Come to think of it, the time is always right for

songs of loyalty and love for Jesus, and for deeds of

love and kindness.

Jesus people should always be ready for both …

especially at Christmastime.

BY KEN PIERPONT

It’s a cold December evening in the western suburbs

of Chicago. The Year of our Lord 2006.

We’re gathered in the family room enjoying the

warmth, light, and fragrance of the fire. Our Christmas

tree glows in the corner. I’ve read some Christmas

stories to the family. Now we’re listening to carols on

Moody Radio. Hannah is puttering

with some cookbooks and reading

cookie recipes aloud.

I like what I hear. Within an hour

she’s got a couple sheets of cookies

cooling on the counter.

Outside, there is a noise. We are

working for a ministry that employs a

number of single young people. In the evenings they

are responsible for their own meals. They are at an age

when they are rarely unwilling to eat if they are offered

food. When I hear the noise outside, I know what’s

coming … I get up and turn off the radio. From outside

our door we can hear carols. I walk over to the counter

without a word and pick up a large tray of fresh

cookies. They are still warm from the oven.

I swing open the door. Carols pour into the

room. When the cluster of young people finish their

singing, I walk out with the cookies. They eagerly clear

the tray. They smile and chatter. Their faces are red

from the cold.

“Thank you. How did you know we were coming?”

“We didn’t. We just happened to have some fresh

cookies ready. Your timing was perfect,” I said.

We bid them good night and Merry Christmas, and

they returned the greeting, shuffling off into the

night. This time of year, it’s always perfect timing for

songs about Jesus. It’s always perfect timing for

kindness and cookies.

PARSON’S CORNER

A Christmas scene with a timeless message on timing

Michigan’s “tunnel of trees” along M-119

THIS IS THE MONTH, and this the happy morn, Wherein the Son of Heav'n's eternal King, Of wedded Maid, and Virgin Mother born, Our great redemption from above did bring; For so the holy sages once did sing, That he our deadly forfeit should release, And with his Father work us a perpetual peace.

That glorious Form, that Light unsufferable, And that far-beaming blaze of Majesty, Wherewith he wont at Heav'n's high council-table, To sit the midst of Trinal Unity, He laid aside, and here with us to be, Forsook the courts of everlasting day, And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay.

Say Heav'nly Muse, shall not thy sacred vein Afford a present to the Infant God? Hast thou no verse, no hymn, or solemn strain, To welcome him to this his new abode, Now while the heav'n, by the Sun's team untrod, Hath took no print of the approaching light, And all the spangled host keep watch in squadrons bright?

- John Milton, “On the Morning of Christ's Nativity”

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Bethel’s OCC collection week

The annual ingathering is

complete. Packed

shoeboxes are off to their

destinations – both in the

U.S. and then on to points

around the world – all

20,713 of them registered at

Bethel during the week of

Nov. 11-18.

Operation Christmas

Child boxes will be

distributed to these

countries around the world:

Ghana, Tanzania, Philippines, Madagascar, Togo, Uganda

and Rwanda.

Many hands went into this year’s gathering. Bethel gave

$2,349 in special offerings to offset the expense of

shipping for boxes contributed, but without shipping costs

included. Chris Kelp had a bake sale to earn some of that

money. Many ladies donated time and material to make

backpacks, marble bags, pencil bags, and hats – Nina

Laskowski, Linda Johnson, Ernie Raymond, Lyn Lehman,

Noreen Litchard, Lisa Lazarus, and Chris Kelp. Various

groups – senior high, middle schoolers, Northwest and

Awana kids put together 261 boxes, which were

augmented by the Bethel’s 126 boxes, for a total of 387.

Regional coordinator Christina Callender summarized

the week: “So here we are at the end of National

Collection Week and what a busy eight days we had. So

many wonderful people we have met, worked alongside,

laughed with, prayed with, and cried with.”

Yes, there is real-life drama to this ministry. As

shoeboxes came in, they were prayed over – sometimes

with individual donors. And that puts the outcome, the

harvest, where it belongs – in the strong and capable arms

of the Lord of the Harvest.

MID-DECEMBER TO MID-JANUARY

12/15 Linda Johnson, Megan Pilarz 12/17 Ryan Vuich 12/18 Don Beans, Ella Williams, Mike Miller 12/19 Ray Kammel 12/21 Heather Dorbeck, 12/22 Noah McCallum 12/23 Joseph Younkin / 12/26 Keegan Betz 12/29 Luann Bennett / 12/30 Langston Williams 12/31 Jim Abbott 01/02 Chris Arnold, Caleb McCallum, Mike Vanderwalker, Nate Walkowski 01/06 Gladys Myers 01/07 Joel Metcalf, Daryle Rhoades / 01/08 JC Rockey 01/11 Sandra McGlade, Abbie Parsons, Avrianna Smith 01/14 Kelly Linn

Chris prays over a shoebox.

Bits ‘n’ Pieces f

Enduring Impact. For 15 or so years – during the ‘80s

and early ‘90s – Bethel presented a weekend, church-

based Bethlehem Marketplace event. Held in early

December each year, it used live-drama in our downstairs

social hall and an ongoing, looping program of Christmas

music in the worship center. The gospel message was

presented during the event. You might think the event

would be long forgotten. Just last month, Pastor Ken told

someone in the community what church he pastors, and

the response was what many of us have experienced –

“Oh, yes – that’s the church that put on the Bethlehem

Marketplace.” Music and drama – however packaged –

always impact people in gospel presentations. And

people do remember.

Annual Budget. Members of the church met for a

brief business session after the Nov. 18 worship service

and took care of

the quarterly

financial reports

and approved the

budget for 2019.

Giving has been up

in recent months,

and that has

allowed for a

healthy increase to staff and other areas. The budget total

for 2019 will be $498,588, as compared to $464,004 in

2018. The monthly need to meet budget this year has

been $38,667. The need for 2019 will be $41,549 per

month.

Membership. Also at the business meeting, the

congregation affirmed the elders’ recommendation that

the following persons be welcomed as new members:

Kaile Hengesbaugh, Ed and Sunday Creech, Denise

Jordan, Dan and Rosemary Jayne. Kaile was baptized

earlier during the service by Jay Johnson, who with his

wife Jody has played a key role in mentoring Kaile. The

Jaynes were welcomed back as past members who have

been in other communities for several years due to Dan’s

employment.

Bethelites in ministry. The month of December began

with more than a dozen Bethel young people and adults

involved in Grace School of Dance’s Christmas

production. On Dec. 7, the Celebration Ringers were

guests, along with some dancers from Grace, at the

historic Concord Opera House for a library-sponsored

holiday program. In late November, several Bethelites

served breakfast at the Jackson Inter-Faith Shelter for

what has become an every-Tuesday service. These and

other examples demonstrate that the people of Bethel are

involved in various public ministries within the greater

community, outside the church walls.

SYMPATHIES TO …

- the family of Harold Dubois, a former Bethel

member, who went to be with the Lord on Dec. 5.

Judy explains the church budget.

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blessed since birth to never have been in that type of

situation. I know I take it for granted sometimes. Plus, food

is super yummy. Well, most of it.

Day 14: I'm thankful for my girl (Lily, for those that don't

know). Words can't express how thankful for each and

every day I get to be her momma. There have been and will

be challenging days, for sure. But God has blessed us with

her. Her testimony through the way she has handled the

adversity in her life is something that I pray the Lord

continues to use and grow.

Day 21: On the day before Thanksgiving in 2005 (it was

Nov. 23, to be exact) we got the news that we would be

having a baby boy. And that baby boy would be born with

spina bifida. It sure made it hard to be thankful that year,

honestly. But today I can say I am so thankful for Adam

and all that God has taught us and showed us through his

beautiful life. Being the parent of a child with special needs

is hard. But it drives me to my knees and has taught me

truths about the God I serve that I may have never known.

Day 24: This. I’m thankful for this (see photo below).

There are no words to express how thankful I am for the

gift of Lily’s healing from cancer. Lily’s favorite verse is

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is

unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen

is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18. How fitting to be reminded

this season that life isn’t about the things of this earth, but

of things above. Praise the Lord.

Day 25: I am thankful for my

Bethel Church family. Having

grown up there, and now

raising my kids there, I am so

thankful for the people that

have helped us along the way.

God has blessed us with godly

friends and for that I am

grateful.

Starting Nov. 1 and through last month, Dala Alderman

featured on her Facebook page daily reasons she had to be thankful. Here is a sampling:

Day 1: I am

thankful that, by

the grace of

God, I survived

October and

have arrived in

November in

one piece. This

is nothing short

of a miracle.

Day 4: Today

we celebrated

communion at

church, as it is our tradition to do the first of every month. I

was reminded how thankful I am for the gift of eternal life

through Christ Jesus my Lord.

Day 6: Thankful for my right to vote. As a woman. As a

Christian. As an American. Our country isn’t perfect, but I

do not want to take for granted the right I have that so many

in other countries do not have.

Day 11: I am thankful for my hubby. He put in some

LONG hours this weekend to hang out with teenagers to

invest in their lives. He went to the WHS football game on

Friday in Zeeland with the WHS band (not arriving home

until almost 2:15 a.m. because of crazy weather). Then he

was with the Jr. High Robotics team from Michigan Center

on Saturday from 8 a.m. (yes, that's only about 5.5 hours

after getting home from the football game) until almost 7

p.m. for the Robotics match. He gave up a higher paying

job as an engineer to work with kids. Need I say more?

Day 13: I am thankful for food. Ever ready, accessible,

in-excess food. I’ve never experienced real starvation or not

knowing where the next meal would come from. God has

THANKSGIVING

A journal of Gratitude: Dala’s blessing count

Pete and Dala Alderson with Lily and Adam.

We elders at Bethel have always

prayed, but not always so regularly

together. Each Saturday morning for

several years now, the elders have

gathered for prayer.

Once a month our meeting is

primarily for the purpose of

discussing points on an agenda –

matters ranging from new

membership requests to new

directions in evangelism and discipleship. Before Pastor

Ken presented both of those strategies to the

congregation, the elders discussed them at length,

offering insights and coming up with modifications that

seem good to all of us.

Elders serve three-year terms, with periodically a

year off the board; we sometimes

confer with men who have been

elders and who, for various

reasons, are not currently serving.

In Nov. 10, for instance, we held a

time of prayer and discussion with

several past elders and the man

who served as our interim pastor –

Jim Lacy.

The point is that the elders are

meeting in regular times of prayer to discuss all that

affects Bethel’s spiritual life and its future. As we pray

for the continuing well-being of Bethel’s people, we

invite you to pray for us. After all, if it is true that we are

“better together,” that means from leadership to the least-

engaged among us. Pray along with us. – Ken Wyatt

ELDERS NOTEBOOK: We gather, we share, we pray

Lily’s Survivor medal

4

Pastor Ken tells the story of two

Mike Green at the Grill.

Pastor Ken and daughter Hope haul their tree at Granny D’s Christmas tree farm.

Youth group gathering at the Halls on Nov. 25.

Bethel’s Celebration Ringers at the Concord Opera House for a Dec. 7 Bells & Ballet program.

Don Elfe greets Edith Ryan after the Dec. 9 service. Edith had observed her 103rd birthday the day before. She is beloved by all at Bethel

and attends as often as possible.

Christina Callender prays over the shoeboxes that arrived Monday morning, Nov 12.

Phil Augustine and others unload a trailer full of shoeboxes from Northwest Baptist Church.

Pastor Ken and children pray over Bethel’s shoeboxes.

Bethel

Fotos

-

A taste of

Christmas

Bethel folks serve breakfast at the Inter-Faith Shelter.

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THE CAROLS OF CHRISTMAS: Some Memorable Couplets As a yuletide challenge, we’ve gathered some memorable lines from 20 Christmas carols. See how many you can identify. Answers are boxed on p. 6. 1. "Born to reign in us forever, Now that gracious kingdom bring." 2. "No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground." 3. "Heaven's arches rang when the angels sang, Proclaiming Thy royal decree." 4. "The world in solemn stillness lay To hear the Angels sing." 5. "Come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the new-born King." 6. "Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th' incarnate deity." 7. "Then entered in those wise men three, Full rev'rently upon their knee." 8. “Dear baby Jesus, how tiny thou art. I'll make a place, for thee in my heart.” 9. "Jesus the Savior did come for to die for poor, orn'ry people like you and like I." 10. "So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heav'n." 11. "Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv'n; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing."

12. "Radiant beams from Thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth." 13. "Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth." 14. "He has opened heaven's door, And man is blessed forevermore." 15. "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men." 16. "And our eyes at last shall see Him Thro' His own redeeming love;" 17. "Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay Close by me forever, and love me, I pray." 18. "Prayer and praising, all men raising, Worship Him, God on high." 19. "At His feet we humbly fall, Crown Him! crown Him, Lord of all!" 20. "If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; Yet what I can I give him: give my heart.”

BY MIKE GREEN

Remember the Dunkin Donuts commercial – “Time

to make the donuts”? When our alarm clock goes off at

5 a.m. on Tuesday mornings, Agnieszka and I have a

kindred spirit with Fred the donut maker – except for

one thing. Tuesday mornings have become the

highlight of our week! What a joy it is to go to the

Interfaith Shelter, don our plastic gloves and hairnets

to serve 50 to 60 people with scrambled eggs or

sausage gravy and biscuits.

We’re so thankful for Paula and Jody initiating such

a worthy ministry. They make a great team! Paula is

our captain and organizer, always encouraging us and

making sure that everyone gets a chance to be

involved. Jody has such a servant’s heart with different

ideas of what we can cook. She also does a great job of

encouraging everyone. Usually we pray twice during

our time there. The first time is so God will be with us

as we prepare the food. The second prayer happens just

before we serve breakfast, that we will be a blessing to

those we serve, with the hope that God will open the

way for us to share the gospel.

John 1.17b says, “Grace and truth came through

Jesus Christ”. As Christ-followers, we’re in the

process of becoming more like Him. This includes

following Christ’s example in sacrificially expressing

grace to others. This ministry, I think, is a concrete way to

give concrete help to others – just as Christ did. It is a step

of faith. We don’t know if someone will come to Christ,

although we hope they will. But I feel that we do such

things, not with “strings” attached, but rather with the

motivation to become more like our Father and His Son.

Thank you, Lord, for giving us your grace that we can

pass on to others – and thank you Bethel for giving your

time and resources that allow this ministry to exist.

Mike and Agnieszka Green, who serve in her native

Poland as missionaries with World Venture, are home on

furlough. Mike is from Jackson.

MINISTRY

Serving Jesus, with scrambled eggs, gravy and faith

Bethel’s team at the grill of the Jackson Interfaith Shelter.

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(Answers from Carols, p. 5.) 1. Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus; 2. Joy to the World; 3. Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne; 4. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear; 5. Angels We Have Heard on High; 6. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing; 7. The First Noel; 8. The Star Carol; 9. I Wonder as I Wander; 10. O Little Town of Bethlehem; 11. O Come, All Ye Faithful; 12. Silent Night; 13. O Holy Night; 14. Good Christian Men, Rejoice; 15. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day; 16. Once in Royal David's City; 17. Away in a Manger; 18. We Three Kings; 19. Who Is He in Yonder Stall?; 20. In the Bleak Mid-Winter.