons one week...

Meet the Staff: Gary Talbert / by Gail Beran Neils
For the last five years, music director Gary Talbert has faithfully worked to enhance our times of worship at Bethany. Most of us would assume he chose this occupation. He would say it chose him...

Session Retreat on the Sound
Session members were surrounded by good friends, ate grilled salmon and watched the sun go down over Puget Sound at the annual retreat Friday and Saturday, May 19 and 20. They prayed by name over hundreds of people you love. Then they sat on the beach, reflecting on what it means to follow Christ.

The weekend started with small groups of three or four meeting for a meal together on Friday night. After a good night’s sleep, everyone gathered early Saturday morning at the home of John and Nancy Leonard. Over coffee we heard brief stories from new elders, talked about the expectations for the day, reviewed the themes of previous retreats and began to memorize Ephesians 4:4-6 together. Tara Taylor then led us in worship.

With a little Biblical background from Pastor Dan, Dianne Ross led an engaging discussion on “working in teams.” Session members then broke into groups to talk about an article from Gordon MacDonald called “Travels with Jesus” that traced the different ways God has moved over one person’s lifetime.

After a light lunch, it was quiet. Everyone found a place, sitting in a corner or walking on the beach, to be with God for an hour. Later, Dan led a discussion on “The Great Experiment,” exploring ways to look differently at being the church. A number of common modern criticisms of “church” were listed out, and in small groups we tried to be honest about the ones which were valid for Bethany. We then joined again in worship.

Free time in the afternoon allowed a fiercely competitive game of bocce ball to unfold on the lawn, along with beach walks, naps and conversation. The group had dinner outdoors, then prayed through the entire Bethany directory. If Eugene Peterson is right that sabbath has to do with “praying and playing,” then this Session retreat felt like sabbath.

On the Calendar
see interactive calendar for complete listing

Car-Free Sunday
July 2 and every first Sunday of the month through October
Leave your cares and your cars behind and take the slow route to church. Carpool, bus, bike, walk – your choice—but make it a celebration, not a chore. Meet friends for lunch, make it a family-and-friends outing to Seattle Center, the zoo, your favorite urban destination. And know you’re doing something good for God’s Earth.

VBS Craft Preparation Night
5-9 pm Mon, July 10, at Kylie Kypreos’ home

Hike with Sara!
Fri, July 14

Set up for VBS
noon-2:30 pm Sun, July 16

VBS: Son Treasure Island
9:30-noon Mon-Fri, July 17-21 at Bethany
Finally— the time has come for 130 children to grab their flip flops, sun hats and head to Son Treasure Island VBS. We will learn about and experiencing God’s Great Love as we explore 1 Corinthians 13. Campers are reminded to begin to earn money now for the youth missions project.

• Children going into 1st-5th grades in the fall meet their camp leaders in the lobby of the Fellowship Hall.
• Pre-school children find their groups in the education wing…the “tower door” by the lawn will open at 9:30 am.

Classes are full except the older elementary classes. If you know of a rising 4th-5th grader who would like to attend, please pick up a registration form from the church office or the table in the lobby; and mail it to Holly Royston, Camp Registrar.

If your family hasn’t already done so, please pick up your CD or cassette of the music on a Sunday morning after church (in the lobby area), or during the week from the church office (3 Howe St).

How can you, as a member of the church, support this ministry?
Please pray each day for the children, the 100+ adult leaders, and 40 youth leaders. If you can, also bring some baked goods or fruit/veggie platters to help sustain the adult and teen volunteers. Contact Cindy Kegley at 282-7305 if you can help in this way. Or, attend the “craft prep” night on July 10 from 5-9 pm at Kylie Kypreos’ home (525-3444).

Treasure Island Festival
noon-2 pm Thurs, July 20
The congregation is invited to come and hear the children sing their songs, see a skit, have a great lunch (free for campers and volunteer staff) and enjoy carnival-type games on the lawn.

VBS Children Sing
9 & 10:45 am Sun, July 23
VBS kids will also sing one or two of their favorite songs in morning worship, sharing the joy of God’s Love.

Camp Firwood
July 30-August 5 in Bellingham
For older elementary children.

Baptism Class
5 pm Wed, Aug 2 in the Parlor

Mission Trip: Kenya
August 10-26

KOA Camping
August 11-13 in Lynden

Bethany Family Swim Night
7:30 pm Fri, Aug 18, at the Magnolia pool

Men’s Retreat
September 29-October 1 at Warm Beach

News & Notes
The Giving Tree
Find items for your baby or children, or sign up to share some items, by checking out the new “Giving Tree” bulletin board located on the wall to the right of the toddler room. This is an opportunity to share resources with one another.

Send messages to our children in Kenya
When the 2006 team from Bethany goes to Kenya in August, they are willing to carry letters or cards to our sponsored children. Drop your messages in the box in the lobby through July 30. No gifts or bulky envelopes, please. We don’t want to create a burden for our team members.

Wednesday Night Dinner Volunteers
Helping us to care for our dinner guests. Contact Janet Moore at 284-2222, ext. 19, or janetvm@bethanypc.org

Births

• Avery Lynn Gronholz May 26 to parents Scott & Marisa Gronholz
• Catherine Virginia Craig May 27 to parents Jim & Christine Craig

Baptism

• Asha Angeline Windus June 11. Parent is Angie Windus

Address correction

• Christy & Bryce Mansfield
  1707 NE 80th St.
  Seattle, WA 98115-4451

Session Notes / by Chuck McFarland, Clerk of Session
At the June meeting, Tara Taylor pointed the group toward Christ through music, prayer, and sharing. Steve Jones presented the Treasurer’s Report which transitioned into discussion on the deficit, communication plans, and historical trending on giving. Pastor Dan announced that John Chase has accepted the role of Interim Discipleship Ministry Coordinator.

Dan then started a discussion on the authoritative nature of scripture, and suggested that we often define “authority” in worldly terms and then figure out how the Bible fits that. An alternative would be to look at what scripture says about “authority” first. The authority usually mentioned in Scripture is God’s authority, acting to judge sin and evil, and thus free people. In one sense, the Bible is authoritative because God uses it for this purpose. Session ended with everyone back in small groups praying for Bethany.