It is almost time for Sunday School to begin again. The Adult Class will continue to view and discuss a video series produced by Focus on the Family, called “That the World May Know”. This is a unique video series that brings God’s Word to life with outstanding relevance. By weaving together the Bible’s fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, host Raynard Vander Laan (a teacher and historian) reveals keen insights into the Scriptures’ significance to modern believers. Bible readings and questions are also provided for discussion following the presentations which are filmed in the Holy Land. The result? Illuminating “faith lessons” that will stretch your convictions, strengthen your walk, and inspire you to impact your world. It doesn’t matter whether or not you were a part of this series when it started last Spring -- you are invited to join us in the Bethany room at 9:50 AM on most Sundays (we occasionally break from our series to attend other events occurring during the Sunday School hour) starting on the 12th of September.

The class is facilitated by Lloyd and Marsha Wasson. See us or call us with questions/comments (536-9114)

On September 19th, The Family Ministries/Sunday School Leadership Team will be hosting a pancake breakfast in the Fellowship Hall starting at 7:30 am. Come enjoy some piping hot pancakes and sausages before church or between services.

A drive to collect the following food items to be distributed in a monthly food box with In His Name program during the month of October. The food items needed are: Boxed Meals (ie: hamburger helper, mac & cheese) Canned goods (ie: meat, fruits, vegetables, stew) Cereals (hot or cold) Jelly Peanut Butter Rice or pasta Soups These non-perishable goods will supplement the produce and dairy products included in each box.

Place your food donations in the FOOD FEST collections boxes in the narthex.

The River Valley District UMW Annual Meeting will be held at Evangel UMC on Sat. Sept 11th from 8:30 AM-3PM. The Keynote speaker will be Naomi Yeager, UMW Greener America Team. Registration for lunch is $8.00. Please check the Bethany UMW bulletin board for more information and the registration form. Bethany has been asked to provide muffins for the morning registration time. If you would like to make some, please contact Jill Anderson. Supplies for Emma Norton and Emma's Place will be collected. With the meeting being right in Rochester, this would be a good time for us to learn more about the district and meet other UM Women from the expanded district. Reservations need to be made ASAP.

UMW Dates to Remember: The Annual UMW Potluck Salad Supper will be held the Third Tuesday of September. That is Tuesday, Sept. 21st at 6 PM in Fellowship Hall. Please bring a salad to share, or cheese and crackers, sliced tomatoes or other garden delights. Dessert will be provided. We would like to spend some time talking about what activities we can do during the coming year. We need your ideas or wishes.

The congregation of Hamline UMC invites you to visit our Dining Hall when you come to the Minnesota State Fair this year. We serve great food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Bring in your church bulletin and receive $3.00 off the dinner special. One “special” per bulletin, please. We look forward to greeting you at the Fair this year.

There are Prayer Shields available in the Narthex for anyone who wishes to join in daily prayer for our Bethany family members.

The Prayer Shawl Ministry would like to remind everyone that shawls are available to anyone. It doesn’t have to be a member of our church and it doesn’t have to be someone who is sick. It can be anyone that could use a hug from God for any reason, even someone in another state.

Join Pastor Wes in the Bethany room for the first of four 45-minute seminars entitled: Rethink Your Life – a Study of the Book of Acts. You will discover from the Bible truths that will help you rethink your activities, experiences and agenda as a believer in Jesus. The schedule follows: • 9:45 a.m. September 5 Acts 22-28

Fall is just around the corner and at Bethany the Mission Committee is once again drawing attention to our Missionaries Terry and Muriel Henderson, who are serving the Lord in Puebla, Mexico. Over the summer they were in the states visiting the churches that support their work in Mexico. We had the privilege of having them at Bethany on Sunday June 20th. They shared about their ministry through stories and a Power Point presentation.

The mission center the Hendersons have set up in Puebla is called The Tree of Life Training Center. At the center local staff are trained and instructed in ways to reach out and teach other nationals in the surroundings. Workshops are conducted in five areas: Church and Faith Development, Community and Family Health, Agricultural Development, Community Development and Livestock Development. Give Ye Them to Eat is a program they started and run similar to the Heifer Project where locals are trained, given animals to raise, and pass on some offspring to help others. Muriel reported that every year over 15,000 lives are touched and changed through the work at the training center. You can see more pictures and information about their work in Mexico on the Mission’s bulletin board in the hall. There is a display of the center, outreach areas and the work that is being done at the center.

The Hendersons are now back in Mexico where they will be doing the Lord’s work over the next three years. Muriel is happy to report her health has improved and she is feeling better than she has in months. This three year placement will be the last one for them as they will be retiring in 2013. We have the joy of supporting their mission work by finically supporting them through the United Methodist Church. Bethany has covenanted to give $1000.00 towards Terry and Muriel Henderson’s mission work. Please prayerfully consider your mission giving as you help carry on the Christian outreach they do in Mexico.

We are asking everyone to stop for a minute every day at noon and pray for our church ministries and provisions. Along with that, we ask that anyone who is able, to fast one meal a week for our church ministries and provisions. There is a tear off slip on the back of the bulletin for you to display in your home as a reminder.

You can bring your used inkjet and toner cartridges to the Rochester Public Library for recycling. If you’re going into the library, you can deposit your empty cartridges in the plastic bin just to the right of the main doors on the first floor. If you would rather drive up, you can take them to the drive up areas behind the library (on 1st Avenue SE) and drop them in the clear plastic bin to the left of the bookmobile garage door (next to the blue bin for Friends bookstore donations).

In order for our prayer life to be complete, it is important that we do not overlook prayers of praise and thanksgiving.

Often, it seems, our prayers focus on asking God to meet our wants and needs. Certainly this is an important and necessary part of our spiritual relationship with God, but maybe we should also consider prayers of praise and thanksgiving as part of our prayer life.

To encourage a fuller prayer life we are providing a bulletin board outside the pastor’s office for your use in sharing these prayers of joy. Posted prayers can be signed or unsigned. You may use the cards attached to the bulletin board or you can email your Praise Prayers to Sue at music@bethanyum.com and she will post them.

“I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders, I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:1-2

Imagine us reading through the New Testament together! Five chapters a week is all it takes. Please join us and pick up a schedule for the weekly readings at the Welcome Center. There are two layouts to choose from. This past week was Galatians 5 – Ephesians 3. This week is Ephesians 4 – Philippians 1. Also join us in using the Transformation Prayer Guide: Come, Lord Jesus, which is also available at the Welcome Center. Today begins week #36 on page 43.

Peg Boutelle recovering from knee surgery; Luke Knopp (Cathy Knopp's baby grandson); Mickie Stelck and Lawrence Zebaugh suffering difficult and chronic health concerns; our international missionaries: Terry & Muriel Henderson; church family members seeking employment; the development of 24/7 prayer in Rochester; the need for teachers and leaders in Sunday, faithfulness to and fruitfulness in our congregational mission and the supply of our financial needs, the ministries of Iglesia de Dios and Christway Church who share our building in worship and the spiritual transformation of the Rochester region.

There is now a new way to cut and save the Campbell’s soup labels. The front label is no longer accepted. We need to save the UPC label and the Labels for Education symbol (all in one piece). If you have questions, check out the UMW bulletin board or just turn in the entire label, making sure the UPC and the education symbol are in one piece. We also collect and send in the Boxtops for Education.

In the interest of building security and safety the following guidelines will apply. During evening meetings, gatherings, and choir practice all exterior doors are to be locked. The individual in charge of the group or gathering will be in charge of securing the building when leaving. All secure office doors are to be locked unless occupied by the person to whom the office is assigned.

If something needs repair, please leave a note with particulars and your name in the church office or the Trustees mailbox. If it is an emergency, please call a Trustee.

While the men’s group is financing the food for this project and the women’s group supplies the paper products, we as a church are asked to serve one another. This is just one way to serve. I welcome your service and ask God to bless the activities of preparation each Sunday as we greet each other in fellowship over coffee and treats. Please consider being a part of this team by contacting Denny Butterbaugh at 289-8898.

Copies of the Sunday sermons are available on CD call the church office to make arrangements to get one.

Visit www.prayrochester.com. Join Christians of many denominations who gather in homes and churches to cover Rochester night and day in prayer and worship! These united efforts are scheduled on Prayrochester.com! In addition, a team from Pray Rochester worships and prays on behalf of Rochester and its pastors weekly: Fridays from 10 a.m. to 11:30 am; and the third Thursday of each month from 11:30 am to 1 pm (during Rochester’s Evangelical Pastors' Fellowship meetings). Extended worship and prayer for the city occur Thursday evenings: 8:30 to 10 p.m.; and Saturdays: 7:45 to 9:15 p.m. People with a heart for this work are invited to join them. Call Greg and Deborah McIntire at 280-1948.

There is also the opportunity of giving stock to Bethany as a special gift in support of the building fund or as a memorial or for any other reason. This may also be advantageous for you in tax planning. There is an account set up for this at Bethany and it is a fairly simple procedure. If you have any questions or would like help in taking advantage of this plan, please talk to Marilyn Collins at 356-4433.

Did you know that you can give to Bethany through Electronic Funds Transfer? Some people find that this option helps them to be faithful in their stewardship of their resources. Using this allows you to set the amount you would like to give weekly or monthly and it is automatically transferred. No more envelopes to fill out each week. You can change or cancel at anytime.

The Sunday School is providing children’s activity bags for use during the worship service. These are available by the table in the narthex each Sunday. Each bag contains a sticker activity, coloring book, and activity book. Please feel free to have your children use these during the service and return the bag to the rack after the service. Children are free to take home the pictures they have created.

Large print Bibles and bulletins are available for your use during the service. Please ask an usher for assistance.

If you know of a college student that would like to receive their own copy of the Bethany Banner newsletter each month, please give their name and address to either Ed Fishel or leave the names in the church office for Sara.