“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8)
“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:16-20)
The Great Commission
The above passages declare the church’s great commission. We believe that missions is at the heart of God and the most important task of the church. God loves us and desires for all people everywhere to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is the task of the church, our Great Commission, to share God’s love in Jesus Christ near us and far.
Local
We are not a large congregation but we want to fully participate in what God is doing all around us. Here are some of the local missions
Hana Mission Soup Kitchen
Christmas Tree Lighting & Bake Sale Fundraiser
Every first Saturday of December, we host a Bethany Christmas Tree Lighting Event with our neighbors and our scouts. We set up a table for children’s crafts, a picture with Santa in our sanctuary, warm soup and chili, and a bake sale to raise funds for local missions. Last several years, we have been sending the funds to Hana Mission in support of their ministry to the needy and their children.
Scouts & Gamblers Anonymous
Our Dianna Fuller began this project in 2011 as she remembered the love of her mother, Alice. Dianna recounts that her mother would always buy new coats for her children twice a year, for Easter Sunday and Christmas, even as her mother bought nothing for herself. Alice always believed that those two special Christian occasions called for new coats for her loved ones.
And so in honor of her mother, Dianna contacted a local elementary to connect needy children with donors who purchase new coats, mittens and hats for their designated children. Our Ginny Schenke always knits all the scarves. This ministry continues to grow and expand into more schools. We are so blessed to be a part of this!
“Alice Coats” Coat, Scarf, Mitten Drive
From the early days of our church, we have sponsored the local scouts and welcomed their programs to be run in our church. At the present, the boys, girls & cubs meet at our church weekly.
We also provide a meeting place for two Gamblers Anonymous groups each week as well as Gam-Anon for the spouses, family or close friends of compulsive gamblers. We support and value their work.
Global
Samar, Philippines 2018
With a support of our faith community that prayed for us and raised funds with us, we returned to Samar to partner with SICAP once again. We visited four villages and blessed them with the good news of Jesus Christ, and they blessed us with open hearts and arms. Indeed, when we reach out to bless, we receive so much more than we are able to give. Thank you Jesus!
Samar, Philippines 2016
Having had a very successful first trip in 2014, we decided to return to the Philippines and work again with SICAP (Samar Integrated Community Advancement Project) and minister to the poor in Northern Samar where the latest poverty rate puts them at 62%, one of the poorest provinces in all of Philippines. We visited two villages and ministered to the children and adults, held several rallies, engaged in children & youth ministries, and shared God’s love with local Christians. Above is Haley’s Videolog.
Samar, Philippines 2014
In November 2013, super typhoon Haiyan struck Philippines and killed over 10,000 people. Through Pastor Jin’s contact in Samar where the damage was greatest, our team joined the local Christian ministry to engage in a number of ministries to those affected by Haiyan. We participated in children’s ministries, youth rally, house to house evangelism and prayer support. We also helped fund the rebuilding of a children’s center, funded the reconstruction of a main road in one of the villages, and established a scholarship for one of the children.
Cuzco, Peru 2013
We partnered with Bernardsville Presbyterian Church to go to Peru to engage in much needed ministry and support. We made for a good fit because Bernardsville brought older adults and we were mainly youths. In Peru, we visited three ministry locations: In the countryside city of Apata (located 11,000 feet above sea level), we visited a local school and met and ministered to all of the students through three school-wide assemblies. We also went house to house for evangelism and a large rally where we gave out clothes we had brought. In the capital city of Lima, we visited two local churches for Sunday worship and a church in the slums where we held a rally in support of that church. And finally, we travelled to Cuzco where we stayed with a local orphanage and ministered to the children there. It was a bitter goodbye as we said our farewells to our new friends.
Supporting
Vision Care USA
Vision Care USA was introduced to us by Dr. Lisa Park as she partners with them on providing vision for the poorest all around the world. We are happy to support this very important work run with Christian spirit.
World Vision Children
We have, for many years, supported the work of World Vision through the sponsoring of children in poverty stricken nations.
Ntoetsi Hilda T. lives with her mother and one brother in the poor area of Lesotho (40% of the population live under the UN poverty line of $1.25/day). Try finding this small country on the African map! Her mother is a factory worker and struggles to provide for her two children. Their community is devastated by HIV and AIDS. A typical family lives in mud and brick home with tin roofs. Our $26/month goes to support her as well as some of the programs that World Vision is engaged in with that community.
Hariji S. is our youngest support. He lives in India with his parents where his father works as a daily wage earner. Most of the people in his village are farmers who are hired out to work at other people’s fields. The thing Hariji likes most about our sponsorship is that he is able to join the World Vision program in his community and participate in the various organized games and learning. Hariji wants to become a police officer when he grows up.
Gezahegn E. lives with his parents and two sisters. In Ethiopia, they live in a rural community where his father works as a farmer. Their community has been severely affected by the HIV and AIDS crisis and so the children live with fear. He attends primary school and helps the family by caring for the animals. He attends his local church and wants to become a doctor.
Operation Christmas Child
We have been annual participants in the work of Samaritan Purse and their Operation Christmas Child (OCC). They partner with missionaries and Christian organizations around the world to bring the love of Jesus Christ to the children through Christmas shoe box gifts that we prepare. Beginning late October, our members and our children begin gathering small items to place in the decorated shoe boxes and in second Sunday of November, we collect them, pray for them, and then send them out.
We kick off our OCC collection drive on October!
Hana Mission
Along with serving at their breakfast ministry on a monthly basis, we support Hana Mission several times every year.
During Christmas, we fundraise through our Christmas Lighting Event bake sale. And during our Blessing of the Backpack event in late August, we provide school supplies for their After-School Program for the Paterson children.