I was reading over some of my notes from a New Year’s sermon a number of years ago, and I was surprised at how applicable it still was today in spite of all that continues to change around us. Here are some excerpts.

I was sitting in the truck in the parking lot of a shopping center in Washington, NC, one day, and an older, thin man came riding along on a bicycle. He would stop at each of the drink machines or newspaper boxes and put his fingers in the coin return slots. He was looking for some treasures that others had left behind. He was looking for change.

In the last election a young woman stepped into the booth, pulled the curtain shut, looked over the list of names that had been there before, and then cast her vote for someone new. She was looking for change.

The man sat by the bed of his sick wife for hours, and then days and weeks, looking for any sign of improvement. He was looking for some change.

I am not ashamed to say, many times I have fallen down on my knees in church or at home, praying to God for my family, for a friend, or for some situation, or for me. I was looking for change.

Change can be defined in many ways. Most often it is not as predictable as the amount of coins left over when you purchase a drink or a newspaper from a vending machine. Change is inevitable. It can evoke many different responses.

In the business world you are taught that change is inevitable and those who embrace it are the ones who will be successful. You are taught to constantly be assessing your business and the market place around you, and if you fail to do that, change will overtake you and leave you behind.

An example of that is the frog in the pot of water. If you set it on the stove and gradually turn up the heat, the frog will be unaware that anything is changing, and although he could easily jump out of the pot at any time, he will sit in the water until he boils to death.

Sin is change. Sin is different than what God had planned for us. If we are not reading His word, praying, and in fellowship with His people, and seeking His will in our life, it can sneak up on us. What may have started out as a swim in the warm pool of pleasures, can turn into a pot of boiling water.

So, are things changing around us? Have things already changed around us? The answer is always yes.

Will it affect you? It almost always does. As it relates to your faith, does change mean that your core fundamental beliefs or who you are as a follower of Christ should change? No, absolutely not, but it can mean the way we approach our calling to reach the lost in an ever changing world might need to be adjusted.

Jesus knew that He would bring change and He was fully prepared to embrace it, even to the point of death. Where do we stand? You don’t have to go from place to place looking for change, like the old man on the bike riding from vending machine to vending machine or travel through the desert following yonder star like the three wise men.

The child of change is ready to do a work in your life today, right where you are. He can make an everlasting difference for you, for your family, in our church, in our community, in our nation, and around the world. As we begin 2020, remember: He is only a prayer away.

Ken Mann

Monthly Schedule:

Milah Meekins Circle: Thursday, January 2, 7:00 pm Hosts: Liz Ann and Becky

Baum / Gibbs Circle: Monday, January 6, 7:00 pm

S.A.L.T. Sisters: Monday, January 13, 6:30 pm

Bethany’s Table: Wednesday, January 15, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Meal Preparation Day Thursday, January 16, Meals packed 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Deliveries 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

United Methodist Men: Thursday, January 23, 6:30 pm Dinner and Fellowship

Special Dates: New Year’s Day, January 1 Epiphany, January 6 Baptism of the Lord, January 12 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18-25 Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 20

Weekly Meetings at Bethany:

Sunday 8:30 am Morning Worship (Praise and

Worship) 9:45 am Sunday School (Classes for All Ages) 11:00 am Morning Worship (Traditional) His K.R.E.W (After Children’s Sermon)

(Ages K through 5th grade) 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm His K.R.E.W

Children and Youth Program

Tuesday 7:00 pm Adult Choir Practice Preschool

Tuesday - Thursday 8:30 am – 12:00 noon

Pastor: Ken Mann Church 252-473-5254

Home 252-473-3024 Cell 252-305-6402

Email: obxtv@embarqmail.com

Web Site: www.bethanyunited.com Face Book: www.facebook.com/BUMC2016 Email: bethanyuncnetwork@gmail.com Pod Cast: www.bethanyumc.sermon.net

1 - Anne Ross 5 – Bernard and Mary 1 - Colby Davenport Dunlo 2 - Robert Ruhle 5 – Charles and Janelle 3 - Bobbi Payne Parrish 3 - Jewel Mavrommatis 9 – Jonathan and Taryn 4 - James Ruhle Flowers 4 – Keyonna Brodie 13 – Corky and Millie 5 - Tricia Tawes Barkley 5 - Holly Redmon 21 – Ken and Paula 6 - Robin Daniels Mann 6 - Nan Willis 26 – Jay and Patti 8 - Darren Bay Saunders Austin 9 - Benjamin Midgett 28 – Billy Carl and Gayle 10 - Ryder Payne Tillett 10 - Wayne Gray 10 - Connie Daniels 11 - Keri Simmons 13 - Chance Silvestre-Tillett 14 - Dionne Glover 17 - Haley Flowers 18 - Landin Wells 18 – Aiden Coronado 19 - Mike Brisson 19 - Kenny Midgett 22 - Crystal Gray 25 - Yvonne Austin 27 - Melodye Callaway 27 - Christian Cudworth 29 - Thomas Baum 30 - Jenn James 30 - Robert Quinn 30 - Misty Curles HOW TO FIND PEACE Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is. —Amy Carmichael

HUMAN RELATIONS DAY Sunday, January 19 The United Methodist Book of Discipline describes Human

Relations Day as a call to “the Church to recognize the right of all God’s children in realizing their potential as human beings in relationship with each other.” On Sunday, January 26 during the 11:00 worship service, we will observe Memorial Sunday. We will invite family members who have lost a loved one this year to be our guests. There will be a candle for each loved one who passed away between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019.

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP Begins January 9, 2020 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm This is a 13-week group, each session is “self-contained” so

you do not have to attend in sequence. Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church 300 Ananias Dare Street, Manteo Contact 252-473-2089 to register or for more info.

Trustee Meeting – Wednesday, January 8 – 7:00 pm Finance Meeting – Thursday, January 9 – 7:00 pm Church Council Meeting – Wednesday, January 15 6:30 pm SPPRC Meeting – Monday, January 20 – 7:00 pm

Greetings from your Church Council,

I continually like to reflect back to being asked to

serve as Chair of the Church Council. After much

prayer and consideration, my family and I decided

the time was right for me to accept the position in

October 2018. At that time there was a lot of

disagreement on how to get the Church moving

forward and doing the true work of the Lord.

As we started meeting in January of 2019, I was

excited to have a new pastor in Ken Mann, some

new faces on the council, and an attitude of

looking forward at the possibilities versus looking

in the mirror. We continually had to create a

positive attitude of what we could achieve if we all

were pulling in the same direction. We started

planning fund raisers, music opportunities, sermon

lessons that complimented our new direction, and,

low and behold, we were being blessed each week.

Success when all parts are working in unison can be

contagious, and that is what was occurring.

Fast forward to December of this year and the

rewards were evidenced in our attendance and

financial contributions. We were able to pay all our

obligations including paying down on the debt

substantially. We also have been able to leave

enough in our general operating fund to get a solid

start in 2020.

I want to thank all our Council Board for their

active participation all year. It is only when we are

all pulling together to do God's work that we can

succeed. I look forward to opportunities in 2020.

Merry Christmas Bill Wilson

LUNCH AT LONE CEDAR We sold a total of 1045 plates. Total money collected $10,489.00 This money was used to pay on

The principal on the debt.

The Bethany Church Family would like to thank Marc, Vicki and Caroline Basnight, and the Lone Cedar staff for hosting and providing food for our

annual fund raiser held in memory of Lessie Tillett and Sandy Basnight. We would like to thank Joby Beasley for donating the shrimp for the dinner. Also, thank you to everybody who sold or purchased tickets, and everybody who made a dessert for the Lone Cedar Lunch Fund Raiser.

WANCHESE CHRISTMAS A special thank you to all who baked cookies for the Wanchese tree lighting. CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

Thank you to the Men and Ladies Sunday School Class for getting the fruit to hand out at the end of the Children’s Christmas Program. A big thank you to Gregory and Yvonne Austin for bagging and seeing the fruit was ready to be handed out that night. The offering at the Christmas program went to Hatteras United Methodist Church Food Pantry. We donated $480.01. BETHANY COMMUNITY CHOIR The offering we took up during the performance at Bethany Church went to Hosea House. We donated $1201.00

NEW PRAYER CONCERNS Tish Ambrose Ted Hemilright Russell Berry Dylan Hughes Tom Biggs Denise Mann Matthew Cabana Minta Meekins Angelique Furr Lindsey Robertson Tony Sawyer

George Bonner Unspoken Logan Bonner Unsaved Elizabeth Chabay Care Givers Kyle Gaskill, Jr. Commercial Fishermen Corey Jackson Haiti Colby Moore Our Nation and Leaders John Snider People of Hatteras, Ocracoke Jackson Utz and The Bahamas People in Nursing Homes Those in Prison

ONGOING PRAYERS Marc Basnight Paul Leary Stephen Bateman Kylee Mann Tom Baum Trish Manning Liz Brown Babs Meekins Algie Campbell Edward “Eb” Meekins Frank Carpenter Janice Midgett Mattie Daniels Carpenter Roy Murray Joel Diaz Ciara Norman Joe Doak Eunice Phelps Winnie Dowdy Teresa Quidley Bradley English Terry Rogers Phillip Etheridge Alex Ross Billy Fields Mary Ross Vernon Gilbert James and Kathy Ruhle Dionne Glover Craig Saunders Jean Hall Betsy Schecter Diane Hirsch Tom Slater Rev. Dr. Jerry Jackson Zelda Smith Ainsley Johnson Hank Stock Bethany Johnson Jim Tawes Louis Johnson Carrie Wynn Susan Johnson Sheila Tillett Young

LOST LOVED ONES Family of Bernard Austin, Sr. Family of Martha “Mickey” Baum

Family of Gladys Blackwell Family of Otis Hurd

Family of Alton Lily Family of George McLean

Family of Samuel Pledger Family of June Wharton

Family of Larry Whitt Family of Chuck Williams

Serving in the ministry of Bethany’s Table has

become etched into our souls. Just this month, I

observed that Marla Beasley planned her trip to

New York City so she wouldn’t miss Bethany’s

Table. Denise Mann made sure that the

newsletters that we deliver with the meals were

printed before her knee surgery. Viola Midgett and

others make sure they coordinate their work

schedules to be available. When making

appointments, we all agree that the third Thursday

is not an option. It seems as if everyone has put

Bethany’s Table high on the priority list, and I am

very grateful for that.

We wanted to have a

special Christmas meal.

We were able to get

beautiful pork loins for

$2.23 per pound, so we

cooked up 60 pounds.

We served a nice slice

of pork with some rice

cooked in beef broth,

mushrooms, and

onions. (That just about

uses up the case of rice

we were given.) We also served a vegetable

medley of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.

Banana pudding was for dessert.

I’m hoping there will be another fried shrimp

dinner on the horizon. A generous donor gave us

about 40 pounds of winter shrimp with their heads

on. Mr. Frog Tillett came to help me head them,

also identifying all the tiny fish that were in the

mix. He made that job go by quickly. Anyway, we

need about 50 more pounds of shrimp. Hint. Hint.

It is exciting to watch the meals leave the

kitchen and get loaded into the cars. They are like

prayers going out, leaving the church with love for

the recipients and with hope for the positive effect

they might have.

In December, we served 182 meals at $1.38 per

person with 16 adult and 10 child volunteers.

One statement that we heard over and over again was

that our church was built out of lumber from old

shipwrecks. Many homes in Wanchese used salvaged

ship timbers in construction. Most notably, Vernon

Gaskill’s house at the end of Pugh Road has some

timbers from the wreck of the Laura Barnes, so it was

feasible that reclaimed wood was used in the church.

When researching for our church history book, Wayne

bravely poked his head through the ceiling access panel

and wisely sent Hughie Basnight up into the sanctuary

attic. There were no ship timbers, but our thrifty

forefathers did use reclaimed wood. They used the

wood from the old church which was about 100 yards

from our present church. (See November’s

newsletter.)

When the workers began to tear down the old church

just prior to starting on our present church, Thomas

Grace Gaskill and Betty Daniels paid the workers five

dollars to delay deconstruction so that they could get

married in the old church the next day! They later

became the parents of Thomas Glen Gaskill whose

widow, Edith, is a very faithful and beloved member of

Bethany.

Also up in the attic were remnants of the chimneys that

were on the east and west ends of the church. There

were two big potbellied stoves that Wilmont “Uncle

Sigs” Tillett kept stoked and burning. He often started

the fires on Saturday night so that the sanctuary would

be warm on Sunday morning. Wayne and Hughie

searched for a board that might have had a signature by

the primary architect and builder of Bethany, William

Lawrence Meekins. It was said that he always signed

and dated a board in the homes he built, but this time it

could not be found.

Another unseen item that Hughie photographed was

our church bell, but we’ll save that story for next time.

The last couple to get married at the old church, (on

left) Thomas Grace and Betty Daniels Gaskill were

pictured here years later in front of their new home just

after the birth of their daughter. The other couple (on

right) are Rev. and Mrs. Stack who served at Bethany

from 1918-1919.

WANCHESE CHRISTMAS PARADE

HANGING OF THE GREENS

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

“Recycled Christmas”

PRESCHOOL PROGRAM

CHRISTMAS CAROLING

CHRISTMAS AROUND BETHANY

1 2 3 4 7:00 pm

Milah Meekins

Circle

Hosts: Liz Ann

and Becky

Bethany Community Choir in Ocracoke

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

6:00 – 7:30

Bethany His K.R.E.W.

7:00 pm

Baum / Gibbs

Circle

7:00 pm

Adult Choir Practice

7:00 pm

Trustee Meeting

7:00 pm

Finance

Meeting

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

6:00 – 7:30

Bethany His K.R.E.W.

6:30 pm

S.A.L.T. Sisters

7:00 pm

Adult Choir Practice

1:00 – 3:00 Bethany’s Table Preparation Day

6:30 pm

Church Council Meeting

Bethany’s Table 3:00 – 4:00 Meals Packaged 4:00 – 5:30 Deliveries

Week of Prayer 18 - 25

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

7:00 pm

SPPRC Meeting

7:00 pm

Adult Choir Practice

6:30 pm United Methodist Men Dinner and Fellowship Newsletter Articles Due

26 27 28 29 30 31

11:00 Worship

Memorial Service

6:00 – 7:30

Bethany His K.R.E.W.

7:00 pm

Adult Choir Practice

Bethany has a card ministry in which we send birthday and anniversary cards. If you have not been receiving a card or if you are new to our church, please fill out the form below so we can add you to our card ministry list.

Bethany has a one call system in which we make calls, letting you know if we have a change in the worship schedule or other importation information. If you have not been receiving a call, please fill out the form below so we can add you to our call list. Also, if you have not been receiving the newsletter, please fill out form below so we can get you on our mailing list.

NAME _______________________________________ BIRTHDAY _____________________________________

SPOUSE’S NAME _______________________________ BIRTHDAY_____________________________________

CHILD ________________________________________ BIRTHDAY _____________________________________

CHILD _________________________________________BIRTHDAY____________________________________

CHILD _________________________________________BIRTHDAY____________________________________

CHILD_________________________________________BIRTHDAY_____________________________________

ANNIVERSARY __________________________________________

HOME ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________________________

MAILING ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________________________

CITY ____________________________________________________ STATE ___________ZIP CODE ________

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SPOUSE’S E-MAIL ADDRESS

_____________________________________________________________________

You can drop this form off at the Church Office, put it in the offering plate, or mail it to Bethany United

Methodist Church, P. O. Box 239, Wanchese, NC 27981.

BETHANY CHURCH INFORMATION

Bible Quiz According to Matthew, who was present at Jesus’

baptism? (Choose as many as apply.)

A. John the Baptist

B. The Spirit of God

C. Jesus’ mother, Mary

D. His first disciples

Answer: and (See Matthew 3:13-17.)

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Bulk Rate U.S.Postage PAID Wanchese, NC Permit No. 3

Begin anew Every morning lean thine arms awhile Upon the windowsill of heaven And gaze upon thy Lord. Then, with the vision in thy heart, Turn strong to meet thy day.

—Thomas Blake