Belonging / Pastor Dan Baumgartner
"In life and in death we belong to God." One of the Presbyterian Church Confessions begins with these words, and it is a good place to start telling you about Luke...

A Framework for Evangelism
Ken Windus, Edler for Adult Education
In recent months our congregation has been encouraged in a number of ways to look for opportunities to share our faith. Bethany already has some effective programs, like the Alpha Course, but many of us find the idea of personal evangelism daunting...

Women's Getaway Weekend or Day!
Linda Cutshall, Director of Congregational Care
Here's an invitation that's hard to resist! Slow down, reflect and pray, rediscover God's presence. Meet new people, deepen relationships, Laugh, sing, play and rest. Enjoy the good company of other women ages 18-88 from every stage of life...

Spring Renewal Weekend
Ken Windus, Elder for Adult Christian Education
The Adult Christian Education team has settled into a pattern of offering a Renewal Weekend twice a year for the Bethany community. For each of these weekends we bring in a compelling speaker who addresses issues that affect how we follow Jesus in our daily lives individually and communally.

The speaker for this year's Spring Renewal Weekend is Jeff Van Duzer. Besides being a member of our community, Jeff is also the Dean of the School of Business and Economics at Seattle Pacific University. He has taught and written extensively on business ethics and will be publishing a book this fall with InterVarsity Press.

During the Spring Renewal Weekend Jeff will be speaking on the theology of business, specifically addressing issues abou the appropriate role and limits of business in today's world.

Jeff will speak on Friday evening, April 30 and Saturday morning, May 1 at Bethany. Details will follow in the coming weeks.

Art as a Means of Pointing to Christ
Larry Chen, Elder for the Arts
Creative expression is often the product of a transformative process. In fact, you could say that Christ's work of transformation in our lives is the ultimate creative expression! So, as I was considering this amongst the lilies, I thought about how art can point both the artist and the audience to Christ...

Family Game Night: April 30
Scott Gronholz, Director for Youth Ministries
In November, the Middle School Youth Group hosted our first ever Family game night...

Further Adventures with Henri Nouwen / Brad Ward
Our Lenten devotional this season provided an introduction to the work of a modern-day mystic. Henri Nouwen, in his own unique style, was able to show us how Christ can work in our lives to heal wounds and mend souls. What is it that makes his work so popular?...

Bethany Intern, David Sarciciolli / David Salciciolli
By now, many of us have had the opportunity to meet. Sometimes I am called "Mr. Sausage," but my formal name is David Salciciolli...

Construction Zone
If you've been hearing hammers, drills or odd humming sounds around Bethany, it could be for one of the following reasons...

• surveyers and an architectural firm recently hired by Bethany are proceeding on measuring, planning and the permit process for the seismic retrofit project you have heard about
• Mike Christensen and his hardy band of volunteers are finishing the 3 Howe basement into usable space - shower, workshop, storage and a meeting room
• expending network cable so that the internet is accessible in the Parlor and education wing

In the midst of it all, the Bethany campus continues to flourish with ministry and community events: Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, In It Together (multi-church work on acute needs in the community), Little Friends Preschool, Alpha, Wednesday Night Dinner, Lenten Wednesday worship times, Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday children's ministry, Sunday children's ministry, Sunday worship and education, and much more. Our facilities are a huge blessing and tool for ministry.

Children's Ministries

Easter Celebration
A few years ago a middle schooler told her mom “ I HAVE to go to the Easter celebration and put a flower on the cross…it’s part of my tradition!”

What is the flower cross? What’s the Easter Celebration?

For ten years all the children have gathered in the Fellowship Hall during their 9:00 am Sunday school or 10:45 am worship education hour to celebrate the resurrection through songs, experience a presentation of the meaning of Easter, build the flower cross, and then “go out into the world to share the good news of Jesus Christ” using chalk on the sidewalks.

The presentations have included skits, puppet shows, Haitian dancing, and one act plays. All children age 2 and above should bring a fresh cut flower or two to “put into the cross.”

Children begin in worship as normal, go to their classrooms after Children’s Time as normal, and are picked up in their classrooms as normal. What happens in between is anything but normal; after all, it’s Easter….

Christian Camping for Elementary Kids!
Tall Timbers …Firwood…. Camp Ghormly….Warm Beach….these are just
a few of the manyChristian camps in our area that Bethany children have attended in the past ten years.

Check out these camp websites and talk with other parents to find out dates that your kids friends might be attending. This is a great way to grow in Christ and build friendships within the Bethany community.

At the moment I know that some of our Bethany kids are attending the last session of the summer at Firwood (August 29 - September 3) and some of our older boys are going to Tall Timbers the week of July 12.

Please let Dianne know when your child will be going so the Children's Ministry team can be praying for your children!

4th Grade Milestone
Our milestone program for all ages of elementary children will this year add a 4 th grade “environmental stewardship” milestone. All 4 th graders and their families will work in the SPU organic community garden on Saturday, April 24. Be watching for more emails with specific information!

SONQUEST Rainforest
Fellowship Hall and all our classrooms will be turned into mini jungles this summer for the July 19-23 Vacation Bible CAMP.

Pray for the children and leaders who will be attending. If you’d also like to help teach, work with crafts, snacks, music, recreation, or nursery contact Dianne or Holly.

High schoolers will be recruited to be in the skits, music ensemble, missions, and lead elementary recreation or serve in the nursery; middle schoolers will be classroom helpers.

On the Calendar
see interactive calendar for complete listing

Wednesday Night Dinner
Wednesdays, 5:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall

Healing Prayer
1st Sunday of the month after the 10:45 am service on the Sanctuary balcony
3rd Sunday of the month after the 5 pm service on the Sanctuary balcony

Maundy Thursday Service
Thursdays, April 1, 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary

Easter Services
Sunday, April 4, 7:15, 9 & 10:45 am in the Sanctuary

Easter Receptions
following the first two services in the Fellowship Hall

Women's Retreat
April 23-25 at Camp Berachah

Session Notes
On Thursday, March 9 the Elders and Staff gathered for our monthly Session Meeting. During our time together we reviewed the budget, the seismic retrofit project and spent some time discussing Walter Brueggemann’s “19 Theses.”

Dr. Brueggemann is a speaker, author and professor of Old Testament at Columbia Seminary and his “19 Theses” provided for some thought provoking discussion both in small groups of elders and then in the group as a whole.

The Session Meeting also included the annual joint meeting of the Deacons and Elders. This proved to be a rich time of getting
to know each other and praying together over our individual areas of ministry.

News & Notes

Births

• Hannah Burke Royston March 18